New-ish Conservatory falling to pieces (literally)

chickendipperbabe

Hi, just thought I’d update this. After two months the company finally got back to me a few days ago and agreed to rebuild the base. I was assured not long after my last post in November that there would be no need for me to get outside parties involved, i.e. a structural engineer as it would all be sorted and arrangements made within days – seems they played me like a fiddle, buying themselves more time.

They’ve agreed to re-build the base but they’re insisting on re-using the original roof, doors and windows. As I said above at a push, I’d accept a total re-build but this re-cycling push has pushed me to the point I would rather have my money back and go elsewhere.

They’ve admitted verbally that the base was not built to spec nor to the plans I signed off so I assume because of that they’ve rolled over pretty easily in condemning the base even though it’s taken them months to get to this point – I suspect the people I had been dealing with were dithering as to what to do or didn’t want to report this to superiors as they’re not longer dealing with us.

We have signed plans that show work that was never carried out plus pictures to prove this. I was just curious to know if anyone has had dealings with rejecting a conservatory (or similar) that was paid for partially on finance?

Davesnave

chickendipperbabe wrote: »

I was just curious to know if anyone has had dealings with rejecting a conservatory (or similar) that was paid for partially on finance?

Not really. We halted work and insisted the company connect the conservatory to the house properly, according to the manufacturer's guidelines. There was a 6 month Mexican stand-off over the various issues.

We would have preferred to reject the conservatory, which deviated from their supplied drawings, but there was a disclaimer printed on those. So, instead, we studied the contract, found they'd breached the T&C and that gave us leverage.

Negotiations broke down and the GGF were no use, so we paid what we considered fair considering the initial shoddy work, the mismatch with the drawings and the hassle they'd put us through. Like you, we didn't want an alteration that involved modifying and then re-using some existing parts.

They grumbled, sent a few more invoices and then fell silent.

Luckily, we built the foundations and the walls. Properly fitted now, the conservatory's fine, though not exactly as we'd designed it.

tonyh66

chickendipperbabe wrote: »

You have a point, in an ideal world they'd refund us and we would go elsewhere but I cannot see them writing off near £20k so easily - the second best outcome would be a complete re-build closely monitored.

Assuming we are refunded, we would go down the extension route.

The annoying thing is we went with a huge national company and assumed they'd "fit the best" how wrong were we! The quality of work is disgraceful though.

Sorry to be pedantic but you have already named and shamed

PhilE

Write some letters and tale action, this is disgusting.

If it has been done by a big company, you have less to worry about them disappearing, which is what cowboys tend to do.

I'd second pulling it down, getting a full refund and getting a proper extension built.