Howdens Kitchen Salesman taking advantage of elderly father

Undervalued

prettyandfluffy said:

Now I've received a copy of the invoice, the customer name is down as SL JOINERY AND DESIGNS, with my father's home address as the customer address. I'd still like Howdens to confirm all details they hold of the fitter though, as I can't find the supplier online – and get the incorrect cupboard doors rectified, which were supplied incorrectly by Howdens.

The contract is with the kitchen fitters and they are your first point of contact.  You need to check what was ordered, it may be that Howdens have supplied the correct item as per order but the wrong item was ordered.

Exactly ^^^^

Unless your father bought and paid for anything directly from Howdens (which is unlikely / unusual) then his claim is entirely against the fitter. The fitter in turn may have a claim against Howdens if they supplied either wrong or faulty goods.

As I said in my earlier post, Howdens may take a dim view of one of their employees behaving as you suggest. They might (or might not) take disciplinary action against them but that doesn't directly help your father.

Ergates

Undervalued said:

prettyandfluffy said:

Now I've received a copy of the invoice, the customer name is down as SL JOINERY AND DESIGNS, with my father's home address as the customer address. I'd still like Howdens to confirm all details they hold of the fitter though, as I can't find the supplier online – and get the incorrect cupboard doors rectified, which were supplied incorrectly by Howdens.

The contract is with the kitchen fitters and they are your first point of contact.  You need to check what was ordered, it may be that Howdens have supplied the correct item as per order but the wrong item was ordered.

Exactly ^^^^

Unless your father bought and paid for anything directly from Howdens (which is unlikely / unusual) then his claim is entirely against the fitter. The fitter in turn may have a claim against Howdens if they supplied either wrong or faulty goods.

As I said in my earlier post, Howdens may take a dim view of one of their employees behaving as you suggest. They might (or might not) take disciplinary action against them but that doesn't directly help your father.

Whilst the OP's father has no contract with Howdens, I'm not convinced they have no liability here.

The fitter was organised by a Howdens employee whilst they were acting in that capacity, and it certainly sounds like a dodgy deal.  

As well as the poor quality of the service, the payment of the money to the fitters mother sounds incredibly suspect.  Firstly there's the obvious tax-dodging.  Secondly it means that in the absence of an invoice (from the fitter) there is no evidence of any contract between the father and the fitter - a means of avoiding any come back.  

Even if Howdens aren't legally responsible for the behaviour of the fitter, they are responsible for the behaviour of their employee.  The one who set the OP's father up with a potentially criminal cowboy who just happened to be the employees mate.   They should take more than just a "dim view" of this.

photome

Did your father went to SL joinery for the quote ?

If he didn’t how did he get a quote?

Bear in mind it is your father that has the contract and not yourself.

photome

Ergates said:

Undervalued said:

prettyandfluffy said:

Now I've received a copy of the invoice, the customer name is down as SL JOINERY AND DESIGNS, with my father's home address as the customer address. I'd still like Howdens to confirm all details they hold of the fitter though, as I can't find the supplier online – and get the incorrect cupboard doors rectified, which were supplied incorrectly by Howdens.

The contract is with the kitchen fitters and they are your first point of contact.  You need to check what was ordered, it may be that Howdens have supplied the correct item as per order but the wrong item was ordered.

Exactly ^^^^

Unless your father bought and paid for anything directly from Howdens (which is unlikely / unusual) then his claim is entirely against the fitter. The fitter in turn may have a claim against Howdens if they supplied either wrong or faulty goods.

As I said in my earlier post, Howdens may take a dim view of one of their employees behaving as you suggest. They might (or might not) take disciplinary action against them but that doesn't directly help your father.

Whilst the OP's father has no contract with Howdens, I'm not convinced they have no liability here.

The fitter was organised by a Howdens employee whilst they were acting in that capacity, and it certainly sounds like a dodgy deal.  

As well as the poor quality of the service, the payment of the money to the fitters mother sounds incredibly suspect.  Firstly there's the obvious tax-dodging.  Secondly it means that in the absence of an invoice (from the fitter) there is no evidence of any contract between the father and the fitter - a means of avoiding any come back.  

Even if Howdens aren't legally responsible for the behaviour of the fitter, they are responsible for the behaviour of their employee.  The one who set the OP's father up with a potentially criminal cowboy who just happened to be the employees mate.   They should take more than just a "dim view" of this.

But that shouldn’t happen as the public can’t or shouldn’t be able to go direct to Howdens so it should be that the joiner went to  Howdens ( or at least contacted them giving them approval to use his account) and got the salesman to go round and quote rather than the other way round

cmthephoenix

Are you sue the salesperson was from Howdens, it doesn't seem to make sense that a company that doesn't sell to the public would employ salespeople to visit a member of the public's home.

A different company that has a salesman and fitters, that supplies Howdens products to the public would make more sense, including the salesman 'helping out' the fitter.

MeteredOut

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

photome

cmthephoenix said:

Are you sue the salesperson was from Howdens, it doesn't seem to make sense that a company that doesn't sell to the public would employ salespeople to visit a member of the public's home.

A different company that has a salesman and fitters, that supplies Howdens products to the public would make more sense, including the salesman 'helping out' the fitter.

Howdens do employ salespeople and they do visit peoples homes.

The only proviso is the buyer  needs to go through a trade so the trader needs to authorise use of their account

photome

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

Why is it extremely unlikely

MeteredOut

photome said:

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

Why is it extremely unlikely

Because he helped fit the kitchen.

OP should be able to find out quite easily via a call to the branch that provided the fixtures.

photome

MeteredOut said:

photome said:

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

MeteredOut said:

Its extremely unlikely that the salesman was representing Howdens.

Either your father was confused and thought the sales person was from Howdens, because they were fitting Howdens fixtures, or the salesman intentionally misled your father to think he was from Howdens, using their names as a way to close the deal.

Why is it extremely unlikely

Because he helped fit the kitchen.

OP should be able to find out quite easily via a call to the branch that provided the fixtures.

That bit does take some explaining but of he may do that as a second job on his days off

Does the OP have the salesmans name