Marks and Spencer - furniture warning [long]

TeamPlum

Found and purchased our dream sofa in store, right handed corner sofa in mid September. Was important that it was a right handed, as a left handed sofa wouldn't quite fit in the room. Receipt and order documents show we ordered a right handed sofa (guess where this is going).

Service was great, received call from delivery company within 2 days to book a slot in, 8 week wait - all fine.

Sofa arrives 11th November, guys set it up. Doesn't fit in the room because they've sent a left handed sofa. Delivery team contact M&S furniture team, who late on a Saturday night suggest we keep the current sofa to give us something to sit on, and they'll ring us on Monday to sort out the issue. I'm frustrated, but these things happen, so agree.

I've now thrown a dust sheet over the "new" sofa, so as to protect it, and I'm locking the cats out the room so they don't shred it to pieces.

Monday comes . . . and they don't call. So late in the day, I call them. "Oh no, it's nothing we can do, we'll get the delivery company to call you to re-arrange delivery".

The delivery company call me Tuesday: "oh no, M&S need to re-raise the order. There's nothing we can do, we'll tell M&S, await a call from M&S in the next 48 hours".

At this point, I write an e-mail of complaint regarding the lack of communication between the delivery company and M&S. The website promises a response within 24 hours. That was 3 days ago now and no-one has bothered to respond.

I wait my 48 hours for the call, and in a pattern that is starting to become familiar, no-one calls me. So for the second time in a week I'm making a call rather than receiving one. When I talk to the chap at the other end he's got no idea he's meant to call me.

After retelling the story to him (the fourth person I've told this story to, despite them having records) he disappears to talk to a colleague. There was never a right hand corner made for us, or if there was, no-one knows where it is. Therefore we have to have a new one built from scratch. Oh, but the factory closes down for Christmas in about 2 weeks. Nonetheless, it'll be ready for the delivery date.

Hang on, did he just say "delivery date"? I enquire what delivery date he means. The 24th January, he answers. So now in the company of no communication they've booked me a delivery date, but no-one told me! I can't do the 24th January, I'll be at work! How can you book a delivery for someone, without asking if it's ok?? Argggh! (bearing in mind, they're supposed to ring you to discuss a delivery slot, as happened in the first delivery).

So they've messed up, and it's upto me to chase around and sort it out. Then on random Wednesday Id've got home to find a sofa on my front lawn.

Useless, avoid.

Pollycat

I'd be putting the above in writing to M&S and expecting a reduction on the price of the sofa for inconvenience.

Keep it brief (or as brief as possible), unemotional and on-topic.

Boohoo

TeamPlum wrote: »

Found and purchased our dream sofa in store, right handed corner sofa in mid September. Was important that it was a right handed, as a left handed sofa wouldn't quite fit in the room. Receipt and order documents show we ordered a right handed sofa (guess where this is going).

Service was great, received call from delivery company within 2 days to book a slot in, 8 week wait - all fine.

Sofa arrives 11th November, guys set it up. Doesn't fit in the room because they've sent a left handed sofa. Delivery team contact M&S furniture team, who late on a Saturday night suggest we keep the current sofa to give us something to sit on, and they'll ring us on Monday to sort out the issue. I'm frustrated, but these things happen, so agree.

I've now thrown a dust sheet over the "new" sofa, so as to protect it, and I'm locking the cats out the room so they don't shred it to pieces.

Monday comes . . . and they don't call. So late in the day, I call them. "Oh no, it's nothing we can do, we'll get the delivery company to call you to re-arrange delivery".

The delivery company call me Tuesday: "oh no, M&S need to re-raise the order. There's nothing we can do, we'll tell M&S, await a call from M&S in the next 48 hours".

At this point, I write an e-mail of complaint regarding the lack of communication between the delivery company and M&S. The website promises a response within 24 hours. That was 3 days ago now and no-one has bothered to respond.

I wait my 48 hours for the call, and in a pattern that is starting to become familiar, no-one calls me. So for the second time in a week I'm making a call rather than receiving one. When I talk to the chap at the other end he's got no idea he's meant to call me.

After retelling the story to him (the fourth person I've told this story to, despite them having records) he disappears to talk to a colleague. There was never a right hand corner made for us, or if there was, no-one knows where it is. Therefore we have to have a new one built from scratch. Oh, but the factory closes down for Christmas in about 2 weeks. Nonetheless, it'll be ready for the delivery date.

Hang on, did he just say "delivery date"? I enquire what delivery date he means. The 24th January, he answers. So now in the company of no communication they've booked me a delivery date, but no-one told me! I can't do the 24th January, I'll be at work! How can you book a delivery for someone, without asking if it's ok?? Argggh! (bearing in mind, they're supposed to ring you to discuss a delivery slot, as happened in the first delivery).

So they've messed up, and it's upto me to chase around and sort it out. Then on random Wednesday Id've got home to find a sofa on my front lawn.

Useless, avoid.

Is there not a thread about this issue in the consumer rights section or has somebody else got the same problem with M & S sofa's ?

Pollycat

Boohoo wrote: »

Is there not a thread about this issue in the consumer rights section or has somebody else got the same problem with M & S sofa's ?

Indeed there is:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5742763

That thread was about the wrong sofa being delivered, the OP was waiting for a call from M&S.

This thread is a vent about what happened (or to be more accurate - what didn't happen) after that.

TeamPlum

Quite so Pollycat, the first was me asking or advice, this one is to warn others.

As it goes, I did put it in writing to M&S, via an email to customer service, containing just the facts - and so far theyve ignored it, despite promising to answer within 24 hours.

I've tweeted (ignored), used resolver (ignored), emailed (ignored), rung (lied to). No idea where to turn next

Fosterdog

One thing you need to double check is that they have actually sent you the wrong sofa. Different manufacturers class the opposite sides as being a left or right handed sofa. Some will say that a right hand corner is to the right as you look face on to the sofa and others say it is to the right as you sit on the longest length.

My last sofa was a called a right hand corner, my new one is called a left hand corner but they are both the same layout with the corner on the right if you sit on the main part but the left if you look face on.

Just a few examples
SCS call this a right hand
https://www.scs.co.uk/bailey-corner-group-rhf-scatter-back/L038316_MASON-COLLECTION-SILVER_CHROME-FT.html

DFS call the same position left hand
http://www.dfs.co.uk/astoria/asr4zapza--1

M&S are the same layout as SCS but opposite of DFS
http://www.marksandspencer.com/nantucket-corner-sofa/p/p22342620007?prevPage=srp&pdpredirect

Did you look elsewhere first, decide you wanted a right hand and then just go to M&S pointing and saying “I want that sofa in a right hand corner” and maybe they just happen to have the opposite as right hand or did you specifically check the measurements and description of the sofa you bought and what you thought was right hand was the same as their definition of right hand?

TeamPlum

A good point.

We found it instore, and the 'show' model was the same layout as what we wanted. We were able to say we need the exact same one. That was labelled as a right hand. When you buy it instore they go through the same online process as you would if you were buyimg online at home. Therefore we were able to compare pictures online.

On delivery day whe it became clear it was the wrong way round, the team were instructed to check the packaging, which stated left hand. The reciept clearly stated right hand.

On one of my many phonecalls to them they admitted they didnt know where the one they should have built was, so im assuming they never built the correct right hand in the first place.

Pollycat

Well, it sounds like you did everything right and they've done everything wrong - and are compounding that by their lack of response which I find appalling.
I'd try social media again.

Please let us know how you get on.

meer53

So do you have the correct sofa now ? If yes, what are you looking for from M & S ?

Pollycat

meer53 wrote: »

So do you have the correct sofa now ? If yes, what are you looking for from M & S ?

According to the original post, the correct sofa isn't going to be delivered until 24th January.
A delivery date that hasn't been discussed with the OP and isn't convenient.

TeamPlum

Update:

I was at the end of my tether, so I e-mailed the CEO to complain about their poor service (along with keeping my twitter campaign up). Didn't really expect anything to come of it, but got a call from the 'relations manager' 2 days later who heard me out, agreed it wasn't good enough.

Part of my complaints were that the sofa was reduced in the sale from 1900 to 1100 roundabouts. I argued that seeing as I won't be getting it until the 27th January it was like I had ordered it recently, so they should honour the sale price. Surprisingly she agreed and said she'd refund me the difference (£759 to be more accurate).

I had to ring her again because she refunded £579, but it wouldn't be M&S without a little incompetence, and I got my £180 extra.