Acri-tec, Mission, British Columbia, Canada - manufacturer flaw in custom bathtub - told by manager that it was impossible for flaw to occur and that no warranty existed

# 10 for October 31, 2003

Complaints.com received the following consumer follow-up message on November 4, 2003:

From:

RE: Acri-tec - consumer follow-up message

Jason, thank you very much for your quick response and rely from Mr. Ikbal. We did indeed check the tub at Home Depot. The flaw was almost invisble to the human eye. It was not until we got home and actually rubbed our hands inside the tub that the flaw was discovered.

The flaw consisted of a small sliver right beside the jet and protruded downwards, making it next to impossible to see. However if rubbed the wrong way it would tear a persons skin to shreds, making the tub unacceptable and unsafe. The location of the flaw was right beside a pipe, and also had the exact same glue was on it, that was used on the pipes.

Mr. Ikbal explained that the glue splashes up, but funny it would splash in the exact spot that the flaw was discovered. There is no way we could have caused damage to this spot without causing obvious significant damage to the rest of the tub. My husband has run his own successful business for 27 years, we are honest

people who know how to listen to the customer. Had we caused the damage we would have admitted to the damage and persued the route to fixing it ourselves.

Why would in the paper work they include have a page in large print saying to check for flaws, if indeed it is impossible for a tub to leave the factory with a flaw. Again in this very reply Mr. Ikbal states Yes, it is

impossible for damaged product to leave our factory! He can refer to the flaw however he wishes but it was indeed a flaw or damaged incured at the factory.

Also Mr. Ikbal didn't even reply to our complaint, instead he had his secretary Bonnie call us back to say it was impossible. I may add that Bonnie was helpful and very pleasent. I still have her message on our voice

mail however, saying Mr. Ikbal said this was impossible, before he even heard an explaination of the complaint, and indeed our problem. We had to call back and explain the flaw to him personally and he only heard the complaint after arguing on the phone for 1/2 hour stating what we were saying was a lye!

NO independent expert came to our home, a Harold of Fibercraft called us, and when we explained the problem to Harold he did agree with us, that it DID sould like a manufacturers defect. He did offer to call Acri-Tec for us, and explain the problem on our behalf, the very next day Richard from Fibercraft called us back saying NO it was not Acri-tecs problem. Again we explained the flaw to Richard, and he also agreed it sounded like a flaw from the factory, however without seeing it, their hands were tied. And they would not come out to our location to check the tub, understandably because of our location.

Our next step was to go back to Home Depot where we purchased the tub. Thankfully After dealing with several people at Home Depot whom all agreed it sounded like a manufacturer error, our problem has been solved. We did choose an Acri-Tec Tub because we did believe they produced top quality product. But no one person is perfect, it is possible to overlook a flaw espically this one which was next to invisible to the human eye, and not noticed until it was actually felt.

As for Mr. Ikbal's statement that he was not rude, unfortunally that is his word against ours, however after running our own business for 27 years we can say that is not how we would talk to a client with a complaint.

Sincerly

Darrell and Glenda Morris

I would also like to add to my last email, that Mr. Ikbal admitted that he did not inspect the tub personally. That is where we are caught, nobody has seen this tub, and with the flaw being so small, but significant, it could have very easily been overlooked. How someone can assure us that his product was perfect without even seeing it himself we do not understand.

Thankfully as I said Home Depot listened and perused our complaint, and believes in customer satisfaction. We are talking a high ticketed priced item. Home Depot had no doubts in their mind that it sounded like a flaw and not damage. But until the tub is actually inspected I guess we'll never know. We are not asking for, nor do we want compensation for our troubles we just want a safe high quality tub, like we paid for, for our home.

Darrell and Glenda Morris

Complaints.com received the following on October 30, 2003:

From:

RE: Acri-tec, Mission, British Columbia, Canada - manufacturer flaw in custom bathtub - told by manager that it was impossible for flaw to occur and that no warranty existed

We have purchase a $1200 custom order bathtub, and the company was Acri-tec located in Mission, B.C. Upon arrival we found a manufacture flaw in the tub,

when we phoned Acri-tec to find out about our warrenty, the manager told us is was IMPOSSIBLE for a flaw tub to leave his company.

He was rude, and refused to listen, said we had no warrenty, and it was our problem!