Melissa sert

I'm really disappointed with the experience I've had with Woodpecker regarding the Brecon Seashell Oak flooring we purchased through Wren Kitchens.

The flooring was installed in December 2024 and cost us £1,407.99 including the door trims, plus another £800 for professional fitting.

The scratching started within the first year and has continued to get progressively worse. We have one medium-sized dog and the flooring has had normal everyday use. We previously had traditional laminate flooring with the same dog and never experienced anything like this.

The flooring was described as “pet friendly”, which was one of the reasons we felt it would be suitable for our home. However, when I questioned what “pet friendly” actually means, I never received a clear answer.

I completely understand that no flooring is going to be completely scratch proof. My issue is the amount of deterioration after just 17 months. For the price we paid, I don't believe it's unreasonable to expect a better level of durability.

Woodpecker's response was that the scratching wasn't a manufacturing defect and was excluded under the warranty. I appreciate that there are warranty exclusions, but I felt my actual concerns about the quality, durability and the “pet friendly” description weren't properly addressed.

The whole situation has left us potentially having to replace flooring that we've only had for 17 months, despite already spending £800 having it professionally fitted.

We're now potentially taking the matter further through the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman.

It's really disappointing because we chose what we believed was a quality product and expected it to last for many years, not to be in this condition after such a short period of normal use.

I'd strongly recommend anyone considering this flooring to look carefully at what “pet friendly” actually means before making a purchase.

I’m extremely disappointed with Wren Kitchens and the way they have handled my complaint regarding the flooring supplied as part of our kitchen.

We paid £1,407.99 for the Brecon Seashell Oak flooring and door trims, plus a further £800 for professional installation. We invested our family’s savings into our kitchen and expected the flooring to be a durable, long-term product.

Unfortunately, the flooring began showing significant scratching within the first year and has progressively deteriorated. We have one medium-sized family dog and the floor has only had normal day-to-day domestic use. We previously had traditional laminate flooring with the same dog and never experienced anything like this.

The flooring was marketed as “pet friendly”, which was a factor in our decision to purchase it. When I questioned what “pet friendly” actually means if normal pet claws are excluded from consideration, neither the manufacturer nor Wren has given me a satisfactory explanation.

Wren's response has essentially been that the manufacturer says scratches aren't a manufacturing fault and therefore aren't covered by the warranty. I understand that no floor is completely scratch-proof, but that doesn't address my concern about whether a premium product marketed as pet friendly should deteriorate to this extent after only 17 months.

I am also now faced with potentially paying again for removal and installation, having already spent £800 on fitting.

Wren have offered replacement flooring at “cost price”, but this still leaves me paying towards replacing a product that I believe has failed to meet reasonable expectations. I requested either a refund of the £1,407.99 flooring cost or an alternative flooring supplied free of charge. Both were refused.

What has disappointed me most is the customer service. I am Wren's customer, yet I feel my concerns have repeatedly been passed back to the manufacturer rather than Wren taking ownership of the issue.

Since this we are also now experiencing lifting and cracking of our flooring and multiple areas.

We have been recommended to the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO), which I am thinking of pursuing for an independent review.

I would strongly recommend that anyone considering flooring through Wren carefully researches the product and understands exactly what their “pet friendly” claims mean before committing to the purchase.