Backsplash tile issue

17 years ago

The tiles for my backsplash arrived yesterday and I'm really disappointed. I chose Blue Celeste marble subway tiles from Ann Sacks and on both the concept board I saw at the store and the picture on their website, the tiles ranged from an ice light blue to a light-medium blue.

Well, the tiles are all consistently the palest of pale blues. There is little variation and certainly nothing close to the light-medium color. At first I thought it was a trick of my memory but when I opened the few pencil tiles I had ordered, lo and behold, they were the darkest blue on the concept board. There were no field tiles like that in the boxes.

I phoned my salesperson at Ann Sacks today and she expressed surprise. She said "most people like consistent and complain about variation!" That's all well and good but that's not what the concept board showed. When I said that, she answered, "oh, the concept board is six years old." How about the website then?

We left it that she will see if they can handpick a box of darker tiles to be mixed in, but she sounded doubtful. Of course, I'd have to pay for them, plus they are 5sf out of the 35 I have, so they would certainly be few and far between.

Ugh, I feel so let down. This is not the backsplash I fell in love with. What happened to truth in advertising?

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Celeste tile

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Comments (9)

ccoombs1
17 years ago
Nope....don't settle for that answer. Call back and don't talk to a salesperson....talk to an owner or manager. If their display board shows variation, and the web site DOES show variation, than that is what you paid for, not the pale blue consistent tile you were shipped. that tile is not cheap....don't let them bully you on this one. I hate when retailers try to pull one over on the buying public!
farmhousebound
17 years ago
Agree with ccombs1--call and ask to speak to a manager. If they're still using a 6 year old concept board, then it should still be correct. If they can't come up with the varying tiles and that changes your mind about this backsplash, they should make this right by either a refund or helping you select more tile to replace the blue celeste tile.
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beccamj
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the good advice. The salesperson hasn't called me back but I've decided if she doesn't by end of business day today, I'll call the number for the corporate HQ listed on the webpage first thing tomorrow. My contractor wanted to start putting up the backsplash tomorrow, but I'll ask him to wait.

I really do feel like I was misled about this.
beccamj
Original Author
17 years ago
How funny, as soon as I posted this, she called. She said the warehouse people did think they could come up with enough darker pieces to put together a box. They just want me to send them (or she can send it from the shop if I bring it over) one field tile ass a point of reference to find darker ones.

I asked, "so if there are darker tiles, why are mine all light?" She answered, "luck of the draw." She emphasized that with natural stone you just get what you get.

But I still don't think I should pay for these and tomorrow, I will call HQ to see what they say about the issue.
malhgold
17 years ago
I don't think you should pay either. If they give you a REALLY hard time on this issue, tell them you'll send them back a box of the light ones at their expense for the shipping.
datura-07
17 years ago
I'd be upset. Years ago I would have said ok but not anymore. Make sure you get what you ordered!!!

I've stopped at the Ann Sacks in Kohler, WI. Their tiles are beautiful and I love to go in and look around.
beccamj
Original Author
17 years ago
I did ask if I could exchange a box and she said they charge a 25% restocking fee.

BTW, I did not mean to put that extra s in as. Perhaps I was thinking too deeply about how I feel about Ann Sacks at the moment. ;-)
malhgold
17 years ago
There shouldn't be ANY restocking fee as this was their fault. I would fight that one.
beccamj
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, Mahlgold, I agree. When I remembered that they are three hours behind here, I phoned, they had me write out my complaint via e-mail, and I just got a call from the showroom manager.

He said he would call the warehouse and see what they could do. He asked me what my ideal resolution was, and I said, to have two or three of the boxes replaced with darker tile.

I worry a bit (and he brought this up too) that they won't work together, but they looked good on the concept board, so I hope that will be the case on my walls too.

He brought up the restocking fee and I said, "with all due respect, this is what I paid for so I don't think I should pay more to make it so." He said he would give me a call tomorrow after they open west coast time.

So we'll see! My contractor practically had a conniption. We are both for own reasons dying to have my job done before he and his guys go on vacation on the 22nd. I made this clear to the AS manager.