Furniture firm fails to deliver

9:53am Tuesday 22nd April 2008

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ANGRY customers descended on a Salisbury-based furniture company at the end of last week, after rumours circulated that the company was in financial trouble and might not be able to fulfil orders valued at thousands of pounds.

Disgruntled customers of Lifestyle Furnishings, at the Dolphin Industrial Estate, off Southampton Road, have been complaining that goods ordered as far back as last December have so far failed to arrive.

The firm's managing director, Sean Haines,said: "It's true the company has had some financial trouble but we are not just shutting the doors to people and going into hiding. The customers are our absolute priority and we will do all we can to ensure they are satisfied.

"I am in the process of writing to all of our customers with outstanding orders to tell them that their money is safe.

"We have insurance to protect our customers in case the company has financial trouble and there really is no reason to worry.

"Anyone with an outstanding order can have a full refund if they wish or they can wait and we will do our best to facilitate their order as best we can."

But worried customers have said they have requested refunds and are currently still waiting to be reimbursed.

Derick Ransome, a property maintenance worker from Salisbury spent £1,000 on a sofa and two armchairs which were never delivered.

He said: "I ordered a furniture set in December and when it hadn't been delivered in time I phoned to complain.

"I was told that my order was being processed and that it would be with me in a further two weeks.

"That never happened and I asked for a refund of the full amount to be sent to me. The cheque never came and so I came down to the store to see what was going on.

"A thousand pounds is a lot of money and there is also the principle of taking money and not delivering the goods in return, which I find appalling. I just hope that they can find some way to sort this out."

Paul Kent, a scrap metal dealer from Salisbury, who paid for a £600 sofa from the company 12 weeks ago, was similarly aggrieved.

He said: "After phoning to complain that my order hadn't been delivered and being told that it would take another few weeks, I asked for a refund.

"When that didn't arrive, I came down to the shop to see what was going on. I saw a man in the car park who I thought might be one of the directors but it turned out he was another customer in the same situation.

"It sickens me that something like this can happen and it looks like there are quite a few people have been caught out here."