Not happy with new Quartz worktop 😢
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Let me guess, the middle one is the sample?
If it was explained to the customer at the point of sale that the sample is just that: a small piece of the whole that shows what shades of grey are in the whole slab, not the pattern of the shades, there would no problem. If it wasn't explained or they weren't shown the whole slab, or at least a picture of it and the customer can prove this, they may have a point.
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id give it a few days, you were expecting one thing, appear to have received another but other posters have made good points regarding the variation to be expected in this slabs, i actually think it looks better so make sure you really dont like it before starting the row!
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I worked in a tile shop when I was younger and we would always explain this customers, but I think even then we still had situations where people liked the sample more. We definitely got to the stage where we brought in 3 or 4 of the most different examples of pattern we had and said what you'll get is anything like these or in between. It never would have been as drastic as the difference between the sample in the op and the final product.
I do feel sorry for the op in this situation, the sample is not a good indication of the final product, but like @Mellor example shows, the sample is almost certainly a piece of the final product. So from a legal point of view, I'm really not sure there is much recourse. I'd imagine its even written somewhere on the quote that some variability is to be expected on these type of products.
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The most obvious and main feature of the slab that the OP got delivered is the very dark grey parts. This is not represented whatsoever in the sample. Looking at the sample, you would picture a slab that is predominantly white, with grey marbling here and there, and maybe in some places a bit more grey marbling to account for variances.
What the OP got is a slab that in large areas is overwhelmingly grey. It's also not the random marbling from the sample, but looks more like dark straight lines running across the counter top.
To say it the sample looks absolutely nothing whatsoever like a section of the delivered slab or the images is plainly incorrect.
Nobody said this. The sample does not represent the slab. Of course a sample is going to represent a section of the slab. A sample is completely useless if it does not give the customer an idea of what the overall product is going to look like.
"Here is a sample, the 30cm by 30cm section of slab around your sink is going to look like this sample but the rest of your counter is going to look totally different, just be aware of this."
In this situation, the OP should have been shown multiple samples, and at least one of those samples should have looked like the very dark areas they received.
The OP is a lay person. The OP was sold a slab off a sample. The OP was not given the opportunity to view the larger slab. It was not suggested to the OP that this is something they should even consider, and they weren't to know because again, they are a lay person. The shop have screwed up here, and the OP has a valid complaint that they've been misled.
As I've been saying this is really routine situation when dealing with selection of marble and other variable stones. I under that a first timer might not realise, but any self build situation is full of risk and lessons learned.
If any first timer may not realise that what they are being sold is not what they're actually going to get then this again just highlights the problem. If the provider of these slabs is selling to the public then they have to assume ignorance.
I don't think the OP has done anything wrong here, and if there are lessons to be learnt it's on the part of whoever sold this slab to make it clearer to customers what they are actually buying, and highlight that the sample is not reflective of the final product.
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We definitely got to the stage where we brought in 3 or 4 of the most different examples of pattern we had and said what you'll get is anything like these or in between
This is a great approach, and if the provider of these slabs had done this with the OP there'd be no issue. The customer knows exactly what they are potentially going to get.
The difference between the single sample in this case, and the final product, is just too drastic to be able to turn round and say "well yea, you know sometimes there are variances...".
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“The OP was not given the opportunity to view the larger slab. It was not suggested to the OP that this is something they should even consider, “
Has the OP said this ?
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Absolutely. There are many salesmen out there who will have scruples about misleading to get a sale, and not to mention people who are simply incompetent. If the OP was given the sample and told that it would al be like that then he obviously has a grievance. I've said that a few times.
But there no reason to jump to that as the default. There nothing inherently sneaky about the sample. When slabs of that material are cut up into samples, many of them should be expected to look like that. Claim that it s not the same finish is ludicrous.
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You've got it backwards though. You can't look at a sample and get an accurate view of a whole slab. Especially with a material that is highly variable like a marble and imitation marble. I think I pointed out in my first reply that a sample is not always representative of the the overall slab. For somebody with experience, they would expect variation from the sample (are its replicating marble).
The question is when you cut up the ashford grey slab into small pieces, would you get individual samples like that? The answer is a clear yes. When you cut up a variable slab, you get variable samples. Pretty simple.
Nobody said this. The sample does not represent the slab. Of course a sample is going to represent a section of the slab. A sample is completely useless if it does not give the customer an idea of what the overall product is going to look like.
Except that you said it. You said samples cut from the slab on the website would be accurate, but the sample the OP got was not.
Great, that's what a slab of Ashford grey looks like. A section of that as a sample would be an accurate representation of the product. However, it looks absolutely nothing whatsoever like the sample that was provided to the OP when making their purchase decision.
Which was why I said you contradicted yourself. It's pretty clear that the sample, the kitchen and the website image all share similar sections, once cut up. Example: the 3 images I posted. Are you really saying they look nothing whatsoever like each other one. I find that claim a stretch.
"Here is a sample, the 30cm by 30cm section of slab around your sink is going to look like this sample but the rest of your counter is going to look totally different, just be aware of this."
That's a entirely reasonable thing to say. It's also why they also show you images of the overall slab in addition to the samples. If somebody choose to ignore the overall images, they've nobody to blame but themselves.
In this situation, the OP should have been shown multiple samples, and at least one of those samples should have looked like the very dark areas they received.
The OP is a lay person. The OP was sold a slab off a sample. The OP was not given the opportunity to view the larger slab. It was not suggested to the OP that this is something they should even consider, and they weren't to know because again, they are a lay person. The shop have screwed up here, and the OP has a valid complaint that they've been misled.
Can I ask where you got that information from? Do you actually know that, or it is just an assumption?
How do you know that OP was sold on a single sample? And that there was no other samples in the shop? It would be pretty silly for a shop to have only one sample and to let a customer take it away, right. and where have you got it that images of the larger slabs were concealed? And that they actively mislead him. Not impossible, but it's a pretty unfair assumption tbh. Sounds pretty close to an imagined scenario to justify a viewpoint.
If any first timer may not realise that what they are being sold is not what they're actually going to get then this again just highlights the problem. If the provider of these slabs is selling to the public then they have to assume ignorance.
I don't think the OP has done anything wrong here, and if there are lessons to be learnt it's on the part of whoever sold this slab to make it clearer to customers what they are actually buying, and highlight that the sample is not reflective of the final product.
Have you considered that the vendors, are well aware of how ignorant laypeople will be, so do in fact cater their information for laypeople coming in off the street? Again, not saying OP didn't meet an incompetent newbie on his first day. I just don't think that should be the assumption. Give the balance of probability, there are more likely scenarios.
In my experience, suppliers typically have all that information you are saying they should have. But when people are going around multiple suppliers, looking at multiple finishes, it's easy to get mixed up. And when you're choosing at the end of the week from the sample you're left with. It possible to have tunnel vision and forget. It's understandable, however I would still say it's a mistake to order a few thousand worth countertop without at least checking the website/google to confirm your selection
Would you still say the shop is at fault. If they had a range of samples, clarity about variation and images of what typical slabs look like?
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