Disappointing Experience: Unsafe Installation and Poor Customer Support That Contradicts Their Marketing
Our experience with Frank & Pig (Flexton Associates Ltd) was extremely disappointing. We paid £800 upfront for a bespoke log store, but during installation a visible gap was left at the rear and side where it sits against the fence, and the unit was unstable and wobbled. The installer arrived late and unprepared, without spare wood or appropriate tools to allow for any on-site allowances or even minor adaptations, and relied on my husband to help carry and position the log store. We had to supply a piece of wood ourselves to stabilise it, as the installer had none, and without it the installation would have been unsafe. While this reduced the wobble and partially closed the gap, it remained visible, mismatched, and unsightly.
Initially, Nichola acknowledged the issue, stating, “I do appreciate how small details like this can stand out.” She suggested either disguising the gap with planting or arranging for the installer to return for a nominal fee when next in the area. We agreed to the installer returning for the nominal fee. However, within 72 hours she reversed this position, focusing solely on the cosmetic nature of the gap and referring to the wood we supplied as a “cosmetic, non-contractual” addition that “falls outside the agreed specification.” This ignored the fact that the wood was required for the safety and stability of the log store. Calls were deliberately ignored, and emails became cold, unhelpful, and obstructive. She suggested we hire another tradesman at our own expense, yet refused to provide details of the wood used, stating, “As the timber is supplied through our trade channels, we do not provide supplier links or sourcing details.”
Despite their website promoting a kind, collaborative, customer-focused service, this was not our experience. Once an issue emerged, Nichola became defensive, hostile, unresponsive, and obstructive, causing significant and unnecessary stress. We were not seeking perfection — only that the gap be reasonably improved using consistent materials.
Frank & Pig insisted on 100% upfront payment and, when a problem arose, refused to assist, using every excuse possible to avoid arranging for the installer to return — even at our expense — leaving us with no option other than considering issuing a claim against them.
Sadly, we cannot recommend Frank & Pig and advise others to proceed with caution. Whilst I am loath to say it, Nichola’s initial friendly approach proved misleading and insincere. We have retained all correspondence to support the facts stated in this review, including her email to us today confirming, “We will be keeping communication in writing and will not be discussing this by telephone.”
Update following reply:
Thank you for your response. However, it does not address the central issue we raised.
The additional timber was not requested purely to reduce a visible gap; it was required to stabilise the log store, which was unstable and unsafe without it. This was evident on the day of installation, and without that intervention the unit would have remained insecure.
The suggestion that this was a “site-specific condition that was not evident in advance” is not accepted. Photographs of the intended location were provided to you in advance of manufacture and installation, and these clearly showed the wall and fence arrangement. It was not reasonable to rely on us to supply additional timber to stabilise the log store. Any temporary solution on the day should have been treated as that, until a return visit could be arranged.
Reframing this as a cosmetic matter does not reflect what occurred. We were not seeking refinement or perfection — only a safe and reasonably finished installation using consistent materials.
Unfortunately, once the issue was raised, communication became increasingly rigid and defensive, and no practical solution was upheld despite being initially offered, even at our expense. This experience is why we cannot recommend Frank & Pig and why we would advise customers to avoid, and go straight to the manufacturer directly. Frank & Pig won’t tell you that they don’t make the log stores but that they are made by a company in Staffordshire! We only found out after. In the spirit of being fair and transparent you would expect them to volunteer this to their customers.
Based on our experience, Frank & Pig show no interest in their customers or in building a relational, customer-focused service, but instead operate in a purely transactional manner. Frank & Pig say they aim to be fair and transparent but our experience involved withdrawn offers, avoided phone calls, refusal to provide details of the timber used, follow through on solutions proposed, and a petty approach to what could have been straightforward to resolve.
20 January 2026
Unprompted review
