Steve

United Kingdom

Reviews

Review of GivEnergy


Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I hardly know where to start; it's such a bad company

I hardly know where to start. I've had two batteries and inverters installed for a little more that three years and I've had a few issues here and there but as I was able to get support these were resolved eventually. However, several months ago my system went hay-wire. Charging at peak rather than off peak, discharging to the grid for free and generally becoming a great source of frustration. After literally dozens of calls to Givenergy and advice from my installer who believes that the most recent problems relating to connectivity are a result of the Company being hacked and them having to change their software I again rang Givenergy support. Most denied any issues and tried to say it was wifi issue, that had never before been an issue but eventually one did Admit what had gone on and that I wouldn't get resolution until I paid for the installation of an EMS unit. I made an official complaint in July this year both on their complaint portal and personally by email and telephone. Despite the fact that this complaint has been acknowledged on the phone, no one has responded or even attempted to resolve the issues.
I have asked Givenergy to be open and honest about what effect the data hack has affected our systems and I requested transcripts of my conversations with the call centre help personnel as these proved the above. These requests have not been answered, even to this day.
The promise that the EMS system being fitted would resolve my issues too was false. More than two weeks ago I contacted Givenergy and told them that my battery and inverter system was again not working and they gave me a 72 hour ticket, which is their way of buying three days grace. Four days later and having heard nothing I again contacted Givenergy and their new front of house system (this puts you through to a call handler, rather than a technician) told me that there were significant issues and that there was no guarantee of when I could be dealt with.
In view of this and because the system is not fit for purpose I contacted my Givenergy Authorised Re-Seller and informed them that for the reasons given above I shall be holding them responsible and would be making a claim under Section 75. The re-seller was understandably shocked at this and was able to contact a senior person in Givenergy immediately, not like we the public can do. Amraan from Givenergy then immediately emailed me offering to assist and asking if the system was flashing blue. I advised that because no one had contacted me for two weeks and the system was acting erratically I had switched it off but would switch it back on if they promised to perform a long lasting repair to my system, reply fully and honestly to my three month old complaint and forward the data protection items that I had mentioned. I then switched my system back on and informed Armaan that I had done so and asked him to confirm if he was going to help. That was last Friday and I'm still waiting.
I genuinely believe that they know something that they are keeping from us the public and from the installers, given the huge number of complaints from those in these pages. I am in the process of considering my legal options and would suggest that a large class action case should be considered. sorry this is long winded but they get you that way.
Update. Trust Pilot have reached out to me to provide details to pass onto Givenergy, which I've just supplied, it will be very interesting if the Company actually responds to this review below like they do in so many other cases and tries to resolve this issue or whether they ignore this as well as they have my complaint.

October 7, 2025
Unprompted review

Reply from GivEnergy

Hi Steve, thank you for taking the time to speak to me. Glad to have resolved this for you. Please feel free to reach out to myself should you require support in anyway in the future.

Review of Stratstone


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very impressed with service and the…

Very impressed with service and the staff. Coffee was lovely too, thank you

July 12, 2025

Reply from Stratstone

Hi Steve,

We appreciate you sharing your positive experience with our service and staff!

Customer Services

Review of Skylight Blinds-direct


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great place for quality roof light blinds

Really pleased that I spotted this company on the internet. They’ve been first class from start to finish and the 2m x 3m roof lantern blind works a treat. Even the fitting was straightforward for two of us in around an hour or so. I used some nails which I fitted around two sides of the opening to rest the blind on whilst fitting and it worked a treat. Well done Skylight Blinds Direct and particularly Naomi who works hard and is lightening quick to answer any questions

July 23, 2025
Unprompted review

Reply from Skylight Blinds-direct

So pleased you discovered us online and that everything has gone brilliantly. A 2m x 3m blind is no small job, so getting it fitted in about an hour between two of you is impressive.
That's a brilliant tip about the nails for support during installation - really practical thinking! I might have to add that to our guidance notes.
Thanks for being such great customers and for sharing both your experience and that helpful fitting tip!

Review of holidaycottages.co.uk


Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Woodend Cottage in Thirsk has aggressive disrespectful Owner

We booked Woodend Cottage in Thirsk in 2024 when the reviews were first class for a holiday in July 2025. In fact our eldest son and family acted on our recommendation to visit in April 2025 and mentioned that it was far from clean. By the time Holiday Cottages eventually posted our daughter in laws comments a second comment concerning cleanliness had appeared on the site. We contacted Holiday Cottages and asked to be released from our contract but the owner refused. In fairness, however, we were informed that the owners had replaced their cleaners and that a deep clean would be performed before our arrival. We took Holiday Cottages at their word that things would be clean. They were not. Some things had been cleaned like the bed and the kitchen work surfaces but the home had a very strong smell of wet dog, very thick amounts of dog hairs in the carpets to the point that you could rub your hand along it and end up with hundreds of hairs and cobwebs in a number of places where a duster had rarely if ever used. None of these things on their own would have been enough to reject the cottage but what came next was.

The owner was immediately contacted and was asked to send someone out to deal with the areas which had been missed and perhaps supply something to deal with the smell. She could hardly have been less helpful. Initially, she hung up when called and later ,when she did answer she said that there was a hoover in the cupboard and the cobwebs just needed a wipe. She said that there was no smell of dogs and that no dog had been in the cottage for more than a week. She then said that she had been warned by Holiday Cottages about us and that we were very picky and funny about things and that we were SCAM Artists! She left the conversation by saying that she would send her husband over as there was no smell of dogs. The owners remarks and hostility were unsettling. A situation that could have been resolved amicably by them offering to resolve the cleaning had turned into something that no one wants on a holiday. That evening a complaint was made to Holiday Cottages requesting an immediate change of location and when this went unanswered it was followed up by a telephone complaint the next morning.

After the complaint to Holiday Cottages the owner of "Woodend" turned up at the cottage and was seen as she approached the door. It was clear that she had started a video recording immediately before knocking on the door. When she entered the house she was very nice and pleasant but never at any time told us that she was videoing our interaction. She agreed that she would send out a cleaner.

After this interaction I contacted Holiday Cottages and told them what had gone on. Holiday Cottages said that the owner had denied secretly videoing this interaction and when asked if she had admitted to calling us SCAM Artists, they said not exactly in those words.

In view of the obvious animus and hostility shown by the owner and lack of empathy by Holiday Cottages, together with the fact that they had refused to relocate us we left having had the worst 20 hour holiday imaginable.

July 11, 2025
Unprompted review

Review of 247 Home Rescue


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very good from start to finish

Very good from start to finish. Engineer knew his stuff and was polite and professional. Thank you

July 7, 2025

Reply from 247 Home Rescue

Hi,

Thanks for sharing this feedback. We’re proud of the service that our engineers deliver and are pleased to read your feedback. Thanks for being a 247 Home Rescue customer.

Kind Regards,
24|7 Home Rescue

Review of Heatons Furniture Outlet

Review of Drivethedeal


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

They have been fantastic for me

They have been fantastic for me. I've used them twice and saved over ten grand each time. Nice, honest people to deal with and the prices they find you will be almost impossible for you to beat. To top it all you deal with the main dealer, just as you would if you'd gone direct and if you decide to take out the finance options they are the same ones that direct customers get or cancel within 14 days and you can take advantage of the law that allows you to do so and make the extra saving. What's not to like.

March 4, 2025
Unprompted review

Review of Octopus Energy

Review of Group 1 Automotive UK


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A surprisingly Great experience today…

A surprisingly Great experience today Inchcape Jaguar Chester to fix a sensor on my F Pace under warranty. I'd been in the previous week for a diagnostic and they ordered the part required and I came back today having turned down an earlier appointment as it was my birthday. The staff were friendly, polite and professional. The premises superb and the seating area and coffee bar top class and the actual work was carried out quickly and my car cleaned. The icing on the cake was when I got back into the car and saw that they'd left me a birthday card and several very smart corporate presents. Thank you Inchcape for an experience beyond what was expected.

January 24, 2024
Unprompted review

Reply from Group 1 Automotive UK

Good afternoon,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, we appreciate your feedback.

We are delighted to see that you are happy with the experience that you received.

If you need any help in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Review of Dunelm


Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Far away from Luxury and misleading description

Bought Luxury Brushed cotton extra deep fitted sheet and it not only didn't fit but I genuinely believe that it was wrongly labelled. It covered little more than half of the fairly deep mattress. And what makes it galling is that because of their returns policy you can't take it back despite the fact it was never used. It's now being cut into duster as I type and these are certainly not luxury dusters. Dunelm need to do much better.

December 22, 2023
Unprompted review

Reply from Dunelm

Dear Steve


Dunelm is committed to selling only high-quality products, but we understand there may be a time when you need to exchange or return something you've bought. we will willingly refund or offer an exchange within 28 days of purchase, provided you have proof of purchase and the product is unused and in its original packaging. For health and hygiene reasons we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges on bedding unless they are returned sealed and unopened in their original packaging. Please see our returns policy, help/returns-and-refunds (dunelm.com)

Kind regards
Gina

Review of Quilter Cheviot


Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The proof of the pudding is in the…

The proof of the pudding is in the eating I’m afraid and based on my experience over the past two years plus I’d be very hungry indeed by now. It’s a pleasure to pay for services when money is added to your investments but it’s harder to swallow when so much is lost. In my case it was the worst choice I have made especially with my first advisor who told me I was in low risk investments and then lost ten percent plus of the portfolio and that's without even taking into account the hammering that we’ve all had with inflation. Overall exceedingly disappointed and I could never recommend presently although I do accept that investments generally are difficult and that the new advisor is trying his best to right the last couple of years .

November 6, 2023

Reply from Quilter Cheviot

Hello Steve, we’re sorry to hear this feedback, we have passed this on to the relevant team to organise a call back to discuss your concerns. - Alex @ Quilter Private Client Advisers

Review of Carwow UK

Review of Citygate


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What an absolutely faultless experience…

What an absolutely faultless experience for our sons new car! Great Price, Sensational car, Highly professional service and Top draw sales and handover staff. Slough are definitely promoting the Brand of Skoda. Alex Jolly and Josh have been stand-out. Thank you. And by way of comparison our other son collected his car today from a different Manufacturer and this just highlighted the great gap between great dealers and merely average. Keep it up Slough!

September 23, 2023
Unprompted review

Reply from Citygate

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day Steve to leave us such a lovely five-star rating. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your business here at Citygate Slough. If you require any assistance at all, we are only a call away. Warm Regards, Taybah.

Review of Autotrader UK


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wow sold in 3 minutes!

Wow! I sold my nearly new BMW X7 in three minutes. What a response. The wife went mad at the phone ringing off the hook.

September 22, 2023

Review of Omaze


Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Something smells fishy

In principle it seems a good idea but with too many downsides for me to continue. I asked Omaze the obvious question on a house event that had just concluded. What were my odds? And they refused to tell me stating that they don’t publish your chance of winning. I asked why with a few days to go before the house reveal did they offer tickets at five for the price of one, when I’d paid £35.00 and had less chances than someone paying far less and they wouldn’t answer. I really wanted to like this company but when it refuses to answer honestly put questions it gives a bad feeling. I won’t be back under the current opaque system.

July 1, 2023
Unprompted review

Review of holidaycottages.co.uk


Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Nice property with very large garden

Nice property with very large garden, though large parts of it are left to grow. It was comfortable, rather than luxurious and had lots of facilities that travellers would welcome. The owners were friendly and quick to answer questions.

May 2, 2023
Unprompted review

Review of Williams BMW


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Don't be put off by the "NaySayers" This is a Genuine Review

Some of the comments here are completely at odds with my experience. The salesman Andy was pleasant, professional and helpful. The business Manager was very personable and friendly and the hand over went well. We had a couple of minor issues that can happen with any high tech car but this is where Williams earned their five stars. Chris, the Used Car Manager was top drawer. He gave his time freely and was extremely helpful and very fair minded. Thank you Williams for a wonderful car and a great dealership experience.

April 6, 2023
Unprompted review

Review of Carwow UK


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Third time a charm!

Third time a charm!

Can't praise it Carwow enough. Sold my third car with Carwow and even though I'd have liked more this one achieved that was due to the current market with electric vehicles. The biggest difference (in my experience) between these and some of the other big online sellers is that they use quality buyers who just turn up and take away. Glad to be going back to petrol and thanks to Carwow.

December 30, 2022
Unprompted review

Review of The Motor Ombudsman


Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Great idea let down by it's systems and it's non-personal style.

Great idea let down by the interface, or lack of to be accurate. It's nice to think that someone is trying to be fair and impartial (and they probably are) but the process is very slow and the least personal experience you can imagine. I've bought very many cars over the years and just this once I felt the need to bring in the Ombudsman but I frankly wished I hadn't.

October 3, 2022

Review of Quilter


Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good people to deal with but the proof…

Good people to deal with but the proof is in the pudding and we've lost a lot of money this year in what was described as a safe option with likely +4-5% annual growth. It turned out to be over -12% . Let's hope they turn it around. Wished I'd kept it in the banks.

October 10, 2022

Reply from Quilter

Dear Steve, thank you for your feedback; I understand your concerns about current market volatility. We have some support material on the topic of 'investing in uncertain times' available on our website, which you may find useful: www.quilter.com/support-help/investing-in-uncertain-times/.

I also recommend you speak to your financial adviser to discuss your concerns more fully and agree together the best course of action. I’ve passed your feedback on to our Chester office. Liz @ Quilter