Card Factory plc Reviews 

10,045
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 303 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Consumers frequently mention that the staff are exceptionally friendly, welcoming, and always ready to help shoppers find what they need or assist with preparing wonderful balloon displays. People also appreciate the wide range of quality products, party supplies, and festive accessories available across the physical stores. Some reviewers were not happy with occasional product quality issues, noting that certain purchased balloons deflated prematurely within a day or hours after leaving the shop. Additionally, a few visitors experienced frustrating encounters involving unhelpful store management or faced unexpected delivery delays when placing orders through the website.

What people talk about most

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, describing them as friendly, welcoming, and... See more

Product

Clients share ambiguous opinions on product, with many praising the great selection of items and amazing... See more

Customer service

Customers had ambiguous experiences with customer_service. While many reviewers praised staff members for... See more

Service

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of service, showing deep divisions in their experiences. On one hand,... See more

Order

Consumers find order experiences to be deeply disappointing due to multiple delivery failures and missing... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Just recently I visited my 2 local shops on Shipley 09 /06 /2026 Judy and Bingley 15 / 06 2026 Pam Arranging a 50th Birthday Just want to say a big thank you to both, so hel... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Went to return a faulty deflated helium baloon which I had only bought the evening before and tried to return the day after. Manager refused to give me a replacement saying I had caused damage to the... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I bought a new baby card this morning It was brilliant, I could not find grandparent cards, I asked for help which was a real struggle....... was not bothered just pointed and said might be in the 3 f... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I would like to give HUGE thanks to card factory staff in Crosshands. From the manager who was an absolute professional from beginning to end of my party balloons, booking to collection. THANK YOU. Al... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Gift Shop
  2. Greeting Card Shop

Information provided by various external sources

Shop online with Card Factory and find greetings cards, gifts, wrap & party supplies all at great value prices.


Contact info

3.4

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

10K reviews

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1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

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3.4

All reviews

(10,045)

290 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Seasonal role rejection 3 days before Christmas???

Applied for a seasonal sales assistant role with the card factory on the 23rd September. Got a response 3 days before Christmas, 22nd December, turning me down for the christmas seasonal staff role. I have a Masters, I am in my 20s, I put my full effort into the application and described how I would fit the role well/ my skills.

I suggest you re-hire for recruitment.

Gratefully since working elsewhere that values my skills and doesnt give sub-human treatment.

22 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed with the outcome and the timing of the response. We do appreciate the effort candidates put into their applications, and your feedback is important.

If you’re happy to share, could you let me know which store this application was for so I can feed this back .

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lovely staff

Last minute decision to try to get a Christmas helium balloon for my grandson,they were just closing the door at Beaumont Leys Leicester,a lovely lady let me in and I managed to get the balloon,thank you so much he loves helium balloons and I’m sure it will make his day when it comes out of the box I’ve put it in.The people that work there go above and beyond

24 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you so much for sharing this lovely experience. I’m really pleased to hear the team at our Beaumont Leys store went above and beyond to help you, especially at such a busy moment. It’s wonderful to know your grandson will be delighted with his helium balloon — moments like that really matter.

I’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to the team.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Card Factory High St Dumbarton

Card Factory High St Dumbarton

Went into the shop at 5.50 pm and as a lot of different area and cards asked the young female member of staff to help me find cards so I didn't hold them up as closed at 6pm. Managed to select all 4 cards apart from 1 which the young lady helped me to pick up. The older assistant!manager? came through from the back shop and locked the door. I asked what time it was and if closing. She said yes locking the door. I said I would just be one minute as picked all cards just one which the girl had lifted for me. She said we are now closed. So I handed the cards to the young assistant and left as felt the older lady was quite abrupt and despite having the cards in my hand to go and pay for these was not interested in customer service. I will not ever enter this shop again. This is the first time I have felt that the business was not wanted! I own a shop and would never treat anyone in this manner and am very aware of customers keeping me from closing therefore would not behave in such a manner. Obviously they don't need the business!! I left the shop at exactly 6pm and bought cards elsewhere!

22 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — I’m really sorry to read how this made you feel. This isn’t the kind of service or welcome we want customers to experience in any of our cardfactory stores.

I appreciate you explaining what happened, especially as you were ready to make your purchase. Your comments around how the situation was handled are concerning, and I’ll make sure this feedback is passed on so it can be reviewed and addressed.

Thank you again for raising this with us, and I’m sorry we missed the mark on this occasion.
Warm wishes and Merry Christmas.
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience in bluewater branch

Great experience in bluewater branch - cashier was very polite and asked how I was - everything you require in a cashier - and asked if I needed anything else - cashier was Luke

22 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Thank you for your lovely review — it’s great to hear you had such a positive experience at our cardfactory store in Bluewater.

I’m really pleased Luke made you feel welcome and checked you had everything you needed. That friendly, thoughtful service is exactly what we love to celebrate, and I’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to him.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Blaydon Store Manager

Went to the Blaydon store and was served at the till by the Manager Ashley. Her attitude was shocking and extremely rude and disrespectful. As a manager myself I am surprised that she even has the role at all.

19 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — I’m really sorry to hear about the service you received at our cardfactory store in Blaydon. This isn’t the kind of customer experience we want anyone to leave with, especially not during what should be a positive visit.

I appreciate you raising this with us. I’ll make sure your feedback is passed on to the appropriate team so it can be looked into and addressed.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Julie at Card Factory Longbridge

Went into Card Factory Longbridge today, was served by Julie, she was polite, pleasant and very helpful. Excellent customer service, very welcoming. Thank you Julie. Have a wonderful Christmas.

18 December 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Card Factory plc

Thank you for your lovely review — it’s great to hear you had such a warm welcome at our cardfactory store in Longbridge.

I’m really pleased Julie looked after you so well. I’ll make sure your kind words are shared with her — a real reason to celebrate great service.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, and thank you again for taking the time to leave feedback.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Rude Manager at Southend Store.

Went into the Southend store today around 5:20 was unaware of their closing times but wasn’t informed either. Was picking out my cards and was nearly finished before we were rudely spoken to being asked to make our purchases and leave as they were closed. At no point did any of the 4 workers dotted round the store inform us they were closing soon, so to be spoken in a rude tone by I assume the manager of the store was shocking customer service and uncalled for, we weren’t rude to any of the workers so there is no need to be rude to us it’s unjustly. When letting us out someone went to ask if they were still open and before even finishing their sentence the manager had already cut in and told them bluntly they were shut. Workers especially members of management should always treat customers with kindness it costs them nothing. This made my shopping experience a bit disappointing and I didn’t leave with a good attitude towards that store. Hope you can sort out your customer service!

18 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — I’m really sorry to hear how this was handled and that it left you feeling disappointed. That’s certainly not the impression we want our stores to give, and I understand why this would have felt upsetting, especially as you weren’t made aware the store was closing.

Your feedback is important to us.
Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Was in your fleetwood store today and…

Was in your fleetwood store today and just like to say what lovely helpful staff you have

18 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this — it’s lovely to hear how helpful the team were at our Fleetwood store. I’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to them.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent customer service

Excellent customer service.
I rang them and my call was answered within a few seconds.
As DHL had changed my delivery date, my order was too late for the occasion.
I was immediately given a full refund.
I am so impressed with this company.
Thank you for outstanding service.

17 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. I’m really pleased to hear our team were able to help quickly and get this sorted for you, even though the delivery didn’t arrive in time. It’s great to know the service left such a positive impression.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If I could give 0 stars I would…

If I could give 0 I would… I bought a balloon and paid specifically for it to be inflated. It showed up in a tiny box, which was immediately a red flag. When I opened it, it hadn’t even been attempted to be inflated — it was still in its original packaging.

When I reached out to customer service, their solution was for me to go in store (on my birthday) to get it inflated.

Obviously I wasn’t going to do that, so I spoke with their live chat, which was just as unhelpful initially (and ended the chat on me the first time) until I asked to return the full order. Only then did they refund the balloon and the extra I paid.

I don’t usually celebrate my birthday, but this was the one and only thing I had planned. For anyone looking for a reliable alternative, I’ve had a much better experience with Balloon Monkey — next-day delivery, arrived inflated, and no issues.

I won’t be ordering from Card Factory again.

14 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your experience — I’m really sorry for the disappointment this has caused, especially as this was something important you had planned.

I can see that my colleague offered to send you a free returns postage label on both the 14th and again on the 16th, and I understand how inconvenient this situation has been. This was our error, and I’m genuinely sorry for that.

As you’ve chosen to return the entire order, we do need the items back with us before we’re able to process the refund. Once the return is received, the refund will of course be completed as quickly as possible.

I know this isn’t the experience you expected, and I do apologise again for the inconvenience caused.

Warm wishes,

Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Every time I have been in this shop and…

Every time I have been in this shop and see different members of staff they are all very nice and helpful and friendly.
This was on Ravenhead retail park St Helens

15 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you so much for your kind words — it’s lovely to hear you’ve always found our teams friendly and helpful. If you don’t mind sharing, which store was this? I’d love to pass your feedback on to the right team.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just bought a card A5 size for those…

Just bought a card A5 size for those who don't know that is half of A4 size cost me £4.99 for the card then £3.99 postage how can they warrant charging you that. Also you have to do your own verses now they must be using too much ink haha.

14 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Thank you for your patience, and sorry for the delay in responding.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. I understand why the pricing and postage would feel frustrating, and your feedback around card size, postage costs and verses has been noted. I’ll make sure this is shared with the relevant team, as hearing directly from customers helps us review how things land in real life.

Thank you again for being honest with your feedback — it’s always helpful to hear.

Merry Christmas,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Boxes of 40 Christmas Cards

I won't be buying an more of the boxes of 40 with two of the designs having no messages inside them. Not sure what purpose they serve or whether it's a printing error.

14 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing this with us — I’m really sorry for the disappointment. The boxed cards should clearly show the designs and, as the boxes are open for viewing, it should be clear whether the inside message is blank or includes a verse, so this doesn’t sound right.

So we can investigate this further, please email us at cfonline@cardfactory.co.uk
with a photo of the box (showing the designs) and, if possible, the cards that were blank. Once we have this, we’ll be happy to look into it and help further.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

‼️‼️Do Not Trust‼️‼️

‼️‼️

Update - tried to ask for more details so
If didn’t respond they would remove my review, Sent in the order number and details, what else can we do to verify, What a disgrace

Do Not Trust‼️‼️
Ordered over a week ago, quite a few, special ones and those for gifts. Received email saying it was ready for collection in shop, Not the shops fault, But have been 3 times, Nothing there, They can’t help as they say their head office said it’s not their fault, Their online system says oh your order is ready - do you want a collection email. What an utter disaster Utter disgrace, Why do this to customers at all, let alone at Xmas, Trust, Would not trust them with a bar of chocolate, my wife is so upset and so angry, As she doesn’t have time to do this all over again and then pray they arrive on time, What a shambles

13 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to update your review. I can see that one of my colleagues has already been in touch with you and that a full refund has been processed, and I’m really sorry for the frustration and upset this situation has caused, especially at such a busy time of year.

As this was a Click & Collect order, I appreciate how disappointing it must have been to receive collection notifications only to find the order wasn’t available in store. The store is now reviewing their Click & Collect procedures to understand what went wrong and to help prevent this happening again.

I know this experience has been extremely frustrating for both you and your wife, and I’m genuinely sorry that we didn’t get this right for you on this occasion.

Warm wishes,

Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor customer service

Placed an order on Saturday last week paid next day deliver Tuesday did not arrive contacted them told they will refund delivery and contact them if they don’t arrive following day next day comes no cards contact them Thursday they said will chase up courier and get back to me I hear nothing back fat forward to following Saturday still not arrived I contact them and I’m told they will refund delivery which is seems they didn’t do on Tuesday and to wait till 8pm Monday then if not arrived contact them and that someone is chasing up with dhl they will contact me. I replied if they have not arrived by Monday I would like a refund and will buy elsewhere as it card to post for family for Christmas and the customer advisor on the chat just ended the chat. This will be last time using card factory as clearly once they have your money they don’t care anymore

13 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for your review. I can see that one of my colleagues is already assisting you with this, and we’re hoping to have everything resolved as quickly as possible for you.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I’ve shopped at the Card Factory store…

I’ve shopped at the Card Factory store in Burnley many times, but after my experience on this occasion I won’t be returning.

I arrived at approximately 5:31pm, fully aware the store’s advertised closing time is 5:30pm. However, the store was still fully lit, baskets were still outside, and several customers were clearly still inside browsing and yet to reach the checkout. Based on this, it was reasonable to believe a quick purchase could be accommodated.

I was refused entry by the store manager, and while I accept that stores must close on time, the manner in which this was handled was the real issue. The interaction was abrupt, dismissive, and completely lacking in empathy. There was no polite explanation, no acknowledgement of the circumstances, and no customer-focused communication.

I later phoned the store hoping for a more professional interaction, but unfortunately the same rude and dismissive tone was repeated.

I have over 30 years’ experience in retail, and in that time I have rarely encountered a manager who showed such little discretion or basic customer care. This wasn’t about breaking rules—it was about how the situation was handled.

As a result, I had to purchase the cards elsewhere, and another retailer benefited from my custom. It’s a shame, as I’ve used this store regularly in the past, but based on this experience I wouldn’t recommend the Burnley branch going forward.

12 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I can see that you’ve already been in touch with our Customer Services team regarding this, and they’ve responded to you with an explanation.

I’m sorry this experience left you feeling disappointed — your comments have been noted, and they do help us review how situations like this are handled going forward.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed with personalised Christmas cards

I have always used Card Factory and always been pretty satisfied with all orders received. However, I ordered some personalised Christmas cards this year, as I do every year, and when the cards arrived 2 of the 7 I had ordered were usable, the other 5 weren't. The cards gave the impression of letters missing from names. I contacted Customer Services online and I actually attached a copy of the Christmas cards with letters missing in the names. I received a reply from Taya in the Customer Service team advising me that I wouldn't be receiving a refund as 'We always recommend avoiding special characters or emojis, as these aren’t recognised by our system and might not appear as expected'. And she also added at the end 'That said, if you’ve got any questions or need help with something else, just give us a shout—we're here to help make every celebration special!' I replied back stating I hadn't used any special characters or emojis but the cards appear as though there are letters missing in some of the names on the front. I suggested Card Factory should have used a smaller font. I didn't even get a reply and the cards went in the bin as they couldn't be used. I am disappointed with Card Factory in this instance and it's made me avoid purchasing personalised cards in the future.

30 November 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thanks for your review. I’ve requested a little more information from you — please could you send this over so I can assist you further.

Warm wishes,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

CARD FACTORY - A FUTURE NO NO!

CARD FACTORY - will not deliver online orders to Northern Ireland addresses or to stores for collection! Only applies to N.I.!

After spending about 40 minutes yesterday compiling an order for cards etc., when I came to the "Payment" option, I was informed my items could not be delivered to N. Ireland. This applied to home addresses and for Click and Collect in all of their Northern Irish stores.

Having shopped at many Card Factory shops since their inception in N.I., this was a bitter disappointment. (I need 'ease of order' online experience at the moment)
I wrote to them but their explanation was just that they are 'not sending parcels to their Northern Ireland stores'. This is a great reward for faithful customers - NOT!! 👍
(I did inform them that I would post this as once again Northern Ireland are being treated as 2nd class citizens!)

9 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for getting in touch, and I’m really sorry for the frustration this caused — especially after you spent time building your order. I completely understand how disappointing this is when you’re relying on an easy online ordering experience.

At the moment, we’re unable to send online orders to Northern Ireland addresses or to N.I. stores for Click & Collect. I appreciate this isn’t the experience you expect from cardfactory, and your feedback is both valid and important. I’ve passed your comments to the relevant teams, as we know how much this impacts our loyal customers in Northern Ireland.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — it genuinely helps us work towards improving our service.

All the best,
Trish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Beware - No delivery to Northern Ireland

This company does not deliver to Northern Ireland despite their delivery information stating that they deliver within the UK. I spent a considerable amount of time creating a personalised product and was only made aware of this at check out. They use Royal Mail for delivery so there is no issue with couriers and there is actually a Card Factory shop 2 miles from my house. I will now avoid it! Poor service from a UK business. I will take my custom elsewhere as I have no problems with delivery from any other UK company.

8 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for reaching out, and I’m really sorry for the frustration this caused — especially after you spent time creating a personalised product only to find out at checkout that delivery wasn’t available. I completely understand how disappointing that must have been.

At the moment, our online orders can’t be delivered to Northern Ireland addresses, even though we’re reviewing this because we know how much it impacts customers like yourself. I appreciate how confusing this feels when we use Royal Mail and you have a cardfactory store nearby. Your feedback is valid, and I’ve shared your comments with the teams working on this area.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know — it genuinely helps us work towards improving the service.

All the best,
Trish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ian at card factory in Brookfield…

Ian at card factory in Brookfield cheshunt, thank you so much for all your help today with finding me 6 little bears. You really did go beyond your job role. Your help and kindness is really appreciated. X

9 December 2025
Unprompted review
Card Factory plc logo

Reply from Card Factory plc

Hi there,

Thank you so much for sharing your lovely feedback! It’s wonderful to hear how Ian at our Brookfield, Cheshunt store went above and beyond to help you find the bears you were looking for. That kind of kindness really does make someone’s day, and I’ll make sure your message is passed on to Ian and the store manager — he’ll be thrilled to hear it.

Warm wishes,

Trish

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