DFS sofa broken again!
Discussion
We bought our sofa in 2017 and it has a 15 year warranty on the frame. It has been repaired twice by DFS after the section of frame broke off which the legs attach to. The same fault has occurred again for a third time and I’m wondering if we simply have to accept another repair or if we have any grounds to request an exchange, partial or full.
Given the frame is covered for 15 years, I would have expected that it would last longer than this.
I’m Not after a freebie but equally I’m not pleased about having to have repairs done every couple of years.
Given the frame is covered for 15 years, I would have expected that it would last longer than this.
I’m Not after a freebie but equally I’m not pleased about having to have repairs done every couple of years.
What did you do to break the frame?
Frames generally dont just give way on their own.
Did you jump on it?
Did you move the sofa?
Are you a larger person?
After 5 years of wear and tear you will probably struggle to get a full replacement out of them. You might get goodwill £x amount towards a new sofa but do you really want another DFS sofa if they break so often?
Frames generally dont just give way on their own.
Did you jump on it?
Did you move the sofa?
Are you a larger person?
After 5 years of wear and tear you will probably struggle to get a full replacement out of them. You might get goodwill £x amount towards a new sofa but do you really want another DFS sofa if they break so often?
sherman said:
What did you do to break the frame?
Frames generally dont just give way on their own.
Did you jump on it?
Did you move the sofa?
Are you a larger person?
After 5 years of wear and tear you will probably struggle to get a full replacement out of them. You might get goodwill £x amount towards a new sofa but do you really want another DFS sofa if they break so often?
All fair points and no we haven’t jumped on it and it’s stayed in the same location since we bought it. Wes re average sized and it’s a 3 seater sofa used by 2. Frames generally dont just give way on their own.
Did you jump on it?
Did you move the sofa?
Are you a larger person?
After 5 years of wear and tear you will probably struggle to get a full replacement out of them. You might get goodwill £x amount towards a new sofa but do you really want another DFS sofa if they break so often?
If I were buying a new sofa today i would most likely avoid DFS so fair point on that front however, I’m not looking to buy now and I’m also not keen on having to keep patching this one up every so often until then!
GasEngineer said:
Mitsuko said:
DFS sofas are, essentially, consumable items. Just wait until they have a sale on and buy another.
Then there is no point in having a 15 year guarantee.vikingaero said:
GasEngineer said:
Mitsuko said:
DFS sofas are, essentially, consumable items. Just wait until they have a sale on and buy another.
Then there is no point in having a 15 year guarantee.Sounds almost as if DFS made up the warranty period without doing any actual engineering assessment of the product.
Guess you'd have to check the terms and conditions of the warranty, but essentially if I was you I would be as much of a pain as possible and at least keep calling them out every time it breaks.
If you're into facebook etc. then feel free to give a running commentary on there as well.
Guess you'd have to check the terms and conditions of the warranty, but essentially if I was you I would be as much of a pain as possible and at least keep calling them out every time it breaks.
If you're into facebook etc. then feel free to give a running commentary on there as well.
I had this with SCS a few years ago now and for the cost vs warranty they arent as disposable as many like to make out.
We had a very large corner suite and there was only the 2 of us, no kids etc. out of the house 12hrs/day 5d/wk too.
The corner frame gave out within a couple of years, SCS came and repaired and then it went again within a couple of months and they wanted to repair again.
I sent a letter to SCS requesting them to replace or refund as it wasnt fit for purpose. They refused and we went back and forth a couple of times, I sent them a small claims request, they paid up in full with an "apology" amount to.
Definitely persue it, its not acceptable and the attitude of just pay up and replace perpetuates it all.
Needless to say it was replaced with anything from SCS and I went for a Parker Knoll suite instead which is of must better construction etc. but was 4-5x the cost of the SCS debacle.
We had a very large corner suite and there was only the 2 of us, no kids etc. out of the house 12hrs/day 5d/wk too.
The corner frame gave out within a couple of years, SCS came and repaired and then it went again within a couple of months and they wanted to repair again.
I sent a letter to SCS requesting them to replace or refund as it wasnt fit for purpose. They refused and we went back and forth a couple of times, I sent them a small claims request, they paid up in full with an "apology" amount to.
Definitely persue it, its not acceptable and the attitude of just pay up and replace perpetuates it all.
Needless to say it was replaced with anything from SCS and I went for a Parker Knoll suite instead which is of must better construction etc. but was 4-5x the cost of the SCS debacle.
Hammersia said:
bazza white said:
Mitsuko said:
DFS sofas are, essentially, consumable items. Just wait until they have a sale on and buy another.
When have they not had a sale onMy parents are currently going through this with DFS...
Bought a suite in September, 2 x 2-seaters and 1 x single. They were delivered at the end of the month but kept wrapped up / unused as we were in the process of moving house (when were ordered them, they quote a 6-8 week delivery time. but instead came early, just a detail..)
1st December we move, install the chairs. After about 1 week, one of the 2-seaters breaks, the springs / straps inside one of the seats collapsed. We contact DFS, report the issue, they arrange someone to come out and repair them early January (fair enough due to Christmas etc).
It gets fixed, the repair guy says that it wasn't assembled correctly, i.e. wrong (size?) components were used and that's why it failed. He fixed / replaced and it was fine.
About a month later, same thing happens again. Again they go through customer service, this time they actually speak to the manager of the store they were bought from, who reassures them, says he'll get it fixed asap etc. A couple of weeks later (last week of Feb), another guy comes round, inspects the chair, slags off the previous guy's repair ("dunno why ee's done tha! what a muppet!")... 'Repairs' it, again, and is one his way...
A week later it fails for a third time!! Parents call back up, mum's pretty fed up at this point and asks for it to be replaced, not 'fixed' - DFS push back on this, actually quite aggressively, stating that it's 'their policy' to repair the item, and despite the pushback, arrange for a third repair to be undertaken, this time in mid-April!
Now that last date is important. I was away for a week so missed the most recent break and phone conversations. I looked up the terms of the Consumer Rights Act and it confirms that within 6 months (of delivery), the retailer has 1 opportunity to repair, after which the customer can reject the item for a refund. I had tried to relay this via text before they contacted DFS for the third time, but apparently the customer service agent was just rudely defensive and just kept reiterating that their policy was to repair, apparently saying 'the next available slot is X of April - do you want it or not?'
I knew this wasn't on, and after checking the delivery receipt for the sofas, confirmed my suspicion that they were trying to push the repairs beyond the 6 month window so that we can no longer reject the items.
I got some advice from r/legaladviceuk of Reddit, and sent an email on behalf of my das to DFS (copied in the CEO per advice) stating that they were breaching our rights under the Act, we refuse the third and subsequent attempts of repair, and that we reject the item and would like a refund (or direct replacement, as the refund would just be to buy a new one anyway), within 14 days of receipt of the email (which is about 3 days before the 6 month period is up), otherwise we would be begin legal action against DFS and make a report to trading standards..
Within a day they called to get the ball rolling on a replacement.. I actually need to catch up with my parents to make sure DFS have actually either confirmed they'll issue a refund and collect the sofa, or they'll put an order in for a replacement and collect the broken one in the mean time.
Absolute pain in the arse though. Rubbish customer service, assuming their 'policy' trumps legislation and not willing to listen to anything to the contrary, repeated repairs that barely lasted a week
Bought a suite in September, 2 x 2-seaters and 1 x single. They were delivered at the end of the month but kept wrapped up / unused as we were in the process of moving house (when were ordered them, they quote a 6-8 week delivery time. but instead came early, just a detail..)
1st December we move, install the chairs. After about 1 week, one of the 2-seaters breaks, the springs / straps inside one of the seats collapsed. We contact DFS, report the issue, they arrange someone to come out and repair them early January (fair enough due to Christmas etc).
It gets fixed, the repair guy says that it wasn't assembled correctly, i.e. wrong (size?) components were used and that's why it failed. He fixed / replaced and it was fine.
About a month later, same thing happens again. Again they go through customer service, this time they actually speak to the manager of the store they were bought from, who reassures them, says he'll get it fixed asap etc. A couple of weeks later (last week of Feb), another guy comes round, inspects the chair, slags off the previous guy's repair ("dunno why ee's done tha! what a muppet!")... 'Repairs' it, again, and is one his way...
A week later it fails for a third time!! Parents call back up, mum's pretty fed up at this point and asks for it to be replaced, not 'fixed' - DFS push back on this, actually quite aggressively, stating that it's 'their policy' to repair the item, and despite the pushback, arrange for a third repair to be undertaken, this time in mid-April!
Now that last date is important. I was away for a week so missed the most recent break and phone conversations. I looked up the terms of the Consumer Rights Act and it confirms that within 6 months (of delivery), the retailer has 1 opportunity to repair, after which the customer can reject the item for a refund. I had tried to relay this via text before they contacted DFS for the third time, but apparently the customer service agent was just rudely defensive and just kept reiterating that their policy was to repair, apparently saying 'the next available slot is X of April - do you want it or not?'
I knew this wasn't on, and after checking the delivery receipt for the sofas, confirmed my suspicion that they were trying to push the repairs beyond the 6 month window so that we can no longer reject the items.
I got some advice from r/legaladviceuk of Reddit, and sent an email on behalf of my das to DFS (copied in the CEO per advice) stating that they were breaching our rights under the Act, we refuse the third and subsequent attempts of repair, and that we reject the item and would like a refund (or direct replacement, as the refund would just be to buy a new one anyway), within 14 days of receipt of the email (which is about 3 days before the 6 month period is up), otherwise we would be begin legal action against DFS and make a report to trading standards..
Within a day they called to get the ball rolling on a replacement.. I actually need to catch up with my parents to make sure DFS have actually either confirmed they'll issue a refund and collect the sofa, or they'll put an order in for a replacement and collect the broken one in the mean time.
Absolute pain in the arse though. Rubbish customer service, assuming their 'policy' trumps legislation and not willing to listen to anything to the contrary, repeated repairs that barely lasted a week
smithyithy said:
My parents are currently going through this with DFS...
Bought a suite in September, 2 x 2-seaters and 1 x single. They were delivered at the end of the month but kept wrapped up / unused as we were in the process of moving house (when were ordered them, they quote a 6-8 week delivery time. but instead came early, just a detail..)
1st December we move, install the chairs. After about 1 week, one of the 2-seaters breaks, the springs / straps inside one of the seats collapsed. We contact DFS, report the issue, they arrange someone to come out and repair them early January (fair enough due to Christmas etc).
It gets fixed, the repair guy says that it wasn't assembled correctly, i.e. wrong (size?) components were used and that's why it failed. He fixed / replaced and it was fine.
About a month later, same thing happens again. Again they go through customer service, this time they actually speak to the manager of the store they were bought from, who reassures them, says he'll get it fixed asap etc. A couple of weeks later (last week of Feb), another guy comes round, inspects the chair, slags off the previous guy's repair ("dunno why ee's done tha! what a muppet!")... 'Repairs' it, again, and is one his way...
A week later it fails for a third time!! Parents call back up, mum's pretty fed up at this point and asks for it to be replaced, not 'fixed' - DFS push back on this, actually quite aggressively, stating that it's 'their policy' to repair the item, and despite the pushback, arrange for a third repair to be undertaken, this time in mid-April!
Now that last date is important. I was away for a week so missed the most recent break and phone conversations. I looked up the terms of the Consumer Rights Act and it confirms that within 6 months (of delivery), the retailer has 1 opportunity to repair, after which the customer can reject the item for a refund. I had tried to relay this via text before they contacted DFS for the third time, but apparently the customer service agent was just rudely defensive and just kept reiterating that their policy was to repair, apparently saying 'the next available slot is X of April - do you want it or not?'
I knew this wasn't on, and after checking the delivery receipt for the sofas, confirmed my suspicion that they were trying to push the repairs beyond the 6 month window so that we can no longer reject the items.
I got some advice from r/legaladviceuk of Reddit, and sent an email on behalf of my das to DFS (copied in the CEO per advice) stating that they were breaching our rights under the Act, we refuse the third and subsequent attempts of repair, and that we reject the item and would like a refund (or direct replacement, as the refund would just be to buy a new one anyway), within 14 days of receipt of the email (which is about 3 days before the 6 month period is up), otherwise we would be begin legal action against DFS and make a report to trading standards..
Within a day they called to get the ball rolling on a replacement.. I actually need to catch up with my parents to make sure DFS have actually either confirmed they'll issue a refund and collect the sofa, or they'll put an order in for a replacement and collect the broken one in the mean time.
Absolute pain in the arse though. Rubbish customer service, assuming their 'policy' trumps legislation and not willing to listen to anything to the contrary, repeated repairs that barely lasted a week
I'd be very cautious about accepting anything but a full refund from DFS. Our replacement sofa is worse than the original. It's brand new but looks like a display model from a clearance outlet. Put together by an apprentice and Quality Checked by the blind. Take the refund and don't look back. Bought a suite in September, 2 x 2-seaters and 1 x single. They were delivered at the end of the month but kept wrapped up / unused as we were in the process of moving house (when were ordered them, they quote a 6-8 week delivery time. but instead came early, just a detail..)
1st December we move, install the chairs. After about 1 week, one of the 2-seaters breaks, the springs / straps inside one of the seats collapsed. We contact DFS, report the issue, they arrange someone to come out and repair them early January (fair enough due to Christmas etc).
It gets fixed, the repair guy says that it wasn't assembled correctly, i.e. wrong (size?) components were used and that's why it failed. He fixed / replaced and it was fine.
About a month later, same thing happens again. Again they go through customer service, this time they actually speak to the manager of the store they were bought from, who reassures them, says he'll get it fixed asap etc. A couple of weeks later (last week of Feb), another guy comes round, inspects the chair, slags off the previous guy's repair ("dunno why ee's done tha! what a muppet!")... 'Repairs' it, again, and is one his way...
A week later it fails for a third time!! Parents call back up, mum's pretty fed up at this point and asks for it to be replaced, not 'fixed' - DFS push back on this, actually quite aggressively, stating that it's 'their policy' to repair the item, and despite the pushback, arrange for a third repair to be undertaken, this time in mid-April!
Now that last date is important. I was away for a week so missed the most recent break and phone conversations. I looked up the terms of the Consumer Rights Act and it confirms that within 6 months (of delivery), the retailer has 1 opportunity to repair, after which the customer can reject the item for a refund. I had tried to relay this via text before they contacted DFS for the third time, but apparently the customer service agent was just rudely defensive and just kept reiterating that their policy was to repair, apparently saying 'the next available slot is X of April - do you want it or not?'
I knew this wasn't on, and after checking the delivery receipt for the sofas, confirmed my suspicion that they were trying to push the repairs beyond the 6 month window so that we can no longer reject the items.
I got some advice from r/legaladviceuk of Reddit, and sent an email on behalf of my das to DFS (copied in the CEO per advice) stating that they were breaching our rights under the Act, we refuse the third and subsequent attempts of repair, and that we reject the item and would like a refund (or direct replacement, as the refund would just be to buy a new one anyway), within 14 days of receipt of the email (which is about 3 days before the 6 month period is up), otherwise we would be begin legal action against DFS and make a report to trading standards..
Within a day they called to get the ball rolling on a replacement.. I actually need to catch up with my parents to make sure DFS have actually either confirmed they'll issue a refund and collect the sofa, or they'll put an order in for a replacement and collect the broken one in the mean time.
Absolute pain in the arse though. Rubbish customer service, assuming their 'policy' trumps legislation and not willing to listen to anything to the contrary, repeated repairs that barely lasted a week
Can't be as bad as oak furniture land. Ex had a three piece sofa and fell apart less than 6 months. They sent an engineer out and said it was badly constructed and wrote it off. When he left, I turned it upside down and had a look. Well, absolute garbage. The only oak pieces were the arm rests and they were blocks glued together. Everything else was chip board, cheap foam strips and nailed together with wire croc clips. Abysmal.
Sslink said:
I'd be very cautious about accepting anything but a full refund from DFS. Our replacement sofa is worse than the original. It's brand new but looks like a display model from a clearance outlet. Put together by an apprentice and Quality Checked by the blind. Take the refund and don't look back.
That's a good point and disappointing to hear.. Unfortunately with a full refund they'd still need to re-order a replacement, otherwise be down a sofa or replace it with a non-matching alternative.If it were me I'd probably want the whole set taken away and refunded so I could buy from elsewhere ant not deal with them again
as it doesn't necessarily fill you with confidence of the other chairs (or the replacement) holding up over time...But I'm not sure the terms of the Act allow for the entire order to be rejected rather than the specific item that's faulty (and I don't think they'd be willing to go through that rigmarole, understandably..)
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff