Integrated Washer Dryer

Idiophreak

Hi All,

Just had a new washer dryer fitted and the people installing it charged 95+vat to install (vs 50+VAT for a freestanding install. )

I understand that there's a little more effort involved in the installation of an integrated appliance, as the door needs to be swapped over and sometimes the hoses are a little tighter etc.

Anyway, as it turns out, they've discovered that the door doesn't fit onto the new machine and have advised that I'll have to "pay a handyman" to drill some fresh holes in the door and get it lined up again.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking this is madness? They've left me with an integrated appliance in the gap, but with no door on, so I really don't count this as being "installed" - and I fail to see how this has been significantly more work for them than just installing a freestanding machine and shoving it under there. Certainly charging £50 more for it seems a bit rich to me.

So, am I being harsh, or are they taking the Michael?

F_Bear

have you paid yet? just had a intergrated kitchen put in and theres no more effort pluming it in than an ordinary washing machine if they havnt done the door.

can you use the same door? if the hinges are in the wrong place u may need a new one?

Idiophreak

F_Bear wrote: »

have you paid yet? just had a intergrated kitchen put in and theres no more effort pluming it in than an ordinary washing machine if they havnt done the door.

can you use the same door? if the hinges are in the wrong place u may need a new one?

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I paid already (a friend was waiting in for me and didn't feel like he could argue with them) and I had to pay a chap £45 to come and fit the door on.

I asked the installers to refund his fee and they refused, only willing to pay £25 "good will".

I asked again and they said "it was just a mistake that we didn't tell you and it's clearly stated on our website that we might not fit the door".

So then I went and got the google cache version of the page to prove that they'd actually made their website "clearly state" that earlier the same day - it said nothing of the sort when I agreed to have them install the thing. They've gone very quiet since. Think they were upset that I wasn't one of the defenceless old ladies they're obviously used to scamming. Unbelievable what a bunch of cowboys still operate in the trades.

Procrastinator333

Sounds like you have beem had. I would just take the £25 and chalk that one up to experience.

Only other option would be to go down the small claims court route if they won't talk to you anymore. You may well win that, but for the sake of another £20, is it worth the 6 months it will take. Plus you then still ahve to get the money from them even if you do win.

Idiophreak

Procrastinator333 wrote: »

Sounds like you have beem had. I would just take the £25 and chalk that one up to experience.

Only other option would be to go down the small claims court route if they won't talk to you anymore. You may well win that, but for the sake of another £20, is it worth the 6 months it will take. Plus you then still ahve to get the money from them even if you do win.

Yeah, it's a tough one.

I'm in that place where you think you should just let it go....but at the same time, *someone* has to stand up to these people sometime, right.

Also, this wasn't the only issue I had with them.

They also said "To repair your machine will cost £450 including VAT. A new machine is £470." I said "oh, so that's only an extra £20 then....".

I said "well, if I got the machine elsewhere for £350, how much would you charge to install it?"
"£95+ vat".
I said "Oh, well that works out at basically the £470 then, doesn't it...so I may as well get it from you".
"yep"

Apparently *I'm* in the wrong for not realising that they quote their prices for repairs inclusive of VAT, but their new machines exclusive of VAT - so it actually cost another £95 on top of the quote.

I said to the woman "don't you remember those conversations we had, where I was comparing the different prices...don't you think you should have mentioned then that one didn't include VAT?"

Her response: "Well, I'm not good at maths".

I let that go as I thought it would be 50/50 in court...especially once I'd already paid...but I'd have thought the door thing is quite open shut.

They're actually quite a big local company, so I'm amazed that they'd rather go to all the effort of lying and cheating to try and get out of it, rather than just paying a perfectly reasonable fee to finish the job. Kids these days