A Dunmow mother-of-two is outraged with B&Q after paint that was sealed in-store spilled in her car’s boot causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Laura Trevillian, 37, of Spruce Avenue, says the DIY giant are refusing to accept liability for the spillage as the incident occurred in transit after she had left the store.
Mrs Trevillian visited the Chelmsford branch of the DIY store on Saturday morning (March 5), with her husband, to buy five litres of Valspar matt emulsion paint to decorate her hallway.
The paint was mixed and sealed in a plastic container by staff before Mrs Trevillian placed the off white emulsion into the boot of her six-month old Peugeot 2008 Crossover, which was bought four weeks ago.
Mrs Trevillian said she wedged the paint into the corner of the boot with her three-year-old daughter’s pram, and when she arrived home, the whole contents of the tub had spilled on to the back of the vehicle.
Mrs Trevillian said: “It’s a nightmare. It’s not just the damage to the vehicle but clothes, shoes, my driveway, my daughter’s buggy, and many other items were spoiled.
“The paint was not sealed correctly, other DIY stores secure the lid with clips or tape but the plastic tub was of poor quality and not fit for purpose.
“B&Q has been negligent as it was their staff who opened the paint and mixed and sealed it. So they are responsible for the damage to my car and everything else.”
“I’m in the process of going through my insurance, but that means I’ll lose my no claims bonus and have to pay excess charges.
“The attitude of the company has been disgraceful, I have spoken to the duty manager at Chelmsford and someone at head office, but they were both very unsympathetic about it all and more concerned with denying any responsibility.”
In a reponse to an email sent by Mrs Trevillian on March 5, B&Q stated that they cannot accept liability for paint spillages during transit once paint has left the store as they have no control over its handling.
Mrs Trevillian has since been contacted by B&Q to say the company’s insurers are looking into the situation, but are still not accepting liability at this stage.
A spokesperson for B&Q said: “Our team has been in contact with Mrs Trevillian and we are in the process of responding to her complaint.”
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