I am in talk with County Kitchens (Sigma3) who want their full money
after delivery of goods. Then they will send us the fitters and after
satisfactory installation we pay them.
They say the fitters are on their payroll - employed by them and they
make a great issue that only after we are completely happy with the
installation we pay the fitters.
How good and or serious are these guys ?
I have read Peter Parry's good advice but wonder if anyone could tell
me of their experience / dealings with County Kitchens.

Their kitchens are fine but the salesman is pushy and the prices seem
go up like a yo yo everytime I speak with them.
Incidentally their Terms Of Conditions quote in very fine print "Time
is not of the essence".
Common sense says that time is always of the essence .....
thanks
T Lovett





On Thu, 27 Jun 2002 13:04:02 +0100, "Gerry Hooper"
wrote:


They operate a system whereby you pay the fitters seperately once the
instalation is complete and you're satisfied - is this a common
practice?

It isn't common and is a recipe for disaster. If things go wrong the
kitchen company blame the fitters, the fitters blame the kitchen
company and guess who is in the middle and loses. It means they are
not employing their own fitters and have scant control over the
quality of workmanship. The fitters on the other hand were the
cheapest bidders for the contract and want to get it done as quickly
as possible.

Paying the fitters separately is something which should never be
done. You must have one contract with one company and they are the
only ones you make payment to. This maintains them as the ones
responsible for the finished product (supply and installation).
Anything else and much of the protection you have against shoddy
goods or workmanship is gone (which some might say is exactly why
some companies use this technique).


--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

Of Conditions quote in very fine print "Time
is not of the essence".

Common sense says that time is always of the essence .....

In a way yes but it has a particular legal meaning. I would be very wary of
them particularly in view of the other comments you made.

Thelma Loveett wrote:
I am in talk with County Kitchens (Sigma3) who want their full money
after delivery of goods. Then they will send us the fitters and after
satisfactory installation we pay them.

Walk. Away. Now.

Incidentally their Terms Of Conditions quote in very fine print "Time
is not of the essence".
Common sense says that time is always of the essence .....

Run. Away. Now. Very. Very. Fast.

(on general principle, I have no experience of this company)

Owain

"Owain" wrote in message
...
Thelma Loveett wrote:
I am in talk with County Kitchens (Sigma3) who want their full money
after delivery of goods. Then they will send us the fitters and after
satisfactory installation we pay them.

Walk. Away. Now.

Incidentally their Terms Of Conditions quote in very fine print "Time
is not of the essence".
Common sense says that time is always of the essence .....

Run. Away. Now. Very. Very. Fast.

(on general principle, I have no experience of this company)

Owain


Agreed.

Learnt this lesson the hard way on our loft conversion a while ago.
"Respectable" loft conversion firm, highly competent sales/designer person,
all looked good, and lots of reassuring words about how "you only pay for
work that's been done when you are satisfied". The problem was they wanted
payment for all the materials and most of the "head office" costs on the day
of material delivery, leaving only the payments to the "installers"
supposedly in carefully controlled stages. These were very poorly managed
and by the time it all started to go VERY badly wrong we had only a few £100
left to go and many weeks of work left and many of the problems were not the
"installers" fault, but as HQ had had their money we were in a very poor
position.

Like "Owain" I have no experience of "County Kitchens (Sigma 3)" but as a
general payment principle it sounds well dodgy!

Be Very Afraid!

Regards,
Simon.