Anyone Threatened To Use Today Tonight / ACA And Got An Outcome?

[fionas]

OK, kitchen renovation has turned into a complete debacle. Cabinets installed on 26 October. Stainless steel benchtop will not be installed until 9 February.

In the meantime, we have not been able to use the new kitchen due to another series of disasters (too long to explain and besides the point). Ultimately, this has meant that we have two kitchens in one open plan living/kitchen/dining area with basically no living space. This is our only living area. For two adults, a teenager and a toddler. Very frustrating and quite depressing. We can't even all sit around the dining room table.

Anyhow, I have repeatedly asked the company to talk to me about a refund. At first they kept fobbing me off with the line that they would discuss a refund after the kitchen was finished and they'd done a full inspection. A week ago I wrote to them explaining that this was not acceptable to me as it was the delay that was making me ask for a refund, not the quality of the workmanship and that the kitchen did not need to be finished for them to determine whether a refund was justified for the near four month delay.

I subsequently got a call saying that the company apologised, wanted to know what sort of refund I was after and that the guy would speak to Head Office and see what he could do and I should hear back within a week.

So today I asked for an update and they have given me a date when the kitchen will be finished but have gone back to the old line of "we'll discuss the refund after the kitchen is finished."

Have basically given them a week to refund me some money and threatened them that I will go to Today Tonight/ ACA if the money is not in my account by next Friday.

Obviously they are relying on me to have no energy to fight once the kitchen is actually finished and obviously once it IS finished it's not an interesting story, particularly without the visuals showing what chaos we've been living in.

So, that whole long-winded piece was really to ask whether anyone else has been in a similar situation, if they have threatened to go to the media and if it's worked and helped get a fair outcome?

[~*Kat*~]

I have not been in ur place but I say go for it hunni
I dont see why u cant
That company is not a good 1 to deal with and its not good enough to treat u like that
How cant they expect u to raise and feed ur family when they have stuffed u around like this

[*Infinity*]

Sorry to hear that you're going through renovation dramas fionas...as if renos aren't stressful enough?!

No, I haven't ever been in the type of situation you're in so consequently haven't needed to call in the media, but I wondered whether you've tried to contact Consumer Affairs or an ombudsmen in your state for the industry concerned? Usually they have some type of avenue to give you some support and possibly give the company in question a bit of a push??

Just a suggestion. Good luck!

[fionas]

Yep, I know what you're saying Infinity but I think with agencies like Consumer Affairs that they would take a long time and we'll also be putting our house on the market shortly so time is an issue.

I've also worked in PR so I know that the media is the quickest way to ruin a company's reputation and far less time-consuming than using legal channels.

I just really resent companies like this treating their customers really badly especially when it's a very well known company and we've paid an arm and a leg.

[AliBaby]

We once threatened to go to ACA or TT when a very large and well known pet store in Sydney sold us a sick puppy (knowingly) for $1200

After we went through the trauma of weeks of touch and go and stress and worry, he came home and then I found out they were selling the rest of the puppies who survived the illness for half the price. When they wouldnt give us half the money back for him and replace all of the bedding, toys, bowls, etc that we had to throw out because of the virus he had and how contagious it was, DP called and said how appauled he was that they werent listening to me and that we would be contacting ACA or some well known AM radio personalities in Sydney, they change their tune and told us we could have whatever we wanted.

Good luck. Sounds awful to be living like that. Take lots of photos and document all phonecalls to them

[fionas]

That's very encouraging AliBaby - just what I needed to hear!

[Lulu]

I'd try AM radio too. I'd also give VCAT or Consumer Affairs a go as well. It might not take as long as you think. Often they get worried when they get the first phone call explaining they have opened a case and get a rocket up the kyber.

I never went to court, the guy I was chasing settled rather than have to go through it.