Carpetright lvt flooring

Berty84

Hi all I was wondering if anyone has had a bad experience with carpetright? We moved into our new built house last march and purchased there new range lvt flooring, it was a new product at the time and we was the first customers to buy it, we told them how we wanted it laid and they told us it would be suitable for our needs. They came out measured up and appointed professional fitters who came and laid the flooring however after a month or 2 it started to bounce in one area the fitters have returned twice to try and rectify the problem to no avail carpetright have since told us after consulting with the supplier the flooring should of been laid with door bars to separate the rooms which is what we didn't want and told them at the point of ordering. After many complaints its currently going through cdrl but I don't think we are going to get anywhere with it what are my rights here? Surely they should of had full knowledge of the product they was selling at the time and if not surely the fitters would of forseen such problems occurring?

Aylesbury_Duck

Berty84 said:

Hi all I was wondering if anyone has had a bad experience with carpetright? We moved into our new built house last march and purchased there new range lvt flooring, it was a new product at the time and we was the first customers to buy it, we told them how we wanted it laid and they told us it would be suitable for our needs. They came out measured up and appointed professional fitters who came and laid the flooring however after a month or 2 it started to bounce in one area the fitters have returned twice to try and rectify the problem to no avail carpetright have since told us after consulting with the supplier the flooring should of been laid with door bars to separate the rooms which is what we didn't want and told them at the point of ordering. After many complaints its currently going through cdrl but I don't think we are going to get anywhere with it what are my rights here? Surely they should of had full knowledge of the product they was selling at the time and if not surely the fitters would of forseen such problems occurring?

If you've got evidence that you asked for a solution that "flowed" between rooms and had no door bars, and their appointed fitter fitted the flooring that way and contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, they owe you a resolution.

Alderbank

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Berty84 said:

Hi all I was wondering if anyone has had a bad experience with carpetright? We moved into our new built house last march and purchased there new range lvt flooring, it was a new product at the time and we was the first customers to buy it, we told them how we wanted it laid and they told us it would be suitable for our needs. They came out measured up and appointed professional fitters who came and laid the flooring however after a month or 2 it started to bounce in one area the fitters have returned twice to try and rectify the problem to no avail carpetright have since told us after consulting with the supplier the flooring should of been laid with door bars to separate the rooms which is what we didn't want and told them at the point of ordering. After many complaints its currently going through cdrl but I don't think we are going to get anywhere with it what are my rights here? Surely they should of had full knowledge of the product they was selling at the time and if not surely the fitters would of forseen such problems occurring?

If you've got evidence that you asked for a solution that "flowed" between rooms and had no door bars, and their appointed fitter fitted the flooring that way and contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, they owe you a resolution.

Carpetright's T&Cs say:
We will take reasonable care to identify a fitter we believe is suitable...You authorise us to enter an oral contract for fitting of your product(s) (and uplift of your current products if you have chosen this option) with independent self-employed fitters in your name and on your behalf. The contract for fitting will be under a separate agreement between you and the fitter. 

CDRL (Consumer Dispute Resolution Limited) is an arbitrator who will try to get you and the fitter to each accept a solution which is less than what you would like but is just about acceptable. 
I suspect the fitter will propose lifting the LVT around the doors in order to fit thresholds which will allow some movement and expansion, while you expect them to remove the LVT entirely and give a full refund, so you will not be able to agree.

There is no dispute that the floor was not fitted as you instructed and you are owed a resolution by someone.
However I think that that oral contract agreement will lead to a 'he said, she said' argument which might be difficult to sort.

1. If Carpetright did not include your exact special instructions in the oral contract with the fitters, then Carpetright are liable.
2. If the fitters misunderstood or in some way did not carry out those exact instructions with reasonable care and skill then they are liable.
3. They could each have some degree of liability.

Aylesbury_Duck

Good point.  I was going to make a point about Carpetright's MO of subbing out fitting, but thought it might complicate things.  I thought the simplest angle was to tackle Carpetright on their recommendation of an unsuitable solution, ignoring the fitting element.