Know Your Consumer Rights

Charles Wells71 said:here’s the high-res version 😉

http://i42.tinypic.com/30lmjgz.jpg

it was supposed to be steamed oak with an oil finish and a high polish... but instead, we got this absolute disaster. the photo doesn't even do it justice, but honestly, if you felt the difference between these two pieces, it would be night and day.
first, he tries to gaslight us into thinking it's the exact same stuff, claiming he'll just "polish it up" a bit for us... then, when he comes back for the second time, he starts making excuses, acting like he doesn't know anything, yet still insists that the floor needs a final polish after installation.. obviously, none of this bullshit was mentioned when we paid the deposit. on top of all that, about 30% of the planks were only half a meter long when they were supposed to be between 6 and 10 feet long... again, totally unmentioned at the start. the flooring showed up without any actual packaging, just tied together with some cheap plastic straps. because they were stacked so poorly during transit, the edges of some boards turned this weird shade—like they'd been sitting out in the California sun or something.
that polished sample he supposedly made for us is the one on the left in the picture, and trust me, it feels nothing like the mess on the right that we actually ordered.

the price per square foot was $297...

Look—if you ask me, the one on the left is a much higher grade than the right one. You can sand down, stain, and lacquer the left one any way you want. But that black knot and that snail puncture on the right one? No amount of magic is going to make those disappear.🤷

Personally, I’d be losing my mind if I had ordered the one on the left and ended up with the right one instead...

I.

Andrew Murphy5 said:Looks like you got stuck with some cheap junk that obviously fell off the back of a truck—someone's trying to make a quick buck off you. Take it back and get your money back. Honestly, I’d rather just go with laminate from $10 than deal with this headache.
All that cash spent and not even a decent spec sheet. What a joke.

Yeah, unfortunately we're fully aware of that... I mean, when you actually hold the flooring in your hands and feel the difference between what he has in his shop versus what actually showed up, it's night and day. 😢
Partly because of all that damaged stock caused by shipping and storage issues, his next move was trying to count how much he had left so he could short us on the install—basically hoping if there wasn't enough to finish the job, we'd just leave one room empty until he gets more, hahaha!

Ashley Mendoza6 said:Look, you have to understand that there is a massive difference between raw lumber and finished flooring. It’s night and day.

So—if he’s showing you a polished, oiled floor in the showroom, don't expect it to look identical to the raw material I’d be hauling over to install for you.😉

Regarding the color: if it looks too pale, we can always tone it down a bit. If it’s looking too red for your taste, I can add more oil. Honestly, natural oak doesn't even come out red on its own, so we usually have to stain it anyway—you could practically make it neon orange if you really wanted to...

The one thing I can't fix, though, is the grade. If you opted for Grade 1 or Grade 2, you shouldn't be seeing heavy knots, insect holes, or major imperfections.

And listen, if he signed off on a delivery range of 0.5 to 2 feet, that doesn't mean every single plank is going to be two feet long. If that were the case, I'd basically be sawing through half a tree just to get three planks! Finding top-tier, premium wood is hard enough in standard lengths, let alone in extra-long pieces...

Unless he actually signed a document explicitly stating, "We will deliver planks between 2 and 3 feet long," I wouldn't go expecting much on that front.

Edit: You end up cutting the flooring at the edges anyway. Having about 30% shorter planks is perfectly fine, provided the room you're working in isn't longer than, say, 50 feet. You're going to have to cut them regardless.

Of course there's a difference... but we aren't talking about raw planks here. This is finished flooring that requires absolutely zero extra finishing work... the deposit paperwork clearly states it's "finished, sanded without beveled edge, model relax."

The guy is actually lying now, acting like he didn't know it would need polishing just so he can try to squeeze more cash out of us, even though his own order explicitly says "finished, sanded."🤣

Ashley Mendoza6 said:Look, you have to understand that there is a massive difference between raw lumber and finished flooring. It’s night and day.

So—if he’s showing you a polished, oiled floor in the showroom, don't expect it to look identical to the raw material I’d be hauling over to install for you.😉

Regarding the color: if it looks too pale, we can always tone it down a bit. If it’s looking too red for your taste, I can add more oil. Honestly, natural oak doesn't even come out red on its own, so we usually have to stain it anyway—you could practically make it neon orange if you really wanted to...

The one thing I can't fix, though, is the grade. If you opted for Grade 1 or Grade 2, you shouldn't be seeing heavy knots, insect holes, or major imperfections.

And listen, if he signed off on a delivery range of 0.5 to 2 feet, that doesn't mean every single plank is going to be two feet long. If that were the case, I'd basically be sawing through half a tree just to get three planks! Finding top-tier, premium wood is hard enough in standard lengths, let alone in extra-long pieces...

Unless he actually signed a document explicitly stating, "We will deliver planks between 2 and 3 feet long," I wouldn't go expecting much on that front.

Edit: You end up cutting the flooring at the edges anyway. Having about 30% shorter planks is perfectly fine, provided the room you're working in isn't longer than, say, 50 feet. You're going to have to cut them regardless.

Heaven knows I haven't been messing with the color or adding any stains... I'm not paying extra for the flooring just so I have to babysit him for another hundred bucks $67 per square foot... no chance!!

Ashley Mendoza6 said:Look, you have to understand that there is a massive difference between raw lumber and finished flooring. It’s night and day.

So—if he’s showing you a polished, oiled floor in the showroom, don't expect it to look identical to the raw material I’d be hauling over to install for you.😉

Regarding the color: if it looks too pale, we can always tone it down a bit. If it’s looking too red for your taste, I can add more oil. Honestly, natural oak doesn't even come out red on its own, so we usually have to stain it anyway—you could practically make it neon orange if you really wanted to...

The one thing I can't fix, though, is the grade. If you opted for Grade 1 or Grade 2, you shouldn't be seeing heavy knots, insect holes, or major imperfections.

And listen, if he signed off on a delivery range of 0.5 to 2 feet, that doesn't mean every single plank is going to be two feet long. If that were the case, I'd basically be sawing through half a tree just to get three planks! Finding top-tier, premium wood is hard enough in standard lengths, let alone in extra-long pieces...

Unless he actually signed a document explicitly stating, "We will deliver planks between 2 and 3 feet long," I wouldn't go expecting much on that front.

Edit: You end up cutting the flooring at the edges anyway. Having about 30% shorter planks is perfectly fine, provided the room you're working in isn't longer than, say, 50 feet. You're going to have to cut them regardless.

Man, he didn't sign off on a single thing for my benefit... it’s not explicitly stated anywhere, but surely there's got to be a section in those flooring specs that lists the available lengths, right?

I swear, I’ve been staring at this screen forever and I still can't find those damn specs anywhere. 🙄

So, like, about 60% of them showed up as these ridiculously massive 6 to 10-foot boards.

Ashley Mendoza6 said:Look, you have to understand that there is a massive difference between raw lumber and finished flooring. It’s night and day.

So—if he’s showing you a polished, oiled floor in the showroom, don't expect it to look identical to the raw material I’d be hauling over to install for you.😉

Regarding the color: if it looks too pale, we can always tone it down a bit. If it’s looking too red for your taste, I can add more oil. Honestly, natural oak doesn't even come out red on its own, so we usually have to stain it anyway—you could practically make it neon orange if you really wanted to...

The one thing I can't fix, though, is the grade. If you opted for Grade 1 or Grade 2, you shouldn't be seeing heavy knots, insect holes, or major imperfections.

And listen, if he signed off on a delivery range of 0.5 to 2 feet, that doesn't mean every single plank is going to be two feet long. If that were the case, I'd basically be sawing through half a tree just to get three planks! Finding top-tier, premium wood is hard enough in standard lengths, let alone in extra-long pieces...

Unless he actually signed a document explicitly stating, "We will deliver planks between 2 and 3 feet long," I wouldn't go expecting much on that front.

Edit: You end up cutting the flooring at the edges anyway. Having about 30% shorter planks is perfectly fine, provided the room you're working in isn't longer than, say, 50 feet. You're going to have to cut them regardless.

So, if you’re looking at a 1,100 square foot place and you end up with like 30% extra flooring just because of all those random 15 to 24-inch gaps... what the hell are we even supposed to do with that? I mean, once you start cutting everything down to fix the waste, what is this thing even going to look like by the time it's finished? Is there actually enough left to make it look decent? 😕 ..

@Charles Wells71

Regarding those declarations—they usually get sent straight to the company—you know, like one single declaration covering an entire semi-truck load—especially if the goods are coming straight from the factory packed up on pallets

Some flooring comes packed with a mix of long and short planks—maybe 60/40 or 70/30—supposedly because it looks better when you’re laying it down (though honestly, I think it’s just a matter of taste)—and you really ought to mention that to the customer...

With those massive lengths (like 2 or 3 meters), you're going to end up with a ton of scrap during the cutting process, which is why people tend to avoid those sizes... what are the room dimensions, anyway? If you have to cut boards that long down into pieces of a meter or less, the final look is going to be pretty ugly and just won't pass the eye test...

But look, if the deal smells fishy—it stinks... take the money and run!

Charles Wells71 said:Yeah, unfortunately we're fully aware of that... I mean, when you actually hold the flooring in your hands and feel the difference between what he has in his shop versus what actually showed up, it's night and day. 😢
Partly because of all that damaged stock caused by shipping and storage issues, his next move was trying to count how much he had left so he could short us on the install—basically hoping if there wasn't enough to finish the job, we'd just leave one room empty until he gets more, hahaha!

Of course there's a difference... but we aren't talking about raw planks here. This is finished flooring that requires absolutely zero extra finishing work... the deposit paperwork clearly states it's "finished, sanded without beveled edge, model relax."

The guy is actually lying now, acting like he didn't know it would need polishing just so he can try to squeeze more cash out of us, even though his own order explicitly says "finished, sanded."🤣

Heaven knows I haven't been messing with the color or adding any stains... I'm not paying extra for the flooring just so I have to babysit him for another hundred bucks $67 per square foot... no chance!!

Man, he didn't sign off on a single thing for my benefit... it’s not explicitly stated anywhere, but surely there's got to be a section in those flooring specs that lists the available lengths, right?

I swear, I’ve been staring at this screen forever and I still can't find those damn specs anywhere. 🙄

So, like, about 60% of them showed up as these ridiculously massive 6 to 10-foot boards.

So, if you’re looking at a 1,100 square foot place and you end up with like 30% extra flooring just because of all those random 15 to 24-inch gaps... what the hell are we even supposed to do with that? I mean, once you start cutting everything down to fix the waste, what is this thing even going to look like by the time it's finished? Is there actually enough left to make it look decent? 😕 ..

Look, I just want to tell you one thing: don't go charging at him immediately.

The reality is that oak, by its very nature, is yellowish and rough. That "stain" everyone loves? It's often just an artificial finish created through various chemical processes that can usually be fixed if things go south. Honestly, they might have totally botched this batch... But look, if the guy actually knows his craft and claims he can fix it—just step back and let him try.

As far as the wood grade goes, the one you’re unhappy with looks like a natural finish to me, whereas the one you liked better is probably labeled "rustic" because of all those knots...

I really hope you didn't pay the full amount upfront. Hopefully, you still owe him something so you have some leverage to withhold payment if he completely messes up the repair.

Best,

Look, just because they screwed him over doesn't mean he gets a free pass to screw them over too...

If you shake hands on one thing and then deliver something completely different—that’s just not how things work. It isn't right.

Quick question for you guys—is a seller actually legally required to take back an item if the customer realizes the price was way too high after the fact?

Walk me through it. Was this stuff picked up in-store or was it an online order?
Look, if you grab something at a shop and then suddenly realize it’s a waste of cash or just isn't your vibe, the retailer isn't legally obligated to swap it out or give you your money back. That said, most places—like a local Target or a big-box store—will usually do an exchange if you change your mind within a few days. It's basically just good customer service or some internal store policy. They do it to keep people coming back and building that trust.

But, if we're talking remote sales (online shopping, TV shopping, phone orders, whatever), the seller is actually required to refund you if you change your mind after the item arrives.

Roger Patel87 said:Quick question for you guys—is a seller actually legally required to take back an item if the customer realizes the price was way too high after the fact?

😂😂😂🤣

But wait, wasn't the price fine when you actually bought it? And this is all happening within just a few days of the purchase...

I am absolutely livid right now, and honestly, here is why: I picked up some expensive Hershey's "griotte" chocolates at Walmart, and let me tell you, they were a total disaster... the candies were gray, sunken, dried out, just completely inedible, and to top it all off, there wasn't even a single label inside the box—you know, that little slip of paper you need if you actually want to file a formal complaint with Hershey! What kind of rights does a consumer even have at this point, other than just staying far away from a company that isn't even half the brand it used to be...😠

It’s all about how they were stored. Chocolate is super sensitive to temp swings—going from hot to cold ruins it, usually making it look weird. That’s why you get that "bloom" where the chocolate turns white. It’s got nothing to do with the expiration date. Honestly, you probably should've just taken them back to the Walmart where you bought them, back before those claim forms were even a thing.

I mean, sure, I could try to file a formal complaint, maybe they’d actually listen and take responsibility, but what would be the point if the issue really is just bad storage at the warehouse like you're suggesting... because then a replacement would just end up being more of the same stuff... 🤷
Honestly though, I don't even have the energy to deal with the headache of fighting them over this, it's just some Hershey's candy after all, but still... it's just annoying... 🙂

I totally feel you. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve bought a bar of chocolate that turned out to be absolutely gross. It usually happens with the filled stuff, especially when it gets hot out. I also figured out the hard way that those liqueur-filled ones have a shelf life—if they sit on my counter too long, they just dry out. And don't even get me started on the times I accidentally left them in the fridge because I didn't know better. Since it's finally cooling down, we should be in the clear now. 😉

What happened to you is just chocolate bloom—and honestly, it definitely happened because someone didn't store it right during the summer heat. If you want to file a complaint, just grab your receipt and head down to the grocery store where you bought it.

And don't even get me started on putting it in the fridge; that's not the fix. Chocolate actually tastes best at (normal) room temperature.

rustymaker5 said:I am absolutely livid right now, and honestly, here is why: I picked up some expensive Hershey's "griotte" chocolates at Walmart, and let me tell you, they were a total disaster... the candies were gray, sunken, dried out, just completely inedible, and to top it all off, there wasn't even a single label inside the box—you know, that little slip of paper you need if you actually want to file a formal complaint with Hershey! What kind of rights does a consumer even have at this point, other than just staying far away from a company that isn't even half the brand it used to be...😠

I had a similar thing happen with some Koestlin wafers I grabbed at Kroger—I called the factory and told them what happened, and the woman on the line asked me to send over some photos. I snapped them, sent them off, and ended up getting a whole care package of products from them as an apology.

You should try that too. If it was a storage issue, blame the retailer; if it was a manufacturing defect, take it up with the factory.