Decorator fitted the wrong coving - what should I do?

[gregers]

Why didnt the OP check when the decorator first turned up with the materials that the coving was right size,
Why when it was realised by the OP that an incorrect size was being used did the OP allow the work to continue to its end and now complain and withhold payment.

i can understand why the op didnt check before they started.
they are meant to be the so called experts.

few years back i had a couple of doors to hang for a customer,about 4 in total,they had already had some fitted a year or so before,and i noticed that they were upside down.
when i mentioned to the customer about it they were shocked i said what do you want me to do,fit the new 1s the same way or fit them the correct way.
and would you like me to see if i can salvage the others.
no fit them the same way.i wasnt happy but hey they were the customer.

 

[sparkwright]

Shouldn't normally have to check if the materials are right, since the customer has specified what they want. The decorator should have remembered, or asked again, or checked, or written on the quote what he was going to supply and fit.

To ask the decorator if he has brought the correct materials is patronising and insulting, yet in this case would have been necessary.

The decorator should have tried harder when he was alerted of the problem to sort it out immediately, instead of doing what he wanted. He can't have any satisfaction from that job, and I can't see how he could have the nerve to ask for payment.

 

[Julia30]

Hiya,

I only noticed it was the wrong size when I went through to make them another drink. They'd nearly finished by that point, and left about half an hour later.

I admit I probably should have supervised them more, but I trusted them because of 'Buy with Confidence' scheme and the fact they was quite expensive. Plus they were very professional-acting. It never occurred to me they'd bring a different size to the one I asked for.

It's a REALLY nice job, and they were nice guys, and I'd have happily used them again for other (bigger) jobs. It just really wound me up when they tried to shift the blame and told lies ("Gyproc don't make 100mm coving," "I never saw the living room," "the quote says 127mm"). When I'm at work, I always hold my hands up and apologise if I'm wrong, and I'd have respected that more. I do think it was just an honest mistake though.

He sent the other guy away to settle with me, so I think he expected me not to pay. I asked him to send me an invoice, and he looked relieved. He said he'd email me an invoice and "see what he could do." So I guess I'll wait and see what he comes back with. I'd be happy to pay him an extra £100 for them to come back and put it right (a compromise).

 

[joe-90]

If they'd sorted it there and then before the adhesive had fully hardened it wouldn't have been half the job it is now.

 

[Bosswhite]

If they'd sorted it there and then before the adhesive had fully hardened it wouldn't have been half the job it is now.

Agreed,
sounds to me the OP thought they could live with it but has now changed their mind and is blaming the Decorator for the problem.

 

[sparkwright]

If they'd sorted it there and then before the adhesive had fully hardened it wouldn't have been half the job it is now.

Agreed,
sounds to me the OP thought they could live with it but has now changed their mind and is blaming the Decorator for the problem.

I think the decorators should have immediately removed the coving once it was revealed it was wrong. Coving isn't exactly expensive.

Winds me up people shifting the blame. If it's wrong it's wrong.

 

[Julia30]

"Agreed,
sounds to me the OP thought they could live with it but has now changed their mind and is blaming the Decorator for the problem."

No - the second I saw the saw the coving I knew it was wrong, and I told them straight away. That's when the bickering started. The living room and the dining room are connected, so the coving looks bad. I had no intention of trying to live with it. I've put too much money and effort into these rooms to just "live with" a mistake.

The only reason the coving is still there is because the decorator said it was too late to remove/change. I'm quite a timid person and I know I should've been more aggressive about it now.

 

[Julia30]

At the moment, I bet the op would gladly give £50 to have the problem put right.

That's right - I'd rather pay a bit more in a compromise, to get the right coving and not fall out with the decorator. I'm terrible at confrontation. I guess it depends what he emails me on Monday (assuming I ever hear from them again). I've not refused to pay them yet.

 

[joe-90]

Being timid is no good, you need to be friendly but firm. I doubt they'll want to spend a couple of days redoing it - it's a much bigger job now. My guess is they'll walk away. Leave the spare stuff outside so they can collect it.

 

[Bosswhite]

Your story seems to change, in an earlier post you said you only noticed the coving was wrong when you made the decorator a SECOND drink when he was ALMOST finished.
So despite your concern that the Estimate/Quote did not state size of coving plus the fact you Emailed the Decorator that you were specifying a certain size, you did not bother to check when the decorator arrived that he had in fact received the email,
why didnt you notice the size of the coving was wrong the first time you made him tea and biccys.

 

[sparkwright]

Why didnt the OP check when the decorator first turned up with the materials that the coving was right size,
Why when it was realised by the OP that an incorrect size was being used did the OP allow the work to continue to its end and now complain and withhold payment.

She said she made tea and biscuits when they started. Perhaps the coving was still in the box. Why should the op have to supervise?

In hindsight, I'm sure the op wishes she did check such details.

It could be argued that the decorators should have showed her the coving before they started, since their quote was so unspecific.

 

[Bosswhite]

Why didnt the OP check when the decorator first turned up with the materials that the coving was right size,
Why when it was realised by the OP that an incorrect size was being used did the OP allow the work to continue to its end and now complain and withhold payment.

She said she made tea and biscuits when they started. Perhaps the coving was still in the box. Why should the op have to supervise?

In hindsight, I'm sure the op wishes she did check such details.

It could be argued that the decorators should have showed her the coving before they started, since their quote was so unspecific.

Their quote was to fix coving, thats what they did, no size was stipulated on the Quote apparantly.

 

[sparkwright]

They then said they stipulated 127 mm on their quote; when they hadn't...

At no point was 127 mm asked for or written.

 

[Bosswhite]

They then said they stipulated 127 mm on their quote; when they hadn't...

At no point was 127 mm asked for or written.

Neither was 100 mm

They put up "Coving" as per Quote/Estimate
Size is irrelevant in this circumstance

 

[sparkwright]

She wrote 100 mm on the original quote request e-mail.