The Consumer Complaints Blog

The following is an account of my disappointing customer service experience with Ove Decors Inc., a manufacturer of high-end bathroom vanities located in the province of Quebec.

Through the course of a bathroom renovation, we had set our sights on a vanity designed and fabricated by Ove Decors. The model was the Eco-40 with a price tag slightly over $1,500 after taxes and delivery. The product was purchased through a local distributor.

I should mention that we had not seen the product in a showroom, and had trusted the website of the Company in regards to the description and/or pictures of the product during the purchasing process.

The product’s description listed a hidden towel rack and that it included a mirror (with the equivalent description in French). Consequently, we cancelled the towel ring that we had ordered and returned the mirror that was purchased, as we considered this to be additional cost-savings for a project that had already gone over budget.

When we first inquired about the product, we were told that it would be delivered within 10 business days. After we proceeded with the order, the product was delivered almost four weeks later with no further explanation regarding the delay.

When the product was delivered by the contractor, we opened the box and noticed that there was no mirror included, and that the unit did not include a hidden towel rack.

In addition, when the box was opened and the parts were taken out, we noticed that the sink that was shipped was the wrong one. The sink did not fit on the pre-drilled holes on the vanity and was not as shown in the pictures. Also, one of the side drawers was damaged. The drawer did not close properly because of a damaged slider-hinge.

Lastly, the plumbing that was installed as per the specifications on the web site did not correspond to the height of the vanity. In other words, the plumbing did not fit and had to be redone in order to accommodate the vanity. The plumber did follow the specs from the website; therefore, the specs provided by the manufacturer were wrong.

Clearly disappointed with this series of errors and misleading information, we contacted the manufacturer directly to ask questions about the hidden towel rack and lack of mirror. Their answers were less than adequate and more of an attempt to brush us off. We were told that they could not confirm the towel rack as they did not have a model on the floor to look at, and that their “book” did not mention a towel rack. As for the mirror, we were told that “mirror included” means that a matching mirror is available to purchase separately. The last time I checked the definition of the word “included”, it means that it’s included.

We then took the issue of the wrong sink to the distributor, who promptly contacted the manufacturer to order the correct one. Considering this to be a manufacturer’s mistake, a reasonable customer would expect that they would want to resolve the issue quickly. Again, Ove Decors did not seem concerned by this mistake and the sink arrived more than one week later, at which point we had lost our contractor to another job.

Frustrated by this lack of attention and professionalism on Ove Décor’s part, I went to see my distributor. Armed with evidence from the website (descriptions, specs, etc.), I summarized our issues with the delivery, plumbing specs, wrong sink, broken drawer, missing towel rack, absence of mirror, etc. I asked her what could be done to compensate us for our trouble, not counting the additional money that was now required to be spent to fix the plumbing (approx. $250).

Soon after, we were offered a free mirror to compensate for our troubles (the same one that was supposed to be “included). The value of the mirror was $229 I believe, which means that the wholesale value was roughly $115, not counting Ove’s direct cost of roughly $60. What this really means is that Ove’s lack of attention and customer service skills are only worth $115. This wasn’t good enough for me, so I told the distributor that this was not acceptable.

Shortly before this episode, I had noticed that OVE had made modifications to their website. They have removed the reference to the towel rack and “mirror included”, as well as replaced the specs for the plumbing with more accurate and detailed ones. Thankfully, I had printed the previous documentation, and was able to compare both descriptions.

The distributor came back a few days later with a “final” offer from Ove for $150 in cash, at which point I felt too insulted to even discuss this over the phone. The next day, we decided to return the vanity and start looking for something else.

Having worked in the customer service industry for years and now part-time in a retail environment, I understand how customers expect to be treated. To me, Ove Décor’s refusal to acknowledge that they had made a mistake, or even saying that they are sorry for that matter, is completely and utterly unacceptable. I had contemplated putting a complaint through the Better Business Bureau regarding the misleading information on their website, but decided not to in the end, although they would certainly deserve it.

It is beyond my sense of comprehension as to how can a company treat customers like this and still remain in business. I am, however, happy to say that we have since found a vanity of equal quality and design for several hundred dollars less.

The choices are limited for those looking for a good quality vanity, so OVE may still be an option for you. I just hope that the product is in perfect condition when you receive it, considering that you will most likely go through the same Hell I’ve been through if something goes wrong.

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.