Four years ago, (for Valentine’s Day), I bought my husband a love seat at Ashley Furniture in Asheville, NC. I had a $500 budget and the salesman suggested a Durablend material which in his words was almost as good as leather.
DuraBlend is a trademark of Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. Durablendâ„¢ upholstery offers the rich look and feel of leather using a polyurethane/leather blend to create a comfortable and economical alternative to natural leather. Fabric Contents: 57% polyurethane, 26% poly/cotton, 17% leather.
Though our children were grown, we were non-smokers and had no pets, I still purchased the 5 year warranty on the loveseat. It was an extra $79.00. I was told it covered everything!
A few months ago, I noticed that the material on the loveseat was peeling and cracking. I called Ashley Furniture. A woman working in the office told me that they had switched warranty companies. She gave me the number of the old one that I would still be covered under. I called the company immediately. The girl who answered asked me a few questions about how this damage happened. I explained that my husband and I were the only ones who sit on this loveseat and the material was starting to split. She gave me precise instructions on what to do which included sending in photos of the damage on the loveseat. She gave me a claim number and reassured me someone would get back to me to very soon.
After several weeks, I followed up with a call. I was given the run a round. A week later, I called again and was told by a supposed supervisor that my damage would not be covered because it was NOT accidental. The woman’s exact words were, “If you had said that your dog did the damage or one of your grandchildren had ripped it with a toy, you would have been covered. However, we don’t cover normal tears in material. I asked the woman WHY I was not given this information weeks ago and led to believe that I would be covered? I told her I don’t tell lies and I expect to be covered since I paid for a warranty. She said, “No” and hung up.
I went to the the store and shared my story. The girl who I spoke with was nice to me and said she would credit my warranty toward another love seat but could not do anything else. She said there was no manager or other employee at that store who could anything for me. She suggested that I call Ashley Industries (consumer affairs) and tell them how disappointed I am that the Durablend material did not hold up.
I spoke with a customer service representative at Ashley Industries. She informed me that they only cover defects in the material for 4 years. I had just gone over the 4 years and there was nothing they would do for me. I found that quite a coincidence and wondered if it was even true. I remained polite but expressed that I was very disappointed in Ashley furniture and their inferior products.
I think one of my biggest issues (besides my poorly constructed love seat) is the disappearance of any real customer retention concerns now that Asheville’s Ashley Furniture is no longer family owned. I have been a loyal customer for years and have bought thousands of dollars worth of furniture from them. I am upset that I am no longer of any importance to Ashley Furniture. I shop at another furniture store in Asheville that is family owned and can’t help by compare the way I am treated.
After this incident, I did research and discovered many negative write ups about Ashley’s Furniture and DuraBlend material. Here is an example…
I bought a love seat and a sofa from Ashley along with their warranty in 2011. I thought I was buying a true leather sofa, yeah it wasn’t.
And the warranty was a waste of money. Both my sofa and love seat are peeling and flaking. They look horrible and when I tried to make a claim, I was told that it was considered normal ware and tare (trust me it’s not…the whole seat cushion is gone, well the durablend that covers it is and its flaking off on the back rest as well). It was totally a waste of money and I am so disappointed that we got them.
They really are poor quality and the warranty that I was told covered everything was a complete waste of money.I hope to never own Ashley furniture again if I can help it.
I hope this account of my experience will help anyone who is shopping for a sofa, loveseat or chair. My suggestion is to allow a salesperson to help you find furniture that stays within your budget, BUT before you buy a material that is new to YOU, do some research. It will take you just a few minutes to read shopper’s reviews.
As a Consumer Writer for several decades, I feel it is important to pass on anything I learn that might help others in a similar situation.
If I can help even one person, it was worth my time and energy to write this story.
~Debi Drecksler
UPDATE:
This issue was resolved. I received a partial refund for my love seat.
I found my durblend sofa contains lead, which has caused lead poisoning in my son because the material is easily accessed by children when it falls off. If you still have yours, would you be willing to send in a sample to an EPA certified lab? Please contact me if so! Thank you!
Going through something similar except at year 2 when I asked for help I gave up too quickly. Now 4 years from purchase I learn of the multiple law suits! Ashley wants me to send pics to file a claim. The manufacturer is accepting claims 5 years from the date of purchase. I just don’t have confidence they can right the issue. Certainly a replacement of the same or repair does not seem like the solution. I am frustrated! This set has been embarrassing and let me mention how much time I have put into this complaint. So to read that the claim is just another stall tactic is infuriating. If this industry was more regulated we would have received a recall or extended warranty. I was sold a durable product initially, hence durablend… I have heard and read several stories on how people have received replacement, exchanges and compensation. How or when do they decide who gets what, during that Ashley is a lender I wonder if the CFPB has received complaints.
My issue was recently resolved. I received a partial refund for my love seat. I sent photos and a complete history of all my interaction. I hope you can resolve your issue. Thanks for writing.
I too had a bad experience. I bought a loveseat and sofa from ASHLEY furniture in College Station Texas paying 4,000 dollars.The loveseat started flaking off after 18 months. I called the extended warrenty co. And sent pics. They said they would call me back in a week. They did not call back and they woud say they did not pics. This happened three times and they got a bad attitude. They said it was normal wear and would not cover it. To pay that much money plus a extended warranty os a ripoff. Needless to say I won’t buy any more from ASSHLEY in College Station Tx!
I had the same experience with the durables loveseats(3 of them)
Ashley Furniture Industries should stop making and selling this inferior product. My experience like all the reports detailed above reflect my experience with the pealing sofa and loveseat. I had no idea it was an industry problem and there were lawsuits against the. company. For all those affected please write a complaint and warn others.
Sounds like I’m screwed. Mine is 4 years old and bought the 5 year warranty. The entire 3 piece sectional started bubbling and peeling like the same week. It looks terrible. The warranty company told us they do not cover Durablend. We called Ashleys and of course no return call still. Any advise to fight them with or who?
We didn’t even get a year. Ashley furniture replaced it once but the same thing happened again. And yes we bought the warranty and no they won’t replace or fix. So if you lie and say you accidentally did it they would. She told me it was a defect in the material. If that is the case, shouldn’t they put on the tag that this product may crack for no reason?
I heard recently that they discontinued the material.I hope it is true.
Go through their Corporate Customer Service. Hopefully, they will reply.
We have our sofa and loveseat for about 4 years and it has worn well! We really like them. Was worth spending a lot less than so called real leather. And has been easy to care for.
Ours did the same after just under 3 years. We bought two couches, totalling 4K. On one couch the durablend material is not holding up and peeling terribly. Of course, not covered. Now looking to see if an upholstery shop can repair it. We are definitely never purchasing from Ashleys again.
I had the same cracking and pealing issue with 2 DuraBlend oversized chairs. Expensive junk as I see it, Don’t buy !
Wowza! All I can say is thank you for taking the time to write a detailed well informed description of the durablend material. I seen a sofa as recently as today April 21, 2018 on the Ashley Website that I had fallen in love with. Thanks to you I will not be purchasing this product!
You’re Welcome!
Ashley’s 5 YEAR WARANTY states IT IS FOR ANY DAMAGE. Evidently, we need a class action lawsuit against them.
I had the same problem with a 32-inch TV. Bought the extended warranty, but the set died about a year old. They did NOTHING but give me the run around… PURE LIES …as I was told something different each time. I should have bought from Sears. At least they honor THEIR warranties.
VISIT to understand what you can do
— https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0008-getting-your-money-back
— https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/03/speak-up-to-resolve-complaints/index.htm
CALL / CONTACT the Better Business Bureau — bbb.org — IF the company is registered with the BBB, otherwise they cannot do anything.
Wow I’m shocked reading these comments . I bought over 10k in furniture from Ashley Furniture; called Ashley costumer service and my problem is my serial number tags are missing so costumer service told me they couldn’t help me so I went to the store where I purchased my furniture and asked for all my receives after talking to the 3 employees one of them told about this lawsuits with durablend . At first the sales manager said he couldn’t help but th lady at the front desk called the company and they sell will take 4-6 weeks to approve my claim; all my pieces are defective ..
I’m sorry you’ve had such problems. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Does anyone have any information upon the law suit of Durablend. While reading several reviews I to experienced the same issues with the peeling and flaking. In my case I purchased the sofa and sofa love seat recliners set from Ashley furniture along with the tables, rug, lamps and warranty 2012 in Orlando, FL. 2013 I found out that I had to relocate to Chicago. So I had to store my one bedroom apartment into a climate controlled storage unit. I only got 7 or 8 months use out of the furniture before having to put it in storage. 2015 I was able to go back to Orlando, FL to get my furniture out of storage almost two years later. Rent a truck in Orlando and drive back to Chicago. Once I got back to Chicago and got my apartment set with my furniture as I sat on my couches I notice that the so called leather couch at least what I was lead to believe by the sales agent from Ashley furniture who told me that it was leather. It started to peel and flake. I’m the only one that seats on these couches. I live alone in Chicago and was alone in Orlando, FL and no pets. Do to the space in my apartment I’ve only used the sofa recliner of the two sofas. The love seat recliner I have not used since moving it here in 2015. I have that covered and stored at a relative’s home. So that still looks new. I can only imagine how it will start to look if and when I start using it. Any help will be greatly appreciated. This sucks I bought those couches to only really get less then one year good use out of it. Filed a claim in the Chicago Ashley furniture location and they gave me the excuse they don’t sell that style anymore and would not honor the warranty. The best management would do for me if give me 150.00 voucher to use towards a purchase in the store. No where near the amount I spented on this furniture. Never again so yes if someone, anyone has info about a law suit please let me know.
I am so glad you all shared your bad experiences so that people will know more about Ashley furniture and their products. I have been shopping around looking for a sectional sofa and thought I had find the perfect one from Ashley furniture until I came across these reviews. The one i initially wanted was also made of the durablend material and I didn’t know much about it which is why I googled it which is how I came across all of your reviews. So I guess I will start over but thanks again to everyone for sharing and also for saving me alot of money and frustration!
NoDura Blend is an Epic Failure with thousands of failures. The material simply fails, by peeling off typically within a year and a half after their implied 1 year warranty expires. Ashley has introduced a NEW CONCEPT, a 3 YEAR LIFE DISPOSABLE RECLINER. My thoughts, the material is misrepresented by its very name, not to mention the salespeople stating it is comparable to leather, they should know it is EPIC FAILURE. Class action suits have been filed, at least 4 major TV stations have interned on behalf of their viewers
I was just about to purchase a sectional Durablend material… WoW and i just read this posting and all of its comments… Thank got.. I was about to enter in my CC # online but thank god.. thank you for clarifying me on Ashley’s crap…
Same thing happened to us. Bought a 3 piece reclining sectional for $3500 with a 5 year warranty. It started peeling just after 5 years. The store wouldn’t even give me any suggestions as far what product I could possibly use to repair or how. I purchased a kit on Amazon that holds it for a couple weeks and then it reopens or spreads. Such crap Ashley furniture! Never again will we buy from them!
My previous experience with Ashley furniture was about 13 years ago. Bought a couch with the same problem of flaking and was told because I didn’t buy the warranty and it was maybe 2 years after the purchase (not sure how old it was) they would do nothing. I’ve been looking for a recliner and saw their “Ashley Furniture Signature Design – Matinee Recliner – Power Reclining Chair – Eclipse Black” made of “THE LOOK AND FEEL OF LEATHER: Handsome chair with high-resiliency foam cushions wrapped in thick poly DuraBlend fabric, finished with contrast stitching”. I remembered the old couch but only knew that it was faux leather. I got this site from googling Durablend. They are still selling it and it is on Amazon. Thanks for all the info. Buyer Beware.
I had the same experience with my sectional from Ashley with this awful material called Durablend. However mine is 7.5 years old. After several correspondence via email, they won’t even return my call now. One entire chair has peeled off, it’s embarrasing looking. 2 other pieces of the sectional are affected as well. I sent pictures and everything and they still ignore me. I was told 7 years is considered the life of the couch. I even still had my receipt. They won’t do anything.
I found this by searching for durablend warranty. Thank you for this. I too am one of the victims of a cheaply made, short lived living room set (sectional & recliner). I have taken pictures, so now I’ll start the process in hopes the company makes it right.
I am experiencing the same problem with Ashley Furniture Durablend sofa and loves recliner set. The sofa back cushions and arm rest are peeling, I also took out a 5 year warranty with the store (Weekends Only) I just missed the warranty by a month,was told the warranty covers everything, when I spoke to them I was told it’s not covered anyway that it is a manufacture defect. Of course the manufacture defect is expired as well. I was sold on the conversation with sales person, the furnitre itself is holding up well, its the material that is disappointing. The furniture was rarely used the first few years.
Thank you for taking time posting your experience.
I agree..It really is a shame that this material fell apart because the furniture itself held up nicely. I am sorry you experienced the same thing.
Good luck!
I am sorry you had this bad experience, too.
I have the same problem I bought a Love seat and a Sofa and the sofa that’s the one we use, the material Durablend start peeling and opening, just from seating.I bought the extra warranty that really is worth nothing, we are seniors and to us to buy again means lots of effort, I call and mail all what they ask me without any response, We should get together and take Ashley to court and get our money back.
I as well bought a sofa,love seat, chair in half from Ashley’s Salinas, ca and was told that it was better then let her cause if my dogs and that they wouldn’t be blue to scratch or tear durablend but just after 5 years the sofa where I sit started to look stretched out in places then began to peel thought it was just my spot then the love seat where my partner sits began doing the same thing then the chair it’s been peeling for 3 yrs now and looks like garbage of course I didn’t by the extended warranty but glad I didn’t now Iam ashamed of my furniture which I just loved when I first got them . Iam now able to purchase new furniture haven’t yet found anything yet wish me luck. Thank You for your information.
We can’t thank you guys enough!
We were looking at a loveseat that seemed just right for us. But, after reading about your experiences with Durablend and Ashley Furniture, we will never buy anything from them!
Thank you for saving us a whole lot of time, trouble and money; none of which we can afford.
You’re Welcome!
mine was cracking and peeling within 6 months.they said I puncture it .told them to show me the puncture marks they couldn’t.so they said they would send me the material to fix it.told them nope its under warrinty.so they came to fix it 3 months later and notice other spots showing up.contacted Ashley furniture they never called back or responded to my emails.mean while this was within a year of purchace.contacte the company who I have a 5 yr plan with they refuse to do anything about it.but I took a knife to it or the at ripped they would cover it.makes no sence.I keep reminding the guy it stats they cover defective material.he says now we didn’t sale the warrinty.so I told him you excepted the money so its covered by you.im at the point of taking it the store with a sign to let people see what they sale as great furniture.I so if there is a class action lawsuit against Ashley furniture and guardian protection someone let me know please
We just ordered a sofa and loveseat that says 100% real leather seating areas. I assume that the balance, sides and back are this Durablend that you are speaking of. Now I’m wondering how the seating area will hold up. It s :amor Day weekend and if we’re going to cancel, I’d like to cancel and buy elsewhere while the sales are still going on. HELP! Thank you.
I really appreciate your information. I had heard that Ashley furniture was inferior but thought it could be a rumour but now I know it is true. I will not shop there or at the Brick as we purchased a TV and entertainment package from them and the DVD player stopped working and they refused to honour the warranty and they said only the Tv was under the warranty. We were very annoyed as we paid $400.00 for the warranty and it turned out to be a total waste of money.
Thank you for your review. We were looking at a second hand sectional. My husband noticed that it is DuraBlend and found your review. We will be passing on the purchase.
I have been dealing with Ashley about this furniture for months,wasn’t even out of first year warranty. No help from Ashley National. If I can’t get relief I will file a claim in court. Same run around about warranty. I’ll come back when I find out more.
I was in the Ashley store in Dallas, TX this weekend, and the sales agent told me that the Durablend material has been changed. She insists that the peeling problem has been fixed. She said the new material is all vinyl, and contains no leather – which allegedly was the problem with the old Durablend.
The leather part would stretch and then bubble and peel. This is not supposed to happen moving forward.
The sales agent showed me the tag attached to the sofa that shows material content:
PVC – 67%
Polyester – 27%
Polyurathane – 6%
The sofa is on sale for less than $400. I’m seriously considering taking the plunge. I figure I come out ahead if the sofa lasts at least five years. Fingers crossed…
I also purchased a Dura Blend couch, reclining chair, and reclining love seat. I have to find my receipt to be part of any of this class action lawsuit against Ashley, but my products are no more than 3 years old. Absolute garbage and Not Cheap on initial purchase
I too purchased a sectional from Ashley Funiture about 5 years ago.
We were not only LIED to and then STUCK WITH a product we never wanted, we now have to throw away the sectional we bought because it’s in such bad shape now.
We specifically asked for leather as we have 4 children and a big dog. They showed us the perfect sectional with the perfect price. I should have known it was too good to be true. Because the price was so good, we also included a separate chaise lounger. When they delivered the couch, I noticed the tags on them said “DuraBlend” I called up our salesman immediately asking what DuraBlend was. He told me it was a leather blend. I reminded him we asked for a leather couch, not a leather blend and wanted to return the couch. He then told us “DuraBlend was better than leather” but I insisted we wanted a leather couch only. I asked to speak with the manager who intern gave us the run around; we even went in for an in-person meeting and the manager still said there was nothing he could do. Meanwhile, because of all this fuss, I didn’t notice that the wooden backing of our Chaise Lounger was broken. When I called again to get a new one, they told us we had 24 hours from delivery time to dispute any damages and there was nothing they could do about that either.
So, this “better than leather” material is now peeling and flaking. It started about a year ago (4 years after purchase) and now it’s so bad we have to throw the whole sectional away and get a new one. And we don’t even use this couch very often! I wish I could attach pictures. You’d be amazed at how awful the damage is.
Horrible experience! Horrible service! Horrible quality!
I too have had issues with my durablend sectional.Within months the chaise cushion began to split.After 2 years I asked the furniture company I bought it from for a replacement chaise cushion.I received it only for the rest of the couch a couple months later to start peeling and splitting everywhere else.I took good care of this couch “Conditioning” it and everything and no dice.If a classaction law suit was made that would be great,I’ve owned this couch for 2.5 years and am sorely dissapointed by the craftsmanship/durability. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP(Not really though cause I paid $1900+ Tax for this garbage) DO NOT BUT FROM THIS COMPANY
Had the exact same issue with a sectional we bought back in 2012. The sofa’s construction was great, just all the peeling. Ended up just putting in the basement for the kids with a slip cover in it. Now i wish i had informed them to get some sort of refund or replacement.
Having the same problem as mentioned above in all the post. Peeling and flaking in my motorhome capt’s chairs.
Also, bought two recliners from Kane’s Furniture store. They gave us the same old run around as mentioned above. I called the supplier on the tag that was stapled under the chairs and got the same one yr. out of warranty bs.
It seems to be a nation wide problem with the cheap China bought durablend. The furniture makers jumped on some cheap material which will most likely cost them in sales in the long run.
I bought an Ashley recliner loveseat and a 5 yr warranty. After a year and a half it got a small gouge on the headrest so I filed a claim. They never followed up with me. I had to contact them after waiting several months just for them to tell me it wasn’t cover… however the warranty stated it covered gouges. I had to fight like hell, the warranty company refused to cover the damage, after weeks of complaining I got a total refund on the loveseat and was told keep it, donate or whatever. It takes bitching to get somewhere very sad
I wish I would’ve seen this before I made my purchase today. I bought two sofas slightly used from a friend. They look brand new and are beautiful. We just picked them up and as we were putting the cushions on I noticed the tag with Durablend. So I looked it up and now I see all of these bad reviews. Now I’m sad. I was so excited when I bought them today. The whole time thinking they were real leather.
Ditto on everything! I have a sectional which was hardly used as it resides in the lower level of our home and we only use it when we entertain (which is 3-4 times a year). This past summer my husband’s brother came to spend the summer. After only a few weeks of use everyday,, it started peeling. Although the local store I dealt with was very kind, there was nothing the could do for me. No partial refund, no replacement cushion and I was not able to purchase this material. I will never buy anything made of durablend again!!
Thank you for this info.‘I was contemplating a purchase w Durablend. Not anymore!