ᐅ Delivery of interior doors delayed by almost one year

Hello,

In October 2018, we commissioned our interior doors from the carpenter and received verbal assurances that they would be installed by mid-December 2018, when we were moving in. However, the last door was only installed in August 2019. In the meantime, three door frames had to be replaced due to peeling paint, and there were various follow-up repairs. At first, we scheduled appointments with the carpenter almost weekly, but these were not kept—he often did not show up without apology or canceled half an hour beforehand. On June 16, 2019, we sent a registered letter setting a deadline until July 5 to replace the last door and the last scratched frame. This was only done in August 2019.

I have just found the final invoice in the mailbox. We had paid half of the amount as a deposit after placing the order. What rights do I have to reduce the invoice, and by how much? Can anyone help me with this?

Thank you very much and best regards

You’re funny. Has he completed all the remaining work 100%? Reduce only if the quality is not up to standard. Otherwise, have you suffered any damage?

What exactly is so funny about me now? Yes, all the doors have been installed, but there are still a few small imperfections on some door frames. He allegedly wants to come back and fix them on site.

I asked quite calmly whether I have the right to shorten (the process), and if not, that's fine – but there is no reason to make fun of me. And yes, I feel offended by that remark!

I would withhold a reasonable amount for fixing the last damages and only pay once the work has been completed. Depending on the size of the damage and the value of the door frames, this could be an amount between 50 and 150 euros per door frame.

Otherwise, you should not deduct anything without prior consultation. However, if you are dissatisfied with the entire process, I would recommend discussing it directly with the carpenter.

Baumwiese schrieb:

What exactly is so funny about me? Yes, all the doors are installed, but there are still a few minor defects on some door frames, and he supposedly wants to come back and fix them on site.

I asked very calmly whether I have the right to reduce the payment; if not, then so be it – but there’s no reason to “make fun” of me. And yes, I do feel offended by that comment!

It’s not you who’s funny but your approach! As long as there was no fixed agreement about delays with exact dates and amounts (“if then, amount x”), you cannot reduce the payment. In Germany, you have the right to demand repairs. Otherwise, holding back a few euros due to the defects is acceptable. I doubt the carpenter will come back again.