Sofas from DFS 27 September 2022 at 3:40PM in Consumer rights 6 replies 252 views

Liz_Kerr

Hi all I wonder if anyone can advise. I bought 2 sofas from DFS which arrived a couple of weeks ago. One sofa was complete the other modular, with two end recliners and 1 middle recliner. The seats are about one and a half the width of a normal seat and  are so soft that my husband can feel the wooden support through the seats. The middle recliner has a raised panel at the side which is only about an inch below the level of the seat so it cant be sat on and you cant lay on the sofa without it stickling in your hip. I have complained to DFS whose manufacture says they will fit new interiors as we should not be able to feel the structure (obviously) They say the panel for the electric controls is just made that way. I have told them that I want to reject the whole order and want my money back  but they are saying that its not a defect, just firmness issues. I can return the electric middle recliner, but they will charge 20% return fee and if I buy a replacement non recliner it may be a different colour.

Grumpy_chap

Did you visit a store and try out the sofa before purchase?
How does the sofa you have compare to that in store?

If you did the whole purchase online, then the CCR would give you 14 days to return for any or no reason:
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-contracts-regulations-ajWHC8m21cAk

Liz_Kerr said:

Hi all I wonder if anyone can advise. I bought 2 sofas from DFS which arrived a couple of weeks ago. One sofa was complete the other modular, with two end recliners and 1 middle recliner. The seats are about one and a half the width of a normal seat and  are so soft that my husband can feel the wooden support through the seats. The middle recliner has a raised panel at the side which is only about an inch below the level of the seat so it cant be sat on and you cant lay on the sofa without it stickling in your hip. I have complained to DFS whose manufacture says they will fit new interiors as we should not be able to feel the structure (obviously) They say the panel for the electric controls is just made that way. I have told them that I want to reject the whole order and want my money back  but they are saying that its not a defect, just firmness issues. I can return the electric middle recliner, but they will charge 20% return fee and if I buy a replacement non recliner it may be a different colour.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Liz_Kerr said:

Hi all I wonder if anyone can advise. I bought 2 sofas from DFS which arrived a couple of weeks ago. One sofa was complete the other modular, with two end recliners and 1 middle recliner. The seats are about one and a half the width of a normal seat and  are so soft that my husband can feel the wooden support through the seats. The middle recliner has a raised panel at the side which is only about an inch below the level of the seat so it cant be sat on and you cant lay on the sofa without it stickling in your hip. I have complained to DFS whose manufacture says they will fit new interiors as we should not be able to feel the structure (obviously) They say the panel for the electric controls is just made that way. I have told them that I want to reject the whole order and want my money back  but they are saying that its not a defect, just firmness issues. I can return the electric middle recliner, but they will charge 20% return fee and if I buy a replacement non recliner it may be a different colour.

Well by their own admission it's a defect plus these type of shops don't carry out repair work from the kindness of their heart, they only do it if they have to.

Advise them you are exercising the short term right to reject (assuming we are still within 30 days) and if they do not agree the refund and arrange collection of the rejected goods ask to which address should you serve small claims papers. 

I'm sure they'll change their tune  

JetpackVelociraptor

If they're agreeing with you that you shouldn't be able to feel the interior structure, that does sound like they're admitting that it's faulty. Which means you can reject it. If it's that soft and your husband doesn't weigh over 20stone then I don't think you'd have any difficulty getting an independent report to agree that it's faulty, if you have to go down that route.

The panel for the buttons for the middle recliner shouldn't be felt if you're sitting in the middle of the seat, but I would focus on the softness issue as it sounds like that is a clear fault.

Liz_Kerr

grumpy chap
We bought instore, but the middle recliner was not in the showroom so did not have a chance to try laying across the middle seat so didn't know that  laying down across the sofa (as you do) would be an issue. As it is it sticks in (my hips) your body which ever bit touches it. The sales lady showed it to us on her I pad, but as the whole sale was done in the shop I think it must fail the 14 day rule . (I complained after 1 day so I am told that I am inside the right to reject period.)

sheramber

 To reach the controls for the recliner there will have to be something on the edge to support them and it will have  to be accessible.

If that bar wasn't there where would the controls go?

JetpackVelociraptor

I would recommend not mentioning the recline control panel at all, as you can only feel it when you're lying down - sofas are literally designed for sitting on the seats only. Don't give DFS the option to reject your claim by including something that isn't an actual fault, and don't let them side-track you into making it about the recliner panel because there's a chance they would win that argument. Keep it about the unreasonably soft seat cushions that they've already admitted are faulty.

I'm not saying this because I think lying down on a sofa is at all an unusual thing, but the manufacturers and warranty companies can and do use a very specific definition of "reasonable use" and they will not accept lying crosswise on the sofa as being "reasonable use". I would imagine they would have a good argument if it got to court that the sofa was never sold as being suitable for lying on.