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A class action lawsuit is taking on furniture retailer Ashley Furniture over claims that its DuraBlend upholstery fails to hold up under ordinary use.
Plaintiff Sladjana Perisic of Florida is accusing Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. of violating Florida consumer protection laws with its DuraBlend upholstery, a hybrid of synthetic and natural materials made to mimic the appearance of leather.
She says Ashley Furniture “falsely, deceptively or misleadingly promoted, marketed, advertised, and sold furniture with DuraBlend” as if it were a high-quality, durable product. But in fact, she claims, DuraBlend upholstery starts to peel and fall apart soon after being exposed to normal wear and tear.
According to this Ashley Furniture class action lawsuit, DuraBlend is marketed as “blended leather,” which Perisic says is synonymous with “bonded leather.” Bonded leather consists of scraps of animal hide adhered together and covered with layers of polish and other materials to give it the appearance of a single piece of leather.
Perisic quotes an article on the subject from Consumer Affairs that says “the true difference between bonded and genuine leather is its durability,” a detail that many retailers allegedly fail to mention to their customers.
The plaintiff says that in August 2013 she purchased a DuraBlend-upholstered sofa, loveseat and recliner from an Ashley Furniture store in Pinellas Park, Fla., at a cost of about $1,700. She says the promotional material for that furniture said its DuraBlend upholstery was “as durable as leather.”
But by early 2016, she claims, the upholstery had started “bubbling and peeling.” The top leather-like layer on the cushions and arm rests allegedly began to peel away, exposing the coarse, off-white material underneath.
Perisic says she made a claim under the furniture protection plan she had purchased from the Guardsman company. Guardsman denied that claim, stating that the damage to her furniture was a manufacturing defect, the class action lawsuit states.
The plaintiff says she paid a premium to Ashley Furniture based on its representations that DuraBlend upholstery was as durable as leather. Had she known that DuraBlend would fail to hold up under ordinary use, Perisic says she either would not have purchased it or would have been willing to pay significantly less for it.
Perisic proposes to represent a plaintiff Class consisting of all persons who purchased furniture with DuraBlend upholstery from Ashley Furniture in the State of Florida. She expects Class Members will number in the thousands.
She is seeking an order from the court that would require Ashley Furniture to conform its marketing of DuraBlend upholstery to applicable legal requirements. She also seeks an award of actual, incidental, statutory and punitive damages and reimbursement of her attorney’s fees and court costs, with interest.
Perisic is represented by Julie Braman Kane and Stephanie A. Casey of Colson Hicks Eidson PA, and by Mike Arias and Mikael H. Stahle of Arias Sanguinetti Stahle & Torrijos LLP.
The Ashley Furniture DuraBlend Defective Product Class Action Lawsuit is Sladjana Perisic v. Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., Case No. 8:16-cv-03255, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
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228 thoughts onAshley Furniture Class Action Says DuraBlend Upholstery Falls Apart
SAME PROULBEM IN NY SUFFOLK COUNTY BOUGHT ON LINE
Ashley furniture is the worse! Not only has the fabric frayed, the cushions are mal formed and the arms on the couch and loveseat have lost all cushioning– straight wood! Ashley said that nothing that is wrong with the furniture is covered under the “lifetime warranty” it’s only covered if the frame is broken! Ashley furniture SUCKS!
Same problem a piece of expensive crap. How do I become in the class action lawsuit?
The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!
Just threw ours out after 6 years we put a cover on it to help last that long. I’ll stick with upholstery now
Same here in pa 3 different sets of furniture junk not covered bs
I had the same issue with my set. It is horrible.
Had same problem in pharr, texas Ashley furniture, sofa is a mess now
Same prob…leather was pleather..
I live in rochester, pa and always heard it was the best furniture. 3200 hundred dollars later. I was wrong. It fell apart about 3 years after I had it, and no it was not abused, I only have 1 kid. Material pulled apart. Garbage, my income tax was wasted
Same issue in North Brunswick, NJ. Purchased a sectional with warranty from MFS (Montage Furniture Service). Submitted claim with photos. Claim denied. We live in a 2 adult, well-maintained home. Couch barely used. This is totally unacceptable. How can we join a claim?
This particular case is seeking to represent Florida buyers. You can contact class counsel with questions. Current counsel is listed at the bottom of the article, and can be Googled for contact information.
We also offer a submission form on our website for you to fill out if you are seeking class action legal help. Attorneys will then review your submission to determine if you have a case. If they feel you qualify, they will contact you directly. You can submit your information here: https://topclassactions.com/start-a-class-action/.