Customers of a kitchen firm, Kitchen Love, have been left devastated after the company unexpectedly shut down, leaving many thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Operating across north-west England, the business was once praised for its glowing five-star reviews.
But last year, the firm closed its doors, leaving customers without their orders and asking local authorities to investigate.
The Owner’s Admission of Failure
The owner of Kitchen Love, Graham Griffiths, who had previously seen a kitchen business liquidated in 2018, has admitted to failing his clients.
However, he denied knowingly accepting payments for products he could not provide.
His business’s abrupt closure has left many customers in a difficult situation.
Struggling Families Left in the Lurch
Among those affected are Louise and Michael Twist from Mawdesley, Lancashire.
The couple had been saving for years to create the kitchen of their dreams for their family home.
After reviewing several companies, they chose Kitchen Love, which had showrooms in nearby Ormskirk, Cheadle Hulme, and Formby.
Mr. Twist, an accountant, performed credit checks on the company, finding no reason for concern.
They agreed to a final bill of approximately £30,000, with most of the money paid in instalments.
The project required significant structural changes to their home, including new flooring and a completely new kitchen suite.
But things quickly went south when delays started piling up.
Endless Delays and Subpar Appliances
The couple eventually realized that something was wrong as delays became more frequent.
They were left without a functional kitchen, resorting to cooking on an outside barbecue or accepting help from relatives.
By the time September rolled around, their home was ready for the appliances to be installed.
But when the units arrived, the Twist family was shocked to find that Mr. Griffiths had delivered ex-display appliances.
The couple refused to accept them, but Kitchen Love denied their request for a refund.
They were eventually able to claim their money back through their credit card issuer and hired another company to complete the job.
Other Customers Left in Similar Situations
Wendy and Gary Charlton from Aughton, Lancashire, are also among the disappointed customers.
After paying £16,000 upfront following a recommendation from friends, the Charltons found themselves with no kitchen for months.
Their old kitchen was removed in September, but after facing endless excuses from Kitchen Love, they realized the company was struggling financially and couldn’t fulfill their order.
In the end, they paid another company to install their new kitchen, essentially paying twice for the same product.
Unfortunately, they had no means of claiming the money back, as they had paid via bank transfer.
Colin and Liz Halliday from Skelmersdale transferred more than £6,000 to Kitchen Love last October.
However, after deciding to cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period, their requests for a refund were ignored.
The Hallidays are now left reeling from their experience.
A Growing Group of Disgruntled Customers
These three couples are not alone. Many others have joined a WhatsApp group of customers who claim to have been short-changed by Kitchen Love.
The company’s showrooms are now shut, and the business has ceased operations.
In response to the customers’ complaints, Graham Griffiths attributed the company’s failure to issues with staff and changing landlord requirements.
Despite this, he admits that he made mistakes in running the business and acknowledges that he lost nearly £500,000 in the process.
Legal Action and Next Steps for Affected Customers
While Griffiths denies selling products he knew he couldn’t provide, he says he will not return to the kitchen industry. Customers are now left with few options.
Police told them that the issue is a civil matter, not a criminal one.
Some customers have already started court proceedings against Kitchen Love, while others have filed complaints with Lancashire Trading Standards.
The Trading Standards office has advised anyone affected to try and get a refund through their bank or seek help from Citizens Advice.
The situation has left many families frustrated and financially burdened, with no clear resolution in sight.