Cambridge Pavers Inc.

Had Cambridge pavers installed in my drive way, walkway, rear patio, and around a built in pool in 2013. After the first year we started seeing the rust coming through. Large rust spots that continued to grow from the pavers around the pool(bull-nose pavers). Contacted Cambridge and they said that someone would look into it. The season ended with nothing being solved. In 2015 after we opened the pool we sent emails and pictures to Cambridge of the growing rust problems in several pavers. Cambridge sent someone over to look at the problem. He said that he would look into it and that Cambridge would probably replace the pavers and that it might be a bad batch. After so much back and forth with no solution from Cambridge, our contractor offered to come back and remove the bad ones and replace them with pavers that were left over from the orig installation that had saved. Over the next couple of years more and more rust! We are now arguing with Cambridge again. This year when we called, the rep told us that there is no record of any complaint from us. Finally after my wife has contacted upper management have they admitted that there was a prior complaint file and that maybe they will reimburse us for the current bad bull nose pavers, but we will have to pay for the rip out and installation of them. One star is being generous!

Our Territory Manager visited with Mr. [redacted] today.  This is an installation issue, not a product issue.  Contractor sealed the pavers, trapping a white film, known as efflorescence on the surface of the paver.  He told the homeowner to contact the contractor, whereby, the sealer...

would have to be removed. Also, he pointed out to the homeowner that the wrong joint sand was used in the installation, which could also add to a blemished surface. Cambridge has no liability, we were glad to help.

[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 [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

We received your letter dated November 21, 2014. With regards to Mr. [redacted]'s comments, the cast stone steps on his project have not deteriorated. They were examined by Cambridge Territory Manager [redacted] and were deemed acceptable. The steps will not deteriorate at all. Should there be any other issues with this steps that arise next year or five years from now, Mr. [redacted] can contact us and we will be more than happy to come visit his project again. Thank you.

My name is [redacted], VP of Cambridge Pavers, Inc.. Efflorescence is explained clearly in the warranty of our brochure, on our website and is experienced with all cement based products. Here is exactly what it says: NOTE: Efflorescence, a whitish powder-like deposit that sometimes...

appears on concrete products, in no way affects the structural integrity of the pavingstones or wallstones and will wash and wear off over time. The use of concrete setting beds may also increase the possible occurrence of efflorescence. Because this is a natural occurrence, Cambridge Pavers, Inc. accepts no responsibility or liability for this condition. Cambridge Pavingstones are made from natural, environmentally-friendly material, and therefore, variations in color may occur. There is also a photograph in our brochure that shows the powder like substance [redacted] is describing labeled as efflorescence right above this wording in our warranty. Efflorescence is also described clearly in the frequently asked questions section found in the homeowner area on our website here [redacted] may not have cleaned the pavers properly (most homeowners higher professionals to clean). The good news is Efflorescence will in fact go away by itself in time should [redacted] not want to try to clean again or have a contractor clean. Best Regards, [redacted] Cambridge Pavers, Inc.

We received your letter. Cambridge Long Island Territory Manager [redacted] spoke with both the contractor and homeowners for this project and also visited the project. The color Sahara/Chestnut is exactly what we sell on a daily basis. [redacted] explained this to all clearly as well as the fact...

that the homeowner had the 800 sq.ft. of pavingstones installed for their project and after all was completed then stated they were unhappy with the color. On all Cambridge materials- label clearly states installation equals acceptance of material. Photography of the product was shared with Cambridge manufacturing and management and all agreed color representation was perfect. As stated in our brochure, pavingstones are made from all natural materials and color variations will occur- this adds to the natural look of the product. The customer's statement which was that :Cambridge is unwilling to return the product or make an effort to fix the problem, what terrible customer service". Product that is installed can not be returned. We do not sell "used" material. The [redacted]- could have returned this material when they received the paver cubes after they looked at top layer. This would have been done prior to any material being installed and we would have been more than happy to accept a return and waive the restocking fee for a valued customer. That can not happen now.

We received your letter dated October 8, 2014 on Monday, October 13. [redacted] Cambridge Territory Manager, visited with Mr. [redacted] to listen to his concerns. Being that the pavers only glow during the night and the hour he would have to travel back to the homeowner's house [redacted] removed a...

solaglo paver from Mr. [redacted] jobsite and tested the solaglo paver at his house. [redacted] then sent the paver to our corporate headquarters in Lyndhurst, NJ where it was tested my our manufacturing managers. The light glow in the dark exactly how it is supposed to. This was explained to Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] did not like this answer and asked [redacted] to meet him at his house after it was dark to look at his pavers. [redacted] showed up after work hours, at 8:30PM at night, and Mr. [redacted] was a no show for the meeting. [redacted] inspected the lights when at the property and they were glowing exactly as they should. In conclusion: we tested the lights several times and found them to be working perfectly. We visited Mr. [redacted] house several times to resolve. Thank you.

We received your letter dated July 22, 2016 on Monday, July 25, 2016. With regards to [redacted]   complaint: 1. Cambridge Territory Manager Chris [redacted], over 8 years experience in the field, was contacted my [redacted] and responded by visiting the project on 3/24/2016. Chris reported the...

following two issues he saw with the project- the two pallets installed were not blended and there was significant polymeric haze on the surface of the pavers. The blending of pavingstones when the product is installed is one of the most important steps. As it states in our brochure on page 97-the blended colors shown are combinations of two or three solid colors. These colors are mixed in unequal amounts for an outcome that is truly unique to each pavingstone. Since this is a random process,, Cambridge blends are different in every cube of pavers. Therefore, one color may predominate the other. Cambridge Pavingstones are made from natural, environmentally-friendly material, and therefore, variations in color may occur. Underneath that section is another point which pertains to this installation- Achieving the best color dispersion- when spreading Cambridge pavingstones, solid or blended colors over a wide area, remove units by the band, from top to bottom and use multiple cubes of pavers to achieve optimum results. This was not done on this project which was obvious from the installation. The second issue seen was polymeric haze. This was explained as well by Chris [redacted]. As shown in our warranty on page 103 of our brochure (photo included) please read the following information: Polymeric haze from the use of polymeric joint sand may appear on your concrete products if the sand was not removed from the surface of the paver properly. This does not affect the integrity of the product or your installation. The hazing will weather away naturally with time and rain or it can be removed with a specialized cleaner, you are advised to contact your contractor. Cambridge Pavers, Inc. accepts no responsibility or liability for this occurrence. 2. The homeowner felt he was sold the wrong material and also went to his distributor [redacted] to get samples. 3. Recently - the homeowner sent Chris [redacted] photos of what scuff marks. As was seen on the photos- these marks only appear on the high (textured) spots of the pavers. These marks were caused either by the handling of the product or when the product was compacted a tamper mat was not used. We also specifically list on our website, warranty and on the label on the pallet cover that a tamper pad has to be utilized. There was no further action for us to be complete. We provide all the information above so homeowners are informed and can make sure their contractors are installing based on the recommendations of ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute). Everything I described above is also listed by both Techo Bloc and Belgard. Thank you Christopher [redacted] Cambridge Pavers, Inc. ###-###-#### [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:
Mr Krupa has not responded back to me with regards to fixing this issue. Issue still remains unresolved.
Regards,

[redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Dear Mr. [redacted],
Your response is entirely unacceptable and disgraceful.  First, your sales rep [redacted] did visit my property on two occasions - and this is due to his own inferior follow up and communication.  You see, these stone steps are installed on my property in TWO SEPARATE LOCATIONS.  Mr. [redacted] visited my property without my knowledge, saw the stone steps in the front, took some photos, and left. No follow up, no note, nothing.  When we followed up with him the second time, he came by again to explain to us that the front steps were fine, and luckily, this time we were home. We explained that the issue is not with the front steps, but with the back steps.  Mr. [redacted] was shown the defects in the steps, and yes, they did evolve between the time of August, 2012, and April, 2014.  The stones are merely made of cast material, which is likely susceptible to porosity issues. There are tiny bubble marks throughout the steps which we understand to be a natural defect of the pouring process. However, the steps have deteriorated in an unacceptable manner - and to imply that this is merely damage that we caused, is entirely erroneous and unacceptable.  Especially when you yourself have not seen the defects in your product.  In fact, Mr. [redacted]'s response that day was not that this was something that we caused - his concern was more in line with how he was going to get the contractor to support the product and install a new set for us.  He advised that he would call the contractor, and he acknowledged that he was very familiar with the contractor as well.  On a follow up call, he let us know that he had calls out to get these replaced for us.  The marks on the steps are not from any physical dropping - there are no dents, dings, or otherwise. They are circular marks that could not be caused by anything that we could drop on them. My fiance and I do not have any children. We do not have toys or anyone rough housing on the steps. In fact, we are barely at the home due to our work schedules.  We do not even shovel the snow off the steps - we use a broom to brush it off.  We are meticulous about everything we do, and it is beyond insulting that you could accuse us of doing "damage" to our own property, in a means to hide your poor quality of product. 
Just because your sales rep made two personal visits does not absolve your company of the liability for your product.  The real issue here, in my opinion, is that Cambridge is manufacturing these stones, and they are not durable enough to be in a place that is actually utilized.  Perhaps they should be decorative steps only, as shown in your photographic brochure. The contractors who are authorized to install these products are not educated about their use, or limitations, and they are inappropriately skilled to handle these kinds of issues.  The steps themselves are extraordinarily heavy and to replace and install them will be expensive. It is likely the labor and cost involved that is the real issue here.  I am disgusted with the lack of support from Cambridge for their products - I now understand why most contractors prefer to use Nicolock, and why we had to search high and low for someone to actually install Cambridge stones.
I invite you to personally visit my home and see the defects for yourself.  As it is now the off season, hopefully that will not be too great an inconvenience for you.  We are requesting a replacement or a refund of these steps, as I have no doubt that in the next 1-3 years, these stones will deteriorate to the dangerous point, and will need to be replaced. 
 [redacted]

We received your letter dated October 24, on Tuesday, October 29, 2014. My name is [redacted] S. [redacted] and my position is VP of Sales & Marketing of Cambridge Pavers, Inc. With regards to Mr. [redacted]'s complaint. Cambridge Territory Manager [redacted] visited Mr. [redacted] on two...

separate occasions. With regards to communication, [redacted] has stated he was clear with the Mr. [redacted] that the cast stone steps were acceptable. There are small voids on the steps (we have photography of all) the largest which was the size of a dime. These marks did not “just appear” in 2014. We never heard from Mr. [redacted] in 2012 as he states he noticed imperfections, but to confirm the steps have been at Mr. [redacted] house since 2012 and the first call we received was in April. Cambridge received a call/email on 5/2/2014 and Mr. [redacted]’s project was visited twice within two months (June 24, 2014 @ 3:00PM and July 30, 2014 @ 1:45PM). This is our busiest time of year and I feel two jobsite visits fell right in line with our customer service. Someone or something was dropped on that product to cause the small voids that are appearing. This was not noticed when delivered and not noticed until two years after they were installed. This is a natural rock faced product. This was explained to the homeowner. The product does not chip and voids do not appear after the fact. Regardless, the product Mr. [redacted] has looks fine- there is no need for it to be replaced. Sincerely, [redacted] S. [redacted]

We received your letter dated Friday, August 12 on Monday, August 15. With regards to the per-packaged waterfall kit- we shipped this waterfall to [redacted] on August 11. [redacted] from [redacted] said he called and left [redacted] a message on that date. During the busy months there are...

periods when products are out of stock. While we know this is unsatisfactory to the end user, being a seasonal business this is an issue that will constantly arise. This issue was resolve once shipped. Any issues or requests [redacted] has on shipping/etc. should be made to [redacted] the company he purchased the waterfall from. Thank you and have a great day.

We visited Mr. [redacted]'s driveway at 9:10 AM on April 11, 2016. Followed up with a phone call, addressed the situation and Cambridge will provide replacement of twelve paving stones to contractor.

Review: While rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy I redid my driveway with new pavers. I purchased 20 "glow in the dark" pavers which were installed by my contractor. These alleged 'glow in the dark pavers' were advertised as solar powered. However after a few bright sunny days I realized there was no glow at night, they gave off no illumination.The best I could see was a slight lime green color from these pavers but if you brought one inside into a darkened room. But out on the driveway, there was no glow! I contacted the sales rep. from Cambridge pavers ([redacted]) who was immediately defensive & argumentative, not customer friendly, and despite a visit to my house to inspect these Cambridge pavers, insisted the reason the glow in the dark pavers don't glow is because of "Too much tree coverage." I asked him what about the 15 pavers that had NO shade, No tree coverage?; because they had full Summertime daylight more than 8 to 10 hours and they too failed to give off any solar light at nighttime. Mr. [redacted] was stubborn & adamant stating that these pavers are working fine but that my driveway and location was the problem. I then offered to exchange these "glow in the dark pavers" thereby giving me credit for the cost:($30/ea x 20= $600 credit) for the battery operated LED light pavers: ($40/ea x 20= $800) which are also a Cambridge product.His response was "Absolutely Not!" I am a dissatisfied consumer. I have found the Cambridge 'glow in the dark pavers' to be disappointing, and I have found the Territiory Sales Manager (Mr. [redacted] to be an equally poor choice. I would recommend to my neighbors to avoid this product and this sales representative.Desired Settlement: I would be willing to exchange my "glow in the dark pavers" 20 pavers x $30 each= $600, for the LED light pavers 20 pavers x $40 each= $800 costing me $200.

Business

Response:

We received your letter dated October 8, 2014 on Monday, October 13. [redacted] Cambridge Territory Manager, visited with Mr. [redacted] to listen to his concerns. Being that the pavers only glow during the night and the hour he would have to travel back to the homeowner's house [redacted] removed a solaglo paver from Mr. [redacted] jobsite and tested the solaglo paver at his house. [redacted] then sent the paver to our corporate headquarters in Lyndhurst, NJ where it was tested my our manufacturing managers. The light glow in the dark exactly how it is supposed to. This was explained to Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] did not like this answer and asked [redacted] to meet him at his house after it was dark to look at his pavers. [redacted] showed up after work hours, at 8:30PM at night, and Mr. [redacted] was a no show for the meeting. [redacted] inspected the lights when at the property and they were glowing exactly as they should. In conclusion: we tested the lights several times and found them to be working perfectly. We visited Mr. [redacted] house several times to resolve. Thank you.

Review: I purchased Cambridge pavers with "armortek" 3 years ago and over time they have faded significantly. I have repeatedly dealt with there Management only to have them claim that the pavers are not faded. I have sent them pictures and they continue to disregard my claim. If you ask any of there installers they will tell you that the pavers fade.Desired Settlement: Replace the pavers

Business

Response:

We received your letter regarding Mr. [redacted]'s complaint. My name is [redacted] S. [redacted] and I am one of the owners of Cambridge Pavers, Inc. All Cambridge Pavingstones meet ASTM C936, The American Society of Test and Material Standard Specifications for Solid Concrete Interlocking Paving Units along with ASTM C 979, Pigments of Integrally Color Concrete. This includes all materials used to produce concrete pavers and specifications with regards to length, thickness, and color. Pavingstones are made with water, sand, cement, and iron-oxide (color). The color used in Cambridge Pavingstones is synthetic iron oxide with can not fade. This meets ASTM C 979 for colored concrete. Mr. [redacted]'s claims have not been ignored or disregarded. Pavers, like all pavements may require cleaning if there are heavy dirt or outside influences causing discoloration. Maintenance tips can be found on the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Website www.icpi.org If Mr. [redacted] would like our territory manager to visit his project again and explain all to him in person, we would be more than happy to. Thank you.

Review: In the summer of 2012 I had a set of Cambridge Cast Bluestone steps installed in the backyard of the house. At the time of installation, a few "spots" of imperfections were noted, and some compressions on the edges of the stones where the banding iron was placed. The contractor told me that this was natural variants and that any future set would be just the same. In April of 2014 (1.5 yrs after install), I began to notice sections of the stone had spalled from both the tread section and the riser section and other areas were showing signs of impending issue. I contacted Cambridge on 5/2/14 and was told I had to fill out an online form and attach pictures which I did that day, and was advised the field rep for my area would contact me to set up an appointment to come out and see the product. After two weeks of no word, I took it upon myself to research the phone number of my local rep. My research revealed that there were two Territory Managers for Long Island, [redacted], and [redacted]. I left numerous messages for both managers on their cell phones and was finally contacted back by [redacted] who told me that [redacted] was the rep for my area and he had passed my info on to him several times. I was eventually able to speak to [redacted] and he came out to see the defect, where he agreed it should not be doing that, took pictures and told me he would look into the best way to rectify the problem. Phone calls were made to [redacted] on 5/15, 5/16, 5/21, 6/10, 6/17, 6/18, 7/9, 7/28, 8/13, 8/27, 9/4, 9/9, 9/23, as well as other dates which did not get recorded. Messages were left without call back, or if he did pick up or return my call I was given various excuses ranging from "Can I call you right back? I am in the middle of something" (with no call back), to "I have some phone calls out for you, I did not forget" to "I had a leak in my basement, I will call you tomorrow" where he never called me. Since then I have attempted to research other options availableDesired Settlement: I desire to have this product replaced and installed at the expense of Cambridge with a new set of cast blue stone steps, or a refund equivalent to what I paid to purchase and install these steps and I will hire my own contractor to do the work. Additionally, I wish for the Territory Manager in question, [redacted] to go through retraining in customer service and accountability so that future customers do not have to get the run around and brush off the way I have.

Business

Response:

We received your letter dated October 24, on Tuesday, October 29, 2014. My name is [redacted] S. [redacted] and my position is VP of Sales & Marketing of Cambridge Pavers, Inc. With regards to Mr. [redacted]'s complaint. Cambridge Territory Manager [redacted] visited Mr. [redacted] on two separate occasions. With regards to communication, [redacted] has stated he was clear with the Mr. [redacted] that the cast stone steps were acceptable. There are small voids on the steps (we have photography of all) the largest which was the size of a dime. These marks did not “just appear” in 2014. We never heard from Mr. [redacted] in 2012 as he states he noticed imperfections, but to confirm the steps have been at Mr. [redacted] house since 2012 and the first call we received was in April. Cambridge received a call/email on 5/2/2014 and Mr. [redacted]’s project was visited twice within two months (June 24, 2014 @ 3:00PM and July 30, 2014 @ 1:45PM). This is our busiest time of year and I feel two jobsite visits fell right in line with our customer service. Someone or something was dropped on that product to cause the small voids that are appearing. This was not noticed when delivered and not noticed until two years after they were installed. This is a natural rock faced product. This was explained to the homeowner. The product does not chip and voids do not appear after the fact. Regardless, the product Mr. [redacted] has looks fine- there is no need for it to be replaced. Sincerely, [redacted] S. [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Your response is entirely unacceptable and disgraceful. First, your sales rep [redacted] did visit my property on two occasions - and this is due to his own inferior follow up and communication. You see, these stone steps are installed on my property in TWO SEPARATE LOCATIONS. Mr. [redacted] visited my property without my knowledge, saw the stone steps in the front, took some photos, and left. No follow up, no note, nothing. When we followed up with him the second time, he came by again to explain to us that the front steps were fine, and luckily, this time we were home. We explained that the issue is not with the front steps, but with the back steps. Mr. [redacted] was shown the defects in the steps, and yes, they did evolve between the time of August, 2012, and April, 2014. The stones are merely made of cast material, which is likely susceptible to porosity issues. There are tiny bubble marks throughout the steps which we understand to be a natural defect of the pouring process. However, the steps have deteriorated in an unacceptable manner - and to imply that this is merely damage that we caused, is entirely erroneous and unacceptable. Especially when you yourself have not seen the defects in your product. In fact, Mr. [redacted]'s response that day was not that this was something that we caused - his concern was more in line with how he was going to get the contractor to support the product and install a new set for us. He advised that he would call the contractor, and he acknowledged that he was very familiar with the contractor as well. On a follow up call, he let us know that he had calls out to get these replaced for us. The marks on the steps are not from any physical dropping - there are no dents, dings, or otherwise. They are circular marks that could not be caused by anything that we could drop on them. My fiance and I do not have any children. We do not have toys or anyone rough housing on the steps. In fact, we are barely at the home due to our work schedules. We do not even shovel the snow off the steps - we use a broom to brush it off. We are meticulous about everything we do, and it is beyond insulting that you could accuse us of doing "damage" to our own property, in a means to hide your poor quality of product.

Just because your sales rep made two personal visits does not absolve your company of the liability for your product. The real issue here, in my opinion, is that Cambridge is manufacturing these stones, and they are not durable enough to be in a place that is actually utilized. Perhaps they should be decorative steps only, as shown in your photographic brochure. The contractors who are authorized to install these products are not educated about their use, or limitations, and they are inappropriately skilled to handle these kinds of issues. The steps themselves are extraordinarily heavy and to replace and install them will be expensive. It is likely the labor and cost involved that is the real issue here. I am disgusted with the lack of support from Cambridge for their products - I now understand why most contractors prefer to use Nicolock, and why we had to search high and low for someone to actually install Cambridge stones.

I invite you to personally visit my home and see the defects for yourself. As it is now the off season, hopefully that will not be too great an inconvenience for you. We are requesting a replacement or a refund of these steps, as I have no doubt that in the next 1-3 years, these stones will deteriorate to the dangerous point, and will need to be replaced.

[redacted]

Business

Response:

We received your letter dated November 21, 2014. With regards to Mr. [redacted]'s comments, the cast stone steps on his project have not deteriorated. They were examined by Cambridge Territory Manager [redacted] and were deemed acceptable. The steps will not deteriorate at all. Should there be any other issues with this steps that arise next year or five years from now, Mr. [redacted] can contact us and we will be more than happy to come visit his project again. Thank you.