I purchased granite counter tops for two rooms in my house, my kitchen and my master bathroom from Rock Tops, Inc., 1000 100th St, SW, Suite D, Byron center, MI 49315. The parent company is in Macomb Twp., MI. The company owners are Charlie Thiede and Bob Gasiorowski. Rock Tops fabricated the bathroom countertop incorrectly and refuses to do anything about it.
The granite used in the bathroom is called Colonial Dream, which has a very definite grain pattern like you would see when looking at a piece of wood. I specifically asked our sales person when we made the purchase if the granite would be oriented with the grain running the length of the countertop. His response was "yes." However, after the top was installed, I immediately noticed that the grain ran from the back to the front of the countertop instead of the length of the top. This is 90 degrees opposite the back splash, which has the grain correctly running the length of that piece. The top looks ridiculous with the grain running back to front against the backsplash with it's grain running the length of the countertop. I did not see the defective top until after the installers were gone. I immediately contacted Rock Tops in Byron Center. I spoke with the sales manager. He agreed that the piece was manufactured incorrectly and said he would check out what they needed to do and get back with me. Two days later, having gotten no return call, I called again. This time I spoke to my original sales person. He too agreed that the piece was manufactured incorrectly and began looking into it to see what he could do. Several days later he called to tell me that the owners decided they were not willing to replace the piece. Their excuse was because of the earlier "consideration" made on the kitchen countertop.
It should be noted at this point that I was given a $400 discount on the kitchen countertop when it was installed. This happened because the fabricator broke a chunk off a corner of one section of the countertop and glued it back on, apparently hoping it would go unnoticed. The installer noticed it and pointed it out to me. We contacted the store, spoke to the sales manager, and I agreed to keep the piece when they agreed to discount it $400 rather than having to order a new piece and replace it at their expense. This agreement was made solely on the kitchen countertop and had nothing to do with the bathroom countertop. I was actually doing them a favor by keeping the piece since it would have cost them more to replace it than for the "consideration" they gave me.
I want the top replaced because it looks so wrong, to which both the Byron Center store sales manager and our sales person agreed should happen. This granite was cut incorrectly by Rock Tops' fabricator. Any reputable company would quickly fix a mistake they created. The owners, however, aren't willing to absorb the cost of their mistake. They don't care that they produced a defective product and put it in my home. Nor do they care about customer satisfaction, or the impact their unscrupulous business practices has on their reputation. Since the owners are refusing to correct their mistake, I am left with no other alternative than to make their unfair, unscrupulous business practices known to everyone who will read this report.
Rock Tops has several store locations throughout Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, but all their tops are fabricated out of their Macomb location. I would encourage everyone to make sure you thoroughly investigate the fabricator you choose when purchasing granite, marble, or quartz countertops. I would further encourage everyone to thoroughly examine each piece before you allow the installers to install it. Once it's in it's difficult to get anything done if it's not right. Also be careful what you're signing when the installers are done. You may be signing away all your rights of recourse.
0 comments