One of our more disappointing experiences since moving into Oxley Wood started off as a relatively small item on our first snagging list, but that’s to dishonesty and perhaps a certain level of misunderstanding, it became one of several factors that undermined our faith in the team working here at Oxley Woods.
It all started with our first snagging list, which we submitted on the 15th July 2008, the day after we finally moved into our home. One small item on the list was the utility room door. At the base of the door, inside, was a chunk taken out. The damage to the door could have been caused by anything, but it was a relatively large chunk, about an inch across, and one of those things that once you’ve seen it, it’s going to bug you forever, and it shouldn’t be there.
We were assured by the site manager that the door would be replaced. They’re supplied ready sprayed, so a repair wouldn’t match up, and it’s easy enough to replace, so it would be done. Simple.
At the end of July, while the site manager was away leaving a person we assume is an assistant or right hand man in charge, work was carried out on the door. However, someone decided to take it upon themselves to fill, paint, and poorly repair the door rather than replace it. They didn’t tell us this, we had to find out for ourselves, and it was obvious from the first time we looked at the door.
Not surprisingly, we were extremely unhappy about this. We’d been told by management/supervisory level people from both Wimpey and Wood Newton this door would be replaced, and here we were looking at a poorly repaired door instead, unbelievable.
Anyway, three weeks later we take a long weekend break away, and while we’re away the door is apparently replaced. We returned late at night, and being the sceptic this experience has turned me into I went to look to see what hadn’t been done. But lo-and-behold, the dodgy door was gone! We were tired, but pleased to have had a short break, and delighted that a replacement door had been put in place while we were away.
The real anger, and the reason for the title of this entry, kicked in the following morning. As I took my first trip up the stairs in the daylight I was gob smacked by what I saw on the first floor bathroom. I shock with anger and my head was spinning with disbelief. The old, damaged and repaired door from downstairs had been replaced… with the bathroom door from upstairs?! Oh, and they’d chipped the door frame a little in the process, just for good measure.
I’m ashamed to admit I lost my temper a little when I spoke to the site manager later that morning, questioning the apparent belief that I was not only an idiot, but a visually impaired idiot at that. The voice on the end of the phone spoke back with no small degree of disbelief, when the Wood Newton rep arrived later, he too couldn’t believe it, but the door was there for all to see. He even said he saw the workmen carrying a new door to the house, so where that ended up, I have no idea?!
Understanding their disbelief, I supplied them with a couple of high resolution photographs of the door in it’s two positions, downstairs, and turned around and moved upstairs. Shocking, underhanded, and deceptive were how I’d describe that piece of workmanship!
It took several weeks for a replacement to be put in, most things take a long time to come in to site, which can add to the frustration. The new door, which I witnessed them install, is a slightly different type to the others in the house, the handles are the same, but the end pieces (best way I can describe them) were the lock and latch extend from are different, and irritatingly it’s also shorter, not by much, but by enough you can tell, than all the other doors.
Should we expect it to be like for like, should it be the same distance from the floor, is it worth them “replacing” the door for third (or is that forth?!) time. Who knows. But the tale of the utility (then bathroom) door encapsulates a great deal of our experience here at Oxley Woods. A small problem, becoming progressively worse, and never just put right in the most simple and simplistic way. If the door had just been swapped, as promised back in July, then it would have just been a minor item on a snagging list.
