---
title: "Cushion Cover Arrived Damaged? What to Photograph First"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-cover-arrived-torn-stained/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Rosa Delgado, The Porch Keeper of Savannah"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/"
published: "2026-01-07"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "cushion cover arrived damaged, torn cushion cover replacement, stained cushion cover on arrival, damaged in transit cushion, replacement cushion cover"
---

# A cover arrived torn, stained or with a hole. Will you replace it?

*Nothing sours a porch afternoon like a stain on a cover you waited for. Here's how to report it, neighbor, and the one photo most people forget.*

Also asked as: The cover ripped the first time I sat on it.; There's a large patch of fraying.

> **The quick answer:** A cushion cover that arrives torn, stained or with a hole needs two sets of photos, the damage and the packaging, sent to the workshop with the name of the piece. FedEx asks for proof the damage happened in transit. In past cases the workshop made a new cover for that one piece or offered a partial refund toward a local repair; ask it to confirm in writing.

![Slate blue linen-look floor sofa with a two-layer base, three back cushions and block arms below a framed kilim panel](https://cushionguide.com/media/modular-floor-sofas/slate-blue-linen-look-floor-sofa-block-arms-1600.webp "A low floor sofa built from stacked box cushions, back cushions and block arms, with no frame at all.")

## Key facts

- Photos of the damage and the packaging, plus the name of the piece, are what the workshop asks for first.
- Packaging photos help, because FedEx asks for proof the damage happened in transit.
- The workshop asks whether the rolls arrived sealed and compressed, for its carrier claim.
- Past fixes have gone piece by piece: one cover, one backrest or one non-slip base.
- Replacements have traveled by FedEx with tracking.
- A partial refund toward a local tailor's repair has been offered as an alternative.
- For a small tear found later, after unpacking, the buyer was asked in one case to contribute to the cover price.
- Creases from vacuum packing are not damage: they fade in about 1-2 weeks as the foam expands.
- Most compressed cushions recover their shape within 24-72 hours of opening, so judge the fit after that.

## What went wrong, and what the workshop has done

| What you found | What to send | What the workshop has done |
|---|---|---|
| Torn, frayed or holed on arrival | Damage photos, which piece, packaging photos | [yes] New cover for that piece |
| Stained, or patched in another color | Photos in good light | [yes] Replacement cover |
| Missing piping on a piece | A photo | [yes] New cover |
| Small tear found after unpacking | Photos | [part] New cover, with a contribution to the cover price in one case |
| You'd rather fix it locally | Say so | Partial refund toward a tailor's repair |

## Why the box matters as much as the tear

My grandmother kept every delivery box until a new porch cushion had been sat on for a week. She was onto something.

The workshop needs two photos: the damage, and the packaging. The first shows what to remake. The second is for FedEx, which asks for proof the damage happened on the road. The question about sealed, compressed rolls is for the carrier claim, not a test of you.

In past cases a new cover was cut for that one piece, not the whole set. Wrong sizes and colors are a different story, told in the [remakes Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-remake-wrong-size-color/); [backrest cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/backrest-cushions/) have been handled piece by piece too.

## A stained cover and a stranger patch

A buyer in the US unrolled a set and found one cover stained and another with a patch sewn in. After photos, the workshop asked whether the rolls had arrived sealed and compressed, for its carrier claim, and sent replacement covers by FedEx.

> **Tailor's margin:** If a cushion cover arrives torn or stained, photograph the box and the plastic roll before they go out. FedEx asks for proof of transit damage.

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** One of my covers tore, frayed or has a stain. Can I get just that piece replaced?

**The workshop's answer:** Send photos and name the piece; in past cases the workshop made a new cover for just that piece. For a frayed daybed cover, the buyer was offered a new cover or a partial refund.

**A common question:** A cover arrived torn. Will you replace it, and is there a warranty?

**The workshop's answer:** Send a photo, and expect to be asked for packaging photos too, because FedEx asks for proof the damage happened in transit. Warranty terms are the workshop's to state, not this site's, so ask for them and keep the reply.

**A common question:** A seam came open or the zipper broke on my new cover. Is that covered?

**The workshop's answer:** Send a photo or a short video. In past cases the workshop made a new cover in the same size and fabric, or offered a small partial refund toward a local repair.

## Questions buyers ask next

### How long does a replacement cover take to arrive?

It depends on two steps: a replacement cover is cut and sewn for your piece before it leaves, then it travels by courier. Past replacements went by FedEx with tracking, and the workshop gives the timing when it confirms the replacement.

### Why does the workshop ask if the rolls were sealed and compressed?

It's for the claim with the carrier. Along with photos of the packaging, it helps show the damage happened in transit, which is the proof FedEx asks for.

### What if I find a small tear after I've unpacked?

A tear noticed later isn't treated like transit damage. In one case the workshop asked for a contribution to the cover price and made the new cover. Send photos either way.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can you match a cushion to my existing couch or chairs, even from another brand?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/match-cushion-to-existing-furniture/): A new cushion can be matched closely to your existing couch or chairs, but an exact match cannot be guaranteed.
- [The floor sofa seat is too low. How can I make it higher?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/raise-floor-sofa-seat-height/): A floor sofa seat that feels too low can be raised by stacking an extra seat cushion or a pair of flat base mattresses, or by adding a custom 4-5 in (10-13 cm) layer.
- [How do I keep back cushions from sliding or falling off?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/keep-back-cushions-from-sliding/): Keep back cushions in place by matching the fix to what they lean on: sewn fabric ties if the back rests against a frame, railing or slats, and a non-slip backing if it rests against a flat wall or…
- [Replacement sofa and couch cushions: measuring, foam and covers](https://cushionguide.com/guides/replacement-sofa-seat-cushions/): To replace sofa cushions, send the length, depth and thickness of each piece, measured from the old cushion if it fit well or from the seat deck if it didn't, with photos of a tape along every side.
- [Outdoor Back Cushion Proportion: Amber on a Gray Patio Sofa](https://cushionguide.com/readings/amber-outdoor-back-cushion-gray-garden-sofa/): A patio back cushion should come close to the thickness of the seat cushion below it, because that proportion props the sitter upright the way the sofa was designed.
- [Bench Seat and Back Cushion in Jacquard and Terracotta Bouclé](https://cushionguide.com/readings/geometric-backrest-terracotta-boucle-seat-closeup/): For a bench seat and back cushion in two fabrics, put the forgiving cloth on the seat and the pattern on the back.
- [Replacement cushions for a nursery glider, piece by piece](https://cushionguide.com/guides/glider-rocker-replacement-cushions/)

*Porch light's on — Rosa*

---

Written by Rosa Delgado (https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-cover-arrived-torn-stained/