ᐅ Kitchen deposit, fixed pricing – price increase after expiration?

Hello everyone,
we purchased a kitchen with a 2-year fixed price guarantee. Unfortunately, we were only able to place the final order one year later.

Now we are being asked to pay nearly 3.5% more because the price guarantee has expired. This is not a problem in itself, but we also made the down payment 3 years ago, and the lost interest represents a similar amount.

My idea is that we pay the difference between the lost interest and the price increase, since the kitchen company was able to use the money for 3 years. The kitchen builder’s argument is: "I couldn’t use the money because I had to cover my ongoing costs." It is worth mentioning that nothing was ordered in advance by the kitchen builder.

The contract does not specify what happens after the price guarantee expires. At the moment, I simply feel doubly disadvantaged because I couldn’t invest my money for 3 years and now have to bear the price increase alone. We’re talking about nearly 3,000 € in total.

What do you think about this situation?

I am very frustrated that we signed the contract so early and also made the down payment, but I cannot change that anymore. My first impulse was to just let them keep the kitchen, but I’m afraid the down payment would be lost then, which would mean a loss more than four times as high.

Merle123 schrieb:

The contract does not specify what should happen after the price guarantee expires. At the moment, I feel doubly disadvantaged because I wasn't able to invest my money for 3 years and now I have to bear the price increase alone. We're talking about almost €3,000 (approximately $3,300) in total.

How do you see this situation?

Tough luck. Nothing more. Price guarantee is over = new price applies. Deposited money without any regulation = no claims whatsoever.

Merle123 schrieb:

Argument from the kitchen supplier: "I couldn’t work with the money because I had to cover my ongoing costs."

Rarely have I heard such a bad argument. How do you think they’ll cover their costs without advance payments? Not at all, and they would be bankrupt?

Merle123 schrieb:

We bought a kitchen with a fixed price guarantee for 2 years. Unfortunately, we could only place the final order 1 year later.

What exactly was the timeline?

Merle123 schrieb:

I am very frustrated that we signed the contract and paid the deposit so early, but I can't change that now.

That’s how it is.

Merle123 schrieb:

We are talking about just under 3,000 €.

What percentage of a deposit are we talking about?
What interest rate are you considering? 3%? That’s 90 € per year.
I don’t think it’s worth making a fuss, especially since a contract with a deposit is your own responsibility. That brings me back to the first question: why buy a kitchen so early?

ypg schrieb:

What exactly is the timeline?

That’s how it is.

What percentage is the down payment?
What interest rate are we talking about? 3%? That’s €90 annually.
I don’t think it’s worth making a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is your own responsibility. And that brings me to the first question: why buy a kitchen so early?

ypg schrieb:

What exactly is the timeline?

That’s how it is.

What percentage is the down payment?
What interest rate are we talking about? 3%? That’s €90 annually.
I don’t think it’s worth making a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is your own responsibility. And that brings me to the first question: why buy a kitchen so early?

ypg schrieb:

What exactly is the timeline?

That’s how it is.

What percentage is the down payment?
What interest rate are we talking about? 3%? That’s €90 annually.
I don’t think it’s worth making a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is your own responsibility. And that brings me to the first question: why buy a kitchen so early?

We’re talking about almost €15,000 down payment, which is 40% of the purchase price. Over three years, that would mean over €1,300 in interest plus nearly €1,600 in additional costs we are now being asked to pay.

Purchase date: 09.06.2022 -> End of fixed price period: 08.06.2024 -> Final planning meeting: 25.06.2025
No prior proactive information about price increases or how things would proceed.

At that time, I was pregnant and didn’t assert my position strongly enough. I also didn’t want to argue with the local kitchen company by refusing to sign the contract. In small towns, people tend to trust too quickly, but that was a lesson learned for me.

You’re lucky the company didn’t go bankrupt...

Merle123 schrieb:

In total, we are talking about nearly €3,000.

Oh, the €3,000 refers to the price increase. I thought it was about the down payment.

Merle123 schrieb:

We’re talking about almost €15,000 down payment, which is 40% of the purchase price. Over three years, that would be more than €1,300 in interest plus the nearly €1,600 price difference we are now being asked to pay.

Honestly? I wouldn’t have done that! I would have gone to another kitchen supplier that doesn’t require 40% down.

Merle123 schrieb:

In the village, unfortunately, people tend to trust too quickly,

No, the building code applies in the village as well. It’s not about trust that you owe someone something after signing a contract.

Merle123 schrieb:

At that time, I was pregnant and didn’t assert my position well enough. I also didn’t want to argue with the local kitchen builder by refusing to sign the contract.

Well, what can you say? Those are personal feelings. Personal feelings are simply not governed by contracts or law.
From a neutral point of view, you can say: prices were simply different in 2022. Since then, prices have increased. You can’t, to put it exaggeratedly, buy a kitchen in 2013 and expect to order it many years later at the price that was valid then, but no longer is now. Surely you, or your partner, or whoever, have also had a salary or wage increase during that time. That’s just how it is. Go into a kitchen showroom now and order that kitchen at today’s price. You’ll see the price for 2025, not for 2022.
Sorry, but I don’t see any extraordinary claim here, nor a reason for an out-of-contract settlement. The kitchen supplier also has to rely on their customer base. Both parties have to comply with a contract, including the valued customer.