To still want my bloody table!

[Dawnybabe]

Rant, sorry.

We ordered some nice new furniture for the newly decorated study in our new house. It's the first room that's actually finished so we thought we'd splash out on new stuff. We ordered a desk, a bookcase and a side table to go next to the armchair, so we'd have somewhere comfy to sit and read and somewhere to stand a mug of tea.

The desk and the bookcase arrived fine, the table was cracked. Company sorted it out; fine, no problem, we'll send another one. Unfortunately the second one also arrived damaged. This time apparently they deem it impracticle to send another replacement so they want to refund my money. I said no, I'd still like the table thank you very much, I'm happy to wait for another one, can't believe another one would turn up broken.

They said no. They cited a couple of incorrect excuses and won't send it. I have been emailing them all week and they won't budge.

Now I know it's not the end of the world and not life or death but I am pissed off. I just want the sodding table.

AIBU or should I just give in and accept the refund?

If you want to be difficult - tell tehm you ordered the whole set to match and if they can't send you the table to come and pick up the bookcase and desk too and refund the whole amount (but maybe they have a bad batch of tables and you're on a hiding to nothing)

Tell them to take back the bookcase and the table too and you will then go to a retailer who can provide you with the goods you paid for.

YANBU. You have paid for the table, they should provide you with a service. They are in the wrong if they cannot deliver goods that aren't damaged. If you are happy to wait I would file a complaint and keep on at them until you get your table.

If they really won't budge can you order the same table from somewhere else or does nowhere else do the matching one?

We can order it from somewhere else but it will come through them. Thanks for that, glad I'm not going totally barmy. I think I've had four different after sales people give me their opinion on it and they all spout the same shite and I just kept thinking, is it me?

Ask to speak to the manager or supervisor next time you call and demand a resolution.

I just rang and asked to speak to the manager. I got put through to a girl who has already appeared on the emails. She said that they cannot send me another table because they can't keep paying for delivery. I said that is not my problem, as a customer I have paid and I want my goods, they should take that into account. She said under their terms and conditions they state that this is impractical and will refund my money. She said she can't guarantee that another table won't turn up damaged, as if their whole batch is shoddy. She said they are perfectly within the law to do this. I said well you can come and get the rest of the furniture then as I wanted a matching set. She said it's fifty quid carriage on each item. That's more than the table cost.

I am fuming now but I just don't see what else I can do.

Trading standards?

I'm not sure.

Was this girl actually the manager? If they cannot afford to pay for delivery they should not offer free delivery on their orders.

So are they coming to fetch the table?

What company is it?

Perhaps Watchdog might be an idea?

I don't think Watchdog would be interested, unless it's a bog company that's letting lots of people down.

Your local trading standards office might be able to offer some advice. If you ordered them as a set, you should be able to return them as a set.

It's not technically a set but I did want it all to match.

It's an online company called oakfurnitureland and it's a lovely range of stuff in mango wood. It is nice furniture. They've got Phil Spencer doing their product videos. Bet he wouldn't have been as unhelpful as the girl on the phone. That'll teach me to shop local. Mind you if I'd bought that sort of stuff round here it'd have cost a small fortune.

Wonder whether I should take the risk and re-order it seperately. Trouble is the prices seem to have gone up a bit, to cover the VAT I assume, so we still lose out a little bit.

Oh bollocks.

If you paid on a credit or debit card you willhave protection from the card issuer. Can you get them to take it up?

Right, they dont actually have to sell you another table (or replace the one that is broken AS LONG as they have refunded you for the broken table)

They can "fire" you as a customer any time they want.

The issue is that they have supplied you with other furniture that "matches" and that you are currently using, and that the condition of you wanting that relies on having this table.

They are being very unfair.

I'm not sure where you stand regarding whether they have to take back the other furniture if you have used it and it is not defective. Under the distance selling regs they have to take anything back within 7 days no quibbles as long as its not been used, put together, worn, etc. But if you have used it I think they can refuse. I'm not sure where you stand legally on the fact that they have sold you a "set" and as such I think you should call Consumer Direct to clarify your stance.

It possibly wouldn't hurt for them to know that consumer direct are involved too, if they realise you are not going to back down and are like a dog with a bone they are likely to get a manager to just check the table properly before dispatching it for the final time to get you off their case.

Curlymama you are talking about the consumer credit act, but there is nothing she needs "protection" for as such, because they have supplied her with the goods, and are willing to refund the defective goods, therefore there is no case that I can tell, just that point of clarification of "matching set" which I'm unclear about whether you have rights over.

I would contact consumer direct for advice

Why not try cc'ing Phil Spencer on any correspondence you have with them if he is happy to be on their site promoting them...

As well as all the consumer direct/trading standards type people of course.

Your card issuer will only assist in getting you a refund.

To be honest they have done all they can they have sent you two tables both of which were damaged, so now they refund you.

Some places would not even do that.

All you can do is order it again and see how you get on or try and source it elsewhere.

Looks lovely stuff by the way.

Thanks Fabbychic

Thanks for all the replies. It is just annoying more than anything. I have done all I can and they seem to think that they have as well, so I guess we just accept the refund and try and order it again.

I am going to get some consumer advice on this though. Will ring after lunch. Hungry now.

How do you get hold of Phil Spencer?

Its just occured to me could you just smile and nod down the refund route then get your mother or someone (preferably someone who doesn't live too far away but who doesn't mind doing you a favour) to order the table in their name and have it delivered to their address. Then they wont make the connection so would have no reason to refuse the sale and the worst thing that can happen is that you get yet another damaged table...

You shouldn't have to go to those lengths but you might save yourself some stress...

If they just won't pay for 3 deliveries, order it again and get them to deliver it.

If, for some reason, they have blocked your address, can you get it delivered to a neighbour?

Cor, they ave some nice stuff on there, can I ask you a question about drawers ??

Ask away!

Phil Spencer is Pipoffthetv on twitter if that helps

Ooh, might give that a try then.

Are they dove tailed ?

Please tell me they aren't on runners ??

And who the hecks Phil Spenser ?

Yes they are dovetailed and no they're not on runners.

Phil Spencer is the guy from the Location, Location, Location program with Kirstie Allsop, they help people that can't manage to find a home for themselves. God knows how the rest of us manage.