Any recommendations for fitted wardrobes?

I have to say I've had a really bad experience with Hammonds which has left a very bitter taste.

I bought the Cedar range - very similar to their current Libretto range(or their other laminate or non real wood furniture), it cost me the best part of £3000, which was a lot of money for me and I took out their finance to pay for it. At the time it was my most expensive home purchase and to put it in context even my fitted kitchen cost less at the time. I was happy to do this because I believed I was buying a quality product which would last me for years!

This was in August 2000, by 2004, four years later, the laminate from all the doors began to come unstuck. Not in bits, bubbles or tears but literally coming away from the MDF doors. I called Hammonds and the doors were changed, I didn’t even have to explain too much what was wrong as they understood immediately the problem which made me think this wasn't the first time they had come across it.

Fast forward now to 2013 so nine years after the replacement doors were fitted and all the laminate on the doors has come off, again not in bits but complete sheets so there is clearly something wrong with the adhesive.

The rest of the wardrobe is still in the same excellent condition as it was the day it was installed. This is clearly a manufacturing fault and I have seen on some other forums that other customers have experienced the same problem.

I called Hammonds to report the problem and was told someone would call me back. I won't dwell on the delayed returned calls but I was then told that the ‘Guarantee Manager’ had emailed the Customer service assistant and that I was not covered as my five year guarantee had expired.

Despite this clearly being a manufacturing fault and nothing to do with negligence, Hammonds have said that as I’m no longer covered and I would have to pay them again to put right the doors. I have been quoted £300 to do this. Remember the wardrobes cost nearly £3000 in the first instance.

I can’t tell you how shocked and appalled I am by this company and their lack of pride.

Their website says a ‘ full ten year guarantee’ which given that the doors were replaced in 2004 I would’ve thought would’ve still applied but I was told that the ‘ten year’ guarantee was only introduced five years ago and therefore didn’t apply to me!

Being quite desperate I asked how long the new doors if I paid the £300 would be guaranteed and was again told only '5 years' again.

Given that I have had problems twice once at 4 years and then again at 9 years and Hammonds are not prepared to guarantee for longer. Deep down I knew I would be throwing £300 away in a few years time.

The Hammonds customer service agent said if I’d bought a car over 10 years ago I wouldn’t expect it to be covered now! As far as I can tell Hammonds wardrobes do not have the complex electrical or mechanical design nor mileage of a car so I'm not really sure what her point was?

I have Victorian wardrobes which are more than 100 years old and are not falling or peeling apart like this. At the moment even the Argos chipboard wardrobes I bought for £180 look like they are going to outlive the Hammonds wardrobes.

£3000 by most people's standards is a significant amount of money and it's not unreasonable to expect a quality product for that price and one that lasts.

I would expect a company that charges £3000 to have some pride and responsibility to their customers and even as a goodwill gesture re-glue/replace the doors but it seems not Hammonds.

All I can say is think very carefully before going with Hammonds.