Everest Kitchens www.everest.co.uk Review

Overall Rating

Absolutely none

Misrepresentative. Shoddy workmanship. Shoddy subcontractors.Poor quality.No customer service or aftercare.

Everest Kitchens, or as in my own mind they should be called "Everstressed" have just completed a kitchen nightmare for us. It has taken them 655 days and 2 kitchens to do so. They used shoddy subcontractors to install the first kitchen, not the dedicated skilled team of Everest's own personel that they promised and advertised on their slick sales pitch.. Everything that could go wrong did so, and Everest could not have cared less.
The wrong doors were delivered. The wrong hob, the wrong plinths. Then new doors with all the wrong handles. The kitchen was supposed to be gloss white, but it was all different shades of white. Poor quality units, Sub contract fitters , Units that did not fit. Units that did not close. Units of shoddy construction. Electrical sockets at all different heights, illegaly positioned or completely innacesible. Poor plumbing that resulted in the kitchen floor being flooded when the fittings under the sink all came apart. The door above the double oven fell of and hit me on the head. The second time the shelf in the cupboard above the oven collapsed and a ceramic crock pot hit me on the shoulder, to this day I am still having problems with my collar bone and am in a lot of pain.

I wrote a letter of complaint to their Managing Director which got me nowhere. They have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to our property, destroyed the front lawn, wrecked carpets, we could not use our double garage for over six weeks because it was stacked floor to ceiling with incorrect kitchen parts. They only took them away when I threatened them with legal action. Similarly with the old kitchen which they just dumped on our side lawn and left. When after many weeks and threats by us they finally arranged for it to be removed, the workman who came to take it away however refused to touch it on the grounds that it was in breach of health and safety laws. ( broken glass, jagged edges,rusty nails etc, possibility of infestation by rats etc etc )
My mother has developed serious heart problems since Everest started, she had never had a problem with her heart before, but I believe the distress this has caused her has taken it's toll.

We were assigned a customer care manager at day one. She proved to be extremely elusive, and after about twenty phonecalls to her none of which were answered by her or any of my messages returned I directed my calls at the area manager. ( I was even told on one occassion that she did not work for the company) Everest finally admitted that there were problems with the original kitchen after about fifteen months of bodged attempts to rectify their mess, whilst all the time blaming everyone but themselves. I asked for a refund on a number of occassions as they were in gross breach of contract, in order that we could employ a reputable company to install a kitchen. They ignored these requests and instead offered to remove the original kitchen at "Their Expense" (haw haw) and they would install an alternative kitchen of our choice.
We foolishly thought that this might work and chose an alternative. My mother had always wanted gloss white but this was not to be because of Everest's inability to supply, despite the fact that they offer such a product. Everest asured us that they would make sure that no more mistakes occurred and the kitchen would be thoroughly checked before it was shipped.

The removal of the original kitchen and it's replacement should therefore have been a simple matter. Everest however proceeded to demonstrate their complete lack of attention to detail an to the care of their customers. The kitchen was removed and resulted in the destruction of the new tiling. The replacement units had the wrong size doors, the door handles were the wrong style, and so it started all over again.
Please, please head my warning. In my own experience, Everest have proved that they are incapable of managing the installation of kitchens, and they should not be in the business of doing so. Furthermore, in my opinion, they have a complete disregard for the customer. It is also very noticable, that Everest have chosen not to become a member of any association, or to affiliate themselves to the ombudsmans scheme ( FIRA ) that regulates kitchen fitting. Why is this?

The kitchen although now complete, is not what we wanted or originally contracted for. We have had to accept a substitute, that in my mind ranks as second best. Everest have failed miserably to deliver what they promised. My mother's "Dream" kitchen in gloss white. It has taken them 655 days to complete what should by their own admission in the press have taken no more than two weeks. We are now seeking compensation and damages from Everest, and would welcome comments or similar stories of woe and distress to take forward to the courts in order to progress our claim for compensation.
Perhaps, if enough people complain, a law firm may take up what is known as a "Class Action" in the USA against Everest in the hope of getting the compensation that is due to all those who have had to suffer the indignity and distress caused by Everest Kitchens.