Very expensive fuck up - advice please..

[astridforty]

Been waiting for made to order blinds to turn up for weeks, arived this morning and obvious I've made a stupid mistake when measuring the drop length. Three horizontal slat wooden blinds are all 10cm too short for the windows. Cost me almost £400 and can't return them .

Trying to work out if there is any way I could make them work - maybe a pelmet to hide the gap at the top? If I do that will it matter that I can't fit the central bracket thing?

Please help, can't waste £400

Are you sure it's your measurements that are out? Double check the measurements you gave, I've bought blinds before that were obviously cut on the cheap and at least 6 inches too short. I got a refund no problem (though this was Argos....)

WHat window are they for? WOuld it work putting one of those cafe curtain type things along the bottom of the window?

That's the sort of heart-sinking thing that I'd do, so you have my sympathies.

First of all, check the measurements you gave them to make sure it's definitely your mistake.

If it is, I think the only thing you can do is call up the company, fall on your sword, beg them to take them back and alter them and pay the difference. I don't think it would be a huge job for them to add some more slats at the top.

Otherwise, I think you'll have to put up with a 10cm gap at the bottom.

Talk to the company - if you're sure it wasn't their fault, they may be able to fix them (after all, its just a couple more slats and new string). At the least, perhaps you could ask them to send you some additional slats and then re thread the blings yourself?

Definitely my mistake, I've done the indignant consumer thing with DP already till he pointed out I've read the 1m 10cm mark on the tape measure as 1m so blinds are all perfectly 10cm short

Katisha - bedroom, so thinking I could fix lower and hide the top but DP bothered about blocking too much light.

Rung the company and begged and they might be able to alter if I return, got to wait on a call back while they contact supplier. Looks possible to me but obviously will have to pay for new slats and ribbon and postage. Fucking hell

Don't know, but I have a friend who owns a curtain company so I'll ask her to take a look at this thread and see if she can help!

Thanks Witch - any advice would be fab

Hello, I'm (Witchathulu's) friend!! lol!

I run a bespoke curtain company both online and have a shop. Bespoke goods have different rules to other goods. As with curtains and blinds that we make, all goods are made to measure and to the customers specification and therefore can't be refunded, usually!

it's a better mistake to make if you've measured it too long as adjustments are easily made that way, but if you've made it too short to start it's a tricky one.

See what the company offers. They may be able to do an alteration cheaper as a goodwill gesture. However if the whole lot has to be remade then a cheaper option would be to go for either a soft valance at the top of the blinds or a stiff pelmet.

We make both of these. The cheapest option would be an unlined pencil pleat valance. We have a range of 250 children's fabrics and hundreds of normal fabrics. It's quite an easy job you may even be able to do it yourself.

Hope this is helpful andnot too long winded!

YEAY!!!!! 5kiddywinks I've FINALLY got you on mn! Knew it had to be done! (but shhh, don't 'lol' on here or they'll chop your head off!! :o :o )

And shouldn't that be 5+4kiddywinks? :o

I think that you will have to fit a 10cm wooden bat ton at the top of the window (with angled brackets) to fix the blinds onto. then cover the whole thing with a pelmet, better I think than a ruched valance.

these?

Thanks - if I use a pelmet and fit blind lower in the window, do you think it'll matter that I can't use the central bracket? Blind will only be fixed at either end. They are all 865mm wide (see how precise the measurements are now!)

the wood is there so that you can fit a central fixing