David Wilson Homes appalling finish, customer care and management

Our_David_Wilson_Home

NHBC are informed. Please see our Twitter feed (I can't post links yet)…

user: mydwhometoo

On Thursday 15 Sep NHBC confirmed a date for a resolution meeting because David Wilson Homes failed respond to a number of disputes which NHBC had written to them about.

One of our disputes is that we do not believe they have put wall insulation in the cavity between a room with a WC (and shower) and the adjacent bedroom as per building regulations.

We have repeatedly written to and also asked the assistant site manager for a meeting where we can look over plans of our plot. They gave us the run around then eventually said no. Simple as that.

NHBC then wrote to David Wilson Homes requesting a copy of those plans and David Wilson Homes did not respond within 10 works days hence the first resolution meeting.

However NHBC will only deal with disputes which are structure-based. So our snagging list and defects are not something they will help with.

In all fairness when we told NHBC that we were not getting anywhere with David Wilson Homes and that we had contacted our solicitor, NHBC suggested we send our entire list of problems to them so that they could see if there were any items there that they could deal with.

We had to replace some of the chipboard. Chipboard in new builds is 22mm deep however some boards had swelled to 27mm's creating ridges in the floor. We couldn't wait the months(?) for David Wilson Homes to respond to this matter because they were dragging their feet: we had wanted to get laminate down, and so we did the work ourselves.

We asked customer care and Site if we could put a large piece of chipboard in one of their skips after seeing neighbours throw away an entire bin storage shed into one. We were eventually told that it would cost them money to dispose of it so no.

Following a letter from NHBC to say that the chipboard should have been sealed, and having seen our photographs, NHBC asked whether they should write to David Wilson Homes instructing them to seal the gaps. We replied that we had already done so but that we would like them to take away one large piece of chipboard.

NHBC did actually then ring David Wilson Homes and ask by means of a good will gesture if they would let us put that piece of chipboard in one of their skips and David Wilson Homes said no.

moneyistooshorttomention

Asking whether you could put that piece of chipboard in their skip (after all the hassle they've given you) may not have been the world's wisest thing to do.

I would have just put it there and not asked in your position. After all - they didn't ask if they could disrupt your life so much before doing so.

I think you might have inadvertently sent them a message that you are polite and gentle (ie pushover) - which is not the right message imo to send to people treating you like this.

Doozergirl

I haven't said that the OP is wrong at all, but three paragraphs about chipboard in a skip is a deviation from the important matters. Websites and twitter accounts are antagonistic and I can guess that DW will have been directed to them, just as this thread was started to direct us. It just convolutes everything and makes it all worse for everyone. If every item is treated like this with DW as it is with us, I'd just be confused.

When this goes to the next level, it would be better to keep it all succinct. I had plenty of customer service training and experience in past lives, and I know how to get what I want as a result of being on the receiving end of different behaviours and how willing one feels to help or just how easy it is to find solutions based on the information and how it is presented to me. And I understand buildings inside out.

Insulation between bathrooms and internal walls is not a building regulations matter.

Sounds being referred may have more to do with no insulation between floors than a gap. Not a building requirement and not something that a bog standard developer will do. I don't know if the floor coverings are missing or were lifted but if there is no floor covering it really will not help. Cracked and damaged bricks are a real issue.

I would be tempted to find a surveyor to snag, with proper knowledge of regs and seek their advice on realistic resolutions to each item so that items can be prioritised and expectations can be managed by someone more impartial.

I think there will have to be some compromise somewhere along the line in some form.

I too would have just put the chipboard in the skip. Pick your battles.

Polite does not go with gentle or being a pushover, moneyistooshortomention, Polite is polite.

I will bow out as I have offered the only advice I can based on my experience and the info here. Good luck, OP, try to use your energies in the right direction.

Doozergirl

Okay, I've just looked at the twitter account again.

There are things which have been fixed, still being focussed on.

There is a radiator where it isn't perfectly straight but the bubble is entirely within the lines. It will be almost impossible to get it right in the middle - the work would be too precise. Unless you are using that spirit level as an ornament, no one will notice it. Rads are fitted to the eye.

And a link to this thread.

And a pie chart. Pie charts?!

This is why I am saying choose your battles. All this is going to be making you feel even worse.

I'm by no means saying that DW are impressive. They aren't. But concentrate on what is relevant and outstanding.

marksoton

I hate to say it but you're now clearly on their 5h1t list. Obtaining a satisfactory resolution will be an uphill struggle.

Bonfire_Bride

Doozergirl wrote: »

I haven't said that the OP is wrong at all, but three paragraphs about chipboard in a skip is a deviation from the important matters. Websites and twitter accounts are antagonistic and I can guess that DW will have been directed to them, just as this thread was started to direct us. It just convolutes everything and makes it all worse for everyone. If every item is treated like this with DW as it is with us, I'd just be confused.

When this goes to the next level, it would be better to keep it all succinct. I had plenty of customer service training and experience in past lives, and I know how to get what I want as a result of being on the receiving end of different behaviours and how willing one feels to help or just how easy it is to find solutions based on the information and how it is presented to me. And I understand buildings inside out.

Insulation between bathrooms and internal walls is not a building regulations matter.

Sounds being referred may have more to do with no insulation between floors than a gap. Not a building requirement and not something that a bog standard developer will do. I don't know if the floor coverings are missing or were lifted but if there is no floor covering it really will not help. Cracked and damaged bricks are a real issue.

I would be tempted to find a surveyor to snag, with proper knowledge of regs and seek their advice on realistic resolutions to each item so that items can be prioritised and expectations can be managed by someone more impartial.

I think there will have to be some compromise somewhere along the line in some form.

I too would have just put the chipboard in the skip. Pick your battles.

Polite does not go with gentle or being a pushover, moneyistooshortomention, Polite is polite.

I will bow out as I have offered the only advice I can based on my experience and the info here. Good luck, OP, try to use your energies in the right direction.

The OP is correctly unhappy and of course they are going to be emotional about the whole thing....it's one of the most expensive purchases anyone will make. To expect high quality standards and good customer service is understandable. I've worked in customer services before and trust me, the way the OP is dealing with this is courteous...some customers can be absolutely vile.


OP, I hope you can get this resolved quickly. Have you located any further "customers" of DW who have similar stories? You may be able to contact watchdog about your issues.


I cannot imagine anything worse than purchasing a new home for you and your family and being nothing but disappointed.


Good Luck

marksoton

Bonfire_Bride wrote: »

The OP is correctly unhappy and of course they are going to be emotional about the whole thing....it's one of the most expensive purchases anyone will make. To expect high quality standards and good customer service is understandable. I've worked in customer services before and trust me, the way the OP is dealing with this is courteous...some customers can be absolutely vile.


OP, I hope you can get this resolved quickly. Have you located any further "customers" of DW who have similar stories? You may be able to contact watchdog about your issues.


I cannot imagine anything worse than purchasing a new home for you and your family and being nothing but disappointed.


Good Luck

Whilst I feel for the OP these people's reputations are out there for all to see. I wouldn't touch a new build if you paid me. In the last year I've provided civil engineering infrastructure for four large developers. What I've seen on site is shocking. The standards displayed are decades behind those expected of my men. And that's reflected in the build quality.

warby68

OP, I am 100% on your side regarding the state of your new home.

The problem is you need the higher echelons of DW to move over to your side to fix this too and a childish (sorry but it is) Twitter campaign at this stage will hinder rather than help much as you will be almost exploding with your desire to vent. If you do one thing only please take the primary school pie chart down.

Your formal complaint will mean that almost everyone is instructed not to talk to you, in order to channel you to one place and for them to take advice before dealing with you - not necessarily a bad thing but my first priority would be to establish a single line of communication with DW and start at the top if you have to to get that, rather than the bottom.

Then try and get your mindset back to problem solving rather than complaining/campaigning. Sadly, the more you complain the less people want to believe you and have you down as in the wrong regardless of fact. Its odd but an understated campaign often gets better results.

I know you feel let down badly and I agree you have been but that has happened now and like DG I think you will do better if you regroup, prioritise and build a strictly professional demeanour and approach for the next stages.

By all means complain to the world, show every defect you like in your negative publicity campaign but AFTER you have got your issues resolved not during the battle.

robatwork

I only bought a new house once. I imagine that all the builders are the same and the standard of snagging very much relies on the site manager and foreman, but they were hopeless, and indeed had built the kitchen the wrong way round. This wasn't snagging in the sense of a tile out of position. This was entire work surfaces on the plan missing, the floors not being level etc.

Will never buy one again. This was Barratts.

Anyway at least your site manager is sorting out the WC insulation problem by the looks of it:

Our_David_Wilson_Home wrote: »

We'd never insult the site manager. That's ironic. He has been nothing but insulating to us

Our_David_Wilson_Home

I was surprised to read that the cracked and damaged bricks are a real issue because we have so many like this. Looking today at some houses on other developments and could not spot any.

David Wilson Homes are not aware of the images we have tweeted.

We have just added some images taken in the attic of the gable and ladder build.

We have 31 outstanding issues as I write this and will be asking the builder to schedule a meeting this week in the hope they will actually turn up this time.

As and when David Wilson Homes agree to fix issues on our list we will update Twitter with the remedial work and standard.

Their tagline is 'Where Quality Live'.