Bespoke kichen company sold me chairs from false manufacturer

Okell

Tomtwins said:

... The ‘owner’ told us that a company called Coach House provided them, which supplies John Lewis. He sent me an email with a link to the Coach House website with prices for the chairs in the email. 

Just to note, these chairs were not on this website. I ordered these via email correspondence last April 2023...

Perhaps it's just me, but can anyone explain in English what this means?

The OP bought chairs that were not on the "bespoke designers" website, but understood that they were from the bespoke designer?

I don't know why people can't be clearer about what they mean...

user1977

Okell said:

Tomtwins said:

... The ‘owner’ told us that a company called Coach House provided them, which supplies John Lewis. He sent me an email with a link to the Coach House website with prices for the chairs in the email. 

Just to note, these chairs were not on this website. I ordered these via email correspondence last April 2023...

Perhaps it's just me, but can anyone explain in English what this means?

The OP bought chairs that were not on the "bespoke designers" website, but understood that they were from the bespoke designer?

I don't know why people can't be clearer about what they mean...

And it seems they are not bespoke chairs but "Bespoke" chairs...or does the OP mean they were somehow made to order?

mybestattempt

I think the email from Bespoke Kitchens said how much the items would cost to buy from them.

The email also contained a link to the Coach House website but the same items weren't on the website. 

The OP went then emailed Bespoke Kitchens to confirm they wanted to buy the items and paid Bespoke Kitchens the price they had quoted.

This was about ten months ago and the OP now thinks they could have bought the items for a lower price from Dunelm.

Does it matter who supplied the chairs to Bespoke Kitchens?

Would it change things if they had been on the Coach House website?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Tomtwins said:

on checking the underside of the chairs and stools, where the make and material labels should be, they have all been cut out, which I thought was odd. 

Hello OP

Are the chairs upholstered? If so do they still have the fire safety labels?

DullGreyGuy

ThumbRemote said:

Bespoke: "ordered to be made, as distinguished from ready-made" (Oxford English Dictionary). "Custom made" (Merriam-Webster). 

If you have received off-the-shelf chairs from Dunelm then you haven't received what was advertised. 

If you have sufficient proof of what was advertised (ie not just word of mouth) then you could take them to small claims court for a refund or price reduction of the furniture. 

It's a bespoke designer not a bespoke manufacturer... you say you want X feel to your kitchen and they will design the look for you. That could be involving making certain items but much more will be buying commercially available items and it's the combination and placement of them that is "bespoke".

Look at any bespoke kitchen... how many have a unique hob made just for then? Most have Hotpoint or Bosch or Miele or Wolf. 

If you buy things via a "personal shopper" or "interior designer" etc there is often a markup involved. Often their spread of suppliers is to broad for them to get big discounts from the companies they buy from and so either you pay by the hour or they simply markup the items you buy from them. 

Clearly the OP liked the items, they paid a premium for them but they didnt have to waste 4 weekends trawling websites and furniture shops to find something similar. Would really have to see the exact exchanges to see if there was anything misleading but sounds more like the OP misunderstanding what a designer does and how they make their money as nothing suggests that it was stated that "Coach House" were manufacturing the items. 

Tomtwins

Thanks to all your replies. The chairs are exactly the same as Dunelm. The  ‘owner’ mislead me to believe these chairs would be ‘custom made’ from a specialised furniture designer that also supplies John Lewis. No mention of Dunelm in the conversation at the show room. I ordered the chairs directly from the ‘owner’ via email. Correspondence was all via emails.

My family member asked the ‘owner’ to order the same chairs as myself, and attached the original email he had sent me with the prices (the original email also had pictures of the chairs). I don’t understand why he confessed he actually bought them from Dunelm to my family, maybe he felt guilty, but again why cut all the labels out from underneath the chairs (my guess is they said ‘Dunelm’ on them), who knows.

As my family member said ‘it looks like you have been ripped off’. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

@Tomtwins

Are the chairs upholstered? If so do they still have the fire safety labels?

If they are upholstered but the fire labels have been cut out you'd be entitled to reject the chairs for a refund. 

user1977

Tomtwins said:

Thanks to all your replies. The chairs are exactly the same as Dunelm. The  ‘owner’ mislead me to believe these chairs would be ‘custom made’ from a specialised furniture designer that also supplies John Lewis. No mention of Dunelm in the conversation at the show room. I ordered the chairs directly from the ‘owner’ via email. Correspondence was all via emails.

My family member asked the ‘owner’ to order the same chairs as myself, and attached the original email he had sent me with the prices (the original email also had pictures of the chairs). I don’t understand why he confessed he actually bought them from Dunelm to my family, maybe he felt guilty, but again why cut all the labels out from underneath the chairs (my guess is they said ‘Dunelm’ on them), who knows.

As my family member said ‘it looks like you have been ripped off’. 

But if they're the same specification you were expecting (which doesn't appear to be any sort of  "bespoke" spec?) then I'm not sure what remedy you're seeking?

DullGreyGuy

Tomtwins said:

Thanks to all your replies. The chairs are exactly the same as Dunelm. The  ‘owner’ mislead me to believe these chairs would be ‘custom made’ from a specialised furniture designer that also supplies John Lewis. No mention of Dunelm in the conversation at the show room. I ordered the chairs directly from the ‘owner’ via email. Correspondence was all via emails.

My family member asked the ‘owner’ to order the same chairs as myself, and attached the original email he had sent me with the prices (the original email also had pictures of the chairs). I don’t understand why he confessed he actually bought them from Dunelm to my family, maybe he felt guilty, but again why cut all the labels out from underneath the chairs (my guess is they said ‘Dunelm’ on them), who knows.

As my family member said ‘it looks like you have been ripped off’. 

Maybe said designer does supply John Lewis but also Dunelm? A random Google shows one furniture maker, ironically of stools, that does make for JL, Dunelm and Next in NE England

What aspect of the order did you customise? Sounds like you were buying identical items to the ones you'd seen?

sheramber

Did you look at the Coach House website which clearly states they  are a trade supplier , supplying any retailer who meets their requirements.  Nowhere do tye claim to be a bespoke designer.

Did you assume, because the shop name included 'bespoke' that everything he sold was bespoke? 

Do you have any proof that the shop owner claimed they were made by Coach House.

You were happy to buy them, thinking they could be supplied to John Lewis.

No matter who sold them you , were obviously happy with the chairs and were prepared to pay the price asked.

You can buy items cheaper in Tesco then in the corner shop, but  McVities biscuits are the same whether bought in Tesco or the corner shop.  

Do you not want the chairs now that you know you can buy similar  in Dunhelm?