Advice please! Sleeping on the floor tonight!

Muppet81

Could anyone tell me how they would react to what has happened to me and offer any legal advice?

On 23rd August we ordered a new bedroom suite and bed from Scartop Village in Haworth, West Yorkshire. Delivery was set for 3 seeks after that.

The following day we decided that rather than pine we would like a paint finish at extra cost. We went in and spoke to them and they said it was fine, for an additional cost, we could have that but it would take 1 week longer for the paint finish. As we were due to go away the daydelivery was offered we agreed delivery 3weeks later to give us chance to get back from holiday and get rid of our existing bedroom and bed.

Came back from holiday and dismantled all our furniture. The final bit, the bed went this morning so the room is clear for the delivery tomorrow. We were sleeping on the floor tonight. My husband has booked the day off work to help me tomorrow to sort everything out.

Not even first thing but at 11.30 this morning I received a call from Scartop to say that we should have been told that paint finishes took longer (we were.. 1 week longer) and that they would not be delivering our suite until next thursday, the only day they deliver in this area.

I pointed out that we had no furniture or bed and our 1 tiny spare room is full to the brim with clothes etc. from the main bedroom. Sorry said the lady, nothing I can do. If we move the furniture now it will damage it as it is not dry.

I said that it was clear to me someone had cocked up the order and that it had not been done in time. She said she could not say and could not put me on to, or give me a number for, anyone who could tell me. The MD was not there and does not have a mobile phone! I can not be given the number for head office or the distribution unit.

I am upset and dissapointed but what really riles me is that someone in charge had not got the balls to ring me personaly, apologise, accept that they had not made the furniture in time and hopefully offer some compensation for failure to deliver at such short very notice. We are not talking a coffee table here we are talking a whole bedroom suite.

Sadly, I lost the plot and berated the poor lass who rang me, not proud of it but I am only human.

How would you suggest I go on this one? Looking forward to a week of living with no bed, no clothes I can get to and having to work for a living. What was to be my dream bedrrom, saved up for and planned for so long has turned into a nightmare.

dmg24

Call back and apologise. There is nothing 'human' in berating someone who does not deserve it.

Then ask if it is possible to have the mattress now, so that you at least have something to sleep on, and if they would be willing to negotiate a discount as a result of the delay.

Tim_Deegan

Dmg24 is right.

It is unlikely that you would get a refund, as the furniture is bespoke. So your best bet is for a discount.

I presume you still have your old mattress, and that is what you are using on the floor?

When I order painted furniture from the manufacturers they can actually paint it, and dry it within a few hours using infra red lamps. So it appears that one of the following may have happened:

• They never updated your order when you requested the change in finish.
• The order was missplaced due to the change.
• The painting is contracted out to another company, and they have let them down.
• The furniture is manufactured by another company and the have let them down

Whatever the reason you have been let down, so it might be worth pushing for a discount.

voiceofreason

Muppet81 wrote: »

Sadly, I lost the plot and berated the poor lass who rang me, not proud of it but I am only human.

Muppet81 wrote: »

...someone had cocked up the order and that it had not been done in time...

"Only human" there too, perhaps?

Well done, though - giving some poor sod on the other end of the phone who's clearly not in possession of the full story a load of verbal is just the right way to go about resolving the problem, and maybe even getting a bit of compo too. Top MoneySaving skills, there! :T

mvteng

You asked how we would react.

Personally, I wouldnt get stressed out about it. Living on a mattress on a floor for a weeks not a big problem in the grand scheme of things, & certainly not my idea of a nightmare.

Just my opinion though. If you want to go chasing them for a discount, thats for you to decide.

charlesworth82

voiceofreason wrote: »

"Only human" there too, perhaps?

Well done, though - giving some poor sod on the other end of the phone who's clearly not in possession of the full story a load of verbal is just the right way to go about resolving the problem, and maybe even getting a bit of compo too. Top MoneySaving skills, there! :T

wow - really helpful information there. must be good sitting up there so high and mighty.

Taiko

I guess it's more compfrtable in the high and mighty position than on the floor though...

impster

Go all guns blazing for a hefty discount or cancel the contract altogether - they've let you down and not honoured the date they initially gave you.

As for getting a bed in the meantime? Erm, sorry can't help.

hoyles10

When we were having the bedroom done out there was a slight problem which meant we were going to be without a bed for 2 days, so we went to a cheap camping shop and bought a double airbed for £14.50, told the firm what we had done and they very kindly told us to call in and they would give us £14.50 or if we wanted to wait they would send it with the fitters... As it turned out I got a better nights sleep on the airbed than I did on the new mattress when it arrived but that was my own fault for letting the wife pick the mattress

hoyles10

Oh and thanks for mentioning Haworth, I love that place and reading this got me thinking about it so i've just booked a weekend there... Not very moneysaving is it :rotfl:

voiceofreason

charlesworth82 wrote: »

wow - really helpful information there. must be good sitting up there so high and mighty.

Not "high and mighty" - just working hard to be even-handed and reasonable (look at my sig for more details) for the good of mankind, the planet, and Martin Lewis

Mind, if you reckon kicking off about one element of human nature while shrugging off the less pleasant aspects of your own is cool with you, then that's your call - it's a free country, and all that.

I haven't thanked you, either, for your scintillating and life-changing post because I don't want to add to the problem of hordes of MoneySavers clamouring to click "thanks" in response to your epic thoughts and clogging up the board. I'd much rather add my tribute to your comment - which, by the way, addresses pretty much all the OP's original questions in a witty and engaging way - right here, in a sense sharing my post with you. So - thanks, buddy.