3 days ago
Money Problem: 'Wickes fitted the wrong kitchen' v 'Your reader ordered the wrong kitchen'
Every week, our Money blog team finds the answer to a reader's financial problem or consumer dispute. Here's our latest...
We had our kitchen redone with Wickes - there were a number of issues, but the main one was that they sent the wrong worktop. I didn't realise after it had been installed. They are claiming this is the one we picked out in the showroom.
Tina
Our cost of living specialist Megan Harwood-Baynes tackles this one...
You told me when you went to pick out your kitchen, there was a particular quartz worktop on display that you fell in love with.
Not knowing the specific name, you pointed it out to the designer, who ordered it.
When it arrived, although it was similar, you had a nagging feeling it wasn't quite right, so you went back to the showroom and realised the wrong worktop had been installed.
Other issues you told me about in the process included:
Being quoted a bathroom and kitchen £8,000 more expensive than your budget;
A top-of-the-range microwave oven was ordered that you did not ask for;
The height of the oven was too low - this was adjusted by the fitter - but this made the microwave too big for the remaining gap;
You were told you would get a refund for the microwave only once the financing for the kitchen began;
Conflicting messages about using the finance option when you wanted to pay cash;
The hob protection plate was not installed, so now the cutlery drawer gets too hot when cooking.
You filed an initial complaint with Wickes about this, but were told: "There appears to be a discrepancy between your recollection of the specific worktop ordered and the details recorded by the design consultant during the design process."
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You told me: "All I want is my worktop changed to the one I chose and my microwave refunded, but no one is listening."
I reached out to Wickes, who said they were sorry to hear about your experience.
They said: "Our customer relations team has conducted a thorough review of the matter and concludes that Wickes followed all due processes to ensure the order was correct. Our customer relations team has been in direct contact with Ms Edwards to explain our findings, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have offered a discount on the work surface."
You told me they had offered you a 25% discount on the work surface, but you are unhappy with this because you said you didn't want it in the first place.
But they also said they are looking into how the hob protection plate can be correctly fitted, to prevent the issue with your cutlery drawer overheating.
You have now filed a complaint with the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman.
Next steps
Issues like this can be tricky to resolve, because it has come to "he said, she said". It will be up to the furniture ombudsman to decide what happens next.
When ordering such high-value items, it is always worth double-checking the order confirmation the company sends across. I appreciate your invoice had 200+ items on it, and whilst you probably didn't need to check every single fitting and fixture, the worktop and appliances would have benefited from a double check.
Whilst I don't doubt your recollection of events, it is difficult to prove what happened. But given you had a host of other issues with the process, it is still worth taking the complaint to the ombudsman.
This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:
