Now, before you think we’ve gone and gotten kinky on y’all, please note that the discussion here is about bonded leather, which is sort-of-but-not-really leather that gets used in a lot of things, like that set of encyclopedias you keep around to impress the ladies. For the purposes of this post, we’re talking about furniture with bonded leather upholstery — and whether or not you were told the product was actual leather.

See, bonded leather, especially the kind that makes it onto furniture — even high-price items — is a mixture of actual leather fibers with plastics and other materials.

We’ve been hearing some complaints — backed up by consumer gripes we’ve seen posted elsewhere — about people buying “leather” couches and chairs, at prices ranging from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand, that are not clearly marked as “bonded leather” or who are told that bonded leather is just another name for the genuine article.

Additionally, we’ve heard of people being upsold pricey warranties on their purchases — warranties that only cover accidental damage, and not the type of wear that one can expect from “bonded leather.”

So when their bonded leather armchair starts to fall apart within the warranty period, they either have to fight to get the store to honor the warranty or at least refund the money spent on that useless warranty.

As we look into these allegations, we wanted to see how widespread the problem is. So if you’ve ever had a bonded leather piece of furniture fall apart on you after only a short time — and especially if you purchased a warranty on that furniture — send us your story at tips@consumerist.com with “Bonded Leather” in the subject line.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.