Wickes advertise hardwood ply, but deliver softwood ply

[sometimewoodworker]

I wonder if someone elsewhere is amazed at the high quality of the plywood he ordered from Wickes to make some forms for a concrete foundation.

Well he ordered

b
but actually wanted to order

so it’s a case of not looking at what you order

 

[TRITON]

As above, didnt look at all the options closely enough.

I'll see if they'll exchange.

 

[Matt_0222]

As above, didnt look at all the options closely enough.

I'll see if they'll exchange.

Rubbish they’ve mixed it up. If you give them a call, the person I spoke to at Wickes when they messed my order up was really helpful. That’s not their hardwood plywood - it’s their softwood so they’ve def. messed their order up. It’s exactly what they did with me. The Wickes hardwood should look like attached photo. They should be able to get the right order out in the next day or so. Sometimes they just redeliver and you keep the wrong order. Sometimes they do recollect - make sure to ask if you dev. don’t want it to stay. Either way, you’ve got all the normal online purchase return rights so nothing to worry about.

Ps. Re-reading the thread looks like you needed to order the specific hardwood option. Easy to miss! They’ll be fine swapping it.

 

[SamG340]

As above, didnt look at all the options closely enough.

I'll see if they'll exchange.

Triton, do you know about your consumer rights ?

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/i-want-to-return-something-bought-online-aqsD32m9r5P3
You have the right to cancel any online order for up to 14 days after delivery

 

[SamG340]

Online returns timelines
You have the right to cancel at any time from the moment you place your online order, and up to 14 days from the day you receive your goods. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘cooling-off period’.

You need to notify the retailer of your wish to cancel your order within this time period – by email, for example.

You then have a further 14 days from the date you notify the retailer of your cancellation to return the goods.

 

[Sandyn]

Im sure Wicks customer service will look to please and arrange return and refund. Bloody hell no sympathy from you lot eh

The main picture should have a disclaimer saying it's not necessarily representative of the delivered product. Even though they have supposedly covered themselves by the appropriate wording/spec/pictures elsewhere. They have deliberately tried to mislead the buyer, by not showing both types in the main product photo. The argument about not reading the description properly is offset by them not selling what they show in the picture. Don't accept it. I'm sure they will put things right.

 

[stuart little]

Up until the Eastern World went 'pear shaped', or should that be :- Went South? I've used Gibbs & Dandy for my timber. Their ply had always been v.good quality & with free delivery, 15 miles in my case, when local merchants [2 within 3/4mile of me would want £5-£10 del.] & G&D were/are? cheaper than local.
I've just paid £42 online for this 'loverly' chunk of castello boxwood from Timberline. 55 x 70 x 100 cm.. I've seen log-sized lumps go for more on 'fleabay', so I am happy with this.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Rubbish they’ve mixed it up. If you give them a call, the person I spoke to at Wickes when they messed my order up was really helpful. That’s not their hardwood plywood - it’s their softwood so they’ve def. messed their order up. It’s exactly what they did with me. The Wickes hardwood should look like attached photo. They should be able to get the right order out in the next day or so. Sometimes they just redeliver and you keep the wrong order. Sometimes they do recollect - make sure to ask if you dev. don’t want it to stay. Either way, you’ve got all the normal online purchase return rights so nothing to worry about.

Ps. Re-reading the thread looks like you needed to order the specific hardwood option. Easy to miss! They’ll be fine swapping it.

They did not mix up the order they supplied the ordered items exactly as shown on the website.
The problem was that @TRITION mixed up his order as he has acknowledged above.

He ordered structural plywood which has a B/CC grade and is supplied as hardwood or softwood depending on stock.

He almost certainly wanted a hardwood plywood with a B/BB grade or better and that is the non-structural plywood I show above that is slightly cheaper and has a better reverse side.

They may well do something for him, that is down to the customer service choice.

The main takeaway from this is that there are virtually no bargains to be found in plywood. You virtually always have to pay for the quality you want.

FWIW I have some locally produced plywood which is A/A grade it is about 4+ times the price paid by TRITON and will be much more than that if bought in the U.K. as you have an extra 20%VAT + shipping + storage + low demand.

As plywood is produced here there are economies of transport and tax along with the fact that a local maker of doors (so large consumer of plywood) also sells retail, so I am able to find a good plywood at a reasonable price

structural grade will be more expensive than non structural or have lower quality face veneers for the same price.

 

[Matt_0222]

They did not mix up the order they supplied the ordered items exactly as shown on the website.
The problem was that @TRITION mixed up his order as he has acknowledged above.

He ordered structural plywood which has a B/CC grade and is supplied as hardwood or softwood depending on stock.

He almost certainly wanted a hardwood plywood with a B/BB grade or better and that is the non-structural plywood I show above that is slightly cheaper and has a better reverse side.

They may well do something for him, that is down to the customer service choice.

The main takeaway from this is that there are virtually no bargains to be found in plywood. You virtually always have to pay for the quality you want.

FWIW I have some locally produced plywood which is A/A grade it is about 4+ times the price paid by TRITON and will be much more than that if bought in the U.K. as you have an extra 20%VAT + shipping + storage + low demand.

As plywood is produced here there are economies of transport and tax along with the fact that a local maker of doors (so large consumer of plywood) also sells retail, so I am able to find a good plywood at a reasonable price

structural grade will be more expensive than non structural or have lower quality face veneers for the same price.

Thanks for the clarification. I think it makes sense why they delivered the ‘wrong’ product to me too. I’d agree with @TRITON that’s it is misleading in the photo if you’re not ‘in the know’. It just looks at first glance like you’ve got the same option for structural as you do for non structural. The customer services team were great with me - to the extent they didn’t actually tell me what had gone wrong, they just replaced it.

The customer service team don’t have a choice on what to do as we’re covered in the uk by distance selling regulations where we get 14 days to return any product if bought online. So if we say I’d like to return it, they have to accept that. Companies also have to be clear on their websites on their listing so if you feel like their post is misleading, there are protections for that too - which would mean that they’d have to cover the pickup cost too (which I think Wickes would do anyway as they have a good reputation for customer service.

In terms of price, 4x the price for what will essentially be basic storage is more than most of us can stretch too! For Fancy furniture it would be worth it - but otherwise it’s worth the compromise.

Apologies @TRITON if I’ve contributed to the confusion and mix-up hope you manage to get it all sorted out.

 

[ivan]

Both products are advertised as having a B grade face (B/CC and B/BB) so whilst the softwood structural will have a very rough reverse, the face should not be wildly different from the non structural hardwood, surely (smooth tight knots, loose knots patched?)

 

[morqthana]

Triton, do you know about your consumer rights ?

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/i-want-to-return-something-bought-online-aqsD32m9r5P3
You have the right to cancel any online order for up to 14 days after delivery

Again - check this, but I'm pretty sure that if it's purely a change of mind, yes you have the right, but you have to bear the cost of return.

 

[morqthana]

Maybe the plan should be to hire a van, go to the store, and choose your sheets. Or buy from somewhere with a cutting service so you can fit the wood in the car, or go armed with a cordless circular saw.

Or change the car - I knew someone once who had one of those giant American station wagons - he could fit 8'x4' sheets in the back.

 

[SamG340]

Again - check this, but I'm pretty sure that if it's purely a change of mind, yes you have the right, but you have to bear the cost of return.

Correct, you have the right to return for any reason even just because you've changed your mind. But like you said you'd be responsible for cost of return.

 

[SamG340]

I think I'm right in saying that you can go into Wickes, load up your trolley, pay for it at the till and have them deliver it

 

[Sandyn]

Well, that looks like what was purchased. So, in summary the written description was clear and concise, the illustrative photos were in this case similar to what was delivered. Well done Wicks.

You have to select an option to see what you might get. That selection is not immediately obvious. There is a reason why the page defaults to the better looking product. You have to ask why they wouldn't default to the scabby looking product?? because they would sell less. I'm sure the page has been designed exactly for that reason and the option to view the alternative product will have been constructed to make it not so obvious.
My son used to do the statistical analysis for a games site. The purpose was to maximise profit. Different users might see different things a random selection of users would be selected for a trial. Of course the user had no idea they were being used. They would then do the statistical analysis on the profitability of doing it. I would be amazed if Wickes and all other large on-line sellers didn't use the same analysis.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

In terms of price, 4x the price for what will essentially be basic storage is more than most of us can stretch too! For Fancy furniture it would be worth it - but otherwise it’s worth the compromise.

I doubt that it will be that fancy, but yes it is for a specific project as I agree that teak plywood with both face veneers measuring over 1 mm thick that are rift or possibly plain sawn (they have been in my rack for a few years so I don’t remember) would be rather extravagant for anything but display pieces.

 

[Bingy man]

Im sure Wicks customer service will look to please and arrange return and refund. Bloody hell no sympathy from you lot eh

If I ordered this plywood as per the pics of the decent looking brown ply but received that ugly looking shuttering ply I,d be as upset as you are and would be shouting from the rooftops to wickes cust service. I don’t wish to pour salt on your wounds but were you not at home when it was delivered ?? I ordered some 4x 2 par and requested straight and true lengths. The lass on the till said they can’t promise but if it was not suitable when delivered to not accept the delivery. As for there disclaimer then why didn’t they show both options and put the disclaimer in bold red print. at the very least this could be considered as misleading. Not familiar with all these technical terms and grades but I have purchased general purpose plywood and apart from those annoying voids and filled areas it’s been fine for my use . What they have sent you looks like the roughest shuttering ply I’ve ever seen. Go with the advert is misleading and the product is not fit for purpose. Nb if you paid by credit card you may have an option to claim you money back under ( not fit for purpose) good luck

 

[sometimewoodworker]

As for there disclaimer then why didn’t they show both options.

Nb if you paid by credit card you may have an option to claim you money back under ( not fit for purpose)

they do show both types that may get supplied. They are not options. They are possibilities.

Structural plywood is not designed for display so has different design criteria

( not fit for purpose) doesn’t apply unless there was a conversation and the purpose was specifically given.
the plywood is fit for the purpose described on the website “A structural panel with many uses including flooring, shuttering, sheathing, packaging, roofing and walling”

( not fit for purpose) doesn’t cover ”i wanted something for one job and bought something designed for a different job (did not describe the job I wanted to the salesman) so I’m sure I can demand it be exchanged because I screwed up”

( not fit for purpose) is for “we said it would do x,y,z jobs, it does not”

 

[morqthana]

None of that matters. He can just change his mind and send it back. They may, as a gesture of goodwill, not charge him for the collection. If they don't - result, but they are under no obligation to.

 

[pe2dave]

Where to find information on this B/BB etc information please?