B&Q Who to complain to?

juliew

I sent an email on 29th December 2011 to Martyn Phillips, CEO of B&Q. I won't bore you with the details other than to say I had really bad service like many on here and was not delivered what I had paid for. I didn't even receive the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Surprise surprise.

cinders59

DO NOT buy a kitchen from B&Q, I paid thousands for one, we met with our designer, had our kitchen picked, then we ended up Making 8 visits back to the store through the mess up she made, She was a friend of the manager, and this was her first kitchen, she was only there a week and did 4 kitchen designs. She, put the ounits over the door, didn't put the shelf pack in for the fridg/freezer housing, gve us white drains for a black sink, didn't put an over flow pipe on the order at all, because the sink is blackand they only stock white or cream trim,the stainless steelis special order, and would take a week to be delivered. A light bulb was broken in the extractor fan, and the store said they didn't stock it, was told to go home and ring them.
I said no you ring and order it. It will take 2 weeks to be delivered.
Didn't give us doors for the Fridge/freezer housing unit, just one for a under counter Freezer. didn't put the hob on the order, didn't give us a top draw front for our draw unit. No worktop filler in the colour we wanted, we had to go to a different store to get one, no end tape for the worktop. We had to re-organise the kitchen because she put units over our back door, thus taking units back and buying smaller ones. All this was done while we had tradesmen working here which we were paying for by the hour. After the kitchen was installed we ended up taking back things we didn't order and exchanged. and had over £200 refunded. I complained to head office and a case was opened up. We have just had a call back, and basically were told it was our fault because we didn't check that she had done everything right. Very bad customer service.
But I will say the trained staff at the Swansea store were very helpful

ruthsaver

cinders59 wrote: »

DO NOT buy a kitchen from B&Q, I paid thousands for one, we met with our designer, had our kitchen picked, then we ended up Making 8 visits back to the store through the mess up she made, She was a friend of the manager, and this was her first kitchen, she was only there a week and did 4 kitchen designs. She, put the ounits over the door, didn't put the shelf pack in for the fridg/freezer housing, gve us white drains for a black sink, didn't put an over flow pipe on the order at all, because the sink is blackand they only stock white or cream trim,the stainless steelis special order, and would take a week to be delivered. A light bulb was broken in the extractor fan, and the store said they didn't stock it, was told to go home and ring them.
I said no you ring and order it. It will take 2 weeks to be delivered.
Didn't give us doors for the Fridge/freezer housing unit, just one for a under counter Freezer. didn't put the hob on the order, didn't give us a top draw front for our draw unit. No worktop filler in the colour we wanted, we had to go to a different store to get one, no end tape for the worktop. We had to re-organise the kitchen because she put units over our back door, thus taking units back and buying smaller ones. All this was done while we had tradesmen working here which we were paying for by the hour. After the kitchen was installed we ended up taking back things we didn't order and exchanged. and had over £200 refunded. I complained to head office and a case was opened up. We have just had a call back, and basically were told it was our fault because we didn't check that she had done everything right. Very bad customer service.
But I will say the trained staff at the Swansea store were very helpful

Snap, almost identical situation here. Plus, drawed units with a regular opening door, and £350 of random extras which we had to return, as the sales guys get commission from the total selling price. 11 visits over 14 days to sort out their NUMEROUS problems caused, and like you, it was all my fault for not checking the professional (??) designers work. Delivery didn't happen either on the day I'd waited in 12 hours for, after being called 3 times that week to confirm it was still ok.
Shocking customer service, would not even enter the store again on principle.

mjcannar

I bought 10,000 hour light bulbs for 2 fittings from B&Q in May of last year. There was an eight lamp and a five lamp pendant, so 13 bulbs in all. These cost over £3 individually, but 10,000 hours is a long time - 2 hours a night and not every night. One has already stopped working, so I complained using the online form - no reply so after a couple of weeks I wrote a letter to their Customer Service/Complaints as per the website. Once again - Zilch! How can a company like this be so disinterested in getting people to continue buying from them?? :mad:

retiredbloke

My gripe about b&q is trivial compared with some of the complaints he here but does provide an indication of the corporate ethos with regard to customers. I bought a light switch and at the checkout realised it was the wrong one ( it had been in the wrong box on the shelf) so I asked if I could simply swap it as the one I wanted was the same price. The response would have done credit to any local government brain dead jobsworth. No, you have to return it: give your name and address etc because this is our procedure. No amount of logic seemed to permeate the skull of the shop assistant, any appeal to reason was out of the question.
They have lost my business forever I'll go to Wickes in future

By the way if I could offer some advise on buying kitchens to all those people who get caught by B&Q or any other kitchen company. Never buy a kitchen from these people if you want them to do the installation. The installer is the most important person you will be using - not the designer or the supplier. First, get your installer: interview them; you are going to employ them and they are going to spend some time in your home. Your plans may change during the installation so you need to be sure that he is on your side and willing to fit in with your plans. When you've got your installer get him to help you design the kitchen; he will know the practical details of installation. The "designers" at B&Q will most likely never have installed a kitchen in their lives and won't really care about you once you've spent your money.

toastking

I've got my own to add today it was a comedy of errors.

1) no help when requested on lifting heavy compost - just walked away
2) items badly labelled for pricing
3) when I went to return trolley, none of my type to be found despite 20-30 on arrival. Asked one boy he looked at me as if I'd spoken martian to him. Went to the trade counter, to be ignored by 6-8 people and finally to be told 'they took all those ones away'.... what this morning? nothing... so what can I do about it?.... nothing again.

So I ditched it in the car park, complained via the website and doubt I'll ever go into a B & Q again.

Shockingly bad experience with rude staff throughout.

geerex

toastking wrote: »

I've got my own to add today it was a comedy of errors.

1) no help when requested on lifting heavy compost - just walked away
2) items badly labelled for pricing
3) when I went to return trolley, none of my type to be found despite 20-30 on arrival. Asked one boy he looked at me as if I'd spoken martian to him. Went to the trade counter, to be ignored by 6-8 people and finally to be told 'they took all those ones away'.... what this morning? nothing... so what can I do about it?.... nothing again.

So I ditched it in the car park, complained via the website and doubt I'll ever go into a B & Q again.

Shockingly bad experience with rude staff throughout.

Nobody HAS to help you lift items, although I agree that it's in their best interests to assist you in order for you to make a purchase.

One wonders if their staff are insured should they put their back out whilst assisting.

Money-Saving-King

toastking wrote: »

1) no help when requested on lifting heavy compost - just walked away

So you can't lift it, they can't lift it. so you then just write this damming opinion on a public forum because someone didn't want to break their back for you.

Your post hardly makes you look good does it! Just selfish!

toastking

I don't appreciate the rude responses and pm's. Not good!

I am starting to get fed up with this forum. Everyone quick to jump down the throat of anyone that says anything.

I asked for help and they not only didn't help me (as in help me 2 people doing it not them doing it) they didn't even speak and walked away.

If thats selfish then smack my !!!! and call me selfish for I am selfish.

I just don't get the a) anger pointed at me after what was clearly an awful service and b) why asking for assistance from people in a shop and expecting an answer makes me selfish.

toastking

Just had a rethink. Just to be really clear...

I was annoyed that they didn't even speak to me to say they wouldn't help.

Not so much that they wouldn't help. If they'd said sorry those are too heavy - I just don't get where you're coming from unless you misunderstood me entirely and thought I was simply annoyed at no help.