Buying furniture
Easy English fact sheet
2025
You might need help to read
this fact sheet.
A friend, family member or support person
can help you.
Before you buy furniture
from a shop
- Think about what you want.
- Talk to other people about
buying furniture. - Work out how much you can spend.
- Look at furniture catalogues
or magazines. - Decide what you want.
- Decide what you need.
At the shop
The sales person should sell you the
furniture you need. For example, when
you want a couch for your family,
you will need a couch that
- is strong
- will last a long time.
Questions you can ask
- Where does the furniture come from?
- Can I get a warranty in writing?
- How do I look after the furniture?
A warranty is a promise that the furniture
maker gives you. There are other promises
called Consumer Guarantees.
You can complain when there is a problem
with your furniture. Look at page 9.
You can call Consumer Protection WA to
ask about warranties.
You can pay with
cash
or
a credit card
or
- a loan.
A loan is for people who do not have
enough money to buy something.
You can get a loan from
- a bank
- credit union
- building society.
Talk to a friend, family member or a
support person about loans.
Be careful.
Find out what happens if you
do not pay the money back.
On the day you pay for
your furniture
1. You will get a contract
- The contract should be fair to you
and the shop. - Read the contract carefully.
- It should be clear and easy to read.
- Do not sign the contract if you are unhappy.
There are laws in Western Australia about
contracts. For more information call
Consumer Protection WA.
2. You will pay the shop
You can pay the whole price or a deposit.
A deposit is part of the whole price. You will
pay the rest when you get the furniture.
Are there other ways to pay?
Yes.
There might be
- Finance
This is a special loan. The furniture shop
might be able to help you with finance. - Interest free offer
This means you pay for the furniture over
a set amount of time. For example, 1 year.
Warning!
Be careful.
- You can get ripped off.
- When you pay for furniture with special
loans or finance, it might cost you a lot
more money. - Find out what happens if you do not
pay the money back.
The sales person can write information about
the furniture on your receipt.
For example, the furniture is from Italy.
Ask the sales person to write information on
your receipt.
There are laws in Australia about this.
For more information, look at page 9.
When you get your furniture
- Check the furniture is what you ordered.
- Check there are no problems with
your furniture. For example, a stain
on the cushion.
Problems or complaints
If you are not happy and you want something
fixed, this is called a complaint.
You can complain when the furniture is
- different to what you need.
- different to what you ordered.
- broken. For example,
- a broken stitch
- a chip in the wood.
You can also complain about
- the loan
- the money contract you have.
If you are still not happy you can complain to
Consumer Protection WA.
Consumer Protection WA
More fact sheets
and information
List of fact sheets in Easy English
- Buying Furniture
- Contracts
- Lay-by
- Phone and door to door sales
- Renting - starting a tenancy
- Renting - during a tenancy
- Renting - ending a tenancy
- Refunds, replacements and repairs
- Scams
- Services
- Shopping tips
Phone 1300 30 40 54
Mail Locked Bag 100
East Perth WA 6892
Interpreter 131 450
National Relay Service 133 677
Email consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au
Website www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
This information is written in Easy English.
You might need more information about the law.
You can ask Consumer Protection WA.
Updated February 2025.
Easy English fact sheet updated by
Consumer Protection WA.
Look at Clear Written Communications -
The Easy English Style Guide for
information about the format and writing
style of this document.
You can find more information at
www.scopevic.org.au or
phone 03 9843 2000.
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