Consumer rights help on brand new sofa.

bikingbarney

Hi all,

In august we paid a deposit on a sofa we really liked from Natuzzi. The showroom model was supposedly 18 months old and still looked as new with no baggy material etc. We placed an order for a brand new one in slightly different (more expensive) fabric.

Fast forward to yesterday and both sofas we ordered were meant to be delivered. Unfortunaltey only has arrived and they cant find the other despite both being scanned onto the van.

The main issue is that whilst its the same model as the showroom one the quality doesnt seem to be the same. Most of the material is baggy and rippled and to be honest it looks like a ten year old sofa already despite not even being sat on.

See photos below:

What it should look like:



What it actually looks like:



What would be our rights here? 

I've sent the pictures to the showroom and the salesman agreed it doenst look great. We feel that its not fair to expect to have to have a repair on a brand new sofa that hasn't been sat on?

Please could I get your thoughts.

DullGreyGuy

Firstly, what outcome do you want? Refund? Replacement? Discount? Has pricing moved since you bought it?

The Consumer Rights Act gives you a short term right of rejection and so you could attempt to exercise that on the grounds that it is defective which would give you a full refund. 

Personally, I'd focus more on the ripples in the arms/base than the cushions. Its not clear if all the ripples in the cushions are caused because the cover is too large/saggy or if its because its too small and so being pulled

bikingbarney

We would just like to reject them and get a refund.

The whole sofa just looks baggy and loose, as though there isnt enough filling.

Thanks 

Steve

sheramber

The salesman agreed it did not look great

What have the shop offered you?

bikingbarney

sheramber said:

The salesman agreed it did not look great

What have the shop offered you?

At this moment in time nothing. I sent the details over yesterday afternoon and the salesman said he would pass it to his manager. 

Not heard anything so far after that.

bikingbarney

Just had a call from the store.

Apparently Natuzzi head office have said that they have to send out a technician to inspect the sofa before they can move forward??

Pretty sure thats not correct and when I said that I had the legal right to a full refund the chap started getting a bit upset and said he would get the store manager to call me tomorrow?

Have I done the right thing? Do i have to let them look at it before refunding? I'm just worried it will turn into a battle when they try and say there's nothing wrong with it.

JetpackVelociraptor

How long since you took delivery? Depending on how it was stacked in their warehouse or delivery van it could take maybe 24 hours for the foam or fibre to "puff up" after having been compressed.

If it's already been over 24 hours I would suggest you reject it as being poor quality. I would be highly suspicious of the way that right hand side looks like it has been sat on!

Tell them you're exercising your short term right to reject the entire order and you expect a full refund. They may ask you to prove this, in which case you can arrange an inspection from a third party upholstery technician (make sure you use a different company to whoever they use) and their report will constitute proof.

bikingbarney

JetpackVelociraptor said:

How long since you took delivery? Depending on how it was stacked in their warehouse or delivery van it could take maybe 24 hours for the foam or fibre to "puff up" after having been compressed.

If it's already been over 24 hours I would suggest you reject it as being poor quality. I would be highly suspicious of the way that right hand side looks like it has been sat on!

Tell them you're exercising your short term right to reject the entire order and you expect a full refund. They may ask you to prove this, in which case you can arrange an inspection from a third party upholstery technician (make sure you use a different company to whoever they use) and their report will constitute proof.

Over 24hours now and unfortunately it doesn't look any different. 

They have still yet to deliver the other sofa which was part of the order, apparently cant find it in the warehouse??

DullGreyGuy

bikingbarney said:

Just had a call from the store.

Apparently Natuzzi head office have said that they have to send out a technician to inspect the sofa before they can move forward??

Pretty sure thats not correct and when I said that I had the legal right to a full refund the chap started getting a bit upset and said he would get the store manager to call me tomorrow?

Have I done the right thing? Do i have to let them look at it before refunding? I'm just worried it will turn into a battle when they try and say there's nothing wrong with it.

As you are rejecting the goods due to fault/quality they are naturally entitled to inspect them. Given the cost/hassle of uplift (and redelivery if its determined there isnt a problem) it doesnt seem too unreasonable for the inspection to occur onsite. 

JetpackVelociraptor

It's not unreasonable for them to want to look at it. Let them send their technician. If their report comes back as not faulty, get your own report from another company and insist.

Did you buy both sofas together as a suite? I think you'd be able to reject the entire order as incomplete, but you might have to allow them more time to "find" the second sofa so probably fighting this on the basis of it being poor quality will be faster.

bikingbarney

JetpackVelociraptor said:

It's not unreasonable for them to want to look at it. Let them send their technician. If their report comes back as not faulty, get your own report from another company and insist.

Did you buy both sofas together as a suite? I think you'd be able to reject the entire order as incomplete, but you might have to allow them more time to "find" the second sofa so probably fighting this on the basis of it being poor quality will be faster.

Yes bought both as a pair, both scanned onto the vehicle yesterday but only one on it when they come to unload, now saying they cant find the other at the warehouse.