Computer says no - response to faulty chairs despite obvious weld failure.
We purchased 8 chairs for our meeting room from this company. Two of them had broken welds, and six of the plastic backs popped off and wouldn't stay in place. The welds broke quite early in the life of the chairs. Our team is made up of engineers, so we just put a bolt through the metalwork. It was only after the backs all popped that I decided to ask for warranty claim. They have refused warranty on the two broken chairs because we have "modified" them.
The welds have missed on of the bits of metal and are have not joined 2 parts of the chair together! Stupid computer says no response.
I have pointed this out twice by email!
Office Furniture Direct からの回答
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m sorry to hear how disappointed you are.
You purchased the chairs last year. Unfortunately, several of them were modified by your staff after arrival. Any changes that alter a product’s original design or function generally void its warranty—especially when those modifications are directly linked to the issue at hand.
Because these chairs were altered, the manufacturer cannot offer a refund or upgrade on those specific items.
For the remaining chairs that were not altered, we were happy to collect them and arrange full refunds. Those were collected and processed promptly for you.
If a product arrives faulty, it’s important to report this immediately so we can assist as soon as possible. We’re always willing to help with returns, repairs, or replacements when the fault is within warranty.
Whilst I understand your frustration, please know this policy isn’t an automatic “no”—it’s a necessary part of ensuring fairness and compliance with warranty guidelines. Once a product is modified, liability shifts, and at that point, we can no longer hold the manufacturer accountable for any problems that arise because of those modifications.