Where's my carpet? (Carpet Right)

Member Name: John36

Product:	Carpet Right
Date:	28/06/02 (702 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good value, Good choice

Disadvantages: Unreliable, Unproffesional

I've had a really bad experience with Carpet Right, which might not be typical, but probably represents what happens if things don't go to plan.

Some bright spark bought my 6-year old daughter a make-up set for xmas last year. In March my 4-year son did some painting using her nail varnish and spilt a good deal of spangley-silver stuff on her bedroom carpet and the landing. Our insurance company sent someone round to assess it and we were supplied a mandate to replace the landing, stairway and bedroom carpets.

Things were OK at Carpet Right. We found a great set of carpets well within the mandate value and ordered them to be delivered and fitted 3-weeks later. We had no hassle over extra costs, or the fact it was an insurance claim. The invoice that was raised against the mandate covered everything. So far, so good.

The call to arrange the fitting came just before the Jubilee bank holiday and since my wife had already taken the rest of the week off work (for half-term) she arranged for them to arrive on the Wednesday. I spent most of the evening before taking up the old carpets and throwing them out (since the fitters don't do this). My wife told the shop that gripper strips and underlay would be ready for the new carpet.

Wednesday came and went. The fitters had been tied up at another house and couldn't come as promised. The store manager (Ken) apologised. He tried to rearrange and told us Friday was out because England were playing Argentina, so made a special appointment for Saturday morning. In the meantime, my daughter and son were sleeping together (in a 4-year-old's bed) in a room crowded with bedroom furniture. My stairway and landing were covered with loose underlay and gripper strips.

Saturday morning came and Ken told us that the fitters had gone awol. Now I'm a little angry and explain the situation at home to him. He was very apologetic. He promised to call me within 24 hours to re-arr
ange the fitting.

On Sunday he hadn't called, so I called instead. A nice lady told me he wasn't at work this Sunday. I bit my tongue and insisted he called me first thing Monday morning.

On Monday he still didn't call. I called him at around 10am, but he was busy. I called him twice again, but he was still busy. Finally I call customer services and complained (01708 527754). I explained the situation and told them I thought Ken might be avoiding me. 15 minutes later, Ken called and apologised some more. I told him I expected a fitter that afternoon, or the following afternoon. Ken was sorry, but Wednesday was the earliest slot he had. Apparantly, no fitter at that store or any other local store had the time to fit me in.

On Wednesday I was due to leave for France, returning Monday. I had to have the carpet down by Tuesday so that I could move my daughter's furniture back. I couldn't expect my wife to do it herself, and I didn't want to leave my family walking up and down a stairway covered in gripper strips.

Instead, Ken offered to replace my underlay and grippers if I took them up, and have the fitters arrive on the Monday I returned from France, at 15:30 which is the time my wife has finished work and picked up the kids from school. More work for me and another week of my children crowded together, but it was a compromise.

Of course that Monday the fitters turned up early. I got a telephone call from a lady at Carpet Right telling me her fitters had arrived to fit my carpet. This was at 14:45. I explained the circumstances to her and she agreed to ask the fitters to wait, except they had already left and couldn't be contacted. Apparantly they had no mobile telephone and they had gone on to a customer whose telephone was permanently connected to the internet. Plausable, but inlikely. I complained to customer services again.

Ken called on Tuesday and apologised some more. He arranged
another appointment for Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the fitters arrived at the right time, but with underlay like paper. My wife called me in tears. I spoke directly to the fitter who told me that Ken was off today and that the assistant manager (Phil) would not agree to change the underlay. I called Phil and as calmly as I could manage told him that his interests would be best served if he called Ken at home and call me back. Within 20 minutes Phil called me back and told me Ken had agreed to use the next weight of underlay, but we'd need to make another appointment. Once again, I complained to customer services. They were very helpful; they told me to accept only a direct replacement of the old underlay, regardless of the weight on offer.

I called my wife back and instructed the fitter to fit my daughter's bedroom carpet (from where I hadn't removed the underlay or grippers) and to leave the rest of the carpet in my garage. I told him to take the old underlay and grippers (still in the box I'd put it all in) back to the store.

On the Friday I called Ken and asked if he'd seen my box of underlay. He said he hadn't, but that he'd call me back when he had. He didn't. My wife called yesterday (Thursday) and Ken finally agreed that fitters would arrive next Friday (30 days after the original appointment) to fit underlay of the correct weight and the carpet I have in my garage still.

On that day I will finally sign the letter that will authorise my insurance company to pay for the carpets. I will also write both them and Carpet Right a stinking letter.

Hint: Don't pay for the fitters up front. That way they'll be more likely to turn up for the appointment you've arranged with the store. Also, always speak directly to the manager and avoid going indirectly through inexperienced junior staff. Finally, don't be afraid to complain. Customer services hold power over your store manager t
hat you don't.

Summary: