Shed built but smaller size than quoted/paid for

Arciphel

Hi all,

Quick check on what the board thinks of my issue. Ordered a shed from a long-standing Irish company in Wicklow in the last month, shed was erected in last two weeks.

After a site inspection I was quoted for a shed 6m x 3.6 meters. Shed is made of pre-fabricated concrete panels sitting on a concrete base which the company also laid for me. I have a brochure, a formal quote and a receipt which all say shed 6 x 3.6m.

Issue is, shed is actually only 6m x 3.1m. The shed is made of 500mm wide concrete panels, instead of the shed being 7 panels deep it is only 6 panels deep.

I have contacted the company and am awaiting a response however to me it seems like both the salesman and the lads who installed the shed must all be in on this, hence the fact that the shed is referred to as 6 x 3.6m in all the documents.

Has anyone else had an issue like this? The difference in cost between the shed I was quoted & paid for is over Eur 600. Would I be within my rights to bring them to the small claims court if they refuse to refund me my money, or could I in fact make them provide the shed I asked for & paid for, or else make them take it all out and refund me all my money?

2RockMountain

You need to be clear on your preferred solution. If you want them to build you a shed to the specified size, you need to be very clear to them on this point. Their only option would be to knock it down and start again, which would be very costly for them in terms of time and materials.

If you are happy with a partial refund, that would probably be much easier for them. Yes, Small Claims Court is definitely an option for you.

It is hard to imagine that this could be deliberate, unless they are utter cowboys. A simple mistake seems much more likely.

Arciphel

What makes me think it's deliberate is that the lads who built this are building these sheds day in and day out for the company so surely they know what size they should be. But of a coincidence they built the foundation and shed smaller but knew what size to put on the receipt at the end?

mickdw

Surely they offer sheds in various sizes if they use 500 panels.
It's likely the guys laying the base made an error and the company figured they would just run with it.
It could well be a case of this shed being of no use to you if you specifically needed the 3.6 width. If that is the case, only a full refund is any use to you.
One the other hand, if the 3.1 shed is equally useful to you, well just seek the price difference as a refund.

Arciphel

What I have is useful, however it's not what I wanted, not what I was charged for,and not what I paid for in good faith. These lads in my opinion pulled a stroke and the only punishment when they get caught is they refund the difference, doesn't sit right with me if I'm honest.

Kevwoody

Not being smart but did you actually measure the shed with a tape?
You only make reference to the fact you counted the panels, which should be 500mm. Perhaps they are a little over 500mm?

Arciphel

I feel like i'm not smart at the moment, so that's no problem kevwoody ;-)

Each panel is 480mm and then you have a 20mm wood spacer between each. I've measured and remeasured just to be sure. The panels are 75mm thick and you have the width of two of them adding to the depth measurement of the shed.

They offer three depth options for the shed, the exact dimensions depth wise are 2665mm, 3160mm and 3665mm. I paid for 3665mm deep and got 3160mm deep - i.e. six panels deep instead of seven.

Edit: Heres the price list in their brochure. The circled length of 3665mm is what the salesman quoted me for, and he is the one who circled it on the brochure. The length of 3160mm to the left of it is what I have - a EUR640 diference.

Odelay

Was it the inside or outside dimensions you measured?

Arciphel

Outside. The side dimension is 3000mm. The outside dimension is 3160 as you have the thickness of the two end walls to take into account which are about 80mm thick on each side.
I thought this was where I was going wrong but I don't think so now. Thanks for all replies so far.

Kevwoody

Arciphel wrote: »

I feel like i'm not smart at the moment, so that's no problem kevwoody ;-)

Each panel is 480mm and then you have a 20mm wood spacer between each. I've measured and remeasured just to be sure. The panels are 75mm thick and you have the width of two of them adding to the depth measurement of the shed.

They offer three depth options for the shed, the exact dimensions depth wise are 2665mm, 3160mm and 3665mm. I paid for 3665mm deep and got 3160mm deep - i.e. six panels deep instead of seven.

Ok, it sounds to me like the lad who came out and surveyed the site/took your order cocked up when he submitted the order to be built.
The lads who do the donkey work ie foundation slab and shed, they will be following a works order or similar, I'd say they had no idea it was meant to be bigger.
Very bad form for them not to own up, and charge you for the larger size. If the extra space isn't a big deal in the long term, I would work towards getting a refund of the difference of the price, plus a few quid for the inconvenience.
If they don't accept that, then I would go down the small claims route.

Odelay

Arciphel wrote: »

Outside.

You have a right to be annoyed, I'd be very angry at that.

Walter2016

Rather than assume that "everyone was in on it" approach with the mindset that there was an "error" made by someone at the measurement stage.

To start blaming everyone involved will get you absolutely no-where and delay any solution.

Yes, these guy are building sheds every day. Hence they probably don't look at the order/invoice.

You will find that 95% of companies will want to rectify an error quickly and to the customer's satisfaction ESPECIALLY if the customer approaches in the correct way. And that means being polite, being factual and not "blaming" everyone in the company.

Ask the company for what options they will offer to correct the error.

Above all be pleasant.

daheff

i'm going to go with an error on this one. they do have a size that you've been provided with. I'm guessing that they took your order, took your money and somehow between you ordering and the crew putting in the base there was a mixup. the crew putting up the shed probably went "theres a base for a 3.1, lets put up a 3.1"


Its unfortunate that you were charged for a 3.6 and got a 3.1 rather than charged for a 3.1 and got a 3.6 -so I can understand why you might feel they are chancing it.


Talk to them and advise you didnt get the right size. they might be very apologetic and give you the 3.6 and charge you a discount.

In the worst case you get what you paid for.


One point to note is that the value of this means you dont qualify for the small claims court (http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts_system/small_claims_court.html)

Arciphel

Update - company say it was a genuine mistake, have offered me €1,000 or else to come out and rebuild the shed to the correct size.

slinky2000

Well done, that's a nice result IMO.

Greenmachine

Arciphel wrote: »

Update - company say it was a genuine mistake, have offered me €1,000 or else to come out and rebuild the shed to the correct size.

A few things here

1. How much would it cost them to rebuild?

2. Are you willing to Sacrifice the smaller size, for the level of comp offered.

endacl

Anybody else immediately think of ...?

Kevwoody

Greenmachine wrote: »

A few things here

1. How much would it cost them to rebuild?

2. Are you willing to Sacrifice the smaller size, for the level of comp offered.

It's 500mm we're talking about here!
Take the money and don't look back

Arciphel

What's 500mm between friends! It's 13.8% of my shed! :pac::pac::pac:

Kevwoody

Arciphel wrote: »

What's 500mm between friends! It's 13.8% of my shed! :pac::pac::pac:

Haha true!
But you are getting well compensated seeing that the 3160mm was only €640 less.
You could of course stick to your guns and make them rebuild it.
All I was saying is it's not a massive difference in size.

my3cents

Arciphel wrote: »

What's 500mm between friends! It's 13.8% of my shed! :pac::pac::pac:

Had you thought (or even have the space) for a separate shed just for storage?

I can fully understand the value of the 13.8% space but a similar amount of space dedicated to a separate shed that is just used for storage may actually give you more usable space in the main shed?

One shed good two sheds better

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

ohnonotgmail

my3cents wrote: »

Had you thought (or even have the space) for a separate shed just for storage?

I can fully understand the value of the 13.8% space but a similar amount of space dedicated to a separate shed that is just used for storage may actually give you more usable space in the main shed?

One shed good two sheds better

Is the OP's name Arthur Jackson?