SCS Nightmare!

winkydink

Hi. Would be so grateful for any advice please.
Bought carpets for 4 bedrooms, landing and stairs in
Dec last year. Paid for the thickest underlay but actually received the thinnest. Carpet fitter noticed when he had just finished laying the carpet and was sorting out the paperwork. Spent that December with all my upstairs furniture in my dining room, waiting for a date for the correct underlay to be fitted. Sleeping on mattresses on the floor and moving furniture up and down stairs so we could eat Christmas dinner at the table. Numerous phone calls, shop visits and emails later, carpet fitter was due to arrive in Feb. Failed to arrive due to van breakdown. More phonecalls and he finally arrived in March. Underlay changed and £100 given as refund by SCS. It's now August and the stair carpet has come away from the stairs, literally in several pieces, hanging off. This I believe is due to the carpet being cut to fit the thin underlay and it just can't stretch enough to cover the thicker one which is 7mm thicker. Sent photos and an email to SCS who said a fitter would call to have a look and that they would send an email with his details on. No phone call and no email 3 days later. The top stair carpet has come right off and is really dangerous. I have emailed them again tonight with another photo.
I'm at the end of my tether. Obviously I dont want to bore anyone to death but the amount of calls and emails it took to change the underlay was absolutely unbelieveable! Would appreciate any constructive advise please. I'm getting nowhere fast!

unholyangel

How did you pay for it?

Is it coming up at the edge or in the "crease" of each step (sorry, cant think of a better way to describe it). Is it coming away from the wooden strip with the tacks through it?

If so (i'm not a carpet fitter so take what I say with a bowl of salt), I'd think that there would be too much give in the carpet as opposed to not enough. If there was not enough, I'd have expected the wooden strip itself to have come away due to the carpet being hooked onto the tacks angled towards the stair crease/wall.

winkydink

Hi. Thanks for replying!
It's coming away at the crease of the steps. The gripper is still there but it's nailed down so wouldn't expect it to move. It's frayed the carpet where it's pulled away. It's been cut about 4 times on a run of about 12 steps and each join has completely opened up. The top step is just flapping open to reveal the whole step and the others are going the same way. Paid a deposit with interest free credit for the rest.

unholyangel

You could try approaching the credit company about a section 75 claim (providing it wasnt scs providing the credit themselves and providing it was their carpet fitter rather than someone you contracted).

Alternatively, contact SCS again and (if you haven't already) specifically mention the carpet is a safety risk and the longer they leave it the higher the risk of someone injuring themselves (and thus increasing their liability).

winkydink

Thanks, that's a good idea. The credit was arranged through Barclays. The carpet fitter is a bit of a grey area. They arrange the fitter but then you arrange the fitting date with him and pay him yourself on the day.
I put on my email that the carpet is a dangerous trip hazard. Think I'm going to have to tack it in place for now.
Really appreciate your comments, thanks

winkydink

The carpet fitter came today to see if he could rectify the problem. He has confirmed that the carpet can't satisfactorily be repaired as he cant physically stetch it anymore. He has tacked the carpet to the gripper to keep it from being a trip hazard but its back to SCS now.

Mr_Poves

Once a carpet has been stretch fitted on stairs it is nigh on impossible to take it up and relay it , it's a one shot deal I'm afraid .

winkydink

Exactly. There's no way this carpet is going to stay down. It's already started to fray again where he's stapled it.
SCS are sending their own inspector to take a look next week. They dont believe me or their own contracted fitters apparently. Should be interesting!