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Housekeeping

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Do not buy a sofa from Laura Ashley

49 replies

Mistymoo15 · 26/03/2015 10:27

About 15 yrs ago my mother bought a sofa from Laura Ashley. She has since given it to me as it won't fit in her new house. It's well made and very comfy. However, my ideas about interior design do not match my mother's and I'm decorating the room the sofa is in. I'd like a new set of loose covers for the sofa.

You would think that a company like Laura Ashley would be able to help me, wouldn't you? The amount they charge for sofas? And that 15 yrs would be a reasonable amount of time for loose covers to wear out and need replacing?
Can Laura Ashley help me in any way at all? No. Did they suggest anything I might be able to do? No. Where they rude to me on the phone? Yes.
That model of sofa is discontinued so therefore I cannot buy new loose covers from them.
In order for you all to avoid similar, poor customer service from a brand that promotes the opposite I strongly suggest you do not buy anything from Laura Ashley. Certainly not a sofa.
If anyone knows of a company that has reasonably priced, tasteful, made to measure covers I'd love to hear about them. Thank you very much.

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 26/03/2015 10:29

15 years is a bit much to expect them to keep covers for! Why didn't your mum buy a set when she bought sofa? I'd say 15 years and sofa is still going strong is impressive.

PureMorning · 26/03/2015 10:31

Come on now, it's been 15 years!

LaurieFairyCake · 26/03/2015 10:31

Yeah, you're acting proper nuts.

Of course they don't do the sofa anymore after 15 years.

And you've said how well made it is so it's clearly done very well.

Go to an upholsterer and get it recovered.

In fact your whole post is an advert for Laura Ashley Grin

Lilymaid · 26/03/2015 10:33

I wouldn't expect that Laura Ashley would be able to supply new loose covers after 5 years let alone 15. I would just get a local upholsterer to make up new covers - much more choice of fabric (and probably better quality work).

AlpacaMyBags · 26/03/2015 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 26/03/2015 10:36

15 years! I'm wondering if that's where I shall buy my next sofa from as my present one is almost write off after 2.5years.

gamerchick · 26/03/2015 10:39

If their settees last 15 years if anything you've just advertised them.

You are being ridiculous.

Jinglebells99 · 26/03/2015 10:41

I think you have done well that your sofa is well made and comfy after 15 years. this is reading like an advert for them :) which is unusual as things I've read about their quality and customer service more recently has been abysmal.

HoneySwampDragonInMourning · 26/03/2015 10:42

Ooooh there's a upto 50% sale on furniture at the moment....

uggmum · 26/03/2015 10:44

My Mum bought her sofa from IKEA 3 years ago. Its now discontinued and the covers are not available. Luckily she bought an extra set at the outset.

This happens to many companies not just Laura Ashley. 15 years is a long long time and I would'nt expect them to still do that style or the covers.

I think you are overreacting

gamerchick · 26/03/2015 10:54

Maybe it is just an advert Grin

hopefulpuffin · 26/03/2015 11:10

I'm going to feel super smug here Grin. I'm in the US and bought a sofa from a company called Rowe about 10 years ago. Their policy is that if you have the receipt/sofa model, they'll happily make you a new set of covers even if they've discontinued the sofa model.

I love my Rowe.

I did think this was going to be a thread regarding a MNer's bedroom set from a few months ago. She had horrible customer service from Laura Ashley.

GentlyBenevolent · 26/03/2015 11:13

I'm definitely going to buy my next sofa from Laura Ashley. 15 years? That's brilliant. My last new sofa, from IKEA, barely lasted 5.

mammuzzamia · 26/03/2015 11:19

It was just a little over-optimistic to hope they might be able to help with covers after 15 years. Grin But they still shouldn't have been rude to you, and on that point I agree. The LA customer service isn't what it was years ago.

Mistymoo15 · 26/03/2015 11:21

No, sadly, I'm not an advert. I just expected that a company like Laura Ashley would be able to continue helping me for the life of their product. I don't think that is unreasonable considering the cost of the sofa.
As for buying new covers at the time, how did I know what colour I wanted to paint my room in 15 yrs time?
I wasn't expecting them to have covers, just the patterns for the covers so they could make me new covers without taking my old ones, picking them apart and making patterns that way which never results in an entirely satisfactory outcome.
So, as I said before, if you are expecting good customer service from Laura Ashley you will be sadly mistaken.

OP posts:
ShatnersBassoon · 26/03/2015 11:24

15 years is a really decent lifetime for a set of sofa covers, I'm impressed. The reason they can't make you new covers is because they no longer produce the sofa and don't make bespoke covers (which is what they would have to be), which seems perfectly reasonable to me.

There are lots of made-to-measure cover manufacturers around. Try Google.

TheFullGammon · 26/03/2015 12:11

Gosh I thought you'd say the sofa fell apart after a couple of years.

Sorry, I know this is not AIBU but YABU. My Denby is out of production too but I wouldn't rant at JL customer services, or on here, because they are unable to supply replacements.

The big question is, when you do finally buy your own sofa, which manufacturer will you choose to shop with? Who does guarantee to carry on supplying replacement covers for decades after they stop making the model?

Mrsteddyruxpin · 26/03/2015 12:14

15 years

ridiculous to be moaning on here..
You should be praising them for a quality product.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 26/03/2015 12:17

15 years?!! Fuckinell.

AgathaF · 26/03/2015 12:22

Laura Ashley have been going for decades. Do you seriously expect them to keep patterns for all the sofas, chairs etc that they've made during that time? I think you should just be glad you have a well made sofa and stick your hand in your pocket to get it recovered professionally.

Oh, and stop moaning.

OwlCapone · 26/03/2015 12:23

Fifteen years ??!! Hahahahahahahaha..... you can not be serious surely?

Having said that, I've heard that you shouldn't buy furniture from LA as it is now crap and poor quality for the money,

Psipsina · 26/03/2015 12:30

Misty, I suspect the issue at hand lies with your perception of LA as a good, decent, old fashioned British company with quality and common sense at the heart of its ethos - which it used to be.

It has been sold, or sold out, over the years since Laura Ashley herself passed away and now it is purely a gimmick, ie the company than owns the name uses the name to make people think the values and quality are still sound.

They are not.

Most of it is made very cheaply, customer service is designed around the 'we don't care once we have your money' model and really, I wouldn't touch most of their products with a ten foot pole.

This is sad to me as I used to obsessively read their catalogues as a design-mad teenager and still walk into people's houses that were decorated in the mid eighties, and say 'Oh you have Sitwell wallpaper!' or whatever they happen to have. I bought her books about interiors, I bought fabric samples from the bargain bucket - I loved the whole thing.

Now it makes me quite angry to see what they are like and how they treat their customers.

Saying that I do have one of their sofas but it was bought on impulse as it was 70% off and ex display. It has been fine in the year or two we've had it, though I had to slice through the fabric to get the arms off so it would fit through our new hallway.

Madamecastafiore · 26/03/2015 12:30

Laura Ashley sofas are actually pretty cheap in the grand scheme of sofa pricing so YABU and a bit of a knobber to expect them to knock you up some sofa covers 15 years down the road.

There are plenty of companies that can make new covers for you, they advertise in back of Sunday Times magazine.

Oh and after 15 years if the main body of the sofa is still going strong you have a bloody good sofa there.

Psipsina · 26/03/2015 12:31

The fabrics are actually still excellent, I must say - just to balance my criticisms.

MrsCakesPrecognitionisSwitched · 26/03/2015 12:36

Oh you are funny OP.

I'm sure Laura Ashley will be able to sell you some nice material which you can pay someone to run up into covers (or do it yourself).