B&Q Ruined My Wedding, Cost Us Thousands, Damaged My Husbands Health But Don't Care

Wig

I think you have a good enough case to pay for a solicitor to deal with it for you, however, before you do that you should go and talk to Citizens advice, and trading standards and BBC watchdog.

and you should tell B&Q you find their offer to be unacceptable and that you are taking your case to the above groups and you are prepared to pay for a solicitor to help you if it becomes necessary.

under 5000 pounds = small claims court (not sure if that includes your costs aswell) but you are NOT liable for their costs if you lose. Over 5000 pounds and you have to go to civil court, and you are liable for costs if you lose, (but I think you should go for it).

I am wondering though how you are able to read and navigate your way around this forum?

RACHIE77

I agree with Wig, get legal help, whether it starts with the Citizens advice and goes on to a solicitor the way that B&Q have treated you is unacceptable. The fact they have offered you any compensation at all is good news for you as they have already admitted blame for delays etc so its just a case of arguing for a more suitable figure to reflect the losses that you incurred as a result of their actions.

I would also get a Press Release out to the media (I can help you with this if you like) and contact watchdog/rogue traders etc on TV.

B&Q are struggling financially at the moment http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4218006.stm but used to paying up when they are in the wrong http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4286458.stm

If I was you then I would not let this one drop until I had a less insulting outcome! Go for it!

jen_jen_2

watchdog, its free they will do all the negotiation and your likely to get more cause of the bad publicity .

bylromarha

What a horrid story.

Fully recommend you do all of the above.

Don't give up with it. It may get worse before it gets better, but keep on going.

And remember you're a newly wed...thats ALWAYS fun!

Poppy9

I too think you need to contact trading standards urgently to get help to resolve this issue. Have you paid in full or are you holding back the majority until it's finished. If you have only paid a deposit you should write to B&Q and inform them they have 2 weeks in which to complete the work to your full satisfaction. Tell them that the time limit is now material to the contract and if they fail to complete then you will view the contract as cancelled and will make no further payment. With regard to the partially fitted kitchen they are free to collect it after the refund of original deposit and at a mutally agreeable time. I doubt they will come to collect it.

When complaining I would forget the personal bit about spoiling your wedding just concentrate on the facts. They contracted to supply a kitchen within x time and have failed to do so.

I have to say though that if you had to have a specially designed kitchen with disabled adaptations then the council should have provided the kitchen. Speak to your local councillor about this. From what I gather of your original post you and your husband live on benefits. Finding £6500 must be nigh impossible without loans etc.

LizzieT84

I really do want to kick up a fuss because they've caused us a great deal of stress and they've cost us a lot of money.

Unfortunately we're not able to stand outside a store leafleting (believe me, we would) as I'm blind and my husband gets tired very quickly.

We used the form on BBC Watchdog to contact them but we won't hold out for a reply as they must get a lot of mail and secondly I couldn't put in the whole story as they only leave space for a limited number of characters.

The problem with B&Q is that you have to pay 100% up front. That means that they've then got all the time in the world to complete it. They are also very careful so that nowhere on the paperwork does it say they are committed to completing the work at a certain time. When we were on the phone to them and asked them about our costs like rent they said they would sort it out when the kitchen was finished... but according to B&Q that doesn't count as them saying they would pay it. They're obviously used to wriggling and slivering their way out of anything.

The kitchen is finished to a good standard because a lady called Tracy from B&Q came out and inspected the work. She wasn't happy with it. She found dozens of faults with the completed kitchen and even found a flood in a corner cabinet next to the washing machine. She said it had caused water damage and the whole thing would need to come out... the kitchen fitters said that the cabinet dried out fine and that all it needed was a new strip of tape at the front and it would be 'good as new'. All that meant more work but it got resolved in a few weeks rather than a few months that time.

I'm not sure if B&Q are going to send the cheque or not. My husband told them it was an insult and not to bother sending it. The man on the phone found it to be quite a funny joke and said "that's fine with me" or something along those lines.

Lizzie

zak1976

Lizzie,
Sorry to hear of the disaster you have had, but unfortunately that just highlights the sort of "customer service" we get...... certainly with the attitude of "that's fine with me"...... I've had it myself with Powergen.

Keep complaining to Watchdog, they must have a file a mile thick on B and Q by now, (after the outdoor play equipment fiasco!)

Poppycat

I really hope you get this sorted out, understand you cant get out an protest, although I am sure the intentions are there if you could.

I am so angry companies like this exploit people particularly as your needs are special and you can do without this grief.

I wish I could help more, I gone through hell mysel fin the past through ill health so perhaps I have more of an understanding than I once did.

Cerainly IF I had a kitchen B&Q would be the last company I would turn to, but sadly I bet they aint alone in ripping people off.

atomicangel_2

Lizzie, I can sympathise with as I went throught this same terrible ordeal aswell I had planned to have a nice safe clean kithcen to be completed in time for my daughters first birthday party but in the end it took them 5 months to complete what should have taken 3 days. In the end after nearly 9 months we managed to get back 30% the cost of the kitchen you just need to keep perservering with them and when you phone ask for the manger in charge at the call centre ask for an inspection. ! yr later we decided to get the bathroom done again it was a bad idea in the end the tiling job was a mess and we manged to only get back the cost of the tiling.

I will never recommend you go with big co's like B&Q or like as they sub-contract the work and you end up with such a bad experience esp when the installation costs about £3500 for kithcen or bathroom it is more hassle than it is worth.

Anyway I hope you get some compensation back as you cannot get back the time you have lost or your health.

Hope you both feel better soon.

Atomicangel

Sofa_Sogood

LizzieT84 wrote:

I'm not sure if B&Q are going to send the cheque or not. My husband told them it was an insult and not to bother sending it. The man on the phone found it to be quite a funny joke and said "that's fine with me" or something along those lines.

Lizzie

If Watchdog or Trading Standards do respond to you Lizzie, I'd also mention the attitude of the person on the phone.

Good luck ...