Fault with B&Q kitchen quartz worktop

centavur

Dear MSE Forum,
Did a search before posting as I'd hate to waste peoples time, please accept my sincere apologies if I have missed the relevant posts.
Bought a new kitchen from the local store of B&Q which was installed in July 2011. Paid 10% on VISA, the balance was interest-free loan. Not getting any younger so wanted easy cleaning and maintenance. Were going to go for granite worktops from another supplier but the B&Q designer persuaded us to go for the speedstone quartz worktops. Went for them as our U-shaped kitchen was really small. These worktops were available with a B&Q installations only, and came with 10-year manufacturers Warranty (reading this from the brochure which we kept). Earlier this year noticed that a crack, c. 10cm long, had appeared on one of the worktops, starting from the side abutted to the bottom of the U. Contacted B&Q who asked for pictures which I took and sent to them. After a week B&Q emailed me to say that the manufacturer had had a look and said that their worktops don't crack. I wrote back to B&Q telling them that I'd have expected someone to at least visit on site and assess the fault, rather than looking at photos. After this they sent a B&Q project manager round, who said that he was not familiar with the product, took a few photos, also a photo of our brochure showing the 10-year warranty. I asked him to note that the surface around the crack was not dented or stained, or damaged in any other way. We told him that we'd be happy for the worktop to get replaced as we doubted it could be repaired, the worktop part in question is about 3 ft long. He said someone would be in touch and left. As we didn't hear from them for 2 months we emailed them again and were informed that we'd have to take this with the manufacturer who again had advised B&Q that "looking at the pictures damage like this does not happen without some force put on the worktop by customers".
We are at a loss as to waht to do next. We thought that B&Q would deal with this as these worktops were being sold with kitchen installations only. Also, we are perplexed by the fact that the manufacturer uses photographs to assess how damage/fault has occurred. We have not spoken to them yet, I thought to approach for advice the knowledgebeable community here first. Many thanks in advance.

Ectophile

You need to check who offered the warranty - was it B&Q or the manufacturer? That's who you have to deal with if you want to claim under the warranty.

williham

I'd stop messing around with them, ask to speak to a manager and get them to take some responsibility for the product they've sold you. Send an email to the ceo if you don't get any joy.

anmarj

you need to find the paperwork re the 10 year warranty and read what it states especially in the small print, if the manufacturers are saying it is not an inheritant fault, you would have find somebody to come out and inspect it and state that it is an inheritent fault and then go back.

If you want to use the sale of good act with B&Q it will be up to you to prove it was faulty from 2011

http://whatconsumer.co.uk/the-sale-of-goods-act/#axzz45SdfwytB

wealdroam

Without seeing the photos, I'm inclined to side with the manufacturer here.

This type of work surface is not flexible.
If it has cracked, it is almost certainly due to flexing.
That flexing could be due to a) insufficient support provided at installation such that movement takes place over time, or b) an extra stress has been placed on the worktop. Neither of these can be considered a manufacturing defect.

edited to add:
You need to hurry if you are considering a claim against the seller.
In July 2016 it will be six years from the installation date.

Fosterdog

wealdroam wrote: »

Without seeing the photos, I'm inclined to side with the manufacturer here.

This type of work surface is not flexible.
If it has cracked, it is almost certainly due to flexing.
That flexing could be due to a) insufficient support provided at installation such that movement takes place over time, or b) an extra stress has been placed on the worktop. Neither of these can be considered a manufacturing defect.

edited to add:
You need to hurry if you are considering a claim against the seller.
In July 2016 it will be six years from the installation date.

I agree completely with the first par, this type of worktop wouldn't just break without either an installation error or some force added.

Your end bit though, it will only be five years from installation this July so OP has a whole year and three months to chase this up.

wealdroam

Fosterdog wrote: »

Your end bit though, it will only be five years from installation this July so OP has a whole year and three months to chase this up.

Oops, sorry.
My arithmetic failed me badly there.

molerat

Fosterdog wrote: »

........ so OP has a whole year and three months to chase this up.

Unless in Scotland of course

centavur

molerat wrote: »

Unless in Scotland of course

...and we are in Scotland

wealdroam

centavur wrote: »

...and we are in Scotland

That means you have five years from the problem becoming apparent to seek a remedy from the seller/installer.

Whether you are in Scotland or not, now that the manufacturer has declared the problem is not due to a manufacturing issue, you will still need to prove that the goods were faulty at the time of sale.