M & D Creative Hardwoods

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/02/29) */
These custom stair treads were order from our business and we were asked to hold these for several weeks until they were ready for them. When Mr. [redacted] informed me they were ready to receive them I informed him the day they would be...

shipping out and that they would be arriving in the next 3-5 days. I then received an email from Mr. [redacted] informing that the package arrived and was left next to the garage buried in snow and covered in ice. I am not sure as to how long they were left outside but when shipping I had no idea this was not an inhabited resident. I had I known that nobody lived here I would not have shipped them here. Wood is highly hydroscopic and if left in wet conditions will warp. Being these were custom ordered materials there is no refund per our return policy that is available at the bottom of every webpage on the site he used to purchase these treads. I was reluctant to do so being there were just left outside for several days, but I did immediately offer to replace them. Lead time to replace them would have been one week. I can not justify refunding this order because they were left outside. I did not want leave him with nothing and immediately offered to replace them. There is no insurance claim to file with fed ex as they claim they attempted delivery three times but did not leave the package because of an ongoing snow storm. Finally on Friday when they received no response the treads were left at the home with no notes as to the location which is typically the door step. I am not sure why Mr. [redacted] was not informed they were delivered and left outside. I do know that we prepared the product he requested, shipped them when requested, and offered to replace them even though they were left outside. All of our communication was by email only and I will gladly submit our correspondences if needed.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/03/03) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
There is an email record and the business made no offer redo the order, so I paid for the installer to laminate the hard wood we had available into stair treads, which meant we were short on the hard wood flooring and the supplier was out, so we had to tile a room that was meant to be wood. the specialized skill to laminate the flooring and the laying of the extra tile was additional costs incurred to me because of this fiasco. I had deadlines because construction loans have short maturation dates for repayment.
The other fact is that a damaged item received is always returnable it is a consumer right. Mor furniture has a no return policy as do several other businesses, but if something is delivered non-usable, damaged - it is not what was paid for and is allowed to be returned.
As for fedex, I checked and they have no insurance claim exemption based on if they tried to deliver something once or multiple times. They also have an online submission form for damage claims, had I the tracking number and known could have filled it out myself, but I did not possess either.
I do not know if fedex tried to deliver the package or not because there was no physical not left that they were ever really there. The foreman of my construction project was onsite M-F during business hours and did not ever see them arrive to deliver the packages.
Had I been given the tracking information, this would have all been avoided. Unfirtunately history.
Bottom line is I paid for a product that was delivered to me as unusable junk. As such I should receive my money back from the seller. He should seek restitution from fedex. Since it is beyond 60 days from the delivery at this point special efforts will be required as that is their policy, claims of damage need to be made within 60 days. I would provide assitance, pictures and the damaged product to fedex, but that is how this works in the retail world.
I expect my money refunded or the Revdex.com to give this company a negative rating/review from this incident. everything I am asking for is reasonable and standard with retail transactions.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2016/03/09) */
I would agree with the customer that he is entitled to receive the product that he paid for in usable condition. Where I do not agree is with a refund on custom made materials. The items were not delivered in a unusable condition. They were delivered usable but became unusable when they were left out side for days. The shipping company fulfilled their obligation and delivered the product as agreed. For this reason I do not feel it would be right to try and force them to pay for them. The problem is that after they were delivered, not noticed for three days and left out side. This is not responsibility of the carrier. I could blame the customer and say you were responsible for not bringing them in but I don't believe that would be right either. I could blame my self for not making sure that were received and suffer the loss of $845. This is why we have a return policy that protect both our business and the customer. The customer requested and paid for a product. We produced that product and shipped it as agreed. There is no reason for any body to suffer significant loss if the customer was to simply accept a replacement. I have attached a copy of our return policy that is also available on each page of the site the purchase was made on. This is not an unreasonable return policy and is common with businesses that make custom size materials and offering to replacing them with no extra charge is more than reasonable.

Cupped Dirty Top Flooring - Supplier Refuses to Rectify or Even View

M & D delivered cupped dirty top douglas fir flooring. The cupping caused the product to splinter, and the boards not to meet. After numerous attempts to get the company to come look at the product and have a discussion, the mill and a hardwood floor installer rendering opinions that the product was defective, I am left to pursue legal channels for resolution.