Moben in administration

Meepster

typeractive wrote: »

great!!!! I'm on designing it now. Some measurements may need slightly adjusting but I *should* be able to give a good rough plan!!!

Thank you very much!!!

Not a problem. Just drop me a PM with a link to the thread when you're ready...

ranty66

save_extra wrote: »

Ranty66, Very sorry to hear about your job at Moben. As you say customers shouldn't hold breath for sinks and doors etc. I'm missing some kitchen doors (Sumatra walnut) and a few devices. Any idea who the suppliers are or will the administrators release these details eventually?

I'm sorry your still waiting for your Sumatra doors... I honestly don't know who the supplier is...I didn't work in purchasing...obviously, Moben were unable to pay the supplier in the end...it may be that we had stock of your doors in our warehouse, and were waiting on one or two if the sizes to come in to stock before releasing your delivery...if that was the case, they would be in the warehouse with your name on, - I don't know if all named stock would be sent out, or the administrators have first claim on this....there are no staff in the Manchester warehouse to pick or check the stock....it is empty..... The trouble with Moben, and I can say this now, is that they attempted to perforn on a national scale , and did not have sufficient resources to back up this ambition...almost like a conveyor belt with a blockage at the end...they try to deliver and fit on such a huge scale that even if one job runs over, the knock on effect is huge...impacting the next scheduled fit, and the next and the next.....for example , you have a fitter with 7 unfinished kitchens under his belt , because we haven't supplied the right materials, or have run out of store of a certain part...he then has to somehow get back to all of these jobs to finish them, whilst preparing to start a new fit the following week,- then you have thousands of warranties to honour, and you're calling the same fitters to return to customers from 2 years ago and carry out warranty work....The people in customer services were sometimes looking after 50 customers each, - imagine if you will , trying to do that , and, also be under orders to answer the phone everytime it rings...you could be at your desk for 2 hours and not even have a chance to look once at the customers who were needing your help, because you, the coordinator, have the file and they need you to check the plans .. because you have to keep picking the phone up and dealing with random issues....leaks from 3 year old bathrooms, people wanting a manager because their 12 year old fridge door is falling off , that sort of thing. There weren't that many people in that department, which, if you consider the size of the company, made the work unmanageable...complaint letters arrived in bundles, daily, all asking for compensation, threatening legal action, and I personally was sworn at and abused verbally by customers on a regular basis....... If you have just had a kitchen delivered...you won't have a warranty now on any of the kitchen materials such as carcases etc....but your tap, sink and any applainces will hold the individual manufacturers guarantee....NEFF, or TECNIK, have a 2 year warranty ...Rangemaster have various applicable warranties to sinks, taps and appliances... As i said in my previous thread....you really don't have much of a chance with getting your hands on any stock your waiting for now, which is very sad, and even if ( and this is a big if) the company gets sold...The Moben and Dolphin names will be all that's left...your contract will be classed as pre aquisition and will be void... The same happened in 2007 when Sun Capital bought the company.....all contracts before July that year are now void..............:(

ryder72

Its always sad to hear of a company go out of business. Their employees usually are innocent victims. However I won't apply this to Moben/Dolphin etc. Their sales strategy makes arms dealers and drug smugglers look like angels. There was never any quality to their product or design and nothing honest about their sales (this applies to anyone offering a 50% discount). They were rip-off merchants of the first degree and the high street is on the whole better off without them.

One of my current employee had interviewed at Moben in the past and was told during the interview 'a monkey can design a kitchen, you need to be able to get a deposit out of a client on the day'.

Sorry if that sounds heartless but I repeat - the high street is a better place without Moben.

bingy_burge

If have paid deposit you have not paid in full and have a credit agreement.

Just tell the finance company I want it all done including correct sink etc or you won't pay the finance. They have to provide the good/service otherwise their in breach of credit act.

adamg

Meepster wrote: »

Interesting you should ask this for two reasons:

1) This is basically what Magnet will be announcing in tomorrows National Press: Magnet will honour any deposit already paid to Moben, up to a value of £1000, against the cost of one of their kitchens. They will also honour the Moben quotation price (even if it doesn't make any money)

2) The chances of this happening to Magnet are very VERY slim. If the fact they are owned by one of the largest kitchen manufacturers in the world in Nobia isn't enough. They are also a member of Trustmark. Any monies paid to Magnet are insured (whether it's just a deposit or the total price) and part of this agreement is that IF Magnet went bust part way through an installation, the fitter would still get paid.

how much did magnet lose last year? Even if Nobia is making a profit they will soon get rid of a loss making arm, its happening with comet right now they have been put up for sale by 'Kesa'? How mnay area managers got laid off last week from magnet?

patman99

It is worth noting that Moben/Sharpes/Dolphin were owned by Limelight Group who also own Zenith and Anglia Home Improvements.
Now, bearing in mind the last two are now doing kitchens, it is no surprise Limelight folded the first three.

ormus

they are owned by homeform group plc.
HQ at moss side manchester. very close to the old man city fc ground.

ormus

http://www.retailgazette.co.uk/articles/00313-no-surprises-as-homeform-seeks-administration

no mention of zenith & anglia.

patman99

My bad. Zenith/Anglia are owned by 'My House Group' another bunch of crooks.

Bubbleyding

save_extra wrote: »

Ranty66, Very sorry to hear about your job at Moben. As you say customers shouldn't hold breath for sinks and doors etc. I'm missing some kitchen doors (Sumatra walnut) and a few devices. Any idea who the suppliers are or will the administrators release these details eventually?

I also feel very sorry for those employees who have lost their jobs, as well as those who have paid the money but have not received their kitchens. I have an incomplete kitchen, but it's only the plinths at the bottom and a magic corner as they sent a right hand one originally but needed a left. They have since sent the left so I have a right had one going spare.

However, save extra, like you I am also missing cupboard doors in sumatra walnut, specifically those that go above and below the double oven. If you find a supplier, could you let me know, and I'll do the same? I have seen walnut shaker style doors in a local store, I need to take a sample with me and also measure the panels to make sure they are the same thickness. My fall back plan is to get some black glossy doors and use those instead, as they did mix the two in the catalogue and it looked fine.

I know moben have had some terrible reviews. However, I would like to add that, apart from the smarmy sales rep telling us we could have things that didn't exist, from surveyor to the installation we had a good experience (apart from the missing doors). The fitters were contractors and were great, and even made some bespoke pieces to better suit the dimensions of the kitchen. It is the most functional and the most beautiful kitchen I've had and it is a shame it has ended like this. I do think we are the lucky ones though. Had this been three weeks earlier we would have been in a right mess.