Complaint Review: www.theshuttercompanynet

Okay so here goes! My report is about www.theshuttercompany.net. The Shutter Company. Or Total Shutters Ltd. Owned by Yusef El Ansari. I have never filed an online report / complaint in my life and I am only doing this after 7 months of stress and 7 months of this company having several hundred pounds of money and giving me nothing for it. I don't want anyone else to be scammed like I have.

October 2012: Contacted company. Rob attended house. Seemed very friendly and knowledgeable. Came in sign written van with samples. Quoted 800 which was very reasonable price. Advised 50% to be paid up front. 50% on installation. Install would be second week Jan 2013. Paid 400 later that week on debit card via office. Received email receipt. So far so good!

January 2013: No blinds arrived. Hear nothing.

February 2013: Become concerned. Place several calls to company number 0845 434 6064. First issue. This is NOT ANSWERED BY THE SHUTTER COMPANY. Its answered by a 3rd party call centre. All they can do is send an email message to The Shutter Company. As an existing customer enquiry this route WILL NEVER GET A REPLY. So basically you have no route to the company who have your money. I must have left 30+ messages with this number over the months and never received one reply. I may as well be calling the talking clock. As they have nothing to do with the business of The Shutter company no matter what you say to them they do not care and are in fact quite uninterested.

In desperation and months after company happily taking my 400 and months after blinds due to be installed I ring and pose as new customer. Surprise surprise I get a callback within 48 hours! Its Rob. Tell him my tale of woe. He apologises profusely and promises to get owner Yusef to contact me. HOORAY Yusef actually rings and advises "supplier problems". He seems plausible and I am excited to hear he will give me 200 off balance and the blinds will "definitely" be delivered 2nd week March (more fool me). Yusef gives me his mobile number (07966 161311 in case you need it).

March 2013: No blinds delivered. No response to my numerous calls to call centre and Yusef mobile.

April 2013: Leave a text of all the complaint avenues I will go down if Yusef does not reply. After a few weeks of this Yusef FINALLY replies promising a refund within 4 days. SURPRISE SURPRISE no refund given. I text Yusef 6 times after this chasing. No reply. I call the mobile and estimated 15 times. No reply. I text Yusef to tell him he is a con man. He replies to say he has refunded me. I tell him my bank say otherwise and challenge him to provide proof if he is indeed the innocent wronged party. He is mysteriously silent.

All in all I estimate maybe 100 calls. 20 text messages. Countless hours. Yet still no blinds and this scammer has my 400. It should be criminal. I am disgusted by him. I am now investigating routes via my bank although sadly I used a debit and not credit card.

I am only one of several people complaining about this company on this site. No doubt Yusef will say he has refunded me. HE HAS NOT. I have giing him ample opportunity to prove this and prove its a banking mistake. He goes silent.

Do not buy anything from this company. 1) They will not supply your goods 2) They are totally uncontactable once they have your cash 3) A quick search of them reveals they have several outstanding CCJs 4) Many other customers on the web have similar experiences.

You may as well burn your money as give it to them.

Go to another shutter brand. It may be  a little bit more expensive but no point them being cheap if its a con!