[craignozza]

Went to price up for a nursing chair on Sat, got cornered into doing it there and then - was apparently ex-display but was very dirty, it was upstairs and i considered taking it downstairs to clean it rather than getting all the hoses off the tm as it was so hot - decided against it and took hoses through house and up the stairs. Custy looked at job, was happy and paid - left & everything was fine.
About an hour later get a call from custy who was'fumin' (their words) that the leg of chair is broken as I had moved it downstairs (which I didnt!!) and that i had chipped some paintwork in the hall with my hoses. I admitted responsibility for the paint as it was possible I suppose and organised for a painter to go round and touch up this morning. However I get a text from custy saying they have cancelled painter and are using their own and will bill me. Phoned up and said that I wouldnt pay anything until I have seen damage and even then i dont want to be ripped off so would rather our own painter did it. They then went on to say it was def me that broke the chair as their 4 yr old daughter saw me at the bottom of the stairs with it  If it was me I would hold my hands up and admit it as I would just put it through on our insurance but it really wasnt anything to do with me 
Anyway am going round tonight to see damage to paintwork, what shall i do, insist on our decorator doing it so i dont get ripped off or let theirs do it and just pay what i think is fair? In regard to the chair should i let this be dealt with by our insurers or as i dont accept that it was me who caused the damage should they claim on their contents insurance or is this a small claims situation?
Really knocked me, first complaint and something fishy def going on but I just cant prove he is lying or taking me for a mug 
Cheers, Craig

[Paul W Jones]

Regarding the paintwork it looks like you've already accepted responsibility as you instructed someone to go round and rectify it.  As I understand it they should allow you to attempt to sort things out before they do anything about it themselves.  The chair seems a tricky one!  I'd just go round, keep calm and try to come to a mutually acceptable solution.  Losing your temper won't help this situation at all!

[Mike Halliday]

where were they when you was cleaning the chair for them not to know where it was cleaned? considering the 4yr old child saw you with it downstairs...... so they must have been present  as they wouldn't leave a 4yr old alone with a stranger in the house.

[wynne jones]

where were they when you was cleaning the chair for them not to know where it was cleaned? considering the 4yr old child saw you with it downstairs...... so they must have been present  as they wouldn't leave a 4yr old alone with a stranger in the house.

Yep my thoughts exactly.

Please tell me you didn't let the parents go out. 

[Colin Day]

Could you have inadvertently damaged the chair and not realised you had?

The fact that they are saying their 4 year old seen you at the bottom of the stairs with this chair, when you are saying you weren't, sets alarm bells ringing... The same 4 year old will tell you that Santa's real and Peppa Pig's Dad drives a red car, in real life! Why on earth would you take the word of a 4 year old child. They sound like
proper idiots....

[craignozza]

Jonesboy - wont loose my temper, although im not exactly happy being blamed for something that wasnt me....
Mike - the man was there at the beginning and end of cleaning, woman was downstairs in kitchen and daughter was up and downstairs and well everywhere really. They know i cleaned it upstairs, so i dont understand why they are saying the daughter said that unless they want to get a claim out of it, never mentioned it till this morning when my mrs questioned what they were saying. The  chair apparently cost £400 and was delivered the day before - how do they know that the deliverymen didnt do it? On the phone he originally said two chunks of wood were missing out the leg, then it was because it was bent and fell off and now this morning its because his daughter saw me as it cropped up in conversation  :
Wynne 
Colin - My point exactly but I can't really go in and say your 4 yr olds a liar can I? 

[jasonl]

....or a 4 year old near hot hoses /vac hoses that once killed a 4 year old in Scotland.


I would go and look and talk it through

[Colin Day]

Colin - My point exactly but I can't really go in and say your 4 yr olds a liar can I?

It depends on how you say it... I would suggest something like "Liar, liar, pants on fire.....!"

[AJB]

If you cleaned it downstairs as they claim. How did your hoses
damage the paintwork, as they wouldn't be going upstairs.
They are pure chancers after you paying for their chair. It's a shame
you admitted liability for the paintwork.
NEVER admit anything until you've inspected things for yourself.

[JandS]

I've had this once re paintwork and offered to
do it myself it was that small. They were more
than happy that I offered to rectify the matter
that they did it themselves in the end.
Just deny that you broke the chair and walk and
see what happens from there.

John

[derek west]

never been in this sit before but can't you just ring your insurance company and tell them the full story and then tell the customer to deal with your insurance instead of you. they may buckle under the pressure when dealing with suits.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

You have to try and put your legal head on.

If in the extremely unlikely case that this went to court would the testimony of a 4 year old be credible, obviously not.

Ho would plastic pipes have chipped the paintwork ?

Cheers

Doug

[Mike Halliday]

Hi Guys

You have to try and put your legal head on.

I've lost my legal head, could I put on my psychopathic, violent murderer  head on instead

[craignozza]

Went and saw him - leg of chair was completely f***ed only way I could have done that would have been by jumping on it - I told him I wouldnt except that I had done that so he has left it at that re the chair. With the painting I have agreed for him to get his own decorator to do it, hardly any damage but didnt want to risk any bad reviews on the internet. He is going to forward me a bill and I have said I will pay as much of it as I think reasonable. think the vac hoses rub against the banister doug.
Thinking about it I think one of the kids must have jumped on it (they had 3 running riot whilst I was there) broke it and left it (She was downstairs whilst I was cleaning paying no attention to what they were doing at all) . Hes gone in the room noticed it was broken got the knock walked down the stairs and noticed a couple of tiny chips in the paintwork so I've got the blame.
BIG lesson learnt from this - thorough check of everything before and after I start a job now. Bit gutted though, had a good first month with 99% nice, happy customers.....

[craignozza]

Hi Guys

You have to try and put your legal head on.

I've lost my legal head, could I put on my psychopathic, violent murderer  head on instead

 

[clinton]

Dont let it dent your confidence mate.

Sounds as though they were reall chancers and as some other guys posted re taking the word of a 4 year old!

[Carpet Dawg]

ALWAYS do a walk through before and AFTER the job! Pointing out any problem areas and agreeing on final price before you take anything off the van.

Also, tie your vac hoses when taking them up stiars and use corner guards
http://www.restormate.co.uk/epages/15094.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15094/Products/HF2701

Tony

[Dave_Lee]

I would just add that you shouldn't think you could just put things like this through your insurance, if all else fails.
The chair cost £400. Most insurance policies in our trade carry a £500 excess, and don't forget if you claim, your premium goes up next year.
Dave.

[PaulKing]

....or a 4 year old near hot hoses /vac hoses that once killed a 4 year old in Scotland.


I would go and look and talk it through

wow i didn't know that have you got the press link for that, fancy using it to scare the bejesus of of some cutomers

[mike roberts]

....or a 4 year old near hot hoses /vac hoses that once killed a 4 year old in Scotland.


I would go and look and talk it through

wow i didn't know that have you got the press link for that, fancy using it to scare the bejesus of of some cutomers

No seriously...... them vac hoses are nasty B*******s