Carpetright failure to deliver

buttonmoon

My carpet was due to be delivered and fitted to an empty and unoccupied property  a few days after the restrictions were announced.  Carpet Right didn’t contact me to tell me that they had cancelled the delivery. I had to repeatedly chase them to get them to confirm this. I contacted customer services to ask if they were able to deliver to an empty and unoccupied property (with no carpet or underlay to take away) and the confirmed that they were not delivering at all. I was due to have the carpet fitted and move in the next day. 

A couple of weeks later on their website I spot that they are encouraging new orders with priority delivery! Surely existing customers who had their deliveries cancelled should have priority delivery! It’s really concerning that they are taking new orders (and people’s cash) when they haven’t delivered anything at all for 4 weeks and have no plans to. 

You get no response from customer services or a generic cut and paste response which doesn’t actually answer you email. All they state is that they are following government guidelines and will deliver when their shops open. The shops should be shut but I can’t understand why the cannot deliver (since they use third party suppliers) and it seems like practically every other UK retailer is able to deliver goods. I have asked them if they could just either deliver the carpet and not fit or allow me to collect the carpet but they have ignored this request.  

I paid in full on my credit card. They are refusing to refund customers even though the t&c’s state a refund can be claimed after 30 days if they fail to deliver. 

Now I have read about their financial situation in 2018 and 2019.  I am extremely concerned that they will go bust!  

Ectophile

If you paid by credit card, then talk to your credit card company.  You have rights against both the retailer and the credit card company.

buttonmoon

I think I will file a section 75 claim on Tuesday once it has been over 30 days and breached their own t&c’s 

In the meantime I will response to the genetic cut and paste email and ask them to respond to my previous questions. 

Can they confirm where my carpet is? Is it in the local warehouse and has it been cut up? 

If so can I arrange to collect my goods? Or can they deliver the goods (within X amount of time) and I will  find my own carpet fitter. 

If they are able to deliver and fit (by X date) can they confirm that the will move furniture at no cost to myself. 

If they are unwilling to deliver carpet can  I have a refund? 

buttonmoon

CarpetRight have now spend two days ‘updating’ there website. I’m expecting an announcement on Monday...

[Deleted User]

buttonmoon said:

A couple of weeks later on their website I spot that they are encouraging new orders with priority delivery! 

But you didn't order from their website, you ordered from a shop which has since been closed due to the national emergency. The website would probably have "bounced" a recent order in any case... 

How do you propose that  you could possibly collect your item in that circumstance? Do you expect furloughed staff to attend the store's warehouse  and unlock it for you?   

It would be the same furloughed staff who would have to open the store to load your carpet for delivery by the "third party".

(That would be classed as "work" which the government furlough scheme does not allow..)

You can (of course) exercise your right to a refund after thirty days, but are you truly expecting another non-essential retailer to be any different? You'll still be without  any carpet. 

You  are being very unreasonable in your expectations. The e-mailed responses to you are template letters sent either by one of the few staff still actually at work or they may even be automated. Only on full re-opening will anyone be able to tell you the whereabouts of your carpet and when it will be delivered. 

Understand we are living in a very unique period in history. Anyone expecting normal business practices to be maintained during a lockdown is going to remain very disappointed and it's going to take months before any semblance of normality is restored. 

Have you queued at a supermarket lately?

born_again

buttonmoon said:

I think I will file a section 75 claim on Tuesday once it has been over 30 days and breached their own t&c’s 

Just do not expect a quick refund. In fact under S75 you may find that in the current situation. Its no claim as the retailer has been told/forced to close by the Government. As well as they have a refund policy in place, just like many other retailers can not action as they have no staff to do the work.
Your carpet will still be there when they open up again. And that may well be quicker than trying to source a new carpet & finding someone to fit it, who should not be working anyway.

tiptoptoe

I ordered carpet in store (Not fitted) in Early March and despite emailing them twice I have heard nothing. On the website it says "the majority of stores in England are open and taking appointments" but the store locator shows all the stores near me as closed. Starting to get very worried now as they aren't even answering their phone for new sales.......always a bad sign. Does anybody have a store near them that is actually open or any information as to their financial position? I'm just thankful I paid on Credit card

pinkshoes

Why do people still use these big companies?!? Contact a local independent carpet fitter who will get you a much nicer carpet for the same price. My local carpet company (no store, just samples and online to minimise costs) fitted a carpet last week for me and I didn't have to pay until it was fitted and I was satisfied.

Button Moon, push for the full refund and go elsewhere.