Terms of service

Terms & Conditions

Last updated: June 2026

These Terms & Conditions apply to all purchases made from Fenston Carter through our website, by email, by telephone, by invoice, or by any other method of order.

By placing an order with Fenston Carter, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.

1. Important Order Information

Many products sold by Fenston Carter are ordered, sourced, manufactured, cut, prepared, tinted, batched, or allocated specifically for individual customer orders.

Customers should assume that products are non-cancellable and non-returnable unless Fenston Carter confirms otherwise in writing before purchase.

Orders may only be cancelled within 48 hours of being placed, and only where processing has not commenced and materials have not been ordered, allocated, cut, manufactured, prepared, dispatched, or shipped.

Once an order has entered processing, allocation, manufacture, cutting, preparation, dispatch, or shipping, it cannot be cancelled or returned except where goods are faulty, damaged in transit, incorrectly supplied, or where required by applicable consumer protection legislation.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions affects your statutory rights.

2. Product-Specific Supplier Terms

Fenston Carter supplies products from a wide range of manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers. Each supplier may operate different cancellation, return, delivery, batch, warranty, and claims procedures.

If a customer requires the specific return, cancellation, warranty, or supply terms applicable to a particular product, it is the customer's responsibility to request these terms in writing before placing an order.

Where such terms are requested before purchase, Fenston Carter will provide the relevant information in writing where available.

If no such request is made before purchase, the customer agrees that these Fenston Carter Terms & Conditions shall apply.

3. Bespoke, Made-to-Order, Special-Order and Allocated Goods

The following goods are generally treated as bespoke, made-to-order, special-order, customised, or allocated goods and are normally non-returnable and non-refundable once processing has commenced:

Carpet cut from a roll;
Vinyl, linoleum, Marmoleum, rubber, safety flooring, or other sheet goods cut or ordered to size;
Stair runners, whipped, taped, edged, bound, or altered products;
Wood flooring, engineered wood, laminate, LVT, cork, parquet, and similar flooring ordered or allocated for a specific customer;
Carpet tiles, entrance matting, accessories, adhesives, screeds, underlays, trims, nosings, profiles, and similar products ordered from suppliers for a specific customer;
Products supplied in a specific colour, batch, dye lot, finish, size, quantity, or specification;
Products shipped directly from a manufacturer, distributor, or supplier;
Any product confirmed as special-order, non-stock, bespoke, made-to-order, or supplier-direct.

This does not affect your rights where goods are faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied, or not as described.

4. Cancellations

A customer may request cancellation within 48 hours of placing an order.

Cancellation will only be accepted where Fenston Carter confirms in writing that the order has not yet been processed, ordered, allocated, cut, manufactured, prepared, dispatched, or shipped.

After this point, the order is binding and cannot be cancelled unless Fenston Carter agrees otherwise in writing.

Where cancellation is accepted, Fenston Carter may deduct any reasonable costs already incurred, including supplier charges, payment processing fees, administration costs, collection charges, or other applicable costs.

5. Returns

Goods may only be returned where Fenston Carter has agreed the return in writing before the goods are sent back.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing before purchase, goods cannot be returned after they have been ordered, allocated, cut, prepared, dispatched, shipped, delivered, installed, fitted, altered, or used.

Where Fenston Carter agrees to accept a return as a goodwill gesture, the customer will be responsible for all return carriage costs and any applicable supplier charges. Any goods returned must be unused, unopened, undamaged, complete, and in their original packaging.

Fenston Carter reserves the right to refuse any return that has not been agreed in writing in advance.

6. Damaged, Faulty, Incorrect or Missing Goods

Customers must inspect all goods immediately upon delivery and before installation, fitting, cutting, alteration, or use.

Any damage, shortage, incorrect item, visible defect, delivery issue, or discrepancy must be reported to Fenston Carter in writing within 48 hours of delivery. Telephone calls do not constitute written notice; please use email to info@fenstoncarter.co.uk.

Claims must include clear photographs of:

The goods received;
The packaging;
Any labels, batch numbers, delivery notes, or supplier markings;
The alleged damage, defect, shortage, or discrepancy.

Goods must not be installed, fitted, cut, altered, disposed of, or used while a claim is being assessed.

Installation, cutting, fitting, alteration, disposal, or use of the goods will be treated as acceptance of the goods, except where the issue could not reasonably have been discovered before installation.

Nothing in this clause affects your statutory rights.

7. Inspection Before Installation

Flooring products must be checked before fitting. This includes checking colour, design, quantity, batch, visible defects, damage, suitability, and compatibility with the intended area.

Fenston Carter cannot accept responsibility for visible issues that should reasonably have been identified before installation where the goods have then been installed, cut, altered, or used.

If in doubt, do not install the product. Contact Fenston Carter in writing before proceeding.

8. Measurements and Quantities

Where customers provide their own measurements, quantities, floor plans, drawings, or estimates, they do so at their own risk.

Fenston Carter is not responsible for over-ordering, under-ordering, incorrect measurements, unsuitable quantities, or installation shortfalls where measurements have been supplied by the customer or a third party.

Flooring often requires additional material for cutting, waste, pattern matching, joins, batch control, fitting method, stairs, landings, doorways, alcoves, and installation tolerances.

Customers are responsible for ensuring that quantities ordered are suitable for their requirements unless Fenston Carter has carried out a site survey and confirmed quantities in writing.

9. Colour, Batch and Product Variation

Samples, photographs, website images, brochures, and screen images are for guidance only and may not represent the exact colour, shade, texture, finish, or appearance of the delivered product.

Actual products may vary in colour, shade, texture, pattern, tone, grain, finish, batch, dye lot, thickness, and appearance. This is particularly relevant where products are ordered at different times.

Natural products including wool, sisal, seagrass, jute, coir, cork, wood, and other natural materials may contain natural variation. This is not a defect.

Customers should order all required material at the same time where batch consistency is important.

10. Product Suitability

Customers are responsible for ensuring that products are suitable for their intended use, unless Fenston Carter has confirmed suitability in writing.

This includes suitability for traffic levels, domestic or commercial use, stairs, underfloor heating, moisture conditions, subfloors, adhesives, cleaning methods, maintenance requirements, and installation environment.

Where a customer orders a product without requesting written suitability advice, the customer accepts responsibility for the product selection.

11. Delivery

Delivery dates and lead times are estimates only and are not guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in writing.

Fenston Carter is not liable for delays caused by manufacturers, suppliers, couriers, stock shortages, production delays, transport issues, customs delays, weather, access issues, or events outside our reasonable control.

Customers must ensure that someone is available to receive delivery and that the delivery address is accessible.

Failed deliveries, refused deliveries, access problems, or missed appointments may result in additional charges.

Refusing delivery does not cancel an order and does not automatically entitle the customer to a refund.

12. Storage

Where goods are ready for delivery, collection, or installation and the customer delays, Fenston Carter may charge reasonable storage, handling, redelivery, or administration costs.

Fenston Carter is not responsible for site delays, customer delays, builder delays, or access issues that prevent delivery or installation.

13. Installation and Site Conditions

Where Fenston Carter provides installation services, the customer must ensure that the site is ready, clear, dry, accessible, safe, heated where necessary, and suitable for flooring installation.

Subfloors must be clean, dry, sound, smooth, level, and suitable for the flooring being installed.

Additional works may be required where subfloors are uneven, damp, contaminated, weak, cracked, dusty, unsuitable, or otherwise defective.

Fenston Carter is not responsible for failures caused by unsuitable subfloors, moisture, damp, leaks, underfloor heating issues, poor ventilation, building movement, contamination, or works carried out by others.

14. Customer-Supplied Materials

Where Fenston Carter installs materials supplied by the customer, Fenston Carter accepts no responsibility for the quality, suitability, shortage, defect, warranty, batch, damage, or performance of those materials.

Labour warranty does not apply to customer-supplied materials unless expressly agreed in writing.

15. Warranty

Manufacturer warranties, where available, are provided by the relevant manufacturer and are subject to the manufacturer's own terms and conditions.

Fenston Carter is not responsible for manufacturer warranty exclusions, provided that the goods have been supplied correctly and in accordance with the customer's order.

Any labour warranty applies only to installation work carried out by Fenston Carter and does not cover misuse, poor maintenance, damage, moisture, unsuitable site conditions, subfloor failure, third-party work, customer-supplied materials, or normal wear and tear.

16. Prices and Quotations

Prices are subject to change until an order has been accepted and paid for.

Quotes and estimates are valid for 30 days unless stated otherwise.

Supplier price changes, stock changes, delivery charges, and specification changes may affect final pricing.

Fenston Carter reserves the right to correct obvious pricing errors, typographical errors, stock errors, or website errors.

17. Business Customers

Where goods or services are purchased by a business, trade customer, contractor, landlord, managing agent, interior designer, developer, or other commercial customer, the order is treated as a business-to-business transaction.

Business customers do not have consumer cancellation rights.

All business orders are final once accepted, processed, ordered, allocated, cut, manufactured, prepared, dispatched, or shipped, unless Fenston Carter agrees otherwise in writing.

18. Limitation of Liability

Fenston Carter shall not be liable for indirect loss, consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of business, loss of opportunity, delay costs, alternative accommodation costs, or third-party costs arising from the supply, delay, cancellation, return, or installation of goods, except where liability cannot be excluded by law.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot legally be excluded.

19. Statutory Rights