Faulty Rattan Corner Sofa Dining Set

figwit

I purchased some garden furniture (Rattan Corner Sofa Dining Set - £649.99) from Aldi UK on 12 May 2022. It came with a 36 month warranty.

The table developed a fault back in September (16 months since purchase):






I have contact the customer support and they have said that it is no longer stocked, so it cannot be replace and as an alternative, they have offered "a refund of 20% (or £129.99) of the purchase price."

Regardless of the warranty, am I entitled for a full refund under Consumer Rights Act 2015 which states the goods should "last a reasonable length of time". Seeing as the goods came with a 36 month warranty, one would assume that a reasonable a reasonable length of time would be more than the duration of the warranty?

The purchase was made online via Aldi's website using a credit card for the full amount. 

Supplier: Aldi 
Product: Rattan Corner Sofa Dining Set
Warranty Period: 36 months (expires 12 May 2025)

Aylesbury_Duck

You're not entitled to a full refund, but their offer seems a little mean.  Losing 80% of its value in just two years is a heck of a depreciation curve!  Did you report it in September or only just now?

Taking their warranty period as a guide to lifespan, it's lasted about half of its expected lifespan, so I'd expect the offer to be closer to 50%.  I'd try some negotiation, but don't push too hard.  As I read it, they haven't asked you to have an inspection done to prove the fault.  They could do so, which will be a bit of a faff, although you could recover the cost.  What I'd be wary of is them suggesting misuse as a contributing factor.  What do the instructions say about care for the table?  From your photos, my guess is that UV light and heat (perhaps exacerbated by the glass top) has caused the rattan to degrade/stretch/break.  Is there anything in the instructions about leaving it exposed full-time, or should it be covered when not in use, for example?

All told, if you can get £300 ish from them, that's a good result.  The table looks perfectly useable, you could always put a tablecloth under or over the glass if structurally the table is still sound.  You may get many more years' use out of it.

figwit

Thanks for the information. 

> Did you report it in September or only just now?

Following my initial phone call to customer support (8th March 2024), I was instructed to send some pictures to their email address including a reference number (which was also sent on 8th March 2024):

The response was:

We are sorry that the item did not turn out to your complete satisfaction.

As customer satisfaction is important to us, we are offering you a refund of 20% (or £129.99) of the purchase price.

If you agree to this price, we will then send you a separate email for PayPal.

In the confidence that we have found the best possible solution for you, we thank you for your support.

To which I responded: 

Thank you for your response regarding my recent query about the faulty garden furniture I purchased from Aldi.

While I appreciate the offer of a partial refund of 20% (£129.99) of the purchase price, I must express my disappointment with this proposed resolution. As outlined in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, consumers are entitled to goods that are of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. Given that the garden furniture developed a fault after only 23 months since purchase, it is evident that it did not meet these statutory requirements.

Furthermore, the warranty provided by Aldi for this product is for a duration of 36 months. I believe that a reasonable expectation of durability should extend beyond the warranty period, especially for an item of this nature and price.

Therefore, I kindly request a full refund in accordance with my rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. I trust that Aldi will honor its obligations under consumer protection laws and provide a satisfactory resolution to this matter.

Please confirm the arrangements for the full refund at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your attention to this issue. I look forward to your prompt response.


> What do the instructions say about care for the table? Is there anything in the instructions about leaving it exposed full-time, or should it be covered when not in use, for example?

I still have the manual at home, so I'll take a look and report back. 

> From your photos, my guess is that UV light and heat (perhaps exacerbated by the glass top) has caused the rattan to degrade/stretch/break. 

I would agree that's exactly what's happened. The previous set didn't seem to suffer from this issue, which was dark brown and around 12 years old. We gave that one away still looking like new, I wish we had kept it in hindsight! 

> All told, if you can get £300 ish from them, that's a good result.

Yes I agree.

> The table looks perfectly useable, you could always put a tablecloth under or over the glass if structurally the table is still sound.  You may get many more years' use out of it.

That's exactly my thought process, but my wife is looking at a whole new set   

Aylesbury_Duck

All good, other than the bit about your consumer right to a full refund.  You're not entitled to a full refund.  A depreciated refund is the retailer's obligation, and they know that.  Hopefully they'll come up with a better offer.  If needs be, when you next write to them, suggest a reasonable ratio (50% maybe?)

figwit

> You're not entitled to a full refund.

Thank you for this information. 

> suggest a reasonable ratio (50% maybe?)

I'll try this approach. 

Thank you. 

IvanOpinion

You say "Rattan Corner Sofa Dining Set" so I assume the table only makes up a part of the full set and the 'sofa'/seating parts are still OK.
I also assume that the proposed refund means you get to keep the full set, and beyond not looking great, the table is still a usable item.
On those ground their offer of 20% is reasonable - but if you can push for more then why not.

figwit

> You say "Rattan Corner Sofa Dining Set" so I assume the table only makes up a part of the full set and the 'sofa'/seating parts are still OK.

Yes that's correct. The table makes up part of the set. The seating is mostly ok, a few of the pieces have snapped, but I doubt anyone will fall through it. 



> I also assume that the proposed refund means you get to keep the full set, and beyond not looking great, the table is still a usable item.

Yes, that it correct. 

> On those ground their offer of 20% is reasonable

I feel like anything is better than nothing.

Ideally, there would be no need for a refund and the base of the table would be replaced. I would have expected it to last longer than 16 months, given it has a 36 month warranty. 

Customer services have not responded for over a month now, so I doubt I'll get a replacement or a refund any time soon. 

Aylesbury_Duck

That picture has completely changed my view on the refund offered.  I'd imagined the table being a much more substantial part of the set when in reality, it's akin to a coffee table.  On the basis that the rest of the set is fine and that the table damage is cosmetic rather than structural, 20% is a good offer.

With it being the only glass-topped element, that seems to confirm the cause of the damage.

PHK

To me that looks like something has pressed into the table when the glass was off for cleaning. 

Regardless, I think the 20% is generous given the age and that it’s part of a much larger set. 

IvanOpinion

I meant to ask, looking at your pictures, is it possible someone sat on it, while the glass was off causing part of the damage?
If not and the sunlight is the reason then maybe an outdoor table cloth over the top would help to protect it from further damage on very sunny days.

figwit

The glass has not been removed since the table was put in place, only the top [of the glass] has been cleaned, as the underside doesn't tend to get dirty. 

The top section has become brittle and not longer flexible (like the other sections), simply putting light pressure on any piece caused it to snap. The other sections are flexible. 



I'm assuming the material has degraded due to the exposure to the UV light (probably amplified by the glass top as somebody suggested).

Looking at the manual provided, it's surprising that they have offered any refund as it specifies: Storage: "Protect the product from direct sunlight.". 





Thank you for all of your advice in this thread. The post was to simply see where I stood with regards to a replacement or refund as I was unsure.