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Howdens Reviews

1.8 Rating 222 Reviews
17 %
of reviewers recommend Howdens
1.8
Based on 222 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Courier, Own Driver
Average Delivery Time
Over 7 Days
On-time Delivery
Greater than 41%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders
Greater than 45%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Over A Week
Customer Service
1.5 out of 5

Write Your review

Howdens  1 star review on 28th May 2024
James Breeds
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
Carl Birkenshaw
Howdens  1 star review on 12th November 2022
Phillip Gollins
22
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
The lenova hob has never worked properly since installation. We can only use 2 out of the 4 jobs otherwise get a clicking noise and a constant on/off action. Spoke to howdens to come and inspect, on arrival they wouldn't touch the unit as we had put a light layer of silicone around the edges to prevent water ingress. Eventually I personally removed the silicone and got them back out, was told that I had removed the glass top from the base and warranty is voided!! The hob has not been touched since installation. Rubbish product and "3 years warranty" unless it breaks because you put a light layer of silicone around the edge. Do not trust this company, spend a bit more and save in the future. Avoid at all costs, go elsewhere
Helpful Report
Posted 2 weeks ago
An absolute nightmare from start to finish with Howdens in Havant. Wish I had never used them and absolutely would never recommend to anyone! From the beginning: A one man delivery for a complete kitchen to then having to wait for them to send a another person to help unload the van. A corner cupboard that could not be hung as nothing to attach to. Advised my fitter to baton it, was baton included in delivery? No The cooker could not be fitted, as per design, as the electrics would have to be rerouted as too close to heat. Advised to ‘just move the cooker from one side to the other’. When I called Howdens back to say it was going to cost money to move the electrics and would they ‘as a gesture of goodwill, pay for this’? No it’s your responsibility to make sure the design would allow for the fitting! So now I’m a kitchen designer! Designer suggested hide away bins which cannot be used as they don’t fit in the cupboard. Any offer of refund? No, that’s my fault too! Trims not supplied so then had to order separately and wait for them to be in the store to collect. Tap hole cover missing from box so had to source my own. Drawer unit too close to pantry cupboard so wouldn’t open which meant my fitter had to then move said cupboard to allow drawers to be used. The list just goes on. I made a complaint and asked for a manager call back that never happened only to the receive an email from Steve the manager, no responsibility, look at terms and conditions, design is just an example blah blah blah! Then lastly, the back cooker glass they ordered and delivered doesn’t fit! Returned it Saturday for a refund only to be told as the packaging is torn, cannot give a refund! Of course it is, the fitter opened it to fit it then realised it didn’t fit! Evidently they only do one size and I suppose I should have known that being a kitchen designer! So all in all, nothing but problems since day one! They are a money grabbing, penny pinching company that really don’t care once you’ve handed over your hard earnt cash! They blamed it on me, then the kitchen fitter and took no responsibility for their errors in design at all. They made what should have been a wonderful brand new kitchen install into an absolute nightmare from start to finish. Would never recommend this company to anyone,
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Posted 1 month ago
Purchased a kitchen and hob from Howdens. The hob is defective and after several calls to Howdens in Llangennech, nothing is happening. The hob is only three months old. Very poor customer care. Brian Francis
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Posted 1 month ago
Avoid if you can. An on going argument persists over the companies hidden costs. Intimidation into paying immediately up front and then realising that Howdens have your money and no longer care. Huge pressure on the staff to get your order come what may. Please tread carefully.
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Posted 2 months ago
Never ever Howdens again. Many mistakes, damaged items, a lots of lost time in the shop. cheating sales assistants. All is going well until you pay deposit and nightmare after that. They are loosing customers and now chasing contractors with phone calls, but with this methods they will lose even more.
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Posted 2 months ago
Paid £9,000 on a marine blue, super matt handless kitchen. It looks beautiful, but with it being super Matt your fingers leave marks all over the doors and it's very difficult to remove the marks even with the spray cleaner which cost me £10 from Howdens. I love my new kitchen but would not recommend the super Matt finish.
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Posted 2 months ago
Appalling service, second time I have an issue. Originally had fitted bedroom furniture. Only to find you needed a carpenter to make parts of the units. Also design was incorrect leaving gaps / draws wouldn't open etc Second issue is gas hob under warranty, took 14 days for engineer who condemned the hob. Howdens Taunton then told me it could be fixed, then they said it this can only be done, if a gas isolating valve was fitted. I investigated this by removing my oven, to find a gas isolating valve. The engineer clearly didn't do his job properly. By now we are into 30 days of no gas hob. They finally agreed to supply a new gas hob and I would get it fitted. My engineer went to fit it, to find that it was warped and didn't sit flat on the worktop. So I called once again Taunton Howdens to explain its was damaged, their replay was "we will have to get our engineer out" . By this time I had run out of patients and put the phone down. They called me back and agreed to refund me once they had collected the damage hob. This was refunded. Then today I have gone into my howdens account, to find that they have invoiced me for gas hob!!! that I've never had. Unbelievable company. NEVER EVER will I use them.
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Posted 3 months ago
I’ve had two kitchens from Howdens but I certainly won’t be using them again. The recommended worktop that they were pushing me to have - ‘compacted laminate’ marks very easily. I contacted them about some particular bad marks but because it is outside of the 1 year guarantee, they do not want to know. I’m left with a 2 year old kitchen with marks on the worktop. I would never recommend this company again. I was also very disappointed with the design consultant. I basically had to request extra features such as glass fronted cabinets to brake up the line of cabinets and add interest; as well as the curved edges and built in additions such as microwave and wine fridge. Next time, I will use a more customer focussed company who will have more attention to design, quality and client aftercare.
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Posted 4 months ago
Run, run, run far away from Howdens. I am extremely disappointed with my experience with them. From start to finish, the process was a series of letdowns. First, the quality of the materials they used is incredibly low, nowhere near what was promised. The furniture feels flimsy, which makes me question how long it will last. Additionally, the design service was a complete disaster. Instead of listening to my needs and offering functional, aesthetic solutions, they seemed either disinterested or completely inexperienced. The end result looks cheap, and it certainly doesn’t look or feel like ‘fitted’ furniture. Overall, I cannot recommend Howdens if you’re looking for quality fitted furniture. My advice is to look elsewhere for both better materials and design expertise.
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Posted 4 months ago
Shockingly poor service for the price. The kitchen units were not too much of a problem although there were a couple of wrong things delivered. The quartz worktop company owned by Howdens are dreadful - my advice would be avoid and go elsewhere
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Posted 4 months ago
the kitchen shelf units are small you cant place a plate without hitting the door open the trimming (we chose gloss) is bulky and take up unnecessary space !! i am so disappointed… i was looking forward to have bigger storage with the built in units but it didn’t match my expectations I hope they can get in touch and resolve this as it’s been 1 week since the renovation
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Posted 5 months ago
Called to cancel our design appointment and found the girl on the phone very rude that she put the phone down on me. Called back and appointment had not even been cancelled so I explained the the other girl how rude the other one had been she apologised and said I have cancelled appointment for you. Today I have a txt message to remind me of my appointment tomorrow!!!! Dreadful customer service if that is how they speak to prospective customers thank god I’m going elsewhere.
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Posted 6 months ago
Not recommended at all.
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Posted 7 months ago
Dreadful experience with the Chester Green branch. Really difficult to sort out problems as the manager was never available - I had to get really stroppy (receptionist said I was rude) to get anywhere in the end. Don’t be fooled by the hype if ‘we only sell to trade professionals’, Howdens are just box shifters and, once they’ve got your money, some of the branches don’t what to know. I’ve been able to get the somewhat unreliable fitters to speak to me for three months so I’ve had to cut my losses, ditch the lot of them and throw myself in the mercy of Holtams who are a local professional kitchen supplier/fitter. Fortunately, they have kindly agreed to sort out the mess but this is going to come at additional cost which is fair enough. So far, it’s taken eighteen months and gone way over budget for what’s been done. I will have to write-off some of what I’ve spent to out things right so I dread to think what the final cost of the kitchen will be but this is what it takes to get it finished somehow. If I could give a minus star rating I would.
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Posted 8 months ago
Subject: Disappointing Experience with Howdens Kitchen Suppliers
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Posted 8 months ago
Avoid at all cost absolutely crappie service worktop too short asking me to pay for the worktop again argument gone on for 4months fitters agree that the worktop is short
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Posted 8 months ago
The worst company you’ll ever experience, I initially reviewed on trustpilot but they simply remove them, giving themselves an inflated score. They rip you off and overcharge. I realise my branch - Hollingbury Brighton is particularly bad but I’ve had similar experiences elsewhere
Howdens  1 star review on 28th May 2024
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Posted 9 months ago
We had the kitchen worktops replaced as part of a kitchen refit .They deteriorated quickly in under 2 years with dull patches appearing and scratches.We complained and the local people came out to see them . However they reported to head office who said it was our fault .From that moment they were totally unhelpful and we are left upset . Our previous kitchen counters were still good after more than 30 years and we now wish we had not changed them . Avoid Howdens the service is awful if you have a complaint and the kitchen counters have a very short life .
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Posted 9 months ago
Do not purchase quarts worktop through Howdens. A puposively brand new worktop was fitted with various holes either side of sink to be told basically this is normal and a repair is needed same day it was fitted refusing a replacement or refund legal action is bring taken.
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Posted 1 year ago
Howdens' Complete Failure in Design, Customer Service, and Accountability My experience with Howdens, particularly the Benton branch in the North East, has been nothing short of catastrophic. While the branch manager tried to mediate, it became clear that his efforts were severely limited by the constraints imposed by the head office's lack of urgency and disinterest in customer satisfaction. Waiting three weeks for a response to urgent emails regarding significant design flaws is unacceptable, especially when the response dismisses the severity of the issue. The company's stance, as reiterated by Louise from customer service, is a testament to Howdens' unwillingness to acknowledge the gravity of their mistakes. Their claim that the design service is "complimentary" and "for illustrative purposes only" is not only misleading but also contradictory to the promises made on their website about their bespoke design service. This disclaimer, hidden in the fine print of the planning documentation, serves as a convenient escape route for Howdens, shifting the blame onto customers and competent fitters for not catching their design failures. The offered resolution — sending a designer to propose adjustments, replacing drawers, and offering a mere £100 for the inconvenience on a project that cost £3,300 — is laughably inadequate. These gestures do not compensate for the fundamental design flaws that rendered the bedroom furniture unfit for purpose, with clothes unable to hang properly and drawers that could not open. Howdens' insistence on washing their hands of any responsibility by referring me back to the contracted tradesperson, in line with their Terms and Conditions of Trade, is indicative of their lack of accountability. Their readiness to abandon customers post-purchase, especially after delivering a subpar design that significantly impacts the usability of a space, is appalling. This entire ordeal has exposed Howdens' failure to provide not only a competent design service but also adequate customer support. Their approach to handling legitimate complaints and concerns highlights a systemic issue within the company, prioritising policy and procedure over customer satisfaction and quality service. The Benton branch's limited ability to effect change and the head office's dismissive attitude have solidified my decision to never engage with Howdens for any future projects. This experience has been a stark reminder of the importance of choosing a company that values its customers and stands behind the quality of its service and products.
Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024 Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024 Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024 Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024 Howdens  1 star review on 14th February 2024
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Posted 1 year ago
Howdens is rated 1.8 based on 222 reviews