71 Year Old OAP Trying To Get My Money Back From Wren Kitchens

zeusmc

Hi,

I hope I'm posting on the right board, if not, perhaps someone can direct me to the correct place?

I paid in full for the units back in January 2025, almost 16 months ago. I'm a 71 year old OAP Wren had a New Year sale 40% off, is not a big posh expensive kitchen, cost £4,631.41 with 40% off, just wanted to replace my grotty old kitchen. In the 16 month period been trying to get quotes for fitting the kitchen and sorting adjacent utility room from others. By doing this, trying to get best quotes from reputable tradesmen, via TrustMark, Tradings Standards Approved tradesmen and Which? Trusted Traders ( Which magazine ) Hoping to avoid the cowboys. I found it really hard to find people. The original understanding was Wren kitchens put you in touch with a Wren recommended kitchen fitter, you pay Wren the kitchen fitting cost and then Wren they pay the kitchen fitter. Anyway, further down the line, the Wren recommended kitchen fitter, said he would not fit kitchen via Wren, only fit the kitchen independently.
So I left it then, complaining to Wren about this and asking if they had another Wren, recommended kitchen fitter. They arranged for someone else to come out.Well he visited and said.... £300 a day.... some cash or could do the job all cash.... no details of work to be carried out, no quote, no nothing. So I went back to Wren and complained. By this time I was starting to get desperate. So I went back to the first Wren fitter, saying I think there may have been a misunderstanding. Asking when he said he would not fit kitchen via Wren, did he mean, he would fit kitchen and sort out the utility room as an indepedent. He said yes next thing he wants almost £7000 in advance before a proposed start date of June the 23d, paying almost almost 3 months in advance. This has all started to turn into a nightmare. I thought paying Wren the kitchen fitting fee and then they pay the kitchen fitter, was a good idea, safeguard as if kitchen fitter did a bad job, then I could go back to Wren, saying I used their recommended fitter. I told the kitchen fitter, his proposal was unacceptable and we have agreed not to continue.
16 months later I'm at the end of my tether trying to get a nice new kitchen, it has turned into a nightmare. Wren Kitchens have £4,631.41 from my savings and I have nothing in return. How can I get my money back from Wren?
Thank you.

eskbanker

What's the scope of your contract with Wren, i.e. is it simply supply of the units, or is there anything to do with the actual installation within that? I get that you're unhappy with their recommended installers, but that doesn't in itself mean that Wren are liable to return your money.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

And where are the units you have paid for?

Grumpy_chap

Your age and OAP status has no bearing on your consumer rights.

What did you order from Wren?

Have Wren fulfilled that order?

Vitor

You’re not stuck, but a refund is certainly not automatic. Write to Wren Kitchens cancelling for unreasonable delay under Consumer Rights Act 2015 and demand a refund. If you paid by credit card, use Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974. However, here are a few material weaknesses in the case:

• You appear to have delayed installation yourself while sourcing fitters
• If Wren were ready to supply the kitchen, they may argue they fulfilled their side
• “Recommended fitters” are often not legally part of the contract

photome

I am surprised wren have held on to the kitchen that long as you don’t pay in full until a few weeks before delivery

Have you taken delivery?

Have you looked on local Facebook groups for a recommended kitchen fitter

£300 a day is about right, although you could probably get cheaper and not pay up front

Your age is irrelevant

zeusmc

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963083#Comment_81963083

Wren make them at their factory when the fitter agrees a start date, Wren want 2 weeks for their factory to make the units to the required sizes.

zeusmc

I ordered and paid for several base and wall units, pre made units not flat packs. When the fitter gives a start date, Wren would like 2 weeks to have their factory make up the units. " Have Wren fulfilled that order? " No because they have to have the units made at their factory. My order was for pre built units not flat packs.Which magazine said pre built units would be better quality than flat packs.

zeusmc

" am surprised wren have held on to the kitchen that long as you don’t pay in full until a few weeks before delivery. Have you taken delivery? " I was asked to pay in full at the showroom when I placed my order, 16 months ago. No not taken delivery, as Wren have them made at their factory a couple of weeks before fitter will start the kitchen fitting.

Grumpy_chap

So, Wren don't seem to have done anything wrong.

Ask Wren to deliver the units to you in a couple of weeks.

Get any fitter of your choice to fit the kitchen.

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81964637#Comment_81964637

That's my reading of the situation, too.

OP, you could try and cancel as Vitor suggests, but I suspect it will fail because the delay appears entirely of your own making, as Vitor points out.

Get recommendations from friends, neighbours, etc. for a fitter. Be prepared to wait a while, the best fitters will be booked into the future, anyone available quickly is probably not a good bet. Once you have someone, arrange for assembly and delivery by Wren.

As for their "sale", they're a little like a certain sports shop and multiple sofa sellers in that there's almost ALWAYS a sale on. You haven't got 40% off, no one will have paid the supposed full price.