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Allergic to new sofa

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245

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  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    from all accounts its not the actual contact with the sofa , its the poisonous fumes given off from it , because of "sachets" of an illegal product added to the packing cases/boxes to stop the leather going off during transport
    Ok, do you have a link to that?
  • enfield_freddy
    enfield_freddy Posts: 6,147 Forumite
    hollydays wrote: »
    Ok, do you have a link to that?




    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268982/Hundreds-toxic-sofa-burns-victims-line-20m-payout.html




    The cheap sofas were manufactured by two Chinese firms, Linkwise and Eurosofa, which put sachets of the chemical Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF), into shipments.

    DMF is an anti-mould agent and was designed to stop the sofas deteriorating during storage and transportation. But the EU has banned the use of DMF after consumers in at least five European countries suffered skin burns and breathing problems due to the chemical, used in numerous imported leather products

    good enough link?


    if not try google
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 25 May 2015 at 5:30PM
    I've previously googled that that link but reading quickly I can't see the reference to no contact causing skin burns.
    That story was very well publicised at the time .
    I'm well aware of it.
  • nic_santorini
    nic_santorini Posts: 801 Forumite
    this was on watchdog a couple of years back - it was sofas from argos if I remember and they were mortified and removed them immediately and it was the silica gel squares that were within the sofa that had some really bad stuff in. You really do have a case here. Don't sit on the bloody thing anymore though. I think there is a link on one of the replies above.
    Food and Smellies Shop target £50 pw - managed average of £49 per week in 2013 down to £38.90 per week in 2016
  • enfield_freddy
    enfield_freddy Posts: 6,147 Forumite
    correct it does not say contact or no contact , it just states that


    "suffered severe skin or eye complaints, breathing difficulties or other medical complications.


    so that would make me think fumes breathed in , rather than a physical contact , after all you do not rub your eyes on the sofa do you?


    if this "is" in fact the case I would ring doctor/hospital or even the fire service and ask about the above chemical , and ask for advice .


    I think technical help would be available , as there is a "possible" banned chemical being imported into the UK


    however the OP might just be allergic to Chinese cows.




    knowing the supplier(s) and there need to hack costs down to minimal , the sofa,s could actually be being made by a "sweatshop" not on there approved supplier's list , or even stock made for countries that have not banned this substance.
  • enfield_freddy
    enfield_freddy Posts: 6,147 Forumite
    Possible side effects of dimethyl fumarate:

    All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
    Diarrhea; flushing (warmth, redness, itching, or burning feeling); indigestion; mild stomach pain; nausea; vomiting.
    Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
    Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, throat, or tongue); fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; severe or persistent diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, or vomiting; severe or persistent flushing.
    This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency,
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 25 May 2015 at 5:42PM
    I think the op needs to return before we jump to any conclusions.
    I'm finding the op hard to believe.
  • enfield_freddy
    enfield_freddy Posts: 6,147 Forumite
    but they categorically deny any faults to the sofa , and have NEVER heard of anything like this happening before?


    blimy , a scare that resulted in lots of sofa's being returned , taken off sale and a huge court case WOULD be known by the seller
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    but they categorically deny any faults to the sofa , and have NEVER heard of anything like this happening before?


    blimy , a scare that resulted in lots of sofa's being returned , taken off sale and a huge court case WOULD be known by the seller
    Who's denied ?
  • tomtontom
    tomtontom Posts: 7,929 Forumite
    but they categorically deny any faults to the sofa , and have NEVER heard of anything like this happening before?


    blimy , a scare that resulted in lots of sofa's being returned , taken off sale and a huge court case WOULD be known by the seller

    Given the time since the previous issue and that Sofaworks/ CSL were not one of the affected companies, it is quite reasonable that a customer service rep would not have heard about it. What the OP should do now is make them aware of the previous issue with some imported sofas, and report this to the CAB consumer advice line so they can monitor for further reports - if the problem is similar, it will not just be the OP affected. They should of course seek medical attention for their 'burns'.
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