Homecraft DIY , Lordship Lane

[daisychain]

I'm furious because I recently spent ?150 buying paint in the Homecraft shop opposite the Plough at top of Lordship Lane only for one of the paints (5 litre can of dulux) to be incorrectly mixed. The tin was labelled correctly but it wasn't until I got home from work and saw my entire living room had been done in the wrong colour by the decorator that I realised the problem.

I called the shop and all they are prepared to do is exchange the can of paint - meanwhile my decorator is charging me for a days work (it's clearly not his fault the shop mixed the wrong paint) - so that leaves me ?150 out of pocket to pay the decorator. I've just got back from the shop having gone in to complain and the woman said "as a goodwill gesture" she will give me a ?10 tin of gloss...big deal! I know it sounds petty in large scheme of things but I'm so angry and it doesn't help being heavily pregnant.

Is that all they are obliged to do when it's the shop's error??

[nbn]

suggest you photograph the paint and get painter to confirm its wrong colour , speak to citizens advice bureau and tell the shop you will go to small claims court.

the woman in there is friendly but quite firm. The owner is a grumpy tosser with a van reg plate something .. BOSSSS ( could do with a T instead of the B and an A at the end ) he never smiles even tho he's making a fortune out of locals

on the topic of shit service - anyone experience very poor service from the photograph shop opposite liquorice ? i challenged the pricing structure only to be told that i would have a photo of me behind the counter as a banned customer. Told them to shove it and next time will make the journey to Snappy Snaps in peckham !

[*Bob*]

I've only ever had good service from the dudes and dude-ess in The Plough. And friendly faces too - pretty much all of them, whenever I've been, busy shop, empty shop.. whatever.

It's a crappy situation you find youself in, but I have to say there's no way I'd hand a tin of shop-mixed paint over to a decorator without lifting the lid and checking it first.

[daisychain]

Thanks Bob - but have to say even if I'd lifted the lid I wouldn't have noticed the difference - it was one of those Dulux things where colours come in six subtle variations on a shade - I'd asked for number 5 of a certain colour and the guy in the shop had mixed up a number 3 but labelled it number 5 - basically a slip of the thumb by him and I end up with a room two shades darker that I don't actually want or like.

It's more the shop saying "yes we've put the wrong paint in the tin but ultimately it's not our fault and we're not going to do anything about it" that's got to me - when actually it is their fault...and they know i've spent bloody loads of money in that shop over the years. Next time I'm off to B and Q ...sod supporting the local business!

[*Bob*]

I wish I could say that B&Q have a team of highly-trained paint mixers wearing lab coats and carrying clipboards but unfortunately - even there - your paint will be mixed by the same aged computer system (with broken keys) and operated by a sulking teenager who can't wait to get out the door.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere that mixes paint who'd offer to do anything more than replace the tin (and perhaps give you a ?10 tin of gloss!)

[nancysmum]

I've heard of this happening at the plough before. that's why I get jay at dulwich DIY (bottom end of lordship lane) to do mine. he even told me when the colour i'd chosen wasn't all that (and saved me messing up on my front door as a result!). Sorry to hear about your troubles though daisychain. maybe subtle lighting and candles would help?

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Before you go to war on this, are you sure it wasn't the right paint but it actually looked a slightly different colour to what you anticipated once it was applied. This isn't uncommon. Did you use samples beforehand?

[MitchK]

Just typical of this country now. No one prepared to go the extra mile, no one prepared to take responsibility for their actions. Have you thought about

[macroban]

I know people get grumpy during a recession; but incitement to commit criminal action?

[ruffers]

They've offered to replace an item which was wrong and as a goodwill gesture give you something on top. Seems to me that although you may be reasonably disappointed with that they don't really have to do much more. They could choose to but clearly aren't doing.

And someone mentioned Dulwich DIY - in my experience home of the world's worst and rudest customer service to the extent I've tried twice to make purchases in there and walked out. Different people, different experiences....

[LuvPeckham]

I got to say, and if I may throw in a good word here, that I have nothing but praise for Plough Homecraft and the service they have provided me over the years, Whenever I go in, nothing seems to be too much trouble for them and only last week they spent 10 minutes looking for some rubber washers for my loo (that were subsequently out of stock) and in the end they gave me some really helpful advice about how to re-use the old ones by using some plumbers mate to reaffirm the seal on them... total cost, nothing and they didn't even try to sell me plumbers mate. However I do also agree with Ruffers "Different People, Different Experiences" and often I find that by beign happy and friendly to the staff behind the till, they are happy, obliging and friendly back (please note I am not saying that DaisyChain wasn't here... just an observation on shop staff from my experience)

Now I have to say, it is unfortunate that Daisychain got the wrong shade of paint mixed and I guess mistakes do happen, Personally I too would be a bit upset about a decorator charging me ?150 for a days work (is he not polish ??) but seriously, the shop could have easily claim that you told them the wrong shade, but they didn't they took the right stance and replaced the paint and made a small token offer as well. I wouldn't expect any DIY shop to offer anything more in a similar situation and I guess really that Homebase/B&Q would more then likely only replace the paint at best.

What I would dearly love to say is that I wish people would stop whining about our local businesses and their occasional mistakes, because if we all stopped using them we would miss them when they are replaced by Starbucks or another major chain... but I won't say that as it will only inflame people on here and that isn't the point of my post.

[Al&Em]

The principle is similar to that that photo shops use if they lose your film (or memory card in this day and age)- they'll buy you a new roll or film but won't pay for you to have another holiday to take the photos of you by the Taj Mahal and riding on that camel again. It's a nightmare I know, but the potential liability for what is actually a fairly small monetary transaction could make the whole business unviable (without suitable insurance?).

[Smiler]

Agree that you'd be lucky to find anywhere that would refund for the decorator.

I have always had good service there and it is a very useful shop as it stocks loads of different stuff.

[Andyng]

Did you get served by fat bloke?

[LuvPeckham]

Andyng Wrote:

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> Did you get served by fat bloke?

Careful now - otherwise you will sound fattest (sorry Fattist) :-S

[Jeremy]

It isn't very good if you don't know the correct name of the thing you need... try and explain it to the bloke, and he looks at you like you're an idiot. So sometimes I prefer to drive over to B&Q or Homebase, so I can just browse all the bits and pieces myself and find what I need.

[jim_the_chin]

i've found precisely the opposite of what you say jeremy - i am a complete idiot at diy and over the past 7 years i've been in asking for a 'thing about that size'and describe it and i've never once felt the merest whiff of contempt from anyone, whatever size they are. and i'm usually a bit sensitive to that sort of thing. curious.

[Loz]

And someone mentioned Dulwich DIY - in my experience home of the world's worst and rudest customer service to the extent I've tried twice to make purchases in there and walked out. Different people, different experiences....

Do you mean the one opposite the Bishop (or thereabouts)?? I've always found them super-helpful. As you said, different people and all that.

[Jeremy]

jim_the_chin Wrote:

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> i've found precisely the opposite of what you say

> jeremy - i am a complete idiot at diy and over the

> past 7 years i've been in asking for a 'thing

> about that size'and describe it and i've never

> once felt the merest whiff of contempt from

> anyone, whatever size they are. and i'm usually a

> bit sensitive to that sort of thing. curious.

Strange. I wouldn't say I had been treated rudely or with contempt, just more like a total communication breakdown!

[Jimbob]

2 shades out, to be brutally honest can/would you notice any difference, me thinks one is being a bit pedantic just for the sake of it.

[SteveT]

A year or two back I purchased a set of kitchen mixer taps from screwfix

and after a couple of weeks they started to drip.

Contacted screwfix and they replaced them,

three weeks later same thing happened they dripped

a third set was sent and they were fine.

No consequential loss payment was made, the plumber had to do his job three times at my cost.

I don't expect any other firm would do anything differently either.

Sometimes life's a bus terd.

[*Bob*]

Jimbob Wrote:

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> 2 shades out, to be brutally honest can/would you

> notice any difference, me thinks one is being a

> bit pedantic just for the sake of it.

Let's see.. can you spot difference, Jimbob?

[*Bob*]

How about this one? Also a mere two shades out.

[Jimbob]

two shades out my arse.

[*Bob*]

eh voila