Buying a kitchen....some things you really need to know!!

If you are planning on buying a kitchen in the Netherlands you need to be aware of the hard sell tactics adopted by some of the franchised kitchen dealers. Hard sell, you might think, nothing wrong with that! And indeed, I agree, unless you are unaware of what you are actually getting into.

As a foreigner living in the Netherlands, most of you probably rely on the honesty and helpfulness of the Dutch. And most Dutch people are honest and will fall over backwards helping you out. But NOT in the world of franchised kitchen selling!!

Beware! Getting a simple quote can be almost impossible. Many sales people press you to fill in a form and add your signature. Do not do this unless you absolutely intend to buy your kitchen through this shop! If you do sign and later change your mind, you will be asked to pay 30% of the cost of the kitchen. And yes my friends, it's legal! They are entitled to charge this to the consumer, even if they haven't been to your house to measure up! I even heard one story where there was no cooling off period, and therefore no exit whatsoever.

The problem, as I see it, is if you sign this form knowing exactly what it entails (it is called a "koopovereenkomst") then fair enough. If you know all the ins and outs up-front then it's tough, pay up or take the kitchen on offer. However, foreigners are easy targets for unethical sales people. And some of these guys will tell you anything to get you to sign their forms.

• They use discounted marketing tactics offering free installation that expires shortly, possibly even that day.

• They may tell you that you are under no obligation.

• They may even tell you that no, you are not ordering anything, merely securing their special offer.

But once they have your signature, you remain in their database. They then start sending letters and calling you every few months asking you if you want to cancel an order which you may or may not know about. As soon as you do that they will send you an account stating that you are liable for 30% (it varies from company to company) of the cost of a quoted kitchen. This is most likely to happen after 2 years, as this is generally the length of time the document agreement is valid for. So after these 2 years have lapsed they adopt a harder line about your "order".

What is even more shocking is that when you do inform the sales person out of courtesy to them, that you have chosen another supplier, they might not even tell you that you have signed a binding document and are liable for that cost!

There are many stories on the internet, and each situation is unique. The Dutch fall into this trap too. But I feel it's you guys who need to be warned about this. Foreigners are easy targets for unscrupulous sales people. It leaves me wondering why such a dubious business practice is tolerated in a country as educated and enlightened in consumerism as the Netherlands. It surely affects the entire industry.

For the record, I'm writing from my own experience plus information gathered from web forums, and other personal accounts. I can't speak for every kitchen franchise. I am sure there are many franchised shops out there with plenty of satisfied customers. However I can and do recommend the small family-owned type kitchen shop over a franchise any day.

Good luck if you plan to buy a new kitchen.

Audrey