I will try to keep this as brief as possible but I'm so pissed off.
21/09/23: ordered two vanity units and mirrors from local supplier. Quoted £4100 in total for goods and fitting and paid that day in full. Advised install would be within 2 weeks and tiler would come out to give us a quote as this would be extra
10/11/23: no communication so rang supplier to find out what's going on as never heard a thing since the day order was placed and we paid. Told owner not in but would get him to call me back later that day.
17/11/23: received first call from owner giving a load of reasons for delay (stock only arrived today (doubtful), he had been sick and his father was sick. I was sympathetic and understanding and didn't complain.
21/11/23: fitters arrive with units and mirrors but told they would only fit one today and would be back tomorrow to fit other one. Mess was left but annnoying as it is, was expected. U-bend not tightened and sink leaked everywhere so wood was soaked. Didn't complain. Moped up the spillage, stuck a bowl under it and husband fixed it that night.
- unexpectedly that night, toddler got really sick and had to take him to hospital so text supplier asking could they not come tomorrow we didn't know what would happen so could we delay a few days. He agreed.
30/11/23: text from supplier saying fitters would be here tomorrow to fit second unit (which had been sitting in box in hallway since 21/11/23).
1/12/23: fitters don't show up and no phone calls from owner as to why.
10/12/23: still no contact from owner so I called him asking what's happening. Tells me fitters were held up at previous job on 1st dec and couldn't come (no shit Sherlock). Says I'm pencilled in for later this week.
13/12/23: fitters arrive and rip out existing sink, cut skirting board, fit unit then call me on to say there is a problem. Wrong unit was ordered and worktop and unit don't match. I then also tell them unit wasn't even the correct colour I ordered. Fitters offer lots of apologies and admit that owner has kept putting off our job in favour of sending them to other jobs for weeks/months and that he is useless and constantly messing things up.
After they leave I go to toilet and no water. Realise they haven't switched water back on so I text fitter to ask if it's safe to do so given pipes now exposed in bathroom. Fitter 1 says fitter 2 will call back on 10 mins to sort, which they did. Fitters have been helpful so no issues with them.
14/12/23 : finally get call from owner not offering any apology whatsoever and blaming their main supplier for the wrong unit. Then tells me that we can't have the unit we chose as "suppliers issued a new book 2 weeks ago and that unit is now only supplied as a corner unit". Main supplier, as a goodwill gesture will now give us a larger unit with no extra cost to rectify their mistake but can't have it in colour I wanted as not on stock. Fitters will install tomorrow. I say that the bigger unit will be too big and he reassures me that it wont. I say that it's not ideal and it's disruptive that fitters have to come back again as I work from home, am in meetings all the time, dogs will be going nuts, etc. he then says "you have to appreciate that we are trying to fit you in around our main bathroom jobs, and we would have been back weeks ago if your son hadn't been sick. I then lose it and say, sorry but that doesn't explain how it's taken from September to now , we've had the wrong unit, the wrong colour, you promised this would be done in two weeks. He offers no apology and we both end the call.
I then ask my husband to phone the main supplier to ask if they really don't have the unit in the colour that I wanted. Main supplier checks and confirms that they do in fact have it, and also confirm that when our supplier rang them this morning, he gave the wrong product code. Husband then reports this to me, at the same time I remember that supplier had given me the product book at time we ordered. I check the book and lo and behold, it says at the bottom that the unit we ordered is for corner unit only. So in fact, the book had not been changed 2 weeks ago.
I send photo of book to supplier and ask him how our unit had been changed to corner only 2 weeks ago when it was always corner only. He then rings me and I tell him that also, husband has phoned main supplier who confirmed wrong code was given and they do have my colour in stock. He then proceeds to argue with me that he rang them before ringing me to double check and it's in stock and coming tomorrow for install. At this point I'm about to explore and I give up and call is ended on a "fine, whatever" note.
10 mins later I receive a message from supplier sending me screenshots to prove that main supplier made the mistake TODAY with the product codes. Importantly, main supplier didn't make original mistake of wrong unit but he doesn't admit this of course. He then proceeds to type
"Don't like being made out to be a liar".
At this point I think "fuck it". I write a list in chronological order of three whole sorry saga , jump in car and drive to his showroom. He goes pale when he sees me coming. I walk in, he stand square , looks at me with grimace and says "what can I do for you".
I say that I wanted to say this to his face and maybe once I'm done he will understand why I'm so annoyed. I recite pretty much the above events. I tell him how annoyed I am and how £4100 is a lot of money to use and this was a huge purchase but clearly it's insignificant to him as he doesn't value our custom. I explained that I've been very patient, not complained, yet he had the cheek to try to blame my son for being ill, and won't take any accountability whatsoever and I've yet to receive any apology whatsoever.
He then says he is calling main supplier to prove that they told him today that my colour was out of stock. As he gets his phone and starts ringing on loudspeaker I tell him it's pointless because he's missing the point entirely. He hangs up and literally throws his phone across the desk. I said "why are you so angry, I've came here to resolve this and all you're giving me is more attitude and anger": he repeats that he doesn't like being called a liar, I try to repeat the events and make the point that regardless of todays cock up or who was to blame, HE ordered the wrong unit months ago and he lied about the product book being changed 2 weeks ago. He continues to bang on about how we have called him a liar, completely glossing over the events pre today. I ask him does he treat all his customers like this. He says no, and I reply "oh just us then".
He then says he drop off the unit tomorrow and we can find our own fitter to fit it. I felt that is no use to me - what use is a unit in a box when I have a gaping wall with pipes sticking out.
He then goes for the kill and says "in fact, unless you pay your bill today, I won't be sending anyone out." I then exclaim "the bill? We paid it months ago" and he tells me that we owe extra for the fitting. I exclaim that we don't, the price with fitting was 4100 and it was paid and the only extra was for the tiler and he lies again and says no, we owe more. At this point I let out a sigh, turned around , swung the door open and left.
I've not heard anymore from him. Meanwhile, my husband rang main supplier again who confirmed that the product book was last updated in July. So he's taking out of his arse.
He's dug himself into such a web of lies he's now just being a bully twatface.
I'm so fucked off. I want to rip out the installed unit and return it and tell him to shove his order up his ignorant ass.
If you've made it this far, is there anything we can do here?
When I left the showroom I was shaking and trying not to cry. I hate confrontation so it was a big deal for me to drive down there but I am so fed up of bad service and being treated like I'm stupid and with no respect. How dare he!