Stay Cool This Summer - By Falling Into the Paddling Pool (Provence 3 Piece Furniture Set)

Member Name: DavyMichelle

Product:	Provence 3 Piece Furniture Set
Date:	07/07/09 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None Really

Disadvantages: Expensive, Thin, Unstable, Uncomfortable

The Provence 3 Piece Furniture Set looked like a really good deal in Tesco during the sale recently, so naturally we snapped up a set for our patio. The usual retail price at that time was £50, and it was on offer for £17.50. Not bad for a solid metal set of furniture eh?!

The thing is, and you're going to have to concentrate to follow me here, I don't think that price was right. Because when I checked on the Tesco Direct website on behalf of a friend, the price was £32.50 - SAVE £17.50. So maybe the manager at our store, or maybe it was a number of stores, got it wrong? I'm not 100% sure as the prices were different depending on what colour you bought. This comes in cream, olive or duck egg, and it was the olive set that we bought for £17.50.

Now if you look on the website, they've got the price as £70 full price, sale price £63 for olive, or £52.50 for duck egg. The cream set is now sold out. Are you still with me? So all I know for certain is that the new sale prices are actually increases on the original selling prices from a month or two ago! I wouldn't buy this set based on that knowledge alone. I get really mad when Tesco do these price games.

For £17.50, I can't grumble about what I've got. But for £50 I'd be really disappointed. The plus points are that this comes pretty much made up, with no real assembly required. You just fold down the legs and put the various latches in place to set this up.

This is quite a heavy set, which says to me that the metal is of decent enough quality. But it's also very thin, especially the feet, and requires being on perfectly flat ground because of the thin, spindly feet the furniture sits on. One tiny gap and your table has gone south, taking your pint of cider with it. Never mind the worry that the chairs could have you over into the paddling pool. I suppose at least it will help to cool you down on a hot summer's day when your feet are roasting hot?

The other concern for me is that the backs of the chairs are practically non-existant. You can see in the photo that there are only two bars at the top of each chair for the backs, but what you don't realise till you sit on them is that there is a really substantial gap between the back slats and the base of the seat. It feels a bit like you're going to fall backwards, and there's no real support.

I just don't think much of this to be honest. It looks okay, but it's just not practical or particularly functional. The price changes are really dishonest in my opinion, and anything more than £20 - £25 for this is too much. I wouldn't buy it again for the sale price even, I'd have rather paid twice the price and gotten something with a proper back on it and sturdy feet. You get what you pay for I know, but given the original selling prices, I expected more.

Summary: Not Recommended