Furniture retailer Seats and Sofas to refund consumers and to adjust its warranty policy following ACM action

Dutch furniture retailer Seats and Sofas will refund consumers for the harm they suffered when exercising their warranty rights. An investigation conducted by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) shows that consumers that exercised their warranty rights had to bring their pieces of furniture to a store themselves, had to pay for the pick-up of their furniture or for a visit from a service technician. Seats and Sofas’ refunds to almost 1,500 consumers will total over 100,000 euros.

Martijn Ridderbos, Member of the Board of ACM, adds: “If a product is faulty, consumers are entitled under the warranty rules to a solution free of charge. With this commitment, harmed consumers will get their money back, and it becomes clear that companies must comply with the warranty rules.”

Seats and Sofas’ selling methods

Consumers that wanted to exercise their statutory warranty rights had to bring their sofas to a Seats and Sofas location themselves, had to pay transportation costs (75 euros), or had to pay for an on-site visit from a service technician (49.95 euros). Seats and Sofas is required to deliver to consumers a product in good condition that will function properly throughout its expected lifespan. That is the statutory warranty. If a product breaks sooner than expected through no fault of the buyer, Seats and Sofas must repair or replace the product free of charge, or refund it, within a reasonable amount of time and without any serious inconvenience. An ACM investigation has revealed that consumers were wrongfully saddled with additional costs.

ACM’s investigation

ACM launched an investigation into Seats and Sofas following reports from the Dutch Consumers’ Association (in Dutch: Consumentenbond), consumer rights shows, information from ACM’s intelligence unit as well as a ruling of the Dutch Advertising Code Committee (in Dutch: Reclame Code Commissie). During ACM’s investigation, the company made a commitment: Seats and Sofas will refund harmed consumers. Since the company will refund harmed customers and adjust its practices, thereby complying with the warranty rules, now and in the future, ACM has accepted this commitment. In that context, ACM attached great weight to the interests of the harmed customers.

Seats and Sofas’ commitments

• Seats and Sofas will refund consumers that incurred costs between September 18, 2023 and September 18, 2025 in connection with the exercise of their warranty rights. The amounts that harmed customers were wrongfully charged will be transferred to their accounts no later than April 13, 2026. They do not need to take any action for this.
• In addition to these refunds, Seats and Sofas has adjusted its warranty policy. The company will not charge any costs, and, going forward, will pick up the pieces of furniture from customers itself, or will send a service technician, free of charge. All communication with consumers about warranty issues will be brought in line with these arrangements.
• Seats and Sofas will inform its employees about the consumer protection rules, and will provide courses on the consumer protection rules, including the warranty rules.
• In addition, Seats and Sofas will present the prices of furniture more clearly in stores as well as in ads, in accordance with the agreement with ACM. This has already been realized.

ACM will enforce compliance with these commitments.

Warranty rules

The statutory warranty means that a product must last for as long as you may reasonably expect it to. That period has not been specified in the Netherlands. If a purchase breaks too soon, and it is not your fault, the seller must repair or replace the product free of charge, or refund it. Any extra costs, such as assessment or postage fees, are also for the seller. In some cases, you receive or buy warranty from the seller or manufacturer (sometimes referred to as store warranty or manufacturer’s warranty). Such warranties must offer something extra on top of the statutory warranty.

ACM is committed to ensuring that markets work well for people and businesses, now and in the future. A well-functioning warranty system stimulates manufacturers and sellers to deliver high-quality products that last for a long time. After all, they will otherwise have to foot the bill for repairs or replacements. In this way, warranties help extend product lifespans and reduce waste.