*** DO NOT BUY DILUSSO KITCHENS UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS ***
*** DO NOT BUY DILUSSO KITCHENS UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS ***

I am all for taking these unprofessional and devious people to court. My nightmare started with 21st February 2006, with payment of deposit. Full payment was made on March 24th. Fitting took place, Monday 27th March.

Today is Sunday, June 25th 2006. 3 months later, my kitchen is still incomplete.

I paid (and I am ashamed to say I paid upfront too) a total of ? 12,139 in cash.

I was also looking at the Small Claims but I doubt this would reach a satisfactory conclusion ? has anyone had a successful claim?

I think we owe it to the general public to ensure they too are not seduced by cut prices, by quick and easy fitting, the over friendliness of the sales man.

I am going to create a website so that everyone around the world will know ?Disastrous Dillusso Kitchens.com???watch this space.

The following provides you with a brief account of the people I dealt with and the shocking experience:

Salesman, Steve Loonie (Tunbridge Wells Office) fed me in accurate information regarding the credit agreement. Indicating that if I took out the credit agreement with First National Bank Plc I would receive an additional cover for the fitting. He continued to mislead by stating that I could, at anytime, terminate the agreement and would not suffer any penalties. He also gave me a ?discount? if I took the agreement. But my calculations of the interest repaid meant I would be paying even more. I reviewed the credit agreement after signing and decided to revoke my credit agreement and pay upfront. The penalties were horrendous.

Andrea Loonie (wife of Steve) tried to help, but upon reflection, I feel that she too was unprofessional and unable to assist blaming everything on Headoffice, Monton, Manchester. I also asked for a breakdown of the units and appliances for insurance purposes- needless to say, I still have not received anything.

Empty promises of Julie McKenzie, the so-called After Sales Director that the ineptitude of the Dispatch team to accurately deliver information would be resolved. That the right-hand magic corner would be delivered rather then the left hand! And that the 50/50 split fridge freezer would be replaced with the correct 70/30.

Whose fault is it anyway?.......dispatch? Delivery? Order input? Delivery? Dispatch? Fitters? According to HO, the fitters should have checked all items were present before commencing installation. But they?re contractors. Well the delivery should have checked against the delivery note. But they?re contractors. Well dispatch should have checked before mindlessly loading items onto the truck. But they, appear to be illiterate ? left hand, right hand. Easy mistake I suppose!

The incompetent fitters of Watkins UK Ltd, Stockport. And their surprise that, "Oh, we don't normally have this problem." Their complete disregard for Health and Safety while manually hoisting a 3.5m long worksurface up approx 20m to my balcony using ropes. I even took video in case there was a disaster so that I would not be incriminated. DiLusso reimbursed me the extra ?350 I paid to the fitters in cash!

Why hoist? Because the surveyor did not measure the access. In fact the surveyor was unable to measure correctly which caused the fitters to make changes to the units on-site.

I was amazed at one stage when I returned home during the day how many people were in my flat. These guys apparently were being trained ? on the job. I didn?t realize that that was in my contract. The Lithuanian fitters from Orpington, Kent made an absolute pigs ear of fitting.

The ?fitters pitch? when I phoned Charlie Watkins on the first day of fitting to complain. He assured me that, ?It?s like watching a play; at the front of the theatre everything looks good, but you have no idea what is happening behind the scenes.? I think now he was describing DiLusso??..

The patheticness of Peter Gibson, the ?Senior? Installations Manager. Despite examining the fitting and concluding that over a dozen ?snags?(that?s what they call it in the business) was needed to remedy the installation to satisfactory, Peter has lost all ability to use a mobile phone or any communications device to return my numerous voice mails to arrange for new fitters. I has left so many that his answer machine was full.

And finally, good ol? Dougie Millward, MD. I cannot believe that the man can sleep at night. That he can be proud to be the managing director of such a shoddy company.

Some tips:
NEVER pay upfront. Only pay a deposit. If the company are as good as they say, then they will have financing arrangements with their Bank to deal with any cash flows.

ACCESS ? always ensure that you can get large items (length, width and height), in to lifts, up and around stairwells, from corridors into the room to be fitted.

ALWAYS read credit agreements especially early termination penalties.

GO WITH INSTINCT ? if you think something is not right, question it, chances are you?re right.

INSPECT all aspects of the fitting. Tops of kitchen units, corners, joints, opening closing doors/draws. Remember Charlie?s metaphor!

I hope that anyone reading this mail, will reconsider and seek an alternative manufacturer.

So for all those people who have suffered like I have, what shall we do next? I?m based in London and would happy to take part in anything which will uncover these people so that they do not con anymore people out of their dreams and hard earned money.