Disappointed with new shed.. how far to take it.
bird_2112
Posts: 3
Hi,
I have just had a 10x8 T&G apex shed delivered and built from a local company from whom we purchased a summer house about 5yrs ago which was excellent quality. We visited the "show room" when we placed the order. The shed cost £705 so not cheap and is non pressure treated wood. Anyway, It's up and my main complaint is that it has not been treated inside and out. The outside coating looks a bit thin and there are a couple of bare patches on the only floor bearer that is visible. The roof and floor are 150mm "planks" rather than OSB which is OK but I did not notice if the roof has been treated on the outside underneath the felt. The summer house was well treated inside and out with only the supports directly under the roof osb left untreated. On the ends of the wood by the door you can see the preservative has not soaked in very far and there are a couple of thin patches on the outside. There are also lengths of wood just under the roof on the overhang as edging to the planks which are not treated at all.
I phoned the company and they offered a tin of preservative for me to coat the inside. My partner went down there to pick it up (6 miles)and checked all the display shed etc. All were treated inside and out including the dog kennels ! After a discussion with the manager (member of the owning family) and mentions of the trade descriptions act etc and the display models giving the impression that it would be treated inside and out they have offered £50 refund plus the preservative. My partner phoned trading standards when she got home and they have said to send a "signed for" letter saying we will take it further if a better offer is not made. The ones supplied should match the ones on display or state that they are not treated on the inside. I could ask for a replacement shed.
The question is .. do I just ask them to come and treat the inside to save me the time and leave it at that with the £50 ? is that a fair settlement for the disappointment and the delay on moving stuff back in from a neighbours shed ? I'm going to sleep on it but thoughts would be appreciated. I think its the manpower or a few quid more.
Its also 9ft 7" on the outside is that close enough to 10ft !
G.
Posts
That's so annoying for you. All that painting is hard work. I'd suggest getting them to paint it for you, or get a quote from so one else to do it and ask the supplier if they will be willing to pay the invoice. Once that's done you can forget about it and get on with using it. If you end up with them removing it it'll be such a hassle. It's very naughty of them to have misled you. Hope you manage to get it sorted.
9ft 7 is not close enough to 10ft. Is the one on display 10ft?
A customer in such a case has the right to a ( No faith in the supply company to do a proper job) therefore a quote from professional painter to do the job in Situ would be a days wage and cost of materiel , £185 aprox. or maybe a little more,as you will not get a pro to just tosh it in, pro painters are very expensive but you do get a proper job i hope
I agree with Alan - if they don't agree to that then contact your local Trading Standards officer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I had a stair hall and landing carpet laid once. When it was down there was a line across . The carpet layer said it would hoover out. It didn't. A man from the shop came out, and offered me £50 for the fault or relay with new carpet. I had it relaid with new carpet. £50 would not have covered the annoyance at looking at the fault.
If you paint the shed yourself, will it niggle you ?
I think I would ask for a new shed to the correct standard size and specification.
On reflection, so would I
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
How did you pay?
i had a similar problem earlier in the year, credit card co was very negative until I threatened to cancel then leaving a balance for the sum in dispute.
eventually partial refund from supplier and £50 from Lloyds for their negligence.
an untreated shed is not of merchantable quality, cancel the contract.
I think £705 for a 10x8 shed is pretty good value, but that isn't the point. If you aren't happy with the treatment & it doesn't match what was on display then hold out for proper compensation. Work out how long it would take to treat the shed and calculate the effective labour cost. Ask for that, plus a bit, in compensation.
As for the 9'7" as opposed to 10', I think you will probably find that somewhere in the small print they will say all sizes are approximate. Also, are you measuring the total length, including any roof overhang?
I'd want a new one, If they havent treated under the roof felt it could cause problems. Are there any other areas that you cant see that may be untreated? If they do it retrospectively they aren't going to be able to get the these areas.
You probably have the right to rescind the contract if the goods supplied do not comply with the description of what was sold to you. The "samples" on display indicate that the shed would be properly treated inside and out, and clearly this has not been the case. (Misrepresentation Act used to cover this - not sure if it hasn't been superseded, though). Therefore, you could expect a replacement or a full refund.
The Trades Description Act is of no direct use to you, since it is a criminal matter, enforceable by the Trading Standards Department at your local council. They will look to see if the faults (preservative, size etc) are "false to a material degree". If they choose to take action, it will strengthen your case against the company (if they are successful) but it will not, in itself, give you the solution that you seek.
Better, I suggest, to continue in the civil action: goods must be as described, fit for purpose etc. It seems that you have a strong case. But you may need to be persistent to get the result you want and deserve. good luck!