Hi, Hoping for some advice. Sorry for the long winded explanation. I have had some sofas delivered to me last week, 23rd May 2018 from Sofology. Two days into having the sofas we noticed, 25th May, one of the recliners was wonky and has not been aligned correctly so I sent Sofology an email with photos asking them to correct this. I received an email telling me I will be contacted within the next week for a service visit. Three days in, 26th May, I now notice a gathering of material on where I sit and the back supporting cusions. I sent an email to Sofology explaining the problem and expressing my disappointment. I also told them I wanted to raise this as a complaint. I got a call from Sofology 28th May wanting to book a technician to correct the alignment issue. I asked the lady on the phone if they will also be looking at the creasing. I was told they has a technician look at the photos of the creasing and they decided there was not anything wrong with the sofa. I explained to her it wasn't fair they made this decision without informing me. She also advised to give it 6 weeks for the Sofas to settle. To keep whacking the sofa regularly. This was done over the phone so I sent an email confirming our telephone conversation, I also attached a further crease which I noticed on the actual recliner. I woke up this morning and the creases/sagging are growing further and the sofas already look 6 months old when they are not even one week old. I have sent them another emailwith further pictures but I am scared they will keep fobbing me off. What steps do I need to take to take this further?

We purchased 2 Supreme leather sofas from DFS in November 2016, and within 12 months the painted coating on the leather had removed from several areas at the seams, mostly on the side of the seats which are seldom used or areas that do not come into contact with the person sitting on them. We reported the problem to DFS and they sent out a DFS manager whom cleaned the areas and repainted them with touch up paint. The workmanship was very poor, the colour of the paint was not the same shade and the repair lasted no more than 5 weeks before it had worn off. The problem with the painted coating coming off has progressively got worse and now we have the paint peeling off one of the head rests. As the 2 year guarantee is up this November we contacted DFS again to come and see the problem. To keep this story short DFS has said that the painted coating on the seams is due to abrasion and the leather peeling on the headrest is from oils/grease from the scalp. After several telephone calls, emails and letters requesting a refund (reasoning that leather shouldn’t wear that quickly in these areas and not being fit for purpose if you put your head on the head rest), the current position is that DFS are saying that my rights to a refund or replacement ceased after I had these sofas 30 days, but they would come out and touch-up the paint as a goodwill gesture. We have since gone back to DFS and offered them an opportunity to repair the sofas, but with the following guarantees; The work is carried out by a professional repair person, as the repair carried out previously was unacceptable (different shade, poor, and lasted approximately 5 weeks) The paint/dye is mixed to correctly match the colour/shade of our Sofas. The paint/dye is applied in the required number of coats to the correct thickness. The repair areas are sealed after coating. The repairs are guaranteed for a minimum of 1 year and any other areas of the Sofas that show similar signs of peeling in the next 3 years will also be repaired free of charge to the same standard. Early indications are that they are not going to agree to this and also not give me any guarantees. Since researching leather finishes I have discovered that these sofas are pigmented leather (painted and lacquered) and that oils from the scalp can cause peeling. As putting your head on the headrest is a natural thing to do and as I was never told this when I purchased the sofas, can I request a refund or replacement under them being not fit for purpose? The sofas have been cleaned exactly to DFS’s requirements (dry wipe once a week and a 6 monthly clean with the leather cleaning kit supplied by DFS. If DFS are not going to budge on their goodwill gesture, I would like to take this further and I am prepared to take it through the small claims card, but I am not sure if I have a case. Does anyone have more details on similar cases that have successfully gone through the small claims courts that I could cite in further correspondence to DFS?

Hi I have the same problem with Argos, bought Hart of House Salsbury tan sofas, 100% "top"quality italian leather, delivered in december 2015, so only 15 months old. One of them blistered and peeled off on back rest, They sent castelan and told me that report proves that it is not manufacturing fault, I asked them to explain what the test was and this is what they said : " In simple terms, a rub test is the application of heat on the fabric (in this case leather), to check the prominence of natural oils (headoil) in the fabric/material. The lack of these oil can cause the cracking/blistering or flaking of the material. As this was not found to be the case on your sofa, there is no manufacturing fault.". I told them technician did not apply any heat on my damaged sofa, he only sprayed something and wiped it, that was all what he did, I also told him that I regularly apply leather protection cream on both sofas and only one has peeled off . I have send them letter under the Consumer act saying that the item is not satisfactory quality and they mislead me by selling them as "top quality", they still refure to pay for the repair. I am getting independent report from furniture reports £260, but worth it to take these sorry people to court. Please can you let me know if you have problem with the same sofa or any other Hart of house lether sofa? Many Thanks!!!

Hi not sure if this in the correct place, but hopefully it's ok. We purchased 2 sofa's from the Sofagroup, also known as Oakfurniturewarehouse on eBay 8 months ago that we have issues with. After 5 months the seams started to become frayed and ripped along the tops of both sofas. We was also convinced that the sofas weren't 100% real leather sofas as described on the listing as they now advertise the exact sofas on their Facebook page stating its part Faux leather. We contacted the retailer who said we had to pay for the repairs to the sofas and said we were wrong about it not being real leather. We refused to pay for the repair and they have since ignored us. We then contacted our credit card provider to begin a section 75 claim. We have provided the original listing stating its 100% real leather, photos of the damage and proof of purchase and such. They then required us to get an independent report on the sofas. We paid for a smart report and the inspector has confirmed that we were miss sold as only the wearing parts are real leather. But we now have some concerns, that I hope someone might be able to help us with. 1, it was implied during the inspection that unless you pay £2000 plus for a leather sofa then you will have a substandard sofa anyway. Is that correct? 2, the inspection was just some photos of the damage, confirmation that is wasn't all leather by touch, and a photo of the eBay listing. Is that all they do? It only lasted 10 minutes if that. 3, how long do we have to give our credit card provider to respond? It is coming up for 10 weeks now since initial contact. 4, Do we recover the cost of the report from the Credit card provider? Thanks

Hiya and thanks for reading. I have just bought a couple of sofas from a guy advertising new sofas on gumtree. He's got loads of adverts for many kinds of settee's, chairs etc for immediate delivery in England. I rang the mobile number but no answers and then he rang me back but on a private number. We spoke about the sofas and I said I liked the sofa which was advertised. He said that the sofa would be delivered but if it was not suitable or did not match the description I didn't have to pay anything( cash on delivery) I took delivery on the 3rd January 2016 and sofa was beautiful, soft bnded leather. Unfortunately since having the sofas my partner has been itching and said he feels warm when he sits on it and I feel a bit itchy but my eyes sting, my nose and throat feel like they're burning abit and I feel abit short of breath. I have tried ringing the guy but his number has changed and he is advertising under another number. I have been in touch with consumer advice and they have referred to trading standards but as of yet they have not been in touch. Is there anyway I can track him down through Gumtree as his advert says he has been posting for 1 month and goes by the name of Daved, and that's it. I think the sofas may have sachets of DMF (which is now apparantly illegal to put in sofas) in them. I'm desperate to talk to this guy but think it might be impossible. Any help will be good, thanks.

The Sofas were delivered in October2012, we paid extra for the foam upgrade on both the sofas.(3 and 2) the salesperson in the shop told us they would be 'like this' and showed us another FIRM cushion, except they are not like that they are worse and have not even been sat on more than 3 or 4 times. infact they feel as though they are fibre filled or worse. they sink right in when you sit on them and honestly at the time we were both working out all day and most of evening, so did not sit much on the sofas at all!! paid £1700 in total. i wrote to CSL and complained , etc a technician came out there was a fault in the woodwork he fixed it, we thought it would be fine, sat on them few days after letting glue dry. however STILL the same. called CSL , same technician came out again said there was no problem. kept writing to them being ignored Finally got through to disputes resolution who was unwilling to offer anything apart from a credit note for less than half the amount, which would let us buy sofas from CSL within 3 months, i then contacted furniture ombudsmen and they want to get an independant (not so independant) company to look at the sofas, i am being told there is no 'objective evidence' there is anything wrong with them. We have continued to pay the monthly amount of £50 to barclays as were on a credit agreement 4years interest free etc. Problem now is, we are both not in work, cannot afford to pay the monthly and are living with parents having given up the flat. Sofas have been in storage for last five months, by the end of this month we will be in arrears with pretty much everything. Barclays say we cannot cancel or even FREEZE the account, we have reduced this weeks payment to £10 however have been told if we pay this rate for 3months we will incur charges. I was told about the 'equal liablity' thing and did manage to write a letter to Barclays but they said they are not responsible because CSL say there is no fault. csl have said pay £500 and cancel the whole agreement however we dont even have that money upfront AT ALL, iv been told I can choose an independent person myself to inspect the sofas and CLAIM THIS from CSL ? however furniture ombudsman say if i were to choose someone independent CSL may reject the report. consumer direct say i should go with FIRA.- fira say they are not independant. CAN ANYONE ADVISE? please i am at my wits end Thanks x

Hi, I need help, I'm not getting anywhere with CSL or the Furniture Ombudsman. I bought 2 sofas from CSL on 21st August 2012. They were delivered on 3rd September. Upon the delivery, we've noticed one of the sofas already had marks on the seating cushions. It felt saggy, you could not sit comfortably on it, so after a few days we've reported the case to CSL's customer service. They sent out a "Technician" who took a look at the cushions, and I told him that I had been round all of the different retailers trying out furniture and when I found these sofas in CSL they seemed perfect and comfortable, clearly these sofas aren't the same, I said. I told him the store I bought it in, to go and have a look himself. And he did exactly that, claiming they're identical. I wouldn't have a penny if I knew they're like that, but I was convinced they're perfect and I foolishly paid in the deposit, and paid the rest off in August. So, yeah, it was apparently identical. They offered a boosting of the cushions free of charge, and I was merely happy with a refund, because I've paid for a sofa that I want to last, and not sofas that become a flop after three bloody days. Sorry, I'm fuming. But yeah, the tune changed afterwards and I was told to PAY for the cushion boosting, fifty quid. I've said I'm having none of that, and turned to the Furniture Ombudsman. We've filled in a big claim form, and sent it off with all of the photographs, clearly showing the marks and faults with the sofa. The state of this sofa is literally, as if we used it for two years. The worrying fact is, it was like that on the second day, and I was only a fool that I failed to notice it straight away, guess it was wife's excitement and such. I thought that merely stating that the product wasn't as advertised in a five page essay would resolve the case, but it seems that the Furniture Ombudsman has no balls to act against CSL, they're an ombudsman after all. Moving on, the Furniture Ombudsman advised me of the time scale the case would take, so it was just a case of wait and see. They got back eventually, and after two months, offered me a filling which I already rejected. I got back to them saying, I'd be only completely happy with a full refund. It went on, and on, and eventually they offered me an 850 quid refund. I came back to my original statement of wanting a full refund. CSL then requested an inspection, and I agreed to it, as long as it helped to issue a full refund and an independent firm would come and do the inspection, and not a CSL so called "Technician". And so, at the beginning of May, we've had a lovely chap from Castelan carrying out an inspection on the sofas. His opinion was clear and favoured our side, that the sofas were in a terrible state, and he'd wish us the best of luck to get a full refund. He even noted that "the seating cushions do not bounce back" - they simply stuck in when you sit. CSL had to push in again, and keep to their business, by sending out another inspection. And yet again, the Castelan representative was on our side stating "I'd be surprised if you didn't get a refund, but even if they offer you a replacement, it might come faulty again". I made it clear to him, I was only content with a full refund, he took some photographs and I haven't heard from the Ombudsman for a week. This is the e-mail I've received today, and I'm left in turmoil and frustration. I can't stand it anymore, and I'd love for the mess to be sorted out. Is there any organization who are higher than the Ombudsman? So from 850 quid to 800, after two inspections which we're well, "apparently" in our favour but then not? It's hysterical. Constantly, it's been a battle for my own right of a refund, on sofas that I use for a few hours a day - we're at work all the time, and the only time I'd like to relax, I can't because of this saggy box. CSL have been ignorant in every phone call I've received, they've pushed into the independent inspections from Castelan, by calling me and sending me messages about the inspections etc. The sofa is uncomfortable, I suffer occassional back pains... After long months of discomfort and pratting around I just want this over. I have wasted cash on calls, they've wasted my invaluable patience, and I've been stressing over the case since I opened it. I'd honestly love to get this over and done with, sweep it up, let them have the sofa, and walk out with a refund. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Edit: The full price is 1250 by the way, excluding the delivery charges. Considering the sofa has been faulty at the date of the delivery, I should be entitled to every penny back?

I recently purchased 2 new leather 3 seater sofas from a local retailer (not a chain) whom I have used in the past. When they were delivered, I noticed they were a lot lighter than my old Multiyork 3 seaters that I was disposing of after 12 years of excellent service. Yesterday, as I got up from one of the sofas I noticed a strange noise from the arm. Its hard to describe, but it similair to the noise you would get by pressing down on a folded sheet of semi rigid plastic making a twanging sound as it deforms and then springs back to shape. I also noticed that the arm itself was quite wobbly. I called the shop, who asked me to email him a note and he would forward it on to the factory. He told me they would send someone out from a company called Homeserve furniture repairs. Apparently they will appraise the sofa and repair on site if possible. Last night my wife and I were discussing our disappointment with the sofa and she started to inspect the other one. She wobbled the top rail of the backrest which creaked and was clearly virtually snapped in two. I tipped it on its back this morning, pulled 6 staples from the cloth base underneath the sofa to look inside at the top rail. Its made from what looks like 2"x1" timber and where the creaking was occuring was a massive (well as massive as you can get with a bit of flimsy 2"x1") knot in the wood. Its cracked around this knot and should clearly never been used in manufacture. So I have 2 dodgy sofas with different faults. Looking inside sofa 2 I was appalled by the standard of construction and materials used. I understand that initially I have to let them attempt a repair, but having seen the quality inside the sofas, am worried about the longevity of them. They are £1500 each, so not particularly cheap!

I arrived home from work tonight to find our new £900 sofa was in fact half of the one we ordered, and half of another one, as well as a two person footstool. This only became apparent when my wife unwrapped it. She phoned them straight away and they said they could only replace / collect next Monday (6 days away). I phoned to complain and they said the earliest they could collect would still be Monday. I do not have the room for this mismatch in my house and with an 11 month old baby its dangerous. Also, their returns policy on the website states that goods to be returned must not be used. Where do I stand? ...Yeah yeah I know...