We thought we'd got a good deal from MFI on our new Hygena kitchen which we purchased from the Wigan showroom in February. The salesman did a lovely computer generated design and impressed us with his friendly style and reasonable prices. We paid our 20% deposit and were told to sit back and relax, the fitter would be in touch in due course to carry out his own survey to make sure everything was in order pending actual fitting in about five weeks time. Fine up to now, but wait for it....
When the fitter came he informed us of all these little extra charges that weren't included in MFI's price - i.e. the actual fitting of our new stove and re-installing of washing machine etc.etc. These little extras came to a total sum of £250. Okay, okay but why didn't the salesman tell us there would be extra to pay...lack of proper information part one...there's worse yet.
A few days later we received a scruffy looking piece of paper through the post - how we actually ever received this was a minor miracle in itself bearing
in mind half the address was missing - but I digress, it was our invoice and confirmation of fitting date. MFI must be the only company I have ever dealt with where full payment is required four weeks prior to fitting. Four weeks!! What on earth do they need a 20% deposit for then if that's their policy? Once again we hadn't been properly informed of this and although the money was (and still is) there in the bank waiting to pay for the thing we rang the showroom to query their payment policy.
Apparently they have always conducted business this way and there was nothing to be done about it, either pay up or lose your deposit!! It seemed to be at this stage where the once friendly Mr X the salesman decided that we were going to be a bit of a pain and hence changed is attitude towards us accordingly. In fairness we are reasonable people most of the time and working in the customer service industry ourselves we don't usually go out of our way to be "customers from hell".
The only way round us not wanting to pay up front was to sign a credit agreement whereby we wouldn't pay anything until the kitchen was fitted to our satisfaction. This we did - by now we were realising that things were bound to go wrong with this kitchen from start to finish and on this front we have undoubtedly been proved correct.
"Your kitchen will be fitted on 13th April," confirmed our friend Mr X.
"But that's the Thursday before Easter," I said, "surely they won't be wanting to do it then. We'll end up without a kitchen all over the Bank Holiday weekend because the fitter won't want to work!"
"Oh no, don't worry," he reassured us, "you're not going to be in a mess all over the weekend, they won't do that. He'll have it finished by the Saturday."
We weren't convinced.
Delivery day came around. The fitter turned up and ripped our old kitchen out. It's still there on the driveway at this moment in time. The delivery came at lunchtime.
No end pieces for the cupboards x 3.
No wiring and fitments for the under-cupboard lighting.
No hob!!!
The fitter did as much as he could, but hey, Bank Holiday weekend - no chance of getting the missing bits before Monday.
"No problem," says Mr X, "everything's here in the warehouse, just come and collect it."
Well guess what, my friends, it is now Easter Monday evening and we have a hob but the other bits were not in the warehouse at all. They will be delevered by courier on Wednesday.
I could go on at length about what a complete mess MFI have made of our kitchen order and how bad their service has been, but by the time I had documented it all here you, dear reader, would have lost the will to live, a bit like myself at this moment in time.
Just do us a favour - if you are considering buying a kitchen from MFI - DON'T BOTHER unless you have sado-massochist tendencies and enjoy being put through so much pain. This has been our worst customer experience ever and wouldn't wish the same on anyone. It's not over yet either. Still no kitchen. I'm off to the chippy (again).
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I couldn't agree more and I've only had a small number of bedroom units fitted! To be fair, the staff in the store were fine but beware the delivery drivers (who should go through the delivery items with you and don't - even when the customer is responsible for any items missing) and the office which deals with deliveries. And can you get hold of customer services? I've never been able to. I could go on and on and on. I will never, ever buy anything from MFI again.
COOOEEE 18.04.2006 23:40
I think the review would be better placed in the buyer beware category as this really is the place to air our grumbles about a specific company or product. Let me know if you would like help moving it. Fionaxx
HotBabes 18.04.2006 15:16
Welcome to Ciao, what a nightmare all this is. Hope you get it sorted soon. x
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Apr 17th, 2006
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