A COUPLE claim they have had to cancel Christmas this year after Wickes took almost 10 months to install their new kitchen.
Barry and Jane Sanderson, who usually host the big day, say they had to wait so long for worktops and a cooker that all their relatives were forced to make other plans.
Several booked into pubs while others are visiting more distant family members so the pair will be spending December 25 alone.
Barry, 64, who had been without an oven since February, said: "It’s ruined our Christmas to be honest with you. That’s no exaggeration."
Barry and Jane, from Newcastle, paid a deposit for the £3,482 project in January and their old kitchen was promptly stripped out.
But a worktop mix-up meant a hefty delay in fitting the new one, with the pair not seeing the end product until last week.
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The stress of having to live with just a hob and sink saw them "constantly at each other's throats" and even on the verge of divorce.
And to make matters worse, they now won't be spending Christmas surrounded by loved ones as it was cutting it too fine to confirm.
Barry, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, said: "We wanted to have our family Christmas here with my son, grandchildren and everyone else but we couldn’t make any arrangements because we didn’t know if the kitchen was going to be finished or not.
"We’d normally have about 11 or 12 of us, so it’s a big group, but everybody's had to go and do their own thing as it's only a few weeks away.
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"We’re a big close knit family and we like to have these big events together. Now it’s not happening."
Pubs require non-refundable deposits and book up months in advance so eating out isn't an option.
"It'll just be me and my wife, and maybe my mother in law, at home on our own," Barry said.
"People will say, ‘well you could go to another relative’s’, but that’s not how it works.
"We’ve got the biggest house and we can cater for everyone.
"We love our Christmas we do, everything about it, so we're devastated."
Wickes initially offered the Sandersons £325 in compensation for the inconvenience of having no kitchen for the best part of a year.
After Barry complained again, this was upped to £1,233.75 – but he think that's still nowhere near enough.
It’s ruined our Christmas to be honest with you. That’s no exaggeration.
He said: "The offer is somewhat underwhelming considering everything we've been through – not just in the delay in installation but also the effect it has had on our relationship and mental health.
"I have been diagnosed with clinical depression following the chain of events and I did not need the added stress on top of coping with cancer.
"I'm not being greedy, but our Just Eat bill was almost £600 so when they came back with their offer it was like a slap in the face.
"It should have been our dream kitchen but we’ve completely fallen out of love with it.
"I've done the calculations and I think we deserve more than £6,000, though I expect to be knocked down a bit.
"We’ve been through a hell of a lot, so for them to come back and say this is outrageous. Wickes is a multi million pound company.
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"The whole thing has been a right nightmare. I don’t know how to put it into words."
A spokesperson Wickes previously apologised for the delay but declined to comment further on the offer of compensation.
What are my rights?
Under the Consumer Rights Act, anyone who enters a contract for goods and services can expect these to be supplied with reasonable care and skill – and this includes builders, plumbers, decorators and electricians.
It also includes materials, which should be of satisfactory quality, as described and fit for purpose.
If you've fallen victim to a cowboy builder, or had a dispute with your contractors, you should firstly collate all evidence you have, including paperwork, photos, videos, messages and bank statements.
Then, try to resolve the issues directly with the firm, before trying an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme such as mediation or ombudsman services.
If this doesn't work, contact your bank to find out whether you can recover any money spent using Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (if the job cost between £100 and £30,000, your credit card company is jointly liable if something goes wrong).
If this doesn't work, report them to the police on 101.
While the lines between what is criminal and just bad practice are blurred, a contractor could be done for fraud.
It is also important to contact Trading Standards. Citizens' Advice has an online form to help you do this.
TS will then decide whether to investigate further based on the information you provide and help negotiate a settlement.
Even if it doesn't, the details may help if anyone else complains about the same firm.
It is also possible to take builders to a small claims court if you have been left out of pocket. However, you run the risk of racking up significant costs.
While most home insurance policies don't cover building work, it is worth confirming this with your provider.
And you should also, if possible, find out whether your builder holds liability insurance, which would also help.
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