Next Sofas - Going to Furniture Ombudsman

I knew I would not keep up with the required plumping for a sofa I did like in the showroom.

So I chose one that didn't require plumping daily!

Out of interest. Which model? Have my eye on a set. Have always been happy with their products. I think the one I like is Houghton

What's 'regularly'? Daily is probably unreasonable to remove covers and plump for an hour (although surely most people do gentle, in-cover plumping daily?), monthly would definitely be reasonable. Weekly, possibly a grey area. I'd be OK with weekly as a naturally tidy, organised person who takes good care of their possessions (and who'd be removing cushions and hoovering the sofa weekly anyway), but I know some people who would struggle with that.

I'm not sure you'll get anywhere with the ombudsman based on 'I can't be bothered to follow the care instructions for my sofa', which seems to be your only argument.

For what it's worth, OP, I think you're right to pursue it. Sofas are expensive items. There is an expectation that, as they are a long-term investment, they will normally last 5+ years. Some may be more in the region of 10-15 years.

Your sofa is not of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose, if, in order for the sofa to be in useable condition, it needs extensive manual labour on a daily basis. That's an unreasonable expectation for any consumer.

You are protected via the Consumer Rights Act 2015: This law covers your rights, meaning goods must be satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and match descriptions or samples.

What to Do When You Have a Problem

1. Contact the Retailer: Write to their customer service first, clearly stating the problem and what you want (refund, repair, replacement). Keep records of all communication.
2. Check for Fire Labels: If it's upholstered, look for a label; lack of one is a significant issue.

1. Citizens Advice: For general advice and to find local support.
2. Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman: An independent body that investigates complaints for free if the retailer is a member

So, for all the scoffers, you are following the correct process.

Could you consider a chargeback on your credit card?

There is zero chance of a bank doing a charge back nearly a year later!

I’m not sure what posters who post numerous threads on the same problem they have expect us to do , especially when they seem to be looking for one person to agree with them . Our opinion doesn’t matter , the only person whose opinion matters is the retailers … if they found 1 person to agree with them would they then quote them to the retailer … “well Littleredridinghoodscoat on Mumsnet thinks you should give me my money back” 😂😂

I don’t think posting numerous threads on this is going to help op ? Maybe you need to just accept it’s been 11 months and move on and either accept the sofa or sell it .

Hope he's not having to sit around all day on a Next sofa! They're very uncomfortable apparently.

OP has posted before and she’s had the sofa almost a year and other commented that the fact it needs plumping is advertised on these sofas. They’ve also offered replacement cushions already.

Not sure if it would be interesting, probably just a lot of sitting around all day 🤔

We had uncomfortable sofas (not from Next) and really disliked them. After trying to live with them for a while, we decided to sell them on Gumtree and buy different ones. We didn’t get all our money back, but it was worth it to stop living with sofas we hated. We would never have complained to the retailer, especially since we had tested them in-store and just found them too firm when we used them at home.

Did you try your sofa in-store, or was it an online purchase? How was it described? Did any leaflets mention the need for plumping?

The reviews of the Furniture Ombudsman are mixed, and you may not get far, especially as your issue isn’t really a fault and Next have offered to replace the cushions. Could you consider a chargeback on your credit card? There's also the small claims court but you would need a really strong case and I'm not sure yours is.

Depending on the sofa style, material, and filling, some maintenance and plumping are usually needed to keep them looking good. A friend of mine bought a lovely feather-filled sofa but found the cushions needed constant plumping. They eventually had the feathers replaced with foam (one solid piece per cushion). This might be an option? We now have power recliners with fixed fabric seats, so no plumping required.

I was going to post exactly that, who knew😂

I wonder if that's a full time position, sounds like it would be an interesting job

I don't think the furniture ombudsman are going to side with you because you noticed your sofa was uncomfortable 11 months in.

It was your mistake.

It doesn’t sound fit for purpose. It’s reasonable for a consumer to expect not to have to remove covers daily to plump.

No it's not reasonable for you to have to do that. Sounds insane.

The cushion filler is not fit for purpose if this is the case.

LOL theres a furniture ombudsman???

It sounds not fit for purpose to me!

Good luck

This seems pretty OTT because you regret your sofa choice. I remember the other thread about this too. Why waste so much energy on this

But it’s your responsibility to check what care your sofa needs….

Unfortunately, uncomfortable doesn’t mean the sofa is faulty. If Next have a technician’s report, your only option would be to commission a separate independent report yourself and see if it finds evidence of fault. If there is no fault, I’m afraid it would be a waste of time and money.

I'm pretty sure that you said in a previous post that the instructions that came with it state that it needs plumping daily. If that's the case, I think you're going to struggle.