Vintage Tub and Bathn DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY! Mountaintop, Pennsylvania

Elizabeth W. makes a number of complaints about our company. I will address each of them in order.

First, she claims we shipped the incorrect tub. This is simply not true. This order was placed through our website on 21 August 2012 at 11:47:23 pm Eastern Standard Time. The order specified a Restoria 66 long roll top tub. This is the tub we shipped. These orders import automatically into our computer systems. We have not had one recorded instance of a transposed item number over hundreds of thousands of item orders since we implemented the system two years ago.

We also have a recorded phone call (which we sent to Elizabeth W. prior to her posting here) dated 26 September 2012 at 2:58 pm EST in which she acknowledges she ordered the wrong tub and asks us help her arrange for the return shipment.  We shipped the tub she ordered.
 
This brings us her second point about the delivery of the tub. The tub was delivered by UPS Freight on 10 September 2012. We also sent Elizabeth W. a copy of the delivery receipt in which one HRH / R White**** signed for the tub as being in good condition with no damage exceptions.  Just to be clear, R. White**** is the customer name on the original web order.

Next, we know arranging one-time residential freight pick-ups can be troublesome. That is why we help customers when they need to return a freight item they incorrectly ordered. This process includes arranging a pick up date as well as filling out and returning a small form to us. After multiple emails to Elizabeth W. we finally received both pieces of information five days later. We then scheduled the pick-up.

In the meantime, the tub crate (framed with wood and sided with very thick cardboard) was exposed to rain. The crate arrived to us in shambles because the rain weakened the crate past the failure point.  I think it should go without saying that a reasonable person could be expected to take reasonable precautions to protect an item they want a full refund on. Moving the item to a covered location or even securing a tarp over the crate would have prevented the damage to the crate and tub. Elizabeth Ws and/or her contractors chose not to do this. Given this lack of concern, it is hardly surprising to now learn that they did not bother to follow our instructions and inspect the tub at time of delivery.

When the tub arrived at our warehouse we discovered that the paint on the exterior of the tub was damaged in multiple locations. We could have refused the damaged tub and had Elizabeth W. incur a second shipment fee as well as having a tub she did not want. Instead, we chose to minimize her costs by repairing the tub and re-crating it for resale. We did not charge any inspection, handling or restocking fees.  Further, this customer may be able to recover her losses by filing a shipping damage claim with UPS Freight. We will gladly provide any photographs, inspection statements and guidance we can to help her recover her costs.

The total deduction for repainting the tub and replacing the crate totaled $249.90. We have refunded her the balance of the tub cost ($950.05). We did not keep in excess of $1000. Again, this is simply and demonstrably not true.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. Vintage Tub and Bath makes mistakes. When we do we apologize and do our best to make it right. When we are wrong, we admit it. Period.

What we will not do is willingly reward those people who wont take responsibility for their actions. We will not enable the notion that posting in a public forum automatically means that we will acquiesce to whatever demands are made of us no matter how unfounded or unfair. I will save that time, money and effort for those few customers who were genuinely and unfairly harmed by our company. They are the ones who deserve it. To do any other is simply unfair and unethical. Signed: Allan D., EVP Merchandising and a member of the family that founded this company.