Engineered oak flooring, Cheap laminate with a fancy name.

Purchased over £1500 of this plus specialist underlay, which I now know was not needed. The flooring was professionally laid and went down a treat and looked great. After about 4 months we noticed strange cracking noises like walking on dead leaves or cornflakes which was getting worse. Howdens didnt want to know and it took 3 months and finally a threat of legal proceedings to get them to respond my complaint.
The rep who sold me the floor came around and agreed something was wrong.
They then sent a chap from head office who said nothing and just measured and took meter readings and thought I was some sort of idiot(just as well I recorded his visit, just for personal reference and training of course). They replied that there was nothing wrong with their flooring. Over the next 9 months they have made one excuse after another even stating that they appeared to be exempt from the sale of goods and services act, then I was to blame, the guy who laid the floor was to blame and even the rep was to blame, then I had the wrong type of floor and there was dampness in the floor which is nonsense blah blah blah. The flooring has to be replaced it is falling apart as the cheap softwood laminated layers are separating from the flimsy oak veneer.
The report I have obtained says that the flooring has dried excessively and not all at the same time and that the laminates are separating and causing the noise. Howdens tried to say it was normal! The county court is sorting this one out.

You have been warned.

PS. if you try to buy from a branch they will ask you to open an account and if anything goes wrong they then attempt to say that you are a trade professional and the responsibilities are all yours.