Fitting replacement kitchen cabinet doors

Egeemanto_2

Back in 2011 we bought a fitted kitchen from a well known supplier.  We had it fitted by an independent fitter.  Two years later we noticed the finish on one of the cabinet doors had begun to split.  As the kitchen supplier provided us with a 15 year warranty on faulty items, we claimed for a replacement.  They sent out a fitter and exchanged and fitted a new door.  This year it was noticed that three more doors have developed splits.  When I contacted the kitchen supplier, they said they would offer new doors, but they would not fit them, as the original installation was not by their fitters.  This means that I have to arrange delivery from the showroom, 44 miles away and engage an independent fitter to install the doors.  Are they able to refuse to deliver and fit the faulty items?  The warranty relates to faulty goods not faulty installation!  It is no fault of mine that the doors are not fit for purpose.  Am I able to insist that they fit the doors as was done previously in 2013?

Diamandis

It would be entirely down to the terms in the warranty they provided.

Undervalued

It depends entirely on the exact terms of the warranty. It is a contractual matter offered in addition to your statutory rights, which will have long expired.

The fact that they previously fitted the replacement doors doesn't, in itself, prove they were obliged to. That may have been a gesture of goodwill as one failed unusually early on.

You need to read the terms of the warranty carefully.

mattyprice4004

You have very little to go off in terms of SOGA - you're relying on the warranty. 
If you didn't pay them anything for labour in the first place, I can't see why they'd pay for labour now. 

Alderbank

When you say splits, are these wooden doors which have split or has the vinyl wrap split?

If you paid for the original doors to have the 35mm hinge fitting holes drilled and the new ones will be made to the same spec, they are very easy to change. Two small screws on each hinge. A10 year old child can do it (my 10 year old daughter enjoyed doing them).

Egeemanto_2

Alderbank said:

When you say splits, are these wooden doors which have split or has the vinyl wrap split?

If you paid for the original doors to have the 35mm hinge fitting holes drilled and the new ones will be made to the same spec, they are very easy to change. Two small screws on each hinge. A10 year old child can do it (my 10 year old daughter enjoyed doing them).

The cabinet doors are painted and it's along the rebated recess that the split in the paintwork has occurred.  It may be cosmetic now but will become unsightly if left.  Not just a case of a touch up paint job.

Egeemanto_2

Undervalued said:

It depends entirely on the exact terms of the warranty. It is a contractual matter offered in addition to your statutory rights, which will have long expired.

The fact that they previously fitted the replacement doors doesn't, in itself, prove they were obliged to. That may have been a gesture of goodwill as one failed unusually early on.

You need to read the terms of the warranty carefully.

I'm surprised that the company has the confidence to offer the 15 year guarantee (not Warranty - if this makes any difference).
The wording is as such that it guarantees against faulty materials and workmanship.  Nothing anywhere relates to installation, either independently or their own fitters.  The fault cannot be attributed to wear and tear or faulty workmanship. The burden of fitting costs should not have to be borne by me for their faulty goods.

Undervalued

Egeemanto_2 said:

Undervalued said:

It depends entirely on the exact terms of the warranty. It is a contractual matter offered in addition to your statutory rights, which will have long expired.

The fact that they previously fitted the replacement doors doesn't, in itself, prove they were obliged to. That may have been a gesture of goodwill as one failed unusually early on.

You need to read the terms of the warranty carefully.

I'm surprised that the company has the confidence to offer the 15 year guarantee (not Warranty - if this makes any difference).
The wording is as such that it guarantees against faulty materials and workmanship.  Nothing anywhere relates to installation, either independently or their own fitters.  The fault cannot be attributed to wear and tear or faulty workmanship. The burden of fitting costs should not have to be borne by me for their faulty goods.

Morally maybe but you have no statutory rights to fall back on here.

So the guarantee / warranty terms are whatever they are.  Unless it specifically includes sending somebody to your house to fit them then you only entitlement is to repairing or replacing the faulty doors.

Frankly, eleven years on you are quite lucky that the firm is still in business and that they have agreed to supply replacement doors. Whilst you say it cannot be attributed to wear and tear, and you may well be right, I am not sure that would have been terribly easy to prove if there had been a dispute.