bathroom problem please help

yellowbelle

We visited a bathroom showroom. They came and gave us a quote of £8660 inc VAT. I rang ans spoke with the manager and negotiated a price of £8000 inc VAT. We paid a deposit of 20% ie £1600.They started the work on 20th May 2013 and left on the 29th with some work outstanding due to faulty items. They have been back numerous times and all the problems are still not resolved. Despite numerous phone calls and letters we are still awaiting the electrical compliance certificates for 4 items plus a piece of shower door seal. After getting nowhere with them - we wrote to them stating that as of 20th August we were deducting £5 per day from the outstanding total until the problems were rectified. I sent an email this week asking again for these items in order that I could pay their account. In today's post 1/11 we received a credit note for £250 supposedly for the damaged cabinet. Also an invoice for the initial amount of £8660 plus an additional £273 for concealing the pipework! I have sent another letter stating that we will pay our account as soon as these items are rectified but it is upsetting me because they are asking for more money than they agreed to do the work for - and we cannot see the end of it. I hate owing money and always settle bills on time but this has been a nightmare and is still not right and we will end up being out of pocket. what do we do? I contacted the C>A>B and they just told me to ring the company!

unholyangel

Do you have it in writing from them it was 8k?

I can't see a £5 per day deduction as reasonable, so you may want to be careful for that one.

What you can do is get someone else in to quote for how much it would take to bring the work to what was agreed between you and the original company. Preferably get a few quotes.

Depending on circumstances, you should be able to deduct this from what you agreed with original company (8k) and pay the remainder to the original company.

I say depending on circumstances because I got the impression there was still a lot to be done, yet the only specific things mentioned were certificates and a seal.

When were they supposed to complete the works?

yellowbelle

they were supposed to finish the work on 29th May 2013. They tried to fit a tall freestanding cupboard but the doors wouldnt fit on because they were warped. Then they came back numerous times and each time couldnt fit the new doors because they either didnt have the hinges, the doors were warped or the handles were missing or the wrong ones. Then the shower seal split and they brought the wrong one. Then they brought the right one but it wasnt long enough so fitted what they could and promised to post the other piece which has never arrived. Plus the electrical certificates. It has gone on for so long now it is just becoming a battle of wills. My hubby wont pay them until we receive the outstanding items because he says - based on the last 6 months - if we pay them we will never get them, and they are needed if we ever need to sell the property.

The thing which is most annoying is how they have suddenly increased their price to the original quote and added £273 on. I was quite happy to pay them what we had agreed and then negotiate an amount for all the trouble and stress it has caused plus the warped unit but this is not on.

Also the main problem has been with the tall cupboard - which matches the sink unit and wc unit. If another one is not available (apparently the company who makes them is having a problem with them warping) then the whole bathroom would have to come out and be redone plus new flooring - so what are we supposed to do.?

hollydays

So what is the reason they have given for not giving the compliance certificates yet?
Do they have a head office?

arcon5

Two options really,

don't pay them any more money until they rectify it. Soon enough they'll chase for the money and may pull their finger out of their !!!!.

or

put them on notice that if they don't resolve it you will have a third party contractor come in and rectify it - after which you will be deducting the cost of this from the remaining balance.

shaun_from_Africa

There is possibly a third option.
If you paid some or all of the deposit with a credit card, the card issuer is jointly liable with the supplier/installer for any breech of contract.
If this is the case, you could contact your card issuer and inform them of the problems and state that you wish to pursue a Section 75 claim to get the work rectified.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases

yellowbelle

Thanks everyone. All the things you mention we have done. I have spoken with them, written to them everything. I replied to the invoices which turned up saying that we will be glad to settle our account when the certificates are received.
They havent given a reason why we havent received the compliance certificates - they didnt respond to that at all only to send the new increased invoice.

I wanted to pay them what we feel is the right amount but my husband wont let me because he says that he doesnt trust them to send them and if they receive their payment they will have no incentive to sort this out. I just feel horrible - it's making me feel depressed.

We paid the initial deposit by debit card so can't pursue that angle I dont think.