Kitchen firm helps gran left high and dry
A kitchen company sprang to the rescue of a pensioner from Hamilton who was left £15,000 out of pocket after the firm that was due to install one for her went bust.
Caroline Mcvicar, a 72-year-old widow, had handed her £15,000 life savings to DM Design for the dream kitchen that was meant to be fitted last Monday, but no one turned up and she later discovered they have ceased trading.
She was left with a shell of a kitchen at the home in the Forgewood area of Motherwell, that she’d purchased in December after returning from living in Spain, where she’d emigrated to 25 years ago with her late husband.
The devastated mum-of-two and gran-offive said she’d been left “high and dry” with no money, and only shelves and a second-hand fridge in her kitchen.
But within hours of Caroline’s story appearing in our sister title, the Daily Record, Instyle Kitchens and Bathrooms, which has showrooms in Paisley and Greenock, had arranged to supply and fit her new kitchen for free.
An overjoyed Caroline, said: “I’m so happy and really grateful. I couldn’t bear the thought of more months of being stuck like this and not being able to cook.
“This has restored my faith in others. They’re coming out to measure up next week.”
Instyle Kitchens and Bathrooms Director Lesley Douglas, who runs the firm with husband Craig, said: “We saw the story in the Daily Record and just found it really, really sad. £15,000 is an awful lot of money. We’d hate for that to happen to one of our elderly relatives so wanted to do something to help.
“We’re just delighted we’re able to help her out and offer support when she needs it.”
Caroline had paid the firm £3000 on February 6, followed by another £12,000 payment on February 12 to supply and fit her kitchen and flooring.
She is one of around 30 customers currently known to be affected when DM Design, based in Cumbernauld, ceased trading.
DM Design Bedrooms Limited had been trading for almost 40 years, with showrooms in Cumbernauld and Aberdeen, but liquidators say 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 the business has now ceased trading, with all 31 employees made redundant.
FRP said the company has suffered a “significant downturn in sales” in recent months and increased operational costs.
In 2013, DM Design was fined £90,000 after almost 2000 complaints were made 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.