Buying a Sofa Instore

[surveyor_101]

So, this happened to a colleague's wife, they went instore ordered from in store, sofa is made to order as most are. They took finance and didn't read the contract like most people. The lady in the family wanted it for xmas but delivery date the day after order but I believe it's indicative date and they have 12 weeks from that date to delivery. Although they assume 18th Dec is set in stone!


So, day 3 they decide to cancel the order, they have 14 days but the sofa firm are saying they can't cancel the sofa, which I think they are entitled to.

Can anyone confirm?

[a311]

surveyor_101 said:

So, this happened to a colleague's wife, they went instore ordered from in store, sofa is made to order as most are. They took finance and didn't read the contract like most people. The lady in the family wanted it for xmas but delivery date the day after order but I believe it's indicative date and they have 12 weeks from that date to delivery. Although they assume 18th Dec is set in stone!


So, day 3 they decide to cancel the order, they have 14 days but the sofa firm are saying they can't cancel the sofa, which I think they are entitled to.

Can anyone confirm?

The 14 days is I understand it an online distance thing. There is also the cooling off period for finance. I expect they can cancel without any penelty but would get it sorted ASAP to avoid any agro.

[surveyor_101]

a311 said:

The 14 days is I understand it an online distance thing. There is also the cooling off period for finance. I expect they can cancel without any penelty but would get it sorted ASAP to avoid any agro.

From what i can see they refuse to cancel the sofa order but they have the finance, so now they have to pay for the sofa outright, from the contract details i have been told and my experience i think the sofa firm are allowed as its not distance selling and made to order!

Most people have told her u get 14 days on all things seems an urban myth! I know you don't.

14 days is allowed for finance but its separate to the sofa contract.

[vikingaero]

14 days cooling off period if ordered online and not bespoke. They could cancel the finance and pay cash, but not the order.

I would agree once in-store/in-person then you cannot cancel. If delivery by Xmas was that important, then that should have been put on the order.

https://whatconsumer.co.uk/buying-sofa/

[IJWS15]

Distance selling regs don't apply if you go in to the store.

As mentioned above beware of cancelling the finance as it isn't the same as cancelling the order for the sofa.

[normalbloke]

Made to order is another whole heap of ‘it’s set in stone’…

[Sloan85]

If the sofa delivery had been clearly agreed to be before Christmas and then the shop changed this to after, that could constitute breech of contract allowing the order to be cancelled, otherwise they have no grounds to cancel as they purchased in person.

[Roger Irrelevant]

If it's only 3 days since they ordered then I doubt very much anybody's actually started making the thing; if that's the case then it's a bit mean that they won't allow a cancellation but I expect the shop is well within their rights to refuse. There's nothing in statute that says they do have to offer a cancellation on an in-person sale, and I doubt their T&Cs compel them to either. Tbh I suppose it's not surprising - with the current economic st-show businesses selling expensive home furnishings are going to be getting very nervous indeed and will want to hold on to any business they can.

[Muzzer79]

Yup - made to order = you’re stuck with it.

My OH had a similar experience with an item of clothing that didn’t fit. Seller pointed to ‘made to order’ therefore accepted no returns unless it was faulty.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Muzzer79 said:

Yup - made to order = you’re stuck with it.

My OH had a similar experience with an item of clothing that didn’t fit. Seller pointed to ‘made to order’ therefore accepted no returns unless it was faulty.

If it's complete that's probably fair enough. But, they won't even have planned production of the sofa yet. It's poor form by the retailer irrespective of the legislation. (and that's not only from the customer perspective....I doubt the retailer really wants a reluctant umpty customer)

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

[Draxindustries1]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

I've never understood this either. Why anyone's 'needs' a sofa just before Christmas is a mystery...

[valiant]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

Unless you’re ordering a new sofa every year does it really matter if it comes a few weeks after Christmas? I presume they still have the old sofa so it’s not as if they’re sitting on the carpet.

They ordered a sofa and they’re getting a sofa.


Ps, our new sofa arrived on Monday

[LosingGrip]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

Same with beds. We just got a new one (well ordered a new one). Made a big thing about if we order before x we can get it before Xmas.

It’s not a Xmas present or anything.

[Griffith4ever]

LosingGrip said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

Same with beds. We just got a new one (well ordered a new one). Made a big thing about if we order before x we can get it before Xmas.

It’s not a Xmas present or anything.

Just a guess... but maybe to do with guests staying and all that?

Sofa - show/share something nice to the family staying.

Bed - something nice for the family to sleep on.

Not rocket science is it? :-)

[MikeM6]

I think the Christmas - furniture association is an interesting one, probably pure marketing ingrained over the years, but I've always found it odd that anyone would chose this time of year to order their furniture. Not least of all as there would probably be sales in the new year....

5he more you look at Christmas objectively, the stranger it is

[SmithCorona]

Draxindustries1 said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

I've never understood this either. Why anyone's 'needs' a sofa just before Christmas is a mystery...

I never understood this...but, I am about to order a sofa that I absolutely 'need' before Xmas. I will have 2 weeks home leave, my only real period back in six months, and want to use it to get the cinema room sorted.

The use case does exist - though I think most people just want a new sofa to impress granny on boxing day.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Griffith4ever said:

LosingGrip said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I worked in the Sofa trade for a decade. I never ever understood the delivery for Christmas thing.

Same with beds. We just got a new one (well ordered a new one). Made a big thing about if we order before x we can get it before Xmas.

It’s not a Xmas present or anything.

Just a guess... but maybe to do with guests staying and all that?

Sofa - show/share something nice to the family staying.

Bed - something nice for the family to sleep on.

Not rocket science is it? :-)

But if that's the case Christmas normally falls about the same date every year.....why order in November!?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

It's purely a "thing" invented by Furniture retailers to drum up trade. It's shocking when you are the manufacturer. Still, there are worse things.

I can remember shutting up the factories on Christmas eve with a huge sigh of relief. 99% of the orders were usually satisfied, and I'd worry about the 1% of ranting in the New Year. (But, by then them that hadn't got it were usually less worried)

As I said, Christmas usually falls about the same time of the year.

[ingenieur]

Have they spoken to head office yet? Local sales people are probably going to do everything in their power not to allow the order to be cancelled.

Separately. I think they could / should call the finance company directly (i.e. don't use the sofa shop as an intermediatory) and talk it through with them.

ASAP... as suggested. There may still be time to get it knocked on the head.

If they end up stuck with the sofa then they'll learn a valuable lesson so it's not all bad. i.e. when you've made up your mind that is your last chance, keep your word and don't mess people about.