Homebase Kitchen Order

Shepherdess13

Update: I got in touch with the administrators and received the generic email response. I then got in touch with the kitchen manufacturer, House Beautiful who replied within a couple of hours. They said my kitchen is due to be delivered in January but did not answer my question regarding the guarantee so I will be following up on trying to get an answer about that as I am reluctant to take the kitchen without the guarantee 

Shepherdess13

And they have responded - thankfully the guarantee is with House Beautiful! Now let’s see how I get on with my worktop and tap which were going to be supplied  by Homebase! 

k10f1

Just to say my bathroom stuff didn't come. I managed to find the same stuff in b&q under a different name and have ordered through them. The guys in my local branch were great, contacting the suppliers and confirming that it was the same stuff under a different name. Homebase tell me the items will be delivered, but I contacted the suppliers directly who just say "those items are not scheduled for delivery you should contact homebase directly to discuss." They won't say more. But they had previously been scheduled for delivery and it is actually the suppliers that you schedule delivery with. I fortunately paid for them via PayPal so am hoping to use the buyers protection to claim the money back. I couldn't risk not having the items because it was half the stuff for my shower. If I didn't get the second half then I wouldn't be able to use the stuff that was already delivered. 

I did have an interesting chat with novuna about the kitchen who tell me they've contacted homebase to get an update on what is happening and homebase haven't got back to them yet. They tell me that I could raise a section 75 claim straight away if I wished, we don't need to wait for a specific time, the fact that I can't schedule delivery, there is unlikely to be a warranty etc is enough of a reason. They also however told me that when they worked with a different company that went in to administration they started cancelling the agreements themselves. Initially it was all section 75 claims but given no money had actually changed hands they decided it was easier to simply cancel the agreements, and that's what they did after a month or so. He said he's not sure if that will happen again, but it's something they've done before.

cptwhite

Just wondering if someone could advise on my situation.  I'm fortunate that I actually had my kitchen delivered mid-Sept.  There's been a number of issues, but we're in the final stages of the install now.  We ordered one of the Kuchenmobel (Nobilia) kitchens, appliances, and worktop all through Homebase.  Issues aside all are installed now.

However there were a few minor outstanding issues which meant the job wasn't fully signed off and required a few misc items from Nobilia (through Homebase).  I'm sure I will be able to source these elsewhere to finish the kitchen, as Nobilia kitchens are sold through various UK suppliers (Square Kitchens in the Yokrshire area for exmaple), but in terms of paying for the kitchen I'm wondering what's likely to happen.

The total cost was about £28,000.  £18,000 for the parts from Nobilia / Homebase, £4000 approx for the worktop (3rd party contractor, bought through Homebase), and £6000 approx for the Appliance (again from AO, but bought through Homebase).

Of this I've currently paid about £4000.00 on Debit card as a deposit back in April '24, and I took out £24,000 on a 5 year interest free load from Novuna.  I chased when the loan payments would become active around the end of October (before we knew about the administration), with my contact/designer at Homebase, and was advised I would be contacted before payments were due to start.  I later spoke with the branch manager (about 2 weeks before they went into administration) who said it wouldn't come into effect until the project was signed off / completed.  

Given the outstanding issues sign off never occured, and Nobilia GB (office based on Halifax that deals with homebase orders) are no longer delivering anything with regards to Homebase orders, understandably.  So I've basically got 98% of my kitchen and (currently) have only paid a £4000 deposit for it.  

I'm assuming I will eventually be contacted by Teneo or Novuna regarding the loan, presumably I just sit tight and wait until then.  Just to add to the confusion when I try to download the contract with Novuna for the loan which I took out in April '24, I go to the website and fill out the details, and it throws up a 'Save As' dialogue box to save the contract as a PDF file.  But on inspection the PDF has 0 bytes of data in it and is unreadable, so I can't even access a copy of the contract.  

What are the chances I slip through the net

Saabman53

We are in pretty much the same boat I don't know what to do we got our kitchen a week past Wednesday minus a couple of bits it was six weeks late they kept telling me there was supply issues now we know why.
I tried to order my order from AO, I got a delivery slot then the day before I got a message to say they were not delivering homebase orders and to contact homebase and was told I had to wait.
So now I have a kitchen minus one bit sitting in my hallway I can't install because I can't get my stuff from AO. We just moved into our house where the old kitchen was taken out except for the sink because the new one was meant to be fitted before we moved in.
I wish I could just phone them up and tell them to come and pick it up but they won't it's just a farce as usual the public get treated like donkeys. On the flip side at least the finance company haven't given them any money yet, but then every time I walk into my hallway and see all those boxes sat there I just get irate.😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

Alderbank

So you now have your complete kitchen minus one bit (presumably a built-in oven or hob since it is from AO)?

Was fitting by HomeBase included in your order or have you organised your own fitter separately?

You mention a finance company - how exactly have you paid?

Grumpy_chap

Saabman53 said:

We are in pretty much the same boat I don't know what to do we got our kitchen a week past Wednesday minus a couple of bits it was six weeks late they kept telling me there was supply issues now we know why.
I tried to order my order from AO, I got a delivery slot then the day before I got a message to say they were not delivering homebase orders and to contact homebase and was told I had to wait.
So now I have a kitchen minus one bit sitting in my hallway I can't install because I can't get my stuff from AO. We just moved into our house where the old kitchen was taken out except for the sink because the new one was meant to be fitted before we moved in.
I wish I could just phone them up and tell them to come and pick it up but they won't it's just a farce as usual the public get treated like donkeys. On the flip side at least the finance company haven't given them any money yet, but then every time I walk into my hallway and see all those boxes sat there I just get irate.😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

What are the "couple of bits" missing from the Homebase kitchen?  Are they generic items that can be back-filled from any DIY store, or are they specific patterned items that match the kitchen design?  If the former, the pragmatic thing might be to buy the bits from any local outlet.

AIUI, the AO parts of a Homebase kitchen would be the white goods so dishwasher, oven and such like.  Often, the kitchen is installed and the white goods fitted into the cupboards / housing / surround after the casement has been constructed and positioned.  If that is the case, the kitchen install could carry on, even without the white goods.  As an interim you may need to make a temporary arrangement with the old white goods.  If the AO items ordered via Homebase never arrive, you will need to purchase the same items from another channel (which may include AO direct).  Given that these types of items are usually all standard / universal fit, any alternatives should be possible to include in the kitchen without changing the design.

lisaandy

We are just going round and round in circles with no contact from homebase shop assistants can not help .We have the kitchen in which is great waiting for all appliances from AO and a work tops …. As a family of 4 this is costing a rather lot of money with eating take aways and ready meals . We have loaned a fridge from friends.. 
I know not the only one in this situation ..
But this could take weeks to sort . I bought on finance have been on phone to them could do claim 75 but that could take weeks . Its all a mess… Its just so frustrating ….. Why no communication from homebase at all    

Saabman53

I cant fit my kitchen because I've got no white goods to put in there as AO won't deliver them and I can't go and buy more incase they decide they are gonna deliver them and I end up with two lots.
If the finance company was able to split the loan agreement I could cancel the white goods and go and buy more but they won't allow me to do that until they know what's going on.

Alderbank

Saabman53 said:

I cant fit my kitchen because I've got no white goods to put in there...

No, that's not how it works.

You fit the kitchen first. Cupboards, housings, trim panels, worktops. White goods can't go in until housings and worktops have been installed. Integrated units are designed for and can only be fitted into standard housings after installation.