After purchasing four chairs from Severins Möbler’s e-commerce store, a customer chose to cancel their purchase immediately upon delivery. The furniture company’s customer service initially approved the return, but shortly thereafter, the company reversed its decision.
In an email from the company’s CEO, Stefan Nilsson, it stated that the return was denied on the grounds that the chairs were a special order item.
However, information on the company’s own website showed that the furniture was in stock, which gives the consumer 14 days of cancellation rights according to current legislation for e-commerce purchases. When the customer referred to this regulation, the response from the furniture company was blunt.
Completely insane law, what are we going to do with these chairs?, wrote the CEO in the email to the customer.
More Complaints in its Wake
The chairs have been returned, but the customer is still waiting for their money and now plans to turn to the General Complaints Board.
This is not the first time Severins Möbler has been involved in a dispute. Since 2022, the company has received 26 complaints with the General Complaints Board and five with the Swedish Consumer Agency. The cases concern denied returns, problems with canceling purchases, and price fraud.
From the Swedish Consumer Agency’s side, they point out that the company’s actions in the current case violate the rules, as the item is not custom-made according to the customer’s wishes.
Defends Actions
The company’s CEO, Stefan Nilsson, defends the furniture company. He argues that the number of complaints is low considering the company’s sales volume and emphasizes that they always follow the decisions of the General Complaints Board. According to him, Severins Möbler should not use the term “special order item” for in-stock goods.
At the same time, he maintains that current legislation regarding distance selling is misguided when it comes to furniture companies. He points out that the industry often deals with products where the customer chooses materials and colors themselves, which entails financial risks in the event of returns.
It can sometimes involve a sofa for, for example, 50,000 kronor that we then have to finance as a retailer in an extremely pressured industry, says Stefan Nilsson to the website.
The furniture store Severins Möbler was founded in 1914 and today operates two department stores, one in Jönköping and one in Halmstad, as well as e-commerce.