Cheated by CarpetRight - what to do?

LimeyL

Hi,

Having bought some carpet from CarpetRight, it seems that they grossly overcharged me for it by overestimating the amount of carpet required. I gave the salesman the measurements, after which they somehow seemed to work out that about 50% more carpet than what needed to be laid down had to be bought to get the carpet fitted. Stupidly, I trusted their calculations without verifying them with anyone. They came around to measure the house and increased the amount of carpet required to about 160% of what needed to be laid down.

My dad was supervising the carpet fitting, when the carpet fitters finally came around, but they connivingly suggested he go home for a break rather than just stand around. He noticed that they'd taken away a 20 sqm piece of carpet by the time he came back, worth about 400 quid.

Basically they overcharged me for the carpet, and took away what they'd made be over-buy. Granted the carpet fitters were so skilled that they managed to let hardly any carpet go to waste, using any offcuts to carpet the stairs and landing areas, but the dishonesty is quite sickening.

They also overcharged me for the underlay, and sold me 50% more grippers than required.

Having written to them, CarpetRight have refused to give me a refund and claim that they have provided an excellent service to me. They claim that each gripper is 1 metre long (hence charging me 50% more than required), but I'm sure that they are 5ft long (1.54m) each - they basically seem to have sold me grippers you can get at Screwfix for 30 quid for a pack, for 150 quid!

It's a hard lesson learnt for me, but is there any way something can be done in terms of e.g. trading standards and small claims court etc? They have to be prevented from ripping people off...

cheers,
L

dinglebert

The lesson is never to buy underlay or grippers from carpet shops. Indeed don't get them to fit it either. You will get underlay and grippers far far cheaper on the web and local carpet fitters are far cheaper.

katejo

dinglebert wrote: »

The lesson is never to buy underlay or grippers from carpet shops. Indeed don't get them to fit it either. You will get underlay and grippers far far cheaper on the web and local carpet fitters are far cheaper.

I have used Carpetright before without any problem. I have also had an awkward experience with a local carpet fitter. It is true that it was cheaper but I will not do it that way again. He brought me books of carpet samples from his suppliers and I chose a colour/texture. However, when the roll arrived, it was nothing like the sample. My fitter was reasonably cooperative about it. He did take it back to the supplier who conceded that there was a problem. I eventually got a carpet which I liked but I did feel uncomfortable about the whole thing as though the inaccuracy of the samples was partially my fault (in his view)

arcon5

If they won't refund the amount overcharged, insist they return the left over carpet to you -- legally it's yours.

giraffe69

Carpet right sold me a carpet last week. It was fitted yesterday. I did the measuring. They provided the carpet. There was a small amount left over. I was impressed with the service and they did not try to press me to take underlay which I already had.
Why did you need them to calculate? Why not do it yourself, then you can't complain that you didn't check their calculation.

You are bad mouthing the firm when the major part of the problem seems to be that you did no checking for yourself.

Hintza

We had a new carpet fitted and the meterage was a lot more than I thught it should be butI went d spoke to them. Our problem was the landing and the stairs and once I spoke to the company (independent) I was more than happy. I also bought my unerlay online which meant I got better underrlay for less money. They allso seemed the offcuts so that they can be used as mats.

I walked out of Carpetright when they quoted £8 for their best underlay.

Any way my point is you can get quite a lot of wastage on stairs and landings but they should at least leave any off cuts.

Mupette

They wanted £1300 to carpet my bungalow, living room, hallway and 2 bedrooms. Local independant store charged me £350 (ish or near that)
and any off cuts they put in the built in wardrobes and the 2 cupboards in the hallway, no underlay needed, and only charged me for the grips that were actually used.

They even came out to me on the evening of the day i went in, to re-measure everything for me as i got my measurements wrong.

I wouldn't expect the same from carpet right.

oh and they let me keep the off cuts too, so now have extra bit of carpet in the hallway near the front door to take the mucky footprints etc..

bod1467

arcon5 wrote: »

If they won't refund the amount overcharged, insist they return the left over carpet to you -- legally it's yours.

Indeed. Either they return the left-over carpet, or they refund you for the left-over. They can't have it both ways.

nry_2

Due to the dimensions of some carpets when manufactured you do often have to buy more than you actually need in coverage depending on the shape of the room (as they have replied to you above), this is something we've had to be aware of when buying ourselves in recent years, however they should not be over-supplying gripper rods/underlay as these are available in more suitable lengths and dimensions.

As said though, any excess carpet should be left with you unless you don't want it.

nomoneytoday

Do you have the room measurements, and the width of the carpet?