Action Desk: '˜Reduced to tears' over continued kitchen delay

Tracy Lycett is unhappy with Homebase after trying to sort out her kitchen for 14 months.

Tracy Lycett, aged 42, of Hackenthorpe bought a £5,000 kitchen from Homebase in Sheffield after putting down a deposit of £1,000 in October 2015 and has had problems ever since.

The self-employed cleaning business owner said she has lost income waiting in for eight deliveries.

Tracy, who has two young grandchildren, said she’s had to face two Christmases without the kitchen she chose from the Drakehouse store near Crystal Peaks and has been into the shop no fewer than 20 times.

She said that things got so bad, she contacted the furniture ombudsman FIRA who are looking into the situation.

She said that she contacted Action Desk as a ‘last resort’.

She said: “The whole thing has taken its toll. I’ve been left in tears by it all.

“It’s just been one cock-up after another. I have cried many times with false hope that the issues will be resolved, only to be let down time and time again.

“At first, I got sent two halves of two kitchens.

“One was the right one, the other wasn’t. At one point I had boxes all over the house.

“Now I have a working kitchen but it’s not the one I asked for. You pay all this money and you expect it to be right.

“I’ve just been fobbed off and it feels like they don’t care, listen or take things seriously. Its been bad service from the start.

“One of their regular shop workers has taken me seriously in all fairness and they’ve been brilliant but this has not been the same for management.”

Homebase is due to be taken over by Australian firm Bunnings in a multi-million buyout and Tracy added she has been promised they will sort the problems out but has not heard anything since before Christmas.

A spokesman told Action Desk they were ‘sorry’ over the continued delays and stress caused.

A spokesman for Homebase said: “We would like to sincerely apologise to Mrs Lycett for the issues she has experienced with her new kitchen.

“We are visiting Mrs Lycett later this week and are doing everything we can to ensure we find a resolution.”