100% leather faulty sofa

Andy196755

I purchased 2 x real leather sofas from a well known furniture retailer. After 16 months there was discolouration and leather peeling. When I purchased I was told it would last me easily up to 20 years due to it being 100% real leather. It says online and other specialists has confirmed should last 15-20 years. After 15 months it was confirmed as manufacturing faults on both sofas by their technician both have same faults. I paid over £4k for both of them. They have accepted the report but only offering partial refund based on 6 years period a customer has the rights to complain about faulty goods. I have rejected this offer as I purchased the sofas as I was told they should last alot longer than 6 years and I think the partial refund should be calculated on how long the sofas should have lasted me. Any advice? Who is right? 

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved this to the relevant part of the forum for consumer questions

visidigi

is it a manufacturing fault or is it missold - there is a key difference.

Are they saying its been made with fake leather?

Andy196755

Manufacturing faults. Report states it was sealed incorrectly. 

born_again

6 years is the norm quoted for refunds.
Not how long they may last.

MyRealNameToo

Andy196755 said:

I purchased 2 x real leather sofas from a well known furniture retailer. After 16 months there was discolouration and leather peeling. When I purchased I was told it would last me easily up to 20 years due to it being 100% real leather. It says online and other specialists has confirmed should last 15-20 years. After 15 months it was confirmed as manufacturing faults on both sofas by their technician both have same faults. I paid over £4k for both of them. They have accepted the report but only offering partial refund based on 6 years period a customer has the rights to complain about faulty goods. I have rejected this offer as I purchased the sofas as I was told they should last alot longer than 6 years and I think the partial refund should be calculated on how long the sofas should have lasted me. Any advice? Who is right? 

The law states that after 6 months they are entitled to deduct "use" received from the goods before they became faulty. Like many things the law doesnt state how that should be calculated. 

John Lewis, and some others, seem to be implementing it effectively as a straight line depreciation over 6 years by month. Unfortunately there is little to no case law on what the courts have deemed appropriate nor any view if different products should have different approaches 

In my mind, you use the sofa constantly through its life... its not like the bread maker that you use a few times when new and then put it in the back of a cupboard never to be used again. So straight line is reasonable and arguably it should be over the average life span which seems 7-15 years is heavily quoted. Where yours sits on the spectrum probably depends on the brand more than the claims of construction or price paid. 

100% leather just means its not pleather or bonded (which is leather fibres joined together in a resin) but it can still be a very thin slice of leather on a fabric backing. Clearly yours has a polymer/plastic coating as its pealing off which is intended to increase durability/make more stain resistant but means it's more likely a split leather. A "full grain" leather is the full thickness of the skin and is much more durable and would rarely be coated. It will start out much stiffer though so not as comfortable day 1. As such I probably wouldnt put it at the top end of the scale of duration. 

screech_78

Tricky one. 

Is the same sofa still available to purchase? You’re actually entitled to a repair or a replacement (providing exact same model, colour, etc) so if they’re still available, push for a replacement.

Yes, they can reduce any refund after 6 months. 

The vast majority of CRA claims I see are for electrical items. I do think it’s poor to offer a partial refund on a 16 month old sofa and I wouldn’t. It would be a full refund for me at that age. I gave a customer a 30% refund last year on a 7 year old leather sofa that was bonded leather and was peeling. Apparently a known fault and based on the fact it had a 10 year warranty, I offered 30% back and he could keep them. Customer was delighted. 

I do think expecting any sofa to last 20 years is really pushing it. 

How much are they offering as a refund vs how much you originally paid? 

Keep_pedalling

Proper leather does not peal, this will be bonded leather or some other cheap tat.

https://www.billytannery.co.uk/blogs/knowledge/bonded-vs-real-leather?srsltid=AfmBOoocxvLl82toEIfKfsMadCa6e-PEQBvdooFqKGTZpc9lunexS36X

Andy196755

Screech_78. I don’t think it is but I did ask for a credit note for the full value so I could purchase a similar one, they refused. A few other people said they would do full refund but I am happy for them to take useage fee as long as it’s fair. I paid £4112 and they are only offering £3198.93. I have asked them to calculate it on 10 years to negotiate but again they have refused. They collect the sofas too which I want them to as I don’t want them. Looks like I’m going to have to take it further and see what happens. Refunding 30% back on a 7 year old sofa is very generous of you. 

Andy196755

Keep_pedalling said:

Proper leather does not peal, this will be bonded leather or some other cheap tat.

I am no expert but I have the paperwork to say it was sold as 100% real leather. That’s all I can go by. 

eskbanker

Andy196755 said:

I purchased 2 x real leather sofas from a well known furniture retailer. After 16 months there was discolouration and leather peeling. When I purchased I was told it would last me easily up to 20 years due to it being 100% real leather. It says online and other specialists has confirmed should last 15-20 years. After 15 months it was confirmed as manufacturing faults on both sofas by their technician both have same faults. I paid over £4k for both of them. They have accepted the report but only offering partial refund based on 6 years period a customer has the rights to complain about faulty goods. I have rejected this offer as I purchased the sofas as I was told they should last alot longer than 6 years and I think the partial refund should be calculated on how long the sofas should have lasted me. Any advice? Who is right? 

Were you told about 20 years in writing or verbally?  Re "it says online....", is this on the retailer's website or somewhere else?