Damaged furniture post delivery

Olaz · 27-10-2013 11:09pm #1

Hi,
We took delivery of a suite of leather sofas from a well known retailer just over a week ago. Because we have no TV yet in the sitting room we left the sofas in their plastic until Friday. This evening when I dropped a hair clip on the three seater sofa we realised that it is clearly second hand or ex display. Between and behind the cushions is filthy, hairs, crumbs etc. Disgusted, we took a good look at both sofas. The other one is perfect and definitely brand new but the three seater has many scuff marks, damage to two legs, possible water splashes near the floor and smells of smoke! The damage is in out of the way places which is why we didn't spot it when unwrapping. We looked underneath at the production dates - the dirty one was manufactured by Jan 2011, the perfect one Feb 2013 (I'm not sure if this would be relevant).

Needless to say we are livid, we spent a lot of money on these sofas and a dining table set (which we've also had a issue with and are awaiting a return phone call about). We now realise we should have checked everything carefully as soon as they were delivered but naively we didn't. We've read their delivery policy and it does state to contact the shop within three day of delivery if there is an issue. We will be phoning the shop first thing tomorrow but I'd appreciate any advice or opinions please. Feeling seriously ripped off. Thanks in advance.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 28-10-2013 9:53am

Wait and see what the shop says or does before jumping to any conclusions. This may well be resolved easily - as most problems in life usually are. I'm sure they'll send someone to look at it and take I from there.

sandin · 28-10-2013 11:19am

Possibly the shop made an error? -

Some real good advice - be VERY calm. Assume it is a genuine MISTAKE unless you have certain proof otherwise.

Go in with guns blazing as your post is suggesting you will and you will get grief because no-one likes to be accused of doing something on purpose when its very possible a genuine error.

emeldc · 28-10-2013 11:35am

The shop are hardly going to admit that they sent an obviously used, filthy dirty couch out on purpose!!! Of course it will be a 'genuine' mistake. I'd rip someone a new a*** h***. To my mind, this type of thing amounts to blatent thieving.

Five Lamps · 28-10-2013 11:41am

Quite possible that the wrong couch was delivered to the customer and can be resolved by a phone call.

Obviously the OP has had prior experience with the retailer which may be causing additional stress.

slimjimmc · 28-10-2013 11:43am

emeldc wrote: »

The shop are hardly going to admit that they sent an obviously used, filthy dirty couch out on purpose!!! Of course it will be a 'genuine' mistake. I'd rip someone a new a*** h***. To my mind, this type of thing amounts to blatent thieving.

And the shop are hardly going to send an obviously used, filthy dirty couch out on purpose, knowing full well it is obviously used and filthy dirty.
OP, go into the shop and reject the used sofa. Doing it in a calm but "no bull accepted" manner will usually get you further than losing the rag.

emeldc · 28-10-2013 11:52am

slimjimmc wrote: »

And the shop are hardly going to send an obviously used, filthy dirty couch out on purpose, knowing full well it is obviously used and filthy dirty.

But thats exactly what they did

Give me one good reason why this used couch should be anywhere near the new stuff and what class of a tool would wrap it up and send it out as a new one. A genuine mistake? Not a chance.

Five Lamps · 28-10-2013 12:05pm

emeldc wrote: »

But thats exactly what they did

Give me one good reason why this used couch should be anywhere near the new stuff and what class of a tool would wrap it up and send it out as a new one. A genuine mistake? Not a chance.

Quite possible it was going to be shipped elsewhere and would be wrapped for that. It's in the loading bay and it's then it gets sent to you. Pretty easy thing to happen, if people weren't thorough on checking product being shipped out.

emeldc · 28-10-2013 12:21pm

Five Lamps wrote: »

Quite possible it was going to be shipped elsewhere and would be wrapped for that. It's in the loading bay and it's then it gets sent to you. Pretty easy thing to happen, if people weren't thorough on checking product being shipped out.

And it just happens to be the exact same couch that the OP ordered. Come on.

ABajaninCork · 28-10-2013 1:36pm

Presumably you were given a delivery note to sign. Did you sign 'as is' or did you sign as 'Not yet checked'?

Call the store in the morning and find out what they say. Be calm though.

And in future always sign delivery notes as 'Not yet checked' or 'Unchecked' and initial it. It's useful in case of dispute.

foggy_lad · 28-10-2013 2:38pm

It sounds like the OP got sent the floor display sofa instead of a new one, the smell of smoke will be from the traffic fumes and crumbs etc from people sitting on it thousands of times a day.

Five Lamps · 28-10-2013 4:55pm

emeldc wrote: »

And it just happens to be the exact same couch that the OP ordered. Come on.

It's possible. I'm sure it's not a unique piece of work. With plastic wrap on teh customer signed for it as a new item, I presume a warehouse staff could have made the same error.

I can't see how the retailer would see to pass it off as new if one goes by the description by the OP and the fact that it was manufactured in 2011.

goz83 · 28-10-2013 5:19pm

Very possibly a genuine mistake. Could have been a return from a another customer, maybe one of those part exchange things and was being shipped elsewhere. If it was left beside the same type of stock it could easily be put onto the delivery truck to the OP. It's even possible that there were two sets going out to customers that day and the OP ended up with half of an ex-display set, while the other customer got half of a new set and certainly wouldn't notice, or complain about.

Happened with a 3D TV I bought in Harvey Normans a few weeks ago. The screen filter was half torn off and I thought it was the screen protector. I posted about it here. Brought it back the next day morning and got it changed right away, no hassle at all, apart from making 2 trips, as I collected it myself. The faulty TV came in a box which had already been opened, but this would have been impossible to know unless you compared it to an unopened box, which was double sealed at the end.

emeldc · 28-10-2013 6:47pm

All a bit convenient for me, not buying it, but just my take on it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 28-10-2013 7:12pm

I'd like to see the OP come back on this rather than all this supposition and jumping to conclusions. I have found over many years that these things are generally easily remedied without cause for anger or fretting
But let's see the attitude of the retailer first.

Olaz · 28-10-2013 8:42pm

Thanks to all for your thoughts and advice. I totally agree that a calm head is needed in a situation such as this and, thankfully, my husband has one of those. I'm only too aware that I tend to see red when I feel hard done by, and my guns blazing style doesn't work very well (I'm working on it!!).
Anyway, the hubby phoned the retailer today but the service manager is away until tomorrow. However, he was told by the staff member he spoke with that they would usually send someone out to take a look, as was suggested in a post above.
I'll update as soon as we have a resolution.

Guy:Incognito · 29-10-2013 12:32am

emeldc wrote: »

And it just happens to be the exact same couch that the OP ordered. Come on.

Its a lot more likely to get mixed up and confused with one the same than a completely different sofa.

Guy:Incognito · 29-10-2013 12:34am

foggy_lad wrote: »

It sounds like the OP got sent the floor display sofa instead of a new one, the smell of smoke will be from the traffic fumes and crumbs etc from people sitting on it thousands of times a day.

How would a shop display smell of fumes more than a new one thats in the same truck? Cigarette smoke ( which id imagine the op is talking about ) is a completely different smell than exhaust fumes.
Goods in truck dont arrive reeking of exhaust fumes unless something is seriously wrong

emeldc · 29-10-2013 10:39am

Viviana Agreeable Rosebush wrote: »

I'd like to see the OP come back on this rather than all this supposition and jumping to conclusions. I have found over many years that these things are generally easily remedied without cause for anger or fretting
But let's see the attitude of the retailer first.

I have no doubt the OP will get a new couch. If it was me I'd get a couch and a free coffee table. That would deal with the retailers 'attitude' to send the used couch in the first place.

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Its a lot more likely to get mixed up and confused with one the same than a completely different sofa.

Why? Do you think that when they take back rejects that are are sorted by putting them back into stock with like furniture? The couch should have been nowhere near the new stuff. Perhaps it is the floor model, the principal is the same. Someone had to wrap it up and pass it off as a new one.
Unlike me you're all very understanding people :rolleyes:

Olaz · 30-10-2013 2:41pm

So, we have a chap coming to the house on Friday to check out the sofa and the dining table (which wasn't quite as advertised when it arrived but a much smaller issue). Sure, one perfect item out of three delivered ain't bad, is it?!

emeldc · 30-10-2013 11:07pm

Olaz wrote: »

So, we have a chap coming to the house on Friday to check out the sofa and the dining table (which wasn't quite as advertised when it arrived but a much smaller issue). Sure, one perfect item out of three delivered ain't bad, is it?!

Good stuff, I'm sure it will work out ok for you but please post back and let us know how you get on.

Damaged furniture post delivery

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