Carptener not honouring a quote

sfitter

I have a problem whereby I was quoted for a new front door and frame for my house. We agreed on an itemised price and the carpenter went ahead after we had provided our front door aperture size. The carpenter then made the door based on the dimensions of the aperture minus the frame (as you would expect). However, when he completed the door, he said he could no longer make the frame as it was bespoke and that we would have to get someone else to supply one.

We were confused because he didn't give us the option to not proceed before making the door. As he knew he couldn't provide a frame this seems off (as likely we would have cancelled the order). Reluctantly, he then said he could provide a frame but it was going to be £100 more than what he said on the quote. Surely he cannot do this and has to honour the original quote?

For clarity, when we accepted the original quote we do so on email in writing. I paid a £500 deposit but am currently holding onto the £1300 remaining amount until resolved

Thank you 

Aylesbury_Duck

sfitter said:

I have a problem whereby I was quoted for a new front door and frame for my house. We agreed on an itemised price and the carpenter went ahead after we had provided our front door aperture size. The carpenter then made the door based on the dimensions of the aperture minus the frame (as you would expect). However, when he completed the door, he said he could no longer make the frame as it was bespoke and that we would have to get someone else to supply one.

We were confused because he didn't give us the option to not proceed before making the door. As he knew he couldn't provide a frame this seems off (as likely we would have cancelled the order). Reluctantly, he then said he could provide a frame but it was going to be £100 more than what he said on the quote. Surely he cannot do this and has to honour the original quote?

For clarity, when we accepted the original quote we do so on email in writing. I paid a £500 deposit but am currently holding onto the £1300 remaining amount until resolved

Thank you 

You're in a good position, having not paid in full.  The bolded bit is the only concern, because it implies you commissioned two jobs, not one combined one, and he's done one of the jobs.  You can't force him to supply a frame at the quoted price, so your options seem to be to pay the extra for the frame, negotiate a little (£50?) or pay him solely for the door he's built.

Sandtree

What is the reason for no longer being able to create the frame?

Was it headed as a quote or an estimate? Terms are often used interchangeably but one definitively acknowledges uncertainty.

Were there any T&Cs other than the price and presumably the need for a deposit? 

sfitter

Thanks for your responses.

It was headed as a quote. His reasoning for not being able to create the frame is that our measurements are bespoke. Which is fine, (it is what it is) I just thought it would have been better to tell us before he made the door so that we had the opportunity to cancel the order. 

I guess it's terrible customer service if nothing else

No other T&Cs other than price & deposit, and leadtimes. 

Sandtree

sfitter said:

he said he could no longer make the frame as it was bespoke and that we would have to get someone else to supply one. 

sfitter said:
His reasoning for not being able to create the frame is that our measurements are bespoke.  

It sounds like he never intended to make the frame, otherwise it'd have always been bespoke, and instead quoted on the basis of it being an off the shelf item.

From the write up it sounds like measurements were given after the quote was shared? Was there anything in the pre-quote stage that would have reasonably lead him to believe you had a "standard" sized door and therefore it wasnt unreasonable for him to assume an off the shelf frame would be suitable? If there was then it may be more of an issue of you changing the requirements after the quote.

I would agree that upon receiving the measurements it'd been a lot better to call out then that the quote needed amending or at least call out the possibility and let you decide if to proceed under that risk or delay until the price could be confirmed however potentially supplies had already been ordered etc and the cancelling at that point may have been over the £100 difference you are now looking at... I dont need to know exact sizing to know for a shirt I need to buy a 2m length so can do that before finding out if a 15" or 17" collar size

Ergates

It's not a good customer experience.  It's possible he built the door (or started to build it) before he realised the issue with the door frame - though obviously it would have made more sense to have checked first.  If only carpenters had a phrase the might fit that situation....

TELLIT01

Timber prices have been sky rocketing recently so I'm not surprised he is trying to get more money out of you, but he should be honest about the reason.  We have had work done in our garden, raised beds etc, and we agreed at the time of quoting that any increase in timber prices could be passed on.  Our original quote was for about £1400 and that increased by about £200.  He did detail the timber costs in the quote and showed my the bill for the actual cost.