| Complainant: |
Mrs
J Wright |
| Town/City
of Residence: |
Walkern |
We spent 5 hours with a salesman who planned a perfectly nice
kitchen for us and spent hours assurring us of the quality product
we were buying. He frequently likened the quality of Moben to
John Lewis and Pogenpohl and did nothing but disparage the DIY
kitchens such as magnets and B&Q inferring that these were
very low grade kitchens.
In particular he assured us that Moben are the only company in
the UK who fit their own kitchens with their own dedicated, professional
fitters. We were taken in and duly signed up using their Finance
option as we were led to believe we would be protected by doing
so as no money would be advanced until we were happy wth the kitchen.
I have no complaints about the subsequent survey.
Delivery of the kitchen was fine.
Installation commenced a week later (11/08/03). We were told that
the whole job would take 3-4 days but only 6 hours of work were
done in the first 2 days. During this time the fitters ripped
out our old kitchen and threw it into the front garden (where
it is still sitting!!) and hacked about at the plumbing and electrics.
On the third day they finally got around to fitting some cupboards
and after they had left that evening we found that a whole wall
of cupboards had been incorrectly placed and as a result they
had to unnecessarily hack out a light switch which was left live
and hanging dangerously. In addition almost every cupboard and
door was damaged with a dent, scratch or other abrasion and it
was so disappointing that it would all have to come outand be
replaced!!
The quality of the cabinets was also very disappointing - 15mm
chipboard, laminate flaking, flimsy backs, ordinary pressed hinges
(we had been promised heavy duty solid hinges) and not Moben employees
doing the fitting but contractors from a local building firm!
Certainly not worth the contract price. We confronted the fitters
on the fourth morning and they suggested that we contact Moben
at once to resolve our complaints and they promptly left. We have
not seen them since!
We cotacted Moben and were told that Moben refused to discuss
the problems or send anyone round to inspect the kitchen until
the kitchen was completely fitted and they were sending back the
fitters. They didn't come back which was probably just as well
because we didn't trust them to continue.
We spent an agonising 2 days trying to contact Moben and waiting
for them to return calls which they never did. Eventually, as
we had been left with no sink or cooker, my husband reclaimed
our old sink from the front garden and plumbed it back in and
then reconnected our old cooker only to find that the fitters
had drilled through the mains cooker cable, blown the fuse and
covered it all up by mounting the cooker hood over the damaged
cable. Of course they failed to mention any of this to us!!!
My husband (angry and shocked - fortunately for Moben, not in
the electrical sense!) informed Moben by registered letter that
they were in breach of contract and that we wished to terminate
the contract and our loan agreement. (It only turns out that First
National, the loan company, paid Moben in full on the 2nd August
- 2 days before we even took delivery of the kitchen! Some protection
that proved to be, although it would seem that they are jointly
liable with Moben for this contract).
A rep from Moben finally turned up after the weekend, drew up
a short report and made out we were being very unreasonable. Moben
are now saying it is not their policy to give refunds (despite
that being our legal entitlement) and want to come back and finish
putting in the kitchen which is wholly unacceptable as far as
we are concerned.
They are guilty of misrepresentation, failing to install the kitchen
to an acceptable standard, supplying a kitchen of a quality far
below that which their salesman promised, using inexperienced
fitters, non-existent customer service...the list is endless.
We have been living in limbo for 2 weeks now and I am slowly coming
to the realisation that we may be living in this shell of a kitchen
for some months to come (I have 2 young children!). It looks like
the only way we will get Moben to give us our money back is to
take them to court. I have never been so stressed and anxious
in my life so be warned.
Other Moben Kitchen
complaints
An update on this story by Mrs Wright
on 7 October 2003:
'It is now October and still Moben have failed to refund our money.
We ended up taking our old kitchen to the dump because Moben failed
to send a skip and collect it! We have been forced to seek advice
from a solicitor and have tried to resolve the matter through Qualitas
but they have had our papers for over a month now and there has
been no progress. The finance company have finally become involved
(probably because we haven't paid them!!!) and sent round a surveyor
to look at the kitchen. We are hoping that his report may finally
persuade someone to take our case seriously.
We have had boards up outside our house for over 8 weeks now warning
people against a Moben kitchen and I'm pleased to report that several
people have heeded our advice after being given a tour round our
kitchen. We have also heard form at least 3 other people in the
immediate area who have had severe problems with their recently
fitted Moben Kitchens!! Alas the grief continues and not knowing
how long we must live like this (it's like being on a camping holiday!!)
is unbearable.
Mrs Wright 7/10/03'
=================================
Hello J Wright if that is your real
name. We commonly come by what is known as "stupid
Customer Syndrome" when the customer believes whatever he/she
is told by the sales rep without reading what they are signing.
The contract signed releases the company from an liability or responsibility
as to what is verbally promised by any sales rep.
Wally Hudalla ... 3 November 2003
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Wally (if that is your real name?) Many thanks
for your helpful comments. Can we assume you are
a Moben employee? If so, I rest my case!! Any other helpful tips
you would like to disclose from the Moben sales rep training manual?
I make no apologies for being honest and expect representatives
of professional companies I invite into my home to be likewise.
You may be interested to know that misrepresentation is illegal,
verbal or otherwise.
J. Wright (yes, that is my real name).
Jeanine Wright ... 24 November 2003
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We were going to get a qoute from moben for
our kitchen. We left our phone number with the sales
rep in there outlet in a store in shrewsbury. They phoned to make
an appointment but said it would take several hours.
We decided to get other quotes first. Now several months later we
receive regular phone calls from moben asking if we want a quote
sometimes they call us up to 5 times a day.We have now reported
them to bt for making unwanted phone calls. Helen Wilkins
... 30 November 2003
---------------------------------------------
I am pleased I found this website today -
although a bit late. I
ordered and paid in full for a Moben kitchen that would be (I was
told) fully fitted and fully functioning in 3 days. It has been
3 weeks since the fitting works started, different fitters have
come and gone and I have been left with half a kitchen. Moben has
not returned any of my calls and I suppose I can only phone Trading
Standards now to see what can be done. I am so angry I think I am
going to spend two weekends at Moben's showroom in Queensway (where
I first got in contact with the company) warning prospective buyers.
Yulena Sanchez-Hoet ... 9 December 2003
----------------------------------------------
Attracted by Moben's '55% plus an extra 10%'
off all new, fully-fitted
kitchen January 2004 offer, we decided to take a closer look. But
then stumbled across this site and thought better of it. Thanks
for the warning everyone! Jon Walker ...25 January 2004
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We are starting to go through the system of
complaining to Moben about our kitchen. Our kitchen
still isn't finished after just over 3 months now, It's a very long
story but to cut it short the first one was fitted very badly and
has now been completely refitted (almost)! I would be very interested
to know about high compensation claims against Moben for really
bad experiences. And how successful they have been through Qualitas
or not. Thanks!
Sarah of Stamford Lincs. Sarah Wilkinson ... 10 February
2004
-----------------------------------------------
Please
find enclosed the list of issues we
have concerning the kitchen works. Joanna Hartley ... 5
July 2004
Please post your Consumer Comments on the
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