MSE News: Tesco to refund customers after ditching kitchen business

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Former_MSE_Paloma
Former_MSE_Paloma Posts: 531 Forumite
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Tesco says customers won't lose out after it pulled out of its kitchen and bathroom fitting service - Mark Two ...
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Tesco to refund customers after ditching kitchen business

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  • cifpower
    cifpower Posts: 6,502 Forumite
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    This is part of the reason why Tesco is in a slump. They should be focusing on their core business rather than branching out into kitchens. Did they think they could take on B&Q or something?
  • Credit-Crunched
    Credit-Crunched Posts: 2,212 Forumite
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    A wise decision, I have a quote from Tesco and it was literally 4 times the price of B&Q and 6 times that of Howdens!
  • Furts
    Furts Posts: 4,474 Forumite
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    cifpower wrote: »
    This is part of the reason why Tesco is in a slump. They should be focusing on their core business rather than branching out into kitchens. Did they think they could take on B&Q or something?

    I second this, but will also add that customers who placed orders with Tesco should stand back and ask a fundamental question. It is common sense not to walk into the local Co Op and ask "May I buy a fitted kitchen please?" So why had they gone into Tesco and done this?

    Further, why did Tesco think that their expertise in selling cans of Heinz soup mean that they were qualified to supply and fit kitchens?

    This is a sorry tale where both the retailer and the consumer much share equal responsibility.
  • Money-Saving-King
    Money-Saving-King Posts: 2,044 Forumite
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    Furts wrote: »
    Further, why did Tesco think that their expertise in selling cans of Heinz soup mean that they were qualified to supply and fit kitchens?

    It depends who they employed to run that part. I very much doubt the people who knew about Heinz soup!

    They have banking and mobile phone business's that are still doing fine so just because they started off with a Supermarket chain doesn't mean other things can't work if the right planning goes into it.
  • mjm3346
    mjm3346 Posts: 46,897 Forumite
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    The only surprise is the length of time it has taken Tesco to get out given the catalog of complaints about the company doing the work.
  • callum9999
    callum9999 Posts: 4,392 Forumite
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    cifpower wrote: »
    This is part of the reason why Tesco is in a slump. They should be focusing on their core business rather than branching out into kitchens. Did they think they could take on B&Q or something?

    No it isn't... This is effectively Tesco putting their brand on a kitchen fitter. It wouldn't have taken much effort at all to do, and it certainly would not have been done by the same teams responsible for the "core business".
  • Furts
    Furts Posts: 4,474 Forumite
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    callum9999 wrote: »
    No it isn't... This is effectively Tesco putting their brand on a kitchen fitter. It wouldn't have taken much effort at all to do, /QUOTE]

    Says it all really - "it would not have taken much effort" but Tesco could not be bothered to put in this effort. Either that or they screwed things up.

    The reality is there is little brand value in Tesco, and what does exist is deteriorating by the week.

    To refer to mobile phones is not comparing like with like. However, I work in the construction industry, I know a little bit about kitchens, and have a number of business phones on Tesco contracts. None of the phones worked for longer than ten months. Tesco were than tardy about sorting this. I issued them with some blunt ultimatums and they then sorted matters.

    Perhaps the phone business will be the next to be exposed?
  • Money-Saving-King
    Money-Saving-King Posts: 2,044 Forumite
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    Furts wrote: »
    The reality is there is little brand value in Tesco, and what does exist is deteriorating by the week.

    But how's that different from the other big 4, it's not. Sainsbury's & Morrison's in particular also suffering mainly to the Aldi & Lidl competition. I can't see Tesco's going anywhere.
  • satchmo1
    satchmo1 Posts: 2,750 Forumite
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    We had a kitchen and bathroom fitted by Mark Two, and are still waiting for one replacement door which was marked (it's in situ until a new one's in stock). We've held back £1k from the payment.


    My question is what is the position for their "lifetime guarantee". Is it the lifetime of the partnership with Tesco, the lifetime of Mark Two, or my lifetime (which I expect/hope to be a long time)
    What would you get if all you got was what you were thankful for?
  • adamg
    adamg Posts: 485 Forumite
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    Furts wrote: »

    Further, why did Tesco think that their expertise in selling cans of Heinz soup mean that they were qualified to supply and fit kitchens?

    Im sure Sir Richard asked himself the same question when he went from selling vinyl at the local market to setting up a train firm, a media company etc etc
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