shabbybearcottage.co.uk Avis 

I never write negative reviews, but it would be wrong not to warn people about buying furniture from this company. I ordered three pieces of furniture in February 2022. I received an automatic message from the company that items would be delivered in 4-5
weeks.

Nearly four months (!) later, I only had part of my order and it was warped and terribly made. (I wish I could upload pictures here--glue dripping along the unfinished bottom of a table that soon warped.)

The company is slow to respond, and the amount of obfuscation as I tried to get a remedy or refund is unbelievable. I eventually returned the table (even the delivery guy said he gets returns for this company all the time). The only way I received a refund was to request a chargeback from my bank.

My kindest reading of the situation is an overwhelmed small business that doesn't have the experience or understanding of either manufacturing at scale or customer service.

We later bought the same furniture from another company (for about the same price) and it was delivered quickly and isn't falling apart : )

I placed an order beginning of October, and did take longer to come.(8 weeks) when it did finally come I was really pleased. The wood is beautiful and the breakfast bar looks great. Once they confirm your delivery slot you are actually informed all the time as to when they will deliver and you can actually trace the delivery guys. So don't worry your products will come.

I’m response to your reply, I cancelled the order within of a couple of days of placing it and I was never informed that the table had been dispatched. In fact, I was never informed of anything as I never received any replies to any of my messages and there was a lot!

You need to stop with your lies. Your company is a sham and I can’t believe that you’re still trying to con people out of their money!

UPDATE
After contacting my bank, I have received a refund from the bank themselves whilst they investigate this company. So for anyone who has been conned by this woman, if you haven’t already, contact your bank asap.

Warning!! Do not use this company!! I placed an order which I cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances and I have not heard anything from the owner since, despite several attempts at contacting them! I am now down £255 and am in the process of reclaiming the funds through my bank.

Do yourself a favour and DO NOT BUY from this company. They collected my table and bench after a month (I didn’t even assemble it because it was so bad) and now they haven’t given me a refund (nearly 4 weeks) and don’t reply to my messages!!!! They have the furniture back AND my money!
I have never complained about services before as I believe companies can make mistakes and deserve to make a living, but I feel compelled to save other people from being duped into purchasing from this ‘family owned’ business. My purchase was collected nearly 4 weeks ago, and I have received no communication the company regarding it apart from one reply to my message asking for the tracking information and time collected.
I use the term ‘family owned’ loosely. There is one person that goes by a certain name that seems to be responsible for EVERYTHING. Sales, marketing, operations, manufacture, communications – you will never liaise with another person in the ‘family’. You will only liaise with this individual over email. This person will IGNORE all requests to speak over the telephone and will reply to every email you send with a message stating the person will get back to you within 72 hours. But this doesn’t happen. This person ever initiates an email, and you have to repeatedly email to get a response perhaps a week later. This person doesn’t answer any questions you ask in your email such as where the wood is sourced from / why there is no phone number / can the person send you the instructions that never arrived with the product (which I’ll get to) all of which I only realised after I received my delivery were glaring red flags.
I ordered my table and bench on the 24th June. It was delivered on the 6th August and I was really excited until I took the protective wrapping off. There were no instructions and straight away I realised it was not fit for purpose. The table top was warped, the bars on the underside were in a position so that you couldn’t attach the centre bar, if you put a glass on it, the glass wobbled, it was not finished, loads of welts and holes, the underside was so unbelievable rough that you would snag all your clothes on it. The bench was no better with at least a 6-inch difference between where the legs were on either side. To say it was of unsatisfactory quality is an understatement. I never even attempted to assemble it. I contacted the only point of contact at the company straight away and started the back and forth 72-hour game. Firstly, I was asked to organise the courier and return it myself. I refused citing my rights under the consumer credit act. I had bought the set on my credit card so my purchase would be protected but when I said I would pursue a refund through my credit card company, this person replied not to because then they would be forced to raise an objection and it would take a long time to resolve (I asked why they would object and they didn't reply). It was eventually collected nearly a month later on the 5th September and it’s now been nearly 4 weeks. Like I said at the beginning of this review, the only response I’ve had from this person is to ask me for the tracking number when they were the one that booked the courier and since they seem to be a one-person outfit, should be aware of the returns coming into the workshop that this person manages? I have asked on 2 or 3 occasions now how my refund will be processed, do they need my bank details or will it go back onto my credit card and have been IGNORED. This is the WORST customer service I have ever received and the WORST purchase I have ever made. In my opinion, the majority of positive reviews are fake, and I can see a number of them on Esty have been duplicated. The only comments on their socials are from paid influencers and collaborations. You are unable to leave a review on Facebook. Shabby Bear Cottage – I want my refund of for the Industrial Dining Table & Bench Rustic solid Kitchen Reclaimed Chelsea - Handmade In Britain British Steel Farmhouse Wooden Metal Contemporary that you received back 4 weeks ago now. WHERE IS MY MONEY?! This is a reply to Shabby Bear Cottage as there doesn't seem to be another way to reply to their reply to my review. I have no idea what you mean by 'other reviews below'? Why are you trying to make out I'm some sort of spiteful person with a vendetta?!! I'm a genuine customer as you know!! I've only ever written 3 reviews in my life including this one! I sent you a video of the table top placed on the floor with a glass on top of it, when i tapped the top it was like a seesaw - half of it was lifted from the floor - no memory? One of the legs on the bench was about 4 inches further in than the other leg - no memory of this? Look, you had all the photos & video, trustpilot have the thread so please stop trying to twist this. I NEVER had a problem with waiting for the table? I've run out of space, this is crazy!

I'm giving Shabby Bear Cottage 1 star, however I'm tempted to give 0. Until recently the contact with Shabby Bear has been acceptable in sorting our oak table which we purchased and then needed to be returned twice due to repeated bending/movement of the wood (supposed to be old reclaimed dried wood, this is questionable).
Myself and Shabby finally agreed on a refund for the table, the table was collected by the courier, Shabby denies the table ever arrived at their workshop, the courier has confirmation it was delivered to the workshop (photo supplied to me by courier). Shabby is not responding to our emails, they have never been willing to share their contact number despite my requests, all contact numbers listed online appear dead. In an earlier review Shabby gives the reason of the cost of living for not having a mobile contact number, could it be for other reasons, any business wanting to promote strong customer service would have a telephone number. Why make contact so difficult for the customer?
Shabby has now been withholding our refund for several weeks which is very concerning as it's a few hundred pounds. Im very dissatisfied and feel hugely let down by this company. This is a genuine review, unlike others which often appear online. I would not have to write this review if Shabby Bear Cottage was willing to open up a dialogue. If there was an explanation from Shabby as to why they won't issue our refund, then that would be acting more professionally, but all I am met with is silence.
THINK TWICE before ordering from this company. End note, I emailed earlier this week giving Shabby Bear Cottage the option to refund me by the end of this week, they have not acknowledged my email, so next step is Trading Standards, with regret.
Dear Shabby Bear, you make things so so difficult, but please please give us our money back, you are acting in a very unfair and unprofessional manner.

I ordered 5 items of furniture from Shabby Bear Cottage (table, bookcase, TV unit, and 2 x coffee tables, all dark oak) direct from their website on 21 July 2022. I received an email order confirmation with delivery expected in 2 - 4 weeks. I had not heard anything close to 4 weeks later, so I contacted Kathy just to ask for an update on the expected delivery date. I received a response within 48 hours explaining that there had been a small delay due to issues with iron imports, delivery of our items was now scheduled for week commencing 21 August 2022.
I didn't hear anything from the courier during the week of 21 August, so emailed Kathy again, but before she had a chance to reply, I received an email from the courier with a scheduled delivery date of 1 September 2022. We received an email from the courier with a date and a 2 - 3 hour time slot, with an option to change this if not suitable, and then on the day received a further text with a 2 hour window of delivery and then a call when the driver was 15 mins away.
All the furniture is exactly what I was expecting and of good quality. I have emailed Kathy to thank her for a positive experience and to say that we may order another bookcase for our dining room.
I was not concerned with the delays, as long as I always received prompt replies when I queried delivery times, and that the items were delivered intact, on the final date specified and to the standard advertised on their website, that is all that really mattered to me. Thank you!

Received our 2 bookcases and I am delighted with them. Items made from quality materials and it shows.
The only issue is with the delivery service which is confusing but trust their system, your goods will arrive. All emails were answered which reassured me.
Looking forward to receiving our coffee table (placed at a later date).

Our experience is mixed, we placed £800 worth of orders and didn’t hear anything from the supplier to say when delivery would be. All telephones are dead and no one answers the chat. However, the goods have arrived, 2 months after ordering, and they are brill. I hope the supplier learns to speak to the customer, with good or bad news.

Do not purchase here, funny that they have no way of writing google reviews. This company is completely unprofessional. Ordered something in June, the wrong thing was delivered on 1st August. I tried phone numbers (none of these worked/connected), instagram direct messages, emails. No response for weeks. I wrote a message on their Instagram and this was removed and they finally responded, saying that I would have to pay to get this shipped back for a refund. DO NOT BUY FROM HERE, must be a scam or just the worst run company ever with no customer service

Great product, works really well in the space I have. Excellent delivery and customer service

Absolutely beautiful table, very well made , exactly what I have been looking for, for a long time. Would highly recommend Shabbybearcottage products if they are all to this standard.

What a rip-off bunch

Bought their 15 industrial style tables for my cafe thinking these would be of very high quality because of price and been described on their website and Etsy. Having same problem as another customer described in their review, surfaces are uneven first of all and secondly even the legs are not balanced. Reported the issue to shabby bear and initially got couple of emails with a promise to fix the tables. Since then they have disappeared like a conman.

I will be moving to consumer court because not only their tables have ripped my brand new floor also because of uneven surface and table legs customer drinks are being spilled over.

Shabby bear, like a gentleman back in February I only wanted you to fix the issue with tables. Now I want a full refund plus repair cost of my cafe floor.

I bought an industrial dining table and bench. It is very poorly made, despite the expensive price. The wood on the tabletop and the bench has warped and bowed, the edges of the tabletop curl up because the wood has bowed so much, The surface of the tabletop is so uneven that it is no longer fit for purpose you have to be careful so your glass doesn't topple over. The metal legs of the table as so far from straight that it's embarrassing to look at and obvious that whoever made it doesn't take pride in their work. I now have a very expensive embarrassment in my dining room that I can't even give away. The table took some time to warp and bow so by the time I contacted the company they were not interested puting this right, they just stopped replying to my e-mails.
Addendum
In reply to your reply to my review I have cut and pasted my order confirmation email below. I have emailed you many times, you have not replied to my last 3 emails. Your reply here is simply to try to discredit my review as you clearly have no intention of putting this right or you would answer my emails.

Shabby Bear Cottage
ORDER #3117
Thank you for your purchase! We will begin making your item very soon! During the pandemic, our lead times are a little longer than usual.
Hi Janene, The courier will be in touch to arrange everything with you in advance, by either email or call. Please check our shipping page for more infomation.

**UPDATE**
After posting this review, I've received some very angry emails from the seller.

I've been told that my table is with a courier, though the courier in question has no knowledge of my details or order.

I've asked for a refund repeatedly now, and also am pursuing action from my card issuer.

Really hard work to be honest, I'm sure most customers have better things to do than pursue some crooks!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Initially very promising, though I have no table and have received very little communication since placing my order... I'm not even sure that this place really exists?!

After almost 7 weeks since I ordered, and no response to email in the last 10 days, I've asked for a refund now.

Not so good.

The shelves are wonderful, well made and look amazing and also suit my lifestyle - can't wait to show them off and praise them to others. The courier was pleasant, helpful and a breath of ftresh air - he carried them indoors and placed them exactly where needed. I would definitely recommend shabbybearcottage

The headboard was beautiful. We asked for it to be stained slightly darker and these guys went above and beyond.

21/02/2022
I didn’t come on here to moan or leave a scathing review but I am a very upset and disappointed. I have sent two emails and have had no response - it has been over a month. Our table has bowed and staining keeps coming off our clothes despite using the advised method cleaner. The underneath of the table is really rough and not sanded down at all. I have a friend who brought the same table from Shabby Bear and it is well above the standard of ours.

UPDATE - 25/03/2022

After I posted this review, Shabby Bear were quick to respond to the issues with our table and kindly offered a replacement table-top. Communication has been very good so far.

Hugely disappointing. Where to begin?

I ordered a table and bench from Shabby Bear but after reading other reviews about this company and the poor communication, I lost faith in the quality of the product and the customer service.

I asked for product not to be shipped and to receive a refund on two occasions. Five days and two days before shipping. This was totally ignored and I was told (in the same email chain) that my product had now shipped.

The bench was bent out of shape, the craftsmanship on the table is awful (pre-drilled holes in the table were totally the wrong size for the frame and the base of the frame itself wasn’t straight). The finish on the top of the table is poor, coarse and laden with divots and damage. I realise the product is supposed to be rustic - but there’s rustic and there’s not fit to be sold to paying customers.

I asked for a refund 8 days ago and have received no reply. I’ve reported to trading standards and expect the refund process to be drawn out and prolonged. I took extensive photos of the product on arrival in anticipation of the company making the refund process difficult.

Look forward to hearing the excuses that will undoubtedly follow…

Strongly advise you avoid this company at all costs.

Please think twice before parting with your money…
As agreed I returned a faulty butchers block ….Having sent a video of the wobbly furniture they agreed it was indeed faulty They arranged to collect it on the 13th December all arranged by Shabby bear….. That was over 8 weeks ago and I have yet to hear whether it was received their end and when I’ll receive a refund. With no phone number to speak directly in person, I am waiting and waiting for an email. I feel angry that having made the choice to support a British manufacturer as oppose to buying off the high street I should be subjected to such poor service. I’m wondering if you are hoping I’ll just forget about my refund?

UPDATE - 2 weeks ago, in response to the below review, they emailed confirming a refund would be processed immediately yet NO refund received and no response to my emails.
No multiple reviews per order as they state - 2 orders, 2 disastrous experiences, 2 bad reviews.

Despite photographic evidence and a courier's log history clearing stating the delivery address, date & time of the delivery of a return to Shabby Bear Cottage 6 WEEKS AGO, they are yet to respond to either pieces of evidence and are withholding my refund.The worst customer service I've had since internet shopping began! Yes, truly, it's been that bad. I've received a litany of excuses from them, they put their out of office on immediately on sending you an email, I was still receiving their 'we are closed for Christmas' out of office email around the middle of January. I’ve been asked to remove the obscured reference to the alleged name behind the emails, why would that cause a problem to a legitimate business? Incidentally, my product, (a shelf) was so saturated in wood stain it made the room smell despite being FULLY boxed, awaiting return. Surely a health hazard? But their customer service is even worse than their products...the only time I receive a response (albeit an incorrect one) is via trust pilot, who conducts their business via trust pilot unless they are that worried about reviews? In response to your response…as you well know, I’ve already emailed what you are asking for but hey, I’ll resend the email in the hope you will respond this time. Consumer Advice Bureau were helpful and I’m proceeding with action to secure my refund.