Visitors to the site are reminded that the details contained within user comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment.
Comments:
I worked for this company as a 'designer' a few years ago. I got a weeks training in a hotel which was interesting (was intense, everyone got drunk and many people hooked up!), it was my first and only foray into direct sales.
The pressure on the reps is intense, you are told you have to be in the customers house for 4 hours, if you fail you get a roasting when you get back to the office (my area manager would literally shout and swear at me for 20 minutes if I did something he didnt like, reps arnt allowed to leave unless the manager gives them permission so take this into account if you want them to go, its not always the rep that is being annoying, he is just trying to make sure he doesnt get bollocked!).
The pitch you recieve is scientifically designed to make you want to buy the product there and then. It is very specific and if you get it wrong your in trouble. The phone calls the rep has to make are rubbish, the offer is the same no matter who you are or where you live, my manager used to ask me if the client I was dealing with was pretty (plus some other things I'd rather not mention on here) It is commission only so no sale means no pay and yet more bollockings when you return as a failure. However, if you sit through the bull, smile and drink tea etc as its only one evening of your life the actual product is very good, I've compared it with other kitchen companies and it is superior to magnet, moben etc. the actual product is worth having and when the rep offers you a price refuse it and it usually will be a bout half his first offer before he leaves. Then in a few days or a week you will get a phone call from the factory offering you your kitchen for even less (but without the appliances normally) that is when you buy it, then get your own appliances. Simples. Or if you want to be nice, buy it from the rep and let him/her eat that week!!
In summary :Bad company to work for and the sales pitch it long and annoying, product is good and worth having. If I could afford it I would get one, now I know how to handle the rep!!!
3 weeks ago my husband and i had a young lady come round to see us about our kitchen. she had travelled a long way and was a joy to be around. she spent a few hours going through everything with us and answered all our questions. the design was lovely and had everything in it i could ever imagine, we saved £3800 and spent £7200. i wanted to give her half the money up front which she wouldn't allow for me to do, instead i gave her £100 to get the ball rolling for me. the next day a surveyor came out and gave us a picture of what it would look like.
that evening my husband came on the internet and looked at this web site which shocked us both. the next morning i called and spoke to our project manager adrian, he was very polite and made no excuses for the bad comments, but advised us to look up all other kitchen companies that had been in business for over 25years. his one comment that stuck with us was that happy customers do not have a need to express themselves on a web site.
we have had our kitchen fitted for 3 days and it looks beautiful, my daughter is in the middle of purchasing with them aswell.
We were looking for a new kitchen and had a look at lots of places B&Q, Homebase, etc ffor showrooms but did not feel that we could afford these as had appointment at Homebase £14000 quoted. We also tried Space Kitchens and Kitchens Direct for non-showrooms and after problems with Direct made appointment with Space.
I agree with the tactics used, 2 hours of non-kitchen talk and then 2 hours of drawing and discussing our kitchen. Also felt a bit underpressure when told 'now or never' for quote but we agreed.
After going to work and thinking about the quote, both me and my partner thought we couldn't afford original quote so call area manager and cancelled contract then within 24hrs.
He said keep the CAD designer as already paid for and we agreed as we had no obligiation at this point.
Looked at Kitchen and it was exact what we asked for and the price had now been dropped to price could afford, took finance option as we thought pay upfront might end up with no kitchen and they do runner (we had all money anyway).
Booked delivery and installation for two weeks from surveyor date. Was given Project Manager mobile and two days later, he arrived with new contract to sign. We also wanted to amend design, this was done without hassle and now was perfect.
Delivery called day before to state time slot, delivery day they arrived 2 hours early not a problem, actually was big help as had things to do.
Two days later was first installation day, Install department said they will be at 9.30. Installers arrived at 8am, fantastic and they cracked on with it straight away. Worked almost tirelessly til 5.30 we had 1/2 kitchen in with all appliances working.
Day two of installation arrived earlier and again cracked on with it! After two days kitchen in and all done.
Hi Ailsa,
I am in Aberdeenshire if you wish to see a falling apart Space Kitchen after several years? Don`t worry about the length of warranty.........you don`t have one anyway!
Well, well, well.
Just spoke to these clowns about coming to carry out repairs under the warranty to my kitchen which is falling to bits and been told its a new company under different ownership and they won`t honour the old warranty....brilliant aren`t they? Denied being the same company etc yet were happy to be the same company when i phoned 2 seconds later pretending i wanted to add more units to my kitchen.
Are you or aren`t you the same Space Kitchens?
Look forward to seeing you on Watchdog or similar consumer show again! Who knows, i might be asked to appear again also!
I have just read some of the comments about space or soon to change their name to Christies kitchen, sounds very similar to Christians oh what a coincidence.... They are going to give you a 30% discount where ever you live plus an extra 10% if you take out the finance. the sales reps are told to add an extra £2000 to the original price to make the discount seem larger. The reps are told to steer you away from appliances as the money is made in the cupboards and the appliances are simply purchased. A rep while demonstrating the strength of his cupboard drawers by standing on it actually fell threw it! Just remember 17.5% of your hard earned cash will be going to the rep that comes to see you for 3 to 4 hours work if you buy your kitchen on finance, so make sure they stick to the ten point script...... If they offer you something large for free like an appliance boy you have really been screwed on the price!
We received a call from Space Kitchens; we are ex directory and registered with Telephone Preference Service, so came as a shock as to where our number was obtained from. Turned up 45 minutes late and eventually quoted £28000 for a kitchen claiming it was of similar quality to a Smallbone Kitchen (ie Rolls Royce). As a Chartered Surveyor the quality is more like a Ford Fiesta. He was 4 hours wasting everybody's time, 'so called' designing and calculating the price. We just couldn't be bothered with haggling the price down as there was no way we would have bought it. The design is poor and unimaginative. I recommend buying a DIY store kitchen in preference to this. I guess the quote would have halved over time which is typical of double glazing sales techniques which is what Weatherseal Holdings Limited, the parent company, ultimately started as. Remember you can't really see the quality, colour etc of anything until it arrives on your doorstep. The small mock up unit they lug into the house does appear to be a printed paper design stuck to the chipboard. Hopoe this is of some help to potential buyers. We won't be purchasing and did tear up the quote in front of the salesman. We will be following up with a complaint to the telephone preference service.
we are close to purchasing a space kitchen. so far we are impressed with the company. does anyone have a space kitchen in the edinburgh area and would you be willing to let me see it?
thanks ailsa
We recently bought a house and decided to replace the kitchen due to knocking out a wall and extending the kitchen, the kitchen we had looked quite new still, but as the house was vacant when we purchased we had not idea where it had come from, when we removed some of the units for the builders to take down the dividing wall, we found the paperwork for the kitchen under one of the draws, it had been fitted in 2003 by space kitchens, I decided to google them as had never heard of them before and read most of the negative comments, we had had quotes to replace the entire kitchen and obviously this would have costed quite alot of money, I decided that if the price wasnt too bad maybe we should just add to the units we already had just to cut costs, I would say that the units were in very good cond and I was quite surprised that they were 7yrs old as looked almost new, on reading the comments about space kitchens I was very wary of ringing them for a price for extra units, but thought I would try, I rang the quote number from the internet and they gave me a customer service number I dealt with someone called Chris and then John, they gave us a really good price for the extra units, I would say equivalent to Homebase/Howdens prices we had already been quoted for, but the quality of the units In my opinion was better , I paid for the order by credit card as did worry after reading the comments wether we would get anything, less than a week later, everything has arrived and I am really pleased with the way they have dealt with the order, delivery men were very good too. Obviously we have not had a plan drawn or a salesman round so cant comment on that, but all in all my dealings with space kitchens have been no hassle and they were very helpful, also we have saved money.
These fools are still at it! I have been phoned 5 times since my last post and offered a new kitchen, including being told my post code area has been selected for a special offer. This despite politely declining the first time and telling them that I am not interested in dealing with Space Kitchens. They are either very pushy or pretty dumb - I'm guessing the latter! Also, I see positive posts for the company on this site soon after negative feedback from customers. Is it just me or does Space get its staff to do tailor-made blags?
Received an unsolicited phonecall from this bunch. As I'm registered with the Telephone Preference Service I asked where they'd got my name and detatls from. I was told it was a "national database".
I asked for details of which list they'd used and who had supplied it. I was then transferred to a "day manager" called Rick. He told me he couldn't tell me where the list was from. I asked him for the address of the company. Having told me he didn't have it - this is the "day manager" overseeing the team of telesales reps - he offered to get it and asked me to hold on a moment. He appeared to go away but after 10 seconds, he hung up the phone.
Now, if you want to deal with such a bunch, then it's up to you.
as far as I'm concerned, if they call again, I'll be happy to arrange an appointment for their representative - and then tell him / her I'd been happy to waste their time, just as mine had been wasted.
And Rick, if you should see this, be aware that putting the phone down on someone doesn't actually make things go away.
BEWARE:
Many of the short positive comments on this site relating to Space Kitchens have been put here by employees of the company.
Jinty for example has also put comments on the weatherseal site - a sister company of Space Kitchens.
Do not believe what they say.
As a test, take a positive post and click on the poster's name. see where else they've posted. You'll see I'm right.
I had my kitchen replaced by Space 4 years ago and it's still liiking great. I was recommended to them from my neighbour who had his kitchen replaced a few months earlier. The work was carried out over 2 days by a very hard working chap - sorry can't remember his name- who travelled through from Glasgow. He got on with his work and cleared up too! Would and have recommend to anyone willing to listen!
my partner and I got a kitchen in april, we were very happy with the service that we received. the designer who came out was very helpful, he desiged the kitchen to suit our needs, and was within our budget.
We got our kitchen fitted a few weeks after we had ordered it, we are very happy with the work that has been carried out.
Got this company when looking for a new kitchen. A big mistake! When I refused a knocked down price the sales person got very, very aggressive and abusive. If you read the blogs on moneysaving expert.com you will get honest feedback from several individuals. DON'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THIS BUNCH OF COWBOYS!!! Concerning that they have no showrooms, no office addresses for branches, and no phone numbers that work. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
My father ordered a kitchen from space kitchens back in October, After seeing how much they wanted to charge him for it we cancelled it. Although you are supposed to get 7 days to cancel your order they made sure that they had delivered the kitchen within 3 days of him placing that order. They tried hard to make us change our mind offering further discounts etc. They did eventually come and collect the kitchen but it took a further 2 weeks. My father is not in good health and has suffered several mini strokes which has affected his mental health. We told space kitchens this several times and asked for him to be removed from there calling list which they said would happen. I was disgusted to find last week that they are still hassling him and we have just had to cancel another kitchen which was exactly the same as the previous one but another £1000 had been added to the cost. The total amount they wanted for the kitchen was £11,000 they also had him take out finance, bearing in mind my father is 67 the amount wouldn't have been paid off until he was 81 the total amount being £24,000. This price was for a cooker,hob and extractor. Sink and taps and about 6 cupboards and a worktop. There was a small amount of electrical work that had to be done. I had a kitchen fitted 2 years ago by a small independent trader, my kitchen is twice the size of my fathers and it only cost me £7,000. Please be aware anyone thinking of placing an order with Space Kitchens They rip you off and will keep on hassling you.
I also worked for space as "designer" and I can agree with most of what the other rep had to say about the selling part. We were told to lie about certain aspects and did have to be 4 hours at each call. The terms for the hp are shocking and shouldnt even be considered but as a rep I also purchased a kitchen mine should have been 16.000 I paid 3.500, company still made money on it!!!! I love my kitchen and 3 years later everything is still working and looking good, apart from downlights. If you do buy do not take hp go to bank and get a loan, rates are better. Credit card is even better!!! Cash is the best way to do it. Dont pay more than 7,000 you will be able to buy top range for this price and if you dont want to buy one dont have anyone in. some reps can be nasty if you wont buy!!! Reps have to call managers to prove time spent in your home or they wont be paid!!! Reps also recieve more comission if you take hp. product good, sales reps not so if you dont get one with any morals!!!!
After having been sold a kitchen then have the wrong one turn up but being told i would have to pay extra for the one i wanted because i'd signed my contract!! They then took 3 attempts to install it and i found that where they'd damaged parts of the finish they used normal wood filler to try and conseal it! WORSE PART TO COME, they offered me £250 compensation for all their mistakes and i wasnt in a position to goto small claims court so i accepted. Since then, i discovered that they change the interest rate on our contract by telling us that some of the info on the form was wrong, so we signed it again and found our selves on nearly 30% APR. Now the worst part... the electrics neary set fire to my house, the plumber that cut holes in my walls behind the kitchen cabinets damaged my ring main and my MCB started to trip out 4 years later. after a cloud of smoke came from behind the cabinet, i pulled it off and found the wall, cabinet and wire was burnt and completely black. I rang and they told me that it was friday afternoon and what did i expect them to do! after this their general manager for installations rang me back to tell me they'd only fix it if i agreed to pay them. Ths was after the electrical inspecter (who isn't registered with the NIC EIC as he said) who tested the installtion origionally came back tested it, appologised and said he's be back the next day with a workman from Space to fix it. The next day I rang to see where they were and I was told the inspectors report says that i purposely damaged the cable to try and get a new kitchen. when i said i just wanted it fixing and that it was unbelievable to hear this, i was told that they dont supply my kitchen anymore and that i'd have to buy a new one but they'd happily send a sales person around to quote for a new one!! These people seem to enjoy recking peoples lives and seem to enjoy it, i can always hear the cheerfulness when they tell me this stuff. They really are just wind up mearchants except for when its face to face!! I still haven't had it fixed and the company keep telling me that they don't care and i can try to take them to court but they are going into recievership and so aren't worried! My bggest annoyance is that I keep trying to post on this site to warn everyone and my post keep getting deleted! if Space Kitchens don't like these comments let them take me to court for Slander, I dare you!!
had space kitchens out to give me a quote very nice chap looked very professional and knew what he was talking about told him what i wanted and he was able to do it for a reasonable price thinking about going ahead with it
it seems to me like someone on this website has been sacked from this company and is very bitter my advice would be go and get a job and stop slagging off a good company i.e GET A LIFE
i have had my space kitchen for 3 years now my brother has just got one fitted too he got the modern red units am sooo jealous i went for the country style kitchen he had the same experiance as me no problems fitters were great very happy
Came onto this site before we decided to get a kitchen.Couldn't find one company with rave reviews.Seen exsalesdesigners comments and thought i would not use the company.My wife talked me round and asked me to call space for a quote and ask about the comments posted here.Immediatley my mind was set at ease.I would never have thought but with hindsight it is obvious.Other companies will and do ask there employees to leave negative feedback about rival companies.So when listening to the man I spoke to in the call centre I decided to make an appointment.Dont get me wrong I was told he would be here for two hours but he stayed for almost three because my wife kept making him tea.He left me with a quote,did try a little bit to get me to sign but when I said I would think about it he left quite happy.Had two more quotes from other companies I wont mention here but bought my kitchen from space kitchens.Good company great kitchen would reccommend to anyone.
I've just had a Space kitchen fitted in my new house, with everything as good as the one I had in my old flat.
Just one gripe - I wish they'd accept that I already know all about the company, and just get on with the measuring - although this is the case with almost every big kitchen company out there.
Add a comment about this blagger
Visitors to the site are reminded that the details contained within user comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment.
Comments:
The pressure on the reps is intense, you are told you have to be in the customers house for 4 hours, if you fail you get a roasting when you get back to the office (my area manager would literally shout and swear at me for 20 minutes if I did something he didnt like, reps arnt allowed to leave unless the manager gives them permission so take this into account if you want them to go, its not always the rep that is being annoying, he is just trying to make sure he doesnt get bollocked!).
The pitch you recieve is scientifically designed to make you want to buy the product there and then. It is very specific and if you get it wrong your in trouble. The phone calls the rep has to make are rubbish, the offer is the same no matter who you are or where you live, my manager used to ask me if the client I was dealing with was pretty (plus some other things I'd rather not mention on here) It is commission only so no sale means no pay and yet more bollockings when you return as a failure. However, if you sit through the bull, smile and drink tea etc as its only one evening of your life the actual product is very good, I've compared it with other kitchen companies and it is superior to magnet, moben etc. the actual product is worth having and when the rep offers you a price refuse it and it usually will be a bout half his first offer before he leaves. Then in a few days or a week you will get a phone call from the factory offering you your kitchen for even less (but without the appliances normally) that is when you buy it, then get your own appliances. Simples. Or if you want to be nice, buy it from the rep and let him/her eat that week!!
In summary :Bad company to work for and the sales pitch it long and annoying, product is good and worth having. If I could afford it I would get one, now I know how to handle the rep!!!
that evening my husband came on the internet and looked at this web site which shocked us both. the next morning i called and spoke to our project manager adrian, he was very polite and made no excuses for the bad comments, but advised us to look up all other kitchen companies that had been in business for over 25years. his one comment that stuck with us was that happy customers do not have a need to express themselves on a web site.
we have had our kitchen fitted for 3 days and it looks beautiful, my daughter is in the middle of purchasing with them aswell.
I agree with the tactics used, 2 hours of non-kitchen talk and then 2 hours of drawing and discussing our kitchen. Also felt a bit underpressure when told 'now or never' for quote but we agreed.
After going to work and thinking about the quote, both me and my partner thought we couldn't afford original quote so call area manager and cancelled contract then within 24hrs.
He said keep the CAD designer as already paid for and we agreed as we had no obligiation at this point.
Looked at Kitchen and it was exact what we asked for and the price had now been dropped to price could afford, took finance option as we thought pay upfront might end up with no kitchen and they do runner (we had all money anyway).
Booked delivery and installation for two weeks from surveyor date. Was given Project Manager mobile and two days later, he arrived with new contract to sign. We also wanted to amend design, this was done without hassle and now was perfect.
Delivery called day before to state time slot, delivery day they arrived 2 hours early not a problem, actually was big help as had things to do.
Two days later was first installation day, Install department said they will be at 9.30. Installers arrived at 8am, fantastic and they cracked on with it straight away. Worked almost tirelessly til 5.30 we had 1/2 kitchen in with all appliances working.
Day two of installation arrived earlier and again cracked on with it! After two days kitchen in and all done.
I am in Aberdeenshire if you wish to see a falling apart Space Kitchen after several years? Don`t worry about the length of warranty.........you don`t have one anyway!
Just spoke to these clowns about coming to carry out repairs under the warranty to my kitchen which is falling to bits and been told its a new company under different ownership and they won`t honour the old warranty....brilliant aren`t they? Denied being the same company etc yet were happy to be the same company when i phoned 2 seconds later pretending i wanted to add more units to my kitchen.
Are you or aren`t you the same Space Kitchens?
Look forward to seeing you on Watchdog or similar consumer show again! Who knows, i might be asked to appear again also!
thanks ailsa
I asked for details of which list they'd used and who had supplied it. I was then transferred to a "day manager" called Rick. He told me he couldn't tell me where the list was from. I asked him for the address of the company. Having told me he didn't have it - this is the "day manager" overseeing the team of telesales reps - he offered to get it and asked me to hold on a moment. He appeared to go away but after 10 seconds, he hung up the phone.
Now, if you want to deal with such a bunch, then it's up to you.
as far as I'm concerned, if they call again, I'll be happy to arrange an appointment for their representative - and then tell him / her I'd been happy to waste their time, just as mine had been wasted.
And Rick, if you should see this, be aware that putting the phone down on someone doesn't actually make things go away.
Many of the short positive comments on this site relating to Space Kitchens have been put here by employees of the company.
Jinty for example has also put comments on the weatherseal site - a sister company of Space Kitchens.
Do not believe what they say.
As a test, take a positive post and click on the poster's name. see where else they've posted. You'll see I'm right.
We got our kitchen fitted a few weeks after we had ordered it, we are very happy with the work that has been carried out.
Got this company when looking for a new kitchen. A big mistake! When I refused a knocked down price the sales person got very, very aggressive and abusive. If you read the blogs on moneysaving expert.com you will get honest feedback from several individuals. DON'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THIS BUNCH OF COWBOYS!!! Concerning that they have no showrooms, no office addresses for branches, and no phone numbers that work. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
AlanP at 2nd Jun 2010, 10:40AM
THE POSITIVE ENTRYS ARE SALESMEN!!
READ ALL OF THE NEGATIVES!!!!
Just one gripe - I wish they'd accept that I already know all about the company, and just get on with the measuring - although this is the case with almost every big kitchen company out there.
Add a comment about this blagger