Mum spends £4,000 on dream kitchen from Ikea but it ‘looks like a CHILD built it’
A PREGNANT mother who sued Ikea over a kitchen installation ‘nightmare’ claims she is still owed more than £4,000 despite a court ruling in her favour.
31-year-old Jessica Holmes reportedly had a kitchen installed by the Swedish company two years ago, but was shocked by the ‘terrible’ workmanship.
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She finally took legal action on February 5 and was overjoyed when she was told that Ikea would have to pay her £4,192 within 14 days, as well as her legal costs of £205.
But more than a month later, the teaching assistant says she still hasn’t received a cent and has ‘had enough’.
Mum-of-four Jessica, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, told The Sun: “It was an absolute nightmare.
“You wouldn’t think that a big company like Ikea would do this. I am currently on maternity leave.
“I spent my entire pregnancy calling Ikea to resolve this.
Have you had a bad experience with an Ikea kitchen? Email: Jonathan.Rose@thesun.co.uk
“I was literally on a drip in the hospital and called Ikea.
“Financially it’s been a struggle having to keep fighting this in court to get my money.
“We were looking forward to getting a new kitchen, but the whole experience was just terrible.
“I have never experienced such poor communication. They have been so rude.”
Jessica claims the kitchen is usable, but the worktops are all cracked, cupboard doors are unattached and there is a cutout for the boiler that “looks like it was made by a child”.
She says she has spoken to Ikea and their legal team will contact me again, but she has not received any further correspondence.
Jessica continued: “The judge was shocked. He said he couldn’t believe the state of the kitchen.
‘Ikea didn’t even have the decency to come to court. We have now sent bailiffs to collect the debt.’
An Ikea spokesperson said: “Ikea was not informed of the court hearing, which took place in our absence, and a judgment was therefore entered against us without our knowledge.
“Having received a copy of the judgment, we are now working to ensure the customer is fully reimbursed and to resolve the issue to his satisfaction.”
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What are my rights?
Under the Consumer Rights Act, anyone who contracts for goods and services can expect them to be provided with reasonable care and skill – and this includes builders, plumbers, decorators and electricians.
It also includes materials which must be of satisfactory quality, as described and fit for the purpose intended.
If you have been victimized by a cowboy builder or have had a dispute with your contractors, the first thing you should do is gather all the evidence you have, including paperwork, photos, videos, messages and bank statements.
Then try to resolve the issues directly with the company before trying an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system such as mediation or ombudsman services.
If this doesn’t work, contact your bank to see if you can reclaim the money you spent using Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (if the job costs between £100 and £30,000 your credit card company is jointly and severally liable if something goes wrong).
If this does not work, report it to the police on 101.
Although the lines between what is criminal and what is just bad practice are blurred, a contractor can be prosecuted for fraud.
It is also important to contact Trading Standards. Citizen Advice has an online form to help you with this.
TS will then decide whether further investigation needs to be conducted based on the information you provide and will assist in negotiating a settlement.
Even if not, the details can help if someone else complains about the same company.
It is also possible to sue builders in small claims court if you run out of money. However, you run the risk of incurring significant costs.
Although most home insurance policies will not cover construction work, it is worth confirming this with your insurer.
And, if possible, you should also check whether your builder has liability insurance, which would also help.