Couple’s anger at sweaty sofa claim

1:25pm Friday 2nd May 2008

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By Charlie Crabtree »

A WYRE Forest couple who bought a leather sofa which started peeling after just nine months were outraged to be told it was their fault for sweating on it.

John and Carol Allen, from Kidderminster, said they do not have perspiration problems. They believe the SCS two-seater is not "fit for purpose" and have asked for it to be recovered.

The company sent an upholsterer to examine the sofa, which was one of a pair bought along with a pouffe for £1,400, and his report concluded the peeling leather was due to perspiration and was the liability of the customer.

Mr Allen, a 62-year-old salesman, said:"I've never heard anything so ridiculous.

"We've had leather suites in the past and they didn't peel. I don't know anybody who has had a leather suite peel like this and be told it's due to sweat.

"If you can't sit on it normally without the leather peeling then it's not fit for purpose but we just keep going round in circles with SCS and getting nowhere."

The couple, of Marlpool Lane, have no children living at home and no pets. Mrs Allen, 54, said the sofa was only used during the evenings and at weekends.

She first noticed the top layer of leather was peeling earlier this year and is unhappy with the response from SCS - in particular its customer services department in Sunderland.

"They just don't want to know. We have given them ample opportunity to put things right," she said.

SCS wrote to the couple denying liability and when Mr Allen tried to speak to the customer services manager in Sunderland by phone he was told he could not be transferred.

He finally got to speak to him by refusing to leave the Kidderminster SCS store until he rang him there.

Still unhappy with the response, SCS told them last week they would send someone else to look at the sofa but that would take two to three weeks.

"We are being reasonable but they are just messing us about. It must have cost us £25 in letters and phone calls," added Mr Allen.

Despite several calls from the Shuttle/Times & News, nobody from SCS would comment.