Conforama: customers report delivery delays and botched assemblies in Spain

Conforama: deliveries that drag on forever and shoddy assemblies

On 1 December 2010, a couple ordered a wardrobe, a dining room unit, three shelving units and a side cabinet from Conforama in Alcorcón, Spain. They paid 887 euros, transport and assembly included. The promised deadline: 10 January. The wardrobe arrived on 15 February, after two months of delays, calls to a 902 premium-rate line that, according to their account, nobody answers, and a string of excuses. Two fitters assembled it in a rush, and the result, according to the same account, was misaligned doors, split boards and drawers that don't fit. Other participants describe similar experiences.

A pattern repeated across Spain

The Alcorcón experience is not unique. In Barakaldo, a customer said he paid in advance for a Whirlpool combi fridge-freezer he was promised within five days; it arrived after ten, with a defective side panel from the factory that the delivery drivers tried to hide with plastic. In Alicante, another buyer got a wardrobe and a shelving unit without problems, but at Muebles La Factoría he waited five months for drawer handles. The common complaint: after-sales service is non-existent and the customer service line, a 902 number, routes to a recorded message that never resolves anything.

Some argue the problem is buying products that are not in stock. "Don't buy anything from Conforama that they don't have in stock, because you could end up waiting months for your furniture," one participant sums up. The logic is simple: if the furniture isn't in the warehouse, delivery depends on a supplier that, according to those affected, never delivers on time. Deadlines stretch week after week, and every call ends with a different person who knows nothing about the order.

Unqualified fitters and zero customer service

Assembly is another chapter. The fitters who visit homes, according to several accounts, work by the job, carelessly and in a hurry. "The fitters neither know how nor want to," says one affected customer, who recounted that they scratched his floorboards and nearly broke a piece of furniture. In the Alcorcón case, the fitters took 80 minutes on a wardrobe whose manual estimates 120 minutes for two people; the result, according to the account, was badly adjusted doors and a split bottom panel. The company subcontracts the service, and customers complain there is no way to file a claim.

Customer service is, if anything, worse. Calling Conforama's 902 line is a lottery: nobody picks up, and when they do, they promise callbacks that never come. "I've called Ikea's 902 line 4 times (note: a 902). They take note of the issue and say they're sorry. But nothing: 2 and a half months waiting and not a soul has called us," recounts another customer, this time from Ikea, who suffered the same kind of abandonment. The conclusion is that the problem is not exclusive to Conforama, but to a business model that outsources logistics and assembly with no oversight whatsoever.

Warranties not honoured and complaints ignored

Things don't improve when the product is defective. One customer said she bought two Somnalis ViscoFlow mattresses; in less than six months they lost firmness, sagged and overheated. When she claimed under the warranty, according to her account, Conforama responded by citing Spain's Law 1/2007 on Consumer Protection to dodge responsibility. "Better to sleep on the floor than on them," she concludes. The lawsuit she filed is still ongoing.

Another customer reported that, when returning a scratched television, employees put it back in the box and handed it to the next buyer, while they searched a drawer for a universal remote. These are practices that, if confirmed, border on fraud. The company has made no public response to these accusations.

The business of selling what doesn't exist

Conforama's model is based on low prices and stock turnover, but when the product isn't in store, the customer enters a limbo. "If they're going to ship it in five weeks, that piece of furniture doesn't exist," one participant quips. Selling to order without guaranteeing deadlines is legal, but it leaves the consumer defenceless. Complaints at physical stores pile up, and official complaint forms become the only recourse.

Meanwhile, Ikea, with defects of its own, has managed to capitalise on the discontent. "And then the Conforama folks will wonder why Ikea came along and ate their lunch," one comment concludes. The comparison is inevitable: both chains compete on price, but the Swedish one at least has its own assembly system and a clear returns policy. Conforama, by contrast, subcontracts everything and then looks the other way.

What can the consumer do?

Spanish law requires stores to honour the delivery deadlines they promise. If they don't, the customer can demand a refund or compensation. In practice, however, complaining to Conforama is an obstacle course. The recommendation from those affected is clear: pay with PayPal or a card so you can reverse the charge, and file an official complaint form at the physical store, even if that means queues and trips.

The Alcorcón story ended with the furniture assembled grudgingly, but with visible damage. The 150-euro dehumidifier they had to buy to try to save their clothes and books is just an anecdote. The emotional and financial cost of dealing with Conforama is, according to those affected, far higher. And as long as the company doesn't change its model, customers will keep paying for something that, deep down, doesn't exist.