We used the John Lewis home design team to help us pick colour schemes, fabrics and furniture for our lounge, having saved for years to redesign it.

We commissioned them in early February 2018 and, after a lot of bungling on their part, we managed to persuade them to take our £10,000 order at the end of April! We were then forgotten and our order, which should have been delivered in late June, was only dealt with on 9 July.

They twice ran out of fabric for our curtains, which were finally fitted late last November. At this point, the furniture was delivered and we found that the sofa had been made without threads for the feet to screw into. It was returned and the replacement was delayed as they had run out of the fabric.

It finally arrived in February this year with half the timber frame hanging out of the bottom. They offered a repair but we demanded a refund which was forgotten for 10 days as the manager went on holiday without processing it.

So, over a year later, we still have no sofa. We now have to find another supplier and most want three months to build and deliver.

John Lewis has merely offered £300 “as a note of regret for our customer journey”. LH, London

John Lewis home furnishings has reportedly been struggling to meet demand since a cost-cutting restructuring exercise shed nearly 400 jobs in 2017 and 77% of reviews on Trustpilot rate it as poor or bad.

John Lewis argues that the majority of reviews on its own website are positive. In your case, it admits its customer service fell “well below the level we aim to provide”.

It has increased its goodwill gesture to £1,000, which you’ve agreed to accept, although you say it does not compensate for the year you will have spent without a sofa by the time your new order arrives.

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