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Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. has been hit with another class action alleging the company’s DuraBlend upholstery is not fit for ordinary use.
Lead plaintiff Alex Isaac filed a class action lawsuit against the home furnishings company as well as Bargain Discount Markets Inc. alleging that DuraBlend is marketed as a durable leather product; however, DuraBlend furniture is not durable and is prone to peeling and disintegrating.
“Ashley and BD marketed DuraBlend upholstery as durable blended leather,” alleges the Ashley Furniture class action lawsuit. “Indeed, its name is a combination of the words durable and blended, supporting a reasonable consumer’s belief that the DuraBlend upholstery is both durable, and of similar quality, strength, and durability of leather.”
Isaac claims Ashley Furniture began marketing DuraBlend in 2008 as a leather substitute, with the same quality, strength and durability. The plaintiff says that he purchased a DuraBlend sectional sofa for about $1,100 in 2012 based on this marketing.
Contrary to Ashley’s marketing claims, the upholstery on the plaintiff’s sofa began to peel and disintegrate with normal use starting in 2015, alleges the class action lawsuit. The plaintiff says that he contacted Ashley about the disintegration of the DuraBlend sofa, but the store refused to issue a full refund.
This is the second class action to hit Ashley Furniture over DuraBlend. In November of last year, a plaintiff in Florida alleged Ashley “falsely, deceptively or misleadingly promoted, marketed, advertised, and sold furniture with DuraBlend.”
According to the class action complaint, “Ashley provided, disseminated, marketed, advertised or otherwise distributed false, deceptive or misleading information about the true nature, quality, or durability of the DuraBlend upholstery; and failed to disclose material information, or made material misrepresentations about, DuraBlend upholstery in connection with its promotion, marketing, advertising, and sale of that product.”
Ashley sold a variety of DuraBlend furniture, including sofas, loveseats, sections, and ottomans, says the plaintiff. These were marketed as “blended leather products,” alleges the complaint. The lawsuit includes a picture of the plaintiff’s cracked and peeling sectional sofa. Isaac alleges that he and other consumers would not have purchased or paid a much lower price for their DuraBlend furniture if they had known it was prone to peeling and disintegrating under normal use.
The plaintiff in the most recent class action seeks to represent a Class of Massachusetts residents who purchased DuraBlend furniture from Ashley Furniture. The plaintiff alleges that the company violated Massachusetts advertising law.
“Here, Defendants [sic] represented that furniture with DuraBlend upholstery sold to Mr. Isaac and other members of the class had characteristics that it does not have and that it was of a particular standard, quality, or grade, when in fact [it] was of lesser standard, quality, and grade,” alleges the Ashley Furniture class action lawsuit.
Isaac is represented by Josh Gardner and Nicholas J. Rosenberg of Gardner & Rosenberg PC.
The Ashley Furniture DuraBlend False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Alex Isaac v. Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. and Bargain Discount Markets Inc., Case No. 1:17-cv-11827, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
UPDATE: The Ashley Furniture DuraBlend False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on October 27, 2017. Top Class Actions will let our viewers know if a new complaint is filed.
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155 thoughts onNew Ashley Furniture Class Action Filed Over Quality of DuraBlend
We also purchased 2 couches from Ashley a couple of years ago. They were represented as leather. After several months they started disintegrating and are an absolute mess. Ashley Furn. totally misrepresented the product. We will not shop there in the future.
We bought a recliner from Ashely Furniture almost three years ago. Within the first year (1) we called Ashely to repair the damage, which eventually they did (we also bought a product guarantee policy). We thought this would take of the defective material issue. We have all the material that was replaced at this time.
Within the next year, the issue returned. After many calls to Ashley, we realize the policy they sold us was worthless for manufacturing defects. They also knew of this manufacturing problem with DuraBlend based on class action law suits filed (also the man repairing our chair said it was the worst material he had seen) and Ashley said we were SOL and it was out of their hands.
We would also be interested if another class action was initiated. Tennessee
I purchase a living room set from Ashley’s in Hoover Al. I was told that it was 100% leather after 3 or 4 years the leather began to peel. I contacted Ashley’s Corp and I was told it’s nothing they can due about it based on the length of time. I am done shopping at Ashley’s and anyone I know that will listen. Bad customer service.
So upset with this purchase.What a waste of $2100
Bought an Ashley Axiom sofa from Alabama Furniture Market in May of 2015. Was told that it was real leather where it was touching us, DuraBlend on back and sides. UM, not so much. Minimal use, started peeling on arms at about the 3 year mark and the left hand seat cushion has deteriorated into what looks like the glue used to bond the materials together. It is absolutely awful. Ashley won’t help because it wasn’t bought through them. Store won’t help at all, says it’s been too long. I wasted $1000. UGH.
We bought a couch, loveseat, and recliner made with Durablend – “way better than leather” is what the associate stated – all started peeling within 2 years. The company told us that was not covered under warranty and we’d just have to deal with it. I paid about $3,000 for all of my pieces. Very dissatisfied with the furniture and customer service that was given from Ashley.
I purchased two pieces of Ashley Durablend, a sofa and a recliner.
Both pieces starting to deteriorate after a few years.
The furniture is embarrassing to me and should be to any reputable furniture company.
Currently I am considering replacement furniture versus reupholstering.
Additionally, infrequently I need to adjust the mechanical linkage to restore the mechanical reclining feature.
I could not and will not recommend Ashley Furniture to anyone.
We purchased two sofas that Ashley Furniture told us that were leather except for the sides and back were a durablend material. We purchased them in good faith that we did purchase two leather sofas with only the back and sides being durablend. However, both the sofas are peeling and the top grain is peeling away from the rest of the sofa. This is happening on both sofas we purchased. This lawsuit should not be terminated, but instead, should be continued and brought to trail as there si too many people that were sold these sofas and did not get what they were promised. We paid good money for these sofas. They were barely used, at the most 5 or less times each before this happened and they were well taken care of. There is no reason why they should not have held up any better than they did as they should not be disposable furniture. We should be reimbursed for the money we spent for them because they did not hold up whatsoever. Ashley Furniture should be ashamed for selling this furniture that is way lower than normal expectation especially when we were told they were leather except for the sides and back. Please keep this lawsuit going because anyone who bought these should be reimbursed for them due to the very poor quality and the fact they are not leather at all. It is false advertising and they ripped off each and every consumer that bought one or more of these so called leather sofas.
We bought an Ashley sectional. My whole family is underweight and by the looks of the couch you would think we are elephants because it has cracked at the seams. I will have to reupholster it.
Please keep me updated. We bought 3 separate pieces of Durablend, all have disintegrated into nothing but bare fabric. My husband blames the store where we purchased. I know it the over priced Ashley brand.