Judian
159 days to receive my sofa — and that wasn’t even the worst part.
I’m giving 1 star, only because a 0-star option doesn’t exist. According to James, 99% of customers don’t experience this. So if you’re not in the “lucky 1%,” this review may not apply to you — though I strongly suggest reading reviews carefully before ordering. I placed my order on 31 Aug 2025 with an original delivery date of 2 Nov 2025, timed perfectly with the completion of my newly built, completely unfurnished flat. My sofa finally arrived on 5 Feb 2026 — 159 days after ordering and 95 days late — and only after relentless chasing and pressure on my part. At one point, James even asked me to contact the courier myself just to get delivery arranged. Over the months, I was given a rotating list of explanations: a cyber attack on the website, US–China trade wars, tariffs, warehouse issues, courier problems, and the fact that James handles “over 200 orders a month.” Whatever the explanation, the responsibility sits squarely with Swivel. The complete lack of proactive communication made the experience draining, frustrating, and genuinely stressful. The 1 star is solely because James arranged a temporary sofa, which I appreciated. However, being three months past the estimated delivery date without the actual product is not a problem a temporary fix meaningfully solves. Then came delivery day — a nightmare in its own right. Despite receiving a confirmation email the day before with a delivery date and time window, the delivery wasn’t actually scheduled. Three hours after the window passed, I began chasing both the courier and James, only to be told later that day that no delivery had been arranged for that time specified in the email from the courier. After escalating the issue all the way to the courier company’s director, a same-day delivery was eventually arranged — arriving six hours later than the confirmed time stated in the email received just the day before. This completely disrupted my workday and caused an enormous amount of unnecessary stress. To be clear, this is NOT a reflection on the delivery drivers. The two drivers who arrived were genuinely lovely — friendly, professional, and the only bright spot in this entire process. Bottom line: If you need a sofa within any reasonable timeframe, avoid Swivel! If you’re comfortable waiting close to a year — while chasing, pressuring, and repeatedly rearranging your life — then proceed at your own risk. And that’s assuming you don’t end up in the “1%” of customers who go through this ordeal. 1 star, solely because a temporary solution was offered and I didn’t spend the Christmas holidays sitting on cardboard boxes — not because the ordering, communication, or delivery experience met even a basic acceptable standard. If this is what the “1%” looks like, ask yourself whether you’re willing to take that risk before ordering.
