Garden Furniture - Faulty Items - My rights

cheekymonkeytoo

Bought through internet (not Ebay) an 8 seater rattan garden furniture set (very large and glass, table, chairs, cushions, parasol and stand thrown in) - ordered 17/4 delivered 6/5. Cost £1,079 so not cheap.

Table required two supports/two legs on each to be bolted to underside - one fitted (just) and the other was a good inch from lining up (and no flexibility). Table cant be used at all.

On one of the chairs legs the weave was already unravelling and on another the sheath (that helps protect the weave) was loose (rivet to secure was broke). One cushion back was missing.

I have unpacked everything (mountains of packing - which is unusable plastic) and not used a single item.

Have complained to the company as have waited this long and want whilst considering a replacement, best option may be to get a refund if I can. However, they have said whilst they appreciate my contract is with them, they say the issues with the product are manufacturing related and they need to see what they can do based upon the info (and pics) I have provided first. They will not deal with anything till they have heard back from the manufacturers, and no timescales given. To be frank Im not happy contemplating the quality of any replacement.

Question - Do I have to wait for the manufacturer to answer their questions and wait goodness knows how long, or can I demand a refund and also for them to come and collect the whole lot (as I bought it all as a set)?

If they offered a replacement of the faulty items - do I have to accept that (not that they are offering to do so)? Indeed can I demand a replacement immediately.

Do I have to pay for the return (bearing in mind how much there is and £ involved) and have to somehow package this all up (as cant reuse the plastic packing - so not sure how can do that for such a load)?

Sorry so long - wish never bought darned stuff now. Storage is nightmare too whilst I wait.

Any guidance welcome how to approach this.

unholyangel

Under the consumer rights act, you have the right to insist on a refund if goods are inherently faulty within the first 30 days. Only after that can you be made to accept a repair or replacement (although they need to be carried out within a reasonable time and without causing reasonable significance).

The retailer will be responsible for any collection costs and technically could even send the table away for inspection before offering a remedy. So unless they're taking unreasonably long, I'd hang fire and see what they say.

Although worth noting that your rights remain unchanged regardless of what the manufacturer is willing to do about it - as they quite rightly state, your contract is with them (and so are any contractual liabilities). If this is what they are saying (that they'll only offer what the manufacturer will offer) or implying, I'd perhaps remind them that misleading a consumer about their statutory rights (or trying to remove/restrict those rights) can amount to a criminal offence under the Consumer protection from unfair trading regulations.

Give them a few days and see what they say. If they're not forthcoming, I'd perhaps try a chargeback or - if you paid by credit card rather than debit card - a section 75 claim.

cheekymonkeytoo

Thank you for such a prompt assistance. I did pay by credit card too. I will remind them of my statutory rights though as need them to know I wont accept unreasonable solutions either.

I believe they are a family run business and wish to be fair and perhaps just unlucky their own supplier (imported goods) has let them down too.

Thanks again