“AVOID at all costs.
Purchased a wardrobe on Oakworld in October 2021. Delivery issues, faulty products, awful customer service, refusal for refund.
Firstly, the product (a completely flat packed wardrobe) was delivered without any notification on a completely random day when no one was in.
During the initial assembly of the product, it was found one part was cracked as they have used extremely poor quality materials. I was offered a partial refund or replacement of the part, which I accepted at the time.
After further assembly of the product, further design issues and broken parts were found. Some screw holes were in the wrong position, so parts were slanted when assembled. Nails joining the legs and door of the wardrobe to the body won’t stay in structurally.
I requested a full refund and collection of the item, due to poor design and poor quality materials. Photo evidence of the design issues and material faults were sent to customer service.
Customer service stated that as I had previously accepted a partial refund (£50 in comparison to the full product price of £349) they couldn’t do anything and refused to refund me.
After a LOT of arguing with them to explain these were issues with the materials and design which didn't show up until further assembly of the product, they finally agreed to refund me after collection of the item.
After disassembling the entire faulty product (causing damage to my property), collection was arranged. On collection day, I had rearranged work to accommodate this due to how much stress this order has already caused for months. However, on the day, 20 minutes before scheduled collection, this was cancelled out of nowhere. After more arguing, finally, after FIVE months, this faulty product has been collected and taken away after taking up so much space in my home for so long.
I cannot explain to you how many hours and days of my life I have wasted on this order. Scratched walls and floor boards and minor injuries due to the faulty products. Distress and a lot of disruption for five months… Please please reconsider before ordering from here!”
“I ordered a coffee table for a Christmas present for my daughter, it had been discounted on the website and stated that it was classified as a second as the customer had returned it as the measurements didn't fit their lounge but there was nothing at all wrong with the item.
It was delivered to my address as my Daughter and Husband were spending Christmas with me.
They took the unassembled coffee table home and when they came to unpack it soon realised it was severely damaged and there were also large drilled holes in the sides. They took photographs and sent them to me.
I contacted Oakworld and after a long wait on the phone I eventually got through to someone. They gave me the email address to send the photographs to which I sent immediately. I was then contacted by Katie from Customer services asking me to send a photograph of the original package that the table would be returned in, I did this that day. A week later I had received no instruction as to when the package would be collected so contacted Katie by email. She replied the following day asking me to send a photograph of the package which I had sent direct to her the previous week!
I have sent her numerous emails confirming that the package is to be collected from my Daughters home, who lives 2 hours away from me, and giving her the full address.
I have just received a telephone call from the Couriers confirming that they will be calling at MY address tomorrow to collect the package! They tell me that they cannot take instruction from me regarding the collection address.
I, like everyone else wish that I had looked at the reviews before ordering anything from this company.
Unfortunately there is no option for zero stars. Absolutely terrible company who obviously think its fine to send out severely damaged furniture and make it difficult to return anything!”
“Wish I also had read reviews before ordering. No order confirmation, website promised delivery Dec 2021. Chased order, eventually they tried to deliver in January without notifying and no one was home. Only found this out after contacting them. Rescheduled. Two out of three items ordered arrived, both damaged. Guys unloaded two items and did a runner while my back was turned. No explanation of third item being absent. Had to chase, more time consumed. Now trying to sort out what to do about the two damaged items. Best avoid this comany.”
“APPALLING customer service. DO NOT ORDER from them. There are better companies with better quality products.
I ordered a oak wardrobe and paid £469. There was a delay in notifying me about delivery. I rang them and we confirmed a delivery date. They pointed out it may be a doorstep delivery. I said this was not suitable as I live alone and cannot move an oak wardrobe on my own to upstairs.
I was told to speak to the driver and sort it out with him. The delivery email stated it MAY be a doorstep delivery. When they arrived today the delivery man refused to come in saying they were not allowed.
It turns out all deliveries are doorstep. This should be made implicitly clear to all customers as I am sure there are many people like me.
I had to open up the parcel and struggle upstairs piece by piece and some of it was so heavy it made me feel quite ill.
Having now seen the items I am disappointed by the quality. I have alot of oak items and know good quality when I see it. This is not and many of the wooden joining pegs are broken.
I have paid £469 for an unassembled, questionable quality wardrobe, just dumped in my hallway.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS”
“Avoid!
This company are the worse company I have ever delt with.
The original item was received damaged but their customer service has been terrible.
At best they are incompetent at worse dishonest. I have tried many times to resolve this but, despite promises from John Newton, the head of customer services they have missed another deadline. I have had an email saying it will be another 7-14 days which I do not believe.
Quite shockingly I have been offered money off not to give a bad review (I can give proof of this if anyone needs it)! I will not use any company that is part of Rightworx including Sofa Italia because of this experience and wish that the directors, Kenneth Hall, Paul Smith and Karl Utley would address the customer service issues. I understand that Coronavirus has made things difficult but why take orders when you know you cannot offer the service and support required? This item is now going in our skip as they have had many opportunities to collect it.”
“Dreadful quality, appalling customer service.
Ordered 2 Tiffany style lamps, quite expensive (£640)their email said they would let me know when items despatched so I had an idea about an arrival date. That didn’t happen. One arrived damaged (not suppliers fault) unpacked the second one and the quality was a disaster. The light pedestal on the lamp was assembled backwards, and the lamp access door didn’t close! We looked the damaged lamp and yes, that was assembled back to front as well.
Now the drama to get them returned and money back. What a nightmare, 9 emails over 21/2 weeks and then to cap it all the carrier arrived TWICE to pick up packages.
Don’t order from this company, poor quality products and customer ‘service’ is a total joke.”
“As you can see from many reviews it does not bode well ordering from oak world
I even rang today before I placed my order and waited in a que
I was told by Damion it was in stock and I would receive it in 3-5 working days as stated
Once you’ve paid your monies and your order is confirmed
Then you get an email to say that the following postcodes will have an EXTRA 14 days delivery time
So I read them and half the country is included🙄
I live in Dorset not the highlands or islands of Scotland
Sorry but this is totally unacceptable”
“Thank goodness I came across this site. I was looking to buy a wardrobe and was wary about committing to one as the product pages don't contain any reviews about the actual product. I have been putting off ordering for a couple of weeks because of this and am relieved that I now have made a decision not to buy from people who
are afraid to publish reviews on the actual page that shows the product. Thanks everyone for all your warnings.”
“If i could leave zero stars i would. I received 2 damaged bedside units a month ago. They were advised immediately that they were received damaged. I'm still waiting for them to be collected and refunded. A week ago i asked for the remainder of this order to be cancelled because of the appalling customer service. I'm still waiting for this to be done. The order is worth nearly £1000 and i can't afford to have money tied up like this.
As I'm writing this I'm on the phone trying to get through to a supervisor as every time I've made contact with Oakworld I'm fobbed off with one reason or another why they haven't arranged the collection or refund. And surprise surprise I'm being told i cant speak to anyone - they have to do a call back
Avoid at all costs. Wouldn't use or recommend every again!”
“Oak World and Sofia Italia are part of the same group, Rightworx. We have renamed them Sofa Shitalia. Dreadful experience buying a sofa from them, it broke within 6 months- they tried to say it was wear and tear. We had our own report done that said there are multiple faults with it. Nearly two years and hundreds of emails later they eventually did a repair which we rejected as it was a poor effort and didn't solve some of the issues.
They ought to be prosecuted under the trade descriptions act: it has never been a designer sofa made by craftsmen. 8 days after they eventually took it back we are still waiting for a refund...I suspect there is still more chasing to do!! Buyer beware!!!!”
“Jokeworld it should be called!. Ordered and paid for £600 wardrobe, 1 man left it on pavement for me to struggle and bring in with attitude "it's not that heavy "....it was. Then discovered only half of order delivered. A month later the unlaw abiding company are refusing full refund as must return myself or part refund for other half. Its taken a month and any excuse for not collecting or refund is given. P takers..... be warned”
“We ordered an oak corner tv cabinet. Our item arrived and it’s the incorrect item. The box is battered, damaged and falling apart and the item itself has minor damage.
Upon opening the item there is also paperwork in the box with SOMEBODY ELSES details - name, address, email, telephone number, payment method etc. More than enough to commit identity theft if we were so inclined! A huge GDPR breach - not sure how we can have faith our details are protected. It looks like somebody else’s return that had not been checked over and simply shipped out to us.
We contacted the company to make them aware and request they collect the incorrect item and send out the correct since we needed it as moving into a new property. We were told they don’t know where our item is (hopefully not with somebody else with OUR details in the box!) so have to contact the warehouse who aren’t in?! No idea why they can’t arrange to send another of the same item out since it is still listed on their website.
As such, we have purchased a (better quality) item elsewhere. We requested a full refund and that they collect this item. The collection will have to be at our inconvenience giving they have requested I do not leave it outside I am going to have to take time off to ensure I am here for it to be collected. But they refuse to compensate us for this inconvenience which is a direct result of their negligence.
Absolutely appalling company and service. Do not recommend and I will be contacting the ICO myself due to concerns re my own personal data giving they didn’t know where our item is and we received enough of somebody else’s data to commit fraud.”
“What every you do, do NOT buy from this rip off company. Parents ordered a riser chair to help my disabled mum up and down, wrong order arrived, refunded and told to place order again, we did and wrong chair again! complaints ignored and told to re-order, third time it arrived. The deliver was said to be installation as well, the delivery said "do it yourself" to an elderly disabled couple!!
This company should be ashamed of itself and has no moral or social responsibility within its DNA.
STAY AWAY!!”
“Ordered and paid for a dining table which was promised delivery by 23/12/21. Not arrived even after numerous calls and promises. No emails to confirm delivery as also promised. Needed the table for Christmas and have asked for a refund”
“Purchased two units and spent over £1000 on them. Once arrived both units was damaged. It took a while with customer service but managed to get replaced. When the replacements arrived these went into storage. Due to COVID the project was delayed and we have only managed to use the items. Yet again one you is damaged. As it out of the normal time frame Oakworld are not helping and say we have damaged the item item. The screws that are holding the back on has been put in incorrectly and split the side wood. Clearly a manufacturing issue but they are not taking responsibility. Been told these are quality checked.. mmm really! I have been advised of my rights but yet still not interested. Very poor service as keep sending the same content emails as a response. I have gone legal on this. Please avoid Oakworld due to poor service and item”
“Customer service non-existent
Chairs were spindly & not as solid as they looked on site. Their first delivery didn't take place & took no responsibility for 3rd party courier company who failed to let us know they weren't going to deliver on the day they had confirmed. Oakworld said to write an email for potential goodwill gesture for inconvenience, which i did as was considering purchasing a table so thought i might get a small discount. Then asked to write another email after delivery, which i did. Then said it wasn't really inconvenient, having to have someone come home to receive delivery on a Friday afternoon so not offering anything...wouldn't have minded if that was said before the emails but will never buy anything from them again.”
“Absolutely awful quality. I received a badly damaged item , got it replaced and the replacement was just as badly damaged. It is very poorly made. None of the drawers fit properly. I would not order from this company again.”
“I ordered a garden bench. Shocking customer service. All their emails repeat the same message. I’m still waiting it’s my 4 th week!!!! I requested the contact details for their MD they won’t give me any details. I’ve telephoned emailed but nothing new. It’s a repeat of the other emails they sent me. They’ve taken my money under false pretences. Shocking!!!!!”
