Artelye, Inc

From: Bery E*** Date: Tue, Jan 5, at 2:PMSubject: FW: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania complaint #***.To: *** *** *** *** we were closed over the holiday and I am back in the office now I tried to respond to the rejection of our response to the complaint listed below and was unable Please pardon the delay in getting back to you. I would like to reiterate that the use of the material *** *** originally selected for her projects was not intended We did not intentionally sell it because she went beyond her reservation time periodWe had a certain amount of the specific material she selected which would cover her job and one other job The other job scheduled to use the same color material had a piece of material that broke while fabricating and because the material reservation for *** *** in our system was beyond the ten day time limit for reservation, the material was shown as released in our system and was usedThis all occurred on December 1, a day her Sales Representative was not working so he had no knowledge it had been used until the next day when he and *** *** spoke on December Our initial response included with it as an attachment the granite viewing form that is used to reserve material That form identifies the specific piece of stone selected by *** *** The Slab viewing form is used and signed by the customer to reserve specific pieces of stone for up to days *** *** indicates the residential contract which describes the services to be performed did not indicate that her project had to be complete in ten days The services contract is not the aspect of the transaction that expired it was the reservation of the material that expired She signed this form which indicated that time period applicable to reservations and that language was right next to the signature line. *** *** indicates in her rejection that we intended to sell the material she reserved on the slab viewing form to the first person that that could come in and install the granite within ten days This is not a correct or reasonable statementWe did in fact hold her reservation for the ten days stipulated in the reservation she signed She signed the form reserving the material on November The material was used on another job on December The material was used twenty days after she reserved it, ten days beyond what we indicated was the length of time we could reserve it. We would have been willing to move forward with the project with *** *** but she would have had to select a different material Unfortunately we did not have any material exactly like the material originally selected by *** *** on hand I informed her we had other materials on hand but did not have any material in stock which was the same color she originally selectedAs I stated in our last correspondence we tried to locate more of the material but could not find any on handWe walked the warehouse to make sure there was none available *** *** was upset and asked for a refund which we processed one the same day *** *** closes by referring to our ten day reservation period as nonsense and it should be done away with I wish it were not needed, regrettably however we run into many situations as a business where we are taken advantage of and as a result additional clauses are added to contracts and other forms like slab viewing forms are utilized to document expectations and responsibilities Without this language we would be required to hold material for people indefinitely, The customer could then come in and cancel the sale, and if no fabrication or measure services had been provided, under our contract we would refund their deposit This unfortunately happened more than once and had to initiate time limits on reservations Best Regards Bery E***Office ###-###-####Direct ###-###-####Cell ###-###-####

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
Several reasonsThere has been no drywall work done inside my home other that what the installers cut out to install graniteWe have supplied the *** *** insurance agent with picturesI am currently working with *** *** directly to resolve these issuesBut to clear a few things up .....Never not one time did myself or the installer discuss other work or sub contractingDuring conversations with Kurt and Ryan with artyle did I confirm that they are subcontractors and they have no set standards or how to protect customers and there house hold items from coming into contact with granite dustI have several pictures and videos of this messI also have since confirmed through other sources that the workers are indeed subsI filed the complaint with Revdex.com to make other customers aware of the lack of respect this company has for there customersIm not asking Revdex.com to get any certain response from ArtlyeThey not one time apologized or offered to come even see what took placeAlso the cuts made to the granite were about a total of lfThe sub told me that they cut the granite wrong at the shopWe were very concerned for our very young children that were exposed to the granite dust and have since talked to our doctorsThey do believe that they should be ok cause the bedroom door was shutAs far as the fish being deadWe did have dead fish...may have not been caused by the dust but the tank was about ft away and the top was covered wit dust after the job was doneYour pictures show a wiped down and cleaned topShould have taken pictures inside all our cabinets...and the furniture and items located in the same room I dont want dollars for a dead fish, Just have respect for peoples ***
Regards,
*** ***

09/23/14Thank you for forwarding the information to meI am not sure why the original message was sent to my spam folderI apologize for thatWe have reviewed the assertions put forth to your agency by *** ***This is the most information we have received to dateWe were aware he
was making claims that we introduced dust into his house and as a result he had to hire professional cleaners to clean his house and his ductwork*** *** also requested the MHIC license number of the installerThe new assertions made in his complaint to you were that his children were in danger, and that two fish died as a result of the granite installation.The installer is an employee of ours and operates under our MHIC numberHe probably also does installations on the sideIf he told *** *** he was a subcontractor he was likely trying to get work on the sideAs a company we do not condone this, but in this industry it is hard to prevent*** *** claimed to us to be in the business and he may have indicated the same thing to the installerWe employ a wide range of ethnicities with respect to employees of our Company, it is not always easy to have clear communication or common understanding with themThe individual who installed the kitchen is not native to the United StatesIt also quite possible there was a misunderstanding as a result of any conversation *** *** had with the installerOur presumption is that if he did claim to be independent, he did so in order to get additional work from *** ***It is common to have to make cuts to granite inside a home during an installFaucet holes are also drilled on siteAlthough the presumption is that the stone is very strong, it can be quite fragileTypically fit adjustments and frequently whole cooktop cutouts have to be made inside the home due to the risk of breakage that is inherent in moving the stoneThe stone installed in *** ***’s house was an exotic which tend to be more fragile than common stonesWe try to contain dust by covering entry ways and by using vacuum’s while cutting*** ***’s kitchen however was open on two sides to the rest of the house and was not conducive to sealing as a doorway would have been and as a result we could not seal it offIt is impossible to eliminate dust entirely even if you are able to block doorwaysI would like to put this into perspective thoughWhen we do a cutout for a cooktop it is generally a cut line that exceeds one hundred inches*** ***’s granite was a fit adjustment cut that was approximately six inches long, not a very big cutThe cut was certainly not one the size of which would kill fish and require duct cleaningWe would also like to point out that entire kitchen was renovatedThere were new cabinets installed and drywall work that appeared to ongoingHow much of the claimed issue would have been created by these activities. We are not sure.We should have responded with an update to his request for our MHIC numberWe have unfortunately grown weary from having made so many requests for information without result that we did not follow up with him on that one piece of informationIn the email exchange where *** *** requested the MHIC number, we again requested documentation regarding the damages and bills for the claimed clean upHe indicated he would send it to us, and to date has not provided us the requested informationThis job was performed for *** ***We have to work through them in large part, on any dispute resolutionWe contacted them six times and visited the store twice in an attempt to address this complaintWe requested documentation from them on each occasion that would substantiate or clarify *** ***’s claimAccording to *** *** they do not have any pictures of damage or invoices related to any clean up either*** *** turns claims over to their Claim/Insurance Company who contacted usI asked them what the amount of the claimed damages were, they indicated they did not knowWe asked them if they had any pictures or invoices showing any damages and they indicated they did not have anyWe are quite honestly not sure what to make of *** ***’s claimsIn our many years in this business we have never had an instance where a claim for damages was not spearheaded by some monetary request with support to back it upIt has been impossible for us to get specific support for the claims being madeAt this point we are still not sure what he is asking forAs a business we need to evaluate claims made against our companyWe do not have any information to evaluateWe are certain cutting granite creates some dustWe question however the validity of the assertion that a 6” cut was killing fish and requiring professional cleaning of house and duct workI will reiterate however the kitchen was renovated with new cabinets and there appeared to have been drywall work ongoingI will forward pictures of the installation area immediately after the installation to help shed some light on the conditions of the house when we departedPlease let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful to you in your review of this matter.Best RegardsBery E

*** ** ***, we understand you are frustrated with your kitchen, and we apologize if the service representative was anything but professional with you or did not respond to your requests in a timely manner. When we perform service visits they are scheduled on our calendar. We only have record of three visits to you regarding this issue. It is possible that if we were in the neighborhood already someone could have been asked to stop by and look at an issue for you, we however do not have any documentation related to that so we cannot comment on the other three to four visits you are referring to
Regarding coming out to run a laser level on your cabinets, it was a procedure to help us understand if the cabinets have settled and to determine how best to better support the counter top. The seam that is separating would not separate unless an outside force was causing movement in the top. This would include the degradation of the support for the top It is not separating because it is too wide. We realize there is a seam near this location that has not separated but please consider that seam is located on another wall and a different run of cabinets. If there is any bounce in the floor near the seam that is separating and the cabinets are moving, even slightly, it could cause the separation to occurIt does not take a lot of movement to degrade the support provided the counter tops. This may or may not be present in your kitchen but it is a possibility.
To help you with the situation we offer to replace the L shaped tops that cover the sink and cooktop area. We will also replace the two end splashesWe confirmed with the manufacturer the material is available. If you would like this done we will set up a time to confirm the measurements on that section of the kitchen. We will also review the access and kitchen to see If it is possible to eliminate the seam that is continuing to cause problems. There is a chance that if we use a jumbo sized slab it could be eliminatedPlease let us know if you would like to proceed.
Best Regards,
Bery E***
Artelye Marble & Granite
Avalon Sinks
Office: ###-###-####
Fax : ###-###-####
Cell: ###-###-####

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ** ***

This letter is in response to the complaint filed and claims made against our company. Ms. [redacted]’s complaint Indicates that we installed granite in a kitchen with a crack which made her concerned for the  font-size: 11px;">safety of her children. The [redacted]’s then rejected a replacement kitchen that was made for them indicating the material was damaged and we did not cut the material they selected. Most troubling to us is that MS. [redacted] claimed company management would not speak with her because she was African American. Finally she indicated we were insulting and undermining her competence by our consistent attempts to explain the characteristics of the stone she selected. First and foremost, we are shocked by Ms. [redacted]’s claims of discrimination. She not only spoke with management, The CEO spoke with her at length on the phone to address her concerns. He invited her to come in and select a new slab and have it laid out according to her specifications. The CEO does not personally walk customers through the warehouse while they select and lay out slabs. This has nothing to do with MS. [redacted]’s ethnicity it is about the amount of available time a CEO has. As a company we are extremely diverse. 90% of our employees would statistically be labelled as minority, some of whom are in top management. We take exception to her remarks. Regarding the installation concerns, the material selected was Alaska White granite which is an exotic stone. Exotic granites have significant variations in material, finish, pitting, fissures etc. The [redacted]’s personally selected the slab that was installed which included the fissure at hand. The [redacted]’s signed a form indicating their acceptance of the slab we installed and acknowledging the presence of natural characteristics prior to us cutting it. The item at issue was a characteristic of the material when they picked it. Our service technician visited them when concerns were expressed. He acknowledged there was a long fissure and that he could apply a filling agent to it to make it smoother to the touch. We have attached pictures of the installation of their kitchen tops. Although we had a signed acceptance of the slab we cut for their kitchen and the complaint centered around the characteristics of the slab they selected, the CEO offered to remake their kitchen, and have them select another slab to use in the hopes it would make them happy. The [redacted]’s came in and selected another slab, laid it out with the sales person, and signed another form confirming their acceptance of the characteristics of the slab they selected. The slab was fabricated and when we went to install the pieces, they rejected the material. We were told that the material was damaged, scratched, and was not cut from the slab they selected. We have attached pictures showing clearly the slab as laid out by the customer and the pieces after being fabricated. The pictures will confirm the slab they selected was used. Regarding the claim of scratches, this is characteristic of this stone. We have attached one of the pictures they sent as proof of damage. You will note that certain parts of the stone have the appearance of being scratched while the surrounding areas are not. If the stone was actually scratched it would affect the entire area, not specific colors within an area. You will note that the areas of concern are all the same dark color. That dark portions of the slab are a different mineral which has the appearance of being scratched. This is a natural characteristic of this material not a defect. After rejecting the second installation we received the request to have our service technician address the fissure on the slab that was already installed. In the complaint it was described as stabilizing the countertop. The service was cosmetic not structural. All that was done was topical filling applied to make the fissure smoother to the touch. We were surprised at this decision. We were told the concern was the safety of their children. Smoothing out a fissure is a cosmetic procedure and does not add strength. Finally Ms. [redacted] claimed it was an insult and we were undermining her competence in differentiating between the natural characteristics of stone and scratches. We tried our best to explain the material they selected to them. We do this with every customer. We have forms that explain this which the customer signs, to make sure our employees have discussed this with them. We do not expect our customers to be experts in stone. We did not mean to insult Ms. [redacted] in any way. This was not our intent. It is interesting to note however the complaint refers to the material as being marble. The material is actually granite. There are so many different stones and countertop materials we just try to do our best to help customers understand the materials. We strive to have satisfied customers. We install forty kitchens a day and it is rare to get complaints. Unfortunately it was not possible to make a satisfied customer out of the [redacted]’s. We did not have an obligation to install a second kitchen for them at no cost but we fabricated the material at their direction and attempted to do that for them. They hand selected slabs for both installations, only to indicate the material was not acceptable in both instances. We have already spent more than the customer was charged trying to make them satisfied. Unfortunately we will not be able to entertain a refund of more than 50% of their purchase. Best Regards Bery E[redacted]

From: Bery E[redacted]<[email protected]>Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 3:34 PMSubject: FW: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GLTo: [redacted] <[redacted]>
[redacted], [redacted]’s response to you, highlights the challenges we have had in evaluating his assertions.  We are still not clear what he wants.  [redacted] indicates our installation of granite created so much dust in his house that his house and ductwork system had to be professionally cleaned.  Because he told us the house had been cleaned professionally, we requested pictures and invoices related to the cleaning, that is why we did not schedule a visit to view his house.  Looking at a house that was just professionally cleaned would not add value to the consideration of a claim of leaving a house dusty.  Four different individuals within our company including myself have requested documentation and support related to the situation, none has been sent to us. 
 
[redacted] indicated to you that he forwarded to [redacted]’s insurance claim processing company, [redacted] Claims, the pictures.  I contacted [redacted] onSeptember 8, and again on October 22 to obtain the photos and invoices.  Both times I received a response from the individual assigned his claim, indicating they have not received any such pictures or information.  [redacted] went on to indicate that no drywall work was done.  It is possible he did not do any such work, we were basing that conclusion on our pictures which show areas on the wall that appear to have been spackled for an upcoming new tile backsplash. Finally, [redacted] indicated that the installer cut twelve linear feet of granite.  The entire length of the wall where the granite trimming was done was only ten feet long and we did not trim the whole length of granite. The granite was trimmed in a specific part of the kitchen wall where it protruded out and was not straight.   
 
We apologize for any dust left from our installation.  It is unfortunately impossible to eliminate all dust.  The vast majority of houses require either trimming or a cooktop cut out during an installation.  This is the first time we have had a customer claim their house and ductwork had to be professionally cleaned as a result of our work. We have been in business almost twenty years.  Construction is a messy undertaking and [redacted] did renovate his entire kitchen. We requested information and support so we could evaluate if something should or could be done and unfortunately we have not been successful in obtaining that.  Absent an actual request for us to do something and support for any claimed damages there is no course of action we can take.       
Best Regards,
Bery E[redacted]
Artelye Marble & Granite
From: Bery E[redacted]<[email protected]>Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 3:34 PMSubject: FW: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GLTo: [redacted] <[redacted]>
[redacted], This is a forward of my requests for information from [redacted]’s Claims Company.  I know it is difficult for you to hear what in this case is two stories that are quite divergent. I thought this email might help support  information in my responses to you.
Best Regards,
Bery E[redacted]
Artelye Marble & Granite
Office: ###-###-####
 
From: [redacted]. [mailto:[redacted]] Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 4:05 PMTo: Bery E[redacted]Subject: RE: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL
 
No I have not.
[redacted] |  Claims Representative-Liab [redacted] Claims Management Services, Inc.Direct ###-###-####, EXT. [redacted] | Fax ###-###-####Email [redacted] www.[redacted].com | The leader in innovative claims and productivity management solutions
From: Bery E[redacted] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 9:36 AMTo: [redacted].Subject: RE: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL
 
Have you received any monetary demands, pictures or supporting evidence for this clam.  Thank you for your help. 
Best Regards,
Bery E[redacted]
Artelye Marble & Granite
Avalon Sinks
Office: ###-###-####
Fax :    ###-###-####  
Cell:    ###-###-####
From: [redacted]. [mailto:[redacted].com] Sent: Monday, September 08, 2014 12:42 PMTo: Bery E[redacted]Cc: [redacted]Subject: RE: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL
 
Thank you. I have noted the file of such.
[redacted] |  Claims Representative-Liab [redacted] Claims Management Services, Inc.Direct ###-###-####, EXT. [redacted] | Fax ###-###-####Email [redacted].com www.[redacted].com | The leader in innovative claims and productivity management solutions
From: Bery E[redacted] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, September 08, 2014 11:41 AMTo: [redacted].Cc: [redacted]Subject: RE: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL
 
We have tried to obtain information, I just thought that if a claim was filed with your agency there may be some detail as to what the customer was asking for.  I have never seen a situation where a customer did not lead off with pictures and or invoices for damages repaired.  We have been unsuccessful in getting any information out of the customer or HD.  We have been unable to obtain invoices, claimed damage cost, or pictures.  It is very peculiar. 
Best Regards,
Bery E[redacted]
Artelye Marble & Granite
Avalon Sinks
Office: ###-###-####
Fax :    ###-###-####  
Cell:    ###-###-####
From: [redacted]. [mailto:[redacted].com] Sent: Monday, September 08, 2014 8:28 AMTo: Bery E[redacted]Subject: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL
 
Good Morning Bery,
Per my voicemail this morning I was returning your call. In answer to your question, I am not aware of what kind of dollar amount the customer is looking for on the claim. Artelye would need to reach out to the customer in order to obtain this information.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
 
Thanks,
 
[redacted] Claims Representative-Liab [redacted] Claims Management Services, Inc. Phone:###-###-#### Ext.[redacted] Fax: ###-###-#### E-mail: [redacted].com www.[redacted].com

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
[redacted]
         There is a 2nd seam just 8 inches from the one question which is sealed tight and barely noticeable, if settling was an issue I'm sure it would have affected that seam as well.   I keep a clutter free area on my counters and we do not stand/sit on them.   Also, the comment about the lumber that was supplied to build these units is news to us.  Mr.E[redacted] mentioned bringing a laser level here to measure the cabinets, well that was already done by one of his techs when they visited.  He also mentioned coming here twice after the warranty but he neglected to mention the 3 or 4 other times this was looked at while still under warranty, and after every visit it wasn't long before it reopened.  At the time the tech told us that he didn't understand why this was happening.   I did receive a call from them, after we were forced to contact the Revdex.com, stating that they wanted to put some steel rods in there to help close the seam, that doesn't seem like an honest attempt at fixing this problem.   An independent contractor looked at their work and said the counter was not measured correctly and the seam was to big, and that the sink was hanging on by a set of clamps on one side and a piece of wood on the other. I sent them pictures of it all.    How many more times are they going to have to come here for this?  How can we trust their work after this?   This is why we came to you so that we can be refunded the cost and have another contractor complete the work safely and correctly  So yes [redacted] I am rejecting their response.
Respectfully,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted]
Dear Mr [redacted],
I have well received your email and Artelye's response.I am rejecting this response because:
I am in awe on how a company of that capacity is conducting their business and treating their clients. It shows, that consistently I am literally being forced to believe that the damaged granite piece in my kitchen is in fact not damaged and I am complaining about fissures, pitting etc. Again, I will say that Artelye is completely denying the fact that the Tec who came out to investigate the granite, actually admitted that my counter top piece is in fact damaged and he can apply a treatment to fix it - he has not said that this will be a filling for a natural characteristic, fissure or pitting. He acknowledged the damage!
It is with regret for me to say, that I have chosen and trusted Artelye to work on my dream kitchen, I am amazed on how conducting such business and tolerating such behavior is at all possible in the United States. It is just too easy and convenient to blame any complaints on natural characteristics and making me feel as if I am not capable of differentiate between either. And as I stated before, I have acknowledged the attempt and efforts of Artelye's to replace the broken piece and make me a satisfied costumer, and again will I say, that the attempts and efforts were not met to my satisfaction – as the second good was delivered damaged.
It is outrages to me, that not only is my competence consistently undermined, now a clearly written statement on Artelye’s legal paper, “Unfortunately we will not be able to entertain a refund of more than 50% of their purchase”, is being excused as “we could have worded it differently, and we are sorry for anything that could have lent itself to misinterpretation. … We never offered to pay a refund of any kind. ”.                                         ...⇄ “sorry” is completely unacceptable and insulting!                                   ...⇄ Artelye keeps implying that I have asked for a 100% refund from the get go, which I would like to strongly underline, I never have – I have and still do request a satisfying compensation and accepted Artelye’s 50% refund offer off my original purchase. Even in today’s response, Artelye is contradicting themselves to confuse the customer. I am very disappointed of this consistent turning in circles, and see that Artelye’s response keeps reverting to natural characteristics. After rereading all corresponds, it seems, Artelye’s responses are trailing away from the truth and the facts, and as I have stated before, I would like for my complaint to be known, in order to avoid other customer’s disappointment similar to mine.
Regards,[redacted]

December 11, 2015Revdex.com Washington DC MetroComplaint ID: [redacted]Consumer: [redacted]Dear Revdex.com, We received notification of this complaint which was filed on Dec 4.  It is unfortunate that we were unable to complete the transaction with [redacted]....

 It always our intent to complete every sale and it is our endeavor to provide excellent service in the process.  In this instance we could not complete this sale. [redacted] came in to our warehouse and selected a remnant piece of granite to be used for her project.  She placed a 50% deposit towards the work to be performed which is customary.  This deposit is a down payment on the services we provide like sending a technician to her house and digitally measuring the space, creating CAD drawings, and fabrication and installation of material. The balance of the payment would have been rendered upon the completion of the installation.  [redacted] reserved the material for her project which is identified in the attached granite viewing form.  This is the form used to specifically identify the piece of granite selected.  The form indicates that the material will be reserved for a maximum period of 10 days.  This form was signed by [redacted] on November 11.  [redacted] called to schedule the template of her project on December 1, which was 20 days from the date the material was reserved.  On that day her sales representative was not at work.  Her sales representative spoke with her the following day when he returned to work. That is the day she was informed that unfortunately the material was used on another job.  She was informed that our system released the reservation due to the 10 day period lapsing.  [redacted] then called and spoke with me.  I told her that I would look into it and get back with her.  I looked into the situation and upon my review the above information is what I found.  Before I spoke with [redacted], I looked in our system and in our warehouse to see if there was other material available that was similar to the piece that [redacted] selected for her project.  Unfortunately there was none, and that is why the material was used on another job.  I informed [redacted] that we did not have similar material on hand to provide her as an option at that time.  [redacted] requested a refund of the deposit which we processed the same day. I have attached a copy of the refund processing receipt.  I know that she indicated that it had not hit her account as of December 4. It must have taken some time for her card provider to process the transaction. We fully intended to provide the services [redacted] requested when she visited our showroom.  If we had more of the stone she selected in stock we would have certainly provided that option to her, in fact if we had more of that stone in stock, the piece she reserved would not have been used.  The showroom did not actively try to sell the piece of stone that was reserved and not let [redacted] know.  There was another job being managed from a different department that was using the same color material, a piece of that jobs material got broken and additional material was needed.  The system showed the remnant and that it was beyond the reservation date and as a result, the material was fabricated the morning of December 1.  That remnant was the last piece of that material we had.    The sales representative found out the same day [redacted] spoke with him about the use of the material, because he was not in the office the day the material was used.  We completely understand the frustration about the transaction.  It is unusual that this situation occurs because we stock such a large amount of stone. Unfortunately for this transaction and the specific stone that was selected there was a short supply and it caused this situation.  The reservation timelines are a necessary business practice for us.  We have had customers, who reserved material and then cancel the transaction.  When this goes for a protracted period of time it consumes our warehouse space and financial resources.  This was not the case with [redacted], this is just an example of why the reservation time lines are present. We try our best to inform customers of this by having them sign the material selection sheet, which includes an explanation of the reservation time period.  Finally we do wish this had worked out for both of us but a shortage of this material’s availability thrust us into this situation.                   Best RegardsBery E[redacted]Please see the attachments for our response to this complaint.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.

10/6/14I have reviewed the information surrounding this claim. The kitchen was installed in January 2011. The homeowner claims to have taken occupancy in March 2011. We received calls to perform seam repairs which were performed in October 2012 and May 2013. Based on this complaint it...

appears the seam has separated again.I can certainly understand that an individual would assume that seam separation was due to improper countertop installation. It is however not uncommon for seams to “pop” or separate in new homes for other reasons. Settling of homes and cabinets is the primary causal factor in seam separation. Typically this happens within the first year of the home being used. The second most common cause of separation is excessive weight being placed on the counter from someone standing or sitting on a counter. The integrity of the seam is completely dependent on the foundation it has. Small issues with the level of cabinets under a countertop surface can cause this problem.
Because of the natural settling of houses, builders generally require a one year warranty from date of occupancy for the counter installation. This period of time has been shown in most cases to allow for a home and cabinets to settle. Many homes do not have any issues at all, while others do settle in the area where the cabinets are installed and this arises. I apologize if any of the communications [redacted] had were less than professional. We discipline individuals who are found to behave unprofessionally. Our commitment to customer service as a company however is borne out by the fact that we visited [redacted]’s house to assist her twice after she was out of any warranty period at no cost. As I had indicated to you in a prior communication, the builder had some settling issues in the development in which [redacted] lives due to lumber supplied to them. I am told that several of the houses settled more than usual and for longer periods of time. This is not the builders fault or our fault, it is also not typical.
We will be contacting the customer this week to set an appointment with them to inspect the situation. We will bring a laser leveling devise to measure the cabinets to determine if there has been settling of them. Only after doing this will we know what corrective actions will help them enjoy their kitchen without the seams moving.
Best RegardsBery E

Our initial response indicated we would not entertain a refund that was greater than 50% of the amount they paid for their kitchen which is what they were asking for.  We could have worded it differently, and we are sorry for anything that could have lent itself to misinterpretation.   The refund they were requesting was greater then 50% of the contract.   We indicated we would not entertain it.  We never offered to pay a refund of any kind.      
Best Regards
Bery E[redacted]
Artelye Inc,

December 11, 2015Revdex.com Washington DC MetroComplaint ID: [redacted]Consumer: [redacted]Dear Revdex.com, We received notification of this complaint which was filed on Dec 4.  It is unfortunate that we were unable to...

complete the transaction with [redacted].  It always our intent to complete every sale and it is our endeavor to provide excellent service in the process.  In this instance we could not complete this sale. [redacted] came in to our warehouse and selected a remnant piece of granite to be used for her project.  She placed a 50% deposit towards the work to be performed which is customary.  This deposit is a down payment on the services we provide like sending a technician to her house and digitally measuring the space, creating CAD drawings, and fabrication and installation of material. The balance of the payment would have been rendered upon the completion of the installation.  [redacted] reserved the material for her project which is identified in the attached granite viewing form.  This is the form used to specifically identify the piece of granite selected.  The form indicates that the material will be reserved for a maximum period of 10 days.  This form was signed by [redacted] on November 11.  [redacted] called to schedule the template of her project on December 1, which was 20 days from the date the material was reserved.  On that day her sales representative was not at work.  Her sales representative spoke with her the following day when he returned to work. That is the day she was informed that unfortunately the material was used on another job.  She was informed that our system released the reservation due to the 10 day period lapsing.  [redacted] then called and spoke with me.  I told her that I would look into it and get back with her.  I looked into the situation and upon my review the above information is what I found.  Before I spoke with [redacted], I looked in our system and in our warehouse to see if there was other material available that was similar to the piece that [redacted] selected for her project.  Unfortunately there was none, and that is why the material was used on another job.  I informed [redacted] that we did not have similar material on hand to provide her as an option at that time.  [redacted] requested a refund of the deposit which we processed the same day. I have attached a copy of the refund processing receipt.  I know that she indicated that it had not hit her account as of December 4. It must have taken some time for her card provider to process the transaction. We fully intended to provide the services [redacted] requested when she visited our showroom.  If we had more of the stone she selected in stock we would have certainly provided that option to her, in fact if we had more of that stone in stock, the piece she reserved would not have been used.  The showroom did not actively try to sell the piece of stone that was reserved and not let [redacted] know.  There was another job being managed from a different department that was using the same color material, a piece of that jobs material got broken and additional material was needed.  The system showed the remnant and that it was beyond the reservation date and as a result, the material was fabricated the morning of December 1.  That remnant was the last piece of that material we had.    The sales representative found out the same day [redacted] spoke with him about the use of the material, because he was not in the office the day the material was used.  We completely understand the frustration about the transaction.  It is unusual that this situation occurs because we stock such a large amount of stone. Unfortunately for this transaction and the specific stone that was selected there was a short supply and it caused this situation.  The reservation timelines are a necessary business practice for us.  We have had customers, who reserved material and then cancel the transaction.  When this goes for a protracted period of time it consumes our warehouse space and financial resources.  This was not the case with [redacted], this is just an example of why the reservation time lines are present. We try our best to inform customers of this by having them sign the material selection sheet, which includes an explanation of the reservation time period.  Finally we do wish this had worked out for both of us but a shortage of this material’s availability thrust us into this situation.                   Best RegardsBery E[redacted]Please see the attachments for our response to this complaint.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The paper signed by myself was a requirement and stated that for "safety reasons" I must sign before I can view any granite. While I am satisfied that a refund was given to me, it is unethical at best to suggest that a viewing form, which is not mentioned anywhere in the actual contact, is made part of the official agreement. This company blatantly suggested that they intended to sell their granite to the first person that can come in, place a 50% deposit to the first person who can schedule the install within 10 days. I reject that business practice because it suggests that no deposit would be secure for any reason. Again, the residential contract did not have any clause or any mention of install requirement within 10 days or said residential contract would be otherwise null and void. That is the only language that would be considered acceptable once a contract is signed by both parties. If the Revdex.com logo is indeed "start with trust" then this unethical and lack of transparent business practice fully practiced by this company should be grounds for investigating this company further. I have gone to another company who I would much rather give my business to who has no problem with entering into a contract, placing a 50% deposit down, and willing to take selected granite out of selling status upon signing contract. This 10-day nonsense this company places on extraneous paperwork is ridiculous. I suggested to Artelye that they seriously reconsider updating their residential contract to be much more transparent and clear as a possible solution to this unethical business practice, and to which, I did not get any serious traction. Will never recommend this company to anyone and believe their rating with the Revdex.com be downgraded to reflect this unethical business practice. 
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The paper signed by myself was a requirement and stated that for "safety reasons" I must sign before I can view any granite. While I am satisfied that a refund was given to me, it is unethical at best to suggest that a viewing form, which is not mentioned anywhere in the actual contact, is made part of the official agreement. This company blatantly suggested that they intended to sell their granite to the first person that can come in, place a 50% deposit to the first person who can schedule the install within 10 days. I reject that business practice because it suggests that no deposit would be secure for any reason. Again, the residential contract did not have any clause or any mention of install requirement within 10 days or said residential contract would be otherwise null and void. That is the only language that would be considered acceptable once a contract is signed by both parties.
If the Revdex.com logo is indeed "start with trust" then this unethical and lack of transparent business practice fully practiced by this company should be grounds for investigating this company further. I have gone to another company who I would much rather give my business to who has no problem with entering into a contract, placing a 50% deposit down, and willing to take selected granite out of selling status upon signing contract. This 10-day nonsense this company places on extraneous paperwork is ridiculous. I suggested to Artelye that they seriously reconsider updating their residential contract to be much more transparent and clear as a possible solution to this unethical business practice, and to which, I did not get any serious traction. 
Will never recommend this company to anyone and believe their rating with the Revdex.com be downgraded to reflect this unethical business practice. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: parked on paver sidewalk, poor sink install with granite. Cut granite inside my home with 2 very young children present. Workers took no steps to maintain dust to 1 area. Its inside my entire home. 2 kids and 2 adults were subject to breathing harmful dust. debris were inside cabinets, duct system, fish tank...2 dead fish, and much more. We were told that this is normal and not Arteleye problem. They also used a subcontractor to do this job and would not give me his license information. This being a standard practice should not be ok. Osha has told me that they should be following proper procedures. I will be filing a complaint with them next. Kurt has told me that they do this all the time. They dont care about anything.Desired Settlement: clean house, duct system. Also that there is no more harmful dust still in my home. I will be hiriing another granite company to fix poor sink supports and expect reimbursment. I would like to hope Arteley would change the company standards to protect customers and the workers...who didnt even wear masks.

Business

Response:

09/23/14Thank you for forwarding the information to me. I am not sure why the original message was sent to my spam folder. I apologize for that. We have reviewed the assertions put forth to your agency by [redacted]. This is the most information we have received to date. We were aware he was making claims that we introduced dust into his house and as a result he had to hire professional cleaners to clean his house and his ductwork. [redacted] also requested the MHIC license number of the installer. The new assertions made in his complaint to you were that his children were in danger, and that two fish died as a result of the granite installation.The installer is an employee of ours and operates under our MHIC number. He probably also does installations on the side. If he told [redacted] he was a subcontractor he was likely trying to get work on the side. As a company we do not condone this, but in this industry it is hard to prevent. [redacted] claimed to us to be in the business and he may have indicated the same thing to the installer. We employ a wide range of ethnicities with respect to employees of our Company, it is not always easy to have clear communication or common understanding with them. The individual who installed the kitchen is not native to the United States. It also quite possible there was a misunderstanding as a result of any conversation [redacted] had with the installer. Our presumption is that if he did claim to be independent, he did so in order to get additional work from [redacted].It is common to have to make cuts to granite inside a home during an install. Faucet holes are also drilled on site. Although the presumption is that the stone is very strong, it can be quite fragile. Typically fit adjustments and frequently whole cooktop cutouts have to be made inside the home due to the risk of breakage that is inherent in moving the stone. The stone installed in [redacted]’s house was an exotic which tend to be more fragile than common stones. We try to contain dust by covering entry ways and by using vacuum’s while cutting. [redacted]’s kitchen however was open on two sides to the rest of the house and was not conducive to sealing as a doorway would have been and as a result we could not seal it off. It is impossible to eliminate dust entirely even if you are able to block doorways. I would like to put this into perspective though. When we do a cutout for a cooktop it is generally a cut line that exceeds one hundred inches. [redacted]’s granite was a fit adjustment cut that was approximately six inches long, not a very big cut. The cut was certainly not one the size of which would kill fish and require duct cleaning. We would also like to point out that entire kitchen was renovated. There were new cabinets installed and drywall work that appeared to ongoing. How much of the claimed issue would have been created by these activities. We are not sure.We should have responded with an update to his request for our MHIC number. We have unfortunately grown weary from having made so many requests for information without result that we did not follow up with him on that one piece of information. In the email exchange where [redacted] requested the MHIC number, we again requested documentation regarding the damages and bills for the claimed clean up. He indicated he would send it to us, and to date has not provided us the requested information. This job was performed for [redacted]. We have to work through them in large part, on any dispute resolution. We contacted them six times and visited the store twice in an attempt to address this complaint. We requested documentation from them on each occasion that would substantiate or clarify [redacted]’s claim. According to [redacted] they do not have any pictures of damage or invoices related to any clean up either. [redacted] turns claims over to their Claim/Insurance Company who contacted us. I asked them what the amount of the claimed damages were, they indicated they did not know. We asked them if they had any pictures or invoices showing any damages and they indicated they did not have any.We are quite honestly not sure what to make of [redacted]’s claims. In our many years in this business we have never had an instance where a claim for damages was not spearheaded by some monetary request with support to back it up. It has been impossible for us to get specific support for the claims being made. At this point we are still not sure what he is asking for. As a business we need to evaluate claims made against our company. We do not have any information to evaluate. We are certain cutting granite creates some dust. We question however the validity of the assertion that a 6” cut was killing fish and requiring professional cleaning of house and duct work. I will reiterate however the kitchen was renovated with new cabinets and there appeared to have been drywall work ongoing. I will forward pictures of the installation area immediately after the installation to help shed some light on the conditions of the house when we departed. Please let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful to you in your review of this matter.Best RegardsBery E

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Several reasons. There has been no drywall work done inside my home other that what the installers cut out to install granite. We have supplied the [redacted] insurance agent with pictures. I am currently working with [redacted] directly to resolve these issues. But to clear a few things up .....Never not one time did myself or the installer discuss other work or sub contracting. During conversations with Kurt and Ryan with artyle did I confirm that they are subcontractors and they have no set standards or how to protect customers and there house hold items from coming into contact with granite dust. I have several pictures and videos of this mess. I also have since confirmed through other sources that the workers are indeed subs. I filed the complaint with Revdex.com to make other customers aware of the lack of respect this company has for there customers. Im not asking Revdex.com to get any certain response from Artlye. They not one time apologized or offered to come even see what took place. Also the cuts made to the granite were about a total of 12 lf. The sub told me that they cut the granite wrong at the shop. We were very concerned for our 2 very young children that were exposed to the granite dust and have since talked to our doctors. They do believe that they should be ok cause the bedroom door was shut. As far as the fish being dead. We did have dead fish...may have not been caused by the dust but the tank was about 4 ft away and the top was covered wit dust after the job was done. Your pictures show a wiped down and cleaned top. Should have taken pictures inside all our cabinets...and the furniture and items located in the same room. I dont want 3 dollars for a dead fish, Just have respect for peoples [redacted].

Regards,

Business

Response:

From: Bery E[redacted]<[email protected]>

Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 3:34 PM

Subject: FW: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL

To: [redacted] <[redacted]>

[redacted], [redacted]’s response to you, highlights the challenges we have had in evaluating his assertions. We are still not clear what he wants. [redacted] indicates our installation of granite created so much dust in his house that his house and ductwork system had to be professionally cleaned. Because he told us the house had been cleaned professionally, we requested pictures and invoices related to the cleaning, that is why we did not schedule a visit to view his house. Looking at a house that was just professionally cleaned would not add value to the consideration of a claim of leaving a house dusty. Four different individuals within our company including myself have requested documentation and support related to the situation, none has been sent to us.

[redacted] indicated to you that he forwarded to [redacted]’s insurance claim processing company, [redacted] Claims, the pictures. I contacted [redacted] onSeptember 8, and again on October 22 to obtain the photos and invoices. Both times I received a response from the individual assigned his claim, indicating they have not received any such pictures or information. [redacted] went on to indicate that no drywall work was done. It is possible he did not do any such work, we were basing that conclusion on our pictures which show areas on the wall that appear to have been spackled for an upcoming new tile backsplash. Finally, [redacted] indicated that the installer cut twelve linear feet of granite. The entire length of the wall where the granite trimming was done was only ten feet long and we did not trim the whole length of granite. The granite was trimmed in a specific part of the kitchen wall where it protruded out and was not straight.

We apologize for any dust left from our installation. It is unfortunately impossible to eliminate all dust. The vast majority of houses require either trimming or a cooktop cut out during an installation. This is the first time we have had a customer claim their house and ductwork had to be professionally cleaned as a result of our work. We have been in business almost twenty years. Construction is a messy undertaking and [redacted] did renovate his entire kitchen. We requested information and support so we could evaluate if something should or could be done and unfortunately we have not been successful in obtaining that. Absent an actual request for us to do something and support for any claimed damages there is no course of action we can take.

Best Regards,

Bery E[redacted]

Artelye Marble & Granite

From: Bery E[redacted]<[email protected]>

Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 3:34 PM

Subject: FW: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL

To: [redacted] <[redacted]>

[redacted], This is a forward of my requests for information from [redacted]’s Claims Company. I know it is difficult for you to hear what in this case is two stories that are quite divergent. I thought this email might help support information in my responses to you.

Best Regards,

Bery E[redacted]

Artelye Marble & Granite

Office: ###-###-####

From: [redacted]. [mailto:[redacted]]

Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 4:05 PM

To: Bery E[redacted]

Subject: RE: Claim - [redacted] - [redacted] - Date of Loss: 08/18/2014 - GL

Review: This company contacted us after we schedule granite cleaning service to tell us after 8 months of completing prior service for installation of the granite that they found an outstanding bill that we owed them for $1300.00. This came at a complete surprise to us as we thought we had settled any past due bills with them. They also were suppose to come complete their service of coming to clean our granite, they changed the service hour between 9-11 am to 2-3 pm without telling us. Then, we get a call saying the truck broke down and that they could not come. This is after staying home waiting for them to come. There COO ( as he was introduced) was contacted and we spoke to him, he could not explain the discovery of any past due amount, and if it we so why weren't we contacted before, questioning their record keeping. I believe that we settled at the time of work completion. The supervising person was ambivalent about their customer service. He was unprofessional and argumentative. Nor did he take responsibility and apologize for any misunderstanding or lack of proper record keeping on their part.Desired Settlement: We will check our records against theirs and resolve this dispute.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted], Thank you for forwarding the complaint. We have resolve this matter with the customer. Please confirm with [redacted] to be sure everything is satisfactory. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. Best Regards, [redacted] & The Artelye TeamSales Consultant Artelye Marble & GraniteOffice: ###-###-####

Fax: ###-###-####

E-mail: [redacted]

Review: We purchased a brand new home with [redacted] kitchen counters three years ago. There was a problem with one of the seams which was way to wide and it keeps opening up. I had them come to repair it several times while under warranty. It never got repaired where it stayed filled in. I sent emails with pictures of how bad it looks, my husband and I both called to complain. After several phone calls,& emails in which the customer representative ignored us and set up bogus repair appointments ,where we took off to be home for no shows. We called her back to tell her about it and she called us a liar !! Who does business like that ?? I'm so tired of cooking in my kitchen with a big open seam, that I have to cover with a towel.

Also while having another contractor for something else come in, he notice that under the sink bolts were missing and they put a piece of wood and a screw to hold up our sink He also said the counter was cut too short, and that's why the seam is so big. He suggested taking them to court for such hideous workmanship. This has been a ongoing battle with no resolve from day one.Desired Settlement: Artelye has the responsibility to do the install properly the first time, not have repair guys come back several times to do patch work that last a couple of weeks. They should have professional customer service representatives who are polite and professional " not Rude and Nasty " !!

My husband and I have tried to reach someone from that company other than the representative to help us , all we got was the run around and rudeness !! When told I would take them to court , the rude representative said "go ahead " That's the kind of people we've been dealing with for three years !!!

So the best thing they could do for us is a refund and a apology for the disgusting work and their unprofessional representative ,and unskilled workers.

Business

Response:

10/6/14I have reviewed the information surrounding this claim. The kitchen was installed in January 2011. The homeowner claims to have taken occupancy in March 2011. We received calls to perform seam repairs which were performed in October 2012 and May 2013. Based on this complaint it appears the seam has separated again.I can certainly understand that an individual would assume that seam separation was due to improper countertop installation. It is however not uncommon for seams to “pop” or separate in new homes for other reasons. Settling of homes and cabinets is the primary causal factor in seam separation. Typically this happens within the first year of the home being used. The second most common cause of separation is excessive weight being placed on the counter from someone standing or sitting on a counter. The integrity of the seam is completely dependent on the foundation it has. Small issues with the level of cabinets under a countertop surface can cause this problem.Because of the natural settling of houses, builders generally require a one year warranty from date of occupancy for the counter installation. This period of time has been shown in most cases to allow for a home and cabinets to settle. Many homes do not have any issues at all, while others do settle in the area where the cabinets are installed and this arises. I apologize if any of the communications [redacted] had were less than professional. We discipline individuals who are found to behave unprofessionally. Our commitment to customer service as a company however is borne out by the fact that we visited [redacted]’s house to assist her twice after she was out of any warranty period at no cost. As I had indicated to you in a prior communication, the builder had some settling issues in the development in which [redacted] lives due to lumber supplied to them. I am told that several of the houses settled more than usual and for longer periods of time. This is not the builders fault or our fault, it is also not typical.We will be contacting the customer this week to set an appointment with them to inspect the situation. We will bring a laser leveling devise to measure the cabinets to determine if there has been settling of them. Only after doing this will we know what corrective actions will help them enjoy their kitchen without the seams moving.Best RegardsBery E

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Regards,

Review: I ordered a granite slab. It took several months to arrange installation with constant delays from Artelye. Finally, the slab was installed. The slab installed however was defective and installed incorrectly, resulting in a cracked slab. Reluctantly, Artelye agreed to replace the slab. I had to wait several months for this to take place. Finally, Artelye installed the new slab. Once again, the slab was defective and installed incorrectly, resulting in a crack. Artelye has decided that it will no longer honor its warranty and advised that despite defective product and installation I will have to pay for a new slab.

I also ordered marble from them for a bathroom. After contacting Artelye multiple months without installation occuring, Artelye outsourced to another company in its area which installed the marble the following week without incident. I also contracted with Artelye to install a fireplace surround. it has been nearly 1 year since I requested the installation. Artelye has taken measurements on two occasions but after a year, im still waiting on installation. My last call to Artelye, it had no idea of its prior measurements nor my order.Desired Settlement: Complete refund

Business

Response:

10/24/13

[redacted] Complaint ID #[redacted]

Thank you for forwarding the information to me. I am not sure why the original message from you did not get to me. In the complaint the following was asserted:

1. I ordered a granite slab and it took several months to arrange an installation

2. The slab installed was defective and installed incorrectly resulting in a cracked slab

3. After several months Artelye installed a replacement slab which was also defective and cracked

4. Artelye decided after the second slab they would no longer honor their warranty

5. A separate company was sent to install the marble vanity with no issues.

6. I also have tried to get a fireplace surround installed and it is still not installed

The purchase date indicated in the complaint is 08/10/12. Subsequent contacts indicated were 9/10/12, 6/2/13, and 8/29/13. He indicated speaking with [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted]. The value of damages were indicated to be $12,000.

Artelye, has a strong desire to have satisfied customers. This as I am sure you know is not always possible. Before we get too far there are quite a few factual items I should clear up. The time line of the first install did not take several months. A deposit was remitted on 9/14 and the initial contract for purchase was signed on 9/19. This is the purchase date. The measurements were taken for the job on 9/20, one day after receiving the signed sales agreement. The job was installed on 10/5, 12 working days after receiving the signed contract. The value of the total job and the amount paid was $8,978.06. The value of the outdoor kitchen top in question was $5,897. The other $3,080.38 related to a bathroom vanity top and tub deck. We did not hire a separate company to do any work. The marble install he is referring to that was done well, was done by us. The next contact I see is in February 2013 requesting a service call to inspect a crack in the top.

As you can see there are many factual inconsistencies. The top the complaint is centered around is an outdoor kitchen installed in a cold climate. The granite is installed directly on a brick and steel foundation. There are so many cutouts for appliances and sinks in the material it would be inherently weak given any outside influences. The cutouts included one for a large grill, a set of side burners, a sink, and a Komado Grill, which is a heavy ceramic grill similar to a Big Green Egg. All of this was installed after we left the first install. The Komado Grill was installed after we left the second installation as well.

The installation of the top was fine and the material was not defective. If the installation was the cause the top would have cracked during installation. The crack surfaced after the installation and could have been caused by installation of appliances, changing weather, settling or uneven foundation, or even heat thrown off by the grills or side burners. The brick and steel both have different expansion and contraction characteristics. Even assuming a perfectly level and forgiving base, changes in temperature and other weather can cause slabs of stone to crack. For is very reason, the warranty the customer indicated we choose not to stand behind, specifically excludes an installation that is outdoors. It also does not cover settling or structural movement. We have pictures taken at the conclusion of both installations and no cracks are present.

If we made any mistake in this job it was in not enforcing the fact that our warranty specifically excludes outdoor installations in the first place. Instead we replaced his outdoor kitchen at no cost to him on June 12, 2013. This remake used 73 square feet of expensive granite creating a substantial loss on the job. We did it in the hopes it would create a satisfied customer. The second top also cracked, again, after we left the site. Please let me reiterate, if the installer or weak material caused the crack it would be present before the installer leaves the site. I know it seems that granite and other natural stone tops are very strong but many are actually very fragile. We have builders for whom we have to replace countertops (at their cost), after installations have been made because after a month or two, cabinet installations have settled.

Finally regarding us not installing his fireplace surround, we decided to not do additional business with **. [redacted]. He indicated he was going to file a lawsuit against us. From a business standpoint it did not make sense to enter into an additional arrangement with this customer. We tried to provide satisfactory service to this customer, and provided $5,898 worth of free granite even though our warranty does not compel us to do so. Unfortunately **. [redacted] could not be satisfied. Please contact me with any questions you have regarding this matter.

Best Regards