Fitted wardrobe people messing about – WWSTWD

We organised for some fitted wardrobes for our new house a few weeks ago and paid a deposit to the designer after talking through some options. A surveyor was meant to come the week after but didn’t show up, and nobody let us know that they had cancelled.

We phoned them the next day and they said that the surveyor couldn’t come because they were ill (no apology for not letting us know this). Our fitting dates are now delayed. They want us to now wait around for another day for another surveyor to come (they won’t give us a specific time frame, just that we have to be in all day on a weekday and wait for them to knock). The dates they say they can do are when we’re both at work (I’m an A+E doctor, she’s a teacher, so we can’t easily take time off or WFH for this sort of thing).

The company say if we cancel now then we lose 25% of what we’ve already paid them which will be about £175. I don’t think this is right – they have essentially breached contract by not turning up and they can’t organise a date to come when we can be in, as they’ve already said they don’t do surveys on weekends. Despite me being grumpy on the phone, they’re digging their heels in.

We paid by credit card – can I do the chargeback thing for this? Is there anything else we can do?

Thanks for any advice.

Sharps / Hammonds et al. do good work but at a cost of a designer, surveyor, fitter and a whole army of support staff so very expensive. Can you find a joiner / carpenter as ultimately that’s who’ll be doing the work? You can try charge back route but T&C’s will likely defeat this approach. Unfortunately it’s not unreasonable for a firm to cancel due to illness and need to rebook but sounds like poor communications.

Have you got the design as a joiner / carpenter could work from that and save you a lot of money compared to the big companies anyway? You could look at as £175 to get a custom design.

A surveyor was meant to come the week after but didn’t show up, and nobody let us know that they had cancelled.

So, if they were a no show, isn’t that some sort of “breach of contract”?

You can phone the CC company and speak to them re. a chargeback, that would certainly be the simplest option if they are willing!

I would now formally write/email the company stating that they were in breach of contract. They either supply different mutual dates across a holiday period, or you will accept they have breached contract. If they do not refund then you will CC chargeback on them.

Aye, if they can’t be bothered to turn up/manage the Survey properly,  how are they ganna be for the rest? Do a charge back, find someone else and thank your lucky stars…

Sorry, I’m a little confused here. If you can’t be at home for a rescheduled surveyor’s visit, how were you available for the first one and how do you expect them to actually do the work?

In any case, assuming you ordered this at a distance (phone, online etc) this falls under Consumer Contract Regulations. You have a right to cancel an ordered service within 14 days. Outwith that, as others have said if you paid by credit card then the card issuer is jointly liable under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Also,

There’s no way I’d have handed over 700 quid to someone who hadn’t even been round with a tape measure yet. How did they come up with a quote?

Have you got the design as a joiner / carpenter could work from that and save you a lot of money compared to the big companies anyway? You could look at as £175 to get a custom design.

+1 for cut your losses and find a good joiner to make them for less anyway.

It’s just the kind of work my dad used to do as a non-specialist (but v talented) carpenter – and the results were amazing.

By all means do a chargeback as well, but don’t go any further with such an unhelpful company.

What does your contract say? Someone being ill is not unreasonable, not communicating is poor and would have me worried. How “reasonable” are you being in expectations of rearrangement of visits?

I’d be careful running around shouting breach of contract if you’ve not read it and if they are (or you are not) being “reasonable”.

I’d be asking how they have incurred £175 of costs for someone not to visit, and if there has been any design then if they are charging you the designs should be considered as assets that transfer.

I was home for the Monday they were meant to be round as I’d worked the weekend before so it was a day. Now they’re being inflexible with the dates they’re offering for the survey, all of them are when I’m rota’d to be in work. The planned work dates was when I have AL booked, but if they can’t make those then it’s likely we won’t be able to let them in to do the work.

The quote was based on measurements the designer took of the room who came round a few weeks ago.

We’re out of the 14 day period now as they (Hammonds) have dragged their heels so much getting back to us with new survey dates…

If it was me and they won’t work with you for reorganise dates I’d take the deposit % hit and be glad I don’t have to deal with them if they are this shit.

Be a pain to find someone else, but sounds like you’ve dodged a bullet with them.

I’d be bloody bitter about it and leave as many negative reviews around as I could (obviously ensure you abide by the GMC’s be kind guidance)

If they gave you the design then charge is fair or else you could just take their design to someone else

Please provide contact details of these joiners that will do something like this for £700 though lol

Please provide contact details of these joiners that will do something like this for £700 though lol

I don’t believe £700 is the total price, just what OP has “already paid them”.

Do tell us the price though OP. It’s not a state secret or anything 😉

ah yes, my mistake

We got some quotes for fitted wardrobes years ago from Hammond’s and possibly Sharps.

I can’t honestly remember now who it was with, but it was two of the big names who advertise around this time of year & who have showrooms in the larger DIY stores.
The quotes were ridiculous. Getting on for £8k for a fitted wardrobe with just rails inside. Oh, you want shelves & perhaps some drawers, that will be extra…..cha-ching.
They obviously then load it up with big discounts, but you still end up paying well over the odds.

We ended up using a company called gliderobes.
You design it yourself largely, but they are very helpful with advice and tips on how to get the best out of the space. When you have something you are happy with, they will send out their contracted fitter to check your measurements prior to starting manufacture.
I think we paid around half of the price of the most heavily discounted price from the big name brands in the end.

I’d be trying to get my deposit back – what have they actually done to justify keeping that money & looking elsewhere.
I’d struggle to deal with them going forwards, given that their attitude up to now doesn’t seem entirely helpful.
Good luck with it.