Spaceslide Cupboard - not Wardrobe!

maisbitt

I ordered a 4 door sliding glass door wardrobe from Screwfix wardrobes (actually part of Spaceslide/Portico), which was delivered at just 2 hours notice to myself, and missing some vital components. I wasn't informed that my wardrobe was a part order or that the missing pieces were to follow.

Here's what happened (sorry, it's long but accurate in the detail):-


On Sunday the 25th of October, I received confirmation of my order for a 4 door sliding wardrobe system (including Apollo storage) through Screwfix Wardrobes. I was expecting to receive my delivery confirmation email 4 or so days before intended delivery (as per website). As the website states that wardrobes will be at your door within 14 days of the order, I was expecting this email to be sent around Thursday the 5th of November. I did not receive an email from Screwfix wardrobes/Spaceslide/Portico to give me a delivery date which would allow me to request a holiday from work with ample notice to my boss.

On Monday morning (9th of November), at around 08:30am, whilst at work, I received a phone call to confirm a delivery timeslot for the wardrobe, to be delivered that day, with no prior notice. The caller told me that an email had been sent, and I said that I had not been sent an email. The original confirmation order arrived via email ok (not impeded by spam filters etc), so I cannot understand why the missing delivery notice email that was supposedly sent had not arrived. Luckily enough, my boss was able to give me the time off at short notice to go home and wait for delivery of the wardrobe.

The wardrobe arrived within the expected timeslot, and the delivery driver confirmed that everything from my consignment had been unloaded to my house. When I unpacked all of the track and stanchion components, I realised that the hanging poles for the wardrobe were missing, although the brackets themselves were present.

I rang Spaceslide, expecting to hear that either the delivery driver had mistakenly left them on his van, or that they'd accidentally not been loaded onto the van, only to be told that the missing items were out of stock and would not be in stock for 2 to 3 weeks.

I have to wonder if I would have ever received these poles (I still might not!) if I had not enquired as to their whereabouts, as there was no communication to tell me that my order was short prior to delivery, nor any indication that they were "to follow" on my delivery note.

At the moment, I have assembled my "Wardrobe" minus the poles, but it currently is not a wardrobe, it is a cupboard, as I cannot hang any clothes in it. This is most inconvenient, as we have just moved house and most of our clothes are still in boxes. How can they be out of stock of one of the simplest components, basically steel/Aluminium tubing? This component is fundamental in the function of a wardrobe. A wardrobe in which you cannot hang clothes is useless - would you buy a car that didn't have any wheels?

I find it irresponsible that they should send out a part order without informing the client that the order is short, nor informing them when they can expect to receive the missing components prior to delivery. I suspect that many "Screwfix Wardrobe" customers are tradesmen, fitting these wardrobes for their clients. Their livelihood may depend on them being able to fit a full wardrobe to the client's satisfaction when it supposedly has arrived.

Rather than send a part order out to an uninformed client in order to fulfill the delivery within 14 days promise, I would expect the client to be contacted prior to delivery to check that they are ok to receive a part order, or give them the option of delaying delivery of the order until all components are available.

I was also missing some worm screws, to pin the pole brackets to the stanchion at the required height, but these will supposedly be getting posted to me straight away.

Communication seems to be very poor in the case of my order, I hope my experiences have been atypical to what is to be expected by a Screwfix Wardrobes/Spaceslide customer. At the moment I am left with an attractive £800 cupboard - very useful.

So has this happened to anyone else? I've googled "Spaceslide complaints" and not come up with many hits (2, I think), which would imply that they're generally good, and i've been unlucky. Anyone else had bad experiences from Spaceslide/Portico? The "wardrobe" does have a good look with the doors closed, it just can't be used as intended right now.

dld2s

I have to say I only have good things to say about spaceslide/portico, in my dealings with them they were top notch from ordering right down to the delivery (driver especially was fantastically helpful)

JKG_2

Spaceslide have an excellent track record on delivery performance. This must be a one off - I am sure Spaceslide will sort it out very promptly.

maisbitt

The driver was as helpful as he could've been. He juggled my timeslot (and delivered elsewhere in the meantime) to accomodate the lass at Spaceslide phoning me up with only 2 hours notice of delivery, which meant that I had to arrange an impromptu day off work.

I only asked the driver if I had everything because the only things left in his van were a few small component packs (both were too small to have been the hanger rails, but there didn't seem enough there to be a separate consignment for another customer).

Contrary to Spaceslide's kerbside delivery policy, he gave me a lift into the house with the sliding doors.

So the driver was perfect, the "wardrobe" looks very good, i'm just a bit aggrieved that they'd knowingly send me an incomplete package without prior consultation, and that due to the parts missing, my "wardrobe" cannot be used as intended right now.

I did score for the 15% Screwfix wardrobes discount at time of ordering which is a plus. But non-notice of delivery schedule, missing parts vital to function of the product and no definite date for sending the remainder of my order seems amateur to me!

They haven't replied to my email of complaint either (it has only been 24 hours - is 3 days a reasonable time for them to respond?).

How long should I be prepared to wait for these poles???

maisbitt

Just had a reply from spaceslide.

They have 2 scratched hanger bars in stock that I can have to use as a temporary fix while waiting for the proper ones to be back in stock. Seems a good indicator of their quality inspection that they consider scratched bars as unsuitable for "normal" stock.

They're about to be posted to my works address, so my wife will be able to hang her clothes up at the weekend.

I've also been offered a 15% discount against a future wardrobe purchase as a goodwill gesture. Not sure whether i'll get the chance to cash that one in, I think we're all sorted for wardrobes in the house now.

Their Managing Director is aware of my postings on this site - seems pretty proactive in protecting the company's good name and knowing what posts are out there about Spaceslide, good or bad.

So things went wrong, but it seems that they're quick to act when putting things right, and judging by the other posts, I think i've been a one-off in my initial experiences.

maisbitt

Update:-

So 7 weeks after being told i'd get the new bars sent in 2 to 3 weeks, and i'm still waiting. I rang the week before Christmas, to be told that the bars had just come back into stock and they'd be sent out 1st class post that day. I think i'd been forgotten about and i'm still waiting for my bars (they didn't turn up around Christmas).

Have sent an email today to chase up the bars and am waiting for the reply.

Still not impressed. Am I really that unlucky to be the only customer to have been treated so shabbily?

palefountain_2

I'm not too chuffed with Spaceslide.
I placed an order for some doors on 12/11/2010 hoping to recive them and get them installed prior to Christmas (as we are having visitors staying in that bedroom over Christmas). I paid, over £900, and received a confirmation of order (delivery given as within 21 days).
On 19/11/2010 I received an email, from spaceslide telling me that they were out of stock of the trackset and I could either wait till they had new stock (sometime in Jan) or have a refund.
Having taken a while to choose spaceslide I thought I would wait, but being a moneysaver I thought I would ask if they would offer any discount . I didn't ask for any specific amount, and would have accepted anything, even a tenner would have been OK, however for a couple of days I got no reply so I re-sent the email. This time I got a reply saying that they would not give any discount and did I want a refund .
It was at this point that I cut off my nose to spite my face and said OK I would have a refund .
To be fair they gave the refund quickly, but I was annoyed that they would not offer any discount even though they were the cause of the problem and they would have had my money for well over 2 months if I had waited. To add insult to injury, they have a section on their payment page that asked if I had a discount code (so they give discounts to some people).
But, I ended up the loser without any doors, without any hope of getting any in before Christmas and I probably will have to pay 20% vat if I don't buy some before Jan.:(

John

Denvillesman

Put simply, do not believe what they say on their HOME page - quote - "Once you've placed your order using our easy-to-use online Design & Quote service, we will deliver within 14 days."
Because they don't (deliver within 14 days), and what is more they make no effort at all to communicate on their failure to do so.

I ordered doors on 8/11 and as nothing heard from Spaceslide rang them at 14 days, 22/11. Simply told they would be delivered on 30/11 !! No apology, just some comment about how busy they were. Elicited a feeble comment about getting the website changed on the 14 day delivery statement. I followed up with an email (one of there addresses not functional). No reply. Another mailing from me eventually elicited an apology on the 25/11 in a phone call after it seems they repied to my email "to someone else". What a shambles.

No surprise to see no change to the website AND what appalling customer service.

Incidentally no offer of any compensation for all my inconvenience.

I am yet to see of course if they arrive on 30/11 and what they are like.