To ask for your thoughts on Wren

[Florence1960]

I had a couple of negative experiences when I went in just before the first lockdown and later on. Partner thinks their 0% finance is a good idea and encouraged me to go back. This week I organised a phone appointment with someone I had seen before, in the store. I sent him images of my (almost) final design and he put me under immense pressure to make a decision about going with them by putting down a deposit. I’m looking at another company and want to compare like with like as best I can. He gave me a price for the main kitchen and when I asked for a price for the utility room he said he wasn’t prepared to do that until I had made a financial commitment. I’m reluctant to do this until I have looked at the design again and discussed it at home. Am I being an idiot? It’s a lot of money and I don’t want to put down a deposit until I’m sure. Salesman keeps on saying unless I put down a deposit now I won’t be eligible for this that and the other offer...I’m feeling really uncomfortable about the whole thing. I have been talking to another local company and the salesman there is great, I would feel really guilty if I don’t go with them.
What are your thoughts on the situation? I’m feeling very pathetic about it all, I felt a bit bullied this afternoon.

Never used them, but I'd imagine they're overpriced for what they are, did they give you an initial price, then knock thousands off to try and get you to sign?

Google Wren and they have a lot of horrendous reviews, even a dedicated Facebook page for the complaints

High pressure sales. Didn’t care what I wanted just wanted the sake immediately. I liked the product but was put off.

I personally know one person who had a Wren kitchen and both the quality and experience were dreadful. The kitchen started to fall apart In less than a year. They didn’t deliver the correct oven to fit in the units, then after several months delay they said they didn’t have the correct oven, nor would they replace the units with a unit that would fit the oven that they had sent, so friends had to order a separate new units at their own expense. I think they were 6 months with no oven. Just don’t get from Wren.

Have had 2 wren kitchens and I rate the quality for the price and no problems with delivery. Did get own fitters though so saved a lot that way. Couple of years after fitting and no issues.
First time round the sales experience was pleasant. Second time round (new house) it felt more pressured and would make me think twice about using them again.

If they are giving it the hard sell then either the product is substandard or it isn’t worth buying at the price they’re trying to sell it for. Pressuring you to sign now, refusing to give a quote for the utility unless you pay a deposit, talking about ‘discounts’ you’ll only get if you sign now? All red flags.

The companies that sell this way are often nationwide companies that are very pricey when compared to local companies (even with all their ‘discounts’.) They tend to subcontract the actual installation so the fitting service you get is dependent on who they use in your area.

We've just had a new kitchen fitted and we're going to go with Wren as was really impressed with what we saw in the showroom but was totally put off by the pushy sales techniques. It all felt like the double glazing horror stories you hear. Also they didn't offer the full range of services we wanted (flooring/plastering etc) Another thing that put me off was lack of transparency on pricing and the fact that they started with an outrageous price that was magically discounted then discounted again after he'd spoken to his manager- just give a transparent price and don't play games...

In the end we went with Wickes, mainly because of excellent service from the designer (and of course we loved the kitchen). They were really upfront with costs and they did everything we wanted including flirting through your the whole ground floor, changing sockets in the lounge and plastering etc. The only thing they didn't do was painting g but we were happy to get someone else to do that.

The high pressure sales put me off Wren completely.

Definitely look at DIY kitchens too.

Arrggh should have proof read before I posted - the did the flooring through the ground floor. Not flirting obviously 😂. Although they were a handsome bunch😂

What @abcdeisarealname said.

I had a deposit down with Wren for a couple of years. In the meantime, my Aunt had a wren kitchen fitted. It was a nightmare. Decided to cancel as deposit was refundable (!)

Got an almost identical kitchen from IKEA. Wren £13.5k. Ikea £5.5k.

Play the haggling game OP. See how far you can bring them down. Come up with a ridiculously low figure and the stick to it. They will probably still make money on it.

Just google them. They're known for being the worst by a mile. Which rated as 'dont buy'

Go to an independent kitchen company .

Have heard good things about Ikea kitchens

I have an IKEA kitchen. Had it fitted 18 years ago.

It is solid wood and I had a full respray of it before Christmas. It's now grey and looks fab.

I am impressed that it is still going strong after all this time. The respray was purely due to wanting a different colour.

The original kitchen cost me £1k. Fitting was £250.

The respray 18 years later cost me £650.

I think that's excellent value.

Use the ‘search’ facility on here to find out exactly how Wren operate.

My builder BIL does shedloads of property renovations and he says Wren kitchens are shite and overpriced.

He always uses Howdens for units, but lately has taken to getting his worktops from B&Q. He says their worktops are very good for the money.

Try diy-kitchens.com/

My mum has just had one fitted. Excellent quality and 1/3 howdens price.

Can't comment on their actual kitchens but got pressurised into making a deposit a few years ago. Had second thoughts and cancelled. Took ages to get a refund. Got a similar kitchen from B&Q fully fitted with extra appliances for the same price Wren quoted just for units. Have also previously had a kitchen from IKEA which was excellent.
They've always got offers on though so don't feel you have to make a decision when they say.

Thanks very much, I'm feeling very uncomfortable about it all. I have been dealing with another company as well and he was insisting that they are the only company that make this particular kitchen ( a bit unusual), I won't get the quality anywhere else, he reeled off all the appliances he'd put in and what they would cost at AO, the saving I was getting here there and everywhere.,,
I could buy it and get it fitted, that's not a problem, but to refuse to continue unless I put a deposit down, I think was awful.

@Abcdeisarealname

Try diy-kitchens.com/

My mum has just had one fitted. Excellent quality and 1/3 howdens price.

Funnily enough @Abcdeisarealname, I showed him their website and he reckons they are dearer than Howdens when you factor in trade prices and the discount he gets because he buys so much from them.

And he needs to use local suppliers, in case there's ever a problem with the stuff.

He did 18 kitchens for customers last year, plus 2 at his own house!

A friend had one installed and she had awful problems. She may have just been unlucky with the fitters but they tried to palm her off and she had to fight to get a proper finish.

Luckily she's in the construction industry so they couldn't bull her but it was a real uphill struggle.

They pressurise your to pay a deposit ASAP based on a 'sale price' imminently ending.

They have a nice range of styles and are reasonable quality, but their prices are not particularly cheap.

Payment plans help.

They take some weeks to find and on four instances I know of, something was always missing it wrong and then this took more weeks to come.

People tended to sod bf a lot of time on the phone with them.

I thought the kitchens nice, price not great but mitigated by payment plan, wait time and accuracy stressful.

I wouldn't go with them because of the high pressure sale alone.

Try British Standard.

Another vote for Howdens. They give a big trade discount so don't buy from them yourself. We got an independent fitter to quote for installation and then got him to order the kitchen from Howdens and we paid the bill.

My friend has under wren and when I was looking for a kitchen she told me not to touch them with a barge pole. Poor quality and crap customer service