Disgusting service provided after there mistake

Simonnewbie

Hi guys, i really could do with your advice. After 5 years i have finally been able to purchase a new kitchen from B&Q. I paid in November for it to be fitted the week commencing 8th feb. All the items came on Friday except for the American fridge freezer and dishwasher although they were on the lorry, the drivers refused to unload as there was only 2 of them (why load it then?). We phoned on monday to ask when it will arrive and they said they would get back to us. Same again on tuesday. Now this morning i demanded to know when it would arrive as i have a 5 month old baby in which we store his food and breast milk in the fridge and we have agreed to sell our current fridge as of weds evening. They eventually phoned me to say it will be here for 14:00. It arrived on time and I thought that was that. 20 mins later the fitter asked me if i new it was a none plumbed fridge even though i paid for the fitting of a plumbed fridge at £128. I spoke to B&Q on the phone for them to tell me they dont sell plumbed fridges, even though its in there brouchure. They eventually phoned me back to tell me it was a typo error in there brochure. If i wanted a different fridge i would have to buy one else where and wait for my refund. So now im in a position where i cant afford to buy another fridge but more importantly i have no where to store my babies food. This is absolutely disgusting and i feel im being victimised for a mistike made by B&Q. Any help and advice on what are my options would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

ThumbRemote

The obvious point is that if B&Q don't sell plumbed fridges, they can't provide you with one. So you have no choice but to buy elsewhere. If you incur any costs due to having to pay a fitter multiple times, I'd expect B&Q to cover these.

I assume you have sold your existing fridge now. Realistically you should have pulled out of that sale, although I appreciate you wouldn't have wanted to let your buyer down.

Has the fridge from B&Q been unpacked, ready to be fitted? If so, can you get their permission to use that one temporarily until they collect it? Otherwise does a neighbour have a fridge you can use some space in?

tomtontom

They've given you your options - buy a plumbed FF elsewhere or keep the one you've had delivered. I'm sure they'll refund the fitting charge and possibly a small amount as an apology. I'm not sure what else you expect them to do, they can't provide you with something they don't sell.

Simonnewbie

Thanks for getting back to me guys. I understand they can't sell something they don't sell, but how am I supposed to know that when i paid for something advertised in B&Q catalogue as plumbed!?!? Surely its there responsibility to get me a fridge sorted and not me pay for there mistake?

daytona0

For someone who has just bought a shed load of white goods I'm surprised that you couldn't afford a £5 cooler bag to store your baby food in for the time being

GwylimT

Yes, it is THEIR mistake. So you should be able to have a refund, they aren't however responsible to go shopping to get you a fridge from a different company. However, I would have thought having somewhere to store breast milk is more important than having a perfect fridge.

marliepanda

Where's your current fridge gone?

Bit irresponsible of you to sell it before having a functioning fridge in your house. Especially with a baby to feed!

AJXX

Simonnewbie wrote: »

I spoke to B&Q on the phone for them to tell me they dont sell plumbed fridges, even though its in there brouchure. They eventually phoned me back to tell me it was a typo error in there brochure. If i wanted a different fridge i would have to buy one else where and wait for my refund. So now im in a position where i cant afford to buy another fridge but more importantly i have no where to store my babies food. This is absolutely disgusting and i feel im being victimised for a mistike made by B&Q. Any help and advice on what are my options would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

So B&Q have admitted their mistake, issued a refund presumably for the fitting cost straight away and offered you to either keep the existing fridge or return it for a full refund?

How exactly are you being 'victimised'? It sounds fair enough to me, mistakes do happen in life.

It's not B&Q's fault you still sold your old fridge, buy a cheapo 30 quid fridge from Argos to keep your babies milk in for now.

If you still have the fridge why not ask to keep it for a reduced rate - I mean how essential is a plumbed fridge anyway? Presumably it's plumbed just to get cold water pumped out of it... not exactly a big deal is it? I'm assuming it meets all the other expectations you had when you purchased it such as size etc....

Else send it back, receive your full refund and send an official letter of complaint re delivery issues and subsequent wrong item - which may lead to a further refund as a gesture of goodwill then buy a fridge from elsewhere if you must have a plumbed one.

The last couple of fridges we've owned have had water dispensers built in (although not plumbed - just a tank that sits in the fridge) - it's a bit of a novelty if you ask me, it's something we used for a couple of weeks and then forgot about.

Poppie68

Surely the description of the fridge would of told you it's a non plumbed fridge?
Or a look inside in store would of alerted you?

Strangely enough ours is a plumbed fridge bought from B&A but that was 7 years ago so they did sell them in the past...We were in B&Q and saw the updated version of ours so would of thought it's a plumbed unit?

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Does seem odd that B&Q would have a standard fitting charge for plumbed fridges if they don't sell plumbed fridges, mind you.

Unless the fitter was separately hired.

ThumbRemote

Poppie68 wrote: »

Surely the description of the fridge would of told you it's a non plumbed fridge?
Or a look inside in store would of alerted you?

Strangely enough ours is a plumbed fridge bought from B&A but that was 7 years ago so they did sell them in the past...We were in B&Q and saw the updated version of ours so would of thought it's a plumbed unit?

How exactly would the description have alerted them, bearing in mind it was described as a plumbed fridge?

And not all items are on show in all stores.