Jen S.

Things seemed to be going well after I placed the order for a new bathroom suite and delivery was arranged very shortly after. This suite was a bargain with everything include; waste, taps, panels etc.

Unfortunately the pedestal was damaged on arrival though we didn't notice until after it had been signed for. I called their customer service number and a very helpful lady asked me to send a photo and they would arrange for a replacement to be sent the next working day, which it was. Fantastic service……. Or so I thought.

When my builder began the installation he noticed the clips for the bath panel were missing and furthermore there was an issue with the legs. The legs were not drilled correctly and he believed they weren't the correct sort. He also commented that this could well be an ex-display suite since there were no labels, barcodes etc. present. I was certainly not advised at the point of ordering this was anything other than a brand new suite.

I called customer service to explain and was rudely hurried off the phone by one member of staff who said she would call me back. I had only managed to explain the clips were missing and didn't get chance to mention the legs! Several telephone calls later, I had the misfortune of speaking to one particular lady who became very frustrated with me and actually raised her voice - appallingly unprofessional behavior.

It has been a week now since this exchange and no replacement legs or clips have arrived. I have chased this on numerous occasions to no avail. Online Bathrooms have gone radio silent on me – this speaks volumes.

My builder has had to find a workaround which to be honest is probably a much better job that we would have had with the flimsy legs supplied with the bath, though is at an additional cost to me. It now transpires the plug and drain for the bath are different sizes so there is no seal and the water is leaking, so further cost to me for purchasing another. I'll assume the clips have not been sent, despite Online Bathrooms saying they had, so will need to purchase something to fix panel to the bath too. The panel is too large for the bath but I was advised this needed to be cut to fit. Apparently, according to my builder, this will lose rigidity over time.

A word to the wise if you are buying a toilet. This does not come with any floor fixings – the reason? All floors are different so would be impossible for them to know! This is not mentioned on their website which really ought to be. Most people buying a bathroom are not qualified plumbers and would not necessarily know they need to purchase this separately. So, again another cost for me to purchase.

I have written to the managing director of Online Bathrooms to express my utter disappointment with both the product and their service, and have emailed their customer service team daily to follow up. I have, and only after a subsequent phone call, received a reply which does not address the issues in any way whatsoever.

So, it looks as though I have been very unlucky indeed with this purchase. Having read so many positive reviews on another site it seemed I was on a winner, but in actual fact I feel as though I have bought my suite from a rouge company with little regard for their customers once they have received the money. If you do your research and look on other sites there does seem to be a number of negative reviews on this company, all of which cite shocking after sales.

I shall continue to pursue Online Bathrooms for reimbursement of the additional costs incurred as a result of their inability to provide adequate fittings, though given the lack of response thus far I am not massively optimistic. Thank goodness for Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act – perhaps that will prove more fruitful than my efforts.