‘Morally abhorrent’ Edinburgh luxury bathroom design firm accused of leaving customers with ‘shoddy’ bathrooms as it enters liquidation

A luxury bathroom business in Edinburgh has come under fire from customers who claim they have been left with “shoddy” bathrooms which the company is unwilling to fix - and the company has now entered liquidation.

One client, Angus Thomson, says he paid “premium price” up front to Bagno Design to fit a bathroom in his Comely Bank home in March 2018 but claims the toilet has not been fitted correctly to the back wall and is being propped up by pieces of wood – and he has concerns over the quality of tiling, uneven fitting of mirrors, a loose shower head and badly fitted taps.

In a bid to get the company to rectify these issues, he was legally advised to obtain an independent surveyor report - seen by the Edinburgh Evening News - and now has three which all found the condition of the installation to be “poor” but he says they have been “uncooperative.”

Bagno Design, which traded from showrooms in Edinburgh and Glasgow as Bathrooms by Design (Scotland) Ltd, entered liquidation this month and assets are to be bought by an affiliated firm with common directors called LDP Kitchens Ltd.

Angus Thomson says he has been left with a "shoddy" bathroom after paying for Bagno Design to do the work. Pictures: Supplied

Mr Thomson says it means any chance of rectifying perceived faults with his bathroom has gone because the company he agreed the contract with no longer exists. His legal advice now is to prove losses, but this will mean finding the money to redo his bathroom and demonstrating how the finished product is of a higher standard than what he has now.

The 38-year-old, who has also been paying out in legal fees, said: “It was a premium price and I was expecting a premium job.

“I am left in a situation where I am despondent because I paid top price and was assured it would be amazing and it was not, and they did not put it right, and now I have a bathroom I will need to repair. I will just have to live with my shoddy bathroom.

“Their behaviour has been morally abhorrent. I would want to warn anyone away from these rogue traders.”

Mr Thomson says his toilet was not properly connected to the back wall. Pic: Supplied

The Edinburgh Evening News has spoken to other Bagno Design customers in Edinburgh who are unhappy with their bathroom installations, including some who want to pursue legal action.

This newspaper has learned that the company, while trading as Bathrooms by Design Ltd, owes in excess of £230,000 to HMRC alone.

Mike Kemp, commercial litigation associate at Thorntons Solicitors, says because LDP Kitchens Ltd is a separate legal entity to Bathrooms by Design (Scotland) Ltd, it would not be possible to sue them for breach of contract as the contract was with the liquidated company - and the same applies to the directors.

He advised that some home insurance policies can cover defective work and that this can often be the best chance of recovering money to help with the cost of repair work.

The quality of tiling was another concern highlighted.

With more liquidations predicted in the future given the economic impact of coronavirus, Mr Kemp said the “unfortunate effect” is that customers will have “a more difficult time” successfully pursuing claims for breach of contract or under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for work that is not performed with reasonable care and skill.

Bagno Design failed to respond to repeated calls for interviews with its directors.

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