The Tile Shop Deceptive sales practices at The Tile Shop Glen Allen Virginia

14000 Carlson Pkwy
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA 55441-5305


I am writing to make you aware of a situation that happened in my dealings with The Tile Shop store in Glen Allen, VA (Richmond). The Tile Shop is a chain that has locations all over the country.

On Saturday, 11/29, I talked to a salesperson about Carrara marble tile for my bathroom remodel. Because I had heard from someone that an order of the same tile I was considering had arrived and the tile was yellow (not just naturally varied in color as marble is apt to be, but really yellow...it was described as "the color of urine" to me), I asked the salesperson specifically about that problem. She quickly acknowledged that there had been a problem with yellow tile, but that was many months ago and there would be no problem with my tile. I believed her and placed an order for approximately $2700 worth of Carrara basketweave, subway tile, 12x12, and trim. I was told that I would get a call on Wednesday when the tile was due in the store.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, 12/3, I called The Tile Shop myself because I hadn't heard from them. They confirmed that my tile had arrived and I drove an hour to the store to pick it up. Foolishly, I trusted that my salesperson had told me the truth and I didn't check the tiles for the yellowing until I got home, when I found out that I had 30 boxes of bad tile. Putting the samples (I went through the sample boxes on the showroom floor to make sure I got all the color variations covered) next to what was delivered, the difference was obvious (I have posted pictures on the internet and everyone who has seen them has agreed). I called the store immediately and my salesperson assured me that she could get replacement tile by Friday so my renovation could start on Monday, as scheduled. She also promised that she would get the tile to me and not make me haul it back to the store.

On Friday, 12/4, I called the store again after not hearing from them. She said she had replacement subway tile, but all the basketweave in the store was yellowed tile. In essence, she was telling me that she lied to me the previous Saturday when she said yellowed tile was no longer a problem. She then promised me that she'd have floor tile for me by Monday, when my bathroom remodel was supposed to start.

On Wednesday, 12/10, I called The Tile Shop yet again because I had not heard from them. My salesperson asked me to give her until that night to find the tile.

Today, Thursday, 12/11, she called me (the first time The Tile Shop has initiated a call to me) to say that she couldn't find the proper tile. I emailed the corporate offices about what happened, then filed a Better Business Bureau report. Within an hour of submitting those two items, the salesperson was on the phone with me, apologizing for the entire ordeal. She is hoping to have some tile for me this Saturday, but I told her that after being lied to, I am returned everything and ordering from a different store.

I am so frustrated with The Tile Shop. First of all, what is on display can not be delivered. My salesperson said that no store she contacted had basketweave that looked like the samples on display in the showroom; all had yellowed tile. Second, employees lie to make a sale (The Tile Shop staff is paid on commission). Third, employees do not communicate as they promise to.

What will be done to correct this problem? The Tile Shop should remove all marble tile samples from the showroom floor and replace them with samples that accurately depict the quality of the tile they can deliver and train employees to communicate with customers honestly and openly. I run a remodeling/interior design website and frequent many others. My story has already been posted on three high-traffic design/renovation forums and I will continue to tell it to anyone who is considering shopping at The Tile Shop.

Needless to say, the bathroom that was supposed to be completed before Christmas probably won't even be started until after the holidays, thanks to The Tile Shop.

Jeannine
Charlottesville, Virginia
U.S.A.