do not pay the balance until the error is corrected, unless it was your error. Can't you do two bank checks...one for what you think is fair now and a separate one when the work is completed to your satisfaction?

I had that issue with furniture years ago and I learned to have 2 bank checks. One that is a big chunk of the total and another that is large enough to make them fix the problem or give you money to fix it yourself.
For example, if you owe $3,000, I'd make one for $2,400 and the second one for $600.

IF you're dealing with a reputable dealer, then they'll make it right, even after they cash your check. That's part of what being a reputable dealer entails. If you're not dealing with someone reputable, even holding back some funds won't help you to force them to correct items. You may have to deal with the manufacturer direct if there are errors.

It all comes down to doing your due diligence on the front end and dealing with folks who have been in the business for a good while and have a good reputation. Those are the folks that might charge a little more, but are there when you need them.

kk09: since you've had issues with them already, I would call your contact at the cabinet supplier, explain your fears due to your past experience with them, and let them know that you will need to open and examine each and every cabinet before you hand over any money. Then ignore the delivery people if they try to pressure you into hurrying up and handing over the check. Two checks is a great idea.

Who is doing the install? Is it them, and is that money also covering the installation? If so, I'd let them know that you'll be holding off on the installation payment until everything is installed to your satisfaction.

Thank you ccoombs1 and dianalo. I was thinking of doing just that, and am glad to hear that others have done this too.

Hollysprings, it's good advice to do your due diligence up front. While I did that (my dealer is a family business that has been in business for decades, no BBB complaints, no lawsuits, came recommended, etc.), unfortunately I found out after I signed a contract with them that they are better on paper than they are in person.

Even with the most reputable dealer, I would never want to pay in full if there's an error (and I would think a reputable dealer shouldn't have a problem with that), so now I just have to figure out what amount to make the second check! What amount would be reasonable to allow for a small problem that is easily fixed and a larger problem such as a cabinet that has to be re-made because the dimensions are wrong?

Thanks chicagoans! I just saw your post, we posted about the same time. My own contractor is doing the install, so it all comes down to the day of delivery. I think I will open every box. Maybe I'll see if my DH can work at home that day, so I have back-up if necessary!

Opening all boxes at delivery is a good idea, but the real issue is, what does your contract say? It sounds like you agreed to pay with a cashiers check on delivery. Not on delivery of satisfactory products or 40% at delivery and ten percent when the cabs are verified to be in good order etc, but on delivery. Does the contract say after inspection? And if there is a problem...ie a ding in a door...are you prepared to reject the entire order thereby not actually accepting delivery, thus allowing you to keep your check?

If it were me I'd cancel the order and order from someone with more reasonable terms. When a business requires a cashiers check, there are problems that exceed bad service or a sloppy cabinet order.

You don't mention what your experiences are that have caused you to worry about the accuracy of the order, but you did say that it is a well established company with no record of complaints with the BBB. Why do you now worry about how they will handle warranty issues?

If all you are doing is purchasing cabinets from them (no installation services) it is perfectly reasonable for them to ask for payment in full when the product is delivered. For almost every other purchase you make (large or small) you expect to pay for it when you take possession of the product, this is no different. If the delivery is made and there is obvious damage that is a whole different issue.

How are the cabinets being delivered? Are they being drop shipped directly to you or will they be delivered to the dealer who will then have their own employees deliver the cabinets to your home (and thus will have had the opportunity to inspect for damage)? Are the cabinets going to be in boxes or will they be blanket wrapped? Will your designer be there for the delivery?

If the cabinets are in boxes I would prefer to leave them in boxes until they are ready to be installed. There is less chance of damage after the fact that way. If your designer will be there for the delivery he or she can help you look for damage. Obviously if a box looks damaged on the outside then you need to inspect the contents immediately. If the cabinets come blanked wrapped it is much easier so see if there is damage to the cabinets.

It is not out of line to call your cabinet dealer and ask how they handle warranty issues as well as damage on delivery issues.

At this point worrying cannot accomplish anything so just assume the best and dream about your beautiful new kitchen.

As you said, open EVERY box. Have your detailed cabinet order printed. Then check the dimensions, color, details of each and every cabinet.

Thanks, pharaoh, will do!

Igloochic, you have hit upon my main concern with the two bank checks. The contract states payment in full on delivery. If there is a problem with the order and I offer most, but not all of the money owed, will they accept it? If they don't, I will have to judge what to do at the time. If the problem is big enough (and I can't get anywhere after numerous phone calls), I may have to reject the entire order (ughhh) if they won't accept the bulk of the payment. If it is a dinged door, it wouldn't be worth it for me to reject the order and I think I could get that resolved somehow even if I paid in full.

Since this is a custom cabinet order, there is no way to cancel the contract without a serious penalty. In all fairness, I don't think requiring a cashier's check is an unreasonable term. I think they have to protect themselves to some extent from people who write bad checks.

Stuktu, my concern with this dealer is they have not been completely honest with me. I signed off on the drawings and dimensions, and then found out later some things had been changed without my approval. I think I caught everything before the order was actually placed with the company. Everything is in writing and I have copies of it all, but since this happened more than once, I'm not completely confident that everything was ordered as agreed.

They have told me that the cabinets will go to them first for inspection and then they will deliver them to me. I don't know if the cabinets will arrive in blankets or boxes, but since we have a big, huge, empty kitchen and family room to store the cabinets, I think it is best to open everything at the time of delivery. I designed the cabinets, so don't have a separate kitchen designer to help me out if there's a problem.

I think I will take your advice to try not to worry too much and hope for the best, but still be prepared with my two checks! :)

Kitchenkrazed: Hollysprings post should give you some peace of mind if the company you're dealing with has been around for decades, with no on-record complaints.

Does your contract offer a warranty? Many times we purchase something without opening the box only to find out a day or two later that something is wrong or broken. And, in my experience, reputable companies will fix or exchange the product.

I wasn't on-site when my cabinets were delivered and the doors didn't match the drawers, and my GC's workers who signed for the delivery didn't notice. In the end, all issues were resolved above and beyond my satisfaction. The local company has been in business for 25 years.

And, I agree with Chicagoans (as well as others on this post), call the company or pay them a visit in person, address your concerns and ask them upfront how they resolve mistakes when they've already accepted payment.

Hope it all works out for you.

Dar5, thanks for the words of encouragement. The cabinets do carry a warranty, so that may be helpful.

Sometimes everyone seems so nice until something goes wrong. It is better to be prepared and be happy with what transpires than to wish you had prepared when it is too late.
The second check system is there for both sides. If there is a minor problem and they are honorable, they'd feel better leaving the bulk of the order with you, having been paid for most, and getting the remainder at final delivery when everything is ok. Otherwise, they would have to reship everything at an extra hassle to all and probably an extra expense to them. They would not suggest 2 checks in advance because that would sound like they expect to have a problem and customers would get worried.

We have all read here about cab delivery going smoothly and others with horror stories. It is true that worrying now won't help, but preparing will.

Thanks dianolo! Truer words were never spoken. Have you ever had to actually withhold the second check? How did that go over?

The only time that came up was the first time when we got burned. After that we did the 2 check thing twice but did not need them (win/win). It is like going without an umbrella, if you don't, you are tempting fate, lol.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you were my customer and you had agreed to the payment terms up front, and then refused to pay the rest of of the agreed upon fee at the agreed upon time (delivery) then I would not deliver the cabinets to you. I would be perfectly fine with you and your contractor opening and inspecting each and every box before receiving that check, but there is no way that I'd leave there without the money you agreed to pay me. Especially since you're not using my installer, and installation by an inexperienced contractor is typically where most damage to cabinets occurs. If you were using my installer, then the contract would have been negotiated with his fee due upon completion, and that would be your "leverage" that you feel you need.

Reputable companies get that positive reputation because they satisfactorily handle situations like this every day. It's normal for most companies to agree to replace a damaged door or box because of "shipping damage" without even inspecting the problem. THey just send new. If a large percentage of an order is claimed to have shipping damage, then the manufacturer may want to inspect the cabinets before replacing them, to assess the source of that damage. If there's a problem on the line, or with packaging, they want to know in order to be able to correct that and keep it from happening with other customers. If an order is claimed to have larger "issues" such as being the wrong color, or wood, then everyone gets involved, and the signed paperwork of the contract comes into play. If the consumer simply isn't happy with the order, then it becomes a more nebulous issue, depending on what that unhappiness stems from, such as the mix of hearwood/sapwood in a cabinet order (not just a single door). Those issues rarely happen with a quality company that correctly qualifies and educates their customer on what to expect.

In other words, companies that have good reputations built them on dealing with any and all of the issues you may fear will happen with your order. They'll handle whatever comes. If they're a good company, that is. However, you don't renegotiate the terms of a contract with any company after you've signed that contract. If you wanted to have a holdback, then the time to do that is during the negotiation of that contract so that all parties can agree to the terms. Holding back funds won't help you with a poor company, they won't care anyway as they'll already have made their profit and on to the next, and it somewhat insults a good company that you don't consider them reputable enough to do the right thing without a sword hanging over their head. If you had negotiated holdback in the beginning, that'd be fine, but to do it after the fact isn't going to sit well with most. You can always ask, but if they decline, then you'll have to decide how you want to handle the situation. Because if you refuse to pay them for the product, then YOU are in violation of the contract and that can have all kinds of adverse affects from a ding on your credit to criminal charges or court costs for a civil proceeding. I'm not saying that it will escalate to that dramatic a level, but the potential is there. This is why written contracts are so important and should be signed only after you understand and agree to the terms of that contract.

If a shipment arrives and has 3 cabs with damage, I think it is perfectly reasonable to hold back a portion or the alternative is for the company to take it all back, because I'd be uncomfortable paying in full for damaged goods.
It is all well and good to say that the company will do the right thing, but we have all dealt with people and companies that appear to be nice until there is a hitch. Not everyone complains to the BBB or can change management/ownership and so you may not know that you are dealing with a currently not so reputable place.
I am sorry, but I got burned with furniture, long story and a long time ago, and have learned to not pay in full until the other side is fulfilled in full. I am very polite about it and nice, but I am careful.
We recently got burned by our architect's incompetency and are forced to pay in full before getting the "as built" the town requires. His plans always require revision and he is slow, but we have no choice and he always has us pay in full upfront or won't fix things. The system is rigged in the architect's favor. I have tried to get help from the licensing board and his business association, but to no avail. However, we will be pursuing a claim in small claims court once this is done. I hate that we have to stick with him or start completely all over. We have paid this clown well over $8k by now and are still waiting for workable plans so that the town can re-inspect and let us close up our walls. This was not new construction, but a 400 sqft extension. I hate having no leverage and will not ever be in this position again if I can help it. GRRRRRRRR!

We are just wrapping up or kitchen remodel. We had custom cabinets made, the island was supposed to be painted cabinets, while the rest were quater sawn oak. The cabinet maker did them all in quarter sawn oak. The owner was very apologetic and gave us a $1000 dollar discount even though the mistake gave us more expensive cabinets in the island. He offered to fix it and rebuild the island, but when we saw them we decided to keep them and take the $1000.

LOL! Jail time for refusing a cabinet order? Credit report dings??? Quite an imagination there.

As a consumer, you are not required to listen to the whingeing and lecturing of your cabinet company about the realities of business today when they screw up an order. You can call them up and say, "Would you prefer your delivery person stand there while we inspect, or do you want two checks so he can leave now?" Because you have the right to refuse delivery entirely, you can tell them to wait for inspection or blow the whole order out their wazoos. If the delivery person whines and complains, require him to stand outside. It's your house. You can be sure that if you don't inspect, and a problem comes up later, you'll hear, "Well, you signed for it when it was delivered, so there's nothing we can do."

It's just not true that a company that treats its customers poorly would go out of business. Have you called a bank lately? How about a cable company? There are plenty of companies with perfect BBB ratings and even high praise on Angie's list that I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them.

All that said, you might try just giving them a call upfront. Say, of course you don't expect me to accept delivery without opening the boxes, so how do we want to handle that?

LOL! Jail time for refusing a cabinet order? Credit report dings??? Quite an imagination there.

As a consumer, you are not required to listen to the whingeing and lecturing of your cabinet company about the realities of business today when they screw up an order. You can call them up and say, "Would you prefer your delivery person stand there while we inspect, or do you want two checks so he can leave now?" Because you have the right to refuse delivery entirely, you can tell them to wait for inspection or blow the whole order out their wazoos. If the delivery person whines and complains, require him to stand outside. It's your house. You can be sure that if you don't inspect, and a problem comes up later, you'll hear, "Well, you signed for it when it was delivered, so there's nothing we can do."

It's just not true that a company that treats its customers poorly would go out of business. Have you called a bank lately? How about a cable company? There are plenty of companies with perfect BBB ratings and even high praise on Angie's list that I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them.

All that said, you might try just giving them a call upfront. Say, of course you don't expect me to accept delivery without opening the boxes, so how do we want to handle that?

Thank you dianalo, you seem to understand my dilemma. I too have had bad experiences with so-called reputable companies. I have also seen countless bad companies, some downright shady, with no BBB complaints. (The BBB only shows complaints from the last three years.) Also, my cabinet dealer has really given me reason not to trust them.

I am really sorry to hear about the problems with your renovation and hope it all works out quickly and in your favor. Renovations are stressful enough without adding extra cost and aggravation.

Live-wire-oak, I highly doubt that they will have a need to press criminal charges against me. (At least I hope they don't drive me to do anything that drastic.) Also, the issue is not that I misunderstood the contract or am trying to renegotiate the terms afterwards. I was fully aware of what I signed. My concern is that they may have changed the order after I signed the contract. If that is the case, they would be in breach of contract and I would not be required to pay in full and accept the wrong order. If the cabinets leave my house, it will be because I refused them, not because they decided to take them back for nonpayment. I'm hoping it doesn't get to that point and I think that having two checks can only help to prevent that from happening because I can at least offer them partial payment before refusing the entire order.

Chrisa62401 - Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad it worked out so well for you.

Thank you Marcolo! I remember reading some of the troubles you've had with some contractors in a previous post. Boy, can I relate. Although, now I have a really great contractor. Oh, it took so long to find him though!