to expect a discount?

[Abbey0134]

I've posted on here previously about this, but I would appreciate your opinion so please be patient.
My dh and I ordered some french doors, along with large bifold doors and all new windows back in November. A the time we paid a large deposit on all of it. We have had the bifolds delivered and fitted, the windows followed on and my dh and builder fitted them. We then started chasing on the french doors for our new bedroom. For more than three weeks our emails and phone messages were ignored. Then finally we were told that the order for the french doors had not been placed. No explanation, no apology. Obviously this was unacceptable, but the order was finally placed with the manufacturer. We received an email yesterday asking for the balance of payment, no discount, no nothing. I replied saying that I had expected there would be a large discount to compensate for the eight week delay and the fact that we have had to pay out for polycarbonate sheets to be fitted so that we can turn the heating on. Not to mention extended scaffolding costs and rental costs as the lack of doors has meant that we couldn't move into the house. The final balance is £2800. What do you think? The total order for all of the doors and windows was approx £16000.

Yes I'd expect a discount. No idea how much - I'm rubbish at stuff like that but they are in the wrong if you have proof of ordering when you did. If they have ignored you, not apologised etc. and don't agree to a discount, I'd go elsewhere. Good luck!

What is the actual cost to you for the delay plus phone calls? What % of the cost of the doors does this equate to?

It also depends on how competitive they were when they sold to you. You're not likely to get a discount above their min profit margin.

Unfortunately they have your deposit and you've agreed to the original cost. It's only if they want to keep the peace that you have much chance of anything.

Was there a contract that indicated turnaround that you could refer to? I'd be wanting 10% on just those doors minimum.

Yes, definitely pursue this op! Dreadful customer service.

Actual cost to us for the delay is approx £1400. As much as anything it is the way that the delay has been dealt with. Ignoring messages etc. Then no explanation. No apology, until I pointed that out.

TBH I would have thought that to avoid bad publicity they would have offered me some discount.

With regard to the contract re turnaround. All of the doors and windows were ordered at the same time, so we had just assumed that these would follow. I'm completely peed off about it all.
The whole situation has been so stressful. And their customer service has been appalling.

So, after hearing nothing for 9 days, they have come back and said that no discount is forthcoming. They have never explained why the order wasn't placed.
Their behaviour has been appalling the Company in question is ODC Trading. If I could turn the clock back I would never use this company again. We have spent nearly £20,000 with them and this is the way we have been treated.

It's annoying but I don't know if you can actually legally demand a discount for your inconvenience. There might be something in the small print that says they're not repsonsible for delays (even if they are) You could ring the Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards to see what your options are. Or the dreaded Daily Mail has a column on Wednesdays and an address you can write to with consumer queries.

I would send them a bill for the £1400 in extra charges that you have incurred due to their mistake, I would then send them a letter stating that you will be taking the £1400 out of the £2800 still owed.

I would then, purely to be difficult, delay sending the remaining £1400 for as long as possible.

The trouble is that they have our large deposit and won't release the doors without full payment.
I honestly can't believe the way we have been treated.

I've asked for the deposit back as tbh I would rather start again with a different company.

I think that small discount would be a nice gesture of goodwill but unless they specified a delivery date you won't be entitled to it.

My doors and windows all came at different times - but I expected that.

The costs you incurred were presumably your choice - could you have left the board up - or whatever you had before? (Not ideal and I am not excusing the service - just trying to look at it from a legal point of view).

TBH I'd accept the doors - they can't do anything with them so they'd be entitled to keep your money - and you'd be back to square 1

I hope that the project looks great and that as soon as the doors are in you can enjoy living in it.

Sorry - realised I don't sound very sympathetic there OP. I am - it is shit when this happens - but best course of action just get on with it probably.

The point is that they completely failed to place the order with the manufacturers, we have never had an explanation of why this happened. We couldn't leave the boards up any longer as we needed to heat the house to dry out the plaster so we had to pay for the polycarbonate to be put in, but we have had to pay for the extended scaffolding costs and for the extra rent in our temp home. We hung on because we thought the delivery of the doors was imminent.
This added to the fact that they would not repond to calls or emails for three weeks so all of this was delayed for no good reason.
I am so stressed with the whole thing and this was really just the last straw etc.
In my experience companies will do something to try and allay bad publicity, but they are so arrogant they don't appear to care.
Tough luck for me I guess.

Perhaps you ought to pay in full, so your obligations are covered and then notify them in writing of the costs incurred, submit a bill and inform them you will take them to the small claims court if it is not paid. I might wait myself till the doors were fitted ...

TwoAndTwo makes a reasonable suggestion. worht a try. At least you will get your doors.

I suspect they didn't order the doors due to cashflow problems. By waiting until the windows are in and paid for they risk losing less if customer defaults.
£20,000 is a big amount of money to have outstanding. by splitting theorder and receiving payment they lower their risk. They should have made it clear to you though.

It must have been so stressful for you.

Well finally, Twitter did the trick. After I had got absolutely nowhere I tweeted about the lack of customer service. Within minutes they had got in touch and finally we agreed that I should receive £700 discount as a goodwill gesture. I'm so over it and just want my doors, but at least I got something. Just goes to show the power of social media!
Thanks for your support and suggestions.