Buying furniture online - a cautionary tale

Sorry that was so long - I needed to get it off my chest

And breathe............................................

Are you ok, Katy? Here....(wipes Katy's fevered brow) have a Werthers Original and rock in the corner for a bit!

I know your pain! Same happened when Laura Ashley (well, not her - two delivery men) brought me a chair with three legs! They wanted me to keep it till the replacement arrived. Let's just say it wasn't pleasant, but they took the chair back.

DD2 ordered a sideboard, extending table and six chairs for their newly decorated dining room. They were all delivered on time except the table which was a four seater rather than an extending one! She was told that there wouldn't be one available for a month so she asked them to remove the wrong one and they would cope with the old, non mat hing one. Three months later the company announced that the extending table no longer existed! They don't have anything else that matches but the company won't accept the rest of the set back because it is 'used'

Keep us posted Katy and good luck!!

I wonder if I can guess which company it was?

This could either end up like my coffee machine experience or the Argos see-saw sofa bed saga! (perhaps not, at least it sounds as though you chair was fit for purpose KatyK which is more than be said for yours when unless of course it was an upholstered milking stool......

Thank you everyone Glad it's not just me. Not sure why things like this wind me up so much, it's so trivial really in the scheme of things. Helps to have a whinge though !

Bother! There I was thinking about ordering a mattress on line. [hmm[

Think we should have a 'name and shame' section; that'd teach 'em. I've just bought some clothes from a catalogue and the cardigan which was dark chocolate in the picture is actually light coffee coloured. In fact most of what I ordered is going back [the dresses were really frumpy] but a skirt that arrived today is perfect [in fact, I'm going to order several in case they're discontinued]. It's a bit addictive, ordering things, I find; it's a good job I can't get my head round Ebay or Amazon or I'd be ordering things all the time.

Katy and Kittylester, the companies you are dealing with are breaking the law. If a product is delivered and you immediately reject it as not suitable they cannot charge you for the return, whether packaged or not.

Similarly with the table, the table was rejected on receipt because it was not what was ordered. If the company refused to collect it, that was their problem. They cannot then refuse a refund when the product ordered ceased to be available.

I would hightail it down to the CBA or speak to your local trading standards officer.

I always buy furniture from John Lewis if I want something new( reliable, free delivery and will take stuff back)', or eBay if I want something retro or vintage,. I have had a lot of eBay bargains which I have been thrilled with ( renovated ercol chairs and coffee table, g plan dressing table stool which I have recovered etc.)and the one or two which have been disappointing I have just sold again. Quite often if you see something you like in a shop you can find it on eBay cheaper.

Flickety, DD had the table taken away and a refund on the basis that she would rebuy when the table was back in stock. It will not now come back in stock but DD now has the chairs and dresser to go with a non existent table! As they didn't come as a set but individual, matching, items she is in a bit of a fix!

Flickety - I didn't know that. I have checked my bank this morning and they have refunded the charge for the box, presumably because of all the hassle we have had. I await the next instalment of the saga with baited breath..

Well - we have just taken delivery of sofa and chair and tv cabinet from different companies on line. Both efficient and I am pleased with the purchases. I do however always pay by credit card and the risk is then spread a bit. What I do is to go locally and look at what I would like and then go on line to see if I can get it cheaper from a reputable company.

we get some beautiful furniture in our charity shop, well worth looking there first

We replaced our 30 year old dining room furniture a couple of years ago with some vintage G-plan. I had had my eye on it for years - you can still buy it new. We got it second hand on eBay for about £500, including recivering the chairs and the van hire to get it from various places. Saved at least £2K, and I like the 'used' look. Stops me worrying about any slight damage I might inflict!

Luckily I cannot get my head around ebay but I am a big fan of Amazon. The items from Amazon have always arrived on time, in excellent condition and exactly what I had ordered. Admittedly I have only ordered small items such as books or catflaps.

There's a Victorian chaise longue (sp?) listed on my local Freecycle today!

Jane, did you have g plan etc first time round? We didn't, preferring much trendier Habitat etc, but have just done our dining room in G Plan, Ladderax and Dyrlund and are having a good time collecting plates etc from the same era!

We seemed to have furnished most of our house from the local auction rooms (not the beds though - couldn't fancy someone else's bed). It's good fun - now on our fourth dining table - extending and solid - and third set of dining chairs, which match as good as. I sat chatting to an elderly lady a while ago who'd put a box of ornaments in and bought some more. She said she looked on the auctions as a sort of library. Sometimes we even make a profit!

What annoys me is delivery men handing you a large box and then running away before you have time to check the contents. Then seeing on the form that you are supposed to have checked the contents before you accept the delivery. Fat chance.

My chair has gone! Yippee. I will now await my refund..........

Almost all my furniture is second hand. We started with junk shops and auction purchases, buying Victorian furniture to restore, we have bought one or two better items and then been fortunate to inherit some really nice items from deceased family members, but we still buy and restore.

My birthday present from DH last year was a Victorian (needle)work table, not in very good order and bought at an auction for £40. Repaired and repolished it now sits conveniently beside my chair in the living room with all my tapestry wools, scissors etc in it

We couldn't afford g plan or ercol first time round, too expensive, now affordable thanks to eBay. Made in Britain, great quality, retro styling, looks fab. It's now called mid century modern and very stylish! I am planning some mid century wallpaper now, it's all been revived! I don't want to buy a load of Chinese chipboard or veneer.