Kitchen stockpile, price fixing - price increase after expiration?

Hello everyone,
we bought a kitchen with a 2-year price guarantee. Unfortunately, we were only able to place the final order 1 year later.

Now we are supposed to pay almost 3.5% more because the price guarantee has expired. This is not a problem in itself, but we had already made the down payment 3 years ago and the lost interest represents a similar amount.

My idea now would be that we pay the difference between the lost interest and the price increase because the kitchen builder was also able to work with the money for 3 years. The kitchen builder’s argument is "I couldn’t work with the money because I had to cover my ongoing costs." It should be mentioned here that nothing was ordered in advance by the kitchen builder.

The contract says nothing about what should happen after the price guarantee expires. At the moment, I just feel doubly disadvantaged because I could not invest my money for 3 years and still have to bear the price increase alone. We are talking about a total of almost €3,000.

How do you see the situation?

I am very annoyed that we signed the contract so early and also made the down payment, but I can no longer change that. My first impulse was that they can simply keep the kitchen, but I am afraid that the down payment would then be lost and the loss would be more than 4 times higher.

The contract says nothing about what should happen after the price lock expires. Currently, I simply feel doubly disadvantaged because I couldn’t invest my money for 3 years and still have to swallow the price increase alone. We are talking about almost €3,000 in total.

How do you see the matter?

Tough luck. Nothing more. Price lock expired = new price applies. Deposited money without regulation = no claims whatsoever.

Argument from the kitchen builder: "I couldn’t work with the money because I had to cover my ongoing costs."

Rarely heard such a stupid argument. How would he cover his costs without advance payments? Not at all and he would be bankrupt?

we bought a kitchen with a 2-year fixed price. Unfortunately, we could only place the final order 1 year later.

What exactly is the timeline?

I am very annoyed that we signed the contract so early and also made the down payment, but I can't change that anymore

That's how it is.

We're talking about almost €3,000 in total here.

What percentage of down payment are we talking about?
What interest rate? 3%? That makes €90 annually.
I think I wouldn't make a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is your own fault. And that brings me to the first question: why buy a kitchen so early?

What exactly is the timeline?

That's how it is.

What percentage down payment are we talking about?
What interest rate? 3%? That makes €90 annually.
I think I wouldn’t make a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is self-inflicted. And that brings me to the first question: why does one buy a kitchen so early?

What exactly is the timeline?

That's how it is.

What percentage down payment are we talking about?
What interest rate? 3%? That makes €90 annually.
I think I wouldn’t make a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is self-inflicted. And that brings me to the first question: why does one buy a kitchen so early?

What exactly is the timeline?

That's how it is.

What percentage down payment are we talking about?
What interest rate? 3%? That makes €90 annually.
I think I wouldn’t make a fuss about that, especially since a contract with a down payment is self-inflicted. And that brings me to the first question: why does one buy a kitchen so early?

We are talking about almost €15,000 down payment = 40% of the purchase price. That would be over €1,300 interest for the 3 years plus almost €1,600 in additional costs that we are now supposed to pay.

Purchase date 06/09/2022 -> End of price guarantee 06/08/2024 -> Final planning meeting 06/25/2025
No proactive information about increases or how things would proceed beforehand

At that time I was pregnant and simply did not assert my position adequately and did not want to quarrel with the local kitchen fitter because I wouldn’t sign the contract. In the village, people trust too quickly, unfortunately, but that was a lesson for me.

You are lucky that the store did not go bankrupt...

We are talking about a total of almost €3,000.

Oh, the €3,000 refers to the price increase. I thought it was about the down payment.

We are talking about almost €15,000 down payment = 40% of the purchase price. That would be over €1,300 interest over the 3 years plus the almost €1,600 in additional costs that we are now supposed to pay.

Honestly? I wouldn’t have done that! I would have gone to another kitchen seller who doesn’t require 40% down payment.

In the village, unfortunately, people trust too quickly,

No, the building code also applies in the village. It has nothing to do with trust that you owe someone something according to the contract.

At that time I was pregnant and simply didn’t assert my position enough and didn’t want to quarrel with the local kitchen builder because I didn’t sign the contract.

Yes, what can you say? Those are sensitivities. Sensitivities are simply not regulated contractually or legally. From a neutral point of view, one can say: in 2022 there were simply different prices. Meanwhile, prices have risen. You can’t — exaggeratedly speaking — buy a kitchen in 2013 and expect to be able to call it up many years later and still get it at a price that was justified back then but no longer is today. Surely you, or your partner, or whoever, have also received a salary or wage increase during this time. That’s just how it is. Now go to a kitchen store and order this kitchen at today’s price. Then you won’t see the 2022 price, but the one from 2025. Sorry, but I don’t see any extraordinary claim or any reason for an out-of-contract agreement. The kitchen seller must also trust his customer base. Both parties must comply with a contract, including the valued customer.