CEF Reviews 

28,957
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.5

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 3,500 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the excellent service, highlighting the ease of ordering and the quality of products. Many appreciate the competitive prices and the convenience of next-day delivery, often noting that items arrive well-packaged and on time. The online ordering process is frequently described as easy to navigate, contributing to a smooth overall experience. However, some people mentioned issues with delivery, including lost parcels, delayed next-day deliveries, or items being delivered to the wrong address. A few customers also experienced problems with incorrect items being shipped or products arriving scratched due to inadequate packaging. Additionally, some reviewers found the delivery costs to be disproportionately high for small items, and others noted that the website's search criteria could be inconsistent.

What people talk about most

Delivery service

Customers consistently note positive experiences with delivery service, frequently praising prompt and fast... See more

Product

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of product quality, with many praising the excellent products and their... See more

Order

Clients share positive opinions on order, with many reviewers finding the ordering process straightforward... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be positive, with many reviewers consistently praising the superfast and excellent... See more

Price

People report positive experiences with price, often noting excellent and competitive pricing for products,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Scott at our branch in Totton always goes that extra mile to source parts, quote a good competitive price and get parts ordered ASAP and most importantly for me keeps us informed as to when parts co... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent product (a PVA cooling towel) which was a game-changer for me in the heatwave we've just had in the UK. It's clearly an excellent product as it's used by construction workers and it was a re... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Straight away it’s a smooth transaction. quote all correct and straight to basket We are long standing clients of CEF and they have always been highly rated by us and now with the online facility it... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our experience with CEF has always been great, regardless of which branch we use. However, the team at the Norwich branch (our core one) in particular is brilliant, with a big shout-out to Will speci... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Electrical Wholesaler
  2. Cable Company
  3. Electrical Appliance Wholesaler
  4. Lighting Wholesaler
  5. Screw Supplier
  6. Solar Energy Equipment Supplier

About CEF

Written by the company

We go above and beyond for our customers wherever and whenever you contact CEF, our focus is to help you.

CEF has a UK national network of 393 branches with electrical experts in-branch ready to help with friendly advice and support to allow you to get the job done. Established in 1951, CEF is privately owned and the business now extends to the USA, Canada, Ireland, Spain, and Australia.

CEF is the expert electrical wholesaler for professional electricians and contractors all over the UK.

Our ‘Same Day In-branch’ range of almost 3,000 electrical products is available in every branch. Our fully trained sales, technical, and service staff are ready to help.

Place online orders for next working day delivery at cef.co.uk from over 300 leading suppliers.

In-branch and online we offer the largest range of products, giving you access to more than 35,000 products.

Our online customer service team is available from 8am to 8pm via phone, email, or live web chat to offer advice and assistance with your queries.

By partnering with Trustpilot we welcome your feedback, helping us ensure your experience is the best it can be.

Stocklists of: Cables and Accessories/Cable Management/CCTV, Fire and Security/Data and Networking/Heating and Ventilation/Industrial Controls/Lamps and Tubes/Lighting Luminaires/Power Tools/Renewables/Switchgear and Distribution/Test Equipment/Tools, Fixings, and Workwear/Wiring Accessories

CEF - Your local Electrical Experts

Written by the company

Over 390 Stores Nationwide
You'll be sure to find a CEF near you
Next Day Delivery
On all orders placed before 6pm
Free Delivery
Spend over £50 and get Free delivery to any mainland UK address or your nearest CEF store
Reserve and Collect
Reserve your products online and collect them from your nearest store
Customer Service
Our dedicated Customer Service team are available Mon - Fri 7.30am - 8pm

Contact info

4.5

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

29K reviews

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1-star

Asks customers to review

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4.5

All reviews

(28,957)

3,286 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Late delivery.

Delivery scheduled for the Friday but did not arrive until the Monday.
No notification of the delay and had to phone to find out new delivery day.
Not a great service.
Product delivered and works fine.

July 2, 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Extremely good customer service

Extremely good customer service. So helpful in response to my telephone enquiry & when my order arrived in store, a member of staff personally delivered it to me on his way home! I have no hesitation in recommending CEF Hove.

June 25, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review and feedback.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The delivery

The delivery, predominately SWA cable arrived on the requested day but, unfortunately, the courier took the individual items off the pallet and brought them loose in their van!
Whilst the cables look un-damaged, the reels have been battered & damaged at the edges.
The driver confirmed that they had removed the goods from the pallet ‘because it would have been difficult to unload’.
I am now concerned that if I order other large goods such as 3-phase distribution boards, which is planned later in the week, they may be treated in a similar manner by the courier (FedEx & their subcontractor).
I look forward to your response.

July 2, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you for your review David.

We apologise that on this occasion we have not provided you with an acceptable level of service.

Our Customer Services team will be in contact with you.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommended

Excellent service I ordered a floor fan and in less than 24 hours it had been delivered and free shipping. The fan is excellent too.

July 2, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review Julia.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bought 24m of three core armoured…

Bought 24m of three core armoured 2.5mm, 80 cleats, rotary three poke isolator and got charged 180 pounds. This is the Huntingdon branch. Tlc is only around 100. Just ripping off the local trades.

July 7, 2026
Unprompted review
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you for your review.

We apologise that on this occasion we have not provided you with an acceptable level of service.

I am afraid no contact details are provided against this review so we are unable to get in contact with you by phone or email, please could you e-mail customerservices@cef.co.uk with your contact details and that this is in reference to a Trustpilot review and one of our team will contact you by return to discuss this issue.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fast delivery

Fast delivery, thanks

July 2, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Your accounts dept are only visiting…

Your accounts dept are only visiting earth, I'm pursued for £120, when I pay over 2k per month on average, sometimes a lot more!
They are wasting my time, medlocks and rexal are offerinf accounts, time to look eleswhere!

July 1, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you for your review.

We apologise that on this occasion we have not provided you with an acceptable level of service.

Our Customer Services team will be in contact with you.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Quick delivery

Quick delivery, just what I wanted

July 1, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Items not in store only online for…

Items not in store only online for example
Quick wire products

July 1, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you for your review Harry.

We apologise that on this occasion we have not provided you with an acceptable level of service.

Our Customer Services team will be in contact with you.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ordered equipment in the afternoon …

Ordered equipment in the afternoon which was delivered to the local store the following morning. Excellent service.

July 1, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review Geoff.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really helpful service

Really helpful service. Good products and prices and quick delivery.

June 17, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review Katharine.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Why impose delivery charges?

I chose CEF because there is a CEF depot nearby so that I can pick goods up thus, so I thought, avoiding a delivery charge. The CEF website stated that there were several of the items I wanted in stock so that it was not necessary to make a special order for this item. Accordingly, one might assume that these items might be included in the the daily (?) stock transfer between depots. I will be cautious about using CEF in the future.

June 17, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you for your review Peter.

We apologise that on this occasion we have not provided you with an acceptable level of service.

Our Customer Services team will be in contact with you.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Reasonable price

Reasonable price, original product. Delivered as specified

June 21, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review Riyaz.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service

Great service, delivery as scheduled.

July 1, 2026
CEF logo

Reply from CEF

Thank you very much for your review Carlton.

Best Regards
Adele Feller (Customer Services Manager)

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