Compensation for damaged rug

City_Girl_3

We bought a new rug last year in the sales - normal price £499, sale price £350

A few weeks ago our babysitter knocked over a vase which created a brown stain. We asked a professional carpet cleaner if they thought they could get the stain out -we sent photos and details of the rug material, stain type etc. The lady who deals with the admin said results could not be guaranteed but “if the stain wanted to come out” they had the experience to do it. Their minimum charge was £60, so they offered to also clean 2 other rugs included in the price. These were 6 months old so didn’t really need professional cleaning, but I though why not if I’m going to be paying £60 regardless. 

When the guy turned up he took one look at it and said “you’ll be lucky if that comes out”. I asked him if it was worth trying. He said yes, I think because we’d have to pay the £60 regardless.  In attempting to remove the stain he actually made it 3x worse. 

I complained to the company. They offered to try again, but the guy who came around had already told us there was nothing more he could do. 

Now they are mooting a 50% refund (£30). However with inflation it’s going to cost us £580 plus delivery to get a new rug. I think we should push for a full refund but curious to know what others think. 

As an aside we do have accidental damage insurance but we have a £350 excess and I’m not sure it’s worth the price increase on the premium to make a claim?

many thanks

First photo: after 

Second photo: Before

powerful_Rogue

City_Girl_3 said:

We bought a new rug last year in the sales - normal price £499, sale price £350

A few weeks ago our babysitter knocked over a vase which created a brown stain. We asked a professional carpet cleaner if they thought they could get the stain out -we sent photos and details of the rug material, stain type etc. The lady who deals with the admin said results could not be guaranteed but “if the stain wanted to come out” they had the experience to do it. Their minimum charge was £60, so they offered to also clean 2 other rugs included in the price. These were 6 months old so didn’t really need professional cleaning, but I though why not if I’m going to be paying £60 regardless. 

When the guy turned up he took one look at it and said “you’ll be lucky if that comes out”. I asked him if it was worth trying. He said yes, I think because we’d have to pay the £60 regardless.  In attempting to remove the stain he actually made it 3x worse. 

I complained to the company. They offered to try again, but the guy who came around had already told us there was nothing more he could do. 

Now they are mooting a 50% refund (£30). However with inflation it’s going to cost us £580 plus delivery to get a new rug. I think we should push for a full refund but curious to know what others think. 

As an aside we do have accidental damage insurance but we have a £350 excess and I’m not sure it’s worth the price increase on the premium to make a claim?

many thanks

First photo: after 

Second photo: Before

You're certainly not entitled to a full refund. I personally don't think you're entitled to anything as the cleaner said he didn't think it would come out. The choice was yours for them to go ahead and try.

Even if you was entitled to a refund, it would be between the cost of picture one and picture two  - which I would say the £30 would be fair. Who would want to buy a stained rug?

The claim should be against the babysitter, however again that wouldn't be for the full amount.

theoretica

What did you have in the vase?  Unless the photos are changing the colour quite a lot, it seems there is more brown colour in the 'after' than could be simply spread around from the 'before' picture.  So I am wondering if this isn't a normal stain but something like the colour washing out. 

If there somewhere in your area that you could take the rug to be looked at?  Maybe that has cleaning/care techniques that are not available for in-home cleaning.  I would certainly want a second opinion before spending that sort of money on a replacement.

City_Girl_3

powerful_Rogue said:

I personally don't think you're entitled to anything as the cleaner said he didn't think it would come out. The choice was yours for them to go ahead and try.

The cleaner said he didn't think the stain would come out AFTER I had already booked and agreed to pay £60 for the attempt.  Prior to that, the company sounded optimistic (without making guarantees).  I had sent the photos and full details to find out if it was worth attempting - if they had said no, I would have found a different solution.  I let him carry on because I thought at this stage, I had nothing to lose having committed to pay £60.  I never expected the stain to be made worse.

Even if you was entitled to a refund, it would be between the cost of picture one and picture two  - which I would say the £30 would be fair. Who would want to buy a stained rug?

If the stain hadn't been made bigger we could have re-used that rug in another room, and with careful positioning of furniture hidden the stain.  

To be clear I'm not asking what I am entitled to, I am asking what would would other people ask for (there is a difference between entitlement vs. settlement).  I get that you think that's £30, and I thank you for the input.  The reason I thought it could be full refund is because I feel I was misled up until the point I agreed to pay the £60, and then the stain was made worse which one would never expect from a professional carpet cleaner.

City_Girl_3

theoretica said:

What did you have in the vase?  Unless the photos are changing the colour quite a lot, it seems there is more brown colour in the 'after' than could be simply spread around from the 'before' picture.  So I am wondering if this isn't a normal stain but something like the colour washing out. 

If there somewhere in your area that you could take the rug to be looked at?  Maybe that has cleaning/care techniques that are not available for in-home cleaning.  I would certainly want a second opinion before spending that sort of money on a replacement.

It was just cut flowers in water.  My hypothesis is that the water had absorbed some of the colour from the stems.  If you google brown water stains, it seems as though the stain can spread if not handled correctly (i.e. rubbing rather than blotting, or moving in an outward direction as you clean).  It could also be dirt coming up to the surface - however this is a relatively new and very clean rug, also the entire carpet was cleaned and the brown only appears in this spot.  So I reckon it's the dirt from the water?

Thanks for the suggestion to get a second opinion.

Diamandis

It was an already ruined carpet,  they advised getting the stain out wasn't guaranteed but you wanted them to try. Pushing them for a full refund, wasting their time, resources, petrol coming to you is unreasonable. 

noitsnotme

Did they clean the other 2 rugs ok?  If so it works out at £20 per rug so you’re only owed a £20 refund making their £30 offer very reasonable.

City_Girl_3

noitsnotme said:

Did they clean the other 2 rugs ok?  If so it works out at £20 per rug so you’re only owed a £20 refund making their £30 offer very reasonable.

Yes, the other two rugs didn’t really need to be cleaned so they came out looking no better or worse than before. 

noitsnotme

City_Girl_3 said:

noitsnotme said:

Did they clean the other 2 rugs ok?  If so it works out at £20 per rug so you’re only owed a £20 refund making their £30 offer very reasonable.

Yes, the other two rugs didn’t really need to be cleaned so they came out looking no better or worse than before. 

They still performed a service on those that required paying for.  Perhaps in hindsight you shouldn’t have asked to clean additional rugs that didn’t need it.  You might have had a stronger case for a higher refund on the one rug then.

TELLIT01

City_Girl_3 said:

The cleaner said he didn't think the stain would come out AFTER I had already booked and agreed to pay £60 for the attempt.  Prior to that, the company sounded optimistic (without making guarantees).  I had sent the photos and full details to find out if it was worth attempting - if they had said no, I would have found a different solution.  I let him carry on because I thought at this stage, I had nothing to lose having committed to pay £60.  I never expected the stain to be made worse.

The cleaner could only make an accurate assessment by actually seeing the rug, not from photographs.  There would be a cost involved in them coming out to look at the problem.  The cleaner stated that he didn't think the stain would come out, but from looking at the rug there was really nothing to be lost by trying.  The rug was unusable as it was.  The attempt failed, but that was always likely.  There is no basis that I can see for any compensation claim.

Ergates

Would your house insurance not cover the cost of replacing the rug?