About
What this website is for
The purpose of this website is to show the experience that a customer of Express Bi Folding Doors Limited (expressbifolds.co.uk) might expect. Whilst the website (currently) only showcases the experience of one customer (but several problems), some of the issues experienced appear to be typical of others judging from comments on Trustpilot. Specifically, whilst the pre-sales process was very professional, problems with the survey, manufacturing and installation became evident very quickly during installation. The company is very slow to respond to problems, but is very quick to try and pass the blame on the customer, even when it is very clear that Express are entirely to blame.
If other customers of Express Bi Folding Doors Limited have had similar issues and would like to warn other potential customers, please feel free to drop me an email to info@expressbifolds-customer-experience.co.uk.
Tilt & Turn Window
In the showroom, we decided we would like Express to supply a Tilt & Turn window (instead of the door which we had planned to purchase from another supplier.)
- We were quoted for a Tilt & Turn window (which we accepted)
- We were invoiced for a Tilt & Turn window
- The Express surveyor measured for a Tilt & Turn window
- The survey report stated "Tilt & Turn window"
- What was delivered was a fixed window. (The half-fitted fixed window is shown in the photograph).
The really disturbing thing is that I had noticed that the installation team had listed a fixed window instead of a a tilt & turn window, and I had pointed this out to them. The person I had emailed acknowledged my email, and copied 4 other people, who obviously totally ignored it. This episode clearly demonstrates that:
- Express do not have a robust process for ensuring what is ordered is what is delivered
- Express ignore their customers, even (or maybe especially) when they are trying to point out the result of an error in their process.
Bi-Fold Doors - part 1
As I had various questions about what preparations my builder and I had to make for the bi-fold doors (and other products) we were offered a pre-survey, which was very useful. During this pre-survey we were told that the standard inset of the doors/windows from the external brick/blockwork is 30mm. However, in the pre-survey report I noticed that there is a clause "unless agreed otherwise with your architect" (in this case, that's me!). As we are having wooden cladding on the outside of the blockwork (which adds 68mm due to 2 layers of battens required) I wanted to minimise the inset from the blockwork. After some negotiation we agreed on 10mm inset. This was noted on the survey document. I ensured that the steelwork was set back by a further 10mm (so 20mm from the blockwork) as stipulated in the pre-survey report. When the fitters arrived, the first thing I did was made sure that they were aware of this agreement so that the doors/windows were fitted correctly. Unfortunately the fitters paperwork stated the standard 30mm, so they ignored what I had told them and tried to fit the bi-fold doors to this. That meant that the steelwork was proud of the doorframe by 10mm instead of being 10mm shy as it should have been. The problem that the fitters faced (but did not admit until they had fitted the doors) is that, as the doors are configured in an L shape, both legs of the L were 20mm too short. The fitters tried to compromise by fitting the doors flush with the steelwork at the front, and with the steelwork proud at the side (where it is possible for me to hide it, but with some compromises on my part) - so I am now left with a thermal bridging problem.
Another problem with the fitting is that, for some inexplicable reason, the narrow sidelight beside the single door is set back from the door frame instead of being flush with it (see photo). As the edge of the door frame has a lip, this creates a gap for rain to get in.
Bi-Fold Doors - part 2
The 3rd problem with the bifold doors is that the doors have been adjusted so far out from the frame that there is a gap between the two parts of the frame - so rain can get in here too, but also the adjusting screws are visible from the outside too. Surely this is not right!
A representative of Express has verbally suggested some partial improvements, but a) I have had nothing in writing and b) there has been no acknowledgement of the fact that, fundamentally, both legs of the doors have been made 20mm too small.
Shaped Window above Bi-Folds - part 1
The photo to the left shows the end of the shaped window, with a steel mounting plate in front. The mounting plate is supposed to be rotated through 90 degrees so that the top of the window is mounted underneath it, but as you can see, it does not fit. Initially I was told (by Joe from Express) that actually it does fit - I'm not sure how he could tell from his office in Leeds, but he seemed quite certain. I invited him down to see for himself, but he declined. The best he could offer was a visit from a surveyor in 2 weeks' time. Later that day I had my first conversation with Alex, and he offered an earlier visit (only 2 days away) from a chap called Olly.
When Olly arrived I thought he was tasked with surveying the window so that they could get a replacement in manufacture. However, I soon discovered that Olly was there to explain to me that I was liable for any mistake made by their surveyor as it was company policy, as the window dimensions had been designated "agreed sizes". He explained the company procedure in such cases, which clearly was not followed, but apparently I was still liable. I didn't quite follow the logic, but it seemed that I was inherently supposed to know the company procedure in such cases, and then police it myself when it wasn't being followed by the company. The problem stemmed from the fact that, very soon after the initial survey, I found that the roof rafters did not align exactly with the angled steel beam by the window aperture, so I had asked the surveyor if it was OK to make incremental adjustments to the height of the opening in 3 places. It is important to note that I did not have the survey dimensions, and I did not give new overall sizes but incremental adjustments. The surveyor agreed to make the adjustments. I then made corresponding adjustments to the opening, so if the original measurements were correct for the original opening, the adjusted measurements would have been correct for the adjusted opening.
Shaped Window above Bi-Folds - part 2
Unfortunately it has become evident that the original measurements were incorrect. Had I taken those measurements and applied the incremental changes myself and given the new (absolute) measurements to Express, then I can see that I would be liable as I would have given incorrect information to them (even though the root cause was the original incorrect measurement). However, I did not have access to the original measurements, and I only gave incremental values (which were 100% correct). People at Express don't seem to understand the difference - their attitude is as if I supplied incorrect information.
The photo on the right shows that there is another problem with the original measurements because the apex of the frame does not line up with the apex in the roof. The offset you can see is about 25mm, but the frame has been mounted (temporarily) 10mm too far to the left, so the actual offset is around 35mm. This must be due to inaccurate measurement during the initial survey.
After lots of chasing and several broken promises of returned calls I eventually managed to speak to Alex again, more than 2 weeks after the attempted installation. He is mostly sticking to the company policy of blaming the customer, but has now accepted some of the liability. He is still insisting that I am partially liable and must pay a further £1500 (+VAT presumably) if I want them to fix their error. (Position at 11 August 2026)