Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/28) */
When the customer contacted us by email after placing two orders for concrete dye and other products, my technical staff and I reviewed the pictures and found the floor beautiful. Direct Colors' owner looked over the pictures and thought this...
complaint was a scam because the product performed exactly as it is advertised. If I had permission, I would use the pictures sent to us by the customer on our website to demonstrate the finish this product offers. We were unable to assist the customer with changing the finish of the floor for one very good reason. He completed the entire project including concrete sealer before calling us. It would seem to me if there was a problem with the colorant, he would have contacted us at that point so we would have a chance to correct it. We received no such communication. We had no prior conversations as far as we know with the customer before he ordered his product online. If his goal was indeed a solid colored floor, I would have directed him to something else entirely. He would have been much better served by a tinted concrete sealer followed by a concrete wax. The concrete dye's principle function is to provide accents and to build color on the floor. It is not the best choice for a solid, uniform finish. Choosing the correct products in the first place to achieve the desired look would have made a huge difference in the outcome. Our technical staff is always available to discuss projects, especially those where a very specific outcome is hoped for. I have no doubt this is one of those occasions.
The customer stated that our product did not perform as advertised and would not mix in the acetone. He purchased two gallons of concrete dye on 7/6/15 and evidently applied it without incident because he later ordered three more gallons on 7/21/15 to complete the project. We received no complaint from the customer between the two online orders. I find it highly suspect that if the product had indeed malfunctioned to the degree he felt moved to make this complaint, he would not have purchased 3 more gallons of a defective product. I think that is simply a matter of common sense. Unfortunately, the customer made this purchase in July and we had no opportunity to follow up on his concerns until now but we have tested the Charcoal Concrete Dye for lumps such as he suggested. My lab successfully sifted the dye through the finest paint strainer available with no clumps or residue left behind. The instructions state that the product must be combined with acetone in a separate container from the sprayer, shaken vigorously and allowed at least 30-45 dwell time before use. The product should be shaken vigorously again before pouring into the sprayer and shaken in the sprayer depending on how quickly the product is actually applied. If any of this was forgotten or not performed correctly, a problem might have occurred. It's hard for us to determine because the floors in the picture provided by the customer look fantastic. I will submit by email pictures of other concrete dye floor projects from the Concrete Dye Photo Gallery of our website, http://www.directcolors.com/concrete-dye/ and the pictures submitted to us by the customer for the record. We can see no substantive difference between the two. He says in his complaint that the floor is a "total loss." I will allow the pictures to tell the story.
Direct Colors is prepared to refund the customer $143.85 for the three gallons of Charcoal Dye purchased on 7/21/15. I find it very hard to believe that any customer would buy more of a defective product and even more unlikely that no compliant would be lodged prior to purchase if they felt it wasn't performing adequately or meeting their expectations. The first communication we received from the customer was by email on 7/28/15 after all purchases had been made and the floor was completely finished. We would have been happy to help at any point in the process had we been asked but it was only when he completed the project and didn't like the results that we heard from him. Thank you.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2015/09/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
There was communication with direct colors before during and after the my flooring project. After my first phone call they steered my away from acid stain and told me that concrete dye would be like painting the floor. Other manufactures of concrete dye are definitely like this. The big thing they keep missing is the spray chunks of dye, that is making the problems now. It sprayed out like sand. most of the product stuck together in the bottom of the acetone can and the sprayer. The chucks are now rubbing off like sandpaper with regular floor traffic "socks at that". The floor has been waxed " I can forget buffing there would be no color left". I contacted direct color immediately with my concern about the chunks before the floor sealer was applied on top of the dye. The pictures are nice and I got a marble effect. The liquid color antique stain did take to some areas and not others as they told me it would on a basement floor. The other areas were sprayed with the dye and looks like sandpaper. If there willing to refund me for all of my purchases I will send them dozens of high resolution photos showing more of the problem. I'm only here because they did not respond to my disappointment. But now if they do not stand behind there product I feel I must warn other people before they make the same mistake.
I'm out about $100 in acetone for 5 cans. And only purchased more dye because the tech said it would be OK to apply more product and apply sealer without failure of the floor. I was on a time limit with cabinets and other products scheduled to arrive after flooring. This is why I continued to move forward with there products. That and the worry of direct colors claiming compatibility issues if I used some other manufactures product.
I'm willing to give any info they need, If better pictures help I can do that, but I need to borrow a better camera as mine is poor quality.
I sent information and complete details of what I was doing with there product and never received any information that I was installing something incorrectly. I'm going to have to fix this at some point with a finished basement. It would put some of the aggravation away if they made some reasonable attempt to compensate me.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/10/01) */
Revdex.com Complaint Case# 16057108 (Ref#XX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XX-XXXX) Xnd Response
The customer spent $235.35 with Direct Colors on Concrete Dye. He has been mailed a refund check for $143.85 for the final 3 gallons of Concrete Dye purchased on 7/21/15. Prior to the customer's rejoinder, we were not aware of other issues with our products nor do I think it appropriate to make a secondary complaint at this point in the process. I mentioned in my earlier response I would not have chosen the products the customer used for a basement project (we were not even aware this was a basement until yesterday). Nowhere on our website and never in the 8 years I have worked for this company have I ever seen or heard of a customer using Liquid Colored Antique on a basement floor or in conjunction with a concrete dye. We don't recommend it and have frankly never tried it because it is not appropriate for the project specifically or a product combination we would encourage customers to use. It is very possible a chemical reaction could have occurred between the odorless mineral spirit solvent contained in the Liquid Colored Antique and the acetone in the Concrete Dye. We have never tested this because it is NOT something we would ever recommend. We are not responsible for decisions made by customers and certainly not in this instance when products were used in an inappropriate manner in the first place. I want to emphasize that this order was placed online; we have no way of knowing what products will be used on what project at the time of purchase.
After reading over the customer's rejoinder, he has described in some detail the exact issue I believed to be the source of the problem with the Concrete Dye in the first place. The concrete dye was not given 30-45 minutes dwell time after combining and was likely not mixed separately from the sprayer. The "sand-like" material he's referring to is the granular acrylic added to the concrete dye to allow for adherence and shine. When it is not allowed sufficient time to dissolve into the acetone, the acrylic will still be in a sand-like condition rather than a liquid just as the customer described. Clumping can and will occur in the sprayer because the undissolved acrylic will not allow for the smooth passage of the pigment through the sprayer apparatus. Direct Colors sends a how to guide with every product purchase. He would have received this document twice, once with each order. The same how-to guides are available on our website in multiple locations. Nothing I mentioned in my previous response is new information unavailable to the customer at every step in this process. I have spoken with the technician he talked with in July and while it is very hard for us for recall the details of every conversation we have particularly three months after the fact, he provided the following details. The subject of the conversation was exclusively about the color depth and coverage of the dye. "We discussed the concrete dye how-to, his project square footage, cleaning the concrete dye sprayer (remove filter from tube), and shaking the product. The standard conversation related to using dye. My understanding was he just wanted the floor darker than what he had. I do not recall him saying the dye was clumpy. I do not recall him being upset in any way and thought that shaking the sprayer and applying additional dye would darken his floor which was the stated goal." There was no mention of further problems with the product until the email of 7/28/15 and we received no response to our email attempts to resolve the issues reported in his message until this complaint. It would appear his only interest was in compensation. Again for the sake of clarity, there were no phone or email conversations about problems with anything else he used on this project until his rejoinder on 9/30/15.
We have tried to be accommodating to this customer in offering him a refund but I cannot be responsible for product choices made outside our control. Had the mixing instructions been followed correctly I have no doubt the difficulties with the concrete dye would not have occurred but as a gesture of good will I am returning the majority of his expenditure on this product as per his original request. Thank you.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/12) */
We received a complaint submitted by Mr. [redacted] through the Revdex.com late on March 11 and before we could even formulate a response, Mr. [redacted] began to post negative comments on our Facebook and Google+ pages about this proceeding....
Though he has sought a resolution of three free gallons of Polyurethane sealer, he appears to also be interested in exacting a higher price from our company without regard for the disproportionate impact his actions may have on our business and the people who work here.
Mr. [redacted] says he was not given enough sealer to complete his project. I have reviewed his order and based on the information he provided at the time of purchase (condition of concrete and square footage) that assertion is false. I personally told Mr. [redacted] in our first conversation to read the instructions carefully before placing his order so he understood the challenges associated with applying the polyurethane product. As far as I know, he did so and called with his order on another occasion. Sometime later he complained to me by phone after applying the polyurethane saying he had streaks across his floor. Streaks are caused by one reason - applicator error. He did not keep a wet edge with the roller and left streaks on the floor. He even told me there was still a small amount of sealer leftover in the can when the floor was finished yet he did not have enough. When I would not provide him with free product, he elected to look locally for a less expensive product. MR. [redacted] WAS NOT TOLD ONE GALLON OF SEALER WOULD BE ENOUGH TO RE-COAT 780 sq.ft. Management was not aware he made an additional sealer purchase and would have counseled him against it if we had. He bought one gallon polyurethane sealer to cover a space that he states in his complaint could not be successfully covered by two gallons in his first application attempt. His decision was not reasonable, against verbal recommendations, contrary to the written instructions stated in his complaint and was doomed to failure from the beginning. I cannot and will not be held responsible for this outcome.
As Mr. [redacted] chose to repeatedly attack us online, we were able to see photos on Facebook (attached) of his completed acid stain floor project from start to finish. He is very proud of his work and has received many compliments. One picture in particular shows Mr. [redacted] applying a product using a roller that includes the following caption, "This is the wax coat. In the foreground you can see before with just polyurethane on it. Background has epoxy sealer." We have never sold Mr. [redacted] a wax or epoxy product nor has he ever suggested he applied either to this floor but the evidence is very plain to see. We have absolutely no idea what he is referring to and are completely confused by what he has posted as it is inconsistent with his complaint, our email exchanges and telephone conversations. Without question if he has used other products in conjunction with the sealer he purchased from us, he would have problems.
Direct Colors has received one other Revdex.com complaint in our 14 year history. In that time, we have never had a customer attack us online as Mr. [redacted] has. His intention in this process appears to be to malign and damage our business not just be given three gallons of sealer. We are not some corporate entity insulated from harm. We are a small family-owned business with employees whose livelihood depends on our company's success. I do not know what motivated Mr. [redacted] behavior or what he hopes to gain. Our intention was to reach an amicable resolution in this matter and respond fairly to his complaint. Mr. [redacted] has chosen to take this to a completely different level which is both unfortunate and uncalled for.
In the interest of resolving this complaint immediately, we [redacted] ship Mr. [redacted] three 550 Water Based Polyurethane 1 gallon kits to the previous ship to address. We respectfully request that he cease and desist with any and all posts or comments to pages maintained by or about our company regarding this complaint. We have acted in good faith and I expect Mr. [redacted] to do the same.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/28) */
When the customer contacted us by email after placing two orders for concrete dye and other products, my technical staff and I reviewed the pictures and found the floor beautiful. Direct Colors' owner looked over the pictures and thought this...
complaint was a scam because the product performed exactly as it is advertised. If I had permission, I would use the pictures sent to us by the customer on our website to demonstrate the finish this product offers. We were unable to assist the customer with changing the finish of the floor for one very good reason. He completed the entire project including concrete sealer before calling us. It would seem to me if there was a problem with the colorant, he would have contacted us at that point so we would have a chance to correct it. We received no such communication. We had no prior conversations as far as we know with the customer before he ordered his product online. If his goal was indeed a solid colored floor, I would have directed him to something else entirely. He would have been much better served by a tinted concrete sealer followed by a concrete wax. The concrete dye's principle function is to provide accents and to build color on the floor. It is not the best choice for a solid, uniform finish. Choosing the correct products in the first place to achieve the desired look would have made a huge difference in the outcome. Our technical staff is always available to discuss projects, especially those where a very specific outcome is hoped for. I have no doubt this is one of those occasions.
The customer stated that our product did not perform as advertised and would not mix in the acetone. He purchased two gallons of concrete dye on 7/6/15 and evidently applied it without incident because he later ordered three more gallons on 7/21/15 to complete the project. We received no complaint from the customer between the two online orders. I find it highly suspect that if the product had indeed malfunctioned to the degree he felt moved to make this complaint, he would not have purchased 3 more gallons of a defective product. I think that is simply a matter of common sense. Unfortunately, the customer made this purchase in July and we had no opportunity to follow up on his concerns until now but we have tested the Charcoal Concrete Dye for lumps such as he suggested. My lab successfully sifted the dye through the finest paint strainer available with no clumps or residue left behind. The instructions state that the product must be combined with acetone in a separate container from the sprayer, shaken vigorously and allowed at least 30-45 dwell time before use. The product should be shaken vigorously again before pouring into the sprayer and shaken in the sprayer depending on how quickly the product is actually applied. If any of this was forgotten or not performed correctly, a problem might have occurred. It's hard for us to determine because the floors in the picture provided by the customer look fantastic. I will submit by email pictures of other concrete dye floor projects from the Concrete Dye Photo Gallery of our website, http://www.directcolors.com/concrete-dye/ and the pictures submitted to us by the customer for the record. We can see no substantive difference between the two. He says in his complaint that the floor is a "total loss." I will allow the pictures to tell the story.
Direct Colors is prepared to refund the customer $143.85 for the three gallons of Charcoal Dye purchased on 7/21/15. I find it very hard to believe that any customer would buy more of a defective product and even more unlikely that no compliant would be lodged prior to purchase if they felt it wasn't performing adequately or meeting their expectations. The first communication we received from the customer was by email on 7/28/15 after all purchases had been made and the floor was completely finished. We would have been happy to help at any point in the process had we been asked but it was only when he completed the project and didn't like the results that we heard from him. Thank you.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2015/09/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
There was communication with direct colors before during and after the my flooring project. After my first phone call they steered my away from acid stain and told me that concrete dye would be like painting the floor. Other manufactures of concrete dye are definitely like this. The big thing they keep missing is the spray chunks of dye, that is making the problems now. It sprayed out like sand. most of the product stuck together in the bottom of the acetone can and the sprayer. The chucks are now rubbing off like sandpaper with regular floor traffic "socks at that". The floor has been waxed " I can forget buffing there would be no color left". I contacted direct color immediately with my concern about the chunks before the floor sealer was applied on top of the dye. The pictures are nice and I got a marble effect. The liquid color antique stain did take to some areas and not others as they told me it would on a basement floor. The other areas were sprayed with the dye and looks like sandpaper. If there willing to refund me for all of my purchases I will send them dozens of high resolution photos showing more of the problem. I'm only here because they did not respond to my disappointment. But now if they do not stand behind there product I feel I must warn other people before they make the same mistake.
I'm out about $100 in acetone for 5 cans. And only purchased more dye because the tech said it would be OK to apply more product and apply sealer without failure of the floor. I was on a time limit with cabinets and other products scheduled to arrive after flooring. This is why I continued to move forward with there products. That and the worry of direct colors claiming compatibility issues if I used some other manufactures product.
I'm willing to give any info they need, If better pictures help I can do that, but I need to borrow a better camera as mine is poor quality.
I sent information and complete details of what I was doing with there product and never received any information that I was installing something incorrectly. I'm going to have to fix this at some point with a finished basement. It would put some of the aggravation away if they made some reasonable attempt to compensate me.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/10/01) */
Revdex.com Complaint Case# 16057108 (Ref#XX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XX-XXXX) Xnd Response
The customer spent $235.35 with Direct Colors on Concrete Dye. He has been mailed a refund check for $143.85 for the final 3 gallons of Concrete Dye purchased on 7/21/15. Prior to the customer's rejoinder, we were not aware of other issues with our products nor do I think it appropriate to make a secondary complaint at this point in the process. I mentioned in my earlier response I would not have chosen the products the customer used for a basement project (we were not even aware this was a basement until yesterday). Nowhere on our website and never in the 8 years I have worked for this company have I ever seen or heard of a customer using Liquid Colored Antique on a basement floor or in conjunction with a concrete dye. We don't recommend it and have frankly never tried it because it is not appropriate for the project specifically or a product combination we would encourage customers to use. It is very possible a chemical reaction could have occurred between the odorless mineral spirit solvent contained in the Liquid Colored Antique and the acetone in the Concrete Dye. We have never tested this because it is NOT something we would ever recommend. We are not responsible for decisions made by customers and certainly not in this instance when products were used in an inappropriate manner in the first place. I want to emphasize that this order was placed online; we have no way of knowing what products will be used on what project at the time of purchase.
After reading over the customer's rejoinder, he has described in some detail the exact issue I believed to be the source of the problem with the Concrete Dye in the first place. The concrete dye was not given 30-45 minutes dwell time after combining and was likely not mixed separately from the sprayer. The "sand-like" material he's referring to is the granular acrylic added to the concrete dye to allow for adherence and shine. When it is not allowed sufficient time to dissolve into the acetone, the acrylic will still be in a sand-like condition rather than a liquid just as the customer described. Clumping can and will occur in the sprayer because the undissolved acrylic will not allow for the smooth passage of the pigment through the sprayer apparatus. Direct Colors sends a how to guide with every product purchase. He would have received this document twice, once with each order. The same how-to guides are available on our website in multiple locations. Nothing I mentioned in my previous response is new information unavailable to the customer at every step in this process. I have spoken with the technician he talked with in July and while it is very hard for us for recall the details of every conversation we have particularly three months after the fact, he provided the following details. The subject of the conversation was exclusively about the color depth and coverage of the dye. "We discussed the concrete dye how-to, his project square footage, cleaning the concrete dye sprayer (remove filter from tube), and shaking the product. The standard conversation related to using dye. My understanding was he just wanted the floor darker than what he had. I do not recall him saying the dye was clumpy. I do not recall him being upset in any way and thought that shaking the sprayer and applying additional dye would darken his floor which was the stated goal." There was no mention of further problems with the product until the email of 7/28/15 and we received no response to our email attempts to resolve the issues reported in his message until this complaint. It would appear his only interest was in compensation. Again for the sake of clarity, there were no phone or email conversations about problems with anything else he used on this project until his rejoinder on 9/30/15.
We have tried to be accommodating to this customer in offering him a refund but I cannot be responsible for product choices made outside our control. Had the mixing instructions been followed correctly I have no doubt the difficulties with the concrete dye would not have occurred but as a gesture of good will I am returning the majority of his expenditure on this product as per his original request. Thank you.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/12) */
We received a complaint submitted by Mr. [redacted] through the Revdex.com late on March 11 and before we could even formulate a response, Mr. [redacted] began to post negative comments on our Facebook and Google+ pages about this proceeding....
Though he has sought a resolution of three free gallons of Polyurethane sealer, he appears to also be interested in exacting a higher price from our company without regard for the disproportionate impact his actions may have on our business and the people who work here.
Mr. [redacted] says he was not given enough sealer to complete his project. I have reviewed his order and based on the information he provided at the time of purchase (condition of concrete and square footage) that assertion is false. I personally told Mr. [redacted] in our first conversation to read the instructions carefully before placing his order so he understood the challenges associated with applying the polyurethane product. As far as I know, he did so and called with his order on another occasion. Sometime later he complained to me by phone after applying the polyurethane saying he had streaks across his floor. Streaks are caused by one reason - applicator error. He did not keep a wet edge with the roller and left streaks on the floor. He even told me there was still a small amount of sealer leftover in the can when the floor was finished yet he did not have enough. When I would not provide him with free product, he elected to look locally for a less expensive product. MR. [redacted] WAS NOT TOLD ONE GALLON OF SEALER WOULD BE ENOUGH TO RE-COAT 780 sq.ft. Management was not aware he made an additional sealer purchase and would have counseled him against it if we had. He bought one gallon polyurethane sealer to cover a space that he states in his complaint could not be successfully covered by two gallons in his first application attempt. His decision was not reasonable, against verbal recommendations, contrary to the written instructions stated in his complaint and was doomed to failure from the beginning. I cannot and will not be held responsible for this outcome.
As Mr. [redacted] chose to repeatedly attack us online, we were able to see photos on Facebook (attached) of his completed acid stain floor project from start to finish. He is very proud of his work and has received many compliments. One picture in particular shows Mr. [redacted] applying a product using a roller that includes the following caption, "This is the wax coat. In the foreground you can see before with just polyurethane on it. Background has epoxy sealer." We have never sold Mr. [redacted] a wax or epoxy product nor has he ever suggested he applied either to this floor but the evidence is very plain to see. We have absolutely no idea what he is referring to and are completely confused by what he has posted as it is inconsistent with his complaint, our email exchanges and telephone conversations. Without question if he has used other products in conjunction with the sealer he purchased from us, he would have problems.
Direct Colors has received one other Revdex.com complaint in our 14 year history. In that time, we have never had a customer attack us online as Mr. [redacted] has. His intention in this process appears to be to malign and damage our business not just be given three gallons of sealer. We are not some corporate entity insulated from harm. We are a small family-owned business with employees whose livelihood depends on our company's success. I do not know what motivated Mr. [redacted] behavior or what he hopes to gain. Our intention was to reach an amicable resolution in this matter and respond fairly to his complaint. Mr. [redacted] has chosen to take this to a completely different level which is both unfortunate and uncalled for.
In the interest of resolving this complaint immediately, we [redacted] ship Mr. [redacted] three 550 Water Based Polyurethane 1 gallon kits to the previous ship to address. We respectfully request that he cease and desist with any and all posts or comments to pages maintained by or about our company regarding this complaint. We have acted in good faith and I expect Mr. [redacted] to do the same.