Roanoke Granite Tops, Inc.

Review: I purchased granite countertops and had them installed on 6/3/15. Before the installation, the business owner, [redacted], came to my home on 2 different occasions to obtain measurements and create a template. In doing so, we agreed to have my kitchen sink and faucet centered on my kitchen cabinets (I have a tape recording to confirm the exact conversation). The installation was completed on 6/3/15 and the hole they cut out for my sink faucet is not centered. It is clearly 1.75" inches to the right of center. That said, the faucet is not centered to the sink or to my cabinets which it is suppose to be.

We have a 70/30 split sink. What they did was placed the sink hole where the 70/30 sink divides rather than placing the hole in-between the center of the entire sink.

Additionally, my wife pointed out her concerns the backsplash behind the faucet hole does not have consistent granite flow and color. There are 2 different pieces of backsplash that are seemed directly behind the faucet hole. The 2 pieces of granite are not similar in color or direction pattern as the remaining countertops are. The installer seemed the 2 backsplash pieces directly behind the faucet hole so the faucet would block the view of the seem. This is an acceptable decision however seeing how they placed the faucet hold incorretly off-center, the backsplash in this area needs to be recut and replaced. This way the new seem is behind the new, and correctly placed, centered faucet hole.

The mutual agreed upon payment arrangement involved a 60% down payment, which we paid, and a remaining 40% balance payment upon completion of the installation. I paid the 40% as they told me I needed to do, however we feel it should not have to be paid until the job is properly completed as agreed. Therefore, we have issued a stop-pay on the check for the 40% and immediately notified them (phone and email) not to deposit this check. I have tried calling the owner and staff all day but they refuse to answer my calls or respond to my email.

I think it is unacceptable they are refusing to address this problem, caused by their in own error in cutting the faucet hole in the wrong location. I have installers scheduled to come to my home in the next few weeks and need these granite countertops installed properly before I can move on with other renovations. Time is critical here.Desired Settlement: A reasonable and fair outcome to remedy this problem simply involves the business replacing the granite slab in our sink area (the slab goes from the right of the stove past the sink and to the dishwasher). They will also need to replace the backsplashes (2 pieces) that connect directly behind the sink so the new seem will match up behind the new faucet hole. I am confident they have plenty of granite material left from the same slab we used the rest of our countertops from so everything will match just fine. I am willing to come back down to their business and template out this replacement section with them and have no hard feelings.

Should they have never cut the faucet hole centered and in a wrong place, this could have been preventable. We do not wish for them to "patch" the hole they cut in the wrong area or create more seems in attempt to fix their mistakes because it will leave a very obvious patch right in our sink and faucet area. This is the focal point of our entire newly remodeled kitchen and not what we paid for.

We are more than willing to pay the remaining balance owed as long as they promptly fix their mistake and make the job right. In spirit of compromise, I am not asking for anything additional other than what was initially promised to us. Should the business fail or refuse to fix their mistake, we will withdraw this offer and be forced to pursue alternative restitution. In good faith, I am trying to work with this company to remedy a solution. I would enjoy nothing more than to pay the agreed upon price and get an agreed upon service so I can move on.

Business

Response:

As you know, this law firm and I represent Roanoke Granite Tops, Inc. ("RGT"), and we are responding to [redacted]'s Revdex.com ('Revdex.com') Complaint against RGT. We appreciate the opportunity to submit this response. When RGT delivered and installed Mr. [redacted]'s countertop on June 3, 2015, he signed a completion agreement certifying that he was fully satisfied with the countertop and its installation. (Exhibit 1.) The next day on June 4, 2015, Mr. [redacted] submitted his Revdex.com Complaint against RGT. In addition to his Revdex.com Complaint, he also sent a letter to RGT on June 17, 2015 (almost two weeks after the Revdex.com Complaint) threatening litigation and demanding that RGT return payment in full because the countertop was defective. His complaints included his primary concem that the faucet was off-set by 1.75 inches. (Exhibit 2.) In fact, the off-set of 7.75 inches is the industry standard for faucet locations on this type of sink. All of Mr. [redacted]'s alleged "defects" existed at the time he signed the completion agreement, and at that time, he indicated that he was satisfied with the product and its installation.As you will see on page 4 of the attached June 17 letter, Mr. [redacted] advised that he recorded telephone conversations, he recorded in-person conversations, and he took video footage of his interactions with RGT, RGT's employees were not aware that they were being recorded during what they believed to be a routine sales transaction. It appears clear that Mr. [redacted]'s intention during his business interactions with RGT was to set up a situation whereby he could later pressure RGT to obtain a free granite countertop. It is highly unusual to record conversatons during a typical sales situation. It also appeats that Mr. [redacted] is using the Revdex.com Complaint as a mechanism to submit additional pressure on RGT to achieve his goals. The items listed in the Summary of Damages section of his June 17 letter and in his Revdex.com complaint appear to be after-the-fact criticisms with the apparent purpose of refusing to make his final payment and/or to demand a full refund. It is also noteworthy that after our law firm sent Mr. [redacted] a letter advising him of our law firm's intervention in this situation, he has now submitted his final payment to RGT.Contrary to Mr. [redacted]'s allegations, RGT's countertop and its installation were within industry standards, and they were precisely the products that Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] selected. If not, Mr. [redacted] should have refused to sign the completion Agreement. Furthermore, Mr. [redacted] has not included any expert report or analysis indicating that RGT''s product or work failed to comply with industry standards and he has not provided any expert analysis estimating the cost to repair the alleged 'damages.' He has certainly not set forth sufficient allegations to justify a free countertop, which was the demand in his June 17 letter.Consequently, RGT requests that the Revdex.com deny Mr. [redacted]'s complaint and that it close this matter. If you have any, questions or would like to further discuss situation with me and/or my client, we would be happy to make ourselves available at your convenience.Sincerely,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer 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.

Mr. [redacted]: This confirms I received a copy of this email and attached exhibits. Respectfully, your allegations of extortion are simply out of line and unwarranted. My wife and I made the decision to pay the remaining balance to avoid the time involved with litigation. Period. As far as signing the completion order, I agree I did that. However, I would further point out my wife was the person who paid for the countertops. She was also the person who issued the deposit for the countertops so essentially she was the customer. She never signed the work order completion or anything of the liking. Furthermore, I would like to point some of the problems we identified with the work could not be identified at the time I was asked to sign the work order completion. Obviously, the RGT installation crew is not going to help me install the faucets and range to ensure everything would fit level and correct. It is more reasonable from a business standpoint that RGT request this work order completion a week or two after the installation. This way the customer has a reasonable chance to install faucets and appliances and troubleshoot the actual work. It is my opinion that RGT requiring this signature at the time they are installing the countertops is unethical. It is a way RGT can bypass any "hidden" defects that cannot be foreseen by the homeowner when they begin to install their appliances, ect... Your comments about these items being the "industry standard" is clearly using your own definition of what the industry standard is. I am certain if you speak with 3 different granite installers, each will have their own definition of what is acceptable industry standards. Additionally, I would like to point out that signing a work completion order does not waive RGT's legal obligation to adhere to their warranty. Clearly there is nothing in the work completion order that outlines such a waiver. Lastly, I would like to reply to your comments about recording via phone and video. You are far off when you suggest I set this up to try and get free tops out of this. The conspiracy allegations are again out of line. Initially, I requested RGT to just come out and help explain some of these issues, perhaps replace the one (1) small section of granite where they placed the kitchen faucet hole in the wrong location. I only began considering additional compensation as I heard no response from RGT making our experience that much more difficult. As you are aware, Virginia is a 1 party consent state which means I do not need anyone's permission to record conversations. I do this with all my business transactions to protect myself. I have a right as a Virginia tax paying resident. I find your comments suggestive of wrongdoing are simply insulting. Furthermore, I would point out RGT have numerous video cameras in their showroom floor. They did not ask me to sign any consent forms when I entered their property nor did they announce I was being recorded. I made the decision to video record the installation because of liability reasons. It was raining on the day of the installation and I voiced my concerns with RGT about installing the heavy granite on wet grass and decking. They elected to move forward with the installation, therefore I elected to record the work incase someone was to fall and sustain injuries on my property. I am confident the Revdex.com can see your allegations are one-sided. There are two sides to every story. It is no surprise that an unethical business such as RGT would be represented by such an attorney with outlandish and deceptive allegations. I have video footage taken of the post-installation work and offer to provide a copy to the Revdex.com at anytime. I am certain they can see for themselves the work RGT has performed is far from "industry standard" and allow them to make their own judgement. Sincerely, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer 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.

I received your message requesting photographs of the holes in the countertops. As we were discussing the other day, please remember there is no "industry standard" to where these holes are drilled. It is up to the customer and 100% customer preference. I clearly explained to the owner, when he came out for the template, that we wanted everything in the kitchen sink area to be centered with each other. I have that conversation recorded. I would ask the Revdex.com to consider the fact my wife is the customer with Roanoke Granite. She is the person who wrote her check for the deposit and actually paid for this job. My wife never signed off on anything. I however, did sign stating the job was completed because I was told I had to. My wife was not home to inspect the installation so I was made to feel I had no choice. That said, I also was not concerned about signing off on the installation because they have a very good 1 year warranty. So at least they have on paper. That is why we decided to do business with Roanoke Granite. When we contacted Roanoke Granite the following morning with our concerns it all fell apart from there. We started getting the run-around and no response at all from the owner. Thererfore we were left with no choice but to file the Revdex.com complaint for help. Please keep in mind, we have numerous issues with the installation job; the primary concern was the faucet hole placement. Roanoke Granite finally responded to us and said the holes were placed where they always are. Industry standard. They did not acknowledge the fact we agreed everything would be centered, not offset like they did. They stated they do these offset sinks "all the time" and they always place the holes like they did ours. I called their bluff and asked them to send me photos showing prior jobs. They sent me 4 photos...1 of the photos was our sink! Clearly, this is something they "do not do all the time". I replied to them via email in providing numerous photos showing people online who have offset sinks with holes being centered. Our second complaint is they left paint template lines throughout all of our countertops. When I went there in person to do the template, I was present when they drew the lines and accept this. They told me these [redacted]ed where they were going to cut. Clearly, they altered my template (what we agreed upon and have a verbal contract for) because they cut several inches away from these lines. In doing so, they left paint lines all through the granite which are very noticeable. They did NOT remove them before sealing the granite. Therefore, we cannot get these lines out. Clearly, this is not "an industry standard". If you contact any Roanoke area granite installer they will tell you this is simply unacceptable. I can give you a list. I have contacted them all. Due to file size limitations, I will send you the photos in several emails. This email will have photos attached showing the faucet is positioned right-of-center which you can clearly see. I have taken over 100 photos of this poor installation and 2 videos. We are more than happy to invite anyone to our home to see the damage for themselves in person. We tried getting Roanoke Granite to come out to actually see these problems their installation crew left but they refused. Rather, they had their attorney get involved and begin to "bully" us with wild accusations of extortion. We were preparing to go to court over this but we decided it was too costly to hire an attorney to pursue $4,000.00. It is shameful a business can not be held accountable for such poor work and failing to stand by their warranty terms. We read forums online and found numerous photos of people with offset sinks with centered faucets. You can google search images of this. They are VERY common despite Roanoke Granite and their attorney stating otherwise. Here are just a few photos showing white paint markings they left on all our our countertops. Again, these cannot be removed because they are sealed in. We wanted to allow them the chance to come back out to remove them but they refused. Here are a few photos showing the counterheight around the range being unlevel. We were assured this would be level. I have this on recording where the owner makes a joke about it they were not level an egg would slide right off the stove top. There are 4 corners to the stove area. All 4 corners have different measurements and fluctuate 1/4". Clearly, they did not shim the countertops accurately. They shimmed all of our contertops but failed to get the right height around where our slide-in range was going. This created significant problems in trying to get our range to fit. We had to use additional shims and the range is unlevel and not flush to the countertop. The "bridge" is the small peice that is behind the stove. This was installed uneven. There is no overhang on the left side where the bridge meets the countertop but on the right side there is a 1/4" overhang. The owner agreed there would be a small overhang there because one is needed so our range flat-top can have a ledge to sit on. From the photos you will clearly see a gap behind the stove on the left side because they did not make sure there was a small overhang "ledge" for the top to rest on. This defeats the purpose of having a slide-in range for clean-ability and we were assured they would do this correctly. Here are photos of our master bathroom vanity countertop. They cut out the holes for the faucet incorrectly. The left handle (hot water handle) hole is cut much farther way from the center hole (faucet) than the right side. I would argue many of these things cannot be seen at the time of my signing off. They were not discovered until we began trying to install the range and faucets. It is reasonable that someone would not find them until they are installing these things. It seems Roanoke Granite was unethical when they expect people to sign off on a job that is technically not complete. I suggested they ask the customer to sing off on the job 2 weeks after the installation. This is more feasible given it will allow the customer time to install the appliances and fit the faucets. Looking back, I should have required Roanoke Granite Installers to remain on site while I installed all of the appliances and faucets. I would have also not depended on them standing by their warranty they pushed so hard with us. My wife specifically told me if I had any issues she would look at them when she got home; which she did and found many more problems. We depended on their warranty terms they would actually fix any problems she found when she got home. Thank you for your help,[redacted]

Business

Response:

Thank you for forwarding this e-mail. I spoke with my client, and they do not intend to provide any further response and will simply rely on their earlier response. Roanoke Granite Tops completely disagrees with many of the statements in Mr. [redacted]’s letter, which are simply false, but they do not want to spend any additional funds defending what they feel is a frivolous and baseless claim. We appreciate your allowing us to respond to the earlier letter – particularly given that the response was late, and we appreciate your attention to the claim. We understand that Revdex.com may proceed with posting the claim, and we would only ask that our letter be published as well. Many thanks,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and do not feel the business' response, or lack thereof, is acceptable. Not only did this business not respond to the Revdex.com timely, they failed to try and work with me and/or the Revdex.com to respond to the claim I have made. I have sent the Revdex.com agent handling my case numerous photos showing and proving my claim is warranted. I have offered to provide audio recordings and video recordings to show the negligence on this business. This business has refused to honor their warranty policy. The business has acted unethically when they agreed to deliver a service and product. I find it appalling this business can get away with such actions unless I were to file a lawsuit. I contacted the Revdex.com to assist in resolving these issues; clearly the business acknowledges they did something wrong when they refuse to work with the Revdex.com to resolve the complaint.

Regards,