Help needed: thoughts on DFS sofas

[karenyolo]

Hello MN,

I’m looking to upgrade my 3 piece suite and this sofa from DFS has caught my eye:
www.dfs.co.uk/harlow/rlo14ehw1#b9YHhYyRGd7YCpH6.97

I’d love to know if anyone has bought from DFS recently, and if you would recommend? Was the customer service up to scratch as I have heard mixed things. I’m also not in the position to buy the sofa outright, has anyone taken up the 4 years’ interest free option?

I’m open to other recommendations too !

My experience isn't that recent (bought in 2012) - but based on that I have sworn 'never again'.

We had a huge amount of trouble with delivery (given incorrect information about dismantling and access), and then found that the seats sagged and lost all their support within a couple of years - it became very uncomfortable. Due to the access issues, when we decided to replace it, we had to cut it up to get it out of the house, and found that our (very expensive!) sofa was constructed in part from cardboard!!!

Ive always been anti dfs and have normally got next sofas. We've bought two sofas there in the last 6 months. Both were bargains and to be honest if they only last a few years I'm okay with that due to the price!
Both are fab and comfy

As with all 'interest free' things the cost is added to the price in advance. Thus it is likely that a sofa of similar quality will be available elsewhere for 30-50% less.
DFS do have some lovely designs which you may not find elsewhere. But you will probably find something similar.... If you found something at half the cost could you buy without the finance?
If so, you might want to have a look at this similar and choose your own cushions.

MIL recently bought a suite from DFS after owning her previous sofa for over 20 yrs. She's had the new DFS sofa for less than a year and it looks worse now than the last one did after 20 yrs.

All the cushions are sagging. She's had to put her big decorative cushions underneath the seat cushions to pad it out to try and lift them back up, as it sagged so much it became unsupportive and she was struggling to get up.

She paid a bloody fortune for it. She's complained but got nowhere. She's stuck with them and hates them now. I feel so sorry for her as she saved up and was really pleased to be buying an expensive suite to go with her newly decorated living room.

It also came with a free lamp and that broke after just a couple of weeks as well.

I wouldn't buy from them personally, not after MILs awful experience.

Thanks guys for the responses, I have a few more questions if you wouldn't mind?

FizzingWhizzbee - may I ask how long you had your sofa before it sagged? I've read a lot of comments about the sagging issue. Did you pay extra to upgrade the filling to foam, I know this is a bit of a rip off but I've heard it does make a difference.

On another note, me and the OH have been squabling about whether they are always on sale. Is this true? The ads on the telly always say it's a sale but I'm not sure. We can probably wait a few months before buying so I'm wondering if we should hold off until the sale prices come down.

Thanks again,
Kaz

Don't do it! especially the type with scatter cushions. Friends had a DFS sofa; they replaced it within 3 years as it sagged so badly.

Meanwhile our Furniture Village sofas are still going strong 7 years later.

Thanks ISeeTheLight, when you say the sofa sagged is this because of the style or the filling?

Do you know what sort of filling your Furniture Village sofa has?

re the DFS sofa - I think it was the filling. Their sofa was foam-filled and didn't have the scatter cushions. The whole thing was very uncomfortable even within the first year.

Our sofa has a foam-filling, I don't know if all Furniture Village sofas do - they sell various brands.

Anyone any experience of Argos sofas? Sorry to hijack xx

We also bought a couple of sofas from DVD which went saggy quickly. I wouldn't buy from there again, nor recommend them.

It's the quality (or lack thereof) of the springs in cheap sofas. If the springs hold then you can replace seat cushions as they wear/flatten/plump them if feather etc. Once your springs have gone the whole thing needs to come apart to be fixed.

My dfs sofa was a disaster although it looked lovely in the shop. It too was a scatter back. The cushions went totally flat very quickly, so you had nothing to support you when leaning back. The seat cushions went lumpy, and the upholstery material was very thin. I know a few people who have bought from there, and none has been totally happy, discomfort being the main complaint.
Incidentally, the best sofa I ever bought came from auction (along with 2 matching armchairs), and I sold it for a profit after 10 years of use. I think it cost me 50 quid originally, although this was a long time ago, when dfs and interest free credit didn't exist.