Coles Fine Flooring

Outstanding customer service by Katie Barajas. Great quality, prices and huge selections.

Had to replace our carpet that we purchased from Coles that had lasted 35 years. Went to the San Diego store, met with [redacted] and he was able to find our exact color and quality carpet to match. The installation was done by [redacted] and his crew that went in perfect! The crew was professional, courteous, and a pleasure to deal with and removed all debris before leaving. The carpet looks great! Thank you [redacted] for the wonderful job!

Review: Wood flooring was installed incorrectly. Main floor is buckling so much that it is causing floor lamps and furniture to rock back and forth.

Causes unsure footing while walking, very unsafe for older people.

Stairs have splitting in the wood where it was nailed down.Desired Settlement: Main floor repaired. Installed correctly. Split wood on stairs replaced in a timely manner.

Business

Response:

On 9/19/2013 we contacted Mrs. [redacted] as requested and set up the appointment for repair work to be completed. We received this complaint after that had already been scheduled. The repair work has been authorized since the inspection had been done on 8/29/2012. We called monthly to schedule the repairs until we were told by the customer to stop calling, they would call us when they were ready for the repairs. I'm not sure what solution the customer is looking for lodging this complaint but we are going to do the repairs of the expansion gap and the replacement of the stairnose due to the nail marks.

Review: After spending $30,0000.00 over 3 years on carpet & flooring not only for my businesses but also my home, I'm going to not recommend this business on any level in the future.As much as try to support local business, the way my family and I were treated for a situation that was very much a Cole's Salesperson's fault leave me no other choice but to take our business elsewhere.My only hope is that ownership somehow reads this review and will do what any good business owner should and answer personally to a loyal costumer's complaint. and not allow their employees to run interference.My name is [redacted] and whomever in the family now owns/controls Coles Fine Flooring, I'd very much apreciate a correspondence at [redacted]@gmail.comDesired Settlement: Minimum 50% Refund on initial purchase

Business

Response:

May 27, 2013

Mr. [redacted],

We have received your Revdex.com complaint

[redacted]. I am sorry that you are unhappy with your area rug but unfortunately as

per your email to your salesperson and many other conversations since you have clearly

acknowledge that your vacuum has caused damage to your area rug. We would be

more then willing to work with you to select a replacement rug at a 50% discount

as we have repeatedly offered. Please feel free to contact me directly at [redacted]

if you have any questions or would like to make arrangements to take advantage

of our discounted replacement offer.

Thank you,

Customer

Service Supervisor

Coles Fine

Flooring

[redacted]@colesfineflooring.com

Review: I contracted with [redacted] Fine Flooring to furnish and install a new hardwood floor in my existing home. There were numerous issues with the Sales department regarding false statements made about product availability, then the incorrect product was delivered to my home. The sales agent misrepresented the delivery of the incorrect material, the source and availability of custom molding and trim pieces and the installation guarantee. After waiting weeks after the guaranteed install date for the installation of two stairs (risers, treads and molding) the installers arrived on Monday, October 20, 2014 and installed the final components. Unfortunately the installation is of very poor quality: the steps are not square, the return detail at bull-nose was glued together, the riser is proud on one side and recessed on the other. There are large gaps between the wall and the stair riser. Absolutely unprofessional and has reduced the value of my home.Desired Settlement: I would like [redacted] Fine Flooring to own their mistake, and correct the error.

Business

Response:

On the day of installation the wrong material was sent out

to your home. This was identified, rectified and the correct material was

installed. There was never a guarantee of the installation date as that is

subject to material availability and third party distributors to provide said

material. Your stairnoses were custom made to match the flooring installed and

that is why they took longer to arrive.

Your concern about the unevenness of your stair is

structural. [redacted] does not perform structural repairs or changes which is

clearly stated in the contract. [redacted] made an offer to you as a customer

courtesy to do the following on 11/26 after the inspection had been done. [redacted]

offered to remove the flooring from the stair so that you may have the

structure of your stair changed by a contractor. [redacted] would reinstall the

flooring on the stairs at no charge after your contractor has finished. This

offer is being extended to you again and will remain available for 30 days from

today.

[redacted] has received your chargeback request from your credit

card company that you request $1000 be returned to you. Both the request

through the credit card for $1000 and this request through the Revdex.com for $500 are

declined.

Please contact me if you chose to take advantage of our customer

courtesy offer.

Thank you,

Customer Service

Supervisor

[redacted] Fine Flooring

Phone 619-276-5140 ex [redacted]

Fax 619-275-2330

Review: My wife and I had decided to install hardwood floor in our kitchen. I had removed the existing floor down to our raised subfloor. At the time of installation, the installer's foreman indicated that the floor would need to be leveled. After some discussion, I agreed to proceed with leveling the floor with the desire to make the transitions to the other rooms in the house as low as possible. The foreman assured me they would do their best and that the floor would be level... maybe with a gradual slope. They proceeded with the install. Once the floor installation was complete, I discovered that the floor was uneven. There is a "high spot" in the floor in front of my refrigerator. This high spot is about 3/8" higher than the surrounding area. It is not near the location that was determined to be the high spot in the sub floor. In addition, there is "cupping" in the wood planks. I spoke with their customer service and mentioned that while I am pleased with the wood itself, the final installed product, the installation process, and communication throughout the process is poor and unacceptable. I will never recommend Cole's to anyone for hardwood flooring.

I made an initial complaint about the lack of communication and the poor quality of the installation. At that time, I asked for the QA person to come out to the house and see the floor. On Friday, September 13, the QA person came to our house, he walked in and immediately looked at the floor with a bit of a sigh. He noticed the "cupping" and said "I'm not sure why that happened." I also showed him the high spot in the floor in front of the refrigerator by placing a straight edge on the floor. I then asked him, "Do you understand why I am so disappointed?" He grimaced, and did not reply, but took pictures of the floor. I asked when I could expect to hear from them and he said early in the following week.

One week later, I called Cole's because I had not heard from them and they proceeded to tell me that there is nothing wrong with the floor and that they told me this is what I would expect because I asked them to level the floor this way. This is absolutely untrue. During this conversation, I asked to speak with the manager above the customer service person I had been dealing with. I also asked for the foreman to return to my home and explain to me why an uneven hardwood floor is acceptable. Since then, I have been charged in full for the installation.

There are many reasons to complain about this process. In addition to the problems with installation, we had significant issues with their communication and scheduling of work to be done, the professionalism of the install crew, the demonstrated lack of knowledge by those installing the floor, and the lack of respect for their customers.Desired Settlement: Ultimately, the installed floor should be removed including demo of the material used to "level" the existing floor and reinstalled properly. However, I do not trust this contractor to complete the work considering their original installation was so poor and there was a significant lack of communication, and a lack of skill with the installers and the workers. Cole's should take responsibility for repairing the shoddy workmanship. At a minimum, I would like to be given a refund for the improperly installed floor.

Business

Response:

This letter is in regards to the complaint # [redacted] filed by [redacted]. The flooring was installed in a 100 year old house. Recommendations were made to replace the subfloor for a level installation. That was declined by the customer due to cost constraints.

The installers had to add self-leveler to the majority of the floor in order to make it flat enough for installation. In order to have it all appear flat there was going to be approximately a two inch height difference where the new floor met the preexisting adjoining floor. The customer insisted that the transition needed to be as flush as possible, this being due to his concern for the safety of his children and that transition being a trip hazard. The installer explained that in order to achieve a nearly flush transition the floor would have a hump in the middle of the room and slope at both ends. The customer agreed to this and the work was completed.

As per his request we have offered to pull up the entire floor and issue a complete refund. This is outside of Coles Fine Flooring policy but the results that Mr. [redacted] is looking for cannot be achieved without extensive structural work that Mr. [redacted] is unwilling to pay for. Mr. [redacted] has now declined the offer to pull up the floor and issue the refund that he had requested with the Revdex.com. He is now requesting that we refund him the cost of installation and allow him to keep his installed floor. That is not something that we are willing to do.

Coles offer to remove the floor and give a full refund is still available. This offer will remain open until October 31, 2013.

Thank you,

Customer Service Supervisor

Coles Fine Flooring

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

There are many reasons why their offer is unsatisfactory. First, the business indicates that they suggested replacing the subfloor. This is untrue. They never made any comment about the subfloor other than the need to make make the floor level prior to installation of the wood floor. As they never suggested subfloor repair, I could not have possibly rejected it due to cost. Second, the installer never indicated that there would be a "hump" in the middle of my floor. Had they said that, I would not have continued with the work. What the company did tell me when I requested that the transitions be as small as possible was that there would be a gradual slope, "so gradual, you won't even notice it." Since then, everyone who has walked into my home has noticed it. Third, the response by the business doesn't even address the fact that the installed floor is cupping.

Review: I have been disrespected and ignored by a company that stands behind its Quality Service and Customer Satisfaction. I bought the carpet on the Military Base thinking I would have no issues with customer service. They improperly installed the carpet in my home and are not honoring their commitment. They sent a non-certified inspector from within the company to my home 3 times and all 3 times the company told me the carpet was properly installed according to their non-certified inspector. They told me to pay for a certified carpet inspector to evaluate the carpet and they would consider the findings. They gave me the website to find certified inspectors in the area. The randomly selected certified inspector found that the carpet was indeed improperly installed. I forwarded a copy to the company and they have made no effort to resolve the issue. It has been 3 months since the inspection. I would like to settle this issue quickly since it has been ongoing for over a year.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund on the cost I paid for installation and 50% refund on the carpet price. I would like the flooring replaced with a material of my choosing. I would like the company to complete the installation and cover all cost to do so. I want proper customer service and Quality that the Company promotes.

Business

Response:

September 16, 2014

[redacted] 7th Ave

San Diego CA 92103

This letter is in regard to the complaint # [redacted] filed

by [redacted]. The carpeting was installed on June 30, 2012. Coles has

inspected the carpeting three times since the installation for pulled tufts.

The first inspection was on December 31, 2012. There was a single tuft pulled

in the middle of the field, this tuft was trimmed. At that time the inspector

noticed Mr. [redacted] was using a Dyson. He informed him that the use of a Dyson

voids his warranties because it pulls out yarns.

Coles was contacted again and inspected the flooring on June 11, 2013. This time it was for fraying at the transition to tile. An installer re-glued the carpeting at the transition to tile on June 23, 2013. The customer was still using the Dyson and was again told that use of it voids the warranties.

Coles was contacted again and inspected the flooring on April 30, 2014. This time it was for a seam being too visible and tufts pulling at the seam. After the inspection it was agreed that Mr. [redacted] would hire an independent inspector. If the findings were there was a defect in the carpet or a deficiency in the installation Coles would reimburse him for the inspection as well as assist with remedying the problem. This was done despite the fact that Mr. [redacted] had been informed on numerous occasions that using the Dyson was damaging the carpet and voided his warranties.

The inspector’s report that was provided was considerably lacking in the standard inclusions that are required from a certified inspector. The inspector did not include the data required to indicate proper tuft binding or his methods of testing. He also did not provide any pictures of the inspection findings and did not address the Dyson vacuum cleaner contributing to the problems occurring. His findings were that there was not enough latex used at the seams.

In an email dated July 1, 2014 we informed Mr. [redacted] that if he provided Coles the invoice for the inspection we would issue a check for reimbursement and that we could schedule a crew for the repair. Mr. [redacted] provided Coles the invoice and a check was issued on July 17, 2014. A voicemail was left for Mr. [redacted] on July 21, 2014 and July 25, 2014. Mr. [redacted] has not contacted Coles to schedule the repair work.

Coles offer is to repair the seams and the transitions to tile with additional latex. This offer is open until September 30, 2014. This offer is being made despite the fact that Mr. [redacted] has been informed repeatedly that his warranties are all voided because of the continued use of the Dyson vacuum cleaner. Coles will not be refunding any money on the original installation.

Thank you,

Customer Service Supervisor

Coles Fine Flooring

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Excellent response from order to installation. All involved did outstanding sob.

Review: During the sale I had asked the sales person [redacted] that I wanted the floor to wall caulked before the base boards where to be re-installed. She said they could do this at a charge. On Oct 17 I had a flooring installed in my office. The crew was dropped off and didn't speak English. Toward the end I saw that they had caulked the top of the base boards to the wall. I didn't want this and instructed them to remove the caulking, which they did.Foreman returned, I explained. He told me they always add caulking and that they would never caulk at the floor level. Floor needs to expand. I called the sales person, she said she didn't deal with anything at this point and would have customer service call. I waited over a week. I called her back and left a message. I called again directly to CS. I made an appt for quality control. He came out Nov 3. He said he knew what I needed and would do the work himself He would have CS call me "sooner than later" Nov 10 I'm still waiting for a call. This is my office. I work from home. All my files, office furniture has been removed and in spare bedroom. FYI they pushed the install date out a week. I removed my furniture the week before in readiness. Been working in this manner for a month. I'm working on my floor with my computer. Since I haven't heard from them I have removed my baseboards, scrapped, sanded painted. They didn't remove the nails - they bent them into the base. Because of this the baseboards cannot lay flush against the wall. This has been a nightmare for $1400.Desired Settlement: I want to be credited for the baseboard removal/repair. Plus a 20 % reduction on the total bill for the lack of service and attention. I have taken my own time to repair my walls and baseboards. I need to get my office up and running. I have used Coles in the past and that is why I used them again thinking I should receive a quality produce and installation. Very disappointed and frustrated. Down right mad. I will use social media as a platform to inform other of my experience.

Business

Response:

Please see attached response.

Review: we purchased two area rug pads and one area rug from Coles for a rental we own in Scottsdale on 11/23/2013. We took delivery of the two pads at the time of purchase and asked that the rug be wrapped in plastic and tied for pick up by our contractor the next week to be delivered to Scottsdale. The sales person, [redacted] assured us everything would be ready for pick up. When our contractor came to pick up the rug he was given two pads and a rug. Nothing was packaged- just loose. Our contractor advised us of what he was given and we told him we already had the pads so to bring them back to California when he was done. He went on to say that the rug had a hole in it and he texted us a picture. We contacted [redacted] to tell her about the problems and she said no problem, just give her the picture. We went into the store, bringing the two extra pads they gave us by mistake (which were $309) and gave her the photo of the damaged rug. She said she thought it could be repaired and suggested we could have it fixed rather than get it shipped back to her, but would check with her repair person to see if he thought it was possible to repair. We did not hear back. We called a week later. We did not hear back. We called a few days later. No response. We called the next week and when we could not get her on the phone we left a message saying call us or we will make other arrangements. Finally, a Mr. [redacted] called us saying they would give no concession for the damaged rug and accused our contractor of damaging the rug. I said that was unacceptable and he said we could drive over to Scottsdale and bring back the rug to him or he would mail us a patch for it. I said we had agreed to get it fixed in Scottsdale (we live in Coronado) and were going to use the price concession [redacted] suggested to pay for the repair. This is absolutely the worst customer service we have ever experienced. We gave them $309 worth of pads they did not even know they had lost. They did not package the rug as promised. They accused a third party of damaging the rug without any proof. And they want us to spend an inordinate amount of time and money to retrieve an inexpensive damaged rug from another state. We were seeking a $100 concession from the $620 invoice. Mr. [redacted] is doing his company and anyone they deal with an injusticeWDesired Settlement: Mr. [redacted] needs to apologize to [redacted] our contractor and us. Coles needs to refund us $100 to repair their damaged rug.

Business

Response:

This misunderstanding was addressed and rectified with [redacted] and Mr. [redacted] on Saturday 01/11/13. She sent out a repair kit as well as the $100.00 credit requested. Mr. [redacted] informed us in a phone call this morning that he would be informing the Revdex.com in kind.

Review: On 06/13/14, we installed new carpeting in our home. We were told it was top of the line Stain-master carpet that would last 25 yrs and paid $6115.85 for the carpet, pad and labor. Within weeks, the carpet started showing signs of wear despite the fact that we were out of our home for a month on vacation. We contacted the company who completed an inspection in Sept 2014 and referred their findings to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then did another inspection with a third party on Oct 14, 2014. The final report indicates that the carpet showed "significant ridges in the yarn pile in the main traffic paths and areas of concentrated pivoting." It continues that the "condition is often referred to as corn rowing and is caused by aggressive impact from the stiff roller brushes on the vacuum cleaner and inadvertent folding of yarns into the space between the tufting rows." During both inspections, my vacuum cleaner was also inspected and we were verbally told it was acceptable. We have been continuing to contact the company. They consistently fail to return our calls. At this point, they have finally offered to only credit us $4204.14 but we will have to still PAY $1662.62 for labor to correct the problem. The customer service has be awful throughout this entire process. It is now 02/09/2015, this carpet currently looks worse then the carpet we replaced and we are extremely unsatisfied that the issue has yet to be resolved. The fact that they are stating that we will have to pay $1662.62 to resolve this issue when the mistake it not ours is unheard of. When purchasing the carpet - it was supposed to be guaranteed, not last less than an month before it looks old and worn out. We specifically asked when purchasing it, if at any point this carpet would show wear spots and the salesperson states that this Stainmaster brand was the best and would NOT show wear spots at any point.Desired Settlement: We want a full replacement: carpet, pad, installation and labor at no out of pocket costs to us.

Business

Response:

This letter is in regard to the complaint# [redacted]. We are sorry that you are not happy with the denialof your claim but the carpet installed is not defective. What is being seen is a maintenance issue calledcornrowing and the claim was denied by the manufacturer after an independent inspection. A copy ofthat inspection has already been provided to you as well as attached here. The carpet is not showing anywearing as you have stated in your complaint.Cornrowing is defined as the tangling of alternating rows of pile yarn when subjected to traffic andimproper maintenance. It resembles rows of corn in a field. This occurs most often in carpets with ahigher pile height. It will generally appear in higher traffic areas such as hallways, bedroom doorwaysand in front of furniture. Regular vacuuming is required and needs to be done in all four directions tominimize this condition. Professional cleaning as well as grooming with a carpet rake is also necessary tomaintain a satisfactory appearance. This condition is considered to be maintenance related, not amanufacturing defect.Coles made what we believe is a very generous offer to replace the carpet with you paying for only thelabor to install it. We did this as a customer service accommodation and thought such a generous offerwould please you. We are surprised that this is not the case. If you would like to accept the offer we willmake it available to you for 30 days from the date of this letter.Thank you,[redacted]Customer Service SupervisorColes Fine Flooring

[redacted] is an outstanding, knowledgeable, personal, outgoing employee. She knew and understood what my needs were and provided excellent customer service as well as going beyond to ensure I got exactly what I ordered. [redacted] took me step by step and showed the measurements, diagram and provided great customer service.

It was a pleasure working with her. Her personality is awesome. An excellent employee with a smile.

Review: In December 2014, we contracted with Coles Fine Flooring to install a urethane coated hardwood floor. A urethane finish was important to us because of its minimal maintenance requirements. The flooring contract included $4185 for materials including a 10 percent discount and a total price of $6852. Work started on 12 January 2015 and the basic installation was completed on 17 January. Our credit card was billed for the balance of the contract on 19 January without contacting us about the status of the job or our satisfaction.

There were a number of serious problems:

1. During the installation when the area was a mess, the owner discovered that the material was finished with Woca oil. At this point we had the option of refusing the flooring, but selecting and ordering comparable flooring would have taken a month. Thus, under duress, we elected to continue the installation.

2. The concrete subfloor required grinding. This very dirty process was done without masking the area with plastic sheeting and without changing the filter on the attached vacuum often. The lower floor of the house was covered with a thick layer of concrete dust.

3. Flooring around the hearth was not 'scribe' cut leaving a jagged and unattractive gap.

4. Substantial areas of the floor were inadequately bonded.

5. Glue was on the carpet.

6. Carpeting was trapped under the flooring.

7. The baseboard molding required extensive repairs.

8. A flooring wedge was left behind the baseboard.

9. Two flooring transition strips were of the wrong material.

10. We were charged for work and materials not provided.

Items 5 through 8 have been addressed by owner. Items 4 and 9 have been addressed by Coles. A unique solution was developed to address item 3 by owner. Items 1, 3, 5 through 8 require compensation.

We have attempted to resolve these issues in several written communications with Coles to no avail.

Much more detail is available from us than is allowed here.Desired Settlement: In compensation, we request from Coles $1000 to account for us accepting the wrong material. This represents less than 25 % of the material costs and and thus is reasonable. We also request $122.88 for materials and services billed for but not delivered and $155 for labor for part of the rework required.

Given this and other complaints in your file, I am surprised that Coles maintains such a high Revdex.com rating.

Business

Response:

Please see attached.Mr. [redacted],Coles has had a number of conversations with you, exchanged

letters and emails as well as a number of trips out to address every single one

of your concerns. We have been made aware by the crew chief Carlos that you

informed him it is your practice to complain about all work you have done in

your home until the company finishes your project and provides you a check. Coles

is not willing to do this. We have completed your floor per the contract and

given you numerous discounts along the way. Please see the information in the

last letter sent to you which I have included below.“This is in response to your letter dated April 13, 2015 in

which you request additional money be refunded to you. We are sorry that you do

not feel that your installation went as smoothly as expected and that you

erroneously thought the product you had selected was polyurethane finished. You

were made aware that the product was oil finished prior to installation and you

elected to have the floor installed. Coles has given you many monetary

accommodations during the process of this installation. We waived the tax,

provided a 10% material discount, upgraded you from Sika Glue to Sika 2 in 1

Moisture Barrier and Glue at no additional charge and did not charge you the

$80 per hour for your floor preparation. In all you received $1138.85 in

discounts. We have made all repairs that you have requested and provided you

with the oil refresher for your floor. After reviewing all of this information

Coles is respectfully denying your request for additional refunds.”Coles has completed the work for the floor you selected and

signed the contract for. We are not willing to renegotiate your contract after

the fact and will not be issuing any refunds.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear

Review: 1, Was quoted one price, billed more with out telling me.Desired Settlement: they owe me $235.01

Business

Response:

August 11, 2014

RE: [redacted] & [redacted]

Complaint #[redacted]

This letter is in regards to the complaint # [redacted] filed by [redacted]. The flooring installation was quoted to the customer for a larger amount of carpeting than what he thought was right. He told the salespeople [redacted] and [redacted] that it could be done for less and the closet pieced together. On July 2, 2014, the date of installation, the installer confirmed that the ori[redacted]l quantity of carpet was accurate and the amount he had would not be enough to install the closet. On that date at 11:01 [redacted] called and spoke to Mrs. [redacted] and informed her there was not enough carpet to do the closet. Her options were to leave the closet undone or order an additional 12 x 3.5 piece of carpet in order to do the closet. She was quoted $234.78 for the additional material and was not charged for the extra trip out to install which should have been an additional $150.00. She authorized [redacted] to order the additional piece of carpet.

The carpet was installed in the closet on July 7, 2014 without incident. On July 14, 2014 we received a phone call from Mr. [redacted] that said he did not believe he should pay for the additional carpeting. We explained that the additional carpet was authorized by his wife. At that time he said he felt he should not have to pay.

Coles has offered to refund him the $234.78 if we remove the carpet from the closet. Mr. [redacted] declined the offer.

Thank you,

Customer Service Supervisor

Coles Fine Flooring

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

MY WIFE ONLY TOLD THEM TO FINISH THE JOB.WE COULD NOT HAVE ONE BEDROOM WITH NO CARPET??? THEY MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT ORDEREING ENOUGHT CARPET WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE .MY WIFE NEVER OKED MORE CHARGED

Regards,

Business

Response:

Coles had permission to order in the additional piece of carpet needed to install the closet. If you would like a refund for the additional carpet we will need to remove the carpet from the closet. Please let us know if you would like to schedule that appointment.

Once again, Coles Fine Flooring has offered exceptional service and a high quality product for our home. From the patient and helpful professional guidance from [redacted] in the showroom to [redacted]'s excellent installation, we could not be happier with our beautiful new stair carpeting!

A two man team from Coles Fine Flooring installed carpeting in our condo yesterday. They did a fine job. They worked very quickly and neatly. Also, they are very polite and personable.

I heartily recommend Coles.

I was completely satisfied with Coles work.

This was our first time buying carpet from Coles. [redacted] was very helpful and patient as I looked at so many different types of carpet. He made sure that I was happy with my purchase before I left and made sure I understood the exchange policy if I change my mind within a year. The two men who came to install our carpet were polite and knowledgeable about what they were doing. We would definitely recommend Coles to others!

Review: We purchased several flooring products to fill our new home of 1830 sq ft. The conversations regarding the selection of the correct products revolved around durability of the flooring to provide years of use and even possibility of misuse as we discussed our active duty service may require us to rent in a few years. We purchased carpet, tile, and bamboo, instead of a traditional wood product. The products we purchased we were told would meet our requirements to be durable and able to withstand the harsh environment, as we discussed our home is set between the bay and the ocean. After the product was delivered and the first few boards were put together, my wife stopped to take a look at them as she was leaving to pick up one of our children from camp. She noticed some scratches on the boards and told the installers that the product does not appear to be as durable as she was told. She told the installers that would not work as we were adamant that the products be durable for our family and future renters or resale of this property. The installer assured her it was durable and dropped a tool on it to demonstrate to which she agreed to let them install it. They agreed it must have been scratches from the manufacturer’s packaging process and agreed not to install any boards with existing scratches on it. The first day from installation we noticed how easily the bamboo floor scratches. Even with constant soft bristle broom sweeping, the finest unseen material will scratch the floor and leave a white streak permanently in the boards. We put down cardboard to cover the floor from the high traffic pathways and protect it from the footing of the four small fold-up chairs we were using at the time. These extreme proactive measures did not keep the floor from showing many marks in the first few days to which we were highly disappointed. We called the store to discuss the discrepancy of our needs and the promises of their products. We agreed to let a rep from the store come and look at the floors and showed him a few deep marks in flooring. It was a very overcast day and we had not moved our household goods in the home at this point so some of the finer scratches which were all over the floor did not show up for him because we did not have lighting in the home, only daylight. We did take pictures of the scratches because he mentioned that they would not show up on his camera; they show up on our Ipad pictures. He put spray cleaner on the one he thought was worse and suggested we live with it for a while and then make a decision. My wife explained that doesn't make sense as we have held up the installation of our new baseboards and the finish of our home updates while we awaited the correction or replacement of the bamboo flooring problem. If we moved in our goods and installed the boards, we would incur much more expense and possible damage to undo all the work to replace the flooring later.

Next, the floor manufacturer sent out a rep and he stated the flooring was fine and we should install tile, not any wood product. My wife asked if they had changed their product finish lately and he agreed they had but stated it was a few years ago. We contend that bamboo is a hard-wood like product as my wife owns bamboo cutting boards and spoons. Our issue is with the finish. It scratches readily and constantly. It so easily scratches that it is improbable that the finish is working for other customers from this same batch. It leaves the whitest mark to suggest that the finish is not even paper thin, but thinner. We owned red oak wood floors for 15 years in our previous home so we do have experience with other wood flooring products. This finish is defective or the durability of the finish was misrepresented when we selected our flooring purchase from the sales consultation at the Cole's store. Cole's customer service will only offer their "buyer's remorse" warranty where the CUSTOMER can choose to change the flooring at the same price or pay the difference AND PAY again for new installation. We didn't even ask if we would be charged for removal as well. This is unacceptable as the product is NOT what was agreed upon. We emphatically requested and confirmed that this product would be DURABLE and withstand years of wear and tear and, even, possible abuse from future renters. Cole's customer service is not accepting any responsibility for the sales agreement. The product's finish is defective or the sales representative misrepresented this product as it is not durable. Today, after one month of use, the floor has scratches all over it. We paid $5500 (approx 521 sq ft) for one great room, a small hall, and a small closet floor to be covered with their bamboo flooring because we were told it would be durable and work for a home near the beach, etc. We were told they would charge less for installing in an empty house so we did not claim our household goods (until last week as we are assuming they will do nothing to help us with their failed product at this point in time.) The sales rep was going to look at the product herself but we have not heard from her to reschedule her appt to come see it. In addition, we paid $1800 for porcelain tile in the 2.5 bathrooms and washer/dryer closet. We also paid $2200 for vinyl tile to be installed in the kitchen and dinette area. Finally, we paid $6100 to install carpet in the three bedrooms and stairway with 3 closets and small hall. We expressed from the beginning that we would do all the prep work needed to save us as much money as possible. Money is an object here. We are using our investment to carry us through this relocation by the Navy and we told our sales rep that we need this flooring investment to be durable and a lasting product choice. We lived without our household goods since May, and the sales rep knew it, to save money on these installations. Our sales rep told us it would save us money to install in an empty house. No, we do not have the money to pay their installers AGAIN when they did not sell us the durable product we emphatically expressed we needed for our home.Desired Settlement: We want our money back for the flooring which is obviously not meeting the agreed requirements... specifically the bamboo flooring.

We tried to find a more financially amicable agreement with Coles before finishing the home updates and moving our goods into the house. The customer service rep only wanted more money from our pockets to fix the problem. Now that the baseboards are installed, the chaulking and painting complete, and the household goods are delivered in the house. We are requesting our money back for the flooring product, not including the installation.

Business

Response:

This letter is in regards to the complaint that you filed with the Revdex.com # [redacted]. The bamboo flooring installed in your home was inspected by [redacted] on behalf of Coles as well as [redacted] from US Floors. Neither of the inspections shows that the floor is not performing as is intended. We have offered to have an independent inspection done for a third party professional determination to see if the product is defective in any way. You have previously refused the offer of the independent inspector but the offer remains.

Unfortunately Coles cannot offer any warranty service if there is not a defect present in the floor. If you would like to select a different product than the one you currently have you would need to take advantage of the Customer Satisfaction Warranty. For that warranty Coles will cover product replacement of the same value and you would be responsible for the labor costs.

Thank you,

Customer Service Supervisor

Coles Fine Flooring

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

We are rejecting the offer as per original explanation. This was all accounted in the original complaint and the Coles rep changed nothing in their response.

We purchased and paid in full for a "durable" product for our expressed environment. They installed the products , and reiterated it is durable as per all my stated needs at installation, we found immediate scratches and questionable finish. We followed their protocol for inspections twice. They need to replace the bamboo flooring...we replaced all the flooring in the house and only press for replacement of the bamboo as the finish is not durable at all. (I have found similar discrepancies on the kitchen flooring.) The manufacturer admitted they changed their finish, did not reference the lot number to prove this manufacture date or any such research or concern. The reps came only to denounce their responsibility. We held up our remodeling finish for both inspections which delayed our personal goods delivery, etc by 3+ weeks only to be offered nothing for our good faith efforts than the "buyer's remorse" guarantee that was ours to claim without any inspections. We held back on delivery of our household goods and the finishing of the trim and baseboards to keep it simple should they decide to replace the flooring. Now our furniture is here and all our personal affects.

This offer, the buyers remorse notion of paying to install another product plus any difference to upgrade, not only expresses their lack of accountability but, also, insults and disrespects the value of our time and consideration. They are accountable for their commitments. They have our $13000+ and they need to be held responsible for the promises they make or reimburse for the failed product they sold us. We expect to be reimbursed for the bamboo product, which I do not have the pricing breakdown as they will not provide that information; I have the price total for this flooring in the amount of $5500 which should include installation.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[redacted] and [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

We are rejecting the offer as per original explanation. This was all accounted in the original complaint and the Coles rep changed nothing in their response.

We purchased and paid in full for a "durable" product for our expressed environment. They installed the products , and reiterated it is durable as per all my stated needs at installation, we found immediate scratches and questionable finish. We followed their protocol for inspections twice. They need to replace the bamboo flooring...we replaced all the flooring in the house and only press for replacement of the bamboo as the finish is not durable at all. (I have found similar discrepancies on the kitchen flooring.) The manufacturer admitted they changed their finish, did not reference the lot number to prove this manufacture date or any such research or concern. The reps came only to denounce their responsibility. We held up our remodeling finish for both inspections which delayed our personal goods delivery, etc by 3+ weeks only to be offered nothing for our good faith efforts than the "buyer's remorse" guarantee that was ours to claim without any inspections. We held back on delivery of our household goods and the finishing of the trim and baseboards to keep it simple should they decide to replace the flooring. Now our furniture is here and all our personal affects.

This offer, the buyers remorse notion of paying to install another product plus any difference to upgrade, not only expresses their lack of accountability but, also, insults and disrespects the value of our time and consideration. They are accountable for their commitments. They have our $13000+ and they need to be held responsible for the promises they make or reimburse for the failed product they sold us. We expect to be reimbursed for the bamboo product, which I do not have the pricing breakdown as they will not provide that information; I have the price total for this flooring in the amount of $5500 which should include installation.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[redacted] and [redacted]

Business

Response:

Nothing has changed from our original response to the complaint. Please see below.

The bamboo flooring installed in

your home was inspected by [redacted] on behalf of Coles as well as [redacted] from US Floors. Neither of the inspections shows that the floor is

not performing as is intended. We have offered to have an independent

inspection done for a third party professional determination to see if the

product is defective in any way. You have previously refused the offer of the

independent inspector but the offer remains.

Unfortunately Coles cannot offer any warranty service if

there is not a defect present in the floor. If you would like to select a

different product than the one you currently have you would need to take

advantage of the Customer Satisfaction Warranty. For that warranty Coles will

cover product replacement of the same value and you would be responsible for

the labor costs.

--

Thank you,