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salex

Ordered my dream tile & the wrong one shipped. Commiseration, anyone?

6 years ago

My backsplash tile arrived yesterday. It was a special order, not cheap, with a few different sizes/shapes of tile. Everything was perfect, with no breakage, except for one thing:

The hand-painted accent tile (The Bling) I received was the wrong pattern. I fell in love with this particular tile >2 years ago and it still makes me swoon.

After gasping for a minute, I started going frantically through orders, invoices, and emails. The name of The Bling is similar to multiple other blingy tiles from this manufacturer (they differ by 1 numeric digit), and every sample order and invoice was correct - except for the very last one - the big one.

When I ordered samples directly from the company's website, it was easy to ensure I was ordering the correct tile. But when placing the final order, I went through a pro designer/salesperson, and only the name of the tile was shown on a linked invoice. The initial invoice showed the wrong size of The Bling but the correct tile, and when I emailed to correct the size, the salesperson wrote back and said she fixed it. I verified the size correction and I paid.

Now, several weeks later, I see that when the size when the salesperson corrected the size, she entered the wrong product number for The Bling.

So I have >$1300 worth of lovely tile that is not what I want. And I am definitely to blame for not going through the fine print, on Every. Single. Invoice. But I'm also frustrated that if I had ordered myself, on their website, it would have been nearly impossible to make this mistake. I assumed I was getting customized service by using a specialist to place the order.

Any words of wisdom on how to swallow this difficulty? The ideal situation would be a simple return, but I admit that I made a mistake by not verifying all the fine print on the revised invoice. I also think the salesperson made a mistake and was careless in making the size correction. My ideal resolution: I return the tile and get the correct one at cost. Is this unrealistic?

Anybody want $1300 of beautiful tile that is not the tile of my dreams??? LOL

Comments (17)

  • 6 years ago

    You can return most tile for a small restocking fee. I returned tile after my remodel as we had too much. If it’s not what you want, order what you want!

    salex thanked K R
  • 6 years ago

    I would call the company and explain what happened. Human error does exist, but their salesperson should have also checked what she ordered especially after you called to correct them. You may have to pay a restocking fee, maybe not. See what happens. If the company refuses to refund you or restock, see if you can sell the tile to recoup some expense and order the correct tile.

    salex thanked megs1030
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for the comments and suggestions. The salesperson is out until Monday. The company typically doesn't accept straight returns given that tiles are made to order, but they do offer 50% off a replacement order. So that's the worst-case scenario. And if I'm stuck with the tiles I got, selling them probably wouldn't be too difficult. Best case would be a straight return, or somewhere in the middle.

    It was so very disappointing to have so much anticipation and then see the wrong tiles. At least I've gotten past that and am still looking forward to having The Tile of My Dreams! If this is the biggest mistake or unexpected issue with a kitchen reno, I should be grateful it wasn't anything worse.

  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for that comment. I'm going back and forth between kicking myself for not catching the error, and being upset that the pro didn't catch it. If I'd ordered without any assistance off their website, it would have been almost impossible to make this mistake.

  • 6 years ago

    Just to clarify: the "pro designer/salesperson" is a third-party person, right? Like at a tile store? Not a salesman for the tile manufacturer?

    Either way, I don't think you are the responsible party. If it's a tile store that special ordered it, I think the onus is on them. Same if it was a customer service rep at the manufacturer.

    salex thanked Hillside House
  • 6 years ago

    The salesperson works for the tile company.

  • 6 years ago

    IMO, it was their error and they should not only replace the tile with the correct tile, but also pay for return shipping.

    salex thanked Allison0704
  • 6 years ago

    “But I'm also frustrated that if I had ordered myself, on their website, it would have been nearly impossible to make this mistake. I assumed I was getting customized service by using a specialist to place the order.”

    I’m confused. What’s the difference between the two ways of ordering? Did you get a designer discount by ordering direct? Something doesn’t add up. And if the material is made to order, you’re lucky there’s any option to get a refund. At worst, you’re out $650. The company that made the tile for you will also lose money.

  • 6 years ago

    I would absolutely let them know they ordered the wrong product number, and ask when you can drop off the incorrect tile to be returned and how long it will take to get the correct tile. I wouldn’t give them an inkling you are willing to eat any portion of the cost until you see if they’ll take ownership.

  • 6 years ago

    What Kirsten E. said ^^^

  • 6 years ago

    scottie mom, you can order directly off their website, or you work with a designer/salesperson who creates an invoice based on the items you want to order and then you pay from the invoice. There is no discount. The benefit of working with someone is that they offer advice on color/shape combinations and create a mockup of your kitchen.

    Kirsten, I'm hoping to hear from them tomorrow, but I can't drop it off as the company is several states away and the order was shipped directly to me.

  • 6 years ago

    Of course the company is going to lose money. That’s what happens when your employees make errors.

  • 6 years ago

    In that case, I don’t understand the dilemma. Tell them you did not receive what you ordered. End of story.

  • 6 years ago

    I am dying of curiosity to see pics of both the tile you wanted, and the tile you received. Please post pics!

  • 6 years ago

    Shannon, I'll post photos soon. I've been hesitant to post pics in the meantime while I wait for resolution. The Tile of My Dreams is very distinctive, i.e., not to everyone's taste, and I know some posters tend to criticize anything that doesn't fit the One True Kitchen mold. Also, I didn't want to "out" the company before I got resolution. If you're familiar with major tile manufacturers, you'd see it and probably know from whence it came. (Hint: It's from a cuerda seca collection and contains shades of aqua, green, red, black, off-white, and gold in a fleur-de-lis pattern. This one row of tile will be the star of my kitchen.)

    As of today, they're making TTOMD and sending a return label for the other tile (which is also lovely and unique but not of my dreams). Thank you all for providing perspective on what I should expect.

  • 6 years ago

    Glad you were able to get things sorted out.

    By the way, you wouldn't be outing the tile company. You'd be outing a sloppy salesperson and supposed "pro designer" who made a big mistake that cost various people money and time.

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