The Masie review: our pointers before ordering furniture or a sofa

The Masie is a furniture and decoration website run by a Spanish company, which sells in France, Spain and four other European countries. According to its FAQ, the brand has neither a physical shop nor a showroom; its customer service answers by telephone on weekdays and through a form. Its furniture is delivered to the foot of the building, without assembly, and its terms provide 14 days to change your mind about a product that has not been assembled, with the return at your expense. We have not tested its furniture and we do not report any review: every piece of information about The Masie comes from a page of its website, cited at the end of this page.

Showroom, shop in Paris: what The Masie says

To the question “Do you have a shop or a showroom?”, The Masie's FAQ answers: “We do not have physical points of sale or showrooms”. It gives reducing environmental impact as the reason. Products are therefore chosen on the website.

Judging a piece of furniture without touching it

A The Masie product page, like those for RHYS and AKANE presented further down, carries technical information that partly replaces trying it out:

• The fabric: its composition, its weight in g/m² when stated, and the Martindale rating, which measures the fabric's resistance to wear by rubbing.
• The filling: the type of foam and its density, in kg/m³.
• Firmness: the RHYS product page, for example, describes it as “medium”.
• Measurements: the dimensions, the seat height and the weight.

If you intend to judge the furniture at home and send it back if necessary, keep the packaging: the return conditions require a product that has not been assembled, in its original packaging.

Contacting The Masie customer service

According to its Contact page and its FAQ, The Masie customer service answers on +33 1 87 65 00 88, Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 2 pm. The Contact page also offers:

• A contact form, addressed to one of three departments: orders, customer service, after-sales service.
• Dedicated forms: to change, cancel or return an order, report an incident, request an invoice, track an order.
• An email address.

Delivery, receipt, returns and guarantee at The Masie

Delivery: to the foot of the building, without assembly

According to the Shipping conditions page, The Masie delivers via DPD, Heppner or Dachser, to the foot of the building or to the gate; carrying the furniture upstairs is the customer's responsibility, and assembly is not included. There is no dispatch or delivery at weekends or on public holidays.

• Countries delivered: Spain (Balearic Islands included), mainland France excluding Corsica, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Germany.
• Costs: calculated according to the address, the volume and the amount of the order, on a published scale, and shown in the basket before payment.
• Lead times: an order is dispatched once all its items are in stock; the product page shows whether the item is in stock or on pre-order. The page warns of possible delays around Black Friday, Christmas and Valentine's Day.

On delivery: note, photograph, report

• On the delivery note: check the goods and note any anomaly; if checking is not possible, write “SUBJECT TO INSPECTION” (in French: « SOUS RÉSERVE DE VÉRIFICATION »).
• Visibly damaged parcel: the terms advise refusing it.
• Transport damage: to be reported within 48 hours, with photos of the packaging, the product and the carrier's label.
• Order delivered on a pallet: the time limit is 24 hours; keep the pallet and the packaging.

Changing your mind: 14 days, product not assembled

According to its After-sales service page and its general terms, The Masie allows 14 calendar days from receipt, with the request made from the customer account:

• Condition of the product: in perfect condition, in its original packaging, unused and not assembled, with its instructions and accessories; photos are requested.
• Return costs: borne by the customer, on a scale based on the order amount, deducted from the refund.
• Refund: within 14 days, or a credit note, as you choose.
• Before dispatch: an order can be cancelled free of charge.

In France, article L221-18 of the French Consumer Code (Code de la consommation) provides a 14-day withdrawal period for a distance purchase, starting from receipt of the goods.

A faulty, damaged or incomplete product

According to the After-sales service page, a claim is made within 14 days from the customer account; transport costs are then borne by The Masie, and the outcome may be a repair, a replacement, a credit note or a refund. This 14-day period is the one set by the brand's own terms.

The guarantee

The Masie's general terms and FAQ announce a 2-year guarantee from delivery, for a manufacturing defect. They exclude misuse, incorrect assembly or storage, external causes and wear. In France, the legal guarantee of conformity is provided by article L217-3 of the French Consumer Code and the following articles. To find out what the announced guarantee covers, ask customer service before ordering.

How to read a The Masie product page

Here is what three The Masie product pages state: the RHYS modular sofa, the AKANE 2-seater sofa and the IRUN chair. What one product page says applies only to its own model.

A vacuum-packed sofa: the RHYS product page

According to its product page, RHYS is delivered vacuum-compressed: when the packaging is opened, it “regains its shape”, and you have to wait 72 hours before using it. Creases may remain; the product page advises removing them with steam, never with direct heat.

• Assembly: “Assembly required: No”; the modules are placed side by side, on a non-slip base, with Velcro strips on some sides. Each corner module has its side, left or right.
• Fabric: Martindale rating of 3,000 cycles; cushions without removable covers; the product page states a fabric that is neither water-repellent nor stain-resistant, and a “medium” firmness.
• Use: maximum load of 110 kg; measurements are given to within 1 or 2 cm.
• Care: a dry white cloth, or lukewarm water, with no chemical product.

A 2-seater sofa: the AKANE product page

According to its product page, AKANE has a poplar plywood frame and ash legs. Its fabric has a Martindale rating of 40,000. It is delivered in one parcel, with no assembly required.

A chair: the IRUN product page, and the “Assembly” line

According to its product page, IRUN has a steel frame; it is stackable, its cover is not removable, and it supports a load of about 120 kg. Its product page states “Assembly required: Yes”. This is the line to read on every product page: The Masie's FAQ answers “No” to the question “Is the furniture already assembled?”, specifying that some products do not need assembling.

Reading a The Masie product page in six lines

For another model, look for these six lines on its product page; if one is missing, ask customer service before ordering:

• Upholstery: the composition and, for a seat fabric, the Martindale rating.
• Filling: the foam and its density, in kg/m³.
• Frame: the material of the frame and the legs.
• Assembly required: yes or no.
• Dimensions and weight: to compare with your doors, corridor and stairs, since delivery stops at the foot of the building.
• Availability: in stock, or on pre-order.

Reading online reviews of a furniture seller

An online review tells the story of one order, on one date, for one product. The Masie's catalogue runs from tableware and lighting to sofas: a delay on a small lamp says nothing about the delivery of a sofa, and the perceived quality of a cushion says nothing about the frame of a sofa. Before drawing a conclusion from a review, look at:

• Its date, because terms of sale and carriers change;
• The product concerned, and whether it resembles the one you are considering;
• What is described: the delivery, a return, or the product itself.

Then compare what you have read with the seller's written terms: delivery, receipt, returns and guarantee, described above.

The Masie or another option: depending on your project

Other brands to look at

Other brands also sell furniture and sofas online. We have gathered buying pointers on IKEA and on La Redoute.