Help with poor work completed

dan_2490

Hi all 

I recently had some work completed in my kitchen, integrate a fridge freezer and washing machine.

Upon returning home to check the work (I was working my partner was home) I noticed that the washing machine door has had an unnecessary hole drilled in giving a messy finish.

further to this the fridge freezer had been attached to the housing so that you can not separately open the fridge and freezer? The fridge freezer has also been set so high that my partner is unable to reach the top of the fridge and the builder is not none responsive to my complaints.

I was wondering if anyone could advise on what the next step would be as we can’t leave like this.

Many thanks 
Dan
.
 

Belenus

Have you paid in full yet?

Who bought those doors and are they the correct sizes for the fridge freezer? Has the builder put the lower door at the top and the upper door at the bottom. A further few photos of the entire area with the doors open and closed would help? You may be able to move the upper attachment on the freezer section lower down so that the doors can open individually.

Who decided to put the fridge freezer so high up?

What exactly did you ask the builder to do?

Is anything in writing?

FaceHead

Have you paid? It sounds like you have, otherwise they would be more forthcoming with you.

I'm struggling to understand what's gone wrong. Is it a 50:50 fridge freezer with a 70:30 door? If so, they should have told your it's the wrong door, rather than just trying make it work badly. 

Keep calling or texting them, every couple of days for a fortnight. They are probably just really busy, and being unprofessional in not getting back to you.

If that fails then get another kitchen fitter round to quote to sort it. Then (when you know what's needed and the cost) you can think about starting the court action process. 

If it's that you've supplied the wrong parts, it's not unreasonable for them to want some extra to re-do it, but it's very poor of them to not communicate that they have been provided the wrong parts when starting the job. 

maisie_cat

Is the FF designed to be built in? Did you already have the doors that didn't match the sizes of the fridge and freezer doors and if so what did you ask the installer to do? 
The hole looks like a mistake was made with the handle holes and might need a new door as it looks like plastic or acrylic.
If it's wood and painted it can be fixed easily.
Fridge freezer housing come in 2 types I think, off the ground like an ordinary cabinet and others where the FF is designed to sit on the floor so the cabinet has no bottom shelf. If the FF is designed to sit on the floor it might be too high in a cabinet.
I couldn't reach the top of our old fridge freezer as I'm too short, just one of those things but I knew the dimensions when I bought it.
Did your partner sign off the work?

dan_2490

Hi guys, thanks for your replies.

yeah he’s been paid already,

FF is an integrated model, and FF & cupboard doors are both 70/30, i can’t understand why it’s like this.. I think the reason they don’t align is because the FF has been sat up so high, making the doors not align (I think anyway)

he wasn’t asked to set it so high, that’s been done off his own back.

the cupboard door is acrylic so would need to be replaced I think at his cost as he’s damaged it.

She didn’t sign the work off before he left, in hindsight this should have been done but doesn’t excuse the poor work.

Still no reply, I have a feeling I’m going to have to take it further as I don’t think he will come back to repair this off his own back….

macman

Classic case of failing to set out in writing exactly what you wanted, and where. Then you weren't there to advise him, so he had to make his own decisions (could you partner not have guided him?) Inevitably, it is not where you wanted it. You then made full payment before inspecting the work.
Damage to the door is a separate issue and yes, you should have reduced the final payment accordingly, or asked him to make good. 

dan_2490

I disagree but thanks for your input.

My partner was home if he was unsure, he didn’t ask he just bodged it…

if it’s a 70/30 door and a 70/30 FF it goes without saying it fits so it works as a 70/30 FF. if any issues then he should have asked.

coupled with the issue with the hole in the door I think that gives you an insight to his mindset when completing the work. Poor imo and the fault it his not ours.

Doozergirl

dan_2490 said:

I disagree but thanks for your input.

My partner was home if he was unsure, he didn’t ask he just bodged it…

if it’s a 70/30 door and a 70/30 FF it goes without saying it fits so it works as a 70/30 FF. if any issues then he should have asked.

coupled with the issue with the hole in the door I think that gives you an insight to his mindset when completing the work. Poor imo and the fault it his not ours.

Fwiw, I totally agree with you.  If he hadn't have sat the FF on a plinth then it would fit fine.    Thankfully no permanent damage to that, we just need to remove the additional shelf.   It's basic incompetence.  

Do you have this person's name and address?   You can send a moneyclaim online for a refund of the fitting cost, as both will need to be redone, plus the cost of a new door for the WM.  

However, do you have a handy or just strong friend?  The doors are hung, so getting the FF correct is a matter of unclipping the white slides, pulling out the FF, removing the additional wood and putting the FF back in.  Then you screw the white slides into the the correct position *carefully so as not to drill too far in and through the other side.  

I'm saying that this isn't a particularly skilled job but someone has managed to royally screw it up.  🙄. Where did you find this person, because they can't have ever fitted a kitchen.  I have never fitted a kitchen either, but I know.    They can't have two brain cells to rub together.  

dan_2490

Thanks @Doozergirl, I’m glad it’s not just me…

I have an address and company name, and his first name, but can’t seem to find a surname anywhere. I found him on “rated people” with a really good review score so I’m so disappointed.

how would the money claim work? Never used that before.

I do have someone I could ask to help me put it right but almost want him to come back out just to correct his poor work, I’m not exactly skilled with DIY so if anything went wrong I’d be to blame and it’s is problem to begin with.

dan_2490

His problem**

Doozergirl

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money

You don't need to be skilled in DIY to do the FF at all, just careful.  It's astounding that he screwed it up.  I would not want him anywhere near my house again, frankly.