Have you bought your furniture from a member of The Furniture Ombudsman?

Buying from a member of The Furniture Ombudsman means the reassurance that the retailer is following The Furniture Ombudsman Code of Practice.  Furthermore, in the unlikely event of an unresolved problem, the retailer agrees to accept the decision of the The Furniture Ombudsman conciliation service.

Under The Furniture Ombudsman Code of Practice, member retailers will:

• Provide well-made and dependable products.
• Provide clear and accurate information about the product and its price.
• Provide clear and accurate information on suitability for use and product care.
• Provide accurate delivery information and give prompt advice to the consumer if there is any delay to a quoted delivery date.
• Give clear and easily understood guarantees, which comply with all current consumer legislation.
• Ensure that all service requests are handled with courtesy, efficiency and speed.
• In the event of an unresolved dispute, accept the ruling of The Furniture Ombudsman conciliation service.

How do I progress a complaint?

Should you experience a problem with your furniture, you should first contact your furniture retailer.

A member of The Furniture Ombudsman would be expected to deal sympathetically and fairly with any consumer complaint and enquiry.

In the unlikely event of an unresolved dispute, you can ask The Furniture Ombudsman to look into the problem.

How does conciliation work?

The Furniture Ombudsman conciliation service offers an independent low-cost means of resolving complaints against retailers who are members of The Furniture Ombudsman.

If your purchase was made from a retailer who was a member of The Furniture Ombudsman at the time of the purchase, we can take an active role in helping to resolve the complaint by conciliation.  We look at the history of the problem and if necessary examine samples in our laboratory.  We may then be able to give advice to you or the retailer (or to both of you) to enable the complaint to be resolved, or we may suggest what further steps ought to be taken to obtain the information needed to resolve the matter.

Conciliation essentially means reaching a conclusion that is acceptable to both parties.  We are able to resolve 80% of cases referred to us at this stage, without the need for a formal adjudication.

Each case is different and the time it takes will depend on how much additional information the conciliation officer requires and how long it takes to obtain it.  However we try to minimise the time taken and most conciliations are completed in less than ten weeks.

Our advice and help is free to consumers where the retailer is a Registered Member

What if the retailer is not a member of The Furniture Ombudsman?

Where your complaint is about a purchase made from a retailer who is not a member of The Furniture Ombudsman we are able to arrange an independent inspection.

The product will be examined by a competent, independent, and experienced consultant, and a report provided which will detail whether or not your complaint is valid.  Where appropriate you will be able to use this report in support of your claim.  

The Furniture Ombudsman is not able to intervene further into a dispute where the retailer is not a member.  You can seek further advice from a solicitor or your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards department. 

For further information please contact The Furniture Ombudsman on 08701 620 690 or email