Whirlpool bath from Bathstore.

[bigyeti]

I bought a new bathroom from BathStore in May 2007. Toilet, sink, cabinets, worktop. taps and a whirlpool bath. Spent about a grand altogether. They say the bath is guaranteed for 12 months.

 

Earlier today I was redirecting the nozzles (as they can be pointed in different directions and screwed in and out to turn them on and off) and one of thm just fall apart. The chrome cover, a plastic ing, the nozzle with the screw attachment and a big spring all fell out of the hole in the side.

 

Now, even though they say 12 months, a bath is surely meant to last more like 20 years or more. Even the whirlpool function, which is an integral part of the bath, has a long lifespan.

 

Is that reason enough to challenge their 12 month warranty and get a replacement bath? I'd happily take a repair but it'd have to happen here as it's not the sort of thing they can take away and leave me without.

 

Plus,anyone heard any rumours that they're having trouble and may fold?

 

TIA

Bigyeti

[BankFodder]

What would be the cost of the repair?

[bigyeti]

I can't imagine what it might cost if indeed it's possible. It might be one of those things that can't be fixed. I reckon the labour wouldn't be cheap though ether. The bath was £400 (was half-price) and they still have the same bath on their website.

 

In fact a repair would be ideal because having to pull the bath out to be replaced would be a right royal pain in the hole.

[Slinkyringtail]

HI Bigyeti,

 

Sorry to hear about your Bathstore goods problem.

 

I am afraid I have had a similar problem.

 

Like you My wife and I bought a new suite from Bathstore spending over £1000.00. This was about 20 months ago.

 

Bathstore is singular in that it is one of the only shops that limit their guarantee to 12 months.

 

We have found that every component with working parts, including the taps have failed and caused extensive inconvenience. The style of suite was edwardian and so had no fancy gismos just straight normal taps and thermostatic mixer valve on the shower.

 

 

I have replaced all working and mechanical parts now with Hudson Reed products which carry a 10 year guarantee and are cheaper than Bathstore if sourced online.

 

 

Tip to anyone reading this, if you like replacing your bathroom goods every 18 months then go to Bathstore.

 

 

Funnily enough when i realized all our goods were going wrong in a similar time frame i rang our local branch posing as a new customer and expressed a concern over the goods only having 1 year guarantee. surprisingly the sales woman quoted some Sales of Goods Act to me saying that if they fail soon after the 12 months then they wouldn't be fit for purpose, good advice i thought, so, i went in store to complain about the failures in the goods i quoted this and the same sales woman said it wouldn't work like that and replacing a £250.00 thermostatic mixer should be seen similarly to changing a hoover bag (her words)

 

SO i threatened County Court action, got a full refund and went and bought an identical looking valve from HUdson Reed with a ten year guarantee.

 

 

Well, the taps went too and the replacements again from Hudson Reed are only £40.00 with 10 year guarantee online as opposed to Bathstore's £79.00 with 1 year guarantee.

 

 

Low quality firm, Low quality staff and low quality goods.

 

 

Also be careful because the goods are built in China some bare different fitting sizes as they are to asian spec and not european, valves seats etc...and even tap fitting spaces and pipes. I guess the [problem] is that they know their goods will only last 18months and if all you plumbing is based around their quirky asian sizes etc...then you have to go back to them.

 

 

Sllinkyringtail

[Partizannka]

It rings a bell to me. I had an issue with Signal Hill company. They were weeks late with the install, and very quickly the liner start to pull away from the old tub. I had to contact them 4 times to get a response and they have the nerve to want to charge for a service call! These guys are nuts! They never installed the liner properly to start with.

 

Kind regards

Ann,

Edited February 24, 2010 by cerberusalert

[scottomt]

Interesting reading this as the bathstore taps are made by crosswater and not made in china at all! They also carry a 15 year guarantee as opposed to the 10 year offereed by hudson reed. In fact at the time of you writing this they still had supply from hudson reed via their Ultra range, these were awful and i changed a thermo cartriedge on one unti 4 times due to poor manufature.

 

The 12 months warranty for the Crosswater stuff is purely from bathstore and any further claims should be directed to the manufacturer as long as you have your proof of purchase.

 

In regard to the original problem which of course would be sorted by now after so long but i write this for future consumers of which i am one. (I actually found this thread whilst looking for spares for my own whirpool bath. Mine is ex display so no under any waranty and need a spare.)

 

I fit bathrooms for various people and bathstore are one of the people i fit for. I have had no problem with any of their taps ony the older Ultra shower valves. I can honestly say hand on heart that of all the suites i have fitted i have had problems with 2 taps and one valve from the crosswater range.

 

Scott

[bigyeti]

The bath itself was made in Mississauga, Canada (as stated on the box it came in anyway). I can't find a company there that makes them though.

[scottomt]

Is yours a proper jacuzzi one as they did do them at bathstore years ago.It will be badged as that if they did

[sarfrazulhaque]

Sorry to hear you had problems with the Bathstore, unfortunately we'd also had similar problems and would never myself or recommend anyone else to buy from them again. Worst after-sales and customer service experience I've had.

 

Our experience...

 

We'd purchased a new shower enclosure, tray and fittings back in November for £1300, which was delivered and professionally fitted mid-December. Shop staff were friendly and helpful. The tray was fitted onto a solid waterproof-lined and tiled floor of a wet-room, which the previous owner had newly installed. But did not have any glass screening and thus too messy with water splashing all over the bathroom to keep clean.

 

Eight months after the shower tray and enclosure installation (August), we noticed three very fine spider-like cracks emerging from within the shower tray surface all within a 20 cm radius of each other. Called the shop who asked me to email photos of the problem, which they'd forwarded onto Bathstore's technical department. Subsequently heard nothing for a month, then chased-up and then about 3 week later the store called back to advise their technical department said that they believe the cracks were caused by the customer and would not do anything further.

 

I called the technical department and spoke with the manager, who vehemently insisted that we had caused the cracks by having dropped something on the shower tray. I'd advised that we had not done so and that these weren't indentations, but emerging from within the shower tray surface. The manager then said that "shower trays just don't crack, you must have caused the damage somehow, as my documentation says so." I asked him to pass (email a copy) of the documentation so that I could review it, he said it’s for his reference only and wouldn't provide a copy. I asked what can be done now, to which he replied nothing and that it would be down to me to replace the shower tray since we'd damaged it.

 

The technical department manager was rude and arrogant, made a judgement without providing any evidence on the reason of the cracks. No one visited to inspect the issue. I wrote the customer service manager who wrote back that as far she was concerned, that I had discussed the matter with the technical dept manager and that was it. The tray has continued to form more cracks and started forming lumps across the shower tray surface. From what I can see is that the shower tray is either faulty or very poorly constructed and thus did not even last 9-months after installation. Very disappointing experience, it was the first time I'd purchased anything from the Bathstore, definitely never buy from them every again after this experience.

[scottomt]

Hi in regards to your shower tray, i used to fit for bathstore and installed lots of these newer light weight trays. I did manage to crak on once but that was my error and i had to replace it. I dropped it as i lowered it into place and twisted it.

 

Personally i have never heard of a problem with them and also have them in my own home. From th e description it does sound like internal damage from impact You say that hasnt happened but would you admit it if it had?

 

These products do undergo extensive testing so they know their limitations and what causes cracks etc in them. We as fitters used to report anything we found unsatisfactory with new products and they were very proactive in remedying any problems.

 

As far as the manufacture of the tray goes and the materials used, if anything is dropped it can crack almost all types of tray

 

Hope you find a solution to your problem

[unclehefty]

I am experiencing a problem with a Bathstore 'Pool' 1700 Whirlpool Bath in that the unit neither whirls nor does it pool:-(

 

The unit was fitted by a Bathstore recommended fitter and electrical and I believe that there is a fault with the wiring. I have been trying to source an installation manual, without success. That isn't the only issue as the tap is also wobbly and the shower head broke off (but Crosswater replaced it FOC - well done to them) So, does anyone have a copy of the installation manual for the Whirlpool unit?

 

Help would be really appreciated.

 

Uncle H

[renegadeimp]

Dont bother with the manual. Contact the retailer and tell them that it was fitted by their installer and does not work. Use SOGA if you need to. Chances are it is as you say. A faulty installation, which they should be able to get working for you.

[unclehefty]

Dont bother with the manual. Contact the retailer and tell them that it was fitted by their installer and does not work. Use SOGA if you need to. Chances are it is as you say. A faulty installation, which they should be able to get working for you.

Thanks for the comments, he wasn't an employed Bathstore installer, just someone recommended by their Chester store (a franchise I believe) and he has since left the business.. I want the manual for two reasons:

To understand how the unit was wired to the existing feed and to be able to check out the various connections

To keep it for my records - more often than not when something goes wrong and its out of warranty, I am able to fix it but need the destructions to help

 

An example is a Franke kitchen tap whereby I was able to disassemble it and change out some semi-serviceable parts and now its fully functioning.

 

Again thanks for your comments and I will bear them in mind.

Uncle heFTy