Soft cushions on sofa seats

We went to look at a second hand sofa that looked lovely in the photos. When we got there the owner had one of those long boards under the cushions to hide the fact the springs had given way. We didn't buy it.

We were in furniture retail for 50 years and never came across an upholstery manufacturer that offered variations on cushion firmness.

Could the retailer swap the cushion interiors you have with the one they have in the shop that you prefer?

Sale of Goods legislation in this country is quite clear. What you test and try in the shop must be what you are supplied with.

If the product delivered is not what you saw and experienced in the shop, then the shop has breached the contract conditions and must either provide the goods you saw, or take them back and reimburse you.

AS the OP has posted, when she got in touch with her local Tradnig Standards Officer, he was able to direct her to template letters to send to the company that supplied the sofa.

If the sofa coccmpany does not respons , she would probably be able to take them to the Small Claims Court.

We had the same problem as the OP - soft cushions provided throughout.

We very quickly contacted the company and asked for firm seat cushions, leaving the soft upright cushions as they were. We were lucky that they agreed to replace them for free but as an earlier poster said, they don't use them on the display sofa but they never explained that to us when we chose all soft cushions.

The display cushions are used by so many people that they were soft enough for us but we didn't know they were the firm type!

I wish the OP luck in getting this sorted out.

M0nica

The sofa you ordered is not the one they delivered. You tried and tested a sofa with firm seats and ordered it, they delivereed one with sofr seat cushions. Send it back or say you will accept it if they supply a set of firm seat cushions.

Ring up your local Trading Standards Officer. He will be able to tell you exactly what your rights are. Quote him to the retailer.

I picked up the following information from www.richmond.gov.uk/tsleaflets?article=314036 (Richmond Local Authority)

Sale and supply of goods: your consumer rights
WHAT STATUTORY RIGHTS DO YOU HAVE?
If you see or examine a sample of the goods then the goods must 'match the sample', unless any differences are pointed out to you before you go ahead. For example, if you base your decision to buy a carpet on a swatch of material within a carpet sample book, then the carpet you are given has to match the swatch.

If you see or examine a model of the goods then the goods 'must match the model', unless any differences are pointed out to you before you go ahead. Perhaps you examined the display camera on a shelf in the store before making your purchase; the boxed version that you collect at the checkout must be the same as what you examined.

This covers your case neatly.

And verbal contracts are as good as written ones in these cases especially if two of you were there when the purchase was made.

Go on X and name and shame, companies hate bad publicity

Thank you everyone. We have been in touch with Trading Standards and they have sent us a template to complain to the Head Office of the company. We are asking them to replace cushion inserts or take the sofas back!
Also as we are buying on finance may be able to contact the finance company too.
I am sitting on one sofa now and not at all comfortable/supportive.
Why do these big furniture companies have such poor customer service?

I experienced the reverse. A good number of years ago I purchasers two sofas, which we tried and thought they were really nice, deep and quite squashy
There was about six weeks to wait before delivery. When they arrived we both agreed they were much firmer with a totally different feel.
Unsurprisingly. The sofas were no longer on display and as expected we were told there was no difference.
They didn’t quite say prove it but to all intents and purposes they did.
They have improved eventually

Susytish if the sofas aren’t what was on display you can complain to the furniture ombudsman. My brother had to do this after buying some sofas from a well known company, he eventually got his money back

Sorry, missed JaneJudge's post above, I've used that company and they were fine.

Dillonsgranma

Here they are. I got the Amazon one

We used these on an old sofa that was collapsing underneath and it worked well. However I think that firmer cushions would work better. You can actually send your covers off and have new foam cushions cut to fit them.

If you have paid by credit card go through the bank, especially if it’s not fit for purpose

If you get no joy you could always purchase ready cut foam from GB foam direct

Dillonsgranma

Here they are. I got the Amazon one

Any other suppliers other than Amazon. I think I need some of these but don't use Amazon- other suppliers must be available?

In the past, I had great results after posting re 2 companies on twitter! Here's looking at you, John Lewis and Bristol Airport parking. Suggest you tell the company that if they don't step up, you'll post the facts on social media....

Definitely post of their Facebook page or any other place that the firm uses online. Our local newspaper shop closed a year ago and our only choice to get our daily paper was to use a firm in the Midlands who organise nation-wide deliveries. The service was dreadful - morning paper arriving at 3 p.m. or not at all, wrong paper etc. Excuse always "short of deliverers" or occasionally "our records show it was delivered at 6 a.m.".

They rapidly stepped up their game.

I could not tolerate a too-soft sofa either.

I had the same problem and subsequently paid for hypoallergenic cushions to be inserted in two sofas by the sofa company. So much better!

We got nowhere with a similar issue until my late DH posted on their Facebook site and within 2 days we were contacted by the company and a few days later we had replacement cushions, seems to be the way to shame some companies into action nowadays. Good luck.

I bought my sofas from DFS I did have a choice of soft or firm cushions.

MOnica is absolutely spot on with her suggestion. Trading Standards should be informed as what you received is not what the sample you sat on and tested for comfort. I had furniture shops before I retired and the customers satisfaction should always be the priority. So come on Sofa supplier, ensure you focus on making your customer happy. A new set of cushions from the manufacturer should cost you nothing!!!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202410/medium-599610-img-5688.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202410/medium-557125-img-5687.png

Here they are. I got the Amazon one

You can buy on amazon and other places a firm under cushion so to speak. Looks like a board across sofa but much more forgiving. I’ve put one under my sofa cushions

I agree with Jaxjacky and Fleur20 firms do not like adverse comments on social media. I had one of those tumble dryers that had to be adjusted due to a fire risk. I had waited about 9 months (not using the dam thing). I saw an advert on facebook for their latest new product. I commented that it would be nice if they fixed their old machines 1st, How long I had been waiting and my reference number. My comment was soon taken down but I got a letter from the company within a few days and my tumble dryer was fixed the following week!
By the way did you pay for your sofas with a credit card? If so maybe you could claim through that as the goods are not fit for purpose.

The sofa you ordered is not the one they delivered. You tried and tested a sofa with firm seats and ordered it, they delivereed one with sofr seat cushions. Send it back or say you will accept it if they supply a set of firm seat cushions.

Ring up your local Trading Standards Officer. He will be able to tell you exactly what your rights are. Quote him to the retailer.

I picked up the following information from www.richmond.gov.uk/tsleaflets?article=314036 (Richmond Local Authority)

Sale and supply of goods: your consumer rights
WHAT STATUTORY RIGHTS DO YOU HAVE?
If you see or examine a sample of the goods then the goods must 'match the sample', unless any differences are pointed out to you before you go ahead. For example, if you base your decision to buy a carpet on a swatch of material within a carpet sample book, then the carpet you are given has to match the swatch.

If you see or examine a model of the goods then the goods 'must match the model', unless any differences are pointed out to you before you go ahead. Perhaps you examined the display camera on a shelf in the store before making your purchase; the boxed version that you collect at the checkout must be the same as what you examined.

This covers your case neatly.

Ask them via Facebook... they will respond on social media when they won't any other way!