Hillary's Blinds - Impossible to Deal With

[SallyRA]

My experience of Hillary's Blind was awful. Looks like I'm not on my own BBC Watchdog: Hillarys - do they measure up? | Consumer Forum (whatconsumer.co.uk) Anyone else have a terrible experience?

No but I've had two great experiences.

I've got two sets of bifolds and they are taller than standard ones. I had two different companies out and they didn't seem to know what to do,with these enormous doors. When the Hilary's guy came he was great and very knowledgeable. We ended up getting the blinds from him then they year after got him back for some 'perfect fit' blinds.

I used them last year and regret it. They were twice as expensive as the local family run business that recently installed another (nicer) set of blinds for me.

I had to wait 5 months after they measured up for the installation. When I called to confirm a few days before the fitter said “the blinds haven’t been left in my lock up, I don’t know where they are so no idea when I can do the fitting”. Very shoddy customer service.

I've had no problems with them. I got shutters for a bay window and the price was much better than the other quote. I was worried they would be pushy like double glazing but she wasn't at all.

We’ve used them a few times and been very satisfied. Did have an awful experience with a much advertised fitted wardrobe company. We told the rep we wouldn’t be making a decision that night and wanted a quote, he stayed for 3 hours drawing away at our kitchen table. The special price he offered if we signed that night was reduced a few weeks later - the hard sell completely put us off.

Got blinds from them last year and they cost an absolute fortune. I am in Ireland. Sales guy Simon was really nice initially.
These are roman blinds I got fitted so very expensive.
I ordered snow white from the brochure and the sample book he gave me. Waited ages for them to be fitted after paying 50% deposit. They were fitted in winter in the evening time so it was dark and I was working from home so wasn't really watching them being fitted.
The next day I ntoiced they were a rich cream and nowhere near the colour I ordered

. This is when Simon turned in to an absolute monster. Texted me and told me to stop annoying him by ringing his phone. I reported him but they never ever followed up with me and never changed them. Kept saying that was the colour I picked. I know for def it was not the colour I picked becase I absoutely hate anything cream or beige or brown. My whole house is mainly white, my new sash windows were white. Like why would I pick cream?
Anyway I gave up the fight after about 12 emails and phonecalls and I am stuck with the rich cream ones. Too expenise to replace :( so we are stuck with them.

Our fitter was okay but pushed one set of blinds over another because he hadn't done them. Definitely far more expensive than using other places. We couldn't use blinds 2 go unfortunately as it would have been half the price to do it ourselves. The blinds we wanted couldn't be ordered in the narrow measurement we needed.

I have found them good in the past, tbh. But the prices are over inflated, so we don’t order blinds from them now.

I contacted Hillary Blinds in March 2020 about one of the 8 electric blinds I had fitted. Someone came and we were told that the problem would be rectified.

As we all know, Covid happened. I forgot about the problem: the world had more pressing matters to ponder. My son had different blinds fitted to cover the Hillarys' blinds - we didn't want to compound the problem.

I had to contact Hillarys about a different problem (a missing cap from one of the blinds) and spoke to them about the initial blind problem in my son's room.

I was told that although they have a record that I reported the fault and that I was visited, they do not have any note from the person who visited (how convenient) and although the problem was reported within the guarantee period, the blinds are now out of warranty. How is that right?

I advised customer service that I was not reporting a new fault, it was the one I recorded in 2020. I was told they couldn't do anything about it.

Don’t touch Hilarys. I asked for shear blinds that I could see through and got thick white blinds. One was measured wrong and didn’t fit. They scratched my wall, left all their packaging behind, hung curtains the wrong way round and at the wrong level. When I complained they just said they’d fitted what I ordered and refused to give any compensation and refused to address the points I made about the poor workmanship or damage to my property. Awful experience. Am stuck paying full price for blinds I don’t want.

What are peoples experiences with Thomas Sanderson?

Hillarys blinds have treated me disgracefully! They made my very expensive patterned roman blinds up in reverse to what I was expecting! Telling me now the sample label was on the front!! All the other samples had labels on the back!! As labels should be.They claim the difference is insignificant, no re- doing, no compensationat all! It is NOT insignificant! AVOID HILLARYS, NO wonder they've been on watchdog! Ombudsman charge so there seems nothing I can do!

Never again! We chose Hillary's because they were supposed to be the best. We ordered curtains, a rail and finials for bifold doors plus a couple of venetian blinds, totalling around £1500, for our brand new house.
When the fitter arrived I left him to get on with the job, assuming that, as he does this every day, he knew what he was doing.
Half an hour later the electricity went. He had drilled through a power cable. The only way you can do that is if you've failed to use a stud finder to locate cables and pipes.
His argument took several forms:

1. He hadn't drilled through it because all electrical cables run under the floor, not higher up. This is a new build house and, like all new builds, on the ground floor cables run directly upwards from power sockets.
2. Then he insisted that he had used a stud finder prior to drilling. Clearly he hadn't.
3. Then he ran a stud finder along the wall above the doors and proudly announced there was no cable there because the light was green. No, it's green because there is now no electricity in the house.

The building site manager spoke to Hillary's and explained what had happened. And they could hardly dispute the evidence offered by a building site manager for one of the largest building companies in the UK. We had to call in an emergency electrician. I then had to watch as a large hole was cut out of my brand new, freshly decorated wall to enable the repair of the cable. It was then plastered over and the electrician returned the next day to sand down and re-paint. I paid his invoice and sent it to Hillary's. Fortunately, I had refused to pay the total cost upfront. Hillary's offset the invoice against the outstanding balance. They refused any compensation, eventually grudgingly agreeing to a measly 5% of the total. They sent an invoice, four days later they sent another email and just one working day later they phoned asking for payment. And the person calling was quite aggressive. And, after all that, the curtains are not very well made, they don't look that great. And they're definitely not as nice as some John Lewis curtains I had made for my previous home. And here comes the finale..... I mentioned this to a neighbour and she said that Hillary's did exactly the same in their previous house. A truly extraordinary level of incompetence coupled with a complete lack of customer service.

I had new vertical blinds fitted in February. Firstly one track was measured to short so the blinds weren't running the length of the window. The fitter tried to hide it by pulling my curtains enough to hide it. All 3 blinds would not open or close properly. They all had big gaps between the louvers. The same fitter came back and changed the track that was to small but the blinds still wouldn't open and close properly and the gaps were still there. They sent him back a 3rd time to change the track on one blind. They were seriously awful. Worse than the other times he'd been here. He actually threw his arms up an said ' I just don't know ' and promptly left. I contacted hillarys again and they sent someone else out who again changed the track on one of the blinds. Closing them that night was dreadful. Only half of the larger blind would close. I couldn't reopen them properly even. I contacted hillarys again, they said I'd have to wait until the middle of August. The blinds got worse. So again I rang them. They will be sending yet another fitter at the end of this month. I was advised by a customer service representative to ' for privacy and security sake I should put a blanket on my window'. Being told that actually made me start crying on the phone. I haven't had these blinds for 6 months yet, but in that time I've had to have fitters out FIVE times. I just do not know what to do. What will happen when my guarantee ends . I will always be afraid to close or open them. £760 just to be told to put a blanket on my windows. I'm angry and upset because of all this

I would avoid and wish I had too. Awful experience. Five months ago I placed my order and still don't have my curtains. Awful experience for such an expensive place. My advisor fit my curtains and noticed they were faulty and I'll fitting, not once, not twice but three times. Unfortunately the ones I currently have hanging embarragly in my house are the worst of the three failed attempts. Customer service are a disaster and are currently disputing any fault despite their advisor raising it to me! Awful experience and still unresolved after all the money I've spent. I would avoid using Hilary's. They accept more orders than they can cater for which is clearly resulting in poor quality curtains at extortionate prices.

Can i please add a blinds company to steer clear of , they are called Appeal blinds and shading . I bought a flat that unfortunately have motorised blinds in the skylights . I had to pay for them and they were VERY expensive and not soon after i moved in they went wrong . The company refused to transfer the warranty to me but can not prove it is non transferable , they just don't want to help. The customer service is the worst and rudest i have ever experienced and they are accusing me of breaking the blinds ! They have removed one of the blinds , dumped it on my bedroom floor [ it is massive and in the way ] and unless i pay them loads of money they will not fix it . Please avoid this company at all costs.

I had a similar terrible experience with Hilarys. Steer clear in my opinion. It is not as advertised.

Thomson Sanderson are same company as Hilary's.
I realise this is an old thread but just wanted to clarify.

I had a bad experience with Hilary's decades ago. They tried to leave me with blinds 4 inches too short. The quality isn't good for the price.
I have recently done some refurb and found a local company and asked for references. Cheaper and very professional.
Same with a local carpenter and fitted wardrobes. A local firm will usually be happy to ask previous customers to let you see their work.

For curtains and covers I had a very good experience with Plumbs. From the initial visit from the rep through to pick up and return of furniture, they were very helpful and did an excellent job. I had a suite reupholstered I am really pleased with it.

I have recently purchased a roman blind from Hillary