You may recall that I mentioned sometime back that we ordered a few kitchen units at great expensive from the local DIY shop, and that it has not gone very smoothly. I can't remember exactly what I said so I shall give you the pleasure of a re-cap of events:
End of Feb: Ordered kitchen, one double under sink unit, one 'demi-collonne' (higher than the worktop, but not as high as a larder cupboard, one wine/bottle unit, one worktop, one sink. Was advised three weeks delivery. Naturally, three weeks came and went and we heard nothing. After four weeks, we went into the store to chase it and they had lost the paperwork for the order. Eventually they found it, then they didn't know where the items were. I then had to go 'out the back' to the warehouse bit and point out out items to them. Eventually, five weeks after ordering it all, it was delivered.
The following day we started to put the kitchen together, unfortunately, there was a side panel missing for the demi-collonne which meant that we couldn't put the cupboard together and therefore couldn't put the kitchen together either. Went straight back to the shop who advised us that they would order one urgently and it would be in the following week. Well, every week since then, we have been going into the shop and every week they have told us that it would be in the following week. Nothing that I say or do has any effect. I even told them that we had guests coming to stay in the gite (not true, just trying to help my own cause) and absolutely needed a kitchen right now, all to no avail, all they could manage was the usual gallic shoulder shrug.
However, last week, a mere nine weeks after we placed the order, they called to say it had arrived. Tuesday morning we went and collected it. I took all the paperwork and drawings to the shop to check that it was the right piece (I was convinced that they would send the wrong side panel), but it was fine. Got home and Adrian went off to finally put the cupboard back together. A short while later he is back in the house, steam billowing from his head and a 'get out of my way I'm not a happy man' look on his face. The replacement part had clearly been made 'especially' and was the wrong size - an inch too long. 'Can't you just saw a bit off?' I innocently enquire. Alas no, the holes on the panel were drilled in such a way that it would then not be possible to put the cupboard together. So back to the shop we went. And now there is a whole new cupboard on order (we'll rush it through for you Madame, only a couple of weeks for delivery). Our first guests are due in that gite at the end of May. I'm not entirely confident that we will have a kitchen in by then.
I did try asking for a bit of compensation as well (God knows they weren't offering any). Well, what with the bad service, having to compensate our own (fictional) guests that couldn't stay with us because there was no kitchen (well, I had to go along with the story once I'd started it) I thought they should do something. The words 'blood' and 'stone' come to mind. No they couldn't possibly give us a refund. No they couldn't possibly give me a voucher or credit note to spend in the store at a later date. The best they could offer me is some money off my next purchase in store. 'How much?' I asked. 'Couldn't possibly commit to that, Madame, that would depend what you bought.' 'Well, how about a percentage?' 'No, we'll decide when you purchase the items. And that's the best we can do!'
I think that if we hadn't already decided to return to the uk, this might well have been the final straw anyway.
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