Our first interaction with B&Q Athlone was January 2023, we had just moved into our house which needed renovating, and decided on B&Q for our kitchen and bathroom. Our appointment was with the Asst Showroom Manager for them to design both. All that we were asked to bring were the basic measurements of each room. After being given the quote for the kitchen, and it's installation, we decided to go ahead. The bathroom we bought, but, after seeing the excessive price of its installation, the Asst Showroom Manager who was also in agreement at the excessive installation cost, told us the B&Q kitchen fitter (who is a builder) could do the job off B&Q's books cheaper, and gave us his number, also saying don't say I gave you this under his breath! Also stating the builder could do the other renovation jobs we needed doing. We felt relieved, as where we live it is extremely hard to find experienced and reputable tradespeople, and this one who had been vetted by B&Q, plus the Asst Showroom Manager raved about his workmanship. So we felt secure putting our trust with them, plus later we found the builder had his own business website and fb page with reviews and photographs, so we felt content with this choice of kitchen fitter, so much so that when he came to do the kitchen installation survey (which was a couple of measurements from him only) we agreed he could do other renovation work for us, Inc, taking 2 interior walls down, installation of new boiler, changing open fire to back to back wood burner, plus getting the front and back doors prepared for French doors to be installed... there would also be a small amount of plastering required. The works began before the kitchen installation in April... which was taking walls down, old boiler out of kitchen and installing new boiler outside. The builder would usually arrive around 9.30am and left as early as 2pm, with numerous tea breaks, he was not the tidiest or cleanest of workers, he had also threatened to walk out when I complained about the repeated filling and sanding of areas where walls used to be. (We didn't know these walls should have been skimmed) So we felt very trapped early on, and the stress of it all was thru the roof, constantly feeling we would be left in the lurch, especially since we had the kitchen and bathroom still to start. Once he started the kitchen, (B&Qs vetted fitter!), we knew something was very wrong...cabinet carcasses not put together correctly and they were cut so not stable, backs of carcasses broken, sink drain leaking, draws/hob/extractor not centrally aligned (something I had mentioned more than once to make sure happens, to both Asst Showroom Manager and the fitter) corner cabinet inaccessible, worktops just glued to main wall with sealant, incorrect filler panels, filler panels upside down, incorrect hinges, doors hanging off, no surface was plumb and many other issues. We contacted the Asst Showroom Manager several times, as the design wouldn't fit, we were given new cabinets to try (being made to feel like we should be grateful by getting these cabinets free, blaming the kitchen fitter, and also being disrespectful towards me) the builder taking out the initial cabinets and installing the new ones....whilst blaming the Asst Showroom Manager, but that didn't work either. The builder wasn't then employed by B&Q, stating he wasnt happy with the percentage B&Q took out of the installation cost he would receive. After several back and forth conversations with a new Showroom Manager, who had made suggestions to rectify the situation, but, were too far removed from the design we wanted, sent over a professional carpenter/kitchen fitter.... after an hour with him, he basically said the design/survey/quality of workmanship was extremely bad and he was really shocked, but not surprised, as he'd just had to rip out and replace an entire kitchen this builder had done whilst employed by B&Q. The fitting of our kitchen should never have happened as the builder should have picked up on incorrect design at survey stage. We ditched the builder the next working day... not after us having paid him thousands of euros for the work he had already done. This work we were slowly to find out was mostly all done incorrectly, and now having to pay other contractors to correct his work. B&Q have taken partial responsibility with replacing the kitchen and using the good kitchen fitter, but have taken no responsibility for the works this builder has done on our house. B&Q gave credibility to this cowboy by their vetting process, their Asst Showroom Manager, who we have found out wasn't trained enough to design kitchens and has botched many other peoples projects aswell, and what is really upsetting is B&Q knew about this builders quality of work due to a kitchen he installed, having to be totally ripped out, and replaced, even before ours was installed... if we had known any of this information we wouldn't have employed him full stop. Why didn't anyone at B&Q tell us? The Store Manager who is now leaving the business knew this Asst Showroom Manager was designing kitchens when not fully trained. The Store Manager also stated to us they weren't to know if a kitchen fitter is bad until they start working for them, and the vetting process is done in the UK.... so does that mean B&Q's vetting process is substandard? And they just test new kitchen fitters out on their customers? The new Showroom Manager stated every project the Asst Showroom Manager worked on, there are major issues. Our kitchen had to be redesigned by a fully trained designer, with the oversight of the new Showroom Manager. It was only then the level of incompetency, and lack of product knowledge of the Asst Showroom Manager in the initial design was shown. We live an hour and half drive from B&Q Athlone, and the amount of times we had to drive to the store and back, whether to pick cabinets up, take back incorrectly ordered tiles by B&Q, and complain to get this this kitchen rectified, redesigning of kitchen, meeting management, all to help B&Q with timelines for installation and not have to wait weeks for things to be delivered. I hate to think of how much we have paid in fuel, never mind how much we are out of pocket with rectifying builders work, kitchen installation, and our time given to this situation. The stress this whole situation has caused cant be quantified. The lack of sleep, constant worry and anxiety, a milestone birthday and long planned celebratory holiday all having to be cancelled, flight costs lost. This only scratches the surface, even down to paying the builder to install the kitchen, and other damage the builder has done to our home, we have been told we have to fix. It is now September and the kitchen is finally being installed, thankfully by a professional and friendly kitchen fitter. The initial kitchen which had to be ripped out, now lies outside of our house, and B&Q have informed us, they refuse to take it all away and now we have to get rid of it all at our expense. We are just in shock with their minimal attitude to help or take full responsibility, even when they have verbally said this kitchen will be taken away and not to worry. But, they have made sure the pieces which can be resold have been taken away by the kitchen fitter!! The disrespectful way staff at this store have communicated with us has made us feel like we should be grateful, and also lucky to receive a replacement kitchen, which from our perspective, so we damn should! We want to know how someone who isnt trained correctly, is allowed to design kitchens and bathrooms? Also, how a builder can pass a huge respected retailers vetting process, and us being used by B&Q as guinea pigs to measure his level of workmanship!.. It is just beyond incompetence, its our lives which have been messed with. We got an apology from the Store Manager, stating "im sorry for this S**t show"!! We wish we hadn't walked into B&Q Athlone in January. If anyone is looking for a new kitchen, our advice would be to go somewhere else.!