Hate my new expensive sofa

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Not an Aibu I know, but just posting in the hope that someone can offer ideas or advice. Our cheap, comfy fabric corner sofa was getting a bit saggy and smelly, so we decided to splash out on a leather sofa (leather essential due to the new dog, fur, smells etc). I saw a sofa I absolutely fell in love with, but DH had his heart set on a recliner so we ended up compromising on a two seater sofa and reclining armchair. It wasn't a choice I was happy with, just the best compromise we could reach. Our living room is quite narrow and we were limited in terms of what would fit.

We've had them just under a week and I hate them. The recliner has to sit right in the middle of the living room with a wire going to the plug socket, because it needs space to recline. I've always thought recliners were tacky, and having tried it, I still do. It's also already playing up. The sofa is too small and too narrow. It did seem OK in the store, and I thought I could get to like it, but it's just really not comfy and is starting to cause me back pain.

I called the company today and they have just said they have a no returns policy, which is not what their website suggests at all. Am I allowed to name them? Not sure. Anyway, I just feel bloody miserable now. All together the things cost £1800, which is a lot of money for us. Sigh.

@speakout how much would you think is a normal price for a sofa and chair? I can’t work out if you think £1800 is too low, or too high.

My last two sofas cost £80 and £100.
I tend to avoid new anything.
Most stuff in my house is second hand.

I was about to say about the distance selling act but I see previous posters beat me to it. Make sure you mention that you what to return them in accordance with this, they legally have to do it, though as others have mentioned you will be responsible for returning them.

Also worth noting (if this happened to someone else who had bought in store) that if an item is faulty you are entitled to cash back if it isn’t ‘fit for purpose’ some retailers try to fob off with repairs, replacements or exchanges for other items but you can (and should) insist on cash.

Let us know how it goes OP

What the fuck?

Were sofology googling about or is one of them a mnetter? I find that ridiculous to pop up here and reply like that.
That's really not professional sofology.. like butting into a private conversation.

Did you buy online or instore OP?

If online you have 14 days to change your mind. If instore then no real rights to return goods that are not faulty.

In future try buying second hand...I bought our leather 3 seater and armchair from a British Heart Foundation furniture store for £220 with free delivery...really comfy and still going strong!

I recently bought this exact sofa-

www.marksandspencer.com/hadleigh-3-seater-chaise-left-hand-/p/p60165367006?prevPage=plp&pdpredirect

It cost me £80 and £10 delivery from my local furniture recycling store.
It is in pristine condition, no wear, no marks.

Very happy.

Sofologys T&Cs say that even on on-line orders they can charge 20% for returned items, plus the cost of damage (they've been used now) plus the cost of getting the items back to their warehouse.

WTF? What did they say?? Cannot believe I've outed myself to a furniture retailer. Anyway, Big Brother Sofology, if you're still watching, all I want is to have a civilised conversation by phone with someone who has the authority to make decisions about refunds and exchanges. Please? I've even written you a letter today because I can't get hold of you.

They trotted out the "you have two days to cancel after order" line, and asked for info re the recliner.

They clearly like to ignore the distance selling regs. Fannies.

We have had a couple of sofas from them (fairly small room which they seem to do good sizes for, plus cats - they do a fabric that we've found to be catproof) but their service is shite IME.

Thanks Statistically. Well, hopefully they'll pick up some useful customer service tips from this thread, and not just get distracted by Penis Beaker.

Wow that is incredibly unprofessional!

OP, if you've written a letter quoting the distance selling regs then you have done what they themselves have stated you need to do.

With regards to the 20%, If you read it, they are saying that the 20% will ONLY be charged if they have to pick the sofa up. You can otherwise arrange your own delivery back to warehouse/distribution centre

Millions of people have pets and have fabric sofas. Why force yourself to have leather? So uncomfortable.

Sorry, you're quite right audi

I'd bet that if you do use their services they will charge the full 20% and if you don't then there will be mysteriously more 'damage'

I had a dreadful experience with Sofology so don't envy the OP now.

There's also a danger that, as Sofology have seen this thread, it is evidence the OP saw the products before she bought them on line but I don't know if that affects the right to return under distance selling.

Rosa we have found an extremely comfy leather sofa which we're looking into. I do agree though that it's harder to find a comfy one in leather. Our dog is quite a whiffy girl, bless her, and it used to make me shudder a bit when she'd be lying with her foof/bumhole directly against the fabric.

Sofology, if you're still watching, DDog doesn't like the new sofa either and won't use it. There has been no bumhole wear and tear (as it were).

bear I'm sure they'd have asked us anyway, and I don't know if I'd have had the brass neck to lie (unlike their customer service dept and their 'no refund' policy, see upthread).

Sofology, if you're willing to speak to me with a view to actually agreeing a refund or exchange, rather than just shutting me down, please PM me a number that's not your general enquiries number. As it is, I have to say, you're not coming across too well at the moment. Did you literally join MN to post on this thread?

It’s gutting when you spend a lot of money on something that turns out to be crap. I’ve been there and learnt that lesson the hard way. I really hope you get it sorted. Lots of good advice from previous posters ^

I’ve recently moved house and my old sofas didn’t fit. I got on eBay and searched obsessively for weeks. In the end I got the dfs Sofia(?) corner sofa for £400 which was still selling in store at £1500ish. I washed it and omg I love the thing. Cheapest sofa I’ve ever bought and it fits perfect in my funny shaped living room and even tho it’s fabric its stayed really clean ( I’ve got 3 little dogs, 2 teenagers and a baby on the way ) I’m on the look out for a matching footstool.
So hunting and buying second hand sometimes pays off big time

I rather doubt that having a gander in-store negates the distance selling regs. They can't establish whether you tried the stuff out to a satisfactory extent in-store. You had the ability to, but that doesn't mean you made use of it (plus good luck proving a customer tried something out enough to negate their right to try and then return something they ordered online).

Dixie I really hope so! But even if not, they still have to refund faulty goods (the recliner) so there's that at least.

At the moment, we're not even thinking as far ahead as choosing a replacement, we're just trying to sort something out with the ones we're currently stuck with!

Hahahah!!!

Still not heard from Sofology. How long does it take to read the Penis Beaker thread anyway

Whatever a company's returns policy states, you can't send goods back after you've used them!
If they'd arrived and you decided you didn't like the look of them and you'd asked to return them immediately, then the distance selling regulations would cover you.

Peckham That's not correct. Well, it is for certain things (knickers, condoms, cake) but you can request a refund on used goods if they are faulty, and sometimes if they are just unsatisfactory for certain reasons. Sofology actually refurbish and resell their own used furniture, and they say they will refund mattresses up to 45 days later.

Whatever a company's returns policy states, you can't send goods back after you've used them!

You can 'use' goods purchased online to the extent of trying them out. For the 14-day period described in the legislation.