Kitchen disaster

loveprada

I ordered a kitchen recently. When planning it the suppliers were very knowledgeable and helpful and on that basis I placed the order with them. When it arrived, about a third of the items were wrong or missing and a couple of doors are slightly damaged. The fitter is understandably angry and is asking me for more money due to the delays. The supplier is not responding to my emails and phone calls about rectifying these issues. What am I supposed to do next? Fortunately I paid for these via my credit card so should I start with them before I start legal proceedings? I cant believe the supplier isnt helping me at all. I can do his reputation a lot of harm all over the internet. He has an internet based business and an ebay business.

Advice appreciated!

neilmcl

Contact your CC company, and failing that send a LBA to the suppliers.

loveprada

Thank you. I have the forms already and will commence. My builder is also using this excuse to try to milk me further - he is practically holding me to ransom over this. He hasnt even completed 50% of his estimate and cannot because the items are not here. He has jumped on the bandwagon and has fabricated excuses to charge me more and is even threatening to "pursue my losses from the customer without having to carry out any further work" How am I supposed to deal with him? Unfortunately I have paid him too much already so he is further ahead with payments than the work he has done so I cant really hold that over him. What a mess.

katejo

loveprada wrote: »

I ordered a kitchen recently. When planning it the suppliers were very knowledgeable and helpful and on that basis I placed the order with them. When it arrived, about a third of the items were wrong or missing and a couple of doors are slightly damaged. The fitter is understandably angry and is asking me for more money due to the delays. The supplier is not responding to my emails and phone calls about rectifying these issues. What am I supposed to do next? Fortunately I paid for these via my credit card so should I start with them before I start legal proceedings? I cant believe the supplier isnt helping me at all. I can do his reputation a lot of harm all over the internet. He has an internet based business and an ebay business.

Advice appreciated!

Who is the supplier? Have you searched their name on here to find out about the experience of others?

loveprada

Am I allowed to say? They are not mentioned here - I did try a search. They supply Second Nature kitchens. I dont want to be seen to be libeling them just in case there is a chance they will remedy the situation without a legal threat.

Fire_Fox

You need to write a letter before action prior to leaping into forms for small claims. Politely ask your fitter/ builder to itemise the extra charges in an invoice/ quote or letter on headed paper, no need to get into an argument. Copy of this (keep the original) to the kitchen supplier.

No idea why you are paying the builder in advance, that is not standard practice he should have enough of a float to claim at the end of the job OR staged payments in arrears. Doubly so since you are supplying a big chunk of materials. More worrying is you are paying in advance off an estimate not a quotation, the final bill could be huge and you will have difficulty disputing it.

loveprada

Thanks. The fitter is due back to finish off this week. The supplier is well aware of this and vaguely offered to send someone over to look at whats gone wrong. However, there has not been a real confirmation and he is not responding my calls and emails. After the fitter has done his bit I shall make a claim with my credit card company.

gremlinmum

I am currently awaiting an order of a Second Nature kitchen and worried that I may encounter similar problems, could you please let me know who your supplier is? Thank you

loveprada

If anyone is interested in reading my sorry saga, the fitter has disappeared. He has completed less than 50% of the work and overcharged me. Can I sue him? The suppliers are not admitting there is anything missing. They sent their representative the other day and they offered to fit out my units and tiles only for £970. They said they would provide the correct items but in a way that was contingent upon me giving them the work. This means I've been overcharged by almost £1000 for items which are either not delivered, wrong against my order or simply will not fit into the kitchen. The supplier had my plan and measurements so I was relying on him to get it right. Meanwhile I've made a claim with my CC company.

wealdroam

loveprada wrote: »

...the fitter has disappeared. Can I sue him?

You will need an address for him. Sounds like that might not be possible.

loveprada

I meant he has disappeared from the job. He did several no-shows on the days he was supposed to come back and now it looks like he isnt coming back. I have his address. I really need to speak to a solicitor - if I have a case I'd be happy to sue him just to destroy his reputation even if I dont get any money back. I'm beginning to see now that he is a classic cowboy. Isnt a registered company, doesnt charge VAT etc. He was overly keen to start work at the outset and "slot me in" etc. How stupid am I.