Home, garden and leisure retailer The Range has lost a court case against a consumer over faulty garden furniture.
Back in March 2022, customer Jonti Richardson-Jones bought two of The Range’s New Hampshire grey garden furniture sets and paid £2,409 for both.
A few weeks after purchase, the product started to sag with the condition of the furniture also deteriorating.
After contacting The Range in June 2023, the retailer advised that Mr. Richardson-Jones could pay for a report at a cost of £200.
The subsequent report outlined a manufacturing fault, which need to be rectified by a rattan furniture specialist.
It is understood that the customer was offered partial refunds however decided to take the retailer to court, representing himself.
Wigan County Court ruled in favour of the customer and ordered The Range to issue a full refund and additional costs totalling £2,755.93.
Following the court verdict, Mr. Richardson-Jones posted a video on his TikTok channel about his experience. He said: “I was just glad it was over. We’ve had this furniture in our garden for three years and we’ve not been able to get rid of it so I’m just glad it can be thrown away.
“I’m going to get some new ones but I’m going to do a bit of research this time. I definitely won’t be buying it from The Range.
“I would definitely encourage other people to do the same. I think a lot of people would be scared, a lot of people would have given up when they got ignored at first.
“I think it’s shocking, especially spending that much money. The way they go about it should be better.
“I didn’t think about giving up. It could have taken another year; I’d have still carried on. They should have to give you your money back.”
A spokesman for The Range said: “We were grateful for the court’s decision and have complied fully with the judgment.
“While we did not agree with all aspects of Mr. Richardson-Jones’ claim, we engaged with the process in good faith and presented our position clearly.
“We sell thousands of garden furniture sets each year and the vast majority of customers are very satisfied with their purchases.
“We comply fully with the Consumer Rights Act and where issues are raised more than a year after purchase, we ask for sufficient evidence to properly assess whether a product fault is present.
“In this case, the court accepted new evidence at the hearing which led to the outcome.
“We remain committed to continually reviewing our products and processes to ensure customers receive both quality and value from The Range.”
