Any company that installs big fridge freezers to 1st floor?

itm2

I want to buy an American-style fridge freezer, but the first 2 companies that I've contacted (Currys and Coopers Electrical) are unable to deliver to 1st floor locations (our kitchen is on the 1st floor of a townhouse).
Can anyone recommend a company that sells and delivers large fridge-freezers to upstairs locations?

ChristineL

If you're in Cheshire then try COD Electrical in Altrincham. They certainly did it a few years back although I can't say if they still do.

John Lewis are worth contacting too.

itm2

ChristineL wrote: »

If you're in Cheshire then try COD Electrical in Altrincham. They certainly did it a few years back although I can't say if they still do.

John Lewis are worth contacting too.

Sorry I should have clarified that I'm in Surrey/West London.

I did phone John Lewis and they actually couldn't tell me (!), as the model in question was shipped by their supplier and they didn't know what their supplier's policy was. They have raised a query for me with one of their internal teams and have said they'll call me back.

In the meantime someone from Currys phoned back in response to my earlier email query, and contradicted what the person on their sales line had told me earlier. She said that they actually do deliver to 1st floor locations, and that the delivery driver assessed the location when they arrived and would only refuse to do it if they thought it was unfeasible or dangerous.

I'm still not 100% confident, but have placed an order with Currys anyway and will find out on Saturday (the scheduled delivery day).

itm2

Well, that was all too predictable...the Currys delivery people ("KnowHow") turned up, and as soon as I told them it needed to go on the 1st floor they said "oh no no no" and refused to deliver it. This is despite me sending a follow up email to Currys customer service on Thursday evening, asking them to forewarn the delivery company of the exact situation re. the stairs. Now we have been left high and dry, so have placed an order for the same unit from ao.com, who do actually ask whether there are any steps to negotiate on the order page, but also state that ultimately it's at the discretion of the delivery driver, so here we go again....

In the meantime, does anyone know of a company serving West London / North Surrey that would do the lifting & shifting and removal/disposal of the existing unit from the 1st floor? (in case I'm in the exact same situation this time tomorrow)

dacouch

Tell the driver as soon as he arrives there's a decent drink in it for him if the fridge can be delivered undamaged to your kitchen

EssexExile

Then give him a big mug of coffee when he's done.;)

itm2

So the saga continues...the delivery people from ao.com (Appliances Online) turned up today and also refused to deliver, citing health and safety reasons. Again I pointed out the identically-sized encumbent Maytag which we'd already had delivered before (twice in fact), but it seems delivery people are more choosy these days. I'd phoned ao.com both before ordering, and the day before delivery, to explain the exact details of the staircase, and even offered to send them photos of the staircase to ensure that this sort of problem didn't arise. They refused. So this really is very annoying.

Where are all the real delivery men? In any case it seems to be bordering on the impossible to get a new one delivered so it looks like I'll need to throw a couple of hundred pounds at repairing a 14-year-old fridge freezer!

Stevey198321

Could you not just have it delivered then get family/friends to help get it upstairs?

Tea_Pea_Dee

Instead of throwing a couple of hundred at repairing an old fridge freezer, why don't you try ringing a few removal companies. They move fridge freezers and bigger up and down stairs, all day and every day. If they say yes, then you can have any old company deliver it to your downstairs hall at your leisure and wait for the removal men to take it upstairs for you.

itm2

It's complicated by the need to remove and recycle the existing one - I spoke to someone yesterday about this and while they were happy to do the lifting and shifting they couldn't help with disposal of the old one. Even the Council charges £90 to pick up fridge-freezers from outside the property, and I'm not sure whether they would baulk at an American-style unit (given the experiences of the last few days I wouldn't be at all surprised).

I did send requests out to about half a dozen man-with-a-van and removal services yesterday and didn't hear anything back, but admittedly it was Saturday so probably won't hear back for a couple of days. Costs were looking like £50-100, so £140-190 including the Council's costs. Nuts.

Tea_Pea_Dee

I would still try the route of a removal firm. Order your FF from a company that offers disposal of your old one and arrange for both to arrive at the same time. Removal men and new FF at your gate, removal men bring old one down, new one goes up via removal men and the FF delivery men take old one with them. Yes, it will cost you, but if you get 14 years service from the new FF then it will be worth extra outlay. I see it as hobson's choice.