Or is John Lewis

[hawai40]

Having a sense of humour failure here. We bought two expensive (for us !) chairs from John Lewis last year. They are different but part of the same range. The leg/dowl unexpectedly broke on one about 6 weeks ago. Contacted John Lewis who accepted the case and put me in touch with their inspectors/ repairers. I've spent 6 weeks trying to contact them but to no avail and they are now apparently entirely closed.

The chair is heavy and I have three small children, we are constantly moving it to prevent them scratched by it or hurt if it falls over.

I have suggested:

We repair it temporarily ourselves and take a video and they can asses it via that and repair in full when possible.

We put the chair in our garden out of the way of children and they asses it when they can (not ideal as it will be ruined and they will have to replace).

They get their repair company do come, asses and take away for repair. We can leave the chair outside at an agreed time so no infringement or social distancing.

Apparently none of those options are acceptable. They have now agreed to take away the chair and issue a refund but for only one chair. I love the chairs and want to keep them if repaired, but I have no desire to be stuck with one chair which I can't find a replacement for when we need two chairs.

What next ! I am so fed up of moving the chair, but we just don't have anywhere to put it and we are in the house all of the time now.

So either accept the refund or fix the chair yourself. It really is simple.

I don't think John Lewis are being at all U. If you'd bought the chairs as a pair or a set you might have a leg to stand (sorry terrible pun). The fact that you bought two from the same range is immaterial, they were not bought as a pair so you can't get a refund on the one that isn't broken!

at Slippery misunderstanding everything.

If it’s really such a pain, I’d definitely just repair the sodding thing and move on with your life.

If keeping the similar chairs is the most important thing, then just get your DP to repair it if he can and leave JL out of it.

@Hawai40 Can I ask you - is it an upholstered chair or a total wood chair? I have standalone armchairs. One of the legs was a little short. It looked as though the legs were an integral part of the chair, but under the bottom cover, it was clear the legs were separate and so the one leg could be replaced.
Sorry if too obvious, but have you been able to communicate with the manufacturer about if the leg can be replaced?

Just ask them if they actually want it back, they may not want the hassle and expense of picking it up and disposing of it themselves.

If they don't then you can do what you want with it afterwards which could be taking it to the tip but equally it could be paying someone to fix it for you.

Or did I see upthread they had already taken it to be repaired but decided it can't be?

Sorry if I haven't been clear. They are offering to refund one of two chairs. They have told me the chair is now discontinued, so I can't get a replacement . So we will be left with one chair, from a set of two. They won't refund the second chair. I need two chairs.

Still, YABU.

God I love AIBU ! I can't sell the other chair it cost a lot of money and there's no way I would get anything near that second hand. @Nicknacky this is exactly what I want them to agree to do. It's got to make sense for them to refund me a couple of hundred quid to get it repaired locally, than refund the whole thing. They would normally repair but can't do so now (which I understand). What I don't want is either to have a broken chair that everyone keeps falling over or one useless chair, but I can't get anywhere with customer services. Will try again and suggest I get an estimate.

Just get another chair, this is not such a big issue surely. All the waiting and faffing about isn't great, but it sometimes happens with these issues.

Can you expand on John Lewis "baulking" at the suggestion that you do the bloody normal thing fix it yourself, op?
This is so unreal...

That's what I thought.

So you will be refunded the cost of one chair.

That's fine unmatched furniture is supposedly more modern and up to date now, matching sets are apparently seen as unfashionable and old fashioned. So you could be a trendsetter and just choose a completely individual piece but match shape or tone in colour to something.

DH can repair it by putting a bolt or two through it but is not a permanent solution, would need a proper fix. Have suggest i video the original break so they can see it and then can be fixed later. But the response I get is that if we touch the chair in anyway we invalidate the guarantee. I'm just trying to find a win for everyone here.

Put throws over both chair - instantly they match!

I don't think I have two of anything that even vaguely matches in my house and nobody has disowned me yet.

Your "win" will not be getting a refund on a perfectly functional chair.

Your attitude is frankly bizarre.

Mismatching chairs doesn't work as we already have mismatched with the sofa

I would be looking for a refund of 10-20% of the purchase price as the item is faulty/parts failed during use. Then use this for a repair.

Can you not wait until the manufacturer is contactable? The chair is more important to you. It may well be fixable. Surely there is space to put it a bit more out of the way so no-one does themselves an injury?
I too don't think you should expect a refund for both chairs.

Where abouts on the leg has it broken?

OP as you mention the dowl is it an upholstered dining style chair? Or an armchair/ club chair?

I know why my bonus is so low

I second the posters who said to contact a carpenter for a quote. Then ask JL if they could pay this amount.

soft furnishings look naff if they all match anyway, just get a similar one in a contrasting colour.

Well it’s frustrating if you paid a lot for them presumably expecting them to last longer than cheaper. And I’d assume John Lewis have a better standard of customer service than just saying no.
They are refunding the chair as faulty by what is to be gained by them taking it back? Presumably the manufacturer need it back to refund John Lewis. Then they skip it as discontinued Such a waste either way.
I think they should pay for the repair with the previso there us no further claim on it.

Mismatching chairs doesn't work as we already have mismatched with the sofa

This made me laugh. So, actually you don't have an issue. You have two mismatched chairs, albeit in the same cloth, and a mismatched sofa, but you don't want to buy another mismatched chair, as it won't be the same mismatch that you already had........ sorry OP, doesn't make sense. JL are being reasonable, you are not.

By the way, how did it break?

Your ideas of what's reasonable are ridiculous.
Who would store a fabric armchair in a garden and just leave it to the elements.
Of course they can't send someone in to repair or, we are in the middle of a lockdown it's non essential.
Your repair method would likely damage it more.
They have offered a refund on a chair that is discontinued, they don't have any other options at the moment.
You can still have it repaired you just need to wait.