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Bath Empire - Abusing your consumer rights
This is an upcoming fight between me and Bath Empire (Trading as Luxury for Less) - Basically, long story short we spend a few hundred online at http://www.bathempire.com/ (The Bath Empire - T/A Luxury For Less) on 2nd October 2014. We had the new suite and shower installed and noticed a drip from the shower. I called and spoke to an adviser who said they'd send a new shower unit and not to worry as when we get it sorted they'd reimburse our associated costs - a couple of weeks later I had my plumber back to install it. Then I called them again to discuss my costs and they said to send in an email with photo's - however in this phone call the adviser said to throw the old unit away - he said that they did not need it. I told him that his colleague had previously said to retain it for testing but he said no throw it - I went mad on the phone and said I hated inconsistent staff and queried why I was being told different things. Then we started emailing......
........you can get the gist from our email chain below.....
My original email - 2nd March 2015:
Their reply - 5th March 2015:
My reply - 5th March 2015:
Their reply - 10 March 2015:
As you can see, their latest reply (above) is way off the mark really, and it contradicts what I have been told on three different phone conversations with their staff. Each time on the phone I was told to email the problem and management would reimburse me - there never any suggestion that they'd hide behind their terms, which for the record I feel are unfair and could be challenged in court (I am happy to do this).
The company owners / directors are shown below:
........you can get the gist from our email chain below.....
My original email - 2nd March 2015:
We purchased a lot of items from you to change our bathroom. This was booked in for November and a few weeks after installation we noticed a constant dripping from the shower top valve (the one which you turn to turn the shower on / off). This is attached as image1.
Image0 shows you the completed bathroom to give you an idea of the finished result prior to the drip being evident.
Anyway we noticed that this drip appeared and we called our plumber back out to check it out - this had leaked behind the board / tiles and was a faulty unit. All my plumber did was install the unit, there was no need for him to mess about with parts inside and it when I asked him if he'd accessed the cartridge he said no, there was no need to.
Photo's image2 through to image6 show you the damage caused by the leaking shower including removal of tiles and the new shower screen.
Image7 is how the shower screen looks after prising it from the old tiles which were also broken when the plumber had to remove the old shower. As you must appreciate when you install a new bathroom suite you install it to last so the plumber had originally installed the screen as you should, with sealant and the screws. Upon prising it from the tiles it dinted the frame in all contact points of the mastic to tile and is now rendered useless.
Image8 shows the completed state (before grout) after installation of the replacement shower that you kindly sent out.
So, as a result of this problem with the shower mixer unit and the fact we're now quite a lot of money out of pocket I am writing to ask if you're willing to help with some of the additional costs associated with this. I have spoken to a few people on the phone and they confirmed that I needed to email you and you'll make a decision - the revised costs I have incurred as a result of the damage caused by the faulty part is shown below:
Plumber to come and remove existing shower / locate and isolate the leak - £60
Plumber installation of replacement shower - £100
Tiler for replacement tiling - £90
Shower screen - £68
Plus of course there is consequential losses such as my time in dealing with this and the repeated calls and this email itself, the inconvenience of having no bathroom for a week whilst we waited on the replacement and then the plumber and tiler's availability.
However, with the above in mind I did confirm to your colleagues on the phone that I am happy to accept a goodwill payment of around £150 in consideration of full and final settlement of the complaint.
Image0 shows you the completed bathroom to give you an idea of the finished result prior to the drip being evident.
Anyway we noticed that this drip appeared and we called our plumber back out to check it out - this had leaked behind the board / tiles and was a faulty unit. All my plumber did was install the unit, there was no need for him to mess about with parts inside and it when I asked him if he'd accessed the cartridge he said no, there was no need to.
Photo's image2 through to image6 show you the damage caused by the leaking shower including removal of tiles and the new shower screen.
Image7 is how the shower screen looks after prising it from the old tiles which were also broken when the plumber had to remove the old shower. As you must appreciate when you install a new bathroom suite you install it to last so the plumber had originally installed the screen as you should, with sealant and the screws. Upon prising it from the tiles it dinted the frame in all contact points of the mastic to tile and is now rendered useless.
Image8 shows the completed state (before grout) after installation of the replacement shower that you kindly sent out.
So, as a result of this problem with the shower mixer unit and the fact we're now quite a lot of money out of pocket I am writing to ask if you're willing to help with some of the additional costs associated with this. I have spoken to a few people on the phone and they confirmed that I needed to email you and you'll make a decision - the revised costs I have incurred as a result of the damage caused by the faulty part is shown below:
Plumber to come and remove existing shower / locate and isolate the leak - £60
Plumber installation of replacement shower - £100
Tiler for replacement tiling - £90
Shower screen - £68
Plus of course there is consequential losses such as my time in dealing with this and the repeated calls and this email itself, the inconvenience of having no bathroom for a week whilst we waited on the replacement and then the plumber and tiler's availability.
However, with the above in mind I did confirm to your colleagues on the phone that I am happy to accept a goodwill payment of around £150 in consideration of full and final settlement of the complaint.
Thank you for your email.
Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused in this matter.
To enable me to investigate this further can you please advise if you have returned the original mixer valve to us as requested by my colleague?
If not do you still have the item? If so can we please come and collect it for testing?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Vicky Jakeman
On Behalf of Head of Customer Relations
Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused in this matter.
To enable me to investigate this further can you please advise if you have returned the original mixer valve to us as requested by my colleague?
If not do you still have the item? If so can we please come and collect it for testing?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Vicky Jakeman
On Behalf of Head of Customer Relations
Hi
I was told last week to throw it away. I argued with the rep and said Matt told me to keep it. He said no bin it.
Regards
I was told last week to throw it away. I argued with the rep and said Matt told me to keep it. He said no bin it.
Regards
Thank you for your email.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the problems you have encountered with our product.
As stated in our terms and conditions we will not be liable for any additional third party costs incurred due to the refitting of a product.
Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused in this matter.
If you require any further assistance then please do not hesitate to contact me on 02476 389052.
Kind Regard
Vicky Jakeman
On Behalf of Head of Customer Relations
Please accept my sincere apologies for the problems you have encountered with our product.
As stated in our terms and conditions we will not be liable for any additional third party costs incurred due to the refitting of a product.
Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused in this matter.
If you require any further assistance then please do not hesitate to contact me on 02476 389052.
Kind Regard
Vicky Jakeman
On Behalf of Head of Customer Relations
The company owners / directors are shown below:
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