DFS sofa leather peeling

[captaincaveman1]

Two and a half years ago I bought a leather sofa from DFS and now the leather has started to peel on one of the chairs It waas sold as having a ten year guarantee but now it transpire's it dosen't cover the leather as thats only guaranteed for two years!!. So got their service department to come out who tried to repair it but couldn't and so said I needed to replace the entire seat back. DFS now want me to pay the cost of the seat back and they will fit it for free . Anyone think this is reasonable as surely its not fit for purpose .

 

[mdf290]

Sadly everyone gets what they pay for and you have been no exception.
I supplied DFS with furniture frames owning a company with 40 employees. back in 1994 a leather suite would have cost you more than you would pay for one today. Typically back then £2500 for a deep buttoned chesterfield style leather suite. The leather was a full selected hide. Properly tanned and treated and a suite like that would last 30 years service in the Gentlemans Club or your lounge as it gently aged.
Then around 2000 First the Italian and then Chinese invasion arrived.
Settees I had previously made with solid hardwood frames all dowelled, screwed and glued were now chipboard frames with second quality plywood and all stapled together. Some frames I was asked to copy were a joke and would last no more than a year. The leathers were no longer full skins but literally split skins where a skin was sliced like a wafer and to give the effect of leather was squeesed between embossed rollers to give a 'leather' look to the product. Leather settees were no longer £1500 for a settee but £499. As a uk supplier I was asked to trim my margins until my company was running at a loss and I closed it down and put 40 men on the dole in 2004.
Now of course market share has dropped and competition comes now fron CSL and SCS which was insignificant previously.

To be honest these days if your settee makes it from the back of the van to your lounge in one piece you have done well.
Personally I buy from Multiyork because I know what is inside their frames and I trust them. The big names like DFS,CSL and SCS are all cutting corners for marketshare. 2 years is all the EU will enforce in anycase other than a specific promise from the supplier.

 

[RigidRaider]

That shouldn't happen even to painted leather.

Mind you, you're lucky the frame isn't infested with Asian Longhorn beetle like our Chinese-made sofa. It had eaten half the insides out by the time we heard it munching. As posted above, the construction of the frame was shocking, just staples and rough bits of timber with bark left on them.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

How much was it?

 

[Diyisfun]

I bought 2 x settee, 8 years ago, very pleased with them, They are still as good as new.
Maybe I was lucky

 

[Whitespirit66]

If the title had said - 'DFS Leather Sofa Appealing' - I would have been shocked. The actual title is no surprise.

Did you buy it in the sale?

 

[captaincaveman1]

If the title had said - 'DFS Leather Sofa Appealing' - I would have been shocked. The actual title is no surprise.

Did you buy it in the sale?

No I paid over £3000 and quick look on the net show's i'm not alone in having this fault and mdf290 your so right I've been finding staples every time i've cleaned around it. So to sum up its obviously pure shyte . A lesson learned the hard way I think.

 

[rjm2k]

Anyone think this is reasonable as surely its not fit for purpose .

If it's not fit for purpose then you could try a section 75 claim assuming you paid for it on credit.

 

[crank39]

I have a quick story to tell about DFS

8 years ago my mum bought a deep deep red, some call it ox blood 2 seater and a single seat, electric recliners, they looked stunning, £3300 on buy now pay in a years time, sadly before any payment was due she passed away after a battle with cancer, while sorting the estate out we approached DFS to ask OR tell them to just swap the name on the agreement to mine as i was moving into a new house and needed a sofa, i was willing to make the payments or even pay up in full, they told us they weren't allowed to swap the name as its a signed legal document, they said the only option was to write the debt off , we said no way we will pay.....they so NO, it gets written off!

I'm still using the sofas now, my GSD sleeps on them when i'm at work and they're still looking like new once wiped down, top quality!