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Carpetright - am I right or wrong?
bundly
Posts: 1,039 Forumite
I've used Carpetright about 6 times in the past 10 years. Never had any problems, so never had cause to make a complaint before.
Last month I asked Carpetright to supply and fit 27 square metres of stair carpet. I chose the carpet online and made the order by telephone.
Carpetright took payment by CC in December and they arranged the fitter, who arrived with an assistant on 13th January 2018.
They removed the first section of my old carpet, which happens to be a run of five steps on the 2nd floor, and fitted the new carpet.
The fitter saw a problem immediately, and descended two flights of steps to find me and explain what was wrong.
The carpet is dark red, and the backing is bright white. When the carpet is bent into the 90 degree angle required for fitting it around the nose of a stair, the weave splits open and reveals the backing. Therefore, when the fitter stood back and looked at the five steps he had fitted, they each displayed a clear white horizontal line running from side to side. It did not look good to him so he stopped and alerted me.
We then checked the Carpetright website, which is where I chose the carpet. It states that the carpet is suitable for stairs.
The fitter re-placed my old carpet and collected up all the pieces of the new carpet in readiness to return them. He phoned Carpetright Bexhill branch but the manager (Justin) was busy and the assistant had no authority to allow fitters to return carpets to the shop. The fitter then drove to Carpetright with a small square of carpet and showed the manager the exact nature of the problem.
I rang the manager, Justin, at this point and he gave the fitter authorisation to return the carpet, so he drove back to me, collected the carpet and returned it to the shop.
The problem is, the manager told me that he will not refund me. I told him the carpet is not "fit for purpose" and he said "that's just your opinion". I said the carpet fitter agreed, and he said "that's just his opinion, and we don't refund on opinion." He said my issue is "not with Carpetright but with the manufacturer". He said he would phone them today but if they say it's OK for stairs then it is.
When I tried to tell him my contract is with him and not with the manufacturer, he interrupted and then talked over me loudly. Then when I said, quietly, politely but firmly, "Please don't interrupt, I let you have your say, so please give me the respect of listening to my reply" he interrupted and talked over me as I was saying that! From then on, he instantly interrupted me as soon as I said so much as one single word. Even whilst I was telling him that it's rude to interrupt.
Eventually I asked for the name of the area manager to report him for rudeness, he said "they won't speak to customers, so don't bother." He refused me the number.
Incidentally, the fitter asked me for £40 for his time and trouble and I paid him and got a receipt, but it does not seem fair that I should be even £40 out of pocket over this as none of it is my fault.
I've made a claim to my credit card company, but is there anything else I should/can do? I will take a look on their website to see if there is a complaints procedure.
Last month I asked Carpetright to supply and fit 27 square metres of stair carpet. I chose the carpet online and made the order by telephone.
Carpetright took payment by CC in December and they arranged the fitter, who arrived with an assistant on 13th January 2018.
They removed the first section of my old carpet, which happens to be a run of five steps on the 2nd floor, and fitted the new carpet.
The fitter saw a problem immediately, and descended two flights of steps to find me and explain what was wrong.
The carpet is dark red, and the backing is bright white. When the carpet is bent into the 90 degree angle required for fitting it around the nose of a stair, the weave splits open and reveals the backing. Therefore, when the fitter stood back and looked at the five steps he had fitted, they each displayed a clear white horizontal line running from side to side. It did not look good to him so he stopped and alerted me.
We then checked the Carpetright website, which is where I chose the carpet. It states that the carpet is suitable for stairs.
The fitter re-placed my old carpet and collected up all the pieces of the new carpet in readiness to return them. He phoned Carpetright Bexhill branch but the manager (Justin) was busy and the assistant had no authority to allow fitters to return carpets to the shop. The fitter then drove to Carpetright with a small square of carpet and showed the manager the exact nature of the problem.
I rang the manager, Justin, at this point and he gave the fitter authorisation to return the carpet, so he drove back to me, collected the carpet and returned it to the shop.
The problem is, the manager told me that he will not refund me. I told him the carpet is not "fit for purpose" and he said "that's just your opinion". I said the carpet fitter agreed, and he said "that's just his opinion, and we don't refund on opinion." He said my issue is "not with Carpetright but with the manufacturer". He said he would phone them today but if they say it's OK for stairs then it is.
When I tried to tell him my contract is with him and not with the manufacturer, he interrupted and then talked over me loudly. Then when I said, quietly, politely but firmly, "Please don't interrupt, I let you have your say, so please give me the respect of listening to my reply" he interrupted and talked over me as I was saying that! From then on, he instantly interrupted me as soon as I said so much as one single word. Even whilst I was telling him that it's rude to interrupt.
Eventually I asked for the name of the area manager to report him for rudeness, he said "they won't speak to customers, so don't bother." He refused me the number.
Incidentally, the fitter asked me for £40 for his time and trouble and I paid him and got a receipt, but it does not seem fair that I should be even £40 out of pocket over this as none of it is my fault.
I've made a claim to my credit card company, but is there anything else I should/can do? I will take a look on their website to see if there is a complaints procedure.
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Comments
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I would seek to try get a report from the fitter that shows the carpet isn't fit for the purpose it was advertised for and get a screenshot of the website showing it was fit for use on stairs.
I'd send this straight to their H/O (circumvent the store) and try your refund/replacement request there.0 -
I've made a claim to my credit card company, but is there anything else I should/can do? I will take a look on their website to see if there is a complaints procedure.
They have a complaints procedure: https://www.carpetright.co.uk/customer-service-complaints
On a more general level, your claim would be for breach of contract, because the carpet is not fit for purpose.
As you suggest, you can make a chargeback claim or section 75 claim via your CC company. The CC company is likely to request that you obtain an expert report, as the CC company won't know much about carpets.
Failing that you can make a claim for breach of contract through the small claims court.0 -
Thanks for the replies Cono and Ed. The fitter won't get involved further as his contract with Carpetright forbids him from taking a customer's side in a dispute and he relies on them for his livelihood.
Edddy if I say it's not fit for purpose but they argue that it is, who decides? The court?0 -
Have you photos of the carpet that was fitted?0
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gettingtheresometime wrote: »Have you photos of the carpet that was fitted?
no, the fitter took it up again before I even saw it0 -
Why didn't you walk up the two flights of stairs that the fitter had walked down so that you could look at it (and take a photo) before he took it up again?
It didn't occur to me at the time, because he had brought me a small piece and folded it over to show me exactly what it looked like, and said he was going to take it up again and replace my old carpet. I could see perfectly well on the sample he showed me that I would not be happy with the white horizontal line.
Secondarily, I am semi-disabled and waiting for an op on my legs, and on top of that I am suffering from a virus and felt weak and tired.0 -
never in my life have I heard of a carpet splitting before, either its a very cheap carpet or the fitter didn't know what he was doing and ruined it as he was fitting it imomortui non mordent0
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Or the carpet is too stiff thus not actually suitable for stairs?0
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