Furniture Retailer - Failed to Supply Item, Promised Refund, Now Not Answering My Calls or Replying to My Emails

isthisreallife22 on 23/04/2024 - 15:27
Last edited 23/04/2024 - 16:45 by 1 other user

Recently made an order from a standalone mid-sized furniture retailer in Brisbane. 2 weeks before delivery we confirmed stock, were asked to finalise payment - which we did (via EFT unfortunately) - and scheduled a delivery time.

We reconfirmed a couple of days before this, and sold our existing furniture the day our delivery was due to arrive. However, on the day, we did not receive any notice from the delivery company, and so we called the furniture store, who told us that unfortunately they had run out of stock of the size we ordered, and they would offer us either a different size or a refund, leaving us in the lurch big time!

We reluctantly accepted a different size, but after 2 weeks, they couldnt confirm stock of this either. Then we decided to get a refund.

It has now been over 6 weeks of being promised a refund, but nothing has eventuated. I have all the details in writing, all the messages, emails, call logs, etc, with the full history.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can compel them to action the refund? And if not, how they would proceed recovering their payment?

Thanks in advance

Home & Garden Furniture

Comments

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 23/04/2024 - 15:29
    +1

    Try fair trading or QCAT.

    Also worth contacting your bank in relation to exploring whether it’s possible to reverse the payment.

  • Sye on 23/04/2024 - 15:35
    +1

    Name of the company?

    • MS Paint on 23/04/2024 - 15:57
      +6

      Full of Sit Lounge Suites or Sofa King Dodgy are my 2 guesses.

      • blitz on 23/04/2024 - 16:35

        Could also be Bums on Seats?

  • Duckie2hh on 23/04/2024 - 15:45
    +2

    Brisbane

    QCAT time. That… or bikies.

    • isthisreallife22 on 23/04/2024 - 15:55

      Do you (or anyone) have any real world experience of what I can expect from QCAT?

      • rumblytangara on 23/04/2024 - 16:20

        Well, with NCAT the process was remarkably fast and smooth- the vendor tried to offer a partial refund, then tried to bluster a load of BS during the 1:1 meeting on the day of adjudication, then caved the instant I told them there was nothing more to talk about and that we'd just go to adjudication. So when we went in front of the adjudicator, we told her that we had settled completely on my terms, then took about 5 minutes to fill out a form. iirc we agreed to a full settlement within 4 weeks (this appeared negotiable) and I had it in 3.

        Bring printouts of all communications to the hearing.

        Cost of setting a hearing was <$100.

        NSW Fair Trading was… well intentioned but utterly toothless so they were not much help. In fact, they were just a delay.

        • blitz on 24/04/2024 - 10:59

          NSW Fair Trading was… well intentioned but utterly toothless so they were not much help. In fact, they were just a delay.

          @rumblytangara can you expand a bit on this? I have a case waiting on Fair Trading at the moment and I'm wondering if it would save time to go straight to XCAT.

          • rumblytangara on 24/04/2024 - 11:07
            +1

            @blitz: In my experience:

            Fair Trading cannot make and enforce judgements. They can contact the counterparty and 'encourage' them to remedy or settle with you, and that's about it.

            They called me back after a month or so- the lady was very nice on the phone, said that my case seemed reasonable, and that the counterparty had basically told her to get lost. She said the next step was NCAT, and to submit a case with them in the same way I'd submitted to Fair Trading (she was wrong on this.)

            The Fair Trading submission allowed for the upload of a bunch of supporting documentation. The NCAT submission was quite different- you cannot upload any supporting docs, just a limited text field. So you print all your supporting stuff (I had a load of photos and copies of emails) and bring it on the day.

            Maybe Fair Trading is more useful for other types of dispute (mine was a vendor inventing false charges, it is in my profile history)

            NCAT cost some small amount of money, and required a physical meeting at their office (there might be some Zoom/remote option but I don't remember).

            • blitz on 24/04/2024 - 16:00

              @rumblytangara: Thanks heaps for that @rumblytangara - also just read your post in the other thread. Very informative indeed.

  • seanfoite on 23/04/2024 - 16:01
    +4

    Walk into the shop and do it in person? Pretty easy to ignore you when your just trying to email/call up. I'd walk in and politely ask to speak to the store manager and don't leave without it.

    • isthisreallife22 on 23/04/2024 - 16:11
      +1

      I did this 4 weeks ago and was told they have no facilities to process refunds in store / the people that can do that aren't located in the store. They were quite adament :(!

      • mskeggs on 23/04/2024 - 16:29
        +9

        At this point, you should tell them you will be staying till the refund is in your account.
        And sit in a sofa loudly telling anyone who walks in how you are being dicked around.

        Amazingly, they will be able to organise a refund very swiftly.

        • pharkurnell on 23/04/2024 - 16:37
          +2

          ^^ Agree

        • paddyo on 23/04/2024 - 19:11

          Yep, no one likes a squeaky wheel, the more noise you make the more they will get flustered and eventually fix this. ABC = Assume nothing, Believe no one, Check everything.

      • bobbified on 23/04/2024 - 16:38
        +2

        and was told they have no facilities to process refunds in store

        hahaha. how damn convenient for them! ** rolls eyes **

        • BewareOfThe Dog on 23/04/2024 - 23:08

          Have a rich indian curry, or order this.
          Share b the love.

      • JimmyF on 23/04/2024 - 18:43
        +3

        mskeggs is correct. Go instore and demand a full refund. If they won't, hang around and make sure you loudly repeat your request every time a customer is around so they hear you.

        Your money will appear near instantly.

  • jv on 23/04/2024 - 20:00
    +1

    Was it Sofa King ?

  • miwahni on 23/04/2024 - 21:32
    +2

    Once you've got your refund OP please update your post and name & shame, so I know who to avoid in future.

  • Sleeqb7 on 24/04/2024 - 10:16

    As others have said;

    Walk into the physical location, sit down and explain that you won't be leaving until you have confirmation of the refund being processed.
    Tell any customer who walks in why you're sitting there.

    They may not be able to process the refund, but if the head office is not responding to your calls or emails, then the store people can likely get ahold of someone. Get written confirmation by email from head office that the refund has been processed, ideally with remittance attached, otherwise stay in the store and heckle customers. Ez.

  • isthisreallife22 on 24/04/2024 - 11:50

    Update: Argh, their website has a "restructuring" message and their store is currently closed, taking online sales only. So that takes the "go in store" option off the table, for now at least.

    • isthisreallife22 on 24/04/2024 - 11:52

      They actively continue to promote their products to their facebook group of over 100k members and are spruiking a launch in Melbourne this month also.

    • isthisreallife22 on 25/04/2024 - 11:23
      +1

      No, but based on those reviews I wouldn't be surprised if the same people are operating that also

  • screensaver on 25/04/2024 - 00:14

    You need to start warning people, looks like they are going to take what they can and do a runner

  • vince088 on 25/04/2024 - 11:22

    contact your bank do a charge back with your proof of messages

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