Who's BU? Paying for a messed up order

[CalaBallas]

We are purchasing a new build property and we sourced quotes for granite worktops in the kitchen and the utility. We decided against ordering for the utility due to cost and went ahead with just the kitchen.

I had an email from our sales rep this morning to say that the wrong quote was actioned, and granite for both the kitchen and utility has been delivered. Our original quote to add it on in the utility was for £875, and they've said as a good will gesture if we want the granite they will only ask to recoup £375 towards it.

I'm happy to pay, we did want it and just didn't want to pay out that much more for such a small room. £375 seems more reasonable for the size of our utility - might aswell?

Dh is insisting it's their error, we've ordered a specific granite that's useless to the developers and wants to fight to get it for free. I'm worried in doing so we'll sour our relationship with the developer and possibly get the granite in there at all.

Who's BU?

Good decision. I was coming on to say that I work in construction (although on the client side) , and on your new build, you will have rights to snagging to be done for at least a year - it's better to pay the smaller amount to maintain a relationship with your builder. Snagging items will generally be smalll items that cause far bigger amounts of irritation - having to wait for weeks to get those done isnt worth the price.

Its their mistake and you've ended up giving them more money. But they've clearly done a good job at convincing you so they don't lose out due to their mistake. The bit about not wanting to upset them by refusing to take it or pay them more money is a bit odd what kind of developers are these?

Slightly baffled why this has turned into such a battle of right and wrong. You've ended up paying more money for something you didn't order so yes, you now have granite in your utility room but its not some kind of great victory warranting quite the victory dance going on here!

It is a victory if they are paying less than half price for something they wanted but couldn’t immediately justify.

The developers could have asked another buyer if they wanted it and recouped their losses or written it off.

They didn’t have to sell it and they could easily have not offered it.

Win/sort of win in my book.

Correct and wise outcome OP.

I'd have paid it no question.

You would have been kicking yourself (or rather your DH) otherwise.

Happy days.

Seems like a good deal to me. Your husband is being really grabby.

Your husband sounds extremely entitled. If they were saying to you that they ordered it and you had to buy it then I would say they were bang out of order. They admit it was their error so you can leave it and pay what you originally were quoted which is all they have to do. OR you could look at it and say that you originally wanted it but couldn’t afford it and are now lucky enough to be getting it for the right price. If I was the contractor I would rather throw it away than give it for free to someone as entitled as your husband and I wouldn’t go out of my way to go the extra mile for him after that.

I would pay it and be pleased with the discount.

We had a mistake with the worktop in our kitchen (not ours, nor the builders but the granite company's) and got a 50% discount. £375 for granite in the utility that would have cost £875 is definitely worth taking. You'll need to pay for a worktop in the utility anyway presumably which could easily cost more than £375. Granite worktops sell really well on ebay so the developer might well just take it away if they think you're being grabby.

You don’t need to pay for it but your DH has no right to expect to get it free. If I was the supplier I’d take it on the chin and keep the granite to hopefully use on another job with possibly wasting some of it. Your DH is a bit of a CF. Or at least a chancer.

Pleased you sorted it! I would have also paid for it, £375 is a good deal, they are unlikely to sell it to you for less, they are probably selling it to you at cost and I would be very happy. How much would the alternative worksurface for utility cost? It might have been about the same price, DH could have cut off his nose to spite his face! Just as well voice of reason won!

I’d go for the £375. We moved house last year and there was a glitch with ordering granite worktops for our new kitchen - we ended up waiting several weeks for it to be resolved. Because they have to be measured so accurately and then made to spec, if the order goes awry you have to wait to the suppliers’ convenience as to when it can all be done again. It’s a good price and I’d stick with it.

Expecting them to just give it to you us pretty awful I think. They are being very reasonable in their offer where you both receive the benefit of their error, which they have admitted to. There’s nothing to say that someone else won’t buy it from them either.

They may be swinging it. It may be an honest error. Doesn't matter. Do you want it and is £375 a good price? You could always try to knock them down to £300. Settle at £350.

Hes being unreasonable, you have TWO choices:

You can refuse to pay but not get the extra product you dont pay for
or
You can pay and get the product (luckily for you at a discount)

What you absoloutly cannot do is demand it for free... and its insane to think that it can only be used in your house, of course it could be repurposed elsewhere or resold why should they just 'give' it to you.

Nobody is BU. I’d personally pay it and be glad I benefited from the mix up and the developer didn’t lose out too much. If you try to negotiate they may call your bluff and you won’t get the granite and you’ll be annoyed forever (well I would be!)

I agree with your husband. They are trying to charge you for something you didn't order and making out as if they are doing you a favour.

If it was the granite I wanted anyway and I was getting a 60% discount, after trying to knock them down a bit again, I would take it either way.

You are living in the house for years, what's £375 for it to be just right, it would drive me potty forever it I let it go for the sake of that amount.

You won’t regret it. We’ve had ours 25 years and it’s still as good as new.

You wont get it free, no way no how. I think it's a good deal. If you try for free he will return if its not his fault

I’d go with it . It’s reasonable your get the granite you want in both places for reasonable cost . Tell Dh not to be so tight 🤭

That depends. It was their error. By law, in the USA, you would not be obligated to pay for it if it has been installed. Their error, you did not order it. Period. This is assuming you have kept a copy of the contract, and can prove that you did not order it. If it has not been installed, they are under no obligation to install it for you gratis. However, I am not sure how that works in the UK. Check on this.

It is a fair offer.
They have have to cover the cost of the granite either way but they don't have to pay for it to be fitted . They can just sling it in a skip up or let a member of staff have it.
Look at the charge as a fitting and delivery charge. ( diamond blades and cutting equipment are expensive and its heavy to handle).
If you would like the granite in your utility room pay the fee for it to be fitted correctly.

We had an integrated kitchen installed in our new build which thankfully we spotted a couple of weeks before we were due to complete. We never asked or anything about an integrated kitchen so we got all the appliances for free.

I'm kind of with your husband on this one.

I suspect it's unwise to assume that, just because most houses in this development have sold, the developer or builder don't have any other building projects in prospect where they can use the worktop. I doubt that the size of your utility room is unusual. So your husband's assumption that you can get it free isn't well-founded.

Maybe compromise by offering them £300 or so?

Well done, you've both got what you wanted!!