In brief, I contacted an online furniture maker to construct me a washstand for my bathroom that I am having renovated. The item is made to my dimensions and I saw pictures of the examples before ordering. The examples were darker and looked well constructed and well planed and sanded.

The item has arrived today and its terrible. It looks like a GCSE project. Genuinely, its very poor quality. It looks like a floor joist has been used and some old bits of wood off a pallet. It would look OK in a garage, just. But that’s all. I would estimate the cost of materials to be about 40 quid. Then there’s about 10 screws and 20 nails. I could make it in an hour, but wanted something that would look appropriate in the bathroom i’m renovating and so asked a professional to make it for me – or so I thought.

I’ve emailed the website and they have responded by saying its rustic and supposed to be like that. Its made to my sizes so there’s nothing they can do about it. They have offered me a 10% refund. The item is useless, not fit for purpose and looks very amateurish. As its an item that’s made to order, is there anything I can do about it?

I’m guessing distance selling wont apply due to the ‘bespoke’ nature of it.

Any advice would be great

Thanks for reading

Other than the standard cooling off period on distance selling not applying, you should still have your normal consumer rights.

Remember that, if you’re not querying the dimensions (as I understand the bespoke part), then I’d say you have a legit right to complain about the poor quality vs the examples you saw online.

Pictures???

Chargeback via credit card?

And save the pictures that you based your purchasing decision on, (in case they take them offline) and take some of the actual product for comparison.

Oh come on…

We’ve got to see some pics of what you got versus what you expected…it’s only fair. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on…

Why did you not source a local joiner? If it was that important to you, then buying something handcrafted online is possibly only going to end up in tears.

Without pics this is the sum total of my ‘sympathy’

This washstand thread is useless without pitchers. 🙂

I agree. We can’t offer sympathy or support without pictures.

Or laugh heartily.

Did your heart sink when you saw it?

Was it from the WCA design studio ?

STW are firm on this one. No pics: advice. 😐

I’m sure ewer proud of those puns.

Sounds like money down the plughole.
RM.

Still no pics? (Really, it’s not to have a laugh OP…I would be genuinely sympathetic if their images on the site are unrepresentative of what you got delivered.)

It’s really quite simple. Something we haven’t seen is perceieved to be not as good as something else we haven’t seen.

I say we get the torches burning and sharpen the pitchforks. Oh, and it was his own fault for riding like that. If he hadn’t the chippy would have never have had cause to run him off the road at a pinch point and be so annoyed at the militant cysclist that he had an off day at work

they have responded by saying its rustic and supposed to be like that.

Does the description on the website say that?

The examples were darker and looked well constructed and well planed and sanded.

If the item is obviously different from the website photo then I would think you would have a very strong case.

Ask for a full refund and if they refuse then speak to Citizens Advice initially, they are normally very helpful.

consumer direct rather than CA I would have thought.

Oi! That chair is very comfortable and well made.

Well..

Who do we complain to about the lack of pics?

Can Consumer Advice do anything about threads which really need pictures not having the required pictures?

I’m sure the example I saw on the web had pictures.

No pictures makes it a washout!

To be fair, if it is a washstand and he doesn’t know where to stand either it is a piss poor washstand, or he has bigger problems than the quality of the craftsmanship…

Somebody needs to pull the plug on this thread, and wash their hands of the sorry soap opera its becoming, before towels are dropped on the floor and everything comes to a stand.

Agreed. Someone needs to faucet to a conclusion.

Consumer Contracts Regulations (the replacement for the Distance Selling Regs) allow you a 14-day cooling off period to reject the goods. However, bespoke items are exempt from this, so we’re onto the SoGA.

SoGA states that goods must be “as described,” “of satisfactory quality” and “fit for purpose.” From what you say, it sounds like they’re in breach of the first two. So that’s the angle you need to pursue. They need to make good – ie, provide what you’ve ordered – or refund you.

Given what you’ve said, I expect you’re going to have a fight on your hands. I’d start keeping track of all communications with them.

first of all the place you are telling from where you bought bespoke furniture i haven’t heard of them ever before still why dont you complaint back they will surely deliver right goods to you or you can contact these guys i have linked them above they might be able to help you.
gilmore

Holy random thread resurrection Batman!

Suspicious mod is suspicious.

Suspicious mod is suspicious.

Suspicious mod is suspicious

I don’t know why.

when you have suggested other threads at the bottom of the page that lead directly into the past; it’ll happen.

Is it cruel to make furniture distressed?

Those adds must make google a fortune,

Google adds: “What do STW’ers want?”

The internet: “audi”, “orange 5”, “rustic bathroom wash stands”, “more STW!”

Google Adds: “Genius, they’ll click the add, ST will pay us, they’ll click the add again, it’s a vicious circle!”

so we still don’t have any pics or a resolution?

Should have asked Kayak23…
🙄

Suspicious mod is suspicious

Suspicious mod #2 has removed the advertising link.

In totally unrelated news that has nothing at all to do with the thread resurrection honest, here’s a picture of a sockpuppet.

That’s not the sock puppet I was expecting, I want a picture of a better quality one. Don’t make me quote the socks are good act.

I don’t know why.

when you have suggested other threads at the bottom of the page that lead directly into the past; it’ll happen.

Yup. Ive been quilty of it before. Click a suggested thread, have a read, then realise its 18 month old.

Has Joe Cocker died?