Protecting Your Kitchen Investment (2)

Will the Kitchen and Joinery Trade Organisations protect me?

You might well come across the names of the various trade organisations that some kitchen manufacturers belong to. These organisations would have you believe that they offer a measure of protection for you the customer. But whom do they really represent in practice? Can you join for instance? No of course you can’t.

Trade organisations are set up, not surprisingly, for trades. Usually the only criteria for membership are to be a tradesperson, own a business in the industry and pay the annual subscription. Membership gives you access to meetings of like-minded people who share similar burdens and similar business issues. There might be helpful advice about regulations and building codes. They might run courses on kitchen design and selling kitchens. They also have an annual conference at a nice hotel, slap-up meals and a backslapping awards ceremony. They will mostly promote their members’ businesses and interests.

Unlike builders, plumbers, gas fitters and electricians, a legislative process that requires them to be registered does not cover kitchen makers. An incompetent joiner or kitchen maker cannot be struck off a list or have their licence revoked. A trade organisation is not the same as an inspectorate.

You might be asked to prefer a kitchen maker on the basis that they are a member of this, that or the other trade organisation. You have to make a decision about what is in this for you. Consider for instance the figurehead of one particular trade organisation who was also a director/shareholder of a member kitchen company. The company went into liquidation in January 2006 owing some $543,744* to 67 unsecured creditors who included customers who lost their deposits. The liquidators estimated that the best-case scenario for payment of unsecured creditors was 4c in the dollar. They appointed forensic accountants to review whether action could be taken against the directors.

The director concerned quickly left town and set up in the same industry elsewhere. That person’s contact details still figured prominently on the website of the national organisation over 12 months later at time of writing. You must decide if such a person (and they are by no means an isolated case) is one you wish to invest in.

This book takes the side of the customer unambiguously but even we will not take responsibility for dodgy kitchen suppliers. Would the trade organisation take your side against their member or is it safer to protect yourself? You could find out – ask them just what actual protection or insurance you get from them. Do they protect your deposit for instance? Do they have a code of ethics (and do they enforce it)? Will they help you if the product is of poor quality? Then decide if this reassures you enough to prefer one of their members to a non-member kitchen supplier. It is for you to decide what is the purpose of a national organisation and if a supplier’s membership of it will influence your buying decision.

* Information obtained from Companies Office

In fairness such organisations have to protect their interests and cannot put themselves in a position where they could be held liable for the actions of their members. They could of course take actions to distance themselves from errant members. They could also maybe institute some form of insurance or indemnity scheme to protect customers from dodgy members.

Remember that most kitchen suppliers are not members of any trade organisation and that this does not in itself make them any better or worse than members. See the next chapter for practical steps to take to protect your interests and in particular, your deposit.

So how do you protect yourself? next>

How much does a new kitchen cost?