Would you buy anything from this…
Would you buy anything from this manufacturer?
The children have long since moved out, the family pets have passed on and so my wife and I moved to our (hopefully) “forever home”.
A few years down the line and we were down to our last big renovation job and decided on a good quality carpet for the stairs and landing.
I researched all the manufacturer’s websites and decide that we would purchase the two-tone Knightsbridge 80% wool carpet from Hugh Mackay, after all the company has been manufacturing carpets since 1903 and this carpet had a long warranty.
Fortunately, we order the carpet and fitting from a local retailer, Kingfisher Flooring, in Cheltenham. A company we had used before with excellent customer service and professional fitters.
The carpet duly arrived and was fitted to Kingfisher’s usually high standard.
After a few days we noticed the carpet appeared to be losing fluff. Thinking this was usual for a new carpet we ignored it but after a few weeks it became progressively worse and the carpet starting “bobbling”.
I notified Kingfisher who, after examining the carpet, contacted the Hugh Mackay. They sent an “independent” assessor who concluded that we had used a carpet sweeper with a rotary brush that had caused the damage! and that was against the company’s policy.
Is it possible to hoover a carpet with an upright carpet sweeper!?
Moreover, if you examine Hugh Mackay’s website you will not find any reference to this policy. Indeed, the website clearly states that the “carpet should be vacuumed regularly” and “your vacuum cleaner is your carpets best friend! Keeping your vacuum at its best will keep the carpet at its best. We advise checking your vacuum’s bristles and regularly cleaning the dust collection area”.
Kingfisher again examined the carpet and “In all the years they have been fitting carpets had never known one to disintegrate the why ours had”.
They appealed against the assessor’s report but apparently this manufacturer would not accept their finding and refused to accept any responsibility or reimburse them in any way.
Fortunately, Kingfisher Flooring are an honourable company who accept that occasionally things can be wrong and without any further communication from us offered to supply and fit an alternative carpet, with no cost to ourselves.
This has now been done.
We must certainly will not purchase any product manufactured by Hugh Mackay and I understand that Kingfisher will no longer trade with this company. They tell me that, in all the years they have been in business, this is the first time that a manufacturer has failed to assist them in any way when a customer has complained about a product.








