ComplaintsforParamount Home & Design

• Initial Complaint

  29/11/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The business was untruthful regarding the brand, maker, and material of their product. They sold me fake Italian furniture and claimed the material was marble stone but neither was true. When confronted, the store owner denied responsibility and ********** ** ********** **** **.

  Customer response

  29/11/2021

  Purchase date: Jan 5 2018 , 
  Tables delivery date: Jun 2018,

  Most recent interaction date: 11/27/2021

  Warranty: 10 years

  I was told that I was purchasing Stone International ****** **** Authentic Marble Dining table and Coffee table, but it was just some cheap fake marble knockoff.

   

  Hope this clarifies everything. 

   

  Please let me know if you have any questions.

   

   

   

  Business response

  13/12/2021

  The tables purchased by the customer are in fact ****** **** marble manufactured by Stone International of Italy. Last week we visited the customer's home to investigate. We are sending her a letter in response, which is duplicated below (except for redactions for personal information):

  With reference to the ****** **** table tops delivered January 15, 2018 on your order ******, 
  we have examined the tables as you requested and can confirm the tables you have received do not show any anomalies. What you perceive as ‘cracks’ are completely natural and a part of almost every stone. Though you or your friends may have just noticed them recently, be assured they have always been there.
  
  ****** ****, like all natural marbles, is a type of stone that presents “natural fissures” which are filled in with clear resin at the time of cutting. Once the slabs are cut, these fissures, which are inherent to the stone itself, will still be visible and for the most part, they will be felt at the touch if you pass your fingers over them. ****** **** will present mineral deposits that show themselves in the form of coloured veins running through the slab. These deposits, which for the most part are mineral intrusions that were present at the time when the marble was formed and are the reasons for the formation of the natural veins and fissures. Every slab of marble has them; there is no way around it. They are part of the stone itself and entirely natural. For these reasons they are not considered defects. Of course, this also the reason for its beauty and uniqueness.
  
  With regard to the accidental damage on the table top, we can recommend two local companies to make repairs to the surface

  If you require further information regarding this BBB complaint, please do not hesitate to call me at (604) 273-0155 or email me at [email protected].

  Oren S*****, Owner

  Customer response

  13/12/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Hi ***,
  
  
  Thanks for the response. There are still a few questions that I did not receive response to.
  
  
  According to the salesperson Christine, the tables are from Stone International Italy. When I ordered the table, she did not show me any information regarding the brand tag and product manual. When I ask her about this, she said that she will provide that to me, but I have yet to receive these documentations. Please send them at your earliest convenience. I am very concerned that the lack of response from her meant that I have purchased counterfeit products. 
  

  You have explained the cracks on the table is natural. However, these cracks are supposed to be fully covered by the resin during manufacturing to prevent further cracking after purchase. The fact that the cracks develop after purchase should be a manufacturing defect. One of the many small cracks on my coffee table is now enlarged to the point that it is splitting the table in half. I fear that soon, the table will be covered in spider-web of cracks.
  

  The chip on my dining table is summarized as accidental damage, so can you please elaborate how you have come up with this conclusion? Furthermore, the coloration of the surface under the chipped area is entirely different from the table itself, which means that the table itself was not fully marble, but only a thin layer of marble wrap. This is not what I paid for.
  

  When I was choosing the tables, I clearly stated that I require my tables to be low maintenance, longevity, and easy to clean. The salesperson Christine recommended these table stating that marble tables are befitting of my requirements. However, none of these are true. From the time I purchased the table to now, I have reached out to Christine many times, but she was not able to help me in any way. The things you mentioned now in your letter are first time information to me. Had I known that these table do not last, and are so delicate, fragile, and full of problems, I would have never ordered them. 
  

  I have spent over $100,000 worth of furniture, yet none of them have product manual, brand tag, warranty which any authentic furniture store would have no problem giving me. When I was receiving the first shipment, I requested these missing documents from Christine. She promised that your company will manage all these documents and that I can contact her for any problem I have. However, what she said was clearly not true. I truly question the legitimacy of your business and will pursue legal action as necessary as this is no small amount. 
  
  
  Thank you very much for your time,
  ******
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  Business response

  22/12/2021

  We are completely truthful regarding the brand, maker and material of the product. All products were made by Stone International in Italy and are real ****** **** marble and not counterfeit or a marble wrap as alleged by the complainant. We have retrieved the attached Order Confirmation from Stone International and Bill of Lading from our freight company as proof of the authenticity of these products ordered and received by us in 2017.

  Customer response

  27/12/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  The documentation that you have provided does not match the actual order payment and delivery date. You clearly used a fake document. Additionally, ****** is my English alias. When I made payment, it was my Chinese name that was used, further showing what you provided to me is fake. I request the follow items to show the authenticity of the furniture.

  1. Furniture product manual from original manufacture

  2. Warranty documents from original manufacture

  3. Serial numbers associated with the furniture that I can use to track via original manufacture

  Since the purchase of the furniture, I have been reporting issues with the furniture to your representative Christine, but she has not taken any action in addressing these issues. These issues are well within warranty time frame, and I would require refund or replacement on them.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  Business response

  30/12/2021

  Stone International does not provide product manuals, written warranties or serial numbers for their tables.

  The documents we provided are not fake and are consistent with sales order 07326 (copy attached) which was signed by *** *****. This order was written on August 31, 2017 and entered into our computer system on September 6. Stone International confirmed the order on September 12 (document previously provided). The tables were thereafter manufactured in Italy and the bill of lading dated December 5 (previously provided) shows they were picked up by our carrier from Stone International's North Carolina warehouse on December 11. They would have been received by us within a few weeks and were delivered to the customer on January 11, 2018.

  The attached sales order has the name of the customer as ****** ***** and all documentation for this and her other orders was in this name. It is for this reason that the order confirmation and bill of lading from Stone International references ****** *****.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩