Dalton Flooring Liquidators low quality products, late delivery, no communication tricked and lied to us Gadsden Alabama
This company sells bamboo hardwood and other flooring material on the internet (ebay). First I requested a sample of bamboo flooring (natural horizontal bamboo). I liked the bright color and smooth finish of the sample and proceeded to make an order worth more than $3000. Shipping is advertized to be free by Dalton Flooring.
I ordered on the telephone and tried to pay with credit card. The DFL employee I ordered with (Tony, watch out for him!!) made me wire the money to them. Because he said he could not draft from either two credit cards I offered him. So I wired the money.
COMPLAINT LIST
1. LATE DELIVERY
The wood arrived about 3 weeks later than agreed. (I had been told that it should come within 5-7 days but it took more than a month. I was not informed that there would be a delay until after I inquired about it. After I complained I got a cash back refund of $300 which I thought was fair. They first offered %150, and I had to negotiate quite a bit to get $300.
2. EXTRA SHIPPING COSTS
When the wood finally was on the way to Chicago I learned that I had to pay extra $250 for shipping from a local terminal to my house. This in contrast to the "free shipping" information advertised on their website, on ebay, and also to the info Tony gave me on the phone. I complained about this without success.
(Pretty quickly after I complained they changed their ebay site mentioning in small letters that S&H is free only to a local terminal.)
3. LOW QUALITY PRODUCT
The worst came when I opened the first box with bamboo planks: a greenish-yellow bamboo with a rather rough surface. Not at all the quality of the sample piece they had sent me before in the mail.
When I tried to complain about this on the phone nobody would return my call for about 10 days. Finally I sent in a piece of the sample and a piece of the actual wood for them to see themselves. No reaction.
I then went ahead and had the lower grade bamboo installed in my home. Figuring that it would look Ok when I put an extra coat of finish on it after installation (extra costs $1,100).
I tried for 4 weeks to talk to the Ronnie Pollard (owner of Dalton Flooring) about a cashback to cover the extra finishing costs. I negotiated without success. So I left them a negative feedback on ebay.
Since then people keep sending me emails asking me the details of my experience with Dalton Flooring. That is why I am leaving this rip off report.
Mike
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Mike
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Dalton Ronnie's Lies
#4Author of original report
Thu, June 26, 2003
Even in his reply (see above) to my report the Dalton Flooring manager is telling the half-truth again.
1) LATE DELIVERY
Perfect agreement.
2) EXTRA SHIPPING COST
4 times on the phone with Dalton Flooring before I made my order. I was never told that I would be responsible for picking up the shipment from the nearest Roadway Terminal.
At the time of my order their ebay ad shipping said Free shipping, period. Not just to the nearest terminal. Free.
Today (four months later) their website says Free shipping. Period. Nothing about the terminal. A bunch of liars are they.
3) LOW QUALITY PRODUCT
My report above states that I tried to contact the company after I was dissatisfied with the raw finish. But arranging to return the hardwood was impossible. For 10 days the person in charge (Tommy) would not return my call. "My son was sick" he told me later on. (The boss Ronnie would not return my calls for as long as four weeks. )
I then installed the wood and had it refinished by a local contractor for an extra $1100. Hypocrite-Ronnie finally had a reason to return my call: Of course they would have taken it back, esteemed customer. But Alas! Now it was too late.
I am still waiting to be reimbursed for the extra costs and all the hastle.
Ronnie Pollard - Owner
Gadsden,Alabama,
U.S.A.
proven record of over 20 years of customer satisfaction
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, June 20, 2003
Response to Complaint
Dalton Flooring Liquidators has a proven record of over 20 years of customer satisfaction, which we try to maintain everyday. We are troubled when we receive complaints, and always make every effort to resolve the problem to the customers satisfaction.
This particular complaint is troubling in several areas:
1) LATE DELIVERY
We admit that the delivery was late, which we reimbursed Mr. Kollman $300 for his time & trouble with the late delivery. Unfortunately, in the flooring business, we are often at the mercy of our suppliers. In this case, the product was back-ordered, and we couldn't ship his order until we received it from our supplier. There was also a delay caused by the fact that both credit cards Mr. Kollman tendered to us were declined. This is the reason he had to wire us the money.
2) EXTRA SHIPPING COST
Our shipping policy clearly states that "free shipping" is to the nearest Roadway Express terminal based on the customer's zip code. Mr. Kollman was told from the beginning that he would be responsible for picking up his shipment from the nearest Roadway Terminal.
3) LOW QUALITY PRODUCT
We have to wonder why Mr. Kollman would go to the trouble and expense of installing and refinishing flooring that he claims was completely unsatisfactory. We would've been glad to have had his flooring shipped back to us, and replaced with flooring satisfactory to him at no additional charge. The warranty on the Bamboo clearly states that unsatisfactory pieces MUST NOT BE INSTALLED, yet he chose to install it anyway, which we feel voided his claim of receiving unsatisfactory material.
If you have any questions about how we do business, I urge you to call us toll-free 1-866-279-8989, Monday - Saturday, 8am to 6pm Central Standard Time, so that you can judge our professionalism, courtesy, and integrity for yourself.
Mike
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
addendum Dalton Flooring Liquidators
#4Author of original report
Thu, May 15, 2003
The name of the inconsiderate employee is Tommy (not Tony as stated in my report).