Paid for expensive item in May. Still waiting!

[Umbrella97]

Hi. I am posting in the hope that someone with some ideas or experience can make some helpful suggestions. I ordered and paid for several items of children's bedroom furniture for my daughter's birthday (from a very unimaginatively named company) in May totalling nearly £2000. The lead times were long, but I accepted this with the current situation. However, I had to chase for information at the end of the lead time, and was told all but one item was in stock. Considering her bed was broken and we were assured the missing item was hot on the heels of the items in stock, we agreed and took delivery. Since then and now, we have had many phone calls, an email trail and many timescales given, we are still waiting. In fact, we recently received an email to tell us that it would be delayed even further. Considering it is coming from Malaysia in a shipping container, I am not expecting it to arrive any time soon.

I was understanding and fully accepted a long lead time given the pandemic. However, stupidly, I did not research the company fully and did not read the reviews on Trust Pilot looking instead at reviews on their website (stupid!). Problems with excessively long delivery and customer service stretch back several years, so well prior to the pandemic. In my defence, reviews very similar to my experience on Trust Pilot, are followed by flurries of glowing and contradictory reviews so giving very reasonable sum of 5* reviews. Funny that...

My understanding is that the company have broken the contract of sale by taking an unreasonably long time to supply my item, and I am entitled to a refund. However, we don't want a refund as the item is needed and matches the rest of the furniture (and a refund I was promised for a chair I had paid for but went out of stock, took 8 weeks to land in my bank account).

Where do I stand? I feel like the company have my taken my money and have me over a barrel. They have repeatedly offered us a thoroughly insulting £20 'goodwill gesture' which we have not accepted, or a refund. Goodwill is in short supply. Any tips to negotiate compensation that reflects our wait and frustration would be gratefully received!

You are entitled to a refund. If you have taken days off work when a delivery was scheduled, you may be able to claim compensation. If you have suffered any other losses due to their failure to deliver you may be entitled to compensation for that. I'm afraid there is no entitlement to compensation for your wait and frustration.

Thanks. That is my understanding. It's rubbish isn't it? I've definitely learnt some lessons - research and don't accept split deliveries.

Well it isn't rubbish if they refund you, is it. You should have accepted a refund and ordered from elsewhere, don't use them again. Job done.

Of course it's rubbish! We're talking about a period of over nine months from purchase to delivery. It's hardly a reasonable time scale. The items were bought to match. Unless they are willing to take back the rest and refund the lot, a refund won't help me go elsewhere to find matching furniture. Had there been more transparency around timescale of delivery, I'd have cancelled the lot there and then.

How did you pay? If by credit card you have a claim against them for breach of contract. Ask the shop to collect the furniture and issue a refund. If they won't go after the cc.

Is it John Lewis, they may fold. I am taking them to small claims court due to not honouring their warranty.

That's worrying about John Lewis. It has crossed my mind that they are in trouble. On the other hand, there are plenty of reviews if you dig, where customers have had similar experiences from way back. Not sure what to think. It's a gamble - continue to wait and see and hope it arrives because it is beautiful furniture, or cancel and be refunded and get something not quite right.

I would honestly just take a refund. 9 months waiting is ridiculous, I'd say after 9 months of not receiving an item you're unlikely to receive it now.

Just get a refund.

It's odd isn't it.
Clearly either they are getting their employees to give the 5 star reviews or there is some other company trying to discredit them? I'd be amazed if they were running out of money as Waitrose is part of the company too.

We've used JL for years for many, many things and we've had a couple of issues, it's always been sorted asap. We bought a new TV a couple of months back and it had a weird missing pixel in the middle (which was quite irritating. The sent someone at the time they said they would and they had it sorted within 20 minutes.

But OP what do you want? they've offered you a refund or a discount.

We've had an issue with JL recently in our house. Got resolved but only after forcing their arm.

We didn't buy from John Lewis, but from a smaller furniture company. I've been searching for a replacement today, but matching the colour and style of the other pieces we took delivery of is difficult which is why I deeply regret accepting delivery of the first pieces. I'd accept a refund without hesitation if I could easily choose an alternative from elsewhere. The company have never offered an alternative. Apparently, our piece is in transit from overseas.

The company have offered £20, which is ridiculous. We have been given with 4 different timescales which they haven't been able to meet. Given the crazy wait, I don't think I'm being unreasonable to think they can do better than £20!