Moben Kitchens

Choreographed half price sale

If you've ever wondered whether Moben Kitchens' half price sales are entirely genuine, then you're not alone. The Advertising Standards Authority recently upheld a complaint that challenged whether the advertised discounts could be substantiated. Although Moben had provided evidence, in the form of customer invoices, which showed that a 55% discount had been applied to the list price of kitchen units and appliances, the ASA noted they had been unable to provide evidence that the same units or appliances had ever been sold at the list prices.

Please note that the £1 sale depicted in this photo of a former Southend showroom is actually genuine, even if the shop itself isn't.

Credit where credit's due

Moben advises its customers to take a Money Home Lending credit plan out through GE Capital, in order to receive protection under Consumer Credit law which would not be available when paying by bank or building society loan or cash.

As you're not obliged to take credit from GE Capital, you could pay the deposit and balance with a credit card, which can then be settled using a loan with more favourable terms once the work is completed to your satisfaction. The Office of Fair Trading recomends that paying with a credit card may provide extra protection as the lender is jointly liable with the supplier for any breach of contract.

You should always shop around for a credit card or loan that best suits your needs, and don't be enticed into accepting a Money Home Lending credit plan before fully understanding its terms and conditions.

Avoid upfront payment at all costs

When buying a Moben Kitchen, you're required to pay a deposit when the order is taken. The entire balance is then due in full when the kitchen equipment is delivered.

As the Office of Fair Trading considered it unfair for consumers to pay everything upfront if installation is part of the job, they allowed Moben to take full payment only if they refer complaints to an independent adjudicator. Moben subsequently provides a dispute resolution service via the Furniture Ombudsman, formerly Qualitas, who retain 20% of the balance until they have reached a conclusion.

However, if you retain 20% of the entire balance when the order is taken, then you get to decide when the work is completed to your satisfaction, and not a resolution service, independent or otherwise.

About Moben:org

This site is intended to forewarn prospective customers of Moben's sales practices, and the risks associated with paying upfront and in full for kitchen services.

The information provided is based on my own experience as a Moben customer, where I was left without a servicable kitchen for almost a year, received poor workmanship from their contract installers, and was treated with indifference by their customer services department.

Having pursued a claim for damages through the Qualitas arbitration service and the County Court over several years, I was left without recourse when Moben's parent company, MKD Holdings, was put into administration on the 5th Apr 2007.

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