Usually brilliant…..until you have a problem and then the true colours are revealed
I’ve used WFD for many years however and have previously had good experience however that was all based on happy path journeys.
I contacted them this week to firstly ask for a price match based on the fact you clearly advertise “NEVER beaten on price” to then be told you don’t match prices when another company has the product on offer. So your misleading promise of NEVER beaten on price is actually a lie. I will say the lady I spoke to was polite and professional however when I explained I’m going to buy the product at the cheapest place I can get it she replied to say yes I understand we hear that a lot. So you have lost out on a sale there, well done, great policy. And please don’t bother replying to say it’s hidden away in your terms and conditions, I’m not interested, you are making misleading claims on your website, end of!
Secondly I emailed to raise a concern about the performance of an Osmo decking oil product which has started to come off a newly laid deck surface after only 9 months and one winter and very little foot traffic. I explained how I prepared the decking, made sure it was spotlessly clean and left it 6 weeks to weather as per the guidance on the website. I advised I applied three thin coats allowing at least 10-12 hours to dry as per the instructions. I tried to do this via your contact us form which doesn’t work so had to google an email address.
I received what I can only describe as the poorest attempt at a fob off from from a customer service representative whom apparently I’m not allowed to name and shame in person who urgently needs some training in customer service where she baselessly accused me of failing to prepare my decking surface correctly for which she has absolutely no evidence to make such a claim. She then went on to allege that it was my fault for applying three coats of the product as the decking will be saturated with the product and this will cause it to peel and crack - I didn’t say it had peeled or cracked I said the surface coating had broken down. In her poor email she said and I quote “timber can only absorb two coats of any product” - what utter nonsense.
I quote the instructions from your web site on application guidance “ The type and age of timber can have a dramatic impact on how much oil the wood needs. As an example, softwood decking that is old may require more oil than a new hardwood decking that still retains much of its natural oil.
To assess how much oil your decking needs, apply one thin coat, allow to dry, then apply a droplet of oil in a corner. If the droplet of oil soaks into the wood, then a further coat can be applied. Repeat this process until the droplet of oil sits as a bead on the surface of the wood and no longer soaks into the timber. This is an indication that the timber has absorbed as much oil as possible and doesn't require any more. ”
No where does it say “if you apply more than two coats the product will break down” in fact it clearly states you can apply coats as needed until you get the water beading effect.
I’m currently seeking consumer advice as how to proceed next as I will not be leaving the matter until it has been resolved to my complete satisfaction.
Your approach to customer service seems to have dropped off a cliff based on these two most recent experiences and if when I send my next reply back to your customer service department it is not handled more professionally and without blatantly trying to fob me off I will take this matter further under my consumer rights. You’ve managed to turn a once loyal customer into a detractor with two simple contacts to your customer service department.
The beaten on price thing I’m not worried about, I’ll vote with my feet on that, however, your failure to respect my consumer rights is NOT acceptable.
Besvarelse fra Wood Finishes Direct
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed account of your recent experiences with us. We are genuinely sorry to hear that both our Price Match Promise policy and the handling of your product concern have left you feeling disappointed. We fully appreciate how frustrating this must have been.
We understand your frustration with our Price Match Promise, and you are absolutely right to expect clarity. Our intention is never to mislead customers. The offer does have specific conditions, which can be found on our website>https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/info/price-promise
Specifically in this case, we would refer you to the section where it sates "excludes promotions such as multi buys, buy one get one free or similar" We have great confidence in our every day price being competitive, if it is not, we will happily reassess this. Unfortunately, if a product is on a special offer elsewhere, we as a business have a specific rate already agreed with our suppliers and would be unable to lower our prices further.
We understand that there is always room for improvement and we take onboard your feedback, reviewing how we present this policy so it is transparent and easy to understand.
Regarding your enquiry about the Osmo Decking Oil, we are very sorry that your email exchange left you feeling dismissed. That is not the level of service we aim to provide. Thank you for outlining the preparation steps you took and the differences you have observed.
From the image you shared, we can see areas where the surface treatment appears to have worn more quickly than expected. There are several possible causes for premature breakdown which it is important to get to the bottom of so that we can assist you in rectifying this.
To ensure this is handled professionally and without further frustration, we would like to escalate your case to a senior member of our technical team, who will review the full details. Can you can send in a few additional photos (close‑ups and wider shots), so we can better assess the condition and provide accurate guidance. Any information towards the preparation, application and project specific details provided are a huge help here. If you require this again, our email address is: hello@wood-finishes-direct.com. We may even share details with the manufactorer where necessary, to get a second opinion.
Your custom means a great deal to us, and we are sorry that recent experiences have caused you to feel otherwise. We look forward to working together to help resolve this for you.
SJ @ Wood Finishes Direct
