Price reduction for faulty bespoke home goods
Document each fault against the agreed specification, support your proposed reduction with repair estimates and evidence of remaining loss in value, and avoid counting the same loss twice. Agree payment and precisely which faults and claims the settlement covers. Discuss factory evidence with Cambridge China Bridge.
Confirm the purchase and the outcome you want
Start with the seller named on the contract and invoice. State that you want to keep the identified goods and negotiate a reduction for the recorded faults. For a business purchase, check the contract and use our faulty-goods supplier claims guide for the underlying dispute.
Keep household purchases separate from business orders. Faulty goods bought for personal use can justify a refund; consumer remedies and your business supplier claim are separate matters. This guide focuses on preparing a supported offer to keep the goods. Do not treat a negotiated business reduction as an automatic consumer entitlement.
Show what value the faults have removed
Create a fault schedule identifying each item, its location, the agreed drawing or sample, and the actual departure. Attach dated photographs showing both the detail and its normal viewing position. Explain the effect: a visible finish mismatch, restricted drawer movement or a dimension that prevents the intended fit. Separate observations from disputed causes.
For bespoke goods without a resale comparison, ask an independent furniture specialist or relevant tradesperson to assess the goods against the agreed specification. Request reasons for any valuation, including usefulness, appearance and whether repair would leave a visible difference. A cheap used item or the factory's replacement-part cost alone is a weak comparison for a fitted, custom-made item.
Get a repair estimate you can explain
Ask a suitable repairer for an itemised written estimate based on the fault schedule. It should describe the proposed method, materials, labour, access, dismantling, protection and refitting, with VAT treatment clear. Ask what finish or function the work should restore, what uncertainty remains and whether inspection is needed before confirming the estimate.
Compare estimates covering the same work and ask about unexplained differences. Separate necessary restoration from upgrades or unrelated wear. Do not book work before documenting the fault and discussing inspection with the seller. Use repairing goods before the seller resolves the fault and removal and refitting costs for those decisions.
Build the reduction without counting losses twice
Show your calculation in words alongside the supporting documents. If you will retain the goods unrepaired, explain their reduced usefulness and appearance. If you propose repair, identify its reasonable cost and any separate loss in value expected afterwards. Do not add the entire unrepaired loss in value to repair costs that would remove that same loss.
State which faults you will tolerate, which you intend to repair and which remain under investigation. Explain why the seller's offer does or does not match that position. Separate cash repayment from a credit against another order. Do not use a discount to settle an unresolved concern about safe use; seek a suitable assessment before deciding to keep using the goods.
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Put the faults, payment and release in writing
Attach the agreed fault schedule and photographs to the proposed settlement. Identify the parties, order, retained items, reduction, revised price, amount already paid and any refund or balance remaining. Specify currency, payment method, due date and bank charges. Say whether repair funding is included and who will organise the work.
Ask your solicitor to define the claims being resolved by reference to those faults, including any agreed repair costs and remaining cosmetic loss. Request express treatment of hidden faults, unrelated defects, unfinished work and other orders. Ask for the intended release to depend on cleared payment and for payment failure to be addressed. Use our full and final settlement guide for the wider document review.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I ask off faulty bespoke furniture?
Base your proposal on documented loss in value or reasonable repair costs and any separate loss remaining afterwards. Explain the evidence rather than choosing an arbitrary discount.
Is a repair estimate enough to support a reduction?
It helps if it identifies the faults, necessary work and expected result. Ask the repairer to explain any visible mismatch or reduced function that would remain after repair.
Can I ask for repair costs and reduced value?
In your proposal, distinguish the repair cost from any separate loss remaining after repair. Avoid counting the same damage under both headings. Ask your adviser to assess the claim.
What should a settlement say about future faults?
Ask for explicit wording identifying settled faults and the treatment of hidden or unrelated defects. Have your solicitor check the release, exclusions and payment condition together.