B and Q - who is the customer?

ThumbRemote

bris wrote: »

The customer is the trade point account holder, this is a B2B transaction between the trade point customer and trade point.

Op your contract is with the trade point customer. B&Q don't even come into as trade point operate their own stores with B&Q.

Any problems you have should be the responsibility of your fitter, they have a separate problem with trade point but that's not your problem.

Disagree completely. If the OP paid the money directly to B&Q, the contract is between them and B&Q.

The fact that B&Q processed that payment via a trade point account is their own internal problem.

neilmcl

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Disagree completely. If the OP paid the money directly to B&Q, the contract is between them and B&Q.

The fact that B&Q processed that payment via a trade point account is their own internal problem.

It depends. If the OP simply paid the funds on behalf of the Tradepoint customer, ie, the installer, then the installer is still the legal party to the contract.

shaun_from_Africa

neilmcl wrote: »

It depends. If the OP simply paid the funds on behalf of the Tradepoint customer, ie, the installer, then the installer is still the legal party to the contract.

I agree with this interpretation.

I occasionally book airlines tickets with British Airways for a relative who isn't too computer literate.
As I have a huge amount of Avios points for which a discount on the airfare can sometimes be obtained, these tickets are booked through my BA executive account.
Even though it is my relatives credit card that is used for payment, I complete the booking and the T&Cs for this booking clearly states that that the contract is between BA and myself. This is the case even if I book without an Avios discount and the full fare is paid by my relative.

bris

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Disagree completely. If the OP paid the money directly to B&Q, the contract is between them and B&Q.

The fact that B&Q processed that payment via a trade point account is their own internal problem.

Disagree all you want, paying on behalf of someone else doesn't give you any rights.

ThumbRemote

neilmcl wrote: »

It depends. If the OP simply paid the funds on behalf of the Tradepoint customer, ie, the installer, then the installer is still the legal party to the contract.

bris wrote: »

Disagree all you want, paying on behalf of someone else doesn't give you any rights.

I can't see how the OP has paid on behalf of someone else. The goods were never the property of the installer. The installer has a contract solely to fit items supplied by the OP. The OP handed over the money, took possession of the goods and retained the receipt. They did everything legally required to form a contract.


If I scan my Tesco Clubcard when someone else is buying their shopping, it doesn't make their shopping mine.

[Deleted User]

photome wrote: »

guessing Michael probably won't read it either

Especially as he's now left the company!

ARandomMiser

I am sure the OP thinks their composition is clever but personally I find it patrionising, presumptuous and sarcastic. if it had have come to me I would have sent an email back along the lines of

"Thank you for your business. We are looking into it."

No salutation, no signatory and then pass it to the standard call centre with a note saying "please check to see if this customer is entitled to a refund and if so please authorise it. Under no circumstances offer any additional compensation".

Fosterdog

ThumbRemote wrote: »

I can't see how the OP has paid on behalf of someone else. The goods were never the property of the installer. The installer has a contract solely to fit items supplied by the OP. The OP handed over the money, took possession of the goods and retained the receipt. They did everything legally required to form a contract.


If I scan my Tesco Clubcard when someone else is buying their shopping, it doesn't make their shopping mine.

Trade accounts don't tend to work like club cards though, they are usually set up so that money is paid onto the account as credit and then an invoice generated for the goods and said credit used to clear the invoice. Sometimes the other way around, the account offers an advanced credit facility, items are purchased and then a payment made to clear the account negative balance rather than a direct payment for goods.

In these situations it's not right nor fair for a consumer to expect a trade discount but then demand consumer rights. The rights will depend on the terms agreed to by the holder of the trade account.

Sicard

His name isn't Michael it's Michele.

Diary

Ab195 wrote: »

All,

I would be really grateful for views on the line B and Q is taking with me. I recently complained (via the CEO to get the main complaints team) to B&Q as follows:

"Dear Michael,

I’m getting married this year (to XXXX, cced), and I have also recently changed jobs and bought a new house – as I am sure you can appreciate, it’s quite a stressful time for us.

As part of renovating our new house we bought a kitchen and utility room from B&Q last summer (reference XXXXX) and very nice they are too. We bought them from your XXXXX store and in general the staff there we very pleasant and friendly, but I’m afraid that’s where the complimentary part of this email ends.

Most of the kitchen was delivered in June 2016 but the final pieces were not delivered until Christmas, meaning it wasn’t fully installed until the early part of this year and my turkey had to be cooked elsewhere. That’s not on really is it, Michael?

One of the key things that was missing was an oak breakfast bar, but a laminate one had been delivered (you’ll find it under the item list for my utility room). The laminate breakfast bar was either designed into the project in error, or may have become surplus to requirements when we discovered our kitchen fitter had enough spare oak from our kitchen for the work surfaces of the utility room, which we had originally planned to be laminate (I suspect it’s the former as we had a lot of laminate delivered!). Either way we ended up with a laminate breakfast bar we did not need and your staff collected it in December. However – I was not refunded for its cost. That’s not really on either is it, Michael?

I went into the store in January and complained, and the very helpful local staff rang up your delivery team who accepted I should have been refunded and agreed to do so. This never happened. That’s not really on either is it, Michael?

You might wonder why I have taken three months to complain but as I told you at the start of this email, I have had a lot on, and remember that we paid for the kitchen in June and have just got used to going backwards and forwards (also remember that it took 6 months to get the whole kitchen delivered). I have not gone back to the store as this is clearly not their fault (when I went in in January it was apparent they have no control over deliveries). Please therefore do not treat this email as a complaint against them – that would not be on, would it Michael?

Where is my refund Michael? Also, now that we have finally been able to get the kitchen finished, we have some other left over stuff (boxes of tiles and some extra panels, still boxed. I’d like to return them, but I’d like to be paid this time please Michael. Could you arrange for me to have someone to speak to about the issue?

In general I am afraid to say that I am not very happy with your delivery or customer services team and I am sure you will understand why when you look at your own records and see the 6 month lag between ordering a kitchen and having all of the parts delivered. So in addition to the refund I am owed, and arranging the collection of and refund for the excess parts, I think a good will gesture would be in order. As it happens we are considering buying a new bathroom in 2018 after we are married, and a contribution towards that project seems like a proportionate gesture to me.

Thanks in advance for helping us Michael.

Best regards,

Ab195"

B and Q is taking the line that they can only deal via my kitchen fitter (it was a Tradepoint project) but I am taking the line that I paid for the items, I have a receipt, and the discussion about collection was with me. Do they have an argument or can I press on?

Thanks for reading.

If you think he's going to read that load of ridculous drivel you are far stupider than your post suggests. Really creepy and strange, and embarrassing.

It'll go in the B and Q hall of fame at number 1 as a training exercise. And a good laugh...

A simple, polite and firm 4 sentence letter and you might have even had a refund by now.