Premium price, avoidable mistakes, no goodwill gesture
★★☆☆☆
I chose HEWO because of their excellent reviews and because their products are positioned as a premium option. There were cheaper alternatives available, but I decided to pay more based on the expectation of better quality and service.
Unfortunately, my experience has been mixed.
The order arrived with a damaged cassette, and I later discovered that I had also received the wrong cassette type. The straight cassette I ordered had been replaced with a round cassette, which was not what I selected for my home.
What disappointed me most was not the initial mistake itself, as problems can happen with any company, but how much effort was required on my side to get the issue addressed. After reporting the problem by email, I received no response and had to call twice before I received a clear update on my case.
Throughout the process, responsibility was repeatedly attributed to the delivery company. As a customer, however, I believe my contract is with HEWO, not with the carrier chosen by HEWO. Whether the problem originated during manufacturing, packaging, or transport is not something the customer should need to manage.
To HEWO's credit, once the issue was finally being handled, they sent a replacement cassette very quickly. I have no complaints about the speed of the replacement itself.
However, I was expected to perform the corrective installation myself, despite this being a problem that originated with the order. I was also left with the damaged cassette and no practical solution for its collection or disposal. It is currently taking up space in my shed, and I may have to pay disposal costs myself.
I was also surprised that no goodwill gesture or compensation was offered despite the combination of:
- a damaged product,
- an incorrect product,
- multiple follow-ups required from my side,
- additional installation work,
- and disposal inconvenience.
What makes this particularly surprising is that shortly after I placed my order, the same product became available with a 15% discount. That promotion was still active while I was dealing with the damaged and incorrect order, yet offering that discount as a goodwill gesture did not appear to be considered.
At this point, I cannot yet judge the long-term quality of the blinds themselves. The support team was generally polite and the replacement was sent quickly once the case was escalated. For that reason, I am not leaving a one-star review.
I hope HEWO will continue improving its communication, proactive customer support, delivery process, documentation, and handling of customer issues, because these aspects currently do not match the premium image reflected in many of the company's reviews.