ᐅ Kitchen – Missing Cabinet – Is Withholding Payment Justified?

Hello,

Our kitchen is currently being installed. The team is doing a great job so far, and we’re excited to see how it will look. However, we’ll have to wait a few more weeks for the “completely finished” view. The manufacturer forgot one of our cabinets.

The upper section is missing from a tall cabinet above the built-in dishwasher, so there is a gap for now. Once the installers are finished, of course, the remaining payment will be due. We paid a 50% deposit and still owe the other 50%.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Would you withhold part of the final payment because of the missing cabinet, or pay in full and hope they still fix it? If you would withhold something, what amount do you think is appropriate?

Good luck, Kati

What kind of fittings does the cabinet have? Just shelves or luxury glass display cases? Depending on that, I would withhold 500–1000 EUR.

I would base that on the previous business conduct. In my case with the kitchen installer, I probably would have paid everything in the same situation and negotiated a Teppanyaki grill plate, a cutlery insert, or something similar as compensation. Especially considering that the kitchen should be 99% functional and usable.

Tolentino schrieb:

What kind of interior does the cabinet have? Just shelves or fancy glass display cases?
Depending on that, I would withhold 500-1000 EUR.

No, it’s actually just a simple cabinet with a single door. No glass. I was also thinking around 500 EUR, but wondered if that might be too much.

dab_dab schrieb:

I would base that on their previous business conduct. In my kitchen supplier’s case, I probably would have paid everything in the same situation but managed to negotiate something like a Teppanyaki plate or a cutlery insert as compensation. Especially since the kitchen should be 99% functional and usable.

So far, I have no complaints; planning, measuring, and delivery reliability have been fine. They do have some Google reviews mentioning problems with complaints, though. However, the majority of reviews are very positive. It’s just that when it comes to follow-up corrections, there were a few outliers.

Our kitchen was also not handed over completely. Ten percent of the purchase price was still outstanding. The installers were supposed to receive this at the end.

However, since the kitchen was not finished, the amount remained unpaid until the final completion. We also only had to pay the final amount after completion. In our case, the kitchen fitter was unable to supply a complete baseboard for the kitchen island. We had this custom-made by a local carpenter. After that, the amount was even adjusted accordingly. Everything proceeded very amicably.

No, it is not too much, because you are allowed to withhold double the amount it would cost you to fix the defect. Try getting a single wall cabinet from your kitchen brand delivered and installed. It probably won't be possible for less than 1,000 EUR (about 1,100 USD). So with 500 EUR (about 550 USD) you are still being generous.