Paying extra in case shop makes a mistake.....

[Cuteypye]

I went into a carpet store yesterday and chose a new carpet for my bedroom. When the assistant was working out the cost she took the measurements I had made and added on an extra 10cm to allow for “error!”
Made me think that every time I buy a carpet I am being charged this extra amount! Over the years I must have paid hundreds of pounds extra because of this rule.

AIBU in thinking that the customer shouldn’t be charged the extra in case the shop (or warehouse), cut a piece of carpet too small. If my measurements were wrong fair enough, it would be my fault if the carpet was too small, but surely the supplier should take the responsibility of ensuring that the piece of carpet is cut to the correct size?

If you took the measurements then I would expect the shop to allow for a margin of error. Not everyone can measure accurately even if they think they can.

Also rooms are not always perfectly square ( or whatever). My sitting room is 4" wider at one end than it is at the other. Visually it's not apparent at all but makes a big difference when ordering carpets. An accurate measurement at one end will result in the pierce being too small

It's not in case the shop makes mistake... It's in case you do since you were measuring it yourself... Or side gets damaged during transfer or installation so you can just cut bit off

So, ask the shop to come and measure your room. They'll probably still add on an allowance. Carpets need an extra bit to let them fit it properly as well, they get trimmed to size as they are laid.

It's like sewing, a pattern will say I need a metre of material, I'll add on an extra bit to allow for marks or damage and just because I might lay the pattern pieces slightly differently to the original.

I suspect many customers are not that careful when they measure, or don't have walls that are completely straight or have forgotten that the widest part of a room should include the threshold.

This actually saved me a lot of money!

I was adament that the lino for my kitchen was accurate as I took the measurements myself and it matched the plan drawn up in millimetres for the new kitchen.

What I and the plan hadnt taken into consideration was that the kitchen door was set back by 10cm!

Fitter wasn't best pleased that he had no wriggle room. BUT it did save my bacon

So I would either get them to measure or add on a bit extra next time.

Threshold! that was the word I was looking for!

I used highly accurate measurements....but forgot the threashold was extra.

It's totally normal.

It needs to be bigger than the room measurements so they can fit it and cut it off neatly, plus your measurements may not be entirely accurate.

You've not been ripped off at all

Depends if you're actually charged though. I expect it dependant on the pricing structure.

If you're paying per metre, potentially there could be 90cm you pay for but don't use.

They might also charge for the quoted measurements, but allow an extra 10 cm free when cutting. This extra might be added as standard by the cutters, or by the staff processing the order.

Certainly the allowance is needed, measurements aren't always exact and cutting a big roll of carpet to exact measurements with no error would be quite the feat. Its have to laid out, measured exactly on both sides, set squares out. To ensure its cut exactly straight Etc. So your 'saving' from not paying for 10cm of carpet would be spent on a higher price per metre for the extra time for perfect cutting.

What needs to be clear is who is adding the tolerance, otherwise then you could pay for more than you needed. Did you measure say 4m yourself, and quote 4.1, to which the assistant added to 4.2 and then the cutter to 4.3? Then that's an extra 0.3 that you didn't need.

It’s to help you in case your walls are slightly squint or you didn’t measure quite right.

My hall wall in my last house was 3” wider at one end than the other. Just as well I found that out or I’d have had a problem!

It's not incase the shop makes a mistake. Its incase you have made a mistake, or dont have a perfectly square room, or didnt add in that tiny little bit that wont matter or, or, or.

I'm sure they have processed enough orders to work out the margin of safety required in self measured carpets.

Will the shop actually come out and measure? That's brilliant!

Yep.

I used to work in a carpet shop and whenever we used customer's measurements we always added a bit extra. Because if the measurements were wrong and the carpet was too small then the customers would try to blame us. For their mistake.

Over the years I must have paid hundreds of pounds extra because of this rule.

How many new carpets have you bought over the years? I mean I have never bought a new carpet and I am 42 so unless you regularly move and need new carpets in all rooms, carpet is surely an occasional rather than a regular purchase?

I was about to post the same as a pp in that, like with dress making you need to add on an allowance for a carpet.

When you see a carpet fitter at work, it's not as simple as rolling out and tacking down a perfectly measured piece of carpet.

It needs to be laid down then using a special tool (a knee kicker), stretched and shaped into the edges of the room to create a seamless join then trimmed.

How much stretch the carpet has depends on what carpet you choose plus also there is a variable in the measurements depending on accuracy of measurements in the first place and any features such as wide skirtings/recessed/rooms not being square etc.

Given how infrequently people buy a carpet it's more sensible to add an allowance to get it fitting properly rather (for the sake of 10cm, end up with an ill fitted carpet that still cost a lot of money.

To clarify, the carpet is for my box room. The size is 2.8m x 2.3m at its largest (I had already allowed for 2.35m, which I know is larger than room), so I am already losing over a meter straight away as 4m is smallest width available. Shop insisted on my buying 4m x 2.5m which is 10 square meters instead of 7.05 actual size needed (I know I have to buy the extra width), but feel that the extra 0.6m in case of shop/ fitting error unfair.

In another instance, which is actually much more annoying, my lounge width is 4.92m, measuring at door, which is widest part. When I went to buy carpet I was told that they couldn’t guarantee that the carpet would be wide enough, as variation on width can be +/- 0.02m, and I might have to get wider threshold bar! Surely in this day and age carpets can be made to actual width size?

Shop won’t come out and measure for size, unless it is for something like stairs and lounge. The last time I had open plan lounge, stairs and landing carpeted I was charged for someone coming out to measure it.

I always ask for the offcuts as a matter of principle - carpets and curtains. Carpet offcuts are great for cupboards and curtain offcuts for cushions.

Not everyone likes this but I reckon that I'm paying, so I get them.

I buy carpets every 12-18 months. As I’m a LL and that’s how quickly they get ruined by tenants.

Shop comes out measures up and fits.

Last time I did measure and draw a picture, but they still preferred to measure themselves.

If my measurements were wrong fair enough, it would be my fault if the carpet was too small, but surely the supplier should take the responsibility of ensuring that the piece of carpet is cut to the correct size?

I expect many people get measurements wrong, I know I certainly have, it's not as easy as all that when measuring for a carpet that has to fit exacly.

New carpet shop opened near us offering a great deal so we decided to replace the carpets for everywhere except our bedrooms. When the carpet cutter finished he informed us we had enough extra carpet to fit 2 additional decent sized rooms! Carpet fitter was gobsmacked and said the shop were clearly taking the piss!

You are overthinking this. When the carpet fitter comes, which is always impressive to watch! You will have bits left over, and you won't have been overcharged.

@rhubarbcrumbles I fully realise that sometimes it is difficult to work out how much carpet is needed, if it is a difficult shape, but I don’t really see how you can get the measurements wrong in a 2.8m x 2.3m room!

Not quite sure what you mean Oblomov when you say “you won't have been overcharged.” I am paying for extra carpet that I don’t need.
On top of the extra 1.2m width (that I know is unavoidable) I will have to pay for an extra 0.1m - 0.15m length that definitely isn’t needed.