Laura Ashley complaint - wallpaper

Morricar

Hi
I need advice on my consumer rights concerning 3 rolls of wallpaper purchased from Laura Ashley which have a visual defect.


Customer services admit that given the batch codes on the rolls match, the rolls should be expected to match and accept there is a 'visual defect' - the last roll is a different colour to the other two. They have offered a full refund for the paper.


I don't think I'm being unreasonable asking for compensation for the fact we have to spend time or spend money on getting the walls stripped again and lining paper and wallpaper decorated again. I'm a full time working mum, this was a special purchase for our new house, way more than we can normally spend on wallpaper and takes ages to decorate around the demands of a job and baby. I'm so disappointed with the result of all our effort.


However, LA will not accept full responsibility so not entertaining this suggestion of compensation, their representative says we should have ceased the decorating when we spotted the mismatch (even though the first 6 sheets matched). The paper was wet, we were decorating around baby nap times so sometimes in the late evening (not broad daylight) and the paper is pearlescent so the tone does change depending on the light - it's not immediately obvious, to be honest we hoped it would dry out and be ok. It's not.


Any suggestions on where we stand legally on wallpaper defects?
thanks for taking time to read my post!

gunsandbanjos

Just wondering how you didn't notice that one was a different colour when you bought them? How different?

lady1964

We had the same thing with Next, FIL put up the 2 rolls whilst we were on holiday, they were the same batch numbers but were 2 different shades. Luckily it was only the one wall we had papered but it looked wrong and was obvious.

I took a photo, emailed Next, didn't get a reply so went on Twitter, got a response half an hour later. They replaced both rolls of paper & put the cost of a days' work into my bank account plus some gift card compensation.

Keep at it OP & complain on Twitter about it, it worked for me!

Morricar

Thanks for the tip on Twitter. Will give that a try tonight.

Morricar

Gunsandbanjos- holding the rolls up in the store lighting it wasn't obvious and it's really only obvious now when you see the seams on the wall up against one another. It's not too bad in broad daylight but in the lamp light in the evening, it's impossible not to notice. Not what I expected especially when paying the prices they charge! I'd get double the number of rolls at b&q!