Howdens Reviews

1.8 Rating 200 Reviews
18 %
of reviewers recommend Howdens
1.8
Based on 200 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Courier, Own Driver
Average Delivery Time
Over 7 Days
On-time Delivery
Greater than 40%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders
Greater than 39%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Over A Week
Customer Service
1.5 out of 5

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Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 12th November 2022
Phillip Gollins
Howdens  1 star review on 12th November 2022
Phillip Gollins
21
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
Internal "Linear" Door Quality It's not often I leave reviews, only when they're very good or in this case very bad. It's a long read for which I apologise but please read if you intend to purchase "standard doors" with honeycomb construction. I recently purchased 7 internal pre-primed Linear doors at a discounted cost to me of £800. I chose Howdens as a reputable brand name assured me of being supplied with a product of quality and being fit for purpose. However, I am bitterly disappointed with the product both in terms of the quality of materials used in construction and their total inadequacy in their being fit for the purpose intended. I chose the Linear door range specifically due to it's classy design being perfect for our internal decor scheme and the pre-primed option due to needing to paint the doors in a specific colour that Howdens do not offer. Howdens description of "semi-solid construction, it also has a honeycomb core which re-creates the robust feel of solid timber without the premium price tags". This gave me a misguided assurance to place the order in the first place but in hindsight, the description also creates a somewhat misleading concept regarding the actual product supplied being suitable for the purpose of what a door is intended for. Having looked around at various definitions for the actual purpose of internal doors, the most accurate as far as my expectations go is "Internal doors will go a long way to completing the overall look and feel of your home. Their primary role is functional - they divide up spaces and prevent noise travelling around the house". All of the internal doors lead off from a central entrance hallway. These include bedroom doors for each of our teenage girls, our main bathroom and master bedroom. Four of the doors were professionally hung by a qualified joiner before we noticed how bad they were and stopped. What I was subsequently and completely horrified by is the total and sheer amount of noise transference through each and every one of the doors. Quite frankly our teenage girls are too embarrassed to use the bathroom and even though the bedroom doors create a divide that cannot be seen through, they feel that they have no privacy whatsoever due to sound transferrence, which as a teenager is completely unacceptable. The most important rooms in a house for a teenage girl, their bedroom, to them now feel like public shared spaces. So I wrote to Howdens regarding the issues and build quality. I got the standard wash their hands reply "It is our understanding that the noise level requirements were not discussed with the depot prior to purchasing the doors in question. Had this been mentioned then the depot staff would have suggested you go for developer doors to assist with this. Furthermore, our catalogue states to look for an ‘E’ logo when looking for a sound reducing door to help minimise sound travel and to provide a peaceful and quiet environment." In their corporate defence, I get this to some degree but they did not tackle the issue about the "standard" door being fit for purpose and misleading descriptions. God loves a tryer so I replied. I shopped online, a common practice because of COVID, so didn't have the luxury of looking at a catalogue. I'm not a door expert either. Regardless of "E" logo's and "Developer" doors (there is only one type of this in an old style), one would expect a "standard" door to be fit for the very basic purpose intended and even a basic level door should have some level of resistance to sound passage. Believe me when I say you would not have these doors in your house. You may as well just put up a sheet of paper, that's how bad they are. In addition, the website description of the door construction is misleading, "engineered core" would tend to suggest a decent, robust quality door, plus it makes no reference to the product not being suitable for specific areas such as bedrooms or bathrooms where sound privacy is needed, so why would I think that they are not.??? Neither are there any filter options to assist in this respect, so again why would I not think they are not suitable. Howdens reply and position, surprisingly remains unchanged and I still have doors not fit for purpose and the problem of having to re-purchase. I'm only giving it a 1* as I'm getting a refund for the three doors we refused to fit. An expensive mistake........................
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
I cannot state that 1 star is not even worthy for Howdens's kitchens. Utter rubbish, everything including the worktops. Utter rubbish! They were supposed to give us a like for like quote on Wrens. I wish I now went with Wrens
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
When buy the howdens kitchen from buckingham at that time the manager Elise told us that everything perfect but when the kitchen came its not fit to purpose. We also buy the kitchen appliances from the howdens but within a two month the gas hob getting a problem so we book appointment with engineer so engineer came and fix the issue but he can't fix the gas hob with worktop like before when we ask him about fix with worktop so he said that it's howdens responsibility. So i called the howdens buckingham and the manager Elise said that now it's not our responsibility to fix it and the way she talk it's very very very bad we have 3 years warranty but the problem getting start within a two month and when we told howdens to fix it they said it's not their responsibility so how we trust on howdens kitchen i don't know my problem getting solve or not. I tell everyone that please don't buy the kitchen from howdens buckingham because they didn't take any responsibility.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
When Howdens came out to redesign my 19 year old kitchen the first words out of the designers mouth were “you don’t need a new kitchen this is in such condition” But we went ahead ripped out the old and replaced it with howdens kitchen. If only she’d told me don’t try to clean your new howdens kitchen because the paint will come off even you use mild warm soapy water. Less than 12 months in need a new door for my interested bin as the paint had lifted and now 36 months in looks like I’m going to have to call them first two more replacement doors. Never happened to my 19 year old kitchen lesson learnt should used the local guy in the high street that I used 19 years ago!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Dear Sir/Madam My Howdens account details are as follows; John Robertson (North) Ltd Newton of Letterfourie Drybridge Buckie AB56 5LB ID : 1000101504 We have been a Howdens customer and account holder for many years and our account is held at the Buckie branch, the then Manager Jason Larsen was made aware of a forthcoming contract in London and Jason Larsen advised us that he had set up prices for our company that would be upheld by Howdens branches nationwide! We recently completed a project in London that originally commenced early last year before the pandemic started, we obtained a quotation from the Howdens Erith depot, obviously COVID happened and we had to postpone going back to London in the summer of 2020 to complete the project, we rescheduled to reccomended in October 2021 and again had to cancel due to the pandemic, I then contacted Neil Hunter at Howdens Erith on 6th July 2021 to ask if the materials were still available and to let him know that we would be recommencing the project in August 2021 and I received a response from Neil to say the materials were still available although the price had gone up to £1554.70 excluding vat due to a recent price increase, I confirmed in a telephone call that I was happy to accept this rise in cost although when I spoke to a Michael Jordan at the Howdens Erith branch early in September which was just after we had recommenced in London Michael Jordan advised that the price advised by Neil Hunter was incorrect and that the materials I required had actually more than doubled in price! anyway Michael agreed to do what he could for us and it transpired that we needed to purchase 1 additional door at £110.00 and the invoice we received from Howdens Erith was for £1779.30 plus vat. Also I have been advised very recently by the Howdens Buckie manager that Howdens Erith should have sent my company an email advising us of the forthcoming price increases to give us the opportunity to purchase the materials at the quoted price before the prices went up, please can you explain why we were not contacted about the price increases before they went up? We also had to purchase 1 additional door frame from the Howdens Dartford depot (see attached) as Howdens Erith did not have the frame in stock and again we were overcharged at £101.52 plus vat for this door frame when the cost should have been approx. £70.00 plus vat although Howdens Erith charged us £90.00 plus vat for exactly the same frame purchased the very same week! I sent Neil Hunter emails in October 2021 regarding this matter although to date he has failed to respond! I recently sent Rebecca Lee emails about this matter as well and she advised in an email that she had been unable to speak to Neil Hunter but that she had spoken to the Howdens Dartford branch and that they say they have charged me the correct price for the door frame! I sent Dominic Knight an email about this matter on 14th November although to date he has also failed to respond. There is something very wrong as clearly we are being charged different amounts for exactly the same items by different Howdens branches, please can you explain why we are being charged different prices for the same items by different Howdens branches? Also the Howdens Buckie Manager has now told me that the only price increase for joinery materials so far this year was on June 1st 2021 therefore please can you explain to me why Michael Jordan told me in September 2021 that the Joinery materials I required had more than doubled in price although Neil Hunter advised me in an email received in July 2021 (after the June price increase) that the price has gone up to just £1554.70 plus vat? We have also had numerous other customer service issues over the last 2 years and we have received 3 separate emails from Howdens recently requesting that we post a review on Trust Pilot, we ignored the first 2 emails but after receiving the 3rd email I decided to post an honest review which highlights the unfair way we have been treated and still are being treated by Howdens Joinery! I look forward to hearing from you John Robertson Kind Regards for John Robertson (North) Ltd John Robertson Managing Director Tel: 01542 850462 Mob: 07825 760676 Fax: 01542 850467 Web: www.jrnorth.co.uk
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Kendal Depot Rubbish, I sent an e mail regarding a quotation for a new Kitchen. I received a response via e mail from 2 people which requested the details of my Joiner and also requested me to send a copy of my kitchen plan that I had already advised them that I had. I had to call the depot for them to confirm receipt of my e mail at which point I was advised that I would be called back due to the person dealing with my enquiry being on leave for the day. It is now 8 days later and I've not heard a thing from them. I'll be letting the Joiner who has an account with them know that they've probably just lost him over a thousand pounds worth of business. In my experience - Howdens are full of the talk but just don't deliver.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
No help what so ever, after sales team rubbish. On going problem with a new dishwasher that is not even plugged in but won’t collect and refund, now sending out engineer for an item I don’t want.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Faulty design No aftersales support Staff have no interest is sorting issues
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
I'd give less if I could, they messed up and when I asked for email address to make a complaint the assistant manager said stoke@howdens, that's it she wouldn't give full email until I demanded it and she was complaining at me. I reminded her she had to!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Communication from the Howdens Tunbridge Wells branch is appalling. Making payment took 3 phone calls alone , left messages & was told to call back again by the rep (where is the customer service here?), good thing I needed the kitchen as I would have told them where to get off then. Made 100% payment was not informed all items were not in stock , got a partial delivery , I had to call in to see what was going on & I was told I will get the rest don't worry ..................& how long is that piece of string? Appalling , we are now at the stalemate stage , no answer to e-mails & we are left with a totally disfunctional kitchen. You would have thought a follow up phone call to notify us as to when we can get the installer back might have been the least but NOTHING! We are on Day 3 from delivery , will give it till Friday & ask for collection of their half pregnant kitchen. I refuse to do business with companies that do not deserve our hard earned money.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
The People in HOWDEN - LAKESIDE store are spoiling the brand of HOWDENS : Poor Document Handling : I have been to this store to open a trade account on Saturday 25th Sept. The Gentleman on the store collected all the id documents and completed signed form for account opening. We were subsequently given an appointment for 29th Sept for Kitchen Design. To our surprise when we arrived on 29th Sept for an appointment, we were told account is not yet opened. They struggled to find the documents and requested to complete the documents again. This is an example of how dangerously documents are handled in this store. Poor Customer Service : We completed the account opening form again on 29th Sept and while we were waiting for kitchen design to go ahead, we were told that kitchen design is not possible as account is yet to open. While this was being discussed, the design manager Lou came out and asked whether we had been to any other kitchen store for quotation. Our answer was yes as we visited Benchmarx before coming to howdens. Since benchmarx is going through supply shortage they were not in a position to deliver kitchen within a week and hence suggested us to try howdens for kitchen, even though howdens is their competitor. I am impressed with the transparency and customer service of Benchmarx. To continue with our Howdens story, As per Lou, we must submit the quote provided by other kitchen Or else it WOULD BE A TIME WASTE FOR HOWDENS TO WORK THROUGH DESIGN AND PROVIDE THE QUOTATIONS. I denied to provide any quotations or design that were discussed with other kitchen providers and on back of this Howdens refused to design and provide the quotation to us. THIS STORE HAS SET AN EXAMPLE OF POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I AM SURPRISED HOW MUCH HOWDEN IS AFRAID OF ITS COMPETITORS. SHAME ON HOWEDENS FOR PROVIDING SUCH A POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ANYONE READING THIS : - WHEN LOU ASKS YOU " HAVE YOU BEEN TO OTHER STORE", SAY NO OR ELSE HOWDEN LAKESIDE WILL NOT DESIGN KITCHEN FOR YOU - YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOP AROUND AFTER YOU HAVE DESIGNED YOUR KITCHEN IN HOWDEN LAKESIDE. DO OR DIE YOU HAVE TO BUY - THE ABOVE EXPERIENCE IS BEFORE BUYING THE KITCHEN WHEN IT IS AT A DESIGN STAGE. ALL THE BEST TO PEOPLE BUYING KITCHEN FROM HOWDENS LAKESIDE STORE. I HOPE THIS REVIEWS GIVES AN INDICATION OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN TERMS OF SERVICES. I HOPE THIS REVIEW TO REACH TO RIGHT EARS IN HOWDEN TO SAVE THEIR BRAND IMAGE IN MARKET.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Rude, incompetent, staff. Sold parts not needed or requested and refused to refund. Couldn’t measure room properly and then didn’t take responsibility for mis-sized kitchen.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Do not use!! Awful experience and even worse customer service! We designed and ordered a kitchen through Howdens in Stourbridge - all went well and service up until then was fine. We were told we 'had to have the kitchen delivered on 6th September' due to some of the appliances we'd chosen, no other date was possible. We worked around this and arranged for the fitter and supporting works to be carried out around that date. Since then we have had nothing but problems and we STILL don't have critical parts of the kitchen 5 days later and no answer as to when these will arrive - some of the issues: - Missing tower units for fridge freezer on delivery (critical as the starting point of the kitchen assembly) - Missing worktop (STILL NOT ARRIVED) so the kitchen is unusable - Main unit for utility sent in the wrong size (despite being measured by Howdens prior to delivery) - Incorrect design/measurements meaning we have had to improvise with the fitter to make it fit the room (Howdens accept the mistake but no compensation or alternative offered!) - Designed and delivered with X5 handles not included The store have been next to no help since taking our money and still cannot give us any idea of when we will receive the worktop so the kitchen can be fitted and used - despite telling us it had to come on 6th September. Formal complaint made via customer services and advised I would hear from an Area Manager asap - a phone call received in the afternoon the next day where I went through some of the issues - promised a call back straight away after she'd investigated. I then received a call (from the store, not the area manager) at the very end of the day to say sorry about all the mess 'we've been having problems at head office because of Covid and stuff which is what's caused the problem'! What!? I asked why they are taking orders for parts they do not have in stock and dictating delivery dates to customers who have paid in full, knowing it cannot be achieved. To which the response was I am sorry but that's all I can say we've had problems in head office. I am STILL here waiting for an update on the worktop. Our fitter finishes today and is then booked on jobs for the next 3 weeks so we are without a working kitchen (no oven, hob or tap as these can't be installed without the worktop) so we have no way of preparing food or using the kitchen. This has been an absolute shambles from the minute we paid for the kitchen and Howdens have done nothing whatsoever to try and help us or compensate for the issues this has (and continues to) cause us! Avoid at all costs.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
A pretty dreadful service received by my 80 year old mother in law. The kitchen space was both measured on site and designed by Howdens, but there was a material design error (due to mis-measurement) necessitating a complete kitchen re-design on the day of installation (following de-installation of the old kitchen). All dealings were with Howdens direct, but they use their 'trade only' contracting structure to avoid liability under the Consumer Rights Act. Mother in law now has a kitchen installed (having been left with no option but to agree a complete redesign or spend 1-2 months without a kitchen), but very different to the original design specification and as you would expect she is rather disappointed. Customer services will not accept any responsibility for the error in design (even though this was admitted by the Howdens designer) and is seeking full payment for the kitchen even though not does not meet the specification which took weeks to finalise. Do not recommend.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Rubbish! I will never use this company again. My kitchen design experience was a disaster every step of the way. I gave Howden's so many opportunities to right their slip-ups, but no, they chose mistakes on the kitchen design on the outset, their communication is abysmal not improved by not returning phone calls or passing on information etc. They defaulted not only on expected delivery times but they didn't even send the right items! The cooker extractor hood was damaged and thet took forever to send a replacement. To cap it all they even sent my builder an invoice when I had already paid it in full two months before!! I would give Howdens no star at all, if there was the option!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Expensive and bad experience. They decreased the size of our cupboard, so now our plates just don't fit in. They also built everything so high that I simply cannot reach it. We waited 1 month to get our worktop sorted. For the expensive service that they charge, this is beyond ridiculous! I would never recommend them or use their services again in my life!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
We had a kitchen designed by Rochdale Howdens. Some of the wall units were in accessible unless you leant across the hob. This is obviously very dangerous. I asked for a site visit and when on site the designer told us that the design was impractical but did not breach any regulations. The kitchen room is a parallelogram; and I did question, at the designers one and only visit, whether or not she need to take account of this but she was adamant that this was a fitting issue and not a design one. I raised this concern a few times in telephone calls I had with the designer but it was dismissed. The designer initially came before the room was plastered but couldn't be bothered to return to check her measurements and asked that I send them through. When the above was followed up the designer and her manager (who did not attend the initial visit or the requested site visit) denied having described the kitchen as impractical. The fitter had unpackaged a double oven to fit into the kitchen that Howdens had designed but due to the impracticality if the design this had to be changed for a built under oven. Despite this Howdens refused to reimburse as the oven had been unpackaged but we were advised that it did have a resalable value should we choose to sell it. The service we have received from Howdens Rochdale has been absolutely diabolical. They have refused to discuss the issues with our project manager, were very willing to apportion blame to us or our project manager and have totally refused to refund any of the issues related to their errors. Customer service is diabolical
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
We've just had a Howdens kitchen installed. We wanted a cream kitchen and the Hockley Super Matt Sandstone seemed just right, judging from the photos in the Howdens brochure and on their website. The kitchen is now installed - and it's grey! There is no doubt about it. It isn't just our opinion. Other people have seen it and said it's grey. Occasionally the lighting conditions bring out a dark beige in the colour, but 95% of the time it looks grey, whether under natural light or electric light. It's actually very similar to the Hockley Super Matt Dove Grey. Under no lighting conditions whatsoever does it ever look as pale as it does in Howdens' photos, so how they managed to pull that off I'll never know. The one thing that we didn't want was a grey kitchen, but that's what we've got. I'm considering speaking to a solicitor about it.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
A non starter! Had them come out to plan our kitchen. They promised the earth and told my wife and I how fantastic and big they were. That's the last I saw of them. No follow up, no emails, no telephone contact, in fact nothing. They must have thought we we were on a low budget. Our budget for the kitchen supply was £10K. We have bought from elsewhere thankfully. DO NOT USE HOWDENS, THEY ARE A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!!! Reading the reviews on here, it looks like we have dodged a bullet!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
The person I spoke with Aaron at Ashford South continuously lied to me and then lied to my husband to make it look like I was lying!! He clearly has a problem with lies and needs help. I will never use Howdens due to this horrendous experience. They came out to plan our kitchen 2 months ago and after constantly chasing them they sent the pictures but no price, more chasing still no price so I called today (apparently I didn't!) spoke with Aaron who said if I go ahead with the quote he would sort out a free installation for us for the inconvenience.. we were always going to be doing the work so this came as a bit of a surprise, I then spoke to husband and he mentioned it to Aaron later that day who said that he knew nothing of this and hadn't even spoken to me!! (He had!) I have it on my phone records, I then rang up to speak to him to find out why he has said this as it's made me look like a liar to my husband, and he genuinely said he didn't speak to me on the phone! He clearly has a problem and needs serious help. Appalling customer service.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Howdens is rated 1.8 based on 200 reviews