Originally Posted by Bigboy9i

So there you go...


Teak garden furniture.

Some people sell grade a, some people sell grade b, and some people sell grade c, and some people sell various grades.

Some people sell treated furniture, some people sell untreated furniture, and some people sell both treated and untreated furniture.

Some people buy garden furniture having researched and knowing what they are buying, and some people buy garden furniture having done no research whatsoever and therefore have not a clue what they have ordered.

They then moan because they have not got what they expected, even though they did not have a clue what they were ordering in the first place.

In this country we moan a lot, we have got it down to a fine art..if we are not collectively miserable then life is unfair...this is not to say however that we are always wrong, because we aren't.

Much teak furniture is untreated, because for every buyer who says wow...that finish is just what I wanted, there's one buyer who wanted it just as nature intended...

It's a bit of a pain to 'untreat' wood, so easier to leave it raw and up to the buyer whatever finish floats their boat...

How many people can tell the difference between heartwood and acid treated teak.

In my experience most people go by the looks alone...if it fits their predetermined idea of 'nice' then it doesn't matter whether it's untreated grade b, or acid treated grade c.

Much as in the way many people are mugged off into paying top dollar for designer labels which are churned out in some sweaty far eastern workhouse...

Going back to furniture...

The difference on most occasions is a lot more money and a bit of acid, stick a label on saying John Lewis and suddenly oh wow, apparently it's fantastic...

Wessex teak don't use acid, neither do they have any alluring labels...They sell furniture, at a cut price to you.

If it's cheaper than most others, it's because they have less overheads, and fewer staff, doing more work. (One of my weeks work would have most sane people crying for their mummy).

anyway, I've said enough.



Ray.

Originally Posted by dinosek

I still don't understand why you thing people can't complain about the ''furniture'' you are selling. Most of the people don't even know about grades of teak so never complain when it arrives because it looks ''good'' but last just for a season (and then it is too late to complaing). I have bought GRADE B furniture from your company and I am left with horrible Grade C, did have to wait 10 days till one of you decided to put screws in to the envelope and post them to me.
Anyway your terms&conditions say you can return furniture (as it is standard when buying goods over internet) but customer service doesn't exist and when you get to talk to someone they are rude.

ANYONE READING THIS DO NOT EVEN THINK OF BUYING ANYTHING FROM WESSEX TEAK OR PRESTIGE TEAK!!!

Originally Posted by Bigboy9i

No-one says you cant complain...

I don't sell garden furniture, just deliver it...

Don't know anything about your particular transaction, but I personally have had grade c furniture in the garden for the past three years without problems, apart from the dog chewing it as a pup, it still does what it was intended to do.

had the screw task been given to me, you'd have had your screws in a couple of days.

I'm not exactly what you'd call rude, here or anywhere else.


...and putting me out of a job will achieve what exactly?

What exactly is so 'horrible' about your furniture?


As a rule grade c furniture is usually given stick from those people who either expected house of fraser quality at oxfam prices, or know little about teak in the first place.

Grade c furniture has a lot of potential if you know what you are doing, if not then maybe people should be buying grade a...

But there are no guarantees that grade a teak would satisfy you, maybe finish wise, but the cost would have you reaching for the heart attack pills...


Frankly as a driver I am surprised by the number of people who will spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds on garden furniture, while their garden gate or fence is rotting away...

obviously I don't say 'ere john, your fence is rotten, wouldn't a few new fencing panels be a more useful buy, currently?'

It just seems very odd.


Ray.

Originally Posted by naomi

In a way, bigboy seems to have a point. If people are stupid enough to expect to get top quality Grade A furniture for those kind of prices without doing their research then they do carry some of the responsibility. I have had a quick look at their site and nowhere can I see them claiming their teak to be grade A although saying that they do not state its grade C either.

There are other companies there who just lie on their sites. One is Humber teak who claims to sell grade A teak where in fact they sell grade c or b which has been treated with chemicals. at least Wessex teak has no chemicals on it to hide the grade c.

not saying I would buy from Wessex or prestige teak but just saying that if you expect to get top quality for peanuts, its partly your fault for not checking further.

Originally Posted by dinosek

The think is that I have called Wessex teak and asked about the Grades and they sold me grade B which was a good deal. Unfortunatelly they delivered grade C so I guess I have the right to complain. If they just tried to resolve the problem I would never need to write here and I believe they would never have so many bad reviews. There are always going to be people angry about them if they have NO customer service.

Originally Posted by dinosek

The think is that I have called Wessex teak and asked about the Grades and they sold me grade B which was a good deal. Unfortunatelly they delivered grade C so I guess I have the right to complain. If they just tried to resolve the problem I would never need to write here and I believe they would never have so many bad reviews. There are always going to be people angry about them if they have NO customer service.

Originally Posted by Bigboy9i

For what you are expecting it'll cost you around £5000, so really you have to make a choice....do you spend £5000 at least, or do you spend £1400 and apply the finish of your choice.

As an aside note on the issue of grade C teak in general. I personally can take a grade C set and make it into something the mother-in-law would wet her pants over, because I am prepared to put in the effort to make it so.

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with grade C teak, only a bunch of asshole grade A suppliers who would rather you spent £5000 with them, and get annoyed when another supplier undercuts them with an item which is simply a bit lighter in colour, but lasts every bit as long.

So let this be an end of the so-called crap grade C argument...Grade A can be just rough as an indonesian back street suppliers grade C...

Like the old argument, its not what you have got...its what you do with it that counts...

so...learn how to treat and prepare teak, or go to Harrods and spend lots of money.


Ray.

Originally Posted by naomi

I have seen real grade A teak and fully machine made for as little as £800 so I have no idea where you get £5000 from. It seems to me that you are the one who is getting a bit annoyed as people are getting a bit smarter now and realise it’s well worth spending extra and getting something that will really last a lifetime. I have no idea how you can claim that Grade C is the same as grade A. Grade C is mostly sapwood and contains no natural oils at all. Grade A is made out of the heartwood which is infinitely stronger and contains lots of protective oils which is what teak is famous for. Grade C more often than not tend to sell their teak wet. I.e., in the majority of cases, their teak has not been kiln dried which means your teak will warp and split in a very short time. The information is all out there for those who are interested in learning.