Has a company treated you unfairly? Our consumer champion, Katie Morley, is here to help. For how to contact her click here.
Dear Katie,
My husband and I are senior citizens and have been loyal customers of John Lewis for as long as I can remember. We have always been very happy with the service.
In June 2019 John Lewis came to fit a large hall, living room and stair carpet in our home at a total cost of £2,608. This should have been a two day job. Yet more than a year on, it still has not been completed to a satisfactory standard. For weeks there were bare floorboards, exposed staples and gripper rods, which a child ended up hurting themselves on. We still have uneven edges on the stairs with bits flapping and hanging off.
We have exchanged dozens of emails with John Lewis over this and it has had plenty of chances to put right the workmanship, but it remains a mess. It has offered to come and refit the stair carpet for a sixth time and refund £887, plus £100 towards finding our own fitter to address the outstanding issues with the living room carpet. We want to rip it all out and start again but this would leave us out of pocket. This saga has also taken a toll on our wellbeing.
– IR, via email
Dear IR,
You sent me some photos of your carpet and I agreed, it appeared shoddily fitted. I raised your complaint with John Lewis and it said you had initially expressed that you were happy with it. I’m told that many emails were exchanged, but your tone indicated you were satisfied with how things were progressing.
Later, perhaps once you had spotted things you weren’t happy with and realised they weren’t being fixed quickly, you became irate. As a result, apparently, one of the fitters refused to go back to your house, which may explain at least part of the delay.
You have confided in me that both you and your husband suffer from mental health issues, making matters more difficult. I wonder whether there may have been a breakdown in communication? I also understand you were away on holiday for some time, which must also be factored in.
John Lewis supplied me with some additional pictures of your bottom stair taken by the fitter, which gave the impression of a well fitted carpet. However these images were not dated, and appeared to depict a different part of the staircase from the bit you showed me.
In the end, John Lewis recognises that the service you received fell short of the five star treatment you expected. It has decided to refund you in full for the £2,608 carpet. This will allow you to have it ripped out and replaced by another company, if you wish. If you do go ahead, I hope it works out for you next time.
Has a company treated you unfairly? Our consumer champion, Katie Morley, is here to help. For how to contact her click here.
Dear IR,
You sent me some photos of your carpet and I agreed, it appeared shoddily fitted. I raised your complaint with John Lewis and it said you had initially expressed that you were happy with it. I’m told that many emails were exchanged, but your tone indicated you were satisfied with how things were progressing.
Later, perhaps once you had spotted things you weren’t happy with and realised they weren’t being fixed quickly, you became irate. As a result, apparently, one of the fitters refused to go back to your house, which may explain at least part of the delay.
You have confided in me that both you and your husband suffer from mental health issues, making matters more difficult. I wonder whether there may have been a breakdown in communication? I also understand you were away on holiday for some time, which must also be factored in.
John Lewis supplied me with some additional pictures of your bottom stair taken by the fitter, which gave the impression of a well fitted carpet. However these images were not dated, and appeared to depict a different part of the staircase from the bit you showed me.
In the end, John Lewis recognises that the service you received fell short of the five star treatment you expected. It has decided to refund you in full for the £2,608 carpet. This will allow you to have it ripped out and replaced by another company, if you wish. If you do go ahead, I hope it works out for you next time.