My Homebase kitchen nightmare

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated: 06:46 EST, 16 March 2010

I bought a new Homebase kitchen in December for delivery in January. Despite being warned about narrow access, they sent a big lorry and the driver turned round and went away.

Fiasco: Where is my new kitchen?

I was made to wait another two weeks and then the same thing happened again.

At the third attempt the packages and worktops were left on the wrong floor of the flats where I live. Some of the parts were missing and it was not until February 11 that I had the whole kitchen ready to be fitted.

My father-in-law had flown over from Spain to do the job for us but he could not wait any longer and has gone home.

Homebase refuse to pay for a fitter and have offered a £100 refund. Can you help? O.V., Barnet, North London

Simon Moon from This is Money replies: When things go wrong with major household projects there is only one result – misery.

The first delivery on 21 January failed because the driver could not park closer than 60ft from your block of flats. After using the good old 'health and safety' excuse he promised to come back the following day then cleared off, taking your kitchen with him.

Later the same day the delivery centre called to say the next available slot was on 3 February. In the meantime, you and your in-laws who had flown over from Spain for a holiday and to help, had only a microwave oven to cook with.

The February delivery date came and went with no sign of the kitchen. After a number of calls you were told by the delivery centre that they needed Homebase to authorise a delivery using a van.

A third delivery was scheduled for 11 February but was brought forward to the sixth after you protested. This time the driver made it but, in your words, dumped the heavy 10ft worktops on the ground floor and the boxes on the first, leaving you and your wife's family to lug them up to the second floor.

Later that day you realised some boxes were missing and yet another delivery was scheduled, for 11 February. Unfortunately, by this time your father-in-law, who was going to fit the units, had returned to Spain. This meant you now faced having to call in a professional at a cost of hundreds of pounds.

When you complained to Homebase about the whole fiasco they said you should not have stripped out the old kitchen until the new one arrived and offered £100 as a goodwill gesture.

It was at this point you contacted This is Money. After the first failed delivery attempt, Homebase customer services told you they had 'no indication that a Transit van was required'. I asked Homebase to check again and this time they agreed you had warned them not to send a lorry.

They also accepted they fouled up again at the second attempt.

I was told: 'The driver was unable to manoeuvre or park the vehicle to allow delivery. Unfortunately, the subsequent delivery was also attempted by an inappropriate vehicle, due to an administrative error by Homebase.

'A third delivery date was arranged for 6 February, our records indicate that this was completed successfully with a smaller van. These items should have been delivered to the customer's room of choice provided reasonable access or health and safety rules did not prevent it.

'Homebase apologises for the problems with the delivery which were inconvenient for the customer. In acknowledgement, following his contact with the customer service team, we have offered a goodwill gesture which he is unhappy with. However, I can confirm that following further investigation we will be contacting him again to discuss this and agree an amicable settlement.'

After yet more prodding from This is Money, Homebase have offered to pay half the cost of a professional fitter. In my view, this is scant compensation after weeks of buck-passing and feeble excuses. However, you have decided to accept and with luck you should soon be able to use the kitchen you paid for three months ago.

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