Bloomfields Horseboxes…
Went to look at Bloomfields Horseboxes with a view to purchasing our dream box! Explained we were only looking as funds weren’t available yet due to house sale. We wanted a figure of how much things were gonna cost. We felt pressured into leaving a deposit even though we clearly explained the funds were not available as yet. We struggled to get the deposit together! We were told “no rush, as it’s quiet we will start building it but if jobs come in they will take priority.” Not a problem we said. I then received an email asking for full payment as said horsebox was built! We said we couldn’t purchase as yet awaiting payment and was told that they needed funds so it was going to be sold. It went up for sale without any correspondence from Bloomfields asking if we were in a position to purchase ! We were so disgusted with how heartless they were . We told them every step of the way what stage we were at but they were not interested. I asked for our life savings deposit back which we never got receipted for and was told no!
Customer service is appalling, I suggest people look round at other dealers before deciding on such an important personal purchase as there are many better dealers who care about their customers and aftercare!
Recommendations go a long way!
Update from reply…..we were honest and upfront about when the funds were available hence only leaving a £2k deposit which we felt pressured into leaving to secure the vehicle. We were never told any timescales to when the vehicle would be built and when payment had to be paid by…My last Correspondence after speaking to the solicitor was 6-8 weeks at the most. I in fact had to ask for an update and pics sent by WhatsApp. And Yes we were pleased and excited to see it! No problem with the vehicle ! We were told by email that vicky would give us a call in a few weeks for an update on an alternate chassis and never did, our biggest upset was seeing our vehicle up for sale on every web page available! There was no communication at all from Bloomfields. They had our money and led us on thru false pretences. The funds were actually available 6 weeks later but the relationship with Bloomfields was spoilt. Very disappointed as was our dream.
Reply from Bloomfields Horse Boxes Limited
We are sorry to hear that you feel disappointed with your experience, as this is certainly not the outcome we wanted for you.
To provide some context, the horsebox in question had already entered our build schedule when your £2,000 deposit was placed. The horsebox was then customised to your chosen specifications and colour scheme, and throughout the build process we provided photo updates via WhatsApp, which were always received positively.
As discussed, our standard policy is to take a 10% deposit before customising a horsebox to a customer's specification. We agreed to accept a reduced deposit because you explained that funds from a house sale were due shortly. At no point during the build were we informed that there would be an issue with the balance payment. It was only once the horsebox had been completed to your requested specification that we were advised the funds were still unavailable.
We were sympathetic to your situation and, rather than immediately offering the vehicle for sale, we allowed additional time in the hope that the funds would become available and the purchase could proceed as planned. Unfortunately, after this extended period, there was still no confirmed timescale for completion. We would also like to clarify that although the vehicle was listed for sale, we did not take a deposit from another buyer until 20th April — some 8 weeks after our last correspondence with you. In your own update you state that funds would have been available within 6 weeks, which means the horsebox could still have been yours had we heard from you.
As the vehicle had been built specifically to your requirements, the deposit was not refundable. However, in an effort to be as fair and accommodating as possible, we offered to sell the completed horsebox to another customer and transfer your £2,000 deposit onto a future build when the timing was right for you.
We value all of our customers and always aim to communicate openly and fairly throughout the build process. We are sorry that you appear to be unhappy with the outcome, but we feel we acted reasonably, patiently, and in good faith at every stage.
Regards,
Bloomfields Horseboxes