NC due to amount of people who may recognise me from this post & I dont want it linked to my other name.
I have a long standing issue with Wickes and Im out of ideas on what to do next.
Long story short, I paid Wickes directly £11,000 for a new bathroom in March 2023, and the installers they sent to complete it started early May 2023. I had no choice on installers - I paid Wickes and they sent a team to complete the work. There were numerous problems throughout the fit (including 7 leaks). Work was finally complete 4 weeks later. However, within a few weeks the shower started to leak - water dripping from ceiling into hall below . Installers ghosted us after trying to fix it several times (only by adding more and more silicone to the cubicle) so we could only contact Wickes directly.
Was in constant contact with Wickes customer relations team (who are universally shit it transpires). They finally sent a manager round in October 2023 who listed 9 things that were wrong that he could see and said they needed to be fixed.
They sent the 'job' to the remedial's team, who struggled to find any installers to do the work (1 came and refused the job as it was so difficult). They finally found someone and work started in February (shower leaked everytime is was in use from June onwards). I was constantly contacting them about the work but was fobbed off and given no updates, despite complaining again and again.
I dont know what work was authorised between Wickes and these installers but on day 1 it became clear that the whole bathroom would need to be ripped out back to bare brick and floorboards due to the scale of the issues (think tiles on the walls with no adhesive behind them, leaking pipe in wall which meant everything was mouldy and rotten wooden internal wall supports due to the constant leak for over 9 months). The scale of the work wasnt visible and only became apparent when they were trying to fix some of the issues noted by the installation manager from his visit in October.
I was not privvy to conversations had between the installers and Wickes, but sent Wickes numerous photos and videos of the issues on day 1 as I needed it all fixed. All the issue were caused by the original installers not doing their job. I ended up with significant structural damage to my property (think collapsed ceilings and internal wall being re-built). At all times I said to the installers - make sure you have authorisation from Wickes to do this as Im not paying a penny towards it (as Wickes already had my money a year previously).
Bathroom now finally complete (over 1 year later) but Wickes have refused to pay an invoice from the installers as they say they didnt give authorisation before they completed the work. I have now been asked to pay this bill for £3000 by the installers. As I wasnt privyy to their quote or contract terms, I have refused and said that I didnt contract them and have no idea of their arrangements with Wickes and am not liable. I tell them this every time they contact me.
I have sent the invoice to Wickes and asked them to deal with as it is nothing to do with me but there is radio silence. Whenever I speak to them, there is no update and I cant speak to anyone who is authorised to make a decision on anything.
I am also waiting on compensation for the stress, inconvienance and illegal electrical work carried out by their first installers (which actually put my family at risk of fire due to how they butchered the electrics and left live exposed wires wedged between my original ceiling and the plasterboard they up - all in my bathroom.
I am now being contacted frequently to pay this outstanding bill and I am so fed up of dealing with this - it never seems to be over.
Does anyone know what I can do to:
- get the installers to stop contacting me about this bill as its not my responsiblity to pay and
2.get the compensation we deserve from Wickes?
Thank you for any advice you can give (and sorry for any typos - Im really stressed by it all)