I am writing to inform you of the numerous incidents my partner
and I experienced whilst purchasing a suite from your Croydon depot.
My partner and I had recently bought our first flat and decided
that our first major purchase would be our suites. After careful consideration
we decided that DFS's range, customer service and repayment schemes
out weighed any of your market competitors. This turned out to be the
start of our terrible ordeal as follows.
We finally decided on chocolate brown leather, two and three seaters.
A very good salesman whose name unfortunately escapes me assisted us.
He informed us of the various options available with regard to payment
and colours etc. We expressed our concern over the accessibility of
our top floor flat with deliverance of both suites, yet we were assured
that in the last four months only one suite had been returned and it
is very scarce of such an occurrence. With our mind at rest knowing
that suite legs can be removed and your professional deliverymen are
specialists when it comes to adaptability we bought our sofas.
One week later I received a call from the very salesman who had serviced
us the previous week on the shop floor. He continued to inform me that
I had been refused credit and could not offer any further information.
Embarrassed and confused, knowing that I had just been accepted for
a 170K mortgage, I rearranged with the salesman to revisit the department
with my partner.
That weekend my partner and I completed the necessary paper work substituting
my partne's credit information for mine. All present came to the decision
that we should be contacted when a decision was made with regard to
our new credit check.
Two weeks past and more out of curiosity I decided to re-contact the
branch for our update. Much to the telephonist surprise, she apologised
and explained that we should have been contacted confirming our new
credit check had been authorised.
On day of delivery, I happened to be borrowing my soon to be father
in law's open backed truck. Leaving the flat momentarily, I drove down
the road and came across much to my surprise a DFS lorry departing our
street. Managing to pullover the lorry, the deliverymen informed me
that the 13foot high lorry was unable to pass under the 12foot bridge
sited at the bottom of our road. Realising I should have previously
been asked if for any special conditions of delivery I asked if the
suites could be transferred to the truck and transported.
On arrival, almost in unison both deliverymen explained in so many words
that there would be no possibility of the triple settee be manoeuvred
around the staircase. The two-seater finally squeezed in and the men
contacted base informing of the predicament.
We arranged for an another two seater to be delivered in 10 weeks only
to be told that no reimbursement would be made for the difference in
value for the varying size.
On examination we discovered a nasty leather scuff to the left frontal
side of the settee so decided to contact the depot immediately. They
listened to my concerns and assured us that a professional upholstery
employee would visit us and rectify the fault, offering us the opportunity
to object if not satisfied.
I pre-booked my day off from work, as you know no specific time can
be given with regard to time of arrival. I work as an Industrial Surveyor
and working on commission results in reluctance to take any unnecessary
time off.
Your employee arrived much to my dismay with the wrong leather colouring.
He apologised and informed me that he would be back 10 days later. You
can imagine my frustration when my personal daily services are priced
at £375.00 per day.
On the Tuesday arranged for servicing my partner contacted your depot
for indication of time of arrival only to find that the dates had been
confused and was scheduled for the following day. Yet again another
two days of work missed.
Rectifying the problem, a final inspection was carried
out by my partner who discovered that the spray used for the staining
had managed to cover our brand new biscuit coloured carpet. Distraught
my partner re-contacted your depot and spoke to a very useful telephonist
who organised the upholstery man to rectify the mistake.
Luckily after several solutions the stain was lifted. My partner had
previously been informed that if we were not entirely happy with the
end result our carpet would be replaced. That evening I arrived home
to find out the incidents of the day. I was, and still am disgusted
with the process. Our new carpet has been obviously been subjected to
undue strain and after seeking professional advice we have been informed
that site specific discolouring will occur!
We have now recently received our second settee and again had to personally
organise our truck to assist your deliverance. Unbelievably the settee
has been damaged again and we await your upholstery employee arrival
expected Monday 8th September. Another afternoon off.
You can understand my concern with the entire process; my partner and
I have been constantly unconvinced and have unnecessarily lost approximately
£1000.00 in daily wages excluding the cost of a 50-gram thick
carpet.
I hope you read this letter and understand the effect your company have
had on what should be a special time for first time buyers. I fully
expect to be compensated for the inconvenience and reimbursed for all
the unnecessarily time off work.
I end this letter knowing that the ordeal is still not finished and
regretfully await your next servicing blunder, of which I am sure are
not a regular occurrence.
I can be contacted on my mobile: or out of hours on .
