We want to buy new sofas putting down a decent deposit and getting finance with the company. Found the sofas asked about putting down the deposit using our credit card - nope they do not have the facility to use any kind of card even a debit card. Okay well we will get the cash over then but with regard to the finance we have all our paperwork, NIE, residencia bank details etc but no as we are pensionistas we have to have a letter from the UK proving we are pensionistas. But we have a certificate from our bank stating that we are receiving state pensions. No that is no good. So exit from shop no sale. We particularly wanted these sofas as they are leather made in Seville rather than Ikea made in China.

It sounds like a normal credit check.

I guess they don't expect pensioners to be buying their furniture on credit.

I didnt think pensioners could buy on credit!

Credit? Yes, cash is king! I'd be very disappointed if I couldn't get a decent percentage knocked off, I always haggle. Just got £70 quid off my car insurance renewal, despite prices shooting up, I paid £3 more than last year.

Uhh, why on earth shouldn´t pensioners buy on credit provided they have enough income. My friend in the UK took out a 10 year old extension to her mortgage. There is absolutely no reason why they shouldn´t. Plus the fact that unless you are paying cash they have no facility to take your money.

I contacted the manufacturer of the sofas we liked by email three times and had an acknowledgement but nothing else.

Today I saw in the Daily Mail which I purchased in Gib that DFS is delivering to Spain and Portugal with interest free credit. Would prefer to buy Spanish but as I am getting no response will most likely go this way.

I usually pay by debit card. There is absolutely no reason to use credit cards/loans

If I were a business, I'd worry that the pensioner would peg it before they paid me back, especially with a 10 year mortgage extension

I've recently bought a sofa too, but luckily didnt have to resort to DFS. It was a Danish brand - and at 40% of the price the sofa costs in the UK. Its a great time to make big purchases in Spain at the moment because of the crisis. We're getting a big luxury mattress next at 50% off

Things have changed since I was there then. Furniture was shite, naff old fashioned covers and uncomfortable. To get anything reasonable was about 4 times the price of the UK. We got most of ours sent out from John Lewis.

I live in a posher part of the country You can get anything from the big furniture brands up here. Was the same in Barcelona, we got our furniture from Habitat when we were there

Tbf, you have things like Bo Concept and Habitat in the South too

I couldn´t use a debit card either - no cards full stop. Why would a pensioner be more at risk than a younger person? So where did you get your Danish sofa?

As far as I am concerned I want to spend in Spain on Spanish goods but am being blocked. As for finance I am looking for 12 months that is it.

Did John Lewis send it out or did you arrange it yourself?

Not even the fact that they have inbuilt security against such things as fraud, failure to supply goods and often include insurance as well.?

It does seem Spain has not quite got out of the 80's in terms of furniture fashion, really quite naff and don't mention the kitchens viewing many is like visiting the Ideal Home Exhibition a couple or three decades ago.

Like I said, the major cities have the same shops I saw in London selling sofas and kitchens, so I have no idea what you are talking about

You can't expect to have a big choice if you live in a village somewhere

For debit cards, you can purchase an insurance if you like. This year my bank wanted 70 euros annual fee for the credit card, so I got rid of it out of principle

Danish sofas = Bo Concept. They have brought all their prices down in Spain - some are less than half the price of that in the UK. Can get an amazing sofa for less than 2k euros. Do these sofas look like they are from the 80s then bob_bob? Because there are plenty of these shops around Spain, only one in Andalucia though

not quite so popular as Coviran then........

I said I'd never seen a Covirian. I didnt say that there werent any