HELL’S KITCHEN
Gran in anxious three-week wait to see if she can reclaim money
A DEVASTATED widow handed over her £15,000 life savings for a new kitchen days before a well known firm went bust.
Pensioner Caroline McVicar waited for fitters to turn up to her home this week before learning that DM Design had gone into liquidation.
Now the 72-year-old is stuck with a “shell” of a kitchen after the firm, which called itself “Scotland’s longest running kitchen, bedroom and bathroom company”, ceased trading with the loss of more than 30 jobs.
A sign at the firm’s HQ in Cumbernauld told customers it was no longer trading – but it was still taking cash for jobs in the weeks before it shut.
Gran-of-five Caroline wept as she told the Record: “I’m absolutely gutted.
“They were supposed to fit the kitchen on Monday and no one turned up. I tried phoning them and nobody answered. All the different numbers I had just rang out.
“I tried to phone one of the workers and left a message. Eventually they phoned to tell me they had gone into liquidation. I paid £15,000. It’s all the money I’ve got. “I’ve been left high and dry.” DM Design Bedrooms Limited had been trading for almost 40 years, with showrooms in Cumbernauld and Aberdeen, but liquidators told the Record that Covid and the cost-of-living crisis were to blame for its downfall.
Business advisory firm FRP Advisory said it had been appointed as Joint Provisional Liquidators on March 8 and confirmed Caroline was one of around 30 customers affected.
FRP said the company has suffered a “significant downturn in sales” in recent months and increased operational costs.
The business has now ceased trading, with all 31 employees made redundant.
Caroline, a mum of two from Hamilton, paid the firm £3000 on February 6, followed by another £12,000 payment on February 26 to supply and fit her kitchen and flooring.
She said: “I’ve not heard anything else from them. The worker I spoke to said to get on to the bank immediately. I
I was sleeping on my family’s couches caroline mcVicar on her challenges
put in a claim with the bank but I won’t know for 20 days if I have a chance at getting my money back.
“The kitchen I’d bought was absolutely beautiful.
“I bought the house in December and just have a shell of a kitchen as they’d taken all the white goods out.
“All I’ve got is shelves and a second-hand fridge without the freezer. They told us to order a washing machine, which arrived last week. These are the only items in my kitchen at the moment.
“I moved to Spain 25 years ago with my husband but he died 20 years ago.
“I left Spain last June to come back here to live. Until December, I was sleeping on my family’s couches before I got the house. This was supposed to be me getting things back together.”
In 2013, DM Design was fined £90,000 after almost 2000 complaints to the Information Commissioner’s Office and Telephone Preference Service.
The company consistently failed to check if people had opted out of marketing calls, and only responded to a handful of complaints.
Donald Macleod, founder and managing director, apologised and said dodgy software was to blame. He said: “The buck stops with me, so I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. We have learned a hard lesson.”
Michelle Elliot, partner at FRP, said of the business’s closure: “DM Design Bedrooms Limited has completed more than 10,000 projects since it opened almost 40 years ago and had a strong reputation.
“Unfortunately, revenue was significantly lower than forecast and, ultimately, was insufficient to meet ongoing operational costs.” Jamie Hepburn, SNP MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, said: “The news that DM Design has gone into administration is disappointing for our community.
“I will be seeking discussions with stakeholders and consulting with the Scottish Government and the Partnership for Continuing Employment to understand what support is available for staff.”