Ridiculously Poor Bathroom Fitting -Advice Needed

saunaboy

Hi all,

I recently had a bathroom fitted...here's the story in brief.

1) Work started 4 weeks late
2) Wrong bath fitted, then replaced
3) New bath is chipped, that the fitter is offering to fix, but not replace
4) 6 inch Hole in outside wall left open where toilet waste pipe was moved from
5) Wrong shower was fitted, then changed, causing a leak (fixed)
6) Radiator doesn't work
7) Cupboards under sink are a bit wonky
8) Wrong sink & taps were delivered, but we caught them before fitting
9) underfloor heating fitted but not activated until we pay a further £125

Fitter works as a contractor for a company. Company boss runs everything, so phoning the showroom just gets a very sympathetic but powerless response from assistant. Fitter is annoyed with boss because he's paid by job & it's taking a longer time to do.

As things stand, the batch is chipped, radiator doesn't work, hole in wall, underfloor is in but inactive & there are general poor workmanship details eg. poor sealing round bath.

Unfortunately, I have paid in full - I left on holiday the day the job was to be completed, and left a cheque for the boss in the morning on an agreement (unwritten...) that the work would be finished by that evening. As the fitter was in the house we assumed the work would be done & paid as the boss was fairly insistent. We're now back from holiday & work isn't done. Boss is now very reluctant to come & inspect saying he's too busy. Fitter is off to another job.

Any advice here would be great !!

Penny_Farthing_2

Horrible! Ring Consumer Direct - number depends on where you are in the country. If you need to go to the small claims court, they can help guide you through the process. You could also try calling Trading Standards to see whether this company has had similar issues in the past.

andrew-b

Write a letter to them (send recorded delivery and keep a copy) with a concise list of the problems you've experienced and things that need resolving and give them a reasonable time to resolve (2 weeks maybe?). Keep it polite/courteous.

You obviously realise your big mistake was paying before you'd seen the finished product and should have put your foot down then (after all if they had started on time you wouldnt be rushing off on hols).

I would also call Consumer Direct (trading standards) who will give you valuable advice and will tell you what to include in your letter.

Tucker

It's a shame you paid so trustingly.

I would have promised payment on return subject to satisfactory completed job or part paid with remaining once the job was done.

Can you visit the showroom and confront him?

Take some photo's of all the erorrs, outstanding work and damage as soon as possible.

nomnomnom

As the others have said, take lots of photos and send recorded delivery letter stating all problems. Give them a date that the boss needs to come and see the job by or you will go through small claims court. The boss needs to see it and needs to be given the opportunity to rectify the problems. If he still says he's too busy to see the job after you give him a final date then you will win the case in small claims anyway.

aa4466

Is the showroom in a prominent place? Many years ago my other half's uncle could not get any joy out of the shop from which he had bought a faulty washing machine. He made up a sandwich board telling people not to shop there and walked up and down outside the shop wearing it on a Saturday morning. Within about ten minutes they had promised to sort out all his problems.