Paid a £1,500 deposit today on a sofa, only told minutes afterwards it’s non-refundable.

Scotland

As the title says, this happened at a Natuzzi store. We found a sofa we liked, and originally agreed with the salesperson that we’d pay tomorrow so we could measure the space and make sure it would fit. It will fit, but I still wanted to double-check.

The salesperson then said they could give us a deal today so we wouldn’t need to come back tomorrow. We went through the pricing and finance to make sure we were happy. During this, we discussed the usual terms and conditions, and I was told that once the order is complete, it can’t be refunded because it’s made-to-order. I understood and agreed with that.

However, the order isn’t actually complete yet — I still need to confirm the orientation, the colour, and any size adjustments. So I assumed it wouldn’t be considered final until I provided those details.

I then paid the deposit. Only after paying did I discover (while reading further into the terms and conditions) that the deposit itself was non-refundable. I was shocked, and immediately questioned this. The staff apologised for the lack of clarity but didn’t offer any solution. After finishing the paperwork, I left the store feeling misled.

Now I’m wondering: 1. If the order is still waiting for me to confirm size, colour, and layout, is it really “finalised”? 2. If they failed to mention before payment that the deposit is non-refundable, does that mean I was misled?

I feel like I was pressured into paying quickly, and now I can see why. I’m really frustrated with myself for letting it happen. Do I have any options to get the deposit back?

Thanks for any advice.