Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went to the showroom to look at natural stone for 3 bathrooms in my house in July 2023. We came to a decision on marble for all 3 vanity tops as well as the shower curb to match the counter tops. We put a deposit down for 50% of the total estimated cost of this job in August 2023 to be installed when the bathroom renovations were completed. When we were at the showroom we meticulously inspected all of the stone options and chose a marble stone. We took detailed video and photos of the slab of stone when picking it out. In February 2024 we were ready for installation of the stone. I called and spoke to the sales rep and set up a time to measure all of the different vanity tops and shower curb stone. A technician came and measured the areas and set up installation in roughly one week. We did not template the slabs because we were told that there is not any variation in the slab so they cut the stone and set up delivery. The stone was installed and payment was given in full. Upon inspection we found various spots of discoloration in the stone that were not present when we chose the stone. We reached out and received a response from an owner. They sent a technician out to see if they could correct the discoloration. From here, they could not take out the discoloration and we received the response that the discoloration is “in the stone.” We were able to remove one of the stains and sent photos with no response from the business. The rest will not come out. We would not have chosen this stone with the discoloration and have evidence of no discoloration via photos and video when the stone was chosen. The owner offered us a replacement of any stone in the showroom(except our original choice of stone) which was reasonable however after visiting the showroom we couldn’t find anything that we liked. After some correspondence via email we have not been able to come to an amicable resolution. Business has stopped responding to us.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/09/2024

  Mr ***** selected and paid for a custom product for several bathrooms in his home.  By his own account, Mr ***** had taken extensive photos and video of the material before we fabricated and installed it.  Upon examination of the finished product, Mr. ***** and his wife found numerous small dots and spots that they had not seen before the material was fabricated.  Initially our company thought that the discolorations might be rust and we went to the ***** home to remove those spots.  As it turns out, it was not rust but an element of the natural stone.  Those same elements exist in the material we still have in inventory, including the remainder of the piece we cut the ***** pieces from.  These elements don't all appear on the surface of the material, but when cut, they exist within the slab.  We were unable to meet the *****' request to remake the pieces, because this is a characterisitc of the stone they chose and cannot be avoided in fabrication.  

  We  suggested the *****' come in and take a look to replace this predominantly white, uniform marble with something else that might work out better in this application.  This offer extended to several hundred options we have in stock.  Mr. ***** came back in and later said he could not find anything else that would work in this application.  He subsequently asked that we remove the 3 bathroom countertops and provide a full refund for the work.

  I can appreciate Mr. ***** research, but some of his conclusions are not accurate, based on our own experience and understanding of marble, and this marble in particular.  We have installed this same material in 36 other homes, without complaint.  In order to satisfy Mr. ***** complaint, which was about the material, we offered to remake the custom product with another material that would not have the same properties. 

  I believe by offering a reasonable alternative to a product the *****' did not like, our company went the extra mile in trying to satisfy their dilemma.  I do not believe that our company, or any company for that matter, should be expected to remove and fully refund a customer for a custom order that was made to the customer's specifications and has been in use in 3 of their bathrooms for several months.    

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/25/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  As previously stated, we took extensive photos and videos and did not see any of the yellow spots on the marble. If we initially saw those spots, we would not have chosen this stone. We were told we did not need to be present for the templates. Perhaps if we were present for the templates, we would’ve been able to stop this issue from happening. We have brought up this fact multiple times to the business but it seems that when they do not have a response to what is said, they just ignore it. The business chose not to respond to the email we sent showing before and after photos of us getting one of the yellow spots off. We were told the stone was sealed multiple times, which indicates multiple layers of sealer, which is why we were able to get one of the drips off. This is why we believe it was the sealer that was used that caused the spots.?The business offered to replace the marble, which means taking the vanity tops back and most likely selling them at their own discretion. Since they were willing to take back these vanity tops and we were not able to find anything else we liked for our bathrooms in their limited showroom, we felt it was fair to ask for a refund and for them to retrieve their vanity tops.?In response to the business owner saying the vanity tops have been in use for several months... We have been trying to reach a resolution since we noticed the defects on the stone. I believe we reached out the week they were installed. This has been ongoing since February. There have been times when I have had to send follow up emails where the business did not respond. For instance, we reached out on April 30 for a follow up, to which the business did not respond, and then we gave the business almost a month to respond before we reached out to the Better Business Bureau, which I believe we began this process with the Better Business Bureau on May 23.?This has been extremely frustrating. We paid a lot of money for these vanity tops only to end up not happy with them. This is not a business that we would want to work with again. We would rather be without vanity tops than to keep their product in our home. We are not happy and have not been able to continue our renovation because of this issue.
  We also ordered shower curbs for the shower in the primary bathroom. These were measured by the business and cut accordingly. When we further inspected the curbs we found that that bottom corner was very rough. We sent them back to get fixed. When I called to let them know that I was coming for the curbs, the business owner responded with “I’m not sure what your expectation is” concerning the rough and sharp corners on the curbs. It’s quite simple…I don’t want to be cut by my shower curb when entering and exiting my shower. Being that these were professionally measured in the space by their technician we assumed that these pieces of stone would be finished properly. In short, the expectation from us, the customer, is to receive the product in the proper condition that we agreed upon through extensive planning and professional templating from the business. Rough and sharp edges are something that no customer would accept. ?Furthermore, the business extended their unprofessionalism by having their employee, Brian, go to our relative’s house who was looking to have a new bathroom vanity installed from Granite and Marble Works and he talked about our issue with the marble. He in turn got in a heated argument with her when he was the one who brought up the topic. The issue that we were having and trying to come to an amicable solution with the business should have been kept between the client and customer. It was completely inappropriate for Brian to bring this up to a third party.?We have gone above and beyond trying to make these vanity tops work to avoid this current situation. We reached out to marble restoration companies and sent them pictures of the spots to see if they could remove them but they declined because they don’t want to “fix someone else’s mistake”. We tried keeping an open mind to see if we liked anything else in their limited showroom, which we did not and we should not have to settle to make this business happy since we are the ones paying for the product.?The only resolution on our end is to be refunded in full and have this business retrieve their vanity tops and have this business relationship severed completely. The business will be able to sell these vanity tops because only one vanity was custom, the other two are standard size vanity tops. These vanity tops have been kept in pristine condition and we can go elsewhere to do business.?The last email the business owner sent was asking what we were going to have for our vanity tops. We aren’t going to settle for something in the showroom when nothing that they carry is what we are looking for. I’m hopeful that we can come to an agreement with the business to put this matter to rest.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Faulty installation of granite. Business has tried to repair yet offered a refund instead. Will not pay promised refund. All communications have been documented. I believe business has been putting off payment in hopes this timeframe will expire.
  
  Granite and marble works
  Install date March 2020
  
  *Notified on nov 3. 2020 issues with seams color
  
  *1st repair nov 9th 2020
  
  seams starting to separate
  
  *2nd repair on sept 9th 2021
  
  Repair not satisfactory. Seams still separated and no color match
  
  
  *Dec 8th 2021
  Owners came out to house
  Came out to review again and said they would come up with solution
  
  *Email from them. Jan 24 2022
  Email us saying they have staff issues
  
  *Email from them April 27 2022
  Said they are still working on a solution
  
  *Email from them July 27 2022
  Offered us a refund $3,773.56 no other solution
  
  *We replied back Sept 23 2022
  Please replace instead of refund
  
  *Email from them oct 12 2022
  Only option is refund
  
  *We replied back oct 14 2022
  Accepted offer
  
  *Email from them November 2 2022
  No draft from their lawyer for release of funds
  
  *We replied back dec 21 2022
  Checking on status ~no response
  
  *We replied back Jan 28 2023
  Please provide update ~no response
  
  *Wendy called Jan 31 2023
  Said Margarita is out until feb 20 and will respond
  
  Margaret emailed 5/2/2023 stating she has not received necessary paperwork from her attorney

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2023

  Mrs. ****' difficult history with our company actually begins prior to our fabrication and installation of the kitchen.  Having selected one of the smallest slabs in our gallery of over 2,000, she insisted that her kitchen be seamless --although the dimension of her kitchen perimeter (133-5/8 x 87-3/8) far exceed the dimensions of any natural stone slab available in the marketplace.  When offered the opportunity to switch materials to avoid one of the 2 seams required, she refused, and actually delayed production while she determined what she wanted to do,  So it is no surprise that she is unhappy with the seam.  It was something she did not want -- but something we could not avoid. During and after our one year warranty period, our company went to the **** home several times to work on the seam.  The experienced technicians we sent all agreed that 1. the seam was good; 2. there was nothing they could do to make it better in terms of "look".  This is, in part, due to the fact that the ****** had tiled in the countertop so that nothing can be moved or removed to work on the seam.  All that could be done would be to take out the existing seam epoxy and replace it.  Over time, this would make the seam larger, which is what we were trying to avoid.  The seam separation that the ****** have experienced can be due to a variety of factors -- not all of which are related to our install.  Conditions in the home, including settling, unlevel cabinets, humidity, all are potential factors.  None of this can be verified or changed because the countertop is completely locked in -- to determine the actual issue would require the ****** to remove cabinets, tile, etc.  And while our company would have been happy to go back to rework the seam if there continued to be a separation, it is not a requirement that we do so -- the countertop is no longer under warranty.  Companies provide a standard  one year warranty because they cannot be responsible for other conditions in the house that affect the work after installation. The ****** have determined that the installation is faulty, but this is their opinion, not fact.  They continued to pepper our company with repeated requests to come back and rework the seam -- even though we told them we did not have a solution for their complaint (which we do not believe is valid).  Finally, after many months of repeated calls and emails, I offered to refund them the money for the perimeter countertop, simply to stop their constant email and phone requests.  I indicated that I would need a release prepared by an attorney and signed by them.  Since it was during COVID and I do not have a regular attorney, I told them this would take awhile.  On a couple of occasions, the ****** indicated that they were prepared to hire an attorney -- I suggested that they have their attorney provide the release and I would review, sign and return with the refund.  This would expedite the process for everyone.  Clearly, they were not any more successfull than I have been. I have documented my efforts to take this unusual step, and am comfortable saying that our company has gone above and beyond what we are legally required to do in this case.  Recently, Mrs. **** posted her opinion (not fact) of the installation done by our company in an online review.  This was not what we expected, and not in the spirit of what I had offered.  And while I have continued to request assistance from my attorney and my colleagues in the field about the wording and structure of an appropriate release agreement, very few companies would even entertain such a generous offer.  And it appears my instincts to require a release were correct, based on Mrs. ****' recent review. I believe this case is closed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I was not made aware I was purchasing a piece of material that could have had difficult installation or to be defective.  This was not expressed verbally or documented in writing. I was under the impression I was purchasing a normal product as I paid the normal full price. We filed the complaint within the 1 year warranty period regarding the necessary seam repair.  The 1 year warranty period was detailed on the original bill of sale with our signatures.  The business details how they tried to repair the problem, which we feels acknowledges there was a problem. We have email documentation there was a separated seam and it was not just the color the first time they came out. The business did not follow through on their warranty that was provided.  We are asking for refund of services. 
  Regards, 
  
  ****** ****
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/26/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Please find this message as notification of Complaint ******** has been satisfactory resolved between both parties. We no longer have any complaints or outstanding issues with Granite and Marble Works inc. Thank you! ****** **** and **** ****