“ordered and paid for curtains on August 13th; website is still advertising delivery in 5 to 10 days. It's now 30th September, still no curtains and Britannia Rose staff have repeatedly made false promises of delivery dates that never happened, without any message of apology. Then having missed their own pretended"PRIORITY manufacture" and another dispatch date, they announced a new one , 16 october. What appalling customer service.
. I have requested a full refund (which they are trying to refuse)and have now raised a serious Consumer Protection complaint about Britannia Rose.”
“I really wonder, if all of these wonderful reviews are accurate, what happened to my order. After three months of delay, hassle, and a complete lack of communication, do allow me to share my experience. I have included photos of my "new" curtains and the issues they have - not sure how people would contact me, but I can fully evidence my claims and will seek channels to do so.
I ordered my curtains, after several swatch transactions (all of which were positive, quick, and I had regular communications) on 12 October. The next day, at the prompting of my husband, I checked the fabric, size, and style, and found another company that was nearly £200 less for the same curtains. At that time (and has since been removed) there was a "price match". I contacted Britannia Rose about a price match, and they sensibly said they needed to check if it were the same lengths of material and same make (yes to both from the other company) and they would get back to me. Two weeks later, nothing, I wrote again, and they said they had not heard from the competing company - so I wrote to the competing company. They answered within 24 hours, and I forwarded them back the e-mail. Britannia Rose said they would lose money so would not honour the price match, and agreed to give me a pair of tiebacks as a good will gesture. Up until this point, I was okay, and stated to them that, if the curtains were well made, that was my primary consideration. This is the end of my positivity.
I didn't hear anything, and about two weeks later, had more or less expected my curtains but when I went to a link they sent for an update, it was on hold and the date changed. Upon enquiry, the fabric was out of stock with the manufacturer (well, they had some in stock, I will give them the benefit of the doubt that the measures may have been wrong) and would arrive 19th November, and be to me about a week later (on the link it originally showed the 23rd). I calculated that week, and had some help arranged to install. I didn't see anything, hear anything - went back to the link (with nothing being sent to me) stating they would be another week (30th November), and eventually arrived on the 6th December. Now, if all had been well, at that point, I would have been frustrated, but happy - curtains in time for the colder months, made well - that would have been a happy moment indeed. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Not only were the curtains dropped down on my doorstep, without anyone even ringing the bell (I only found out when I went to get some milk from the shop) but they were in big, square boxes. The hooks were protected (pinned hooks - typical of a triple pleat style) but the curtains were, well, just folded up - not in a long box with pleats, but bundled. The lining was not ironed before sewing, nor the curtains after - and if they had been, the packing of the box would have ruined it anyway. But that did not prepare me for the worst of this problem - not only was there a sewn hem across the bottom - a straight seam, like the bottom of jeans, rather than a blind hem, common on even a cheap pair of Dunelm curtains. That was not all - the seam was crooked, and the hemline not a consistent length across one or both pairs of curtains. The edges were not tacked, so they ballooned out at the edges. Now, if it had ended there, I would have just put in a new hem - I paid enough to not have to do it, but given all other delays, I was (justifiably as it turns out) concerned how long it may take to resolve. However, this is not the only problem. On each curtain, there is a crooked seam going down on TOP of the pleat, not hidden behind (although each curtain had one of these blind seams) and these started on one side of the pleat, ending on the other side. I contacted Britannia Rose - the first thing they said was that if I steamed them, they would look much better. !!!!! It did work on the lining - but the seams were all still crooked. At the time, they said they would collect them and "review" them, but without giving any understanding of what it would mean for this to happen. I debated with myself, and sought professional advice on it - after all of the other circumstances, I just wanted the curtains to be right - still love the material, waited a long time, and it just seemed, well, easier to rectify it myself. I told them I would fix them, then a draper came around. The upshot is they would need to be disassembled, the hems all taken out, and reassembled, to fix the serious flaws in these (if they could be fixed without irreparable damage to the fabric). Despite telling Britannia Rose I would fix these, and after my husband finally expressing an opinion, I asked for them top be collected. They said they usually returned these in "about a week". I waited until after the holiday to contact them (betting that, with Christmas deliveries for other (apparently happy) customers they would be too busy to care about them anyway) so I wouldn't be frozen in my lounge. Okay, so they collected these a week ago today (8 January). This was when I was available; they did arrange the collection quickly. There ended hope for a rapid solution to my large, uncovered windows in January, meaning I have paper up and a very cold room. I have called three times - once when they confirmed that they had been received and that they would be evaluated by the end of the week - once last Friday, when I was told they would be evaluated Friday later or Monday, and once again today, when I have been told they will need to "chase it up" - still without any idea whatever as to what will happen next. This, and the tiebacks are too small. The pillows are very dull but well made, square at least in all but one case, and it is minor - over-priced - but one was free. At least they are made of the right material.
I was charged for every swatch, although I did return them all (I have no use for them).
At this moment in time, if I could go back in time, I would go back to the point when my alarm bells rang over the lack of contact.
I am really pleased if others have had an amazing experience - but my curtains were clearly outsourced to someone who for whatever reason, chose to sew uneven hems - and somehow, the quality control at Britannia Rose failed to pick this up - I can only assume these have been subcontracted in some way.
Do I recommend them? I am afraid I can't - and the restraint it has taken to not post this review - with such ample reason to do so, has been great - but I think I am at my last tether, they cannot do anything worse to me; they have my money, my curtains, and I am none the wiser as to any resolution. I feel my patience has been rewarded with neglect through and through. It may not happen - but sometimes it does. Beware.”
