ComplaintsforDuquella Tile & Clayworks

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business took my money 4 months ago and is not returning any calls nor producing titles. I am deeply saddened because I was looking forward to these tiles and excited about the company and the work they do. Creating these tiles is a lost art. In our case, our money is also lost. It was supposed to take 6 weeks. Its been 16. Tried to contact several times and no responses. We still want our tiles, but can take our money back if it is not possible to see the order through. We recognize our order was not large and very unique with matte glazes.

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  DuQuella Tile has been in contact with our client and the order is progressing and will be completed and shipped in a timely manner. There was a miscommunication regarding color samples that never arrived to the client and those have been resent. Once the glaze colors are selected, the order can be completed.

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ms ********************** and I had our first phone call on Sept. 3, 2021, where we discussed my bathroom project and she asked that I send her links to the products we had purchased, ie the ***** tile for shower floor and new vanity. We made a plan and I paid a deposit of $1835.00 on September 28, 2021, at which point I was led to believe that color samples would be coming soon and completed tile before the end of the 2021. We had no contract. It's now almost a year later and I was still waiting on finalized color samples, much less tile. Every month brought more excuses, when she didn't disappear for days or weeks leaving me to wonder what was going on. The last date we agreed on was July 4, 2022, but then she wrote on July 1, that she was still having trouble with one of my colors. I tried contacting her July 5th and 10th and received no reply until July 25. At that point, I had been waiting for over 10 months and hired another company. I asked Duquella Tile to refund my deposit minus $200 for her time. She disputed, said her time was worth more than that and offered a discount, and future discount should she continue to be delayed. The inconvenience of waiting almost a year, having uninstalled bathroom fixtures filling house and garage, the constant excuses, did not impress her. She then sent one box of a few tiles, despite me telling her not to, which I returned unopened. It wasn't not my completed order and I still hadn't approved all of the colors. I've emailed several times asking when she would send refund. I cancelled my order with her several times over the many months but then got barrage of calls promising colors were almost done and she was so close to finished. Two sets of colors arrived mid February and early June but it didn't include the wall color which was critical. I have 160+ emails to verify all of the above with the exception that I would have tiles before the end of 2021., which was stated in a phone conversation.

  Business response

  09/14/2022

  The complaint by *********************** has numerous errors. I did not ask for links to her products for glaze color directions. I needed actual samples. I do not depend on monitor color display for developing appropriate colors. Initially, as she hadnt found the other tile she wanted to use, she described the colors she was interested in using. I sent 2 6x6 completed art tiles in different colorways for her main room and 6 colorways for the main image for her shower tile as well as 20 glaze color samples. *************** was able to choose the colorway for her shower tile image from the 6 that I sent, leaving one other element and the background glaze colors to be determined. She rejected the 2 6x6 tiles as not being the right colors. *************** selected her other tile for the room and once she received the tile from another vendor, it was rejected for not being the color she saw online. This happened twice  - delaying any glaze color samples being sent to me. She finally sent samples including the floor tile of the shower which was a blend of 3 different colors of ***********************. They were very close in color, nuances of a little more blue, a hint of turquoise, a little lighter,etc. which are difficult to blend correctly.
  In the end, her main room tile required 6 custom blended glaze colors and her shower tile required 4 custom blended glaze colors. At the very end, she requested that her wall field tile be matched to create custom sized tile for the threshold into her shower - 5 pieces of 10 x 4.5 tile with both outer edges glazed. This was the only color not approved.
  I did not disappear for days or weeks. She had my email and phone number. I dont usually contact my clients frequently unless there is a question or concern. I am busy working on their tile and if they need to be in touch with me, they are always able to do so. I never barraged her with calls.I did try to have her continue with the order as it was days away from being completed. I did offer her a discount on the total project and a deduction to me if I did not meet the completion date.
  I advised her on the layout of her tile, selection of glaze finishes, how to work around the design issues of her dimensions.  We had numerous, lengthy phone calls which she had trouble remembering what was discussed and the decisions that were made. *************** would call, confused and panicked, with vulgar and demeaning, snarky comments. Sometimes she would later apologize after she calmed down and I accepted her apologies.
  I did send a box of tile not a few, but 10 which was the quantity that would fit safely in the **** flat rate box to travel from one coast to the other valued at $500. This box was refused. These were for the main room, all the colors were approved and I had the remaining 27 ready to send. *************** then decided she was cancelling the order so I didnt send more.
  My policy on a full room order is to estimate what tile is required and receive a 60% deposit. The balance, plus shipping costs, is due at the time of shipping. As this project progressed, *************** added on more tile and trim increasing her total around $1000. I did not ask for a deposit for this large add-on. I also told her I would not be charging for all the custom glaze blends. When she cancelled her order, she wrote that we could discuss the amount of her refund but then arbitrarily decided I could keep $200. She requested her refund but did not initiate any discussion. I sent her an email breaking down the costs that had been expended on her project a total well over her deposit. She has not responded.

*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. ↩