DFS SCAMS

themadbird

We bought 2 long cream sofa's from DFS about 5 years ago cost about £3,000 for both - we had no problem with the finance, and the quality of the sofas are absolutely superb! Don't know what the quality of the sofa's in there now are, but ours still have years and years still left in them

Guinea_2

:money: My partner and I recently moved into a house together. One of the first things we needed was a sofa and knowing that it would take approximately six weeks to get one from anywhere we decided on a sofa from DFS. (This was not a rash decision as we had spent quite a while looking for one). Anyway, we decided on a sofa but wasn't sure that it would be the right size. A saleslady nabbed us and said oh it didn't matter and we could pre-order it but it wouldn't go through without us confirming that we wanted it. When we got back to the house we measured the space and realised that oh, it wouldn't fit in the space. Me being me, HAD to go back to DFS and make sure that the order didn't go through as the sofa was too big. A different sales person said that was fine.

(Sorry...this is long winded!)

We decided on another sofa but decided to measure the room and THEN go back in and order the sofa. Measurements were fine but I couldn't go back in to order the sofa so my partner did. He came back and the paperwork (which I USUALLY look at) was filed and nothing more said. A few weeks before Christmas I decided to get the paperwork out to check when we had to pay the full amount (we chose the one year thingy) and how much it was exactly. I read the paperwork VERY CLOSELY and realised that we had been sent TWO agreements. One for the first sofa that shouldn't have even been sent off and one for our sofa (which was actually very quick to be delivered) for an amount that I didn't recognise. I also realised that they had wopped on an amount for payment protection...something like £200 over the year which we didn't need or want.

I phoned the credit company to say HELLO! why have you sent us TWO agreements for different amounts?!?!?!? She said that the first one was cancelled...how can it be cancelled when it should have just gone in the bin in the shop and shouldn't even have been sent to the credit company? Also....I asked why the extra £200 for protection? I don't want it...please remove it. Oh...I will have to talk to my supervisor...WHY???? Just cancel it...I've asked you to!!!! (I am VERY polite and VERY patient on the phone by the way! Nothing like this!) She came back five minutes later...I have cancelled that for you.

I had to make sure that everything had been done so went through everything again because I'm sure they record calls and if there is something that comes up when we have to pay the whole amount in July then I can tell them to find that conversation...I have the time and date I called!!

That's about it....DFS are alright as long as you are ALWAYS paying attention and double check everything twice.

BUT....the delivery was before we expected and the delivery men were very polite!

wassup

I am inclined these days to make recordings of telephone calls like these, which you think might be denied at a later date. I could tell you a story which is very long but essentially because I ( secretly ) recorded a phone call saved me about £100,000.

I hope your sofa turns out to be ok. I like DFS service but not the product.

Pyramus

I have also been done by DFS with regards to payment protection, what a scam.

I discovered this morning the salesman must have ticked the Payment Protection box without even asking me (he filled in the credit agreement form and I signed it).

I am absolutely fuming about it- it's cost me about an extra £200!

And what even more sneaky is the "Total Amount to Pay" box on the form just quotes the price of the furniture, NOT INCLUDING THE PAYMENT PROTECTION PAYMENTS.

I.E The total amount to pay IS NOT THE TOTAL AMOUNT TO PAY.

I've learnt a good lesson though- check very thouroughly forms filled in by other people before signing. Sounds very obvious now, but I really don't expect crap like that from a reputable high street store.

Guinea_2

I think that that is exactly what happened to my partner because I told him not to go for the payment protection as it was a ridiculous price and we just didn't need it! It goes to prove that even though it may take you a little time, read EVERY little detail in the small print BEFORE signing it.

Pyramus...have you phoned the credit company to get them to take off the payment protection?

mallory_knox

I have just ordered a new sofa from DFS and have to say that I never for one moment believed it was genuinely half price - surely everyone knows that any sale item only has to be advertised in one store at the "full" price to be advertised as reduced? Come, come moneysavers - do you not read this website???
Also, with regard to the "free" finance - of course there are catches - again, nothing in life is free. We save the money in the bank each month starting now, pay it off the day the payment kicks in, so we get the interest on the sofa, not DFS.
Nothing in life is free - unless its on the freebie board!!
Mallory xxx

Pyramus

Further to my post above, I called the loan company and I payed off the loan yesterday.

To date i have made 3 of the 6 monthly payments, so I payed the remainding 3 off yesterday.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that mean I won't have paid the payment protection fee for the remainding 3 months? At least then I've only paid over the odds for only half the loan. I'll find out when I get the letter through the door.

sparkymark_3

DFS are an appalling company and try to screw every penny out of you. Interest free offers are paid for with inflates prices (even during sales)

KarenW_2

My boyfriend and I are new to furniture shopping. We are in the process of buying our first home together. We were in the DFS showroom in South Ruislip earlier today - extremely close to signing up for a gorgeous leather corner sofa which we had set our hearts on. But something stopped us.

Now, back at home, I decided to do some Internet research on the quality of DFS sofas. I haven't found too many good reviews so we are back to the drawing board to look for another sofa. It seems we have had a lucky escape and I am so glad I read these reviews sooner rather than later.

cara1981_2

I can totally sympathise with all the above comments about DFS. My partner and I moved into our first home together recently and ordered a new suite from them, there were so many things went wrong, I don't even know where to start. They specified a delivery date at the time of ordering, and this changed twice before they actually delivered. When the sofa did arrive, it was the wrong colour and I was told that this would take a further week to correct. When I complained to the store, the staff were rude and unhelpful and left me with the impression that they didn't care about anything except payment. After numerous discussions, via telephone and letters, we finally managed to cancel the order, and decided to go elsewhere.

My Sister had recently bought her new suite from a local furniture manufacturer and was extremely pleased with it so we decided to give them a try. We had a look around their showroom and picked out the sofa we wanted - we asked for a few adjustments to be made to the height of the back of the sofa (which was something DFS could not accomodate) and we paid our deposit and left with a delivery date. I cannot begin to explain what a relief it was when the suite arrived, exactly as we had asked, on the date that had been given to us and in perfect condition. The staff were helpful at every step of they way and the after sales service left me feeling like a truly valued customer. I would recommend the company to anyone, their website is https://www.hiltonandbromley.co.uk

I will definately be going back to them when I next need a new sofa and have vowed never to step foot in DFS again.