Faulty kitchens and knowing your consumer rights is crucial.
One of my followers contacted me for advice on a faulty kitchen with a well-known retailer, which shone a spotlight on a common problem affecting consumers everywhere. Your consumer rights are enshrined in law and retailers will never make it easy for you to reject a big-ticket item.
WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS ON FAULTY KITCHENS?
You are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement on faulty kitchens.
You only need to give a retailer one opportunity to remedy the same fault.
The retailer is responsible for the collection of faulty goods.
CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015
When you buy goods such as a fitted kitchen, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that it must be fit for purpose, as described and satisfactory quality.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you an implied statutory warranty in law for up to 6 years in England and Wales and 5 years in Scotland.
HOW DO I COMPLAIN ABOUT A FAULTY KITCHEN?
Gather your evidence. Take photos of the defective parts and shoddy workmanship.
Always put your complaints in writing so you have a paper trail as evidence. If you make any phone calls, always get the name of the person you spoke to (preferably at the start of the conversation), and follow up afterwards by email to confirm what was discussed and agreed.
Put a deadline on everything, especially within the first 30 days as retailers will often try and drag it out so you are past the short-term right to reject under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Retailers will never make it easy for you to reject a big-ticket item. Staff will be primed and trained to deflect common complaints with stock responses. A Manager will never return your call. That is the most common fob off of all!
Contact Trading Standards if necessary. A cursory glance at reviews online will reveal common themes and complaints with many traders that can be used to support your dispute.
CAN I GET A REFUND ON FAULTY KITCHENS?
You are entitled to a refund if the kitchen is beyond repair. The retailer may make a deduction for wear and tear once 6 months has elapsed.
You may also be entitled to any consequential losses (out of pocket costs) you have incurred as a result of the retailer’s negligence.
ALWAYS PAY AT LEAST A DEPOSIT BY CREDIT CARD
Any goods costing more than £100 are jointly covered by S75 Consumer Credit Act 1974, even if you only pay 1p deposit.
This means that the credit card provider is jointly liable in the event of a dispute on faulty goods or shoddy workmanship.
It is a free insurance policy so use it.
You will need to press hard on this and cite ‘breach of contract’ under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as claims are often rejected on the first attempt.
HOW MUCH DEPOSIT SHOULD I PAY FOR A NEW KITCHEN?
Kitchens are costly. You can probably expect to pay at least 40 – 50% deposit with a final payment on delivery.
IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU INSIST ON A REFUND ON FAULTY KITCHENS?
You can insist on a refund if the kitchen is broken or faulty.
HOW LONG ARE KITCHENS GUARANTEED?
A warranty on a kitchen will vary between suppliers. It can be anywhere between 5 to 25 years. The more expensive and bespoke the kitchen and units are, the likely they will have a longer warranty.
Nevertheless, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you an implied statutory warranty for free for up to 6 years in England and Wales and 5 years in Scotland. This trumps any warranty given by retailers.
IS A FITTED KITCHEN COVERED BY BUILDINGS INSURANCE?
Buildings insurance covers the cost to repair damage to or rebuild your home structure. This includes windows, walls, roof, outbuildings, fitted kitchens and bathrooms. It also provides cover for damage caused by events like fires, storms and floods.
You do not have to rely on your buildings insurance for a remedy if the kitchen is faulty in any way, so do not be fobbed off.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies as goods are to be fit for purpose, as described and satisfactory quality. You are always entitled to a remedy.
IS A KITCHEN CLASSED AS BUILDINGS OR CONTENTS?
Insurance policies usually class a kitchen as buildings, while carpets are covered under contents insurance.
CAN TRADING STANDARDS GET ME A REFUND ON FAULTY KITCHENS?
Trading Standards can take a business to Court or stop them operating, but they cannot help you get a refund.
KITCHEN FITTING DISPUTES – FAULTS WITH FITTING KITCHEN UNITS AND POOR WORKMANSHIP
Raise issues straightaway if you are not happy with a kitchen installation or unhappy with a new kitchen.
Give the trader a chance to put things right. Mistakes happen.
Be fair and reasonable and compromise if necessary. Traders have rights and expectations as well as consumers.
Keep an accurate record and bullet-point a timeline of events and communications with names, times and dates. Put everything in writing wherever possible.
SMALL CLAIMS COURT
You can take your claim to the Small Claims Court, although this has to be seen as the last resort.
You will be expected to prove that you have tried to resolve your dispute with the retailer first.
There is a sliding scale of fees which are refundable if you win your case.
Put everything in writing, stick to the facts and bullet-point the timeframe so it is easy to follow.
Try to resolve the dispute by telling the retailer why you intend to claim against them, suggesting a timetable with actions you want them to take.
Ask if they have a complaints process. You need to give a retailer every opportunity to settle it before you take legal action.
If you have exhausted all those options, you can complete a Small Claims form online via www.gov.uk/make-money-claim – but do not submit it yet.
LETTER BEFORE ACTION
Send a ‘letter before action’ to the retailer with a copy of the Small Claim form, telling them you are giving them 14 days’ notice before proceeding.
A ‘letter before action’ simply puts the retailer on notice and gives them one final opportunity to settle your case.
You can send it by email. There is no legal requirement to use recorded delivery.
Have you had problems with faulty kitchens? If so, how did you resolve it and what was the outcome?
Hi I have an ongoing problem with my installation of my shower room and separate toilet.
I had both rooms fully gutted and installed by a local company where I went to the showroom and picked what I wanted. I have had problems from the very beginning of install and the problems have continued since.
The fitters have been back to fix problems and the fixes are substandard and I have more problems again now.
I had both rooms done July 2023. Do you know if the same 6 year statutory warranty applies for this?
I understand I need to contact them with all my problems to give them chance to put it right but the repairs are substandard so I feel like I’m stuck because I am allowing them to fix the problems but they are doing so poorly.
Also if I did take the company to small claims court would I claim for the whole amount or individual problems because I have looked info it and most company’s won’t fix someone else’s work they want to redo it which would cost a lot more than claiming for individual items? So I’m really confused about it all. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Hi
I also have delamination issues with a Wren kitchen. we had one door last year which they replaced and then 4 more doors went a few weeks ago which Wren have said they will replace and are paying for a fitter, then another door has gone so i have written to them and followed up with a call to say i would like this extra door to be delivered with the others so the fitter can deal with them all together, they won’t do this and they wont pay again for the fitter to come back. i chased the money for the fitter and they said they will send a cheque! they don’t do bank transfers.. they are completely unhelpful and i asked for this to be escalated because i imagine the rest of the doors will go the same way and they refused.
Who can i take this further with, my kitchen is only 3 years old and i am concerned that they will discontinue the colour. it is also very difficult to have to dispose of the old doors.
Kitchen installed February 2023. We reported faulty wooden kitchen doors to the retailer last August 2023. The tongue and grove on the dishwasher, fridge, freezer, bin cupboard and under sink cupboard is cracking. These are the doors which are used the most. All other cupboard doors etc are fine. Retailer deferred to manufacture who blamed humidity. We pursued retailer again – manufacturer visited and again stated excessive humidity and refused to change doors. Retailer has offered to replace doors as goodwill gesture but asked we pay for the labour. However they cannot fully guarantee a colour match to existing doors because we are now 12 months plus following installation. We have our own humidity meter which shows normal range for a kitchen. We realise our contract is with Retailer but what are our rights in connection with a possible mismatch of colour.
Hi, I am after some advice as to where I stand. We have a kitchen with wren that is still under warranty. We’ve had previous problems with delaminating which I’ve seen is a common problem, where replacements were sent out. We’ve had to pay for these to be replaced. We now have a crack in one of the doors, rung wren to ask for a replacement door to be told the range has since been discontinued. They have said we can have replacements doors and the trim, however in different colours. We designed our kitchen around the colour of our kitchen and the tiles we have, none of the colours offered would suit the decor we currently have.
We saw a colour that was similar (sea foam) however were initially told that this wasn’t available in the range (shaker) we have. We were advised by them to visit a show room and see what the colours they offered looked like in person. The first range we come across is the sea foam in the shaker range.
I went back to customer services to enquire why we were told this wasn’t available to then be told it is in the shaker range, however their infinity range. They have said we can have these units however we would need to pay the difference, being over £500. This doesn’t include labour costs for having everything changed over. I have been told that by law under the warranty we should have the colour we have but they’re not changing their stance. All I wanted was a replacement door and am now looking like we are going to end up over £1000 out of pocket for an issue that isn’t our fault when I add the quote we’ve had to replace everything which I don’t feel is right or fair. Thanks
Same here, paint peeling on all doors of recently installed kitchen (Wrens). They have offered to replace all 19 doors and 3 fillers with cost of a day’s installation. This is the third time we have asked for replacements as they arrived faulty and then a month later we had issues too. Should they be paying compensation on top of replacements and a small installation fee? The kitchen was around 17K.
Hello, we have bought a new £17K kitchen from Wren back in February. By end of March some of the cupboard doors started peeling. By mid April 95% of the cupboard doors/drawers/tower units were peeling. I have made pictures and gotten in touch with Wren. They were really nice at first and agreed to send replacements and cover the installation cost. I have then gotten in touch with my kitchen fitter who is great and he advised that he will need 2 days to complete the job, which is understandable since there are 25 items to be removed, then replaced and adjusted altogether as our kitchen is pretty big. Our fitter charges £360 a day, i know this is not cheap but we are based in London and it is quite normal around here. Wren have said they can only cover £450 (1.5 days of labour x 300 a day which they consider ‘average’ day rate). Our fitter does not take half day jobs and will not agree to be paid £300 a day instead of his usual £360. Wren are pushing me to find a different fitter to save them some money. I have refused hiring someone who has never worked for me and demanded that they either send their own fitter or cover my fitter’s cost. They have sent me 3 email saying I need find cheaper labour. They have also said they cannot provide a Wren fitter for some weird reason. I am ready to go all in with them because I think they have let us down big time selling us a £17K kitchen that is not fit for purpose. What can be done in this case? I have agreed for replacements to be delivered to give them a chance to rectify the situation but I am not wasting any of my time trying to save their money. Also, looking at all the posts on the internet about their horrible quality, I bet these new doors will still be rubbish and we will end up asking for replacements again. How are they still on the market? Any advice would be highly appreciated!
Hi, whilst its comforting reading that there are other unfortunate people out there that have kitchen issues and thus we are not alone. With Wren being the one with the most issues (how do they get away with it?. Our doors had started to peel, less that 6 years old, 25 year warranty. They will send new ones, but we have to cover the cost for the fitter to replace, i have to cover the cost to dispose of it all, and then the inconvenience with three children. Its just wrong in my opinion. Anyway, advice welcomed please.
We bought a new build from Taylor Wimpey equipped with a Symphony kitchen. We have chosen upgraded version. Almost straight away after we moved in we have noticed that the lover corner cupboard is completely unfunctional- very deep with narrow doors that makes it impossible to put in bigger pans. Also the quality of the edges of the shelves and sides of the units is very poor -patchy, chipping. Shelves are already permanently bent. We tried to resolve the issue with developer itself and through Independent resolution scheme. Apparently there is no breach of code and the problems we have they classify as wear and tear!! I guess all I can do is take a legal path – small claim court. Looking forward to your opinion.
Kitchen installation
We bought a kitchen from a Trade Only kitchen supplier. We noticed one of the cabinet doors was warping after less than 6 months so asked the supplier for advice. They sent a rep who took photos and these were reviewed by their “Quality Control” team who said that the kitchen must be being exposed to too much moisture or too much heat (A KITCHEN!). When I argued that most kitchens are exposed to moisture and heat, they sent a manager out (who said we wasn’t a kitchen fitter) and initially said there wasn’t an issue. He then said he could supply a couple of magnets as a “gesture of goodwill”. It has taken them two months to come back us to with a formal response and they now say that our contract was with the fitter and not them directly. They have told us it is up to us to prove the cabinet door is faulty. They have a 5yr guarantee on cabinet doors but it seems there is no way we can access this. Very disappointed.
the kitchen paint problem and the removal of a faulty unit had to be removed which cost me as a contractor and the time wasted sifting through all the faulty doors which took 4 complete door deliveries and its still not good enough. how do i claim from the supplier my costs incurred as they just say no. I’m a sole trader and no way could i think of charging my customer and this job actually spoilt her Christmas and mine to be honest with all the stress it caused. the delivery started in November 26th, i told my customer it would be two weeks to complete but it took most of the materials all of December and then the last 4 handles arrived 2nd week in January. I’m still arguing with the supplier and I’m not paying until i get some form of sufficient discount to me and also i want to give my customer a discount for all the stress this caused but they wont give anything. What should i do.
Hi, I have a problem with a kitchen fitted 18 months ago. The doors are “painted” and the colour is flaking off in tiny spots all over. I reported it to the retailer and they in turn reported it to the manufacturer. They both came out and did tests and agreed the product was faulty and they would replace all coloured doors draw fronts and panels but not the carcasses/units which is fair enough. The problem is that I had to commission 3rd party fitters as the retailer doesn’t do fitting and I have paid the fitters to fit the kitchen so would have to pay again to have them refit the faulty panels. I have requested the manufacturer cover the cost of refitting which they refused and quoted the section in the guaranty where it specifically states they do not cover fitting costs in the event of replacement of faulty products. As the fault is the sole reason I need to have fitters refit the faulty parts do I have any protection in consumer law to force the manufacturer or retailer to cover the refit?
Hi – it seems like we have a similar problem with Wren Kitchens as others ; Infinity Plus kitchen fitted at the end of 2018, we noticed that the vinyl/foil was delaminating from the front of a cupboard unit in 2022 – reported to Wren who replaced and arranged for the fitting. Last week (March 2024) we noticed that the same delaminating problem is now apparent on at least 7 other units. We reported to Wren – they have responded to say that they will replace the panels, but won’t cover the installation as the “Installation warranty is 5 years”. From my point of view the reference to Installation warranty is irrelevant as the units are faulty – nothing to do with the installation. My understanding is that Wren should rectify the problem, including fitting of the doors/panels. Can anyone help or confirm my understanding is correct.
We too had a problem with our Wren kitchen fitting in Nov 2023. Designer didn’t listen about the nuances of the house and fitter aggressive and time-pressured. Consequently poor fit, terrible workmanship, lots needs remedying. Now doors peeling. Wren initially v helpful with site visit after formal complaint raised. 25 point plan made but when ‘remedial fitter’ arrived, they simply had instructions to ‘change this/that door, plinth – 5 points with no explanation’. Dissatisfied with this. Now lack of engagement from the field servicing team. Would be very interested about options for next steps. The complaint was raised within 30 days of the fit. This doesn’t seem to be the only Wren problem on this forum.
Wren fitted our kitchen Nov 2023. The design for the kitchen was initally wrong, but after much wrangling, we got things changed and re-fitted. My latest issue is that in the last day, 2 large chips/scratches have revealed themselves in a wooden plinth, and when looking closer, the quartz worktop above the scratches looks to have been chipped and glued back together. No-one is our household is capable of making such damage, and it very much looks like the fitters damaged the worktop and plinth and hid the damage with glue and wax. So basically, we signed for the kitchen being unaware of the damage. Wren have said they’ll decide whether to replace the items or not, but based on previous wrangles with them, I don’t hold out much hope. Anyone know what our rights are?
Hi , I would really like some advice when dealing with Wren kitchens, is this possible in this forum?
id really appreciate it, many thanks lori
We are also having problems with Wren. We received a kitchen and everything seemed to be in order. Once the kitchen was fully fitted and all the appliances had been connected, and the protective film was removed, we saw that half of the kitchen was the wrong colour. This included mismatched colours on almost every part of the kitchen. Wren have admitted fault and offered us £1000 as a final offer for re-fitting but this doesn’t cover even half of the cost to rectify the problem. Where do we stand with this?
Thanks
Apologies, but I sent my comment as a reply to Lynne Collins, below.
Hi,
I also have an ongoing problem with Wren.
Our kitchen, allegedly ‘top of the range’, has had issues since installation in Sept 2019. End panels cracked on the edges, and were originally replaced 3 times shortly after fitting. The white gloss has also turned yellow on serval cupboard doors (not in sunlight), and the kitchen looks awful.
Wren offered to replace all the cupboards, decor panels, plinths etc, and we chose a different colour, as we were concerned the white gloss would again turn yellow. Wren also offered £1050 towards refitting costs (they did not fit the original kitchen), which they have sent us, however the fitter has explained the costs will be more than £1050 (we do have a large kitchen).
I have today received a second set of end panels, in the new colour, which have the identical fault to both the first set they sent, and the original white gloss panels fitted in 2019. I am now at the end of my tether. Wren are sending a third set of panels, which will be allegedly QC checked by a senior staff memeber, berfore being sent later this month. Sadly, this is the same rubbish we were told 4 years ago, with the white gloss. I can see history repeating itself.
I fear that we will end up in the same situation and I have today said I will seek a refund should this not be resolved. We put a 10% deposit on our credit card when we purchased the kitchen, and also took the 5years interest free credit option, which was through Barclays – this finishes in Sept 2024. Given how we have paid for the kitchen, should the next set of panels be unsuitable, can I seek a refund, or recourse via Barclays, under Section 75?
I had a new kitchen fitted in May 2023 and 5 months later 4 unit doors had started delaminating. The supplier agreed to replace them and now 2 more doors have also started delaminating. I strongly suspect that there was a manufacturing fault (or bad batch) and that more doors will soon fail. I have found other people with the same problem on the same range (which was launched in April 2023) who are also very unhappy.
Under consumer law, can I insist that ALL the doors are replaced? Can I insist that they pay for the fitting too (which was done by an independant supplier originally) ?
Thanks in advance!
I have a problem with peeling kitchen door. The units are under four years old. The supplier, Wren Kitchens has said that I am covered by warranty but I see that I have statutory rights. As the doors are no longer made by them and they are unable to source like for like, they have offered replacement for all visible doors, plinths etc at no cost. However, as the units were not fitted by their sub contractors, they will not cover any new costs in relation to fitting, other than a £750 donation. They have estimated my costs will be £1500 but have not sent a surveyor to assess. My feeling is that all I need is a door and although I would have new doors, the costs to me are wholly disproportionate. Where do I stand please ?