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Legal, pensions and money

Backing out of buying a carpet

(23 Posts)
Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 17:08:57

Need some advice. I ordered carpet for my hall and the shop took a deposit of £300 on the price being £1600. We have now decided to sell the house and downsize. Am I obliged to pay the retailer the £1300 or just tell him I am cancelling and he will obviously keep the deposit.

phoenix Wed 27-Feb-19 17:13:05

Did you sign any sort of agreement? If so, that should contain the T's & C's.

Generally speaking, deposits are non refundable. I think another factor might be how close to the proposed fitting date you decided to cancel.

phoenix Wed 27-Feb-19 17:15:25

BTW, £1,600 to just carpet a hall seems a lot! Very large hall, or very expensive carpet?

(Could just be me being out of touch on costs)

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 17:19:55

Thanks for quick reply. No I didn’t sign anything. I ordered the carpet beginning of January with an open date for fitting as we hadn’t decorated so I said I would ring when ready. He then asked for the £300 deposit. I have no paperwork from the shop

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 17:22:39

The hall is a square type. The carpet was 40 square metres and cost about £35 a square metre.

Jalima1108 Wed 27-Feb-19 17:58:24

I wouldn't have thought you would have to pay for it all, but they may keep the deposit.

A large piece of carpet like that could be sold to someone else, but possibly at a discount.

If they haven't actually ordered it and got it in or cut it off the roll then there should be no charge at all.

Charleygirl5 Wed 27-Feb-19 18:37:43

phoenix my thoughts also.

Gonegirl Wed 27-Feb-19 18:42:57

Do you live in a mansion?

Gonegirl Wed 27-Feb-19 18:44:27

Castle?

Jalima1108 Wed 27-Feb-19 19:20:18

Well, I think you have to buy in widths of 4m and if your hall is long or wide or oddly shaped then a piece 10m x 4m would be 40 square metres.

Perhaps it's hall, stairs and landing? I decided not to change mine after I had an estimate.

kittylester Wed 27-Feb-19 19:36:21

Welcome pat, if you are new.

Jalima1108 Wed 27-Feb-19 19:39:43

smile

Are you downsizing patmdoyle?
Perhaps the carpet will fit the ground floor of a smaller property?
You wouldn't lose your deposit then.

lemongrove Wed 27-Feb-19 19:43:28

You have no legal need to purchase the carpet, and if it hasn’t been cut yet I can’t see why they should keep the deposit.Ring them and explain that due to circumstances you have to sell your house, and see what they say.

phoenix Wed 27-Feb-19 19:50:48

If you were asked to pay a deposit, surely you received a receipt for it? Were there no terms and conditions on that?

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 20:32:37

Thanks for all the replies. I don’t live in anything like a castle just a 4 bedroom house which has a large funny shaped hall. The carpet I ordered wouldn’t fit where we are going as it is all wood floors. The carpet shop ordered it in from Brintons so that’s why I feel we may have to foot the bill.

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 20:33:23

Just a normal 4 bed house

loopyloo Wed 27-Feb-19 20:36:01

You have no paperwork at all???

Nico97 Wed 27-Feb-19 20:37:05

If you have it fitted is there any possibility you could incorporate the cost into the sale price of the house ?

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 21:50:38

Loopyloo I have no paperwork as I was given the quote after the manager visited my home and rang me. It was then he asked for a deposit which I paid on my credit card over the phone.

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 21:55:53

Nico97 my hall has a wooden floor which apparently is something the estate agent said would help sell the house. I was buying carpet because I was fed up cleaning it. So nothing to be gained by adding the cost of it to the sale price.

Patmdoyle51 Wed 27-Feb-19 21:56:49

Only my credit card bill

oldgimmer1 Wed 27-Feb-19 22:43:43

You should have insisted on paperwork, as you probably know..or at least some proof that the payment you made was a deposit (and refundable).

Get some consumer advice asap.

Citizens Advice I think have a dedicated consumer helpline.

oldgimmer1 Wed 27-Feb-19 22:49:29

Sorry that post made no sensegrin.

Just get proper advice - personally I think you're on dodgy ground as shop will probably take your decision to order in good faith and may already have cut carpet (even if they haven't , they've got grounds for saying so...).

Good luck!