Never take the safety of home furniture for granted - especially if there are young children around in the house.
The occurrence of home accidents related to unsafe or unstable furniture causing injuries or even fatalities is not uncommon as reported from time to time.
At the end of last year, in separate accidents, two hanging cupboards crashed down, killing a domestic helper. In January this year, a 4-year-old girl was injured when an unstable bookcase tipped over.
Consumers are cautioned to always bear in mind safety guidelines of different types of household furniture, and follow sensible practices in the avoidance of home hazards.
Especially common in many households are space-saving hanging cupboards or shelves. It is, however, important that hanging cupboards are securely installed and attached to suitable wall types (e.g. structural wall) with proper fixing tools (e.g. expansion anchor bolts for large cupboards).
Never overload your hanging cupboards with such heavy items as crockery, cooking pots or utensils, and ensure the items are evenly distributed inside.
Hydraulic beds which have the advantage of space for under-bed storage are another common furniture item generally made with two or three sets of gas springs fixed on metal lifting frames and installed under the bed boards. But do not attempt to operate a hydraulic bed alone nor by the elderly or children.
When purchase hydraulic beds, check if the connection and installation of the lifting mechanism are sturdy and fitted with self-locking gas springs or additional safety support device.
Tall furniture such as bookcase, wardrobes or storage units that are not secured to the wall, are also prone to tip-over. They should be stable, well-built, and placed on flat surfaces and secured with straps, angle braces or anchors screwed to the wall; drawers and doors should open and close easily without excess force.
For flat screen TV sets, they should be placed on a suitable stand or mounted to the wall as recommended by the manufacturer to prevent tip-over.
Glass dining tables should be made with toughened glass; check the stability to see if the glass tabletop detaches easily from the understructure.
Parents with young children are advised to purchase folding tables equipped with safety locking device and always activate the safety device when the table is open for use.
Safety of home furniture is not the only issue related to this household product which also increasingly involves problems of delivery, assembling and after-sales services.
Between 2013 and 2014, the Consumer Council received a total of 1,779 complaints - 949 and 830 cases respectively - related to the purchase of ready-made home furniture. While over 40% of the complaints concerned product quality, some 25% were related to delayed delivery, and 13% about service quality, charges, assembling and maintenance.
To heighten the public awareness and provide useful guidance, the Consumer Council has compiled a comprehensive survey report comparing the services and policies of 12 furniture chains regarding delivery, assembling and after-sales.
The survey has revealed wide variations in the trade in regard to company policies and scales of charges. Highlights of the survey included:
Most (9) furniture chains under the survey would require a delivery charge ranging from $50 to $1,000; free delivery was rendered by 10 providers where consumers spend $500 to $10,000 in purchase. One provider offered free delivery for regular price items but charged $120 on discounted items.
Most would charge extra cost for delivery to remote areas like Tung Chung ($80 to $300), Ma Wan ($40 to $300) or Discovery Bay ($99 to $350), while some would provide no delivery service for certain outlying islands, restricted zones or areas not accessible by motor vehicles.
All furniture chains would charge extra for delivery to locations without lift service (generally from $19 to $400 per floor) depending on the number of floors, purchase price or type of furniture. Some would set an upper limit on the number of floors before extra charge is imposed.
An administrative fee may entail if consumers change the delivery date after confirmation. 7 of the service providers charged $79 to 1,000, or either 5% or 10% of the cost of the furniture.
But in the case of failure to make delivery at the designated time, only 3 furniture chains would take the step to notify the consumers during the appointed time or 24 hours before the delivery time. The others simply let their customers wait in vain.
Free assembling service was provided by most (9) furniture chains for purchases up to a certain amount ($500 to $2,999) or if the service is already included as part of the delivery charge.
Consumers are strongly advised to inspect the furniture immediately upon delivery for any problem in quality. All furniture chains would provide exchange, refund or maintenance if the defect is reported within a prescribed period - immediately on delivery, 3 to 14 days after delivery or 30 days after the issue date of the receipt.
Furthermore, all furniture chains would provide disposal service of old furniture for customers, at costs of $50 to $1,000 per piece depending on the type, size or whether disassembling is needed.
More tips for consumers: buy from reputable stores; measure carefully the size of your living space and the furniture; record all details on the receipt such as model number, colour, size, expected delivery dates as well as charges such as deposit, surcharge (if any), removal fee, etc. Check also the terms and conditions, in particular those related to exchange or refund.
Keep your receipts which may come in useful for future maintenance needs.
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