Sofology not delivered sofa and not replying to emails - what are my rights?

LondonToEdinburgh

Hi all, first post here, would really appreciate some advice.

I bought a sofa online from Sofology early in May. I paid in full by debit card so no finance or anything like that.

I was given an estimated delivery date of 5th July 2021. Their website says this is the date they expect the sofa to be delivered to their warehouse rather than the customer's home: help.sofology.co.uk/en/articles/2419989-what-does-the-estimated-delivery-date-in-mysofology-mean

5th July has been and gone without any update on when the sofa will be delivered to my home. I phoned up and was told it is currently in a warehouse several miles away from where I live. I have emailed two different people for updates, both of whom gave generic "we'll look into this and get back to you but the warehouse is sooooo busy" answers, and then not replied any further to my emails.

I am frankly astonished that a business can operate in such an incompetent and disdainful manner towards its customers. I then did some googling and it seems Sofology are notorious for this to the point of being investigated by BBC Watchdog: frequently missed/delayed deliveries, no replies to emails, hold times of more than an hour, the online chat taking days to reply - all things I have now experienced. I only wish I had known this before buying the sofa.

Until now my emails have been asking for a delivery date and further info but after witnessing just how unprofessional the company is I just want a full refund and nothing further to do with them. I plan to call tomorrow and ask for my money back as I have paid for goods which haven't been received and am being stonewalled when trying to find out more.

Am I entitled to ask for a full refund? Are they allowed to say no?

Are they allowed to prevaricate and say they can do a refund, but not on the phone? I don't want to go back into the cycle of sending emails into the ether and being ignored.

Has anyone else dealt with Sofology and found a way of getting their money back?

I would be really grateful for some help as to where to go from here. Thank you.

pbartlett

Since you paid by debit card, one option would be to contact your bank and and for a chargeback of the payment citing the reason 'item not delivered'

Before you do this, check the T&C with Sofology to see what it says about expected delivery times etc as your delivery might still be within the quoted time frame in which case you will have to proceed.

sheramber

I am frankly astonished that a business can operate in such an incompetent and disdainful manner towards its customers. I then did some googling and it seems Sofology are notorious for this to the point of being investigated by BBC Watchdog: frequently missed/delayed deliveries, no replies to emails, hold times of more than an hour, the online chat taking days to reply - all things I have now experienced. I only wish I had known this before buying the sofa.

I only wish I had known this before buying the sofa.

That is how they can continue to operate.

People do their research after they have bought rather than before.

tehone

T&C are here https://www.sofology.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

Depending on what the circumstances are you may be due £50

LondonToEdinburgh

Update: after waiting two hours on hold yesterday they agreed to a refund. Thankfully the staff I spoke to yesterday were attentive and processed everything quickly and with minimal fuss.

I can't help but notice that the sofa I had originally ordered is no longer available on the Sofology website. I don't know if perhaps it was discontinued and they were just not going to tell me for as long as possible or what. Anyway, the money was in my bank account this morning and I will be avoiding Sofology from now on.

DCFC79

LondonToEdinburgh said:

Update: after waiting two hours on hold yesterday they agreed to a refund. Thankfully the staff I spoke to yesterday were attentive and processed everything quickly and with minimal fuss.

I can't help but notice that the sofa I had originally ordered is no longer available on the Sofology website. I don't know if perhaps it was discontinued and they were just not going to tell me for as long as possible or what. Anyway, the money was in my bank account this morning and I will be avoiding Sofology from now on.

Could be because they have changed supplier or the supplier has chosen to get rid of certain sofas.

I'm amazed they are still going.

MalMonroe

Well of course you should have received a refund. They had your money but you didn't have their goods!  

I think you have been very patient. It's just a shame that now you have to start looking for furniture all over again, I would have asked them in writing not only for a refund but also for some compensation.

I would also have been on the phone with them every day after the date of delivery had passed with no sofa.  Because of them having the money but not delivering the goods. If they had sold out of the sofa you ordered they should have contacted you immediately. 

LondonToEdinburgh

MalMonroe said:

Well of course you should have received a refund. They had your money but you didn't have their goods!  

I think you have been very patient. It's just a shame that now you have to start looking for furniture all over again, I would have asked them in writing not only for a refund but also for some compensation.

I would also have been on the phone with them every day after the date of delivery had passed with no sofa.  Because of them having the money but not delivering the goods. If they had sold out of the sofa you ordered they should have contacted you immediately. 

Ha, I understand where you're coming from with the compensation but at this point I am more than happy to just take my money, run away and never have to deal with them again :P

I would have happily called them every day but their telephone queues regularly stretch to 30 or 40 people and it can take a few hours to get through. They are not open after 5 PM and I have a busy job. I sent emails instead which were ignored.

I still can't quite believe this experience is so common amongst their customers and yet they are still in business. Their showrooms are pretty nice though so maybe that's why. The only time I have ever experienced this level of unprofessionalism before has been with letting agents, and at least then I knew what to expect. You don't expect to be messed around by a sofa shop!

deannagone

Asking for compensation (not like the OP has been waiting and lost pay due to not being at work) would probably have prevented the OP getting their refund.