Kitchens by Design, Inc.

Miscalculated measurements for refrigerator resulting in damages to refrigerator, panels and the wall. Misrepresented products, as well. On [redacted] I did business with Kitchens by Design. After completion of their work I noticed several areas that were not completed to the the standards they stated. The kitchen designer, [redacted] miscalculated the measurements of the refrigerator. Resulting in the inability to open the door without hitting the wall, which in return has caused damage to the refrigerator panels. Secondly, we waited almost two months for the [redacted] pull out waste basket cabinet because it was on backorder. When it was finally arrived and was installed, I was surprised at the quality of this piece. The pull out baskets are flimsy and have caused our interior cabinets to be damaged. I did further investigation by obtaining a [redacted] cabinets catalog and I discovered they substituted the pull out with something else. I feel that [redacted] definitely misrepresented the company, as well as, the cabinets. Also under the base cabinet, there is a very large space without a board to complete the cabinetry. We also have issues closing the drawers, they do not close all the way like described in the catalog. Finally, to make matters worse, we have three drawers that have already cracked. When I did speak to [redacted] about this he stated, "that anytime you have a cabinet near the sink, it is bound to crack". This is not stated anywhere in their policy. I have receipts and pictures attached below.Desired SettlementI am hoping to have a functional kitchen that was agreed upon in the contract. This entails a refrigerator where the doors can be opened and drawers that shut properly.Business Response My client has a classic case of buyer's remorse. She purchased a refrigerator from a local company that does not fit into a space like the [redacted] of the world (where the cabinetry surrounds the frig and makes it look built in) but her expectations were that it would look the same. I personally adjusted the space to accommodate the frig but it was difficult to make level because the floor was so out of level and not part of our contract with the consumer to correct. This is her complaint. I visited the home to offer a solution and my client was belligerent and verbally abusive so I left and that is where it all stands. What you don't know is that my client also took advantage of my good nature and abused our company financially. We are in the business of making people happy with their projects not unhappy. This, however, involves other things besides the kitchen. Thank You. Consumer Response The response from [redacted] of Kitchen by Design did in no way address the issues we've had with his work on our kitchen. Rather than address the issue, he begins the reply by blaming the customer. The issues with the refrigerator are the direct result of miscalculations and inaccurate initial measurements. In addition his response did not address his unauthorized substitution of a sub-standard trash/recycle bin for the correct unit that was specified in the [redacted] Cabinets catalog. He used a cheap metal pull-out that has subsequently damaged our cabinets. 1. The statement "that the client has a classic case of buyer's remorse" is ridiculous. He states that "the refrigerator was purchased from a local company" which is a true statement, however this was a local company that HE referred us to! Prior to purchasing the Kitchen Aid refrigerator, I requested the salesperson call [redacted] to be sure that everything was in order and we had chosen the right unit. He was the one that gave it the go ahead. 2. The issue regarding the refrigerator has nothing to do with the purchase of a [redacted] model as he states. The fundamental issue is that his measurements were incorrect. Below is the email the tech from the local appliance company that he forwarded on to me. The tech was frustrated as well. It clearly states that who ever measured the dimensions for the refrigerator opening made a clear miscalculation. Email from the tech at the appliance store that [redacted] referred us to. (If you need further information it can be provided.) I WENT TO THE PEARSONS HOME AND FOUND THAT1. HER FLOOR IS UNLEVEL. ( BUT I CAN FIX THATS NOT A PROBLEM)2. SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE CLEARANCE ON THE RIGHT SIDE FROM REFER TO WALL. (SPECS SAY IT NEEDS 2 AND A HALF INCHES AND SHE ONLY HAS 1 AND 3/4. WHO EVER PREMEASURED THIS NEVERSHOULD HAVE SAID IT WOULD FIT3.HER LEFT FRESH FOOD DOOR PANEL FELL OFF ( THE BACKER ON THE PANELSNOT HAVING CORNERS BUT SHE STILL DOESN'T HAVE THE CLEARANCE ON THE RIGHT EVEN WHEN PANELS ARE CORRECTI DO HAVE PICSTHANX JIMMY D 3. Due to these miscalculations we are unable to fully open our refrigerator door. The panels are pitted from hitting the wall. The paint on the wall has all chipped off. Since we do not have the proper clearance, the ice maker as well as the water dispenser do not work. 4. When I called Kitchenaid to discuss this issue, their representative stated that many homes have uneven floors and it creates no issue. Furthermore if an uneven floor was an issue, the kitchen designer should have been the one to address this as part of the renovation. This would be part of the standards design process. Once again we made sure to use the flooring contractor that [redacted] suggested.5. Another problem that hasn't been fixed is there is a gaping hole that still remains under the dishwasher. *I can provide pictures of the damages sustained. In addition to not addressing the fundamental issues related to his workmanship, [redacted] instead tried to make it appear as if we were the ones to blame for his mistakes. I have always treated [redacted] with respect as I do all contractors. His statement that "the client became belligerent and verbally abusive" is a complete mistruth. And to allude that our issues with the kitchen renovation is "something other than to do with the kitchen" borders on defamation of character. [redacted] statement about his "good nature" and"being taken advantage financially" is so off base. The only one "abused" in this situation is a consumer who believed that Kitchen By Design was a professional firm who would stand by their work and correct issues related to their mistakes. In closing, as [redacted] seemed unwilling to acknowledge his responsibilities, I asked if someone else from the company could impartially check the issues in our kitchen and he flatly refused. Final Business Response As is sometimes the case the consumer seem to have selective memory. Although I am personally against having a public disagreement with anyone I feel the need to respond here is in deference to our membership with the Revdex.com and to make sure that all facts are aired. In order to understand the total picture we must go back to the beginning of this relationship. My client came to us requesting that I design a kitchen for them which, of course, we were happy to do. We measured the space, designed the kitchen and then followed up with a presentation at our showroom. There, we presented the design and gave them a solid proposal. These clients then took the proposal and did what most people do. They deliberated for a time and then called and gave us the job. We were very grateful as always. When I met with my clients to sign a contract they stated that the budget was tight and that they had to do all the remodeling before we would be able to install the cabinets. We are a design/build company so we handle everything from design to completion of the job.In this case my clients were handling the work. Despite getting a proposal from me for the renovations I was asked by the husband if I would supply him with the names of OUR subcontractors so that he could contact them himself. This, of course, is a highly unusual and frankly a veryrude thing to do professionally but I was happy to help and decided, against my better wishes, to give him the names. He said that I would not have to do anything related to the work. No supervision would be needed since they were not paying me for the work. This proved to be untrue. My clients live right down the road from the showroom and they took advantage of that. I was called several times to come and review the space and in fact, had to go to the home and inform the homeowner of what needed to be down structurally to make the space work for the new design. I receive no compensation for any of this. Later, when it was time to select counter tops my clients told me that they were going to buy their counter tops from me. [redacted] then asked if I would take her to select the granite and I did and took a morning to do so. When I gave her the price she then told me that she got a better price from [redacted] and gave them the job. I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe that I was taken advantage of again. If they had stated that I would be one of many bidding for the counter tops I would not have said yes to the process. When the job was complete we sent out a final invoice to our clients. This was dated [redacted] We gave them a complete financial breakdown and asked if there were any problems to please contact us. the balance was $ 909.19. We got no response. We then sent out another invoice on [redacted] The same content and again no response. This was repeated on [redacted] It was accompanied by a letter that asked specifically if there were any problems to contact us immediately. We informed them that if they did not pay within two weeks that all warranties would be null and void as is clearly stated in our contract. We have copies of all of these invoices and the letter. In addition I had personally called them to find out what was going on. Again no response until I got a call from her lawyer. I explained the entire situation to him. I never heard from him again and that is because he knew we had done everything in our power to resolve the issues. What I haven't told you is that I personally went over to the clients' home and fixed the issues stated even after one of our attempts to fix it had failed. As far as the refrigerator is concerned, my client specifically expressed to me that she did not want any "spaces" surrounding her refrigerator which is why we tried to make it look built-in. Again, she referred to the picture she showed me of the [redacted] appliance.The tech who came to her house did so without me. I called [redacted] appliance in Worcester furious over the unprofessional approach this tech took without consulting me or asking me to be at the site so that we could resolve the issue together. I asked for another meeting which never materialized. My clients claim of mis-measurement is not correct. If the floor was level under the refrigerator it would solve all issues with the frig. In the final analysis we have clients who do not recognize their own behaviors. They took no responsibility for their actions including the misuse of my business and my time and the lack of understanding when it comes to the kind of refrigerator they were purchasing. They took no accountability when it came to admitting to their desires at our initial meetings. My approach to business with our clients is one of cooperation and trust. In this case my clients have shirked their own responsibility throughout the entire process. I am in no mood to resolve the issue. I will gladly go to court and have the courts resolve the issue. That is how certain I am of our own approach through out the job. However if my clients are willing to pay their bill I would then be open to visiting the home and seeing what can be done to resolve the issue. Final Consumer Response The response from [redacted] of Kitchens by Design did not address our concerns. In his statement "I am in no mood to resolve the issue" makes it clear that there will be no resolution. His response, however, did contained many misrepresentations. Furthermore he discredited us; blamed us for all errors while articulating his many virtues. The statement that we owe him money is a blatant untruth. The final payment of $909.19 was to be paid when the work was completed. He has yet to address the unauthorized substitution of a sub-standard trash/recycle bin for the correct unit that was specified in the [redacted] Cabinets catalog. He used cheap metal pull-outs that subsequently damaged our cabinets. We never imagine that he would substitute inferior cabinets to save money.In our complaint we referenced the refrigerator space as the main issue. This continues to be problematic. We are unable to open the doors of the refrigerator without hitting the walls causing damage to the walls as well as the front panels of the refrigerator. Subsequently the doors of the refrigerator are not closing properly due to the jarring of the doors. His suggestion that we wanted a [redacted] look is incorrect. We just wanted to be able to open our refrigerator in the space that he designed. [redacted] states that it was rude when my fiance asked him for the names of his suggested contractors, stating "but I was happy to help and decided, against my better wishes, to give him the names". We had no idea that this was an issue until we read it in his response. In addition he suggests that he had no idea that there were any issue until he heard from our lawyer. This is totally untrue. A tech from [redacted]'s [redacted] store listed the issues in an email dated [redacted] states that he never heard from our lawyer again "because he knew we had done everything in our power to resolve the issues". The truth is that our lawyer shared with us that [redacted] was unwilling to take any responsibility. He suggested rather that rather than pursuing it legally, we should use the money wisely and repair our kitchen.Finally, [redacted] states - "They took no accountability when it came to admitting to their desires at our initial meetings" does not make any sense. We were upfront and honest with [redacted]. At the beginning of the project we were optimistic and excited about the renovation. Never did we consider things could go so wrong.Business Response The two issues which my clients have complained about involve the refrigerator and the pull out waste cabinet.The first and I presume the most important is the refrigerator issue. The refrigerator in question will always be a problem unless the severe slope of the back right corner of the floor is repaired or resolved. I provided shims for the refrigerator but it appears these are not working. If my client repairs the floor then the refrigerator would sit properly. I would then be willing to come and adjust the frig so that opening it would not be a problem. However it is important to note that I adjusted the refrigerator so that it did not hit the wall and my client was present when I did so.As far as the pull out waste is concerned the company which supplied the accessory is called [redacted] They are the same company that supplies my cabinet manufacturer with the pull out accessory. I don't know what else to do except have my client pick out a different pull out for the cabinet. If they want a pull out which attaches to the doors of the cabinet this can be done as well.This is my final correspondence. The remainder is up to my client. Thank you.