Flooring issues - consumer rights

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2009
Posts
19,852
Location
Glasgow
I got new laminate flooring put in last year. I wasn’t happy with it due to excessive noise and flex. They agreed and explained the manufacturer told them they had fitted it wrong so redid it, and used upgraded underlay. I’m still unhappy. The boss of the company came out the other day to have a look at it and agreed it wasn’t right and claimed it’s an issue with the floor and they no longer use the supplier…

His solution seems to be to replace it with a more expensive product (and perhaps put chipboard down on top of my floorboards) and he’ll absorb some of the cost though can’t say how much it’ll cost me. I don’t want to pay more, and I’m worried I’ll be paying 2023 costs rather than 2022.

I suggested a refund, to which he said he’ll do but he has to remove the floor leaving me with no floor. So that’s not a solution.

My solution is a total refund, and he leaves the floor. He’s not agreeing to that. I appreciate its an older house so it may not be perfect but it’s far from right now.
I’m just wondering what rights I have here. Is then next step small claims? I’d rather give him the benefit of the doubt for now but happy to explore and suggest my next steps.
Paid on debit card fwiw.
 
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Ahleckz said:
I got new laminate flooring put in last year. I wasn’t happy with it due to excessive noise and flex. They agreed and explained the manufacturer told them they had fitted it wrong so redid it, and used upgraded underlay. I’m still unhappy. The boss of the company came out the other day to have a look at it and agreed it wasn’t right and claimed it’s an issue with the floor and they no longer use the supplier…

His solution seems to be to replace it with a more expensive product (and perhaps put chipboard down on top of my floorboards) and he’ll absorb some of the cost though can’t say how much it’ll cost me. I don’t want to pay more, and I’m worried I’ll be paying 2023 costs rather than 2022.

I suggested a refund, to which he said he’ll do but he has to remove the floor leaving me with no floor. So that’s not a solution.

My solution is a total refund, and he leaves the floor. He’s not agreeing to that. I appreciate its an older house so it may not be perfect but it’s far from right now.
I’m just wondering what rights I have here. Is then next step small claims? I’d rather give him the benefit of the doubt for now but happy to explore and suggest my next steps.
Paid on debit card fwiw.
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Can you ask him for your old flooring back and a full refund?
 
Not entirely sure on the rights here, but I'm pretty certain you can't expect a full refund and for them to leave the product there. You might be able to argue for a partial discount - choose what you'd be happy with to live with it.

Frankly as you've said you're not happy with both attempts then I don't know why you're not accepting a full refund based on the flooring being removed, and essentially starting again.
 
So you want to take him to small claims after he offered you a refund because he won't let you keep the floor? :cry:
 
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He can’t replace my flooring I had before, as it’s been binned.

His view was that any laminate will have the same issue, I’m sceptical as the stuff I had before felt right and was only changed for aesthetics, and he seems to be suggesting it needs to be replaced with LVT which we discounted before as it was 3x the price.

I also don’t want to have to empty my bottom floor of my house again and deal with another week of disruption.

I do appreciate a full refund May be off the cards and unreasonable but it’s an opening gambit. This is why I’m wondering what rights I actually have.
Perhaps a partial refund is a good compromise. I’m absolutely willing to work with him, and said I’m happy to give him the benefit of the doubt but also keen for a solution.
 
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dLockers said:
So you literally just want a free floor? You aren't even going to 'fix' it?

Post a video, what's actually wrong with it?
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he’s tried to fix it. It’s not worked. He doesn’t have any other solutions to fix it. It’s literally “yes, we agree it’s not right so we will take it up, refund your money and you’re left with no floor and have to pay 2023 prices” or “you can pay thousands more, but we will help “a bit” to get a product you didn’t want”. He agrees the product is faulty and they don’t sell it anymore but there isn’t anything he can do with this product to make it better.

I’m not being put back to where I was with solution 1 as I used to have a fine floor. Solution 2 isn’t an option as I don’t have the extra funds for that, nor do I want LVT otherwise I would have bought that originally.

It’s creaky, snaps and crackles and has excessive movement. It’s not dangerous or anything but it’s not right, it’s not what I paid for and it’s not what I expected when I was sold it.
 
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UTT said:
Not sure how it's possible to incorrectly fit laminate

The issue must be the floor it's being laid on. Is it level and solid?
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In one room they screeded twice, the other rooms are floorboards. It’s an older house, so they aren’t in perfect condition but neither of the two times they’ve fitted it have they said it was an issue or need to be boarded.
 
You can't expect them to hang on to your old floor just in case yours is no good, you could have done that tbh. So there is no going back to square 1, only square 1 without the flooring in place.

Realistically ask yourself how much discount are you happy with to live with it. If he knocks 25% off would that be satisfactory?

It somewhat reminds me of a thread on here years ago where someone had parquet flooring but they had fitted it the wrong way round than agreed. The fitter/supplier offered a full refund and to keep the floor as it'll cost them time to rip it up, and they wouldn't be able to reuse the materials again. But the op just couldn't get around the wrong direction, so it was all ripped up and relaid the right way.
 
Ahleckz said:
.....and he seems to be suggesting it needs to be replaced with LVT which we discounted before as it was 3x the price.
Click to expand...
I was just reading this week that LVT needs to be laid on a very level surface so not sure if that would be any better unless you did some sort of work on the floor to level it out / use chipboard?

Anyway, you need to lay down the floor law with them. (Sorry.)
 
What exactly is the current issue. Is it bowing, moving, lifting, what's up with it? Sorry if you've already said and I've missed it.
 
Ahleckz said:
I got new laminate flooring put in last year. I wasn’t happy with it due to excessive noise and flex. They agreed and explained the manufacturer told them they had fitted it wrong so redid it, and used upgraded underlay. I’m still unhappy. The boss of the company came out the other day to have a look at it and agreed it wasn’t right and claimed it’s an issue with the floor and they no longer use the supplier…

His solution seems to be to replace it with a more expensive product (and perhaps put chipboard down on top of my floorboards) and he’ll absorb some of the cost though can’t say how much it’ll cost me. I don’t want to pay more, and I’m worried I’ll be paying 2023 costs rather than 2022.

I suggested a refund, to which he said he’ll do but he has to remove the floor leaving me with no floor. So that’s not a solution.

My solution is a total refund, and he leaves the floor. He’s not agreeing to that. I appreciate its an older house so it may not be perfect but it’s far from right now.
I’m just wondering what rights I have here. Is then next step small claims? I’d rather give him the benefit of the doubt for now but happy to explore and suggest my next steps.
Paid on debit card fwiw.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's unreasonable for him to take the floor back if you want a full refund.
 
Ahleckz said:
and claimed it’s an issue with the floor and they no longer use the supplier…
Click to expand...
if he believes product is flawed , will he pursue a claim against manufacturers warranty, for yours+his costs, or can you do that ?
(sounds like the familiar car scenario where the manufacturer makes a recall and pays dealers to make appropriate remedial action)
 
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