Wickes kitchen fitting was a recipe for disaster | Money

When Wickes installed my new kitchen I noticed a strange and aggravating smell which I attribute to the work being done.

It was almost two months later that I realized it was gas. My supplier dispatched an emergency engineer who discovered a leak in the new equipped hob and classified it as an immediate danger. The gas supply to the hob was cut off and Wickes sent a replacement, but no one came to install it.

Three months later, I find myself with two hotplates, none of which I can use. Wickes knows I’m undergoing treatment for cancer and therefore vulnerable, but he does not respond. The lack of cooking facilities affects my diet, and anxiety and stress do not improve my condition.

MY Maidstone, Kent

If this were any other company, I would be in disbelief. Gas appliances must be installed and tested by qualified engineers registered with Gas Safe. It is unbelievable that your installer apparently failed to detect a leak that could have led to a calamity. But regular readers will know that Wickes has some form when it comes to botched installations.

You had asked Wickes to investigate the error and confirm that all other gas and electrical work undertaken during your renovations met legal requirements. Apparently he ignored you.

He only took action after I questioned his conduct. Within 48 hours the old hob was removed, the new one connected and a gas safety certificate issued. “I can cook again, it’s great,” you told me.

Wickes never actually admitted to any wrongdoing in his response. He told me he strives for the highest levels of service and thoroughly vets each installer and their work.

This is news for ES from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, whose four-week, £35,000 project to install a Wickes kitchen, laundry and bathroom was in its ninth month when she contacted me.

Along the way, she said, walls and ceilings were damaged, kitchen and laundry fixtures were found to be so poor they had to be torn out, and the kitchen sink had to be replaced four times.

The laundry room fixtures had to be dismantled a second time after the design was found to be inadequate and, due to a computer error, his numerous calls to report problems with the bathroom were neither noted nor responded to.

“Our house hasn’t been our home for over eight months,” she said.

Wickes this time apologized that the process “took longer than expected,” but ignored my questions about manufacturing quality and poor communications.

The work was completed within a week of my contact and the company offered compensation of £750, which ES described as paltry.

But Wickes’ goodwill had vanished when I alerted him to the fate of M.S.‘s older sister, whose £10,000 bathroom renovation was due to be completed last July.

MS said the installer only showed up when he felt like it, which was rare. Family emergencies, annual leave, Covid and, on one occasion, “flea bites” were the various reasons for his absences, MS said. The installer demanded immediate payment for the additional work and then failed to reappear, leaving the work unfinished, they added.

The shower is leaking, the bathroom heater remains disconnected and the toilet is not plumbed, MS told me. Wickes, they added, refused to get involved.

And then I hit a brick wall. I have been dealing with this file since November. Every time I pursue Wickes, it promises action that doesn’t come to fruition. He eventually produced another installer, who arrived without briefing and without equipment.

Wickes then decided that a full and final settlement of £500.99 would be sufficient. This sum included £250 in compensation; the balance was to cover the errors she expected MS’s sister to resolve herself. And because it has to fix the problem itself, Wickes would disqualify the corrective work from its warranty. When I asked the company to review this outrageous offer, they remained silent.

MS is now seeking quotes from independent installers so they can submit a costed claim.

If Wickes refuses, it is best to take the matter to the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman and, if that does not meet the needs, action in the County Court is the last option.

Well done for excellent service

Some companies take customer service literally and it’s time they shout it. “My dog ​​scratched the lenses of my Cocoons sunglasses,” writes LR from Colchester, Essex. “I asked the company if it would damage the UV protection, and the warranty entitled me to a new pair if I paid £2.99 for postage and packaging. I wondered if a four-month-old German Shepherd counted as normal wear and tear, but I was assured it was covered.”

Meanwhile, Canadian company 3 Sprouts, which sells children’s storage units, stunned London’s RE when the plastic hooks on an over-the-door organizer were broken during a move. “They said they weren’t able to sell the hooks separately and sent me a whole new organizer,” she said.

JB, from London, discovered that Le Creuset’s lifetime warranty covers human negligence as well as wear and tear. “I kept my casserole dish in the refrigerator, from where it fell, chipping the enamel,” she wrote. “It was totally my fault. I requested a repair from Le Creuset. They asked me what color I preferred and sent me a brand new one.”

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