Last updated: August 12th, 2024
The rebranding on Zen Space Desks to Stando in 2024 caused significant confusion for customers of the standing desk manufacturer.
With online speculation that Zen Space Desks had gone out of business or pulled an exit scam — many people were worried about being able to claim against their warranty, source replacement parts or fix technical issues with their desks.
What Happened To Zen Space Desks?
Zen Space Desks started in 2016 in Brisbane, founded by Lewis Back, who is the company’s Managing Director.
On the current Stando website ‘About us’ page, Lewis has penned an introductory message explaining his journey from QUT business student to standing desk business owner, selling direct to market.
He describes a growing business that was able to move into commercial sales and capitalise on the COVID-19 move to remote work by “supplying tens of thousands of staff working from home”.
Going by customer reviews online, the second half of 2023 saw the company experience a number of supply issues that led to delays, poor communication, and cancelled orders.
One reviewer wrote in September ‘23:
Then, in early 2024, there was a mysterious period of non-communication — when the Zen Space Desks website went dark and emails weren’t being answered.
It seems many were left unable to get support, repairs or refunds.
One Reddit user posted in April that they were:
The user claims to have contacted NSW Fair Trading, who were also unable to reach anyone from the company.
It turns out, the business still lives, and has been operating again under the Stando name since June 2024.
Important!
Stando doesn’t rank in our list of the Top 15 Best Standing Desks In Australia, but there are a multitude of options on the market.
In his ‘About us’ message on the Stando site, founder Lewis Back doesn’t provide any explanation for the transition to Stando, or the months of radio silence customers experienced.
But the good news is that Stando has committed to providing warranty support for Zen Space Desks customers.
Are Zen Space Desks And Stando The Same Company?
Zen Space Desks and Stando are not the same entity, although it appears the same people may run the companies. According to Australian Government ABN details available online:
- Stando is a business name that was first registered in May 2024, associated with a private company called Zen Pro Pty Ltd which has been registered since 2022.
- Zen Space Desks Pty Ltd is a private company registered under a different ABN, active since 2016.
How Can Zen Space Desk Customers Make A Warranty Claim?
Zen Space Desks and Stando both offer a 10-year warranty on their desks, chairs and most accessories, which covers defects in materials, workmanship and function.
Important!
You can get help from Stando if you bought a Zen Space Desk and it now has a defect.
On Stando’s ‘Warranty’ page, in relation to Zen Space Desk warranties the company states:
Here’s the process to follow:
- Gather your order number, receipt number, or delivery receipt details and the name that your Zen Space Desks product was purchased under.
- Share these details via email to zensupport@stando.com.au with an explanation of your problem. Apparently, you won’t have luck over the phone or via live chat.
- You may have to pay a $40 fee for handing and freight even if you’re eligible to receive free replacement parts covered under warranty.
Stando suggests that many technical issues can be solved with a desk reset, and encourages people to try it before reaching out.
How Do Stando’s Desks Compare To Zen Space Desks?
While the Zen Space Desk name is no longer used, are Stando’s products the same, and how do they rate in terms of quality and value for money?
As you’d expect from what is essentially a re-brand, the available products haven’t significantly changed, but here are the main differences:
- New product labels. Stando retains the ‘professional’ and ‘executive’ series products that Zen Space Desks sold — but instead of Zen Pro, it’s now the Stando Pro, and instead of the Zen Executive L Shape Desk, its the Stando Exec L Shape.
- Same appealing desktop finishes are available including bamboo, natural rubberwood and walnut stain rubberwood. That’s in addition to the standard black and white.
- Streamlined range of desks, chairs, monitor arms and accessories available. Stando seems to have reduced its number of offerings and doesn’t market any of its desks as ‘gaming’ desks like the Zen Space Desks site did.
- A new offering in the form of the Stando ‘Ultra’ with slight differences to Pro such as a higher height (130cm compared to Pro’s 125cm) and larger lifting capacity (up to 150kg compared to 140kg for Pro), integrated 1Plug cable management accessory and a simpler set-up.
Comparable to Zen Space Desks, Stando’s desks and frames range in price from $750 to $1700.
Stando retains the option to buy the frame only, enabling you to add your own custom-sized desktop in your choice of material. You can also request a quote for a custom-sized desktop provided by Stando.
How Do Customers Rate Stando / Zen Space Standing Desks?
Zen/Stando has an average 4.5 rating on Google reviews, and a 2.8 rating on ProductReview.com.au with a string of low ratings in the past 6-10 months around delivery delays.
Positive Stando and Zen Space Desks reviews online describe the company’s standing desks as:
- High quality: Reviewers praise the desk’s quality, say it was better than expected and well-made.
- Sturdy: People tend to use terms like ‘sturdy’, ‘stable’, ’solid’, ‘heavy’, ‘strong’ and are happy with the lack of wobble.
- Easy to assemble: Generally, people say set-up is manageable, although there’s some manual dexterity required.
Stando No Longer Aimed At Consumer Market?
While Stando is primarily a marketing makeover for Zen Space Desks, it’s clear there was a glitch in how the transition was handled, leading to customer confusion.
What went on behind the scenes remains unclear, but this might offer a clue — the new website states the company’s “core emphasis” is supplying desks to business/enterprise clients, rather than individual consumers.
Could adapting its operating model and go-to-market to cater to larger clients have contributed to Stando’s poor communication with individual consumers and consolidated product range?
In any case, they continue to sell a decent standing desk via their website and have a process in place to honour warranty issues experienced by former Zen customers.
Steven
