Paid about half quoted price for kitchen. Now they want more before they fit it.

STEINER said:
There is no obligation to report back, but it is surely a matter of courtesy that after seeking advice here, the OP should post how things went with the supplier, whenever she gets a moment. Maybe she is wrecked with food prep, baking and cooking!
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Couldn't agree more! Basic manners also.

While there was a bit of "flaming" in this thread there was also some good advice and to that end I think an update is not too much to expect.
 
I would say an update is unlikely.

While some disagree, Brendan nailed it when saying it was an odd thread/and also possibly defamatory. Despite him asking for information on the terms of the contract, none was given.

Best to note the poster name an adjust advice according to thanks received!
 
Luternau said:
I would say an update is unlikely.
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The OP has treated AAM as her personal way of finding out information for her needs but very seldom, if ever, has offered suggestions, help or advice to other people when they have a query. One way traffic.....
 
But those of us who like to offer guidance or advice need some people to come here seeking help.
 
geri said:
Hi,
How did you get on?
Geri
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Hello Folks,

My cooker was not available at the fitting date and will not be available for 3 weeks approx. Waited in on the day with no update from kitchen co. but the supplier rang me directly late in the evening and offered a loan of a cooker a step down from the one ordered and threw in a small coffee machine to make up for delay. He had such a great manner I just couldnt quibble with that. However the worktop fitting had gone ahead without the cooker and the loaned cooker was installed the next day (same dimensions as ordered one) and is quite lower than the worktop. The worktop is higher than I expected and not a terribly comfortable height. It is normal for them to send a snagger out and when he called I didn't like his initial attidude, wanting to put me on the back foot with some of the snags, and had to stand up for myself.

Brendan, I have no problem telling you the terms and conditions of payment, (now irrelevant) give me a chance, I've been very busy lately.
“A booking deposit of 45% must be made to secure a fitting date. A further 45% must be made on morning of delivery, and the final 10% to be paid on signing off kitchen. Any laser payments will have to be made the day before as the maximum amount we cana take per day is €1,500. Please note if paying by credit card a 2% charge will apply.” The contract also states “Please note all appliances must be on site prior to fitting date or this will incur a call out charge to fit them at a later date which will incur a minimum charge of €100.” !! Turns out that had I known the problem and not already paid kitchen co. for the cooker I could have gone to a nearby electrical chain myself and got the cooker on time for suitable fitting with worktop.

When I first posted, I was frustrated with the lack of communication and the fact that I needed someone to appear in charge of co-ordinating the installation, that was not happening. For instance, I was lucky to realise the day before that existing pipework would not accommodate a dishwasher for instance; couldn't get an answer on whether to remove the old ducting from cooker hood and redecorate wall.

I didnt want to update this thread just yet as difficulties arose and I was going to wait until fitting was finalised. And I have been very busy. Just trying to catch up with all the posts. But......! I am taken aback by the amount of comments on the thread and feel I must make a reply, not least to defend myself against the goading hard line taken by Brendan, who has tried to discredit me on the site. I also understand “defamation” can only occur if untruths are broadcast, and that has definitely not happened in this case. There was poor communication and I felt I would like to cancel due to frustration. The customer is not always wrong Brendan. Poor service and bad workmanship are sadly very common, and if the payment is made beforehand then complaining can be a waste of time. Your attitude is not helping businesses or consumers. I have sympathy for companies wanting to get paid for work done, in this case almost full payment was made before anything was supplied and fitted.
 
OP, Very well put and said.

I don't believe you were out of order. More often than not, the consumer launching a complaint is right. People fail to realise that for a housewife changing a kitchen can be a very stressful event.
 
Noilheart said:
Brendan, I have no problem telling you the terms and conditions of payment, (now irrelevant) give me a chance, I've been very busy lately.
“A booking deposit of 45% must be made to secure a fitting date. A further 45% must be made on morning of delivery, and the final 10% to be paid on signing off kitchen. ...
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Hi Noilheart

Thanks for the update.

So it is confirmed that they were simply asking you to pay them in line with the contract? No more, no less. Not ealier, not later.

I consider "paid about half quoted price for kitchen. NOw they want more before they fit it" to be misleading.

Have you paid in full yet? Or are you still holding back the 10%?


Turns out that had I known the problem and not already paid kitchen co. for the cooker ...
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So, am I right in saying that you had paid in full for the cooker and you had paid 45% of the fitting cost?


My cooker was not available at the fitting date and will not be available for 3 weeks approx. Waited in on the day with no update from kitchen co. but the supplier rang me directly late in the evening and offered a loan of a cooker a step down from the one ordered and threw in a small coffee machine to make up for delay.
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That is a pain. Which would seem to justify your suspicions at the start. When were you told that it was not available before fitting? I would have cancelled the fitting and told them to wait until they had everything on site.

It is not acceptable if they started fitting on the Tuesday without all the appliances being in place. I would be very annoyed with this. If it was an unusual appliance and I knew that there might be delays, I would not let them go ahead without everything being in place. But it's easy to be wise after the event.

the loaned cooker was installed the next day (same dimensions as ordered one) and is quite lower than the worktop. The worktop is higher than I expected and not a terribly comfortable height
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I presume that they gave you drawings in advance of the fitting? Is it in compliance with the specifications?

I presume you discussed the height of the worktops in advance? I know very little about kitchens. But are the worktops not a standard height? I am sure you can specify them to be higher or lower, but I would have thought that this would be discussed in advance. If I was changing my kitchen, I would expect either the workstops to be the standard height, or I would expect the kitchen designer to say something like the following:

"Your current worktops are higher than average - do you want to keep that height?"

You have good grounds for complaint, if the worktops are not the standard height or if they are different from the spec.



I am taken aback by the amount of comments on the thread and feel I must make a reply, not least to defend myself against the goading hard line taken by Brendan, who has tried to discredit me on the site. I also understand “defamation” can only occur if untruths are broadcast, and that has definitely not happened in this case.
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I was certainly not "goading" you.

You named a specific company in a highly critical, but vague, manner.
We have now verfied, three weeks later, that the title was misleading.

Taking this together with the cancellation comment, I felt you were being extremely unfair to a named company. There was absolutely no basis for you to cancel your kitchen. It may have been an over-reaction or it may have been a throwaway comment, but your comments would be coming up on Google for years to come when they search by that company name. If you make those comments, you will be asked to justify them - that is not goading.

The customer is not always wrong Brendan.
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Noilheart - I belive in balanced and fair comment. I don't believe that the customer is always wrong. Nor do I believe that they are never wrong.

If a new poster makes vague, but serious allegations about a named company, I delete them.

As you were a long time poster, I took your comments at face value, left the comments there, and asked you to justify them. That is not goading.
 
Our primary concern is fairness for the sake of fairness, but defamatory posts obviously put me personally at risk, which is why I am especially careful about them.

But, in this case, Noilheart, you have put yourself at great risk as well, as the company involved would be able to identify you clearly from the details in your post.

Removing the company's name protects you and me.


Brendan
 
Noilheart said:
Hello Folks,

My cooker was not available at the fitting date and will not be available for 3 weeks approx.
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Your suspicions were absolutely correct. I see that if you had wanted to fit your own appliance after kitchen fitting they would have charged you a fee. Maybe you can charge them a fee for a late fitting?
 
I think that the name of the kitchen company should be re-instated in this thread and let everyone see that they did not provide the kitchen appliance on the date of fitting but were happy to take the payment for it.
 
Hi Noilheart

I think your experience could be useful to others.

Naming the company may be useful.

If you wish to start a new thread to document your experience in a factual manner , as specifically as possible , I will delete this thread, and replace it with the other one.

But no vague allegations. Just facts.

For example - replace " The worktop is higher than I expected and not a terribly comfortable height" with " The worktop is 3" higher than what was specified" .

The key issues seems to be the non delivery in time of the cooker. The payment issue seems to be a complete red herring.

I will bring the post to the attention of the company and ask them if they wish to respond.

Brendan
 
I don't think that the original thread should be deleted. It should stand. Let everybody see how this woman was belittled.
 
I am glad all seems to have turned out reasonably ok -barring the height issue, which should be standard unless you specified othewise? If not, you should not settle for anything other than standard height. (barring issues with you floor levels which may not have been known.

Re this;
Noilheart said:
He
The contract also states “Please note all appliances must be on site prior to fitting date or this will incur a call out charge to fit them at a later date which will incur a minimum charge of €100
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This is a term to discourage people buying appliances from other sources. Obviously, if you order appiances from them and the appliances are late, they would not charge this. It would be uncollectable as why would you pay for their own delay/error etc? Incompetence should never be rewarded.

As such, mentioning this term is either ;

A. To continue to think/claim they are taking advantage (I saw a gesture of good will on behalf of a supplier which counts for lots)
B. To put more weight to the argument you were going to be left at a loss from the outset ( where no reason to think this existed-a feeling/hunch is not a reason)
C. That you really did not understand the contract you entered/contracts in general-which is something everybody should be -before signing or paying money over.

I think some posts were not fair on you but equally, some of your posts could have been clearer. That said, I hope everything works out and if its not as agreed, keep pursuing them!
 
IsleOfMan said:
I think that the name of the kitchen company should be re-instated in this thread and let everyone see that they did not provide the kitchen appliance on the date of fitting but were happy to take the payment for it.
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An alternative (plus a goodwill gesture) was offered and the customer (OP) was happy to accept this as an interim. It gets down to the contract and it probably says the kitchen supplier has no liability for 3rd party suppliers-of which supply of appliances would be such.
 
mercman said:
OP, Very well put and said.

I don't believe you were out of order. More often than not, the consumer launching a complaint is right. People fail to realise that for a housewife changing a kitchen can be a very stressful event.
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Sorry, but have we gone back to the 50's?
 
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