Swedish pine bedroom

In July 2003, we ordered a Swedish pine bedroom from Androxa Furniture. We gave them a deposit of Lm375. They informed us that, in a few months, a designer would come to our house to check whether the furniture would pass through the common area since we live in a flat. They also told us that the bedroom would be delivered in January 2004.

January approached and no delivery was made. At the same time we gave them another Lm200 in cash. The designer came and he assured us that the furniture would pass through the stairs and the corridor. We contacted them ourselves and after several calls we were told that the delivery was going to be made in the last week of March. On April 1, the furniture came in a truck.

The deliverymen handled some furniture like drawers and other small things but when they came to the wardrobe, which was divided in three pieces, they could not pass through the first flight of stairs. Instead of finding a solution they left it inside, in front of the front door and the remaining wardrobes were left on the pavement of the street (blocking access to the flats). They told us that they had nothing to do with it and they left.

We phoned Androxa several times and they told us that the carpenters who were going to assemble the furniture were on the way. We had no other option but to wait with the furniture outside for over an hour. When they came, one of them said that the deliverymen did not know what they were doing and he decided to take it upstairs with the help of the other carpenter. In the process, as they were handling the wardrobe, they damaged it and scratched the ceiling.

In fact the damage is still there. When they came inside I pointed out the damage they caused to the wardrobe. I was told that it was nothing and that they were going to fix it. I told them that I was not going to accept a damaged wardrobe and after a lot of arguing I convinced them to replace it. Besides, I noticed that other pieces of furniture were damaged such as a stain which wasn't removed. Moreover the top of the chest of drawers was damaged. The carpenters called someone to pick up the furniture and he returned with it after three hours. The other wardrobe which was outside was taken upstairs dismantled.

When they finished their work we checked that everything was fine, and issued another cheque of Lm895. On the invoice they wrote "paid" and told us that we had five years' guarantee on the furniture.

In July 2005, a year and four months after we bought this bedroom from Androxa, we noticed that the headboard of the bed was cracking. At first we did not give it much importance but after a few weeks we noticed that the crack was getting bigger to such an extent that one could see the wall behind it. We decided to check all the furniture and we noticed more damage; the top of the chest of drawers (cracking), the top of the mirror (cracking), the border of the wardrobe (it expanded) and 80 per cent of the wrought iron is rusting.

I contacted Androxa and I spoke to Dione. I told him about the problem. He asked me for my details which I gave him, and he told me that, soon, someone from their company would call me to fix an appointment. Two weeks passed and no one called.

I called again and he told me that it wasn't his fault that no one called me and again he asked me for my details which I gave him. Another three weeks passed and no one called. I called again. This time I was very angry and he said that they were on shutdown. I told him that for me this was an excuse and at least someone could have called me and given me an appointment. For the third time he again asked me my details, and I told him that it seems that no one is taking care of my case since every time I call I had to give my details again. Another two weeks passed and no one called.

On September 20, I called Dione again. I was very angry on the phone and he promised me that within two days they would have called me but no one did. Something else - he again asked me for my details, which by now had become ridiculous.

I am writing this letter on September 26, to try to seek some help. Androxa gave us bad service from the beginning and we want our bedroom to be changed immediately. After a year and four months it started cracking and rusting. My question is: what is going to happen in, let's say, two years' time? (Claudette Mallia)

On October 5 we asked Androxa Furniture for their comments, to no avail. On November 16, we sent Androxa Furniture a copy of Ms Mallia's letter and another request for their comments still to no avail.

On January 7 this year, we sent Androxa Furniture yet another copy of Ms Mallia's letter with another request for their comments, still to no avail.

Androxa have been given a fair opportunity to give us their side of the case. In any case they are still welcome to send us their comments. Moreover they still have the opportunity to resolve the matter with their customers.

I look forward to hearing from Androxa.