CARPETRIGHT - Scandelous Charges

[GlenDB7]

Carpetright try to charge for two things that are NOT a service at all.

 

DELIVERY CHARGE.

 

They do not deliver the carpets. The carpet fitters do who are self employed and are not actually employed by Carpetright. All they do is put the the delivery date in there diary and the fitter picks up the good and takes them to your house and fits them. You then pay him/her for the labour.

 

So unless you are just getting the carpet/vinyl/ laminate delivered (where you pay on delivery) then the delivery charge is going straight in to the company profits.

 

HALL, STAIRS & LANDING CHARGE.

 

They claim that this is because there is a lot more work involved. This is true for the fitter, who again you pay when the work is done. So if they are giving you a free estimating and planning service there is no extra work for the company to do. The estimator hands the plan to the fitter who cuts up the carpet to plan and then fits it for you who you then pay.

 

They DON'T hold any of this money back for the fitter to make sure he/she does a good job, or what ever flannel they might come out with as an explanation.

 

Again straight in to the companies profits.

 

Oh yes I forgot to say that the fitters have to pay an admin fee just to complete the fitting work for you on behalf of the company.

 

It's about time that these cons are looked in to by the Office of Fair Trading.

 

PS NEVER EVER buy gripper rods for your carpets from them as they must be making a 1000% profit it. Buy it from a DIY store and put it down yourself or give it to the fitter. Carpetright can not tell you that the fitting can not put it down because you have not bought it from them as you are the one paying the fitter not Carpetright.

 

If anyone wants any more advice then just ask.

[buzby]

Whilst I agree the way they work is less than transparent, the prices they charge (especially at 80% sale times) are hard to beat. As for holding back on the fitting charge, as you noted - this is paid to the fitter at the time of supply so there is plenty of scope to decide whether the work is of an acceptable quality ant to pay or dispute it.

 

Regarding grippers - I always say I prefer it tacked!

[GlenDB7]

I think you have missed what I was talking about with reguards to the fitting. The HSL and Delivery charges go straight in to the company profits. They are not valid charges as the company don't actually do anything to damand payment for, and the OFT should look in to this. As for the 80% off, this is not true. They may offer 60% off then a further 20% off which is not 80% off IE take 60% off £100 pounds and then a further 20% off. £100 - 60 = 40 - 8(20%) =£32 which is 68% off the original cost. Carpetright always have discount off their carpets apart from when they have to forfill the legal obligations of price establishing meaning that they advertise the product at the full price for 28 day then they can discount it because it was £xxx as advertised the month before. They will normally have a have small sign near the counter listing these product and most times not have the samples out.

 

You could go to other carpet retailers and find the same carpet, made by the same maufacturer, same make up but advertised at a vastly cheaper price to start off with. Most of the big manufactures have a least 3-5 different names for the same carpet so it is harder for customers to price match between retailers because the salesman will swear blind that it will be a different carpet.

 

But there again most big retailers like DFS dining and others do the same with the huge discounts.

 

Not a great fan of tacking carpet it doesnt seem to do the job as well. But I am surprised that Carpetright would let the fitters do that.

 

Definatley no slur against anyone who works in the shops or the fitters, just the senior management for the way that they price things.

[buzby]

As to the discount - yes, it is 68% (not 80% as 60% + 20%, but this is just the same sort of ploy. I'd certainly go for the additional 8% than not get it at all!

 

As to the HSL, the problem is, they do explain what it is supposedly for - whether the intended recipient gets the funds or not. I heard it explained as a small percentage that covered 'a bit extra' (!) in the calculations to ensure things like tread overhang would not result in 'a bare bit' at the top/bottom.

 

That said, my last three orders with them have not featured this charge (for whatever reason, as I've never had to challenge it). As to the OFT doing something, I do see where you are coming from, but whilst they way they work is not ideal, there are far bigger fish to fry that don't deliver or have far more obvious scams that take their attention!

[Shelty]

Price establishment only has to feature in a % of the stores nationally, so out of 350+ stores you'd only find the higher price in approx 70 for a 28 day period to comply with regulations. I doubt you'd get too much response from the OFT, as Cr are not in a monopoly position, when you take into account that there are 5000 + independantly owned carpet retailers in the UK. So if you don't like their pricing or charges it's not as if you don't have choice !!

[BlueAppreciationSociety]

Ha! This Shelty bloke knows what he's talking about - [edit: please refrain from making personal remarks against other users of this site - thankyou]

[breadline]

HI Glen

You didn't find your telephone wire cut then and shoved under the carpet as the fitter truly believed you would not notice:rolleyes: .

That used to be the most common complaint in Carpet right:lol: :lol:

[BlueAppreciationSociety]

Ha! This Shelty bloke knows what he's talking about - [edit: please refrain from making personal remarks against other users of this site - thankyou]

 

 

OUCH! That's my wrist slapped!

[pbharrison]

I popped into Carpet Right in Medway the other day and found a nice bed (odd I know) it was advertised for about £100 less than other retailers, so we enquired about it. I asked if the 48hr delivery was at an additional charge, the sales lady said it was £45, I asked what standard delivery was and she said that was standard. i laughed and just said I would pick it up from store, to which I was told that was £45 also. Apparently because it comes from their head office, delivery to their store or my house was the same. I asked how that was possibly legal and she simply said, well its a delivery charge its not part of the cost.

 

So a delivery charge I have no choice in paying?? There are no alternative options, surely then this is part of the cost? you couldnt advertise a bed for £5 with additional fee's for storage, delivery, sales costs, screws, ground rent and advertising.

[buzby]

You could offer pick it up from their 'head office' at your cost, but I have a feeling it is actually dropped-shipped directly from their supplier, who charges this fee - they never actually see the beds other than the demo.

 

I'd run it past your local Trading Standards, because if it is impossible to purchase at the advertised price, it is misleading.

[pbharrison]

Well I have checked on line and apparently it is against Trading Standards to advertise a price that the consumer can not actually purchase for. So I wonder what on earth a company that size are up to.

[buzby]

As mentioned before, they are simply acting as a commission agent, not holding stock.