Artistic Tile

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted] , and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: [Your Answer Here] The tile I viewed in the showroom (0318.JPG) and the tile I received (0370.JPG) are completely different: the showroom tiles have an array of colors, the defective tiles are devoid of colorEven the sales associate was surprised when she saw the tiles with her own eyes -- I have the emailI believe it is unethical to ask me to pay a 35% restocking fee and an additional freight cost (around $150) for a defective product [redacted] ' offer to provide a store credit came in nearly two weeks after I brought in the defective tiles for examination -- and only after I pressed the sales associate several times for a response (I have the email trail for all the communication.) As the days went by with no reply, I had no chocie but to get tiles elsewhere in order to keep my renovation on schedule This had already cost me additional expense because of the two-week delayAnd, now, I was facing the prospect of losing my contractor to another job had I waited yet another 2-weeks to purchase different tiles with the store credit I am so disappointed that Artistic Tile has not acted in good faith In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above Sincerely, [redacted] ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ***, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
[Items sold were in a sealed crate and NOT displayed as Epstone, Incaka Artistic Tile statesAlso, numerous tiles were glued back together using epoxyThis was never described in the sale and as such the crate of tiles were sold under pretenses.Also, we have NO documentation saying all sales were finalWe have had some of the best and well known contractors look at these tiles and they all say they are defective and can't believe Artistic Tile wouldn't take them back no matter what there policy is. They have also indicated they probably would not do business with Artistic Tile if this is the way they treat their customers
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above
Sincerely,
*** ***

Artistic Tile has a very strong and customer friendly return policy for all goods purchased through our retail businessWe have showrooms throughout the country and over dealers, and we handle customer returns without restocking fees and have one of the most liberal return policies of
any tile company in the United StatesCustomer service is of paramount importance to us and we handle customer concerns honestly.This customer attended and made a purchase at a Warehouse Sale, at Artistic Tile's warehouse location in Secaucus, NJAll advertisements for this sale indicated the following: "All sales are finalNo returns, refunds or exchanges." The same was posted to our website landing page for the Warehouse Sale, which is unchanged since publication: ***Moreover, each purchase at the sale was conducted via paper order forms, all stamped with the following: "ALL SALES FINALSHOWROOM DESIGN ASSISTANCE NOT INCLUDED IN PRICEALL MATERIAL MUST BE REMOVED FROM ARTISTIC TILE WAREHOUSE BY FRIDAY, OCT ** 2015." Customers who purchased at the Warehouse Sale signed this order form before the sale was completed.Every item at the Warehouse Sale was exhibited in fullEach customer had the opportunity to review each piece of tile without restrictionA random sample of the contents of each box and pallet were pulled and placed on top for demonstration purposes, but Artistic Tile did not inhibit or restrict any customer from reviewing their intended material to the degree that they desired.The customer's concern with "oily veins" in the material in question is natural, and is consistently exhibited throughout the material selectionNo foreign substance was introduced at any timeThe warehouse sale did occur on an open lot and after some rain, which may account for some of the customer's observations.Artistic Tile runs warehouse sales very infrequentlyThis occasion was the first in over yearsThe event was meant to clear out old inventory, odd lots and discontinued itemsOur products are of the highest quality and are subject to rigorous quality controlThe product in question is a natural stoneNatural stone naturally varies, and is often veinedThese qualities are inherent in the material and are part of their beautyWhen installed correctly and properly cared for, they can last a lifetimeBeauty is in the eye of the beholder, and opinions varyWe're very sorry that this customer was unhappy with the material they selected, but the terms of the sale were very clear and often repeated, and the customer signed an order stamped with our terms and enjoyed an exceptional discount that is very rarely available from Artistic Tile. Following our discussion with the customer, a series of reviews were posted to social media sites for a variety of Artistic Tile retail locations, giving each the most negative review possible, in an effort to apply pressure to gain an exception to the sale policyNone of the locations that received this review were involved in the sale or served this customer in any way. We are proud of the consistently exceptional customer service we give our customersWe hope that this customer will ultimately be happy with their material, which is absolutely suitable for installation

Begin forwarded message: *** *** *** ***
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*** *** *** *** *** Dear ** ***, I have been asked by *** ***
to help resolve some requested amendments in the general release relative to the replacement of Vetrazzo Slabs in your home. First of, I would like to apologize on behalf of Artistic Tile that this situation has gotten to this point. We have been using this standard release for quite some time with very little if any in the way of push back that I can recall. Upon further examination, I realized that typically the release involves Artsitic Tile providing material, but not labor, so the release regarding property damage is really to protect us from a third party that we have no relationship with. In this case it applies, and we will work to resolve your issues with the agreement I think modifications can be done to the "whereas" section that would be agreeable to you As far as the other recitals in the agreement are concerned: 1. Resolution - regarding the removal and replacement of the sink, are you arranging the plumber or are we? Is there other plumbing involved. Regarding the electrical conduit, could you please send over a photograph of that condition so I can better understand how to address your concerns? 2. Disclaimer - I would agree to something to the effect of "Artistic Tile having a representative on site at the time of installation, and any claims would have to be noted at the time of project completion" Please send over the photos regarding the conduit and we will get this finalized Thank you *** ***
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Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We've been in touch with the client and made accommodation to her that are far beyond our conditions of sale to satisfy her request.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
The tile I viewed in the showroom (0318.JPG) and the tile I received (0370.JPG) are completely different: the showroom tiles have an array of colors, the defective tiles are devoid of color. Even the sales associate was surprised when she saw the tiles with her own eyes -- I have the email. I believe it is unethical to ask me to pay a 35% restocking fee and an additional freight cost (around $150) for a defective product.  [redacted]' offer to provide a store credit came in nearly two weeks after I brought in the defective tiles for examination -- and only after I pressed the sales associate several times for a response.  (I have the email trail for all the communication.) As the days went by with no reply, I had no chocie but to get tiles elsewhere in order to keep my renovation on schedule.  This had already cost me additional expense because of the two-week delay. And, now, I was facing the prospect of losing my contractor to another job had I waited yet another 2-3 weeks to purchase different tiles with the store credit.  I am so disappointed that Artistic Tile has not acted in good faith. 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for passing along the complaint. It is always disappointing to us when our clients aren't completely satisfied with their merchandise. This situation was particularly challenging as the tile ordered was special order, non-cancellable glass mosaic, as indicated on the client signed and...

executed sales contract. When the tile was received [redacted] deemed the mosaic unacceptable in color. Our supplier, an international brand that manufacturers tile for residential and commercial use, reviewed the tile and deemed it perfectly within range. Although the product was custom, we were willing to break from our contract to accept the tile for return with a restocking fee. [redacted] was not fond of that idea. Next, an offer of a full credit toward a different tile for her backsplash, excluding re-stock or transit fees for the return, was provided. Unfortunately, [redacted] had selected an alternate product from another retailer by that time. [redacted] attempted a charge back with [redacted] for this purchase. The charge back was denied by [redacted].

Review: Purchased a sealed pallet of 12 X 24 smoke limestone in Secaucus, NJ warehouse.. The samples on top were nice and supposed to be indicative of what was in the pallet. To our shock almost all of the 369 square feet of limestone in the pallet had huge ugly oily 'veins" and a lot of the tiles appeared to be chipped and stained with a foreign substance. This was NOT what we were expecting when we purchased the tiles, nor were the tiles described this way by the seller. Our tiler claims the large oily black "veins" that run through the limestone will make them susceptible to breakage . We wish to return or exchange this pallet but were refused. The invoice we have does not indicate that there is a no refund policy.Desired Settlement: We would hope [redacted] and his mother [redacted] would stand behind there products and offer a refund.

Business

Response:

Artistic Tile has a very strong and customer friendly return policy for all goods purchased through our normal retail business. We have 9 showrooms throughout the country and over 200 dealers, and we handle customer returns without restocking fees and have one of the most liberal return policies of any tile company in the United States. Customer service is of paramount importance to us and we handle customer concerns honestly.This customer attended and made a purchase at a Warehouse Sale, at Artistic Tile's warehouse location in Secaucus, NJ. All advertisements for this sale indicated the following: "All sales are final. No returns, refunds or exchanges." The same was posted to our website landing page for the Warehouse Sale, which is unchanged since publication: [redacted]Moreover, each purchase at the sale was conducted via paper order forms, all stamped with the following: "ALL SALES FINAL. SHOWROOM DESIGN ASSISTANCE NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE. ALL MATERIAL MUST BE REMOVED FROM ARTISTIC TILE WAREHOUSE BY FRIDAY, OCT ** 2015." Customers who purchased at the Warehouse Sale signed this order form before the sale was completed.Every item at the Warehouse Sale was exhibited in full. Each customer had the opportunity to review each piece of tile without restriction. A random sample of the contents of each box and pallet were pulled and placed on top for demonstration purposes, but Artistic Tile did not inhibit or restrict any customer from reviewing their intended material to the degree that they desired.The customer's concern with "oily veins" in the material in question is natural, and is consistently exhibited throughout the material selection. No foreign substance was introduced at any time. The warehouse sale did occur on an open lot and after some rain, which may account for some of the customer's observations.Artistic Tile runs warehouse sales very infrequently. This occasion was the first in over 10 years. The event was meant to clear out old inventory, odd lots and discontinued items. Our products are of the highest quality and are subject to rigorous quality control. The product in question is a natural stone. Natural stone naturally varies, and is often veined. These qualities are inherent in the material and are part of their beauty. When installed correctly and properly cared for, they can last a lifetime. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and opinions vary. We're very sorry that this customer was unhappy with the material they selected, but the terms of the sale were very clear and often repeated, and the customer signed an order stamped with our terms and enjoyed an exceptional discount that is very rarely available from Artistic Tile. Following our discussion with the customer, a series of reviews were posted to social media sites for a variety of Artistic Tile retail locations, giving each the most negative review possible, in an effort to apply pressure to gain an exception to the sale policy. None of the locations that received this review were involved in the sale or served this customer in any way. We are proud of the consistently exceptional customer service we give our customers. We hope that this customer will ultimately be happy with their material, which is absolutely suitable for installation.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Items sold were in a sealed crate and NOT displayed as Epstone, Inc. aka Artistic Tile states. Also, numerous tiles were glued back together using epoxy. This was never described in the sale and as such the crate of tiles were sold under false pretenses.Also, we have NO documentation saying all sales were final. We have had some of the best and well known contractors look at these tiles and they all say they are defective and can't believe Artistic Tile wouldn't take them back no matter what there policy is. They have also indicated they probably would not do business with Artistic Tile if this is the way they treat their customers.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: In November 2013 we purchased a Vetrazzo countertop from Artistic Tile in [redacted]. Upon installation we noticed a textural inconsistency with the slabs. Within a few days, certain sections of the countertop started to stain. The fabricator came back 3 times to clean and reseal the countertop but the staining could not be removed and continued to progress. Vetrazzo (the manufacturer of the product) also inspected the slabs twice, agreeing that there was definitely a problem with the finish and that the stains would never come out. Vetrazzo agreed to replace the slabs, but then after several months reneged. They claimed that either Artistic Tile or their fabricator was responsible for the condition of the slabs used, since Artistic Tile had signed paperwork that slabs were received by them in factory condition. Artistic Tile then contacted us and offered us $5,000.00 (which was less than half of our total expense) to either accept the countertop as is, or replace it completely. We opted for replacing it. The fabricator came to our home to re-measure, and we thought after almost 1 1/2 years we were finally going to get the countertop we bought. Unfortunately, Artistic Tile will not replace the countertop without a signed release from us. The release has so many stipulations and false statements that we could not sign it. Artistic Tile then told us they the will NOT replace the countertop unless we sign the release. We spent nearly $12,000 on this very high end product, and we have been left with material that all parties agree is defective.Desired Settlement: We would like the countertop replaced, free of all charges, with the properly finished and sealed material. This replacement should have the same warranties and guarantees that came with the original purchase.

Business

Response:

Begin forwarded message: [redacted]

[redacted] Dear [redacted], I have been asked by [redacted] to help resolve some requested amendments in the general release relative to the replacement of Vetrazzo Slabs in your home. First of, I would like to apologize on behalf of Artistic Tile that this situation has gotten to this point. We have been using this standard release for quite some time with very little if any in the way of push back that I can recall. Upon further examination, I realized that typically the release involves Artsitic Tile providing material, but not labor, so the release regarding property damage is really to protect us from a third party that we have no relationship with. In this case it applies, and we will work to resolve your issues with the agreement. I think modifications can be done to the "whereas" section that would be agreeable to you. As far as the other recitals in the agreement are concerned: 1. Resolution - regarding the removal and replacement of the sink, are you arranging the plumber or are we? Is there other plumbing involved. Regarding the electrical conduit, could you please send over a photograph of that condition so I can better understand how to address your concerns? 2. Disclaimer - I would agree to something to the effect of "Artistic Tile having a representative on site at the time of installation, and any claims would have to be noted at the time of project completion" Please send over the photos regarding the conduit and we will get this finalized. Thank you. [redacted]

Review: After several visits to Artistic Tile's showroom on [redacted], I ordered glass tiles in a rich color palette of blues, golds, and greens. (I took many pictures at the showroom.) But when my order arrived, the tiles were uniformly devoid of any color, more the shade of thin, white milk. It looked to me like something had gone wrong in the manufacturing process. I emailed the sales associate explaining the problem and she replied that glass tiles tend to vary in color. I answered that this was not a variation of color, but a lack of color -- and arranged for her to see samples of the actual tiles. After seeing the tiles with her own eyes, she told me to hold off on installation until she spoke to her manager. Several days later, I was told that I could return the tiles with a $35% restocking fee and the cost of the return freight, a considerable sum given the original cost of the tiles. This is a rip off! These tiles are defective, and a business with any semblance of integrity would have immediately taken them back. Shame on them!Desired Settlement: The honorable thing for Artistic Tile to do is to refund the cost of a defective product.

Business

Response:

Thank you for passing along the complaint. It is always disappointing to us when our clients aren't completely satisfied with their merchandise. This situation was particularly challenging as the tile ordered was special order, non-cancellable glass mosaic, as indicated on the client signed and executed sales contract. When the tile was received [redacted] deemed the mosaic unacceptable in color. Our supplier, an international brand that manufacturers tile for residential and commercial use, reviewed the tile and deemed it perfectly within range. Although the product was custom, we were willing to break from our contract to accept the tile for return with a restocking fee. [redacted] was not fond of that idea. Next, an offer of a full credit toward a different tile for her backsplash, excluding re-stock or transit fees for the return, was provided. Unfortunately, [redacted] had selected an alternate product from another retailer by that time. [redacted] attempted a charge back with [redacted] for this purchase. The charge back was denied by [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

The tile I viewed in the showroom (0318.JPG) and the tile I received (0370.JPG) are completely different: the showroom tiles have an array of colors, the defective tiles are devoid of color. Even the sales associate was surprised when she saw the tiles with her own eyes -- I have the email. I believe it is unethical to ask me to pay a 35% restocking fee and an additional freight cost (around $150) for a defective product. [redacted]' offer to provide a store credit came in nearly two weeks after I brought in the defective tiles for examination -- and only after I pressed the sales associate several times for a response. (I have the email trail for all the communication.) As the days went by with no reply, I had no chocie but to get tiles elsewhere in order to keep my renovation on schedule. This had already cost me additional expense because of the two-week delay. And, now, I was facing the prospect of losing my contractor to another job had I waited yet another 2-3 weeks to purchase different tiles with the store credit. I am so disappointed that Artistic Tile has not acted in good faith.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We've been in touch with the client and made accommodation to her that are far beyond our conditions of sale to satisfy her request.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,