DFS refuse to refund a sofa we cannot use due to mis selling. What are our rights?

Okell

@soda_syphon -  you are resurrecting a dead thread.  You need to start your own.

HardSofa2025

Hi, Redfairy.
You are not alone. We have had exactly the same experience as you have recounted. We too have a sofa that is too hard to sit on, waiting, covered, in the middle of our living room, unused. DFS were extremely friendly and courteous up to the point were the sofa was delivered and after two evenings my wife developed a stiff neck and a pain in her back. The have refused to take it back or give us a refund. It too, was very much harder than the one we sat on in the showroom and they have also told us that it "needs wearing in". My wife's reply was, if she tries to wear it in, she will end up in A&E. We too have hid a brick wall. This seems to be company policy AND they appear to be reading from the same script. I wonder how many more people are in the same position?

Grumpy_chap

soda_syphon said:

We are also having the same issue as Redfairy & Headonastick68 with our DFS  recliner sofas which were delivered last week & are very firm compared to the showroom examples that we made our decision to purchase with. We have filed a complaint after discussing with the store as the showroom sofas compress twice as much as our new one, & my wife is unable to sit comfortably on them due to her back problem so she is now using our old sofa until we can sort out a solution. We love the looks,  they're just very firm & uncomfortable  on the base & back.
As this is an old post can Redfairy & Headonastick68  update please as i know over time & use they will soften but I can't see the characteristics of springs & foam  altering  quick enough to be as soft as we need in the near future.

HardSofa2025 said:

Hi, Redfairy.
You are not alone. We have had exactly the same experience as you have recounted. We too have a sofa that is too hard to sit on, waiting, covered, in the middle of our living room, unused. DFS were extremely friendly and courteous up to the point were the sofa was delivered and after two evenings my wife developed a stiff neck and a pain in her back. The have refused to take it back or give us a refund. It too, was very much harder than the one we sat on in the showroom and they have also told us that it "needs wearing in". My wife's reply was, if she tries to wear it in, she will end up in A&E. We too have hid a brick wall. This seems to be company policy AND they appear to be reading from the same script. I wonder how many more people are in the same position?

Both of these would be better as a new thread.
I am also struggling how a sofa can be so hard that individuals are unable to sit on them or will end up in A&E.
Do those individuals ever sit on a chair at a restaurant, cinema, pub, or local school hall / village hall?  The typical chairs in the latter would often be solid wood or plastic.

There is also some truth to the comment that soft furnishings will soften with time as the cushions bed in.  This is the same for any sofa.
The thing that does happen is, when choosing a sofa there may be a choice of cushion firmness.  Have the sofas been delivered with cushions of the correct firmness rating?  Not how they feel, but are the cushions identified as the correct firmness from their labels?

Aylesbury_Duck

Grumpy_chap said:

soda_syphon said:

We are also having the same issue as Redfairy & Headonastick68 with our DFS  recliner sofas which were delivered last week & are very firm compared to the showroom examples that we made our decision to purchase with. We have filed a complaint after discussing with the store as the showroom sofas compress twice as much as our new one, & my wife is unable to sit comfortably on them due to her back problem so she is now using our old sofa until we can sort out a solution. We love the looks,  they're just very firm & uncomfortable  on the base & back.
As this is an old post can Redfairy & Headonastick68  update please as i know over time & use they will soften but I can't see the characteristics of springs & foam  altering  quick enough to be as soft as we need in the near future.

HardSofa2025 said:

Hi, Redfairy.
You are not alone. We have had exactly the same experience as you have recounted. We too have a sofa that is too hard to sit on, waiting, covered, in the middle of our living room, unused. DFS were extremely friendly and courteous up to the point were the sofa was delivered and after two evenings my wife developed a stiff neck and a pain in her back. The have refused to take it back or give us a refund. It too, was very much harder than the one we sat on in the showroom and they have also told us that it "needs wearing in". My wife's reply was, if she tries to wear it in, she will end up in A&E. We too have hid a brick wall. This seems to be company policy AND they appear to be reading from the same script. I wonder how many more people are in the same position?

Both of these would be better as a new thread.
I am also struggling how a sofa can be so hard that individuals are unable to sit on them or will end up in A&E.
Do those individuals ever sit on a chair at a restaurant, cinema, pub, or local school hall / village hall?  The typical chairs in the latter would often be solid wood or plastic.

There is also some truth to the comment that soft furnishings will soften with time as the cushions bed in.  This is the same for any sofa.
The thing that does happen is, when choosing a sofa there may be a choice of cushion firmness.  Have the sofas been delivered with cushions of the correct firmness rating?  Not how they feel, but are the cushions identified as the correct firmness from their labels?

The usual hyperbole from those with buyer's remorse, I'm afraid.  It adds nothing to a genuine complaint.

sheramber

Firmness is unique to a person.

amYou only mention it is too hard for wife, not for you. 

My son  and dil have a DFS sofa. She says it hard and uncomfortable. I find it supportive and very comfortable. 

I assume you bought instore since you mention  getting coffee.

 There is no right  to return something bought in store for what is a change of mind. 

Any refund is goodwill only.

Grumpy_chap

sheramber said:

Firmness is unique to a person.

amYou only mention it is too hard for wife, not for you. 

My son  and dil have a DFS sofa. She says it hard and uncomfortable. I find it supportive and very comfortable. 

When we purchased our sofa from DFS, one option was to have the different seats and backs cushions in different firmness ratings.  It was not an option we chose, but it was offered.

soda_syphon

Thanks for the suggestions & help all.  Our Dylan sofa's didn't have an option on filling type or firmness & I totally agree that comfort is subjective for us all. Grumpy_chaps comparison with a chair is because there's  lumps of firm upholstery pushing at your body. My wife manages upto 5 minutes on ours before giving up because of aches & pains & her feet don't touch the floor, the exact opposite to the showroom comfy ones we sat in for an hour whilst purchasing them. I now have back ache after sitting on ours everyday for a month in the same  seat & it's still as firm as the day we had it & very  uncomfortable. The problem with ours is definitely because  the foam compresses half as much when compared to the showroom sofas, & that's everywhere, not just where you sit.
 DFS have failed to meet all deadlines & promised a home visit to investigate but that was 3 weeks ago so we've had enough &  taking them to court.