challenges with kitchen company completing the job - fully paid

[Chin]

Hi all

I am seeking some advice with regards to a kitchen which has been fully paid in advance.
The company in question i believe (up until this point) are very reputable with show rooms across three or four towns in the UK.

They were fully paid in advance as part of their T's and C's, and the install should have taken 2 x days to complete.
We are now 7 weeks later from the first install date and there are still parts of the kitchen which are not complete (bespoke items not built), and various cupboards / drawers / doors missing which we have been promised were to be flown in to the UK as a priority.

Getting responses from them on email, phone or message is hard work and rather than having fitters knocking on our door to get the job complete we have someone turn up once every couple of weeks on a Sunday to do a bit more work and then leave with outstanding jobs still.

We have 2 x small children in the house without a functioning kitchen, however because they have been paid in advance I have very little leverage on them.

Besides from setting them a deadline(in three weeks time) for them to be complete, is there anything else I can do or say to hopefully help move things along a bit?

Thanks for any help

[Pezza54]

You are learning a hard lesson never to sign a building contract that requires a customer to pay 100% of the job before work starts. Most contracts for new kitchens and bedroom fittings require a 50% deposit to pay for the manufacture of materials, 25% when materials are delivered to the customer's property and the final 25% on completion.
If the work is unfinished or the customer is unhappy with the standard of finish the customer should hold back the 25% which will encourage the company to complete the work asap.
At present the company is causing you much inconvenience, unable to fully use the kitchen and working on Sundays. By not providing the customer with reasonable skill and care the company is in breach of the Consumer Regulations Act 2015.
You should write to the managing director at the head office (posted letter signed for) pointing out the inconvenience you are suffering, giving the company 2 weeks to complete all work otherwise you will seek compensation (a reduction in price) through the court if necessary.

[Chin]

Thank you - this helps a lot.

[Pezza54]

In case the company becomes insolvent before work starts or before work is finished it is safer to pay the deposit or part of the deposit by credit card, By paying this way the customer benefits from financial protection under the CCA 1974

[Chin]

thanks, we paid part of it on card, however the total value of the kitchen exceeds £30k so i thought this exceeds any protection via credit card?

[Pezza54]

You could have asked the company to split the job into 2 contracts. One for delivery of materials and one for labour