Welshslateproducts Reviews 80

The following review is another re-post because Welsh Slate Products complained that it was not correct and it was removed subject to investigation. After passing Trustpilot documentary evidence of my review, it was upheld as being accurate. Documents included:
1. The original invoice for the Welsh Slate Countertop marked as paid in full. Order placed 9th January 2017.
2. An email to the Gwynedd Trading Standard Office with County Court Claim Order attached.
3. An email from the Gwynedd Trading Standards Office to Welsh Slate Products advising refund, including Court Costs. (Refund was eventually made, after two cheques were refused by the bank, on 6th December 2017 - 11 months after paying for a slate countertop which never arrived!)
4. An email to Gwynedd Trading Standards Office correcting Welsh Slate Products statement as it was not factual and distorted facts.
5. Finally, an email from Welsh Slate Products stating that I MUST remove my negative reviews from Trustpilot BEFORE any refund is sent. Which to get my money back I reluctantly agreed to. There is a word in the English Language which describes this action, however I am not allowed to use it here.

The following review has been modified twice to comply with the Trustpilot guidelines. I would also add that it seems Welsh Slate Products are doing their best to prevent this review being posted as it illustrates, with evidence provided to Trustpilot, that he does not provide the service he describes:

Welsh Slate Products is a total shambles. I ordered a slate countertop in December 2016 - and I am still waiting. During this period I have had many, many, many promises made for manufacture and delivery and everyone has been broken. I have over 100 emails on file fighting for justice - I have had to resort to issuing a County Court Claim Order, contacting my MP, and contacting Trading Standards - and it seems he is still allowed to carry on this business without punishment. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS PERSON / BUSINESS. He will promise you the world - and my experience is far from that. Once I had paid for the slate cill, I had excuse after excuse for non-delivery ranging from a family bereavement, lost paperwork, busy at work, will ship order "tomo", “have sent order” - when it had not been sent and many, many more. Do not just take my word on this, pick up the phone and speak to the other local slate quarries about this, speak to Trading Standards, speak to the delivery companies and couriers, ask them about Welsh Slate Products, you will soon learn that the man is well known and many businesses refuse to deal with him. Like me, they fail to understand how this person is still allowed to trade.

You may well ask why I am still fighting for justice. It is because Welsh Slate Products contacted me after the County Court Order had been issued and after Trading Standards contacted him reminding him of an Agreement he signed where, because of other complaints, he was told he needed to work STRICTLY within the rules laid down by the council. In our conversation an offer of compensation was made as Welsh Slate Products wanted to prove to me this was all a big mistake and they were a reliable and honest company to deal with, the offer was "goods to the value of £200", my response was "why don't you just manufacture and delivery a slate countertop, like I wanted in the first place". This was agreed - and the date was the 21st November 2017... Well, after a battle with the banks after two cheques bounced, the refund was eventually received on the 6th December 2017.

Many, many more emails later Welsh Slate Products eventually sent, as compensation, a slate countertop. On delivery I asked the courier help me inspect the slate to make sure it was what I ordered as there had been a mix-up with another customer where goods had been re-directed. Just as well I did. The packaging was just a layer of bubble wrap in tape which, when opened showed the slate had been smashed into six or seven pieces. The slate was rejected, re-wrapped and sent back - and feedback I received was a complaint because they had manufactured a fresh piece (even though the original had never been seen), it was broken and they had paid for delivery twice! So, again, more emails and phone calls… We reach April 2018. 16 months after the order was placed; 12 months after the original County Court Order was issued; 4 months after an agreement was reached for compensation and a refund received; 2 months after a broken slate countertop was delivered, inspected, found to be broken and rejected....AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR MY SLATE COUNTERTOP.

It is now the 23rd April 2018, this review is being written for the fourth time because Welsh Slate Products insist it breaks the Law. My question is – “how does this rank against not delivering a Slate cill under a mutual agreement – an offer and acceptance – A Contact to deliver Goods!”.

For any other customers of Welsh Slate Products who find themselves caught in this trap, please consider reporting any breach of contract to the Gwynedd Trading Standards because they are monitoring Welsh Slate Products to confirm that they are, or are not, performing to the standards outlined in the Agreement with the Council. Welsh Slate Products have been warned that they must abide by these standards or risk action against them.

Ben does a good job at a fair price would recommend is service
Nice and pleasant ask any questions and he will help you out

Ben looked after us brilliantly and produced a really nice bespoke slate shelf.
The delivery was fast and the product well packaged.Thoroughly recommended.

I can't comment on the reviews below but I had a much different experience.

Ordered a made to measure welsh slate hearth, it was made very quickly and delivered next day.

The product is brilliant and looks amazing!

AVOID!!!!!! Ordered slate and was promised delivery within a week. Nothing turned up. Followed by repeated lies, hundreds of emails sent by me - Ben replied with variations of 'it's in its way, I'm in hospital, it's been lost ' excuse after excuse. Asked for refund repeatedly to which I was told no, product turned up after 6 weeks (after threatening court action and police) and slate is in 2 pieces, both of which are different colours so looks horrendous. Absolutely appalled by this experience please avoid at all costs if you ever want to see your money again!!!!

I recently came across Ben and ordered some Welsh slate products as I've been renovating my home. The prices were reasonable, communication was clear and prompt delivery. Very happy with the service and products I received.

Purchased a lovely slate hearth from this company. hadn't read any of these reviews until i had paid deposit, so was a little anxious. To be fair i couldn't fault the service and communication, delivered on time and a fantastic colour and price. Thanks

If you want to see your money again, don't bother.

Without going into infinite detail, I can echo the sentiments of some of the negative reviews on here. Repeated lies, some of which were believable, some were frankly hilarious, the local transport companies he uses know him well and try to avoid.

Don't be pulled in by the prices...The only reasonable thing about WelshSlateProducts.com.

I was very happy with the service. The communication was quick. It felt a bit rushed at points, and I was a bit concerned that my order would have a mistake. However, it turned up on time and as I ordered (I ordered 2 pieces of rectangular honed slate). It was delivered to a very quick turnaround too. If I need more slate at any point in the future, I would be happy to use the company again. Thank you.

I ordered slate window and door sills from these cowboys last October, as part of a build project. I finally got them last week, after countless promises of delivery and excuses over the last two months. When I say countless, actually I can count the catalogue of promises and excuses - 46 texts, around 30 emails and as many phone calls. Other reviewers on here have expressed similar frustrations. If you do make the mistake of using them, use different phones to contact them, as once they recognise your number you'll get no answer and the excuse book comes out. You'll phone Ben, no pickup, but you'll get a text within a minute or so. "Can't talk now I'm on a train" or in the quarry (they don't actuality have one) or at the hospital or driving (interesting how he can't speak but can text).

It's never Ben's fault though - he'll use any excuse, usually blaming his supplier or the courier. In January he told me they'd been dispatched. I drove over to the delivery address (3 hours drive) and waited in for 3 days. No sign. So I offered to liaise with the courier directly. He wouldn't give me their number. Why on earth not? Because he'd never sent them. Another lie. Exactly the same happened the following week. Then through January and February I had a series of broken promises.

I do at last have my sills now - but I had to go and collect them. A 3 hour drive, followed by a 2 hour drive in another direction to take them to the build site. Ben promised to refund delivery charges, but he's now gone to ground again, not responding to phone calls, texts or emails.

I cannot recommend these people (actually, despite the professional looking website, I think it's a one man band, or Ben and his mate). Find another supplier, even if they're significantly more expensive or at the other end of the country. AVOID THEM.

I got in touch with Welsh Slate Products looking for some slate shelves to incorporate into wine bins I was installing in my cellar. Ben Edge responded very quickly to my e-mail enquiry, offered me a quotation for polished slate, which was about double my budget, but after I explained what I wanted, he quickly revised the specification and halved the quote. Great to have Welsh slate in the cellar to go with the Welsh slate on my roof!

Still waiting for slate or refund of deposit 2 years later!!

Bought two slate hearths from Ben for a renovation project, this is the fourth or fifth purchase the other being various door and window cills for refurbs. Always found Ben's prices to be keen, products of good quality and the turn around exceptionally fast - which is just what I need and rare for this type of product.
Fantastic communication always.

I have a barn that has 17C flagstones in the middle of it and I wanted to get some Welsh Slate that would sit alongside my original flagstones, in what would have been the cattle byres. Ben assured me his slate was from a quarry in North Wales and thus would match with my original slates. Delivery was prompt and I am thrilled with my finished barn floor. Thank you Ben

I'm now fitting a slate surface and making a hearth, and my only reservations are that the undersides are a bit rougher than I was expecting. As I'm a first time purchaser of natural slate, I can't compare to previous purchases.

I am giving 1 star only because it isn't possible to give a big fat zero. Our experience has been similar to J's, posted in July, except that, 8 months after placing our order, we are still waiting for 1 of the piece's we ordered for our kitchen. We placed an order for kitchen worktops, upstands etc at the end of March. Mid April he said they were ready to deliver and requested payment of the balance, which we sent immediately. That was the start of 8 months of increasingly bizarre excuses and lies, which could fill a book. They included: his driver was going to drop off on way back from London. We live in Wales, why would our slate have to travel from Wales to London and back to Wales again. Makes no sense. His old standby of broken down machines was another excuse. His driver had kept our slate in lieu of a debt he, Ben Edge, owed him. He wasn't happy with the finish of one piece and was getting it redone. And so many more!
The first piece we received, about 3 months after we'd paid in full, was good. The last piece we went to pick up, from one of his "storage facilities" (which was actually the gateway to his father's house, where our slate was left leaning against a wall) was poorly finished. 2 of the pieces were the wrong size. We took it anyway and will get a professional to finish it, at extra cost to us. I can't believe this man is still in business. We have met people who know him, in our efforts to track down our slate, and they were unsurprised at our saga. Apparently, he has a reputation. Not a good one. Steer clear.

I ordered a piece of slate that I needed to arrive before a specific date ready for our wood burner to be installed. I was unsure of exactly what I wanted, but Ben was very helpful and emailed photos of some examples & was happy to answer any questions I had. I paid a deposit and the slate was ready & delivered within 48hrs as promised. Very happy with the product and the company. I have already recommended to a friend.

They charged me up-front, delivery was scheduled 4 days ago and I am still waiting for it after about 10 phone calls. Every time I call them to complain that they missed delivery slot, they change delivery time and that never happens. Very bad business, best stay away from this company, do not get fooled by professional-looking website and friendly contact person.

This company is awful! Communication was good at the start (when he wanted the deposit) and the price was very competitive with other quotes received. I was told approximately 4 weeks to have the piece of slate finished, so around 5 weeks I called him and got the answer phone, for which he texted me back saying that one piece had gone to be finished but there was a problem with it, so they had had to start again. Fair enough. It was to be a priority and would have it sent out within 2 weeks.

2 weeks goes by and I hear nothing - after numerous calls, texts and emails I get a text asking me what were the dimensions of the of the piece???? I had finished all of the other work on the job, and this was the final job to complete, and therefore holding up my payment. Until the slate was installed, I could not finish, and therefore the electricians installing sockets could not finish either, and the client wasn't going to pay until the job was complete.

Calling him everyday didn't work, stupid excuses arose and it all became a bit of a joke. Then I managed to find this review website (should have looked beforehand) and my heart sunk as I thought I'd never see my £600 deposit again. After my very helpful client got involved (he obviously picked up the phone as he thought it was a new customer) we finally got the slate delivered, even though it was 5 weeks late and turned up on a van with no means of getting it off?? - It took 4 of us to move it.

The 1 star is because the piece of slate is fairly good, but the service was terrible, what seemed like lots of lies and I have had a very similar experience to many other (more unfortunate) people on here.

NB - and he must have left my telephone number on someone else's invoice, as another poor unwitting customer angrily rang me to ask where their slate was?!? I have been in my industry for 13 years and have never encountered bad service like this.

We contacted Welsh Slate Products through an advert we had seen on ebay. We were looking for 2 bespoke pieces of slate for a hearth. Ben was extremely helpful and obliging, even pointing out that the back piece the log burner was to be fitted on could be cut thin and mounted on concrete, hence saving us some money - this was something we hadn't even considered.
Initially, contact was smooth and responses quick and in no time we had emailed Ben the dimensions of the pieces required and an image of the empty hearth into which they were to be fitted.
We had an incredibly difficult time sourcing slate locally that met our specification - rustic and riven as if taken straight out the ground. Ben understood our requirements exactly. We were quoted a very reasonable price including delivery and were requested to transfer 50% of the money upfront which we did immediately.
Now to say it was plain sailing actually getting the slate would be a lie. The original delivery date came and went with no delivery. Ben was uncontactable for a couple of days. When we made contact it was explained that he needed to re-cut the pieces. Fair enough. He kindly offered to drop the pieces off as he was working in our area. The second delivery date was set. However, the day before (and we had been trying to make contact for a few days to find out what time delivery would be) Ben realised we were Newcastle upon Tyne, not Newcastle under Lyme and therefore he wouldn't be passing and couldn't deliver. The second delivery date therefore came and went. Ben arranged a courier which added money to the original price but it was still reasonable. We needed to transfer this money in advance of the delivery to pay the courier which we did. We were told the slate had been despatched and the tracking info would be sent to us. Well it didn't come through and again we couldn't get hold of Ben for several days. We began to think our money had gone as internet reviews seemed to be very negative. Yet the tracking info came through eventually after much pestering on our part and a quick call to the courier confirmed the slate was on its way and the next delivery to be made. And the slate didn't disappoint. It was absolutely beautiful and perfectly cut to our measurements and required finish. One problem - there was only 1 piece, the front piece!! We managed to contact Ben immediately who admitted he has forgotten about the back piece and promised to get it cut and shipped ASAP. This he did with no further cost to us. It was equally as perfect and to spec as the first piece.
In our opinion, Welsh Slate Products/Ben are a quality company with genuine products. Ben is clearly an extremely busy guy and means well, although he is sometimes unable to produce the goods on time. I'm sure there are worse crimes than taking on too much and being over-worked?! Yes we were frustrated at the time and yes the delays with the slate held up our installation but was it worth it in the end? ABSOLUTELY. Give a busy guy a break we say.
Cheers Ben.