Ikea leather sofas that are really plastic
FAMILIES across Britain who are curled up on Ikea leather furniture may actually be sitting on plastic.
The store has admitted that some sofas and chairs that appeared in the leather furniture section of its website were made from a leather-look material.
The company is now offering refunds to anyone who feels they have been misled.
The inconsistencies were spotted by consumer campaigners in Australia and it emerged the same problem existed on the UK website. The company claims the problem has been resolved. However, this is open to question. A smartphone search for leather furniture this week threw up the £140 Ikero chair in the ‘leather armchair’ section. In fact, the product i nformation shows the fabric is a mix of 75 per cent polyester, cotton and polyurethane.
Among the leather sofas is the £1,198 Kivik, which is a two-seater with a chaise longue. Only the so-called ‘contact areas’ – tops of the cushions, back rest and arms – are leather. The website describes it as a ‘modular leather sofa’.
The product information states ‘the outer surfaces are covered in a durable coated fabric with the same look and feel as leather’.
The same can be said of the £999 Timfors two-seat sofa with chaise longue and the £ 50 Skogaby.
The use of plastic allows the firm to keep prices down. The downside for consumers is that it less durable and may be damaged by sunlight.
Ikea changed the Australian website last year to make the descriptions clearer. It says the details were updated on the UK website in December.
Despite this, product descriptions that are currently being used are still potentially misleading.
Ikea’s customer relations manager Donna Moore said: ‘We believe in being transparent about the composition of our products. Customers can find information about the materials of all of our products within the product description on every product page of our website, as well as our in-store communication.
‘If any customers are unhappy with their purchases, they are welcome to return their products for a full refund.’