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“COUSINS REFUSE TO REPLACE OR REFUND”

written by Declanx409 on 31/12/2017

In April we purchased from the Tyseley store a reclining sofa and matching chair made by a well-known manufacturer with a supposed 10-year guarantee and we noticed within one week that large marks like stains were appearing on them. After 10 days from delivery date we contacted Cousins Customer Service Department in Dudley who said they would arrange for the manufacturers technician to contact us within 48 hours and come to see us . Having not heard we sent an email to Cousins attaching photographs of the marks, which were increasing, and that we would accept the same furniture with another fabric, or a refund. After two weeks the technician came on 10 May on behalf of the manufacturers. They did some tests but did not know what had caused it and suggested it may be the Guardsman treatment, or lack of it, which we had paid for.
After several phone calls to Customer Service asking for a decision and excuses we were told that a Guardsman technician would be contacting us. He came on 2 June but his tests proved negative although he said the fabric was made from Chenille. We were not told that there was chenille in the fabric and would not have ordered it if we had, and as a result we contacted three other retailers to ask what the content of this fabric was who all confirmed it was 56%Polyester 39%Acrylic 5%Viscose. On 8 June we had a phone call from Cousins, and a letter, stating “The shading is a characteristic of the fabric.... and they would not be refunding us”.
We decided to contact the Furniture Ombudsman of which Cousins is a member who sent a technician on behalf of FIRA on 3 August but his report went back to the Ombudsman saying the shading is a nature of the fabric, which the Ombudsman has accepted and says we have no case. The Ombudsman advised that we should have researched the fabric before ordering the furniture, but who has this information available at the point of ordering? The salesperson did not tell us that it would cause shading.
We were very disappointed with the decision of the Ombudsman, and as far as Cousins is concerned will not be buying from them again. Friends and relations who have seen our furniture think it is disgusting the way we have been treated by Cousins.