I was saving money for all summer to buy furniture from Oak Furniture Land. VERY POOR QUALITY!

Our experience in the Hull store in June 2019 was excellent. Melvyn Hammond really looked after us, offering us a choice of hot drinks, and helping us navigate around the store as my wife suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. We found all of the staff to be polite, friendly and knowledgeable. The actual sales process with Melvyn was easy and stress free, and we give the Hull store a maximum 5-star rating. However, we would have to rate the after-sales service as truly appalling.

The delivery came on time. The men who brought our new dresser were polite and friendly. The dresser came in 2 parts, packed in very large JB Global boxes. I had to unpack the furniture myself. The driver suggested that I open the base of the box and then tip the box base down so that I could lift the box off, as the delivery staff didn't unpack items. They left and I began with the dresser unit. I'm pretty fit and strong, but I have to say it's a tricky, awkward job that requires some strength.

Once the dresser was unpacked, I discovered that its left hand door would not close. On examination it appeared that the magnetic catches were faulty and the door appeared to be warped.

I telephoned the Hull store and spoke to Gavin. He was very apologetic about the faulty door, but he couldn't do anything about it at that time as the store's computer system was down. Gavin gave me the number of the Oak Furnitureland service centre, *******254 and told me that they would arrange for a replacement.

I rang the service centre. After a 10 minute wait I finally managed to speak with a member of staff. I explained the problem. The man I spoke to told me that in order to have the faulty product collected and replaced I would have to take pictures of the fault and also of the labels attached to each unit of furniture. I told him that meant I would have to unpack the sideboard and then repack it, but he insisted that that was what I had to do.

During the call the man told me the label in question would be stuck to the back of the dresser. I checked and there was no label. Following his instructions, I checked inside the drawers, underneath the drawers and in the cupboards. I even lifted the unit up and checked underneath, but found no label. In doing so I found a 1 inch brass screw rolling around loose inside the left hand dresser cupboard. Thankfully it hadn't caused any damage.

The man I was dealing with came across as uninterested and, frankly, not very bright. He said all he could do was to email me a link to arrange the return online. I was by this time extremely angry, and I informed him that I was legally trained, and that if the matter wasn't dealt with quickly, I would be taking legal action. I also explained to him that as my wife has multiple sclerosis, having all the packing materials strewn around the floor was a very serious trip hazard for her. He told me there was nothing further he could do and the call ended.

I checked my inbox and located the email. It was no help at all. The link supplied me with a one-time password that didn't work. I tried to register and found I already had an account, which I then recalled Melvyn had very kindly set up with me in-store. I clicked on the Forgotten Password link but that didn't work either. I would add that I have over 30 years of in-depth IT experience.

I decided to unpack the sideboard and try to locate a label on it, but yet again I couldn't find it. I rang the service centre a second time. After another long wait I spoke to a woman. She informed me that I would need photograph the fault on the dresser and the labels on the outside of the boxes. I said I would do that.

I explained to the woman that I would need a Saturday delivery. I informed her that I had taken a day's leave to receive the delivery and that I now only had 2 further days of leave until November. Looking after my wife, who suffers with multiple sclerosis, meant I could not afford to take another day of leave. The woman was as unsympathetic as the first person I spoke to at the service centre. She informed me Oak Furnitureland do not make Saturday deliveries and that I would have to arrange a week day delivery. She then said "Have a nice day". I was astonished. I asked her if it sounded like I was having a nice day, and told her that her comment was unbelievably stupid in the circumstances. I ended the call.

Once I calmed down, I decided to check the faulty dresser door again, this time with a powerful torch. After 10 minutes of careful examination, and by comparing the faulty door with the one that closed properly, I discovered that the shelf in the dresser cupboard was misaligned by approximately 1.5 millimetres. That was the reason the door wouldn't close.

I checked the brackets holding the shelf in place and discovered that they were adjustable. I carefully unscrewed the brackets so I could adjust the shelf and align it correctly. The door then closed properly. I tightened up the screws and was able to mount the top of the dresser on the base and complete assembly.

Our experience of the after-sales service of Oak Furnitureland is that it is truly dreadful.

It is inexcusable that the dresser was sent out in that condition, and with a loose screw rattling around in side it. Your quality assurance process is clearly inadequate. The team that packed the dresser cannot have failed to notice that the door kept swinging open, and they must have deliberately packed it knowing it was defective.

The Oak Furnitureland service centre was laughable. Both people I talked with were uninterested and unhelpful. Your returns process is flawed and of poor quality. The packing around the furniture was very good, but it appeared to have been done with the aid of an industrial packing machine. The packaging was so complex that it would have been virtually impossible for me to repack the items in the same way, particularly as my wife is physically unable to assist me.

I telephoned Melvyn at around 11:15 am on the delivery day and explained what had happened and that I had, eventually, managed to do what the quality assurance checker at the factory should have done, and repaired the fault. I also told him about our experience with the service centre. I thanked Melvyn for the excellent service we had received in the store, but I explained that the dreadful after-sales service we experienced meant we wouldn't be buying anymore furniture from Oak Furnitureland or recommending them to friends and family. It was a shame to have to tell Melvyn that and he was clearly unhappy for us and what had happened. It's a shame that Oak Furnitureland employs such good quality staff in the shops but then backs them up with such a sub-standard after-sales service.

I did eventually find the labels on the furniture. I had to use a torch, put my head inside the cupboard of each piece of furniture, twist around and look at the inside corner of the roof of the compartment. The labels were so well hidden that I only discovered them when I gave the furniture a thorough waxing. It seems incredible to me that the service centre staff would not know where the labels are located.

From the perspective of my wife's condition it also seems to me that Oak Furnitureland may not be satisfying the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 for some of its customers.

Providers of goods, facilities and services must not treat you less favourably than they would treat a person who is not disabled. Service providers must make 'reasonable adjustments' to allow a disabled person to use their services. If they don't do this, they must be able to show that their failure to do so is reasonable.

We fail to see how someone like my wife, or an elderly person, would be able to deal with a delivery from Oak Furnitureland if they live on their own.

I wrote to the Chairman, CEO and COO of Oak Furnitureland. All I received back was a call from a fairly inept complaints department operative who admitted that the customer supprt team had totally mis-informed me. I should not have had to repack the furntiure and they should have just arranged a pick-up and redelivery. We have not had any sort of written apology from the firm as of end of July 2019, and the Board really don't seem to give a toss. I have several work colleagues who have also experienced similar problems with Oak Furnitureland.

Our advice? DON'T USE OAK FURNITURELAND! THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE ONCE THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY AND THE BOARD IS ARROGANT AND DISINTERESTED!

Regards,

Peter Jones.

Letter sent to Oak furniture land - 19th January

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to you today to complain about the service that I have encountered during this disastrous experience.

I recently visited the shop in Norwich and I was appalled when the shop assistants were reluctant to serve me as I was only buying one item to the value of £119.00. In September, I had bought items to the value of £1817. 97, and was served by Darren - Darren was very helpful on that occasion, but unfortunately he was busy with another customer. I was informed that Darren would get the commission for the single item, and i'm guessing that was why I was being avoided by the other staff.
When the sales assistant took my order, he ordered the wrong item, instead of a lamp table of £119.00 he ordered the bedside table to the value of £129.00. I didn't notice the error until the item was delivered on the following Friday.
The drivers contacted me (Jane) as agreed and I arranged for my husband to go home and take delivery. - quick turnaround, as he had to get back to work
I arrived home, unpacked the item to find that the wrong item had been ordered/delivered. This explained why I was charged £10.00 more than what I had expected.
I phoned customer services, informed you of the error and an amendment was made and an arrangement to collect the item on 18. 01. 19, and deliver the correct item at the same time. I was informed that my account would be credited within 3 days, 8 days later, I haven't had it! Confirmed that the driver would ring me on the 18. 01. 19 as both me and my husband work full time.
Day of the delivery. I took the afternoon off and waited at home from 2pm (as my designated slot time suggested) No phone call.
My husband arrived home at 1710 and was surprised to see no delivery/pick up of the wrong item. He checked his phone and had 2 missed call at 1445 - one from a mobile and the other from your number.
I contacted customer services and was told that the drivers tried to contact my husband and that was the number you had on your system.

The problem I have here is that on the first delivery date, you phoned me as requested - great. The 2nd time you attempted delivery you phoned the wrong number!. I sat at home all afternoon waiting. And when I contacted you, you said that the driver had phoned the number that was on the system. My number was on the system, as the drivers had called me the week before! My number is *********37.

2 calls to my husband, one from the driver and one from your number - so the driver didn't call me and neither did customer services. Why?

I was then told by customer services, if I wasn't at home when you tried to deliver next time, I would be charged! This I am absolutely furious about. I was at home on 18. 01. 19, and your incompetent drivers and your customer service department didn't ring me as requested.

This item has cost me a lot of money - initial outlay and the cost of my time. I was thinking about purchasing all my bedroom furniture from you, but this experience has really left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I would like some compensation from you as this has clearly distressed me and my husband. I would also like a refund of the money you owe me please.

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25th January 2019
Dear Sir/Madam,

I did receive a reply to ask me to contact customer service once I had received my order on 25. 01. 19.

I contacted customer service as requested and they said as a good will gesture they would give me a gift voucher of £30.00. I have now escalated my complaint to you as I understand that customer services did not forward it on to you.

I am unhappy with the good will gesture, as my email states, I did not have a great experience in fact this is the 2nd bad experience I have had with your company - the first time in April 2015 when I had issues with delivery and was charged £35.00 for the privilege. Please do check your records, my name then was ******* and my address postcode was *******. As I have already said this recent experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth, so I am unlikely to visit Oak Furniture in a hurry to spend my £30.00!

To take delivery today, I have had to take this afternoon off, again another half a day holiday - that is 1 day's annual leave out of my precious 20 days. When I spoke to Customer Services last week, I asked for delivery after 1545 as I couldn't take time off, but on Wednesday I received an email to say you would deliver between 12 - 3. Really disappointed that I was ignored again. Today, I received a call at 10.18 from the delivery drivers as they were running early and wanted to deliver. Unfortunately I couldn't get away from work as I was in a meeting. I arrived home at 12 noon and they were waiting for me.

When I phoned customer service, I was put on hold for quite some time before the assistant offered a good will gesture. It was very difficult to concentrate on our conversation, as there seemed to be many people in her office taking calls that were a distraction as they were so loud.

I have calculated how much this has cost me and would be happy to receive a good will gesture of £**** (I have not included tax or national insurance contributions) this is my daily wage and therefore I feel it only fair, that Oak Furniture land refunds me in time that I have wasted. (if the correct item was delivered on the 11th, I wouldn't of had to take 2 half days off of work)

I look forward to receiving a payment directly to my account in which I paid for my lamp table.

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3rd February
Hi, it has been over 7 days and I have not had any type of response from you. This is not good service, I should of had an acknowledgement of my complaint at least.

I look forward to hearing from you in a timely manner.

Otherwise I will be putting my complaint on a review website.

Today is 9th February and I still haven't had a response.

Today's incompetence and rubbish customer service award is won, by a country mile, by Oak Furniture Land and Homeserve Furniture Repairs. Not only have you managed to deliver furniture that was in mouldy boxes, had rusty screws and swollen panels, I really thought I had purchased a new product You have sent someone to repair them and only given them permission to work on one product meaning I now have to wait in again tomorrow for you to send someone else out. To make matters even more impressive when I phoned you, you told me that the technician had only been allocated 1 hour to do our work and despite him only being there five minutes you refused to allow him to look at the other furniture, 10/10 Homeserve Furniture Repairs for pure idiocy that now takes more time out of my day and also for trying to pretend you provide excellent service when you called me to book the second appointment by telling me the job only came in at 13:25, problem of course being I was on the phone to you both at this time and you refused to let the technician do the work! Oak Furniture Land where do I start! Perhaps you should not try and sell products that have a quality control mark from October 16, or products that are in mouldy packaging, or products that are rusty and not fit for purpose. Perhaps you could employ more and better customer service staff so that I don't have to spend more than a cumulative 1.5 hrs listening to your hold music in an effort to talk to someone. Perhaps you could even let me talk to the supervisor that is standing next to your script reader from the help desk rather than telling me I need to wait 24 - 48 hrs for them to call me back. Although I didn't want compensation from you I was ultimately amazed that after telling me it was your fault for not booking the work correctly and I would need to be at home from work for another day that you told me you would not offer anything, a small token gesture would have gone miles. Moral of today's story kiddies, if you want rubbish products that need repair as soon as they arrive, disgraceful customer service delivered by incompetent buffoons then spend your hard earned cash with Oak Furniture Land and Homeserve Furniture Repairs save yourself the trouble and shop somewhere else! #oakfurnitureland #homeservefurniturerepairs #rubbishquality #poorcustomerservice #secondhandproducts #avoidoakfurnitureland