Can an upholstered bed be repaired?

greensalad

I'm in a right pickle.

In March this year we ordered a new bed, it's an upholstered bed with upholstered side pieces. A few weeks after we started using it my OH sat down on the side of the bed and we heard a loud crack. The side panel broke. It's underneath the fabric, so you can see it's essentially fractured but hasn't poked through the fabric. We thought one of the bolts didn't seem right when we put it together, so that's probably the cause (bolt wouldn't align properly).  We contacted the company and they said they would send someone to inspect. Person inspected in July and determined "yes it's not repairable" (which was obvious to us). And we were offered a replacement. It was due to be delivered in August. Because the side wasn't completely snapped, we continued using it. We figured it'd survive a month. 

Now we've been constantly pushed back on the delivery date and the bed is slowly getting more and more broken. Last month we were told it'd actually be delivered in December. And now... we find out the company, Made.com, seems to be collapsing into administration. I've contacted them and they say they "hope" to deliver outstanding orders but I'm not so naive to think this is going to happen... it's going to be absolute chaos and I just don't see it happening. They also aren't issuing refunds and I have no recourse through my credit card because it was purchased so long ago.

So now I'm considering just biting the bullet and seeing if I can get it repaired out of pocket and putting the whole thing behind me. And if they do end up delivering a new one I've lost money but at least I have a functioning bed.

So... can something be repaired where I don't have any additional fabric to use? Would an upholsterer be able to neatly strip the existing fabric off the side piece, replace the wood, and then put the fabric back on? 

I have no idea what to do and am so worried that I've just lost £850 because this bed won't survive much longer.

FreeBear

greensalad said: I have no idea what to do and am so worried that I've just lost £850 because this bed won't survive much longer.

Did you use a credit card to pay for this bed ?

If so, take it up with the credit card company - You should be able to get your money refunded.

With a debit card, I think you have a similar degree of protection, but I suspect there might be time limits on making a claim.

TELLIT01

If it's the timber bed base which has cracked it may be possible to access if from underneath although that my require any cover under the bed to be peeled back.  That may provide access to the damaged area and enable it to have timber strengthening glued and screwed to it.  I wouldn't attempt that until you are certain that Made won't come through (highly probable) and that your credit card company won't help.

dander

Honestly I can't see any reason why it isn't a fix that couldn't be done. I'm sure a broken piece of wood could be replaced. However upholsterers are expensive and it would be a non-standard sort of job for them - the upholsterer would probably have to get someone else to do the joinery. The bill for a professional fix could end up being pretty big.
Obviously it's really hard to tell just on a verbal description but you also might find the job is easier than you think and could be tackled by a handyman or similar. Do you have anyone who's a bit handy in your family who could just have a look at the construction? You say you constructed it with bolts so I assume the side piece can be removed and worked on without affecting the rest of the bed.

My guess would be that the upholstery fabric is probably stapled on to the wood on the inside. If so those staples should prize out without too much trouble. There's probably a bit of wadding underneath, possibly spray glued onto the wood - that may or may not come off, but if it doesn't you should be able to replace it with something similar. If you could do that stripping yourself, you might find a local "handyman" type would be able to cut you a new wood piece, or even if you had to pay a proper joiner, you could still save cost by avoiding the upholsterer. If we're talking just a straight side putting the fabric and wadding back over a new piece of wood yourself and stapling with a staple gun would actually be really easy.

RobM99

Yes it "can" be repaired but as suggested, it might be £££.   

Again, credit card S75 (if you used that) or maybe (maybe) chargeback ?

greensalad

I don't think the timber is good for repair. It is hard to tell as you can only feel it under the fabric, but I'm pretty sure it's splintered off in all sorts of directions. The whole bit of timber feels... crunchy under the fabric.

There is no access to the wood on the other side. 

I'm wondering if the sides could be replaced with just wood, no upholstery, just stained a similar colour to the wooden legs. 

Section75 on the card is too far gone, claim has to be within 120 days. 

greensalad

Just saw that Made has now gone into administration, rather than just seeking buyers. Seems like my replacement bed is not going to come. Nor am I going to get any money back.

I spoke to a repair company and they said they couldn't repair it.

What on earth do I do. The bed is on its last legs and we can't keep sleeping on it. I'm so devastated. It cost so much money.

I'm looking for ways I can repair it myself but I can't see any staples so I'm having a hard time figuring out how the fabric is attached.

akira181

I guess that's the reason why they're going into administration unfortunately.

If there's any stapes, it'll be on the bottom side, although without more picture of the overall bed and damage, it's hard to say how fixable it is. Find a seam and unpick the stitching and see if anything becomes apparent? Or cut it along the bottom and just staple it back on in the inside, out of sight when finished. Can't really make it worse?

A quick bodge fix would be to screw a metal angle on the top and bottom, along the length of the piece, to keep the broken wood in position but it wouldn't be pretty nor permanent.

If it's not a DIY repair, I'd hazard a guess that it take a repair person better part of a day, maybe two, to fix if possible. Probably be looking at a couple hundred in labour alone with no guarantees. Makes the question is it worth it?

Might be easier to try and chargeback from the bank or see if your contents insurance covers furniture damage.

Eldi_Dos

If you still have fitting instructions or could point  to a link and highlight the part that needs repair somebody will come up with solution, even if it is just a splint held in place at damage.

greensalad

akira181 said:

I guess that's the reason why they're going into administration unfortunately.

If there's any stapes, it'll be on the bottom side, although without more picture of the overall bed and damage, it's hard to say how fixable it is. Find a seam and unpick the stitching and see if anything becomes apparent? Or cut it along the bottom and just staple it back on in the inside, out of sight when finished. Can't really make it worse?

A quick bodge fix would be to screw a metal angle on the top and bottom, along the length of the piece, to keep the broken wood in position but it wouldn't be pretty nor permanent.

If it's not a DIY repair, I'd hazard a guess that it take a repair person better part of a day, maybe two, to fix if possible. Probably be looking at a couple hundred in labour alone with no guarantees. Makes the question is it worth it?

Might be easier to try and chargeback from the bank or see if your contents insurance covers furniture damage.

I really want to get it repaired because even if it's a few hundred, it's still cheaper than the bed cost! I can't seem to find a similar best that isn't double the price, so a few hundred to have a functioning bed in the style I purchased vs no bed, or a cheap bed, what's the point. 

I think the staples are on the underside. I can't splint it as it isn't a clean break. It's crunchy and splintered. 

Can't do a chargeback. It's too late.

greensalad

Eldi_Dos said:

If you still have fitting instructions or could point  to a link and highlight the part that needs repair somebody will come up with solution, even if it is just a splint held in place at damage.

I can't find any documentation, but it was one long side piece, upholstered, secured with two big bolts at either end into the end and headboard. It also had a metal piece where the slats attach. Sorry, this is the best picture I can get (I can't lift the mattress off by myself):