'bespoke' furniture issue

superkav3

Last summer I bought a sofa from a retailer in the midlands. At the time I could not afford to get the matching arm chairs but sales guy said we could order them any time. Sofa took 8 weeks to be built and delivered. All excellent quality and we were happy with it.

6 weeks ago i finally got the money together and ordered the following
1. a wide arm chair (emphasis being on wide) that matched the style and decor of the sofa we bought and
2. A high wingback chair in the same fabric. I had tested one at their storeroom that was so comfortable and just picked a different fabric.

On thursday they were delivered by the owner of the company. I was still at work. My wife immediately noticed that the arm chair style did not match the sofa. In fact it looks nothing like it. Different shape, curves, stitching. Looks awful. Also while the base is wide the actual sitting area is so narrow. I cant sit in it without having to shrug my arms up onto the way to high arm rests. The guy fobbed her off saying bespoke this bespoke that and literally just left.

I got home and noticed the same as above and sat into the queen anne. God awful chair. The back is bulging, and its too narrow at the front so I have to sit with my knees touching. It is not the same chair design as the one i picked in the store.

What are my rights here. I have not paid for them yet. I called and complained as above and waiting to hear back from them on Monday.

Thanks.

Rob Thomas

superkav3 wrote: »

Last summer I bought a sofa from a retailer in the midlands. At the time I could not afford to get the matching arm chairs but sales guy said we could order them any time. Sofa took 8 weeks to be built and delivered. All excellent quality and we were happy with it.

6 weeks ago i finally got the money together and ordered the following
1. a wide arm chair (emphasis being on wide) that matched the style and decor of the sofa we bought and
2. A high wingback chair in the same fabric. I had tested one at their storeroom that was so comfortable and just picked a different fabric.

On thursday they were delivered by the owner of the company. I was still at work. My wife immediately noticed that the arm chair style did not match the sofa. In fact it looks nothing like it. Different shape, curves, stitching. Looks awful. Also while the base is wide the actual sitting area is so narrow. I cant sit in it without having to shrug my arms up onto the way to high arm rests. The guy fobbed her off saying bespoke this bespoke that and literally just left.

I got home and noticed the same as above and sat into the queen anne. God awful chair. The back is bulging, and its too narrow at the front so I have to sit with my knees touching. It is not the same chair design as the one i picked in the store.

What are my rights here. I have not paid for them yet. I called and complained as above and waiting to hear back from them on Monday.

Thanks.

If the store has a "no quibble" returns policy or a cooling off period, you can just return them. Most places have nowadays.

If not, you can probably insist that the goods are "not as described" given they are different to what you picked in the store and legally return them on that basis.

Realistically though, if you have not paid for them, I'd just tell them on Monday to pick them up again or I'd leave them back myself. I assume when you knew immediately they were wrong, you have not removed any packaging yourself.

superkav3

The guy who delivered them removed all the packaging when he put them in the room. My wife let him know immediately when she saw them that they were not good enough. He just left awkwardly with very little care to be honest and said he was late for another delivery.

davo10

Rob Thomas wrote: »

If the store has a "no quibble" returns policy or a cooling off period, you can just return them. Most places have nowadays.

If not, you can probably insist that the goods are "not as described" given they are different to what you picked in the store and legally return them on that basis.

Realistically though, if you have not paid for them, I'd just tell them on Monday to pick them up again or I'd leave them back myself. I assume when you knew immediately they were wrong, you have not removed any packaging yourself.

Bespoke items rarely have no quibble returns policies.


Op, when you say you ordered "bespoke" furniture, was it from a small private furniture maker in the town or was it from somewhere like DFS?. I ask because we have just ordered a sofa from DFS and though the style was the same, there were different patterns of stitching/ types of material etc to choose from.

The first thing I would suggest you do is take out the two order forms, the new one and the one from six months ago and see if you ordered the same spec. Secondly, check the size and shape of the chairs on display in the shop, if your new ones are different from the display then you have a case, but if the dimensions or the same, or match the catalogue measurements, then this is the chair your ordered.

superkav3

Davo, fair point. I guess its not really bespoke. its just a furniture shop nothing special. They have a selection you choose from similar to DFS. I picked out a sofa from an existing one on the floor and said i want that sofa in this material. When i ordered the arm chair i said i want the armchair from that same set in the same material. I didnt specify measurements only that i wanted the wider arm chair offered in that set. What i got is basically the base off another set covered in the same material. It looks nothing like the sofa.

The queen anne was just a random chair in the showroom. I just asked for it in the same material and they said that was easily done. I could go in and hope the original is there and measure. However this chair is just badly made in my opinion. The back of the seat is wider than the front. Ive had 6 different people sit in it and they all say the same thing. Back is bulging and their knees are wedged together.

Rob Thomas

superkav3 wrote: »

The guy who delivered them removed all the packaging when he put them in the room. My wife let him know immediately when she saw them that they were not good enough. He just left awkwardly with very little care to be honest and said he was late for another delivery.

Given he unpacked them there should a no issue.

Bespoke or not, the item is not as was described to you (not matching the other furniture and the chair is different to the floor model you viewed) so I would stick to that position and refuse to pay for them.

If they are reputable and it's as obvious as you say in that they clearly don't match and the other chair is so different from the one you tried then what can they do when you have not paid for them except take them back?

davo10

Take a video on your phone of the chairs and sofa pointing out the differences. Bring it in to the manager, if they argue the toss, stay calm, explain that there is a clear between what you ordered and what you received. If all else fails, tell them you may have to ask a judge to adjudicate (SCC) but don't open up with this line, give them a chance to sort it out.

topmanamillion

The fact you haven't paid puts you in a strong position.
Poor quality is poor quality and more than enough reason to have them returned.
I would start off slow, say your not happy with the quality and they are very different to what you picked out.
Hopefully they take them back.
If not simply say you won't be paying for them and want them removed from your home. Balls in their court then.
Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

runawaybishop

davo10 wrote: »

Take a video on your phone of the chairs and sofa pointing out the differences. Bring it in to the manager, if they argue the toss, stay calm, explain that there is a clear between what you ordered and what you received. If all else fails, tell them you may have to ask a judge to adjudicate (SCC) but don't open up with this line, give them a chance to sort it out.

SCC? Hes not paid for them, whats he claiming exactly?

OP, tell them to take them back as they aren't what you ordered.