DFS Sofa came with no legs

Gweather

I purchased a sofa from DFS in June 24 which was delivered with no legs. I couldn’t use it as it’s crooked without the legs, leaning to one side and not suitable to sit on. 

The delivery/service person assured me that DFS Would send the service manager out with the legs in a week or so. So I waited. 

They hadn’t sent anyone after 2 months I called them, after a few phone calls over the months, they finally said they would send someone they were just waiting for the legs. 

In DEC 2024 they finally sent the service manager but he only had half the legs so the sofa is still unusable as it’s still lopsided. 

They emailed again to say they have ordered more legs and once they get them they will send the service manager over again to fix more legs on.

I bought it online without having a chance to see it in store and they offer a 14 day return once delivered but I feel like I haven’t been able to have the 14 days to judge it properly without the legs because it’s been wonky. Does the 14 days start from when they actually deliver all the sofa including legs? 

What are my options. Now I would like a full refund and return sofa because it’s taken an unreasonable amount of time to get the legs and I think I have been very patient with them. If I knew 6 months later I’d still have no legs I would have returned it straight away. But they kept stringing me along. What are my rights according to trading standards and consumer rights? 

I have paid it in full. Cost £2800 so a lot of money. 

Aylesbury_Duck

Write to them to say you wish to reject it for a full refund.  They've had enough time to sort it out and at this time of year, their priority will be selling and shipping to new customers, not sorting your sofa out.  I assume you haven't used it and that it's in the condition it was in when it arrived?

How did you pay for it?

Okell

Have you been using the sofa throughout all this time?

Seems an awfully long time to wait if you could not use it...

Gweather

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Write to them to say you wish to reject it for a full refund.  They've had enough time to sort it out and at this time of year, their priority will be selling and shipping to new customers, not sorting your sofa out.  I assume you haven't used it and that it's in the condition it was in when it arrived?

How did you pay for it?

Thanks for responding. I paid with my debit card in full. Yes in same condition .

Gweather

Okell said:

Have you been using the sofa throughout all this time?

Seems an awfully long time to wait if you could not use it...

No I haven't been able to use it as it leans to one side so if you sit on it you will fall to the side, which is not comfortable.
Yes a long time because they kept telling me another week/we will get back to you/ just waiting on delivery so I thought because they are a reputable company I trusted they would fix it and time just went on. 
Now I'm just annoyed and want to go with a different company because of how they have treated me. 

If when I first got the sofa they said it was going to take six months to bring the legs. Obviously. I would have rejected it straight away. But because they told me it would be a matter of weeks, I kept it & waited. 

Now it's six months and still not sorted and after spending such a big amount of money, I am fed up. 

Brie

I'd tell them to come and take it away and give a full refund.  If they try to say you're outside the 14 days point out that it hasn't been delivered in full as the legs are missing.  

Gweather

Brie said:

I'd tell them to come and take it away and give a full refund.  If they try to say you're outside the 14 days point out that it hasn't been delivered in full as the legs are missing.  

Thank you for your advice. I am gonna do that. And I will update you to let you know what they respond with.

Okell

Gweather said:

Okell said:

Have you been using the sofa throughout all this time?

Seems an awfully long time to wait if you could not use it...

No I haven't been able to use it as it leans to one side so if you sit on it you will fall to the side, which is not comfortable.
Yes a long time because they kept telling me another week/we will get back to you/ just waiting on delivery so I thought because they are a reputable company I trusted they would fix it and time just went on. 
Now I'm just annoyed and want to go with a different company because of how they have treated me. 

If when I first got the sofa they said it was going to take six months to bring the legs. Obviously. I would have rejected it straight away. But because they told me it would be a matter of weeks, I kept it & waited. 

Now it's six months and still not sorted and after spending such a big amount of money, I am fed up. 

Ok - understood.

Write to or email them and point out that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality and be as described.  Obviously your sofa satisfies neither requirement.

A retailer is permitted only one attempt under the legislation either to repair or to replace goods that are not of satisfactory quailty or are not as described.  If that attempt fails you are entitled to a refund.  When the service manager turned up with only half the number of required legs that counts as a failed attempt so you are now entitled to reject the sofa under the legislation for a refund.

There is a possibility that because it is now over 6 months after purchase, DFS will argue that the legislation allows them to make a deduction from your refund to account for the "use" you have had from the sofa for over 6 months.

I see two arguments you can make to counter that:

(1) because of the nature of the fault you have not been able to use the sofa at all, so you should be entitled to a full refund without any deduction for use, and 

(2) you are still entitled to exercise your short term 30 day right to reject the sofa for a full refund because DFS were made aware of the defect at the time of delivery, thus pausing the 30 day clock, and they still haven't resolved the problem.  Thus the 30 day clock remains paused and therefore you can still exercise your short term right to reject for a full refund.

To be honest I'm not 100% sure of (2) as a winning argument but I see no harm in advancing both (1) and (2).

But see what other posters think first.


(NB - what was the actual date of delivery to you and when did the manager turn up with not enough legs?  Actual dates please.)

saajan_12

Argument (2) from @Okell's post sounds reasonable to me, but a basic criterion is when you (can prove) you complained about the feet. That had to be within 30 days. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Okell said:

(1) because of the nature of the fault you have not been able to use the sofa at all, so you should be entitled to a full refund without any deduction for use, and 

(2) you are still entitled to exercise your short term 30 day right to reject the sofa for a full refund because DFS were made aware of the defect at the time of delivery, thus pausing the 30 day clock, and they still haven't resolved the problem.  Thus the 30 day clock remains paused and therefore you can still exercise your short term right to reject for a full refund.

I'd agree with you and say full refund, guidance says deduction for use, if OP hasn't used the sofa that will be apparent from looking at it. 

Okell

saajan_12 said:

Argument (2) from @Okell's post sounds reasonable to me, but a basic criterion is when you (can prove) you complained about the feet. That had to be within 30 days. 

Good point.  I have assumed that...

...The delivery/service person assured me that DFS Would send the service manager out with the legs in a week or so. So I waited...

... means that DFS were made aware on the day of delivery.  But maybe not.

If the delivery/service person was from DFS, then DFS were informed on the day of delivery.  But if the delivery person was from Evri, then probably not.

Might explain why the OP had to chase DFS for the legs.

@Gweather -  when were DFS informed of the missing legs?  At the time of delivery or two months later when you contacted them?