Rochester/Pepkor sold me a defective TV stand AND coffee table — 3+ weeks of unresolved runaround

I purchased a Weston MK2 TV Stand (Large) and matching Weston MK2 Coffee Table as a set from Rochester (Order ***). Both arrived defective.

The TV stand's leg came away during normal handling, with chipped/broken wood, clearly a quality control failure at assembly. A replacement was arranged — I took a day of leave from work to be home for the delivery — and the replacement arrived in an even worse state: both drawers faulty, the unit misaligned and poorly assembled. Two units in a row, same failure.

Rochester eventually agreed to a full refund on the TV stand, which was collected on 10 September and confirmed as submitted on 17 September (***).

The coffee table is where this has gone from disappointing to unacceptable. It has multiple genuine defects: overlapping vinyl finish likely to peel, misaligned panels, legs installed at an angle causing a wobble, and exposed *****s at the rear on a product sold as freestanding. This is not a change-of-mind return — it's a defective product, and under section 56 of the Consumer Protection Act I'm entitled to return it without penalty within six months of delivery.

Rochester initially tried to charge a 15% "handling fee," which I formally disputed in writing, citing the CPA. They then said they'd escalate to their supplier for an assessment — but weeks later, despite repeated follow-ups and a final deadline I gave them (18 September), I've had no collection date, no assessment outcome, and no response at all.

I've now escalated this to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), since Rochester has had every opportunity to resolve this directly and simply hasn't.

Extremely disappointing experience for what should be a straightforward defective-goods return. Buy from Rochester at your own risk — the quality control on assembly appears to be virtually nonexistent, and once something goes wrong, be prepared for a long, unresponsive process.