Has anyone used worktop-express.co.uk? Any good?

[KirstyJC]

I have got a couple of samples of wooden worktops from www.worktop-express.co.uk and I am thinking of buying from them.

Has anyone used them before? Were they good? Is the overall quality of the wood good?

The samples are lovely and the sales service when I ordered them seems excellent, but I haven't heard of them before they came up on google so ideally it would be good to hear from people who have used them before. Thanks.

We had a quote from Worktop Express in late 2012 for the kitchen at our previous house and found them to be less than helpful. We required our order (iroko 40mm) quickly due to the imminent arrival of guests and wanting to show off our new kitchen extension so requested their express service. When we tried to pin them down on timescales this turned out to be anything but express and the sales staff were rude and unaccomodating.

DH suggested that we try a couple of (fairly) local companies instead as he prefers doing business this way

The first of these (a specialist worktop co based in Southampton) was pretty useless as it took them a week to provide a quote, after a harassed sales person scribbled our requirements on a scrap of paper I assume she subsequently mislaid, by which time we'd ordered elsewhere and had taken delivery.

The second (an independent kitchen showroom in Dorset) gave us a quote verbally on the spot and had our worktops - including double butler sink cut out, draining grooves etc - delivered within a couple of days. They were slightly more expensive than WE, but their service was second to none.....and they were only up the road if we'd had any issues (which we didn't)......

Thought I'd give you an update on the latest in the fiasco with WorktopExpress. Thanks for the tips for other suppliers. I'll see what I can find in the Oxford area. I think this is the way I'm going to go?? WE are being incredibly unprofessional so I'm trying to deal with them just with email so there is a written record. They don't seem to be trustworthy over the phone. We left it this morning that they would listen to the recording of the call on Friday to confirm that what I was saying was true (gasp!! so the customer is a liar?? It made me feel valued!). Then they wrote making no mention of having listened to Friday's call and stated they never make AM deliveries which most definitely was not what they told me when I placed and paid for my order when I was assured a Tuesday AM slot first thing. Never mind - I was quite cheered when they wrote to say they would waive additional charges only a couple of hours later to be told in another email from them that they'd changed their mind. Talk about flip-flopping. They are now trying to charge a storage fee. I have pointed out to them it is not a re-delivery fee as I invested considerable time and effort to reach them in the morning so they didn't have a wasted journey, albeit a wasted journey which would have been of their own making. I have written this evening to ask if I can cancel the order and if they will refund in full what I have paid them. I suspect they will try to avoid giving me a refund or at least they'll resist giving me a full refund. I'm not sure what my consumer rights are in this instance. I'll keep you all posted, but if you can avoid Worktop Express, after 2 encounters with them my advice would be to try and do so.

We just got our kitchen fitted out by worktop express. The quality is great, can't complain and the price was good. However they certainly aren't 'express'. Our builder ended up cancelling our bespoke orders for the simple parts of the kitchen and just ordering plain uncut and doing it onsite. The one piece that he had to wait for as it was a more complicated shape took about 5 weeks I think. Builder had recommended them as last time he used them they were cut and done within 5 days. I think maybe they are a victim of their own success. They wouldn't even let us pay extra for the 'express' service as they are so busy.

I'd agree about the quality of the product. I was trying to get some lengths only so there's been no cutting involved. So having told me they do AM deliveries and having gone back on that, then having told me they would waive additional charges and then having gone back on that, their latest tactic is to state they'll give me a refund but then tell me after I've agreed to a refund that they plan to withhold the original delivery charge so the refund now becomes a partial refund. Not the same thing. In fact you've got to wonder because it's very easy money. In misinforming about the delivery even though they never came to the property they ask to take an additional £25 but they gain even more with a cancellation of the order because they plan to take £40. They can't lose with that business model. The joke is on me - why didn't I just let them waste their time. I would at least have had my £25 or £40 worth. I feel like they have robbed me and they will have the use of my money in the meantime.
Really shoddy treatment!

BEWARE Worktop-Express. I have been awaiting to make a kitchen worktop order for weeks until we have the kitchen assembled, to ensure the correct sizes. I have gone on the homepage to click on the selected American Black Walnut worktop and check the stock information and everything seemed to be fine. I have placed an order via Fabrication service Online Tool. I have added the note that I understand the typical lead time is 10 working days, but if there are any schedule changes, I'd be delighted to have the worktop earlier as I can't use the kitchen until I have the worktop. I was contacted by the representative to confirm the plan of the fabrication and again I expressed my need to have the worktop delivered to me asap. The order has been confirmed. The money have gone through. Once I followed up again to find out the expected delivery date, I was told that WTE is out of stock for this wood until some time in early November, moving my expected delivery date from end-Sep to end-Nov (2 months without oven, hob, and sink...). I have kindly requested to have the order cancelled as I cannot afford to be eating out for 2 more months and I will need to seek alternative providers of this product. I was told that the cancellation can go through with £50 penalty for breaking the contract. I feel I was misinformed and misled to believe that I will receive my worktop within timely manner, having paid for it already, and not have to wait over 2 months.

It seems that money is more important to WTE than customer satisfaction and since they can't provide for my needs and I am forced to go elsewhere, they are penalising me for cancelling the contract. This is surely not right and I am deeply disappointed by the outcome of my cancellation that was WTE's fault, not mine.

My recommendation: never pay anyone until you have written confirmation of the products, quality, quantity, and delivery date. If you keep asking the same question with no answer (like me) that means that the company is trying o cover something up trying to finalise the deal they're making then hard to get out of. Very dodgy experience.

I've recently had a very good experience with them but I did only need two 4m worktop lengths and a breakfast bar - all standard stuff. I placed my order online at about 11am on the Thursday and the guys were unloading the worktops into my garage at 7.30am the next morning - I didn't even specify any special delivery, it was just their regular next day delivery. But we are in Bristol and they came from Gloucester and we were first delivery of the day.

The worktops were their cheapest oak butchers' block - they oiled up a treat with Osmo Polyx and now look lovely in place. Very happy with them.

Just wanted to add my experience to this, as some of the recent posts on this thread did nearly put me off after I'd settled on worktop express for our worktops (and having seen many glowing reviews elsewhere online).

We ordered using their online customisation tool, standard oak worktops, 2 weeks ago (Sunday). After a little back and forth with the plans (the tool isn't the most user friendly, even with DP being a software engineer) we approved them middle of last week and they delivered today which was well within the estimated 10 working days for custom worktops.

So I think if ordering the standard oak they're fine, maybe they just keep less stock of the other types.

Disappointing customer care as outlined in blog post.
worktopexpress.blog/

best what did you ask them to do? From the emails the worktop seems to have been installed without having been checked over. They offered to take it away and fix it and you refused.

have used them several times with next day delivery across several houses - all very efficient and as expected, about to order from them again...

This is the worst company we have come across. We ordered worktops for a new kitchen on 13 February 2018 and had delivery promised for 22 February. As of 29 March we are still missing one item. They repeatedly renege on delivery promises and their latest statement is 'expected week commencing 16 April'. Worktop Express refuse to investigate, refuse to let us speak with anyone in management and ignore our e-mails detailing our complaints. Untrustworthy and dishonest traders.

I got full stave oak worktops from here and LOVE them, great quality and the best price I could find. They’re my favourite thing in my kitchen :)