Cost Plus Sofas - not all refunds are refundable

LisaBannon

Before I moved into my apartment I went to cost plus sofas and bought a couch and a puffa thing. They asked me to put a deposit down on it and as I was going on a big holiday soon i decided to put €500 deposit down so when i came back i didnt have much to pay off it.
The shop assistant told me when i would get the couch and nothing more and nothing less.
When i moved into my apartment i realised that the couch was too small (I had only seen the apartment once and remembered it smaller then it was). So i cancelled the couch and was told that i would get my money back. I had to ring twice more and he said that the girl that dealt with it wasnt in. After a month and a half of not getting my money back/calls back I rang them again and i was told that i would only get a credit note back and that was there policy and that is what he had told me, which he never ever did and i had my mam and friend as witnesses when i bought the couch and when i cancelled it. I told them I didnt just cancel it for the laugh that it was too small for my apartment.
I told him he couldnt do that, that i would get a Solicitor on to him that he never said this to me in the shop or i never signed anything to that effect and my visa had been charged twice since and i was always only told that i would get my money back. He said that he would get back to me.

After more time going by and the assistant not ringing me back again. I had to ring him .. he then said that cause i cancelled it they will give me my money back less 20%?? i was fuming because i am been let go of my job and that would mean 100 to a sofa shop for nothing?
I rang the comsumer place and they said basically the shop is right, they can basically do what they want.
Nobody had told me this when i put €500 deposit down on a couch and I certainly wouldnt have put so much money down if i had known.
i was very upset and had to get my dad then to ring up and beg for the credit note instead.
The said that they would give me the credit note but only for that one shop BALLYMUN. Which i was that upset and embarressed about, i couldnt go back to the shop and face this particular shop assistant.

Thank god my parents decided to buy a bed and went to them for one so they bought the credit note off me. The manager had to ring me for authroisation that they could use it. I had never heard him so happy cause any other time i rang he sounded very annoyed when he knew who I was and what i was ringing for.

Anyway thought i would let yous know. Watch out for cost plus sofas and watch how much of a deposit you put down on it and all the assistants are trying to do is sell sell sell and make commission. I've certainly learnt my lesson anyway

penexpers

LisaBannon wrote: »

Anyway thought i would let yous know. Watch out for cost plus sofas and watch how much of a deposit you put down on it and all the assistants are trying to do is sell sell sell and make commission. I've certainly learnt my lesson anyway

The shop didn't do anything wrong here. Their communication could have been better but at the end of the day, it's not their fault that you ordered a couch that was too small.

gar_29

you're being very harsh on the shop. it sounds like they were very fair to you.

DubLass

I dealt with them recently, I had paid 200 off a sofa that I couldnt take so they gave me a credit note, I was happy with that and thought it fair.

Oryx

A deposit is an agreement to purchase. You were in the wrong here, and the shop were being fair. They could have sued you for the balance (but shops never do).

LisaBannon

I understand that cost plus sofas was in the right as that is there policy and there was nothing that i could do about it and that they were fair giving me the credit note instead of taking the 20% off me.

But i just think that they dealt with it all wrong. The sales assistant never mentioned anything to me about what would happen if i cancelled the sofa and as I stupidly didnt know my consumer rights as any other time i had a problem with a product and brought it back i have got my money back because at the end of the day it is up to the company if they give you a refund or credit note and I feel that this company chose to hold on to their sales targets then giving me back my money. He told me 3 times that i could have the money back? After me ringing the company a number of times and not getting a call back or a solution to my problem and the managers tune changing when he heard who i was and what i was ringing about.

I just think that i was treated bad on this occasion and have so learnt my lesson. So I am just warning people of this so they dont put a deposit down and expect their money back.

Oryx

LisaBannon wrote: »

I just think that i was treated bad on this occasion and have so learnt my lesson. So I am just warning people of this so they dont put a deposit down and expect their money back.

Unless you get agreement from the shop in writing that they will do that. In some circumstances Ive seen that done. But as you have learned, otherwise a deposit is usually non refundable if the customer changes their mind. And thats legal.

At least it worked out for you, your parents got a bed and you got your money from them.

Thoie

LisaBannon wrote: »

I understand that cost plus sofas was in the right as that is there policy and there was nothing that i could do about it and that they were fair giving me the credit note instead of taking the 20% off me.

...

I just think that i was treated bad on this occasion and have so learnt my lesson. So I am just warning people of this so they dont put a deposit down and expect their money back.

To be fair, they weren't just in the right because that was their policy, they had consumer legislation backing them up as well. Many people don't seem to understand that deposits are not necessarily refundable. While your warning is valid, I don't think it refers solely to that company, and out of fairness I'd suggest that you edit the title to something like "Warning - not all deposits are refundable" or something.

parsi

LisaBannon wrote: »

Ias any other time i had a problem with a product and brought it back i have got my money back

There wasn't anything wrong with the product.

EKRIUQ

That shop probably ordered in and stored that couch on the contract that you were purchasing it and you backed down on the offer, your totally at fault not the shop but of course you blamed everyone else but your self, it's not the shops fault you ordered a couch too small.

They didn't explain their refunds policy because they took you in good faith when you purchased the couch if you were unsure you should of asked.

Cost Plus Sofas

At Cost Plus Sofas, we all work hard to have happy customers. There is a monthly phone survey to monitor service standards by store, with prizes for an evening out sent to the winning shop each month and other recognition. We aim to make all customers happy as well as focussing on the basics of good service:
- great sofas at super-low prices
- fast delivery with full set up of furniture

We never like it when there is an unhappy customer, in fact we hate it! Equally, as a low cost provider, there is a limit to the generosity as we do not want to pass on unfair costs to other customers. Without commenting too much on the specifics of this case. As other people have mentioned, the error became apparent after delivery and the customer realising that it did not fit the room. And we still offered to take back 80% of the cost and do a free collection and redelivery. We always try to practice the golden rule, to treat others as we would to be treated and try to act fairly.

We welcome any question marks on our service, whether through Boards.ie or direct on our customer service phone number. We analyse all cases carefully for root causes why they happened so we can improve. As a young company, albeit rapidly growing we recognise that happy customers are the lifeblood of the business.

dudara

@Cost Plus Sofas

Please do not drag up old threads

Thread closed

dudara