Our baby has no crib for a bed this Christmas
Mrs S.B. writes: We purchased nursery furniture, including a cot, from an online business called Funique. It advertises that delivery takes between four and six weeks, after which I chased them for the goods. It replied each time that the furniture would arrive the following week. Well, my baby has now been born and we still do not have the furniture. I requested a refund, but like the furniture, this has not arrived either and I have found a Facebook page where other people have shared similar stories. FUNIQUE’S website claims: ‘We are an experienced team, passionate for furniture design. We have been working in the online retail sector for over ten years. In that time we have built up the experience and knowledge on how to make an online store run smoothly and hassle free for our customers.’
But some customers say their experiences are anything but hassle free. Criticism of Funique – and there is a lot of it – is almost always about the company’s customer service rather than the quality of its goods.
One mother ordered a cot in September, with delivery in four to eight weeks.
A few days ago, after repeated promises of delivery were broken, she posted on a consumer website: ‘They told me I would get my cot set for Christmas. Today they said that my order will be available first week of January... my baby is now one month old.’
Another wrote: ‘I ordered a cot bed in September for my granddaughter, it was advertised as between three and six weeks for delivery. It is now December 6 and still no sign of item.’ A third mum revealed: ‘ Over 15 emails and phone calls to the company to receive an order I placed in October…I’m so disappointed, all I want is a cot for my baby to sleep in.’
Funique is run by a West London company called Purple Tree Investments Limited, which has frequently been in t rouble with Companies House for failing to file records that are legally due.
Funique faces trouble again. Accounts that were due in November have failed to arrive. This is an offence and unless the company moves fast it may be shut down. Funique and its website were set up in 2015, so the claim to have ten years of experience presumably refers to its ‘team’ and not to the business itself.
Until recently its sole director was Aleksandra Chlopek, who told Companies House she is Polish and lives in Poland. She then quit and her replacement is Michal Laska who also says he is Polish and lives in Poland. I asked him about your missing cot and wondered how he could live in Poland but run a furniture business in London.
I also told him I had seen a copy of his company’s instruction to its bank HSBC to repay you £659.99 and I asked what had happened to stop the refund being made.
Laska refused to discuss your complaint. He said: ‘I won’t be able to deal with you on details of this order. However, I will do my best to sort this out and let the customer know as soon as it is sorted.’
He hit back: ‘Please be advised that I am in the UK for most of my time, so I do not exactly understand what my nationality has got to do with running the business.’
I explained that I had asked nothing about his nationality, but only his residence. I pointed out that he himself told Companies House he lives in Poland and I asked him to say if this is not correct.
Laska ignored the question, just as he ignored my questions about the failed delivery dates and the suspect bank instruction. But he did say: ‘I have taken immediate action and the customer’s problem is now sorted.’
You have checked your bank account and the refund is there. You told me: ‘We are so grateful to have received our money. It feels like an early Christmas present.’
Your baby has been sleeping in a travel cot. Now you can buy him a decent replacement.
The irony of a baby at Christmas having no proper bed may be lost on Michal Laska, so I shall just suggest that he makes a resolution for the New Year not to let down any more new mums – but I have a feeling I shall hear from more Funique customers in 2018.