Furnishing your home – warranties for furniture purchased online

Is buying furniture online safe? What guarantees should I expect from an e-business? These are just a couple of the questions we ask ourselves before buying a piece of furniture on the Internet, whether this is from a retailer’s site or a manufacturer.

In this article, we take a closer look at the sensitive subject of purchase guarantees and find out what commitments Morica has put in place for its customers.

Online purchasing – the right of withdrawal is valid

As we have already seen in a previous article, all goods purchased “off-premises” (primarily online or over the phone) may benefit from the right of withdrawal provided by the italian Consumer Code (Article 52 et seq. of Legislative Decree 206 of 2005). The so-called ‘cooling-off period’ stipulates that the consumer may return any goods, provided that they have not been personalised, within 14 days of receiving them and receive a refund of the amount paid.

Worrying about buying furniture on the Internet need not be an issue – you can assess the quality of a piece of furniture in the comfort of your own home, position it in the location of choice and decide whether to hold on to it or return it.

Warranty guide

All types of goods purchased are covered by a ‘Legal warranty of conformity’ stipulated in the italian Consumer Code (Articles 128 et seq.). The standard states that “the seller is obliged to deliver to the consumer goods conforming to the contract of sale”, that the articles must be “in conformity with the description provided by the seller”, and have “the quality and performance that is expected in goods of the same type”.

If the purchased goods have a ‘conformity defect’ or do not correspond to that which was agreed upon, the customer is entitled to have the defective goods repaired or replaced by the seller at no extra cost. In the event this is not possible, the customer may still demand a reduction in the sales price or a refund of the amount against the return of the defective item. The legal warranty has a duration of 24 months from delivery of the item and must be invoked by the customer within two months of discovery of the defect by presenting proof of purchase.

The second type of warranty in existence is termed ‘conventional warranty’, normally known as ‘extended warranty’. This is an optional type of guarantee and can be provided either free of charge or against payment to cover any failure following the end of a legal warranty.

What happens when an item is defective?

Once the non-conformity of an item has been reported by the customer, the retailer must take back the product to identify its condition and any defects. At this point, if the fault is confirmed, the seller is obliged to replace or repair the item. If, on the other hand, it is clear that there is no defect, the seller may require the buyer to reimburse any costs incurred.

What warranties apply to Morica Design furniture?

Morica is not only a design brand but also the actual manufacturer of your furniture items, so you will obviously skip many intermediate steps and stakeholders, and speak with the people who actually make your furniture. This direct line guarantees a rapid response and resolution of all issues. We have designed our returns policy to be clear to understand, to make your life easier and to allow you to shop with no worries.

In any case, we must dispel the myth that if an item is purchased online, it does not have the same guarantees as a product bought in a traditional shop. As we have outlined in this article, warranties and protections have been put in place regarding Internet purchases and they are even better than making a purchase in a shop. The main benefit is to be able to handle any return dynamics directly, rapidly and with a limited number of intermediaries, reducing waiting times and in a secure manner.