By Alyce CollinsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA woman who bought a couch on Facebook Marketplace in what she thought was the “deal of the century” was left horrified by what arrived shortly after.
For a while, Madison Thompson, 30, toyed with the idea of getting a new couch but didn’t want to spend an extortionate amount. In October, she found a Restoration Hardware couch listed on Facebook Marketplace for just $450, which seemed like an absolute steal.
She told Newsweek that the sofa was said to be in “excellent used condition,” and the pictures alongside the listing showed it to be in “near perfect condition.” Thompson, of Austin, Texas, purchased it almost immediately, and managed to sell her old sectional for $900.
“I feel like I do a pretty good job of vetting the items I purchase,” Thompson said. “By looking at the surroundings and the background in the listing photos, I could tell that this seller was someone who bought, restored, and resold furniture. He had multiple 5-star reviews on his profile, and the photos of the sofa were in a clean, clutter-free location.”
...When it arrived on November 7, all seemed fine at first. Thompson loved how the couch looked and it fit the aesthetic she wanted perfectly. She was so excited about this new addition to her home, which would usually retail for over $4,100.
“These Restoration Hardware sofas are impeccably made. I work as an interior designer and had just come back from High Point Market, so I was excited to update my living room with something so beautiful,” Thompson continued.
Unfortunately, as soon as she sat on the couch, she noticed something unexpected. Every time she or her husband stood up, they would see feathers coming out of the sofa and floating in the air.
Each time they moved off the couch, more down filling would be released from the cushions, leaving feathers all over her home.
As a result, Thompson opened the slipcover to see what the problem was, and what she found left her “in shock.” The inner lining of the cushion has been split open in multiple places, meaning the feathers were no longer encased.
Thompson said: “The inner cushion is like a taco. Inside the taco shell is a giant piece of foam, and then the taco shell is a big casing that wraps around the foam. Either side of that casing had eight separate pockets of down feathers. The reason it was all split up into separate pockets is to keep the feathers from clumping up into one spot when you sit on it.
“There were multiple gashes in that casing on both sides, meaning the feathers were everywhere and no longer distributed evenly. The slipcover is the decorative cushion cover on the outside that you see. It’s a linen weave so those little feathers poke through the linen.”
She tried contacting the seller immediately to find out if he knew about this problem. Unfortunately, he had blocked her and removed the listing. Thompson has been unable to reach the seller, although she has since reported him.
A spokesperson for Meta (owner of Facebook Marketplace) highlighted the anti-scam features they have implemented on their platforms. This includes verification checkpoints for accounts, Marketplace messenger filters and anti-scam warnings.
They encourage Marketplace users to check if the seller’s Facebook profile looks new or incomplete, check reviews for sellers, insist on meeting in a public space to view the product before buying, and to avoid handing over any money until you’ve seen the item for sale.
Thompson shared this unexpected ordeal on TikTok (@madthompsy) on November 9, and it has since gone viral. At the time of writing, the TikTok post about how her Facebook Marketplace purchased became “the nightmare of the century” has generated over 493,800 views and 7,300 likes already.
For now, Thompson and her husband are trying to make the best of the situation. They spent a week hand-stitching every gash in the lining and re-stuffing each pocket of feathers. They also added an iron-on interface to reinforce the new seams they created.
If that wasn’t enough, Thompson also found a down-proof fabric to make a new casing for the inner cushion. “That way, if any of those seams split, the feathers will be contained instead of poking through the linen slipcover and getting all over our house,” she said.
The online reaction has been overwhelming, as Thompson never imagined people would become so invested. While many questioned why she’d buy a sofa on Marketplace, she explained that it was a cost-saving decision with her family in mind.
She told Newsweek: “My husband and I are going through fertility treatments which are extremely expensive. I’d love a brand-new sofa from a designer, but our money has to go towards fertility and potentially adoption fees one day. So, if I can find a good deal on a well-made, classic style sofa, why wouldn’t I do that?”
Despite this negative experience, Thompson still encourages people to shop on Facebook Marketplace, or in thrift and antique stores whenever they can. She loves finding something that’s been pre-loved and has its own story, and yet still has so much purpose.
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