When Furniture Deliveries Go Wrong

A new sofa, bed or wardrobe should be something to look forward to. Most deliveries do go smoothly, but things can go wrong. The item turns up weeks late, it arrives damaged, or the delivery crew find it simply won't go through the front door or round the turn in the stairs. Understanding your rights beforehand makes sorting it out a lot easier.

If a furniture delivery has gone wrong and you're not sure what your legal position is, you can check quickly using our free Consumer Rights Act 2015 Checker.

Whether you're buying in a showroom or online, a bit of planning avoids most of the common problems. Measure the space, measure the doorways, think about the route from the van to the room, and be clear with the retailer about when you actually need the item. If you need it by a specific date, say so at the point of sale and make sure it's written on the order. That one detail can make a real difference if things later go off course.

It's also worth confirming the delivery details a few days before the date itself. A quick email or phone call to check the time slot, the access arrangements and whether the crew will take packaging away can save a lot of frustration on the day.

When the delivery is late

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you and the trader haven't agreed a specific delivery date, the default rule is that goods should be delivered without undue delay and in any event within 30 days of the order. That's a useful starting point, but for furniture you'll often be quoted a longer lead time, sometimes eight, ten or twelve weeks, because items are made to order. That quoted period then becomes part of the contract.

If the agreed date passes and nothing has arrived, you can give the retailer a new, reasonable deadline in writing. If they miss that too, you can cancel and get a full refund of anything you've paid, including any deposit.

In some situations you can cancel straight away without giving a second chance. These include cases where the original delivery date was essential, for example if you told the seller at the point of purchase that you needed the sofa before a specific event, or where the retailer has refused to deliver at all. In older consumer advice you'll sometimes see this described as "making time of the essence". The phrase still has legal weight, and if you do write to the retailer to set a new deadline it's sensible to use plain wording along the lines of "I require delivery by [date], and if the goods are not delivered by then I will treat the contract as cancelled."

Keep everything in writing, ideally by email so there's a clear record. If a deposit is paid by credit card and the value of the item is over £100, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act gives you a claim against the card provider as well as the retailer, which is useful if the shop goes bust or drags its feet on a refund. Debit card payments aren't covered by section 75, but you may be able to use chargeback through your bank.

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When damaged or faulty furniture turns up

If the furniture arrives damaged, incomplete or faulty, your rights are straightforward. Within the first 30 days you have a short term right to reject the goods and get a full refund. After that, you generally have to give the retailer one chance to repair or replace the item. If that fails, you can ask for a refund or a price reduction. The contract is with the retailer you bought from, not the manufacturer or the delivery company, so that's who you chase.

Check the furniture as soon as it arrives if you can. Some delivery drivers will ask you to sign a note confirming receipt. Signing doesn't waive your rights if a fault shows up later, but if damage is obvious straight away it's worth writing "damaged" or "unchecked" next to your signature and taking photos before the van leaves.

If only part of the order turns up, for example a bed frame without the slats, treat it as an incomplete delivery rather than a faulty one. Let the retailer know in writing what's missing and ask for a firm date for the rest. You don't have to accept a partial delivery as the whole order.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

When it won't fit through the door

This is where people most often come unstuck. If you've ordered a piece of furniture and it physically won't go into the room, that's generally treated as your problem rather than the retailer's. You were responsible for checking the measurements and the access route, including doorways, stairwells, tight landings and lifts in flats.

In practice, many retailers will be reasonably helpful. They might offer to take the item back and give you a credit note, or swap it for something smaller. But that's goodwill, not a legal obligation, so you can't insist on a full refund if the only reason it won't fit is that the room or the access is too small. If the delivery team can see the item isn't going to go in, it will usually go back on the van and you'll be left to negotiate.

The exception is where the retailer got the dimensions wrong. If the product description, website listing or showroom paperwork gave measurements that turn out to be inaccurate, and the item that arrives is larger than advertised, that's a breach of contract by the seller. In that situation you're entitled to a refund.

Some retailers now offer a pre delivery survey or a "white glove" service where they'll check access in advance. For awkward properties, especially upper floor flats or older houses with narrow staircases, that can be money well spent.

If you can't sort it out with the retailer

Start with a written complaint setting out what's gone wrong, what you've already been told, and what you want done about it. Keep it factual and put a reasonable deadline for a reply, usually 14 days. If email gets no response, follow up by phone and ask for the name of the person you're speaking to, or go into the store if it's a high street chain. A calm in person conversation often gets further than a long email chain.

If the retailer still refuses to budge and you believe you're in the right, there are a few routes to try:

• Check whether the retailer belongs to a trade body such as the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman, which offers free alternative dispute resolution for members' customers.
• Contact Citizens Advice through their consumer helpline for tailored guidance.
• Use a section 75 claim or chargeback if you paid by card.
• As a last resort, the small claims track of the county court deals with claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, with different limits in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The main thing is to keep written records of the order, any promised dates, and all correspondence. With furniture, the problems are rarely about the law being unclear. They're usually about being able to prove what was agreed and when.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Faulty Goods Rights Checker lets you find out your legal rights on a faulty product in less than a minute. Try it now →