Firstly, apologies for the length of this post. I have followed every step to address the following costly failures of the service guarantee, but the response by the provider has not been adequate and I would like to take the matter further. I’d appreciate any suggestion that Choice Community members could offer. Thanks in advance!
A series of serious service failures from a major hardware retailer resulted in a very costly delay in completing a kitchen in my investment property resulting in significant financial loss. At each stage and following each service failure I communicated clearly and in writing in an attempt to remedy the problems as they arose. I hold detailed records of every communication.
The first service failure occurred when my contractor first received a quotation and then placed an order for materials on 28 Feb 2021. This was followed up with two calls to enquire about the progress of the order and he was told that someone would get back to him. No one did, so when he went to the store after four weeks he learned that the order had not even been placed. At that time the estimated time of delivery of the order was only one week after placing the order. This resulted in a four-week delay in receiving materials with flow-on consequences.
A more minor but still consequential failure of service was an unauthorised addition of carcasses to the value of $1595 despite the fact that the store attendant had been shown photos of the installed carcasses. This amount was later reimbursed but amidst other problems, it was a further inconvenience.
The second major failure was when upon delivery, the materials were roughly handled and carelessly thrown from the back of the truck resulting in damage to the materials. Also, there was also no docket accompanying the order so items could not be ticked off.
The materials were delivered on 1 May, and the building of the kitchen was held up until replacement materials arrived on 16 July. By that time the impact of Covid led to a lockdown of our LGA until mid-October.
There was a third major problem: Due to the small space, the plan was to purchase and install the large benchtop (special order) first and then purchase the other two standard pieces. This sequence was essential due to the lack of storage space for materials in the apartment.
By the time the benchtop was delivered after the initial delay, the store no longer sold this particular standard benchtop (Vic Ash).
The particular kitchen was specifically selected as it was readily available. When the order was placed, there was no mention that this product was going to be pulled. By the time the delayed order was delivered, the pieces needed to complete the kitchen were no longer available.
The installation of the large special order benchtop required tremendous workmanship (picture available) requiring a unique cut of the benchtop to fit the irregularities of the existing wall. However, because of the extended delay, as well as the failure to communicate that this standard product was to be no longer stocked, this benchtop needed to be pulled out and replaced with another product.
Attempts to resolve this matter were sometimes met with reasons that made no sense. For example, I was offered a small compensation because there was no rental agreement in place at the time of the installation. It is inconceivable that anyone would take on a rental agreement with no kitchen and obvious building works underway.
Again, I’m grateful for any advice about how to proceed with this matter.
