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Forces sweethearts

If you have a family member in the Royal Navy, RAF or army, find support from other Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Quick - is someone around who can tell me about this

13 replies

saltire · 16/08/2007 12:00

I've jsut spoken to someone ref our disputed bill from Barrack stores.
She advised me "unoffically" to ask for the destroyed mattress as well

The barrack warden is charging us for a table to be refurbished - he says its all scratched, I say i didn't scratch it.
Anyway they are also charging us for a mattress we had in the spare room, which they say is being scrapped. This person I spoke to said we should also ask for the mattress, as we have paid for it, and even if they say it's going to be scrapped, that we should still have a right to have it.
She says this will cancel the bill while they investigate it

Has anyone ever asked for something they have been charged for and got it

OP posts:

pipsqueeke · 16/08/2007 16:16

eh what do you mean ask for it? what matress is it? when I was after a cot one for DS they said that I could keep it as they destroy them anyways (didn't need it in the end thou) if that's the case i'd ask for the table as well tbh - as I understand from here that they bill you for things and then don't fix it for the next people. which if you ask me isn't on at all.

pipsqueeke · 16/08/2007 16:18

re your tabel will someone have any records in the office of it's condition? also i'd give the stores/DHE blokey the cleaners detials - why wouldn't they clean the carpets? if you paid for it to be cleaned and it wasn't then they have to do it - part and parcel as I was told in wales - they recommended 2 specific companies (paid thru the nose) but then we were safe guarded that the job would be done/the cleaners etc knew our DHE bloke would keep calling them back till it was right.

Original poster

saltire · 16/08/2007 16:27

re the cleaner. It is the woman in charge of the cleaners on camp (who do all the offices etc). She seems to do it on the side- wanted cahs only etc. First time DHE wouldn't do march out as carpet wasn't cleaned properly. Second time they said they were billing us for hall carept as it was smelly and cleaner hadn't been able to get smell out. I wanted to argue this point - but DHE and DH spoke on the phone and DH seemed to accept the £158, and said that we could claim it fromi house insurance.

RE the table and mattress, the mattress was one we had on a barracks tores bed in the spare room, we couldn't get a normal 3ft single through the door, so we got a barrack stores 2 1/2 foot one instead. it was hardly used but they said it had stains on it and they are charging us for it as they need to chuck it out. Person I spoke to said we should ask them for it and say that since they are going to scrap it and they want us to pay for it be scrapped then can we have it - even though it won't actually fit any of our beds, and we would throw it out, its the principle of it

Re the table. It wasn't in good nick when we moved in, we weren't there for march in, but I always had a cover on it, and certainly wouldn't scrub it with a brillo pad, which is what the barrack warden is claiming has happened.

Whats annoying me is that when we first had the problem with the cleaner I called her up to speak to her about the carpet, and during a 20 minute converstaion she said " We didn't touch your barrack store furniture", a total of 7 times she said it. I never mentioned the furniture to her, yet she knew it had been damaged. I'm worried one of her cleaners did it - deliberately or otherwise!

OP posts:

Laura032004 · 16/08/2007 16:43

No idea about asking for the mattress etc, but out of interest, do you have NAAFI home insurance? I think they cover you for march-out charges? Not sure if that is normal on other home insurance policies though.

pipsqueeke · 16/08/2007 16:50

that's what ours did - they were the MHS/DHE cleaners but did it as a side line. might be worht your DH asking DHE to take it up with the cleaner - something sounds a miss if you didn't mention it.

do you have barrack/tennants liability? - I know that's not the point thou. (am assuming that RAF works the same as the army?) if not ABACUS are fantastic DH has his kit insurance, with them as well all on the 1 policy all our contents tennants lib and various other things. no civvy insuer would cover us esp when I asked about the carpets and kitchen cupboards etc as apparently theat was part of the building which we didn't need.

anyhow how do they work out the £150 for the carpet? is it new? our hall carpet had 2 years left on it's life and cost us about £40 to replace so unless it's a huge carpet or brand new it shouldn't be anywhere near that. (am assuming shake and vac wouldn't fix it lol.)

Original poster

saltire · 16/08/2007 16:54

pip, the carpet was new when we moved in 5 years ago, and he deducted 60% of what he said was the replacement cost. I'm just really pissed off about the whole thing. I feel as though DHE/Cleaners and Barrack stores are all chancing it because we aren't there. The person I spoke to said that they are so used to people just paying up and not questioning it in "case if affects their career". Well sorry but DH has been in 22years so he doesn't give a toss about his career, and I'm not being made to apy for a table I didn't damage.
I still feel the cleaners should pay for the carpet, not us, she's the one who couldn't get it to their clean standards

OP posts:

pipsqueeke · 16/08/2007 16:57

well quite that's what I mean - you paid her and afaik as long as you can prove you paid her (ie the recipet) you're covered - otherwise might be worth taking her to small claims? as you say if DH has done is 22 there's nothing really that they can 'threaten you with' if you will. I think when you do do proxy's you ahve to be careful as well.

pipsqueeke · 16/08/2007 16:57

(we had 2 years left on ours I think) apparently once they're 8 years they're 'written off'

tjacksonpfc · 16/08/2007 17:40

youe best bet is to pay for deficiants as you get to keep the stuff as theres a problem with it and it works out cheaper just spoken to a friend who deals with this stuff in the army. hth

pipsqueeke · 17/08/2007 09:05

spoke to DH last night aboutt he carpet and he said that's what you've paid the cleaner for and it's up to her now so you should at least ask for a part refund if not all - not sure how/if that would work thou? he's of the view if you pay for something and don't get it done right and you have to pay again you get your money back on the first one.

Original poster

saltire · 17/08/2007 12:03

Pip - she did the carpet a second time - free after moaning about how she was going to ahve pay her staff again. She still couldn't get it clean apparently. We weren't there, we are now in south of England, so don't know what the problem has been. However I feel that because she didn't come round beforehand to see what needed doing then it's he rfault, not ours.

DHG has written an email to say he is contesting the table damage, apparently this will put the invoice on hold whilst its investigated. I feel the cleaner has had something to do with the damage, as she kept banign on and on when I spoke to her about carpet about how she didn't touch the table. Even though I never emntioned it

OP posts:

Original poster

saltire · 17/08/2007 12:04

"Dh" has written an email. Barrack warden also said "you can claim off your insurance", but why should I ahve to, why should I amke a claim on something that not my fault

OP posts:

pipsqueeke · 17/08/2007 12:08

well quite and you'll lose your no claims/excess as well - our excess goes up if we claim.

i'm surprised the cleaner didn't come round to look a thte house - she sounds v v poor tbh and the carpet should ahve been done rgith first time so it's her hard luck if it's not and has to pay the cleaner again - sorry to sound mean and harsh but it is - or she should have gone out first - was there any stains or smells or anything b4 you moved?

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