Dulux Paint Sample hasn't matched the tin...

Scho

Hi,

My gf is decorating her lounge and dining room (with a lot of help from yours truly!) and had ordered about 30 different paint samples from Dulux online before making her choice.
On finally picking the one she wanted, she went down to B&Q and bought the tin.

However, after seeing it last night after she'd given it a good 2 coats while I was at work it's come out a completely different shade and colour! As she's papering the wall she did the testers on she did a block next to the test sample and they are massively different. The tester is kind of a light golden caramel colour and the one on the rest of the room from the tin is like a light pink! It was even more pink this morning either from the cold light of day or drying.

Seems a bit late but is there any way we can get her money back or compensation for the fact the sample she received from Dulux is nothing like what was in the actual tin she bought?
She's ordered sofas, furniture, curtains etc and the paint will pretty much ruin the room. Plus if I move-in in 6 months a pink wall won't go with my PS3! :rotfl:

Thanks for any advice!

Mankysteve

Go in and speak to b&Q When i used to work there they would send a sample off of each to dulux sometimes do a home visit. Then they would go from there. Depending on the findings.

dave1193

When you decided the colour did you apply two coats to that and was it dry? If not these would have effected the colour.

If they did give you the wrong colour and you did complain you will get 1 of 2 outcomes.

1. We are so sorry, he is a discount of your next order
2. Did you not think to return the tin after you noticed the colour was different when you first applied it?

Scho

We both did the tester patches on the wall and gave them 2 coats to ensure we got the right colour and gave them plenty of time to dry between each.

It would have been a good idea for her to return it when first applying it I agree - it looked very different. I was surprised she did 2 coats if I'm honest but I can only figure she was following the priciple that it dries slightly different and was hoping it would go darker. Seems stupid but you do hear it a lot.
I checked the tin this morning and it does say the same name as the tester sample she got from Dulux. I am quite surprised at the difference though; if it was only a slight change I would write it off but it's very clearly different.

I'll see about her or both of us going into B&Q with the tin and the tester and seeing if they can give us a hand.
Thanks for the advice!

lindos90

Is the colour one of the 'stock' colours, or one they make up in store?

We had a similar problem a couple of years ago, and I called them and was asked to paint two pieces of card (wrote details of each pint on the back) and post them off.

It was explained to me that light plays a big part in colour, that there is always 'some margin of error' with colour mixing, and obviously some difference between colour in the leaflet and the actual colour in the tin, however they did agree that the tester and the paint we actually bought did have a significant difference, and they sent me a voucher to buy more paint.

get in touch with them and see if you can send samples back to them from your pots, It will mean more painting, but if they can help out with the cost of buying more paint, it would help you!

Scho

My gf bought the paint but I think it was made up instore - it had a stuck on label saying what it was. I looked for a quality guarantee and number to call but no such luck on the tin.

Even though we might not be able to re-paint if we got some discount towards the next project it would still be better than nothing.
Just checking if we had any margin to get anything as can see it's a 'grey' area in regards to testers, cards and samples. I do understant the cards will be different but not the samples on the same wall.

lindos90

Scho wrote: »

My gf bought the paint but I think it was made up instore - it had a stuck on label saying what it was. I looked for a quality guarantee and number to call but no such luck on the tin.

Even though we might not be able to re-paint if we got some discount towards the next project it would still be better than nothing.
Just checking if we had any margin to get anything as can see it's a 'grey' area in regards to testers, cards and samples. I do understant the cards will be different but not the samples on the same wall.

I would say definatly take it further if its two paint samples that dont match. Try B&Q where you bought it, take two samples in, not just the pots. If theres no joy I would definatly contact Dulux directly, they should help (they did for me anyway)

One thing with the mixed paint in store is that if just a tiny drop of colour stays on the nozzle rather than dripping into the tin, it can change the colour of the paint overall, so it may be down to the machine, if the nozzle was clean etc.

Im sure dulux can help, if you send samples, but as you bought the main paint from B&Q go there first and give them a chance to sort it out. Good luck and kep us posted, it always helps others in future with a similar problem.

27col

Thirty paint samples! Wow, I'd have trouble choosing between three.

Scho

There were 2 batches; she didn't like any from the first so ordered a lot more. Don't get me started on the curtain fabric or wallpaper either!
Can only say so many ways that the fabric/paper she picked might devalue the property.... I'm just hoping her cats like their new scratching fabric and help me out! :rotfl:

Thanks for the help lindos - off to B&Q it is!

jrs200

This may sound silly to some, but she did stir the paint didn't she? I have sen it numerous times where people have not stirred the paint enough to mix the pigment and it has turned out a different colour. Alternatively, B&Q may not have put the correct number/amount/colour pigment into the base colour.

DVardysShadow

jrs200 wrote: »

This may sound silly to some, but she did stir the paint didn't she? I have sen it numerous times where people have not stirred the paint enough to mix the pigment and it has turned out a different colour. Alternatively, B&Q may not have put the correct number/amount/colour pigment into the base colour.

Good point. It can be well mixed enough to work as paint, but sometimes the pigment finds a way of lingering under the rim. Easy enough to stir in once you know where it is.