Some may remember that I posted about getting a new sofa, wee took delivery of it 9 weeks ago and I'm just not happy. We went for chenille? (sp) fabric and it is beautiful but we have got issues with it. The seat cushions are flattening and developing bottom dents at an alarming rate and whenever we sit on it without putting a throw between ones bottom and the cushion, we get a huge shiny bum print  :-(
I complained about this within the first few weeks and we had a visit from a customer service gentleman. He told me that I have to 'bash the hell' out of the cushions daily to keep air inside them and take a damp cloth to the fabric going against the grain to remove the shiny bottom prints. I personally don't feel that we should have to do all this and we weren't made aware of the battle to keep the furniture looking decent at the point of sale except for a small sentence on the invoice stating 'sofa care - plump and turn cushions daily'.
We are at the point where we daren't sit on the sofa's without throws and we are plumping every time we stand up to remove the huge dents. I am spending most of my time sat in the kitchen for fear of ruining the new furniture at I feel that this defeats the object of having comfortable lounge furniture. We paid a lot of money for them and I just know that they wont last more than a few years when I expect them to last a good 10 years like our last ones.
We have a customer care manager coming out to us this afternoon and I suppose I'm looking for a bit of reassurance and tips on how to stand up to him without being fobbed off again. To be honest, I would be looking towards either a replacement or refund - is this reasonable?

Hayley

Did the sofa come with any sort of guarantee?  are the seating areas/cushions sprung or just 'stuffed' (so to speak!).

Perhaps you could investigate that and get some sort of recompense that way?

You could always quote the sales of goods act at the chap/company if it applies

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

I think that is perfectly reasonable.If the customer service man says you need to 'beat the hell' out of the cushions then i think they need to specify that before they've sold it to you. Its unbelievable that after 9 weeks your sofa is already looking well worn and you're afraid to sit on it. Plus it defeats the object of buying a new sofa if you then have to put a throw over it  covering the sofa just to protect the cushions!!!
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It certainly something for others to think about when looking to buy new furniture.

Well we were in the same boat as you in the fact that we bought a new sofa which we loved, but within weeks the colour had faded, and the plumpness had gone, after a few phone calls they agreed to change the sofa for a different style as the one we had was discontinued (i wonder why) the new one turned up but my OH insisted on viewing it outside before they attempted to bring it in (it was all covered up) the new one had slice marks all over it, so back that went and they agreed to send out another undamaged one, during the time of them promiseing to send another and the date it should of came the company went bust (it was courts ) we are now still stuck with the original damaged one and it wasn't cheap.
My advice would be don't let them fob you off, if you know what yo you want stick to it iknow that some companys have a policy that if they repair an item (they may offer to re stuff your sofa) then they will never replace it (if that makes sense)

They're not from DFS are they?..........

My daughter has Next sofas.  Not cheap I know but they are abused daily - people, feet, dogs, food (wasn't allowed for the first month and then .....)  They are 4 years old and look as good as the day they were delivered, so what you are describing doesn't sound reasonable to me at all.

I have cheap Ikea sofas which are brilliant with washable covers.  They're great and I don't worry about them - if they only last a couple of years .... but after 12 months they look really good!

I expect sofas to be an asset not a liability that take more time to care for than to enjoy. :(  I'd be asking for them to be removed and a refund and I'd sit on garden chairs until I found decent ones to buy. :)

how did you guess?

I posted this link on another thread today, but I'm sure it covers things about consumers rights. If it's not fit for purpose then you shouldn't have to put up with it. My OH's company used to deliver furniture for a variety of high street co's, and he was always going on about how poorly made the DFS sofas were.

Hope you get a chance to read through before the customer service bod turns up.

T

how did you guess?   I was 99% surer you were going to say it.  

I don't personal think I have seen one that has came from that store that looks that great quality.  Great I guess if you want to replace annually.

If people are on a tight budget I would actually suggest buying second had top quality that from these cheap stores.

The fabric described to me is just not fit for a covering on a suite anyway.  Don't think it could ever be fit for the purpose.

Good luck.

thanks Blue. My previous sofa was fron DFS and lasted 10 years, it was still fantastic - no sagging etc but the leather had worn considerably which was understandable after 10 years of everyday use.

Tadsy, thank you for that link.

how did you guess?

Because many of us are in the same boat! :-D

I hated my DFS suite, looked stunning in the shop spent £2,800 on it, but the minute you sat on it, it looked a tip, the cushions needed plumping constantly, within a week of having it I hated it. I wish you luck in complaining and hopefully getting a different style, I wish I had, but I put up with it for as long as I could bare as I had chosen it, I didn't think I had a chance in them taking it back as it wasn't faulty just a constant mess when sat on.

I ended up giving it to a charity shop at 18 months old, couldn't bare it any longer I was whooping for joy when it finally went. :-D

from these cheap stores.

I don't call DFS cheap! :) :) :)   I call my Ikea sofas at £175 (now £245!) with washable covers cheap. :)  I bought them as a temporary measure to get my oldies over Christmas and they're so good and comfy that they stayed! :)

LOL  WC...  you know what I mean.  Funny thing is my paper today has a DFDS supplement in it.. Let's see,  3 seater leather sofa £499 , impossible for it to be of any real quality I would say that will be a cheapy :-D I may be unpopular but every single ones not that well made or of decent quality.

The thing with Ikea is "most" of their furniture is built so well so you get a good deal generally with them. A freind of mine just bought a kitchen from them and it is really quite nice.  So at £245 each now making £490 for two your neck and neck with some of the DFS suites really. I know where I would be buying from out of the two :-D   ( Ikea incase nobody can guess :-D )

This DFS to me has cheap written all over it. Put it this way 4 years free interest or 1 year nothing to pay and 36 months paymetns interest free has to come from somewhere also. This is written all over the front.

My pleasure.

I too had a DFS leather suite that lasted 15 years, it's still going strong just living in a different house! I did mention this to the OH whenever he complained about the quality, I don't think he ever really believed me when I said that suite was DFS (bought in a previous life!)

Luvhandles - I was interested to read your post since we are thinking of getting a new sofa soon, a bit reluctantly since the one we have has been brilliant and we've had it for 12 years - it came from Sterling and the quality is excellent. My aunt recently bought a leather sofa from DFS and I noticed when I visited her that the leather has split at the seam in a few places after only a few months. (and she has no kids or pets!)_
I would be just as fed up if I was told I had to muck about with all that plumping and wiping cushions every day, and would be asking for a refund since the goods are not fit for purpose. I hope you have a satisfactory result.

> we are thinking of getting a new sofa soon

My Mum bought some chairs from Multiyork a few years ago and has just recently ordered a couple of sofa's from them.  I have to say i was really impressed by the quality and the fact that you can custom fit the type of seat cushions and backs that you have.  Like Goldilocks we tried them all - too hard, too soft, too squashy etc til we found the right one.

A decade or so ago my OH and I bought a sofa from a house clearance auction.  It lasted us for years and we only go rid of it as it was the wrong style when we moved.  When I tipped it upside down I found that was a Multiyork one and I subsequently sold on eBay for three times as much as I paid for it.  Quite an investment.

I've had two from DFS and wouldn't recommend them, or use them again - even though the offers are tempting :)

Honeybee hang on till Xmas with Sterling their sales are always really good and of course the good are excellent quality in the first place.

DFS does not always mean rubbish...I have leather sofas from DFS.  I knew nothing of the brand when I bought them as they had only just opened in NI at the time and, as such, they didn't have any reputuation here to speak of. They weren't cheap at over £2K but 6 years on they are still in excellent condition, barely a mark on them, with many more years of wear left in them...and that is with 2 huge dogs using and abusing them on a daily basis. 

My DFS leather suite is in very good condition apart from a few scratches from the dogs.We bought it second hand for £500 from a couple who were emigrating to spain, they bought it for a few pound off £4,500 in 1998 (we have their receipt etc), we have had it for 5 years now, so in all its 11 years old now!

The recurring theme here seems to be if you bought from DFS over 6 years ago, the quality was good, it's just in recent years it's gone downhill. I paid c£5k for my sofas, and as mentioned previously they're now "living" with my Brother in law and still going strong. We only replaced them because they were 2 seaters and OH couldn't stretch out fully on them (men), so we've now got recliners, but I much prefer my old Sofas.

Well the Customer Service Manager has been & gone....says the bottom prints are down to the nature of the fabric and that the pile does flatten and cause shading so in a nutshell tough! He said the only way we can restore the pile is to either use heat / steam or a damp cloth and brush against the grain - my answer to this was that I shouldn't have to but he said it doesn't look that bad and that he would be able to live with it. I told him that it may not look that bad to him probably because we cover with a throw before we dare sit down. As far as the cushions flattening are concerned then thats up to me - either plump continuosly and keep them full or they will go flat. I explained that we wasn't told about this 'natural shading & flattening' at the point of sale and he said that he will get the sales man to call me about this?? He said there is nothing he can do because there is no evident manufacturing default. I am so upset - I've even had a little cry.......

Trading Standards! :)

Consumers Direct are fabulous.  I only had to mention to o2 that I had spoken to them for me to get a refund and a years line connection free :)

Mines from DFS also and I was told that you had to do the cushioned area every day.  It supposedly had some chemical put on it to make it less likely to get dirty and easier to clean and wasn't cheap for that and it's a load of rubbish.  It has stayed quite good looking though but I do have throws on it 24/7 and they only come off when non-doggy friends come, if doggy friends come who can cope with my lot diving on them then the throws stay on.

We are puffing the seat cushions every day but they are starting to develop prominant bottom indents after just 9 weeks regardless of puffing and bashing. I'm more concerned about the fabric to be honest - my Husband and I were discussing it before and we accept that we can have the cusions stuffed with something more suitable but what do we do about the fabric?

Try talking to a different sofa shop about the fabric, or an upholster.  if you can get a sample from DFS or take a cushion with you, you may be able to get some independant advice about the suitability and quality of the fabric.

Worth a try xx

You should not have to put up with this. I am manager of a furniture supplier of High Seat Chairs. And would take your furniture back due to you being unhappy. A satisfied customer means alot to us as word of mouth and recommendation goes a long way. Chenile does have a tendency to pile crush and looks worn quite quickly but nine weeks is extreme. Dont let them get away with this and get Trading Standards involved.

I have spoken with Consumer Direct. I'm still waiting for the DFS Sales Staff to get in touch with me. Consumer Direct have advised me that if the Sales Manager / Store Manager is not willing to do anything then I should ask if they mind that I get a second opinion by an independent upholsterer and that if it is proven that the fabric is not suitable then will they be willing to re-emburse the cost of this. So now I'm waiting for the phonecall from DFS......

I had a suspicion as I have had exactly the same problems, apparently the little pulls that have come up all over the suite (the dogs don't go on it) are what is supposed to happen! Have you ever heard anything so stupid?! I also have a friend who had a leather suite from them and the seats have gone all "baggy" and creased, again, apparently that is what they are supposed to do! Not only that I had their version of scotchguard on the sofas and now they look all stained and have a "dusty" appearance, despite hoovering them as advised. To this problem I was told that I would need to get them professionally cleaned, after 4 months of owning them!

In the end I gave up as I felt I was fighting a loosing battle, at the end of the day their engineers work for them so are always going to defend the product, and am now stuck with two awful sofa's that I am paying for for another three and a half years. My dad says that I shouldn't let it drop but I haven't got the energy to be honest :-(

Nicki xx

My dad says that I shouldn't let it drop but I haven't got the energy to be honest

That's exactly what these big companies bank on!  But they often change their tune if they can see that you're not going to give up.  All that you're asking for is a sofa with fabric and manufacture that can be used in normal conditions!
Is there a consumer rights program on BBC anymore?  There are enough unhappy buyers just on this board for a program!  Sounds like that's what's needed for them. :(

We should all contact Watchdog!!!! :-)

That'll do nicely!  Let them do the fighting for you. :)

> We should all contact Watchdog!!!! :-)

Especially as Anne Robinson is back on the program !!

Right! How do we go about this then??!! :-)

Nicki xx

Google gave me this.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/
watchdog@bbc.co.uk.

Nicky, Don't give up - I won't. Next step for you is an inspection & report from an independant upholsterer. Try the furniture ombudsman - I've just rang them and they've sent me a form to fill in if I don't get any further with DFS by myself. With the Ombudsman, the most it can cost you is £50 if they needed to send someone out to inspect your sofa's but they will claim that back from DFS on your behalf if you win & they should know whether you have a valid case at the point of sending in the form with photographic evidence if possible. I will keep you informed how I get on.

Thank you Westcoast. I have just emailed them! We should all do the same and then they might feature them!

Nicki xx

Hi Hayley,

Thanks for that, I will contact the Ombudsman.

After reading your story and how you have been fobbed off too it has made me think about continuing with my fight.

I hope you get a positive outcome on this.

Nicki xx

I too have emailed Watchdog!

Anymore dissatisfied DFS customers need to email Watchdog?? :)

Yay! Go girls!! :-)

Nicki xx

Google reviews tell a different story.   I personally have never seen one that is of any reasonable quality. Perhaps I have missed them :-)

I really need  new couches as mine are about 14 years old and look really disgusting however i can't find anything that is as good quality . My concern about DFS and other such places , in this financial climate , is that they might go bankrupt between paying the money and recieving the goods .
Anyway , DFS ALWAYS have a sale on . Who do they think they are kidding ?
I'd rather buy a cheap couch from IKEA that might last a couple of years than give DFS any money .        

DFS are sponsoring Crufts 2010, aren't they?

Mmm I was always concerned about that.  Not the prestige image that I hoped Crufts would portray .......

I'd rather buy a cheap couch from IKEA that might last a couple of years than give DFS any money

I bought Ektorp I think is the right word.  Tough cotton washable covers and the seat cushions appear to be foam with a 2" soft layer on top - so not deep squishy seat cushions but the backs are.  They're vacuumed weekly(ish!) and cushions turned about monthly and they really look as good as when they arrived alomost 12 months ago.  And they're so comfy to sit/lie on that they've not been upgraded as originally planned. :)

Definitely fit for purpose - it just depends if they're to your taste. :) :)

We bought a three piece suite from DFS on one of their pay nothing for a year, then three years interest free credit schemes.  The sofa's didnt last until the end of the credit period!!  Bearing in mind that our elderly Cavvie (at the time) couldnt even get on the sofa and it was treated normally, right from day one we had problems.  The cushions are filled with something like wadding, which goes lumpy and seperates unless they are plumped every day.  We also had problems with the fabric splitting apart at the seams.  We complained bitterly, but was told that there were signs saying their cushions had to be plumped and turned every day, and if I wanted a really hard wearing sofa, I should have spent more money!!!  Eventually we had the cushion fillings replaced with foam from an upholsterer and bought some throws.

Ive only ever had second hand sofa's since as Ive never been able to afford decent new ones.  My current sofas were 69p each from Ebay, and are much better made than my DFS ones!

Best choice for me was going for second hand. I bought a stressless suite for £700 and couldn't be more pleased.
I wont worry about the dogs as it isn't new, it will last for years as it is pure quality and best of all I didn't pay the £000s it would be brand new.

Karen :) :)

I will add my bit to your comments. Not dfs this time furniture village ,first we had to pay a specialist to dismantle the sofa's to get them in a standard 1970 built house because we didnt  reliase that although we had done all the measuring for the room and all was well we couldn't get them through a standard door way.
That went well but cant remeber how quickly they went flat and  on eof the cushions split across the seam  but it was well under the year. I had preciously spoken to the manager about the seams on the cushions shortly after we got the 3 piece saying I thought the stitching was too tight and may split. He said it was designed that way and would be fine ! It wasn't!!
They refused to replace other than the cushion and couldn't guarntee a colour match (cream leather) It was repaired but since then we had 2 more go after guarantee expired so have all of them resown at our expense. Stuffing went flat very quickly despite plumping etc nearly everytime its sat on. Had it cleaned by their recommended cleaners 2 but have now given up and do it myself because it has made no difference to the finish whoever does it. Tried allsorts of cleaners cheap and expensive. The upholster who finally stitched it said use warm water and dry well and do it regulalry. I occasionally spray with leather spray.
We had considered having the previous suite renovated but it was about the same price. Wish we had.
Their guy who came to stitch the first time it informed me that it looked shabby wasn't surprised that it had split as I hadn't taken care of it and with dogs and children it was not surprising .My dogs dont go on the sofa and my kids we 12 + alos my friends all think I have ocd because I am so fussy about the house so I was left fumiomg at his rudness. Anyway it was their guys who had cleaned it.
Never again and next time it wont be leather either. btw it wasn't cheep at least I didn'think so over £3000
Now my edwardian sofa of my Nan's having been restored once looks beautiful