Decorative Stones - Retailer saying it's a natural product

Pollycat

rebel wrote: »

a) Paid by Credit Card, Section 75 claim sent to Credit Card Company.

b) Lodged complaint with ASA.

c) Contacted CAB yesterday, very interesting call, told to write to the company stating Consumer Rights Act include arbitration.

d) If what CAB has told me yesterday is correct, then it's one that Trading Standards or CMA should pursue, for the good of all consumers.

OK.
Let us know how you get on.

Nilrem

peachyprice wrote: »

looks like a bit of dirt that will easily wash away once laid

Aye.

We've had bags of gravel and the like delivered in the past and there is often a bit of dirt or sand in it, and sometimes some other type of stone.

If it's a ton bag or similar it's almost inevitable because they use a digger or similar to fill them (either directly or using a conveyor with a hopper that is loaded by the digger) from a pile of it that is on the ground and you get a bit of dirt either from the digger or from the conveyor.

These aren't items that are produced and sealed in a factory never having been near anything else, using machinery that is cleaned to a pristine state every few hours, but a material that will be bulk handled with plant machinery and stored at best on a concrete pad, but more likely on hard packed soil for much of the time.

Nilrem

rebel wrote: »

The was the retailers response: 'As this is a natural product there will be a variation in colour and texture of the product. We do not feel that the product that you have provided is of an inferior quality and will not be able to take this complaint further.'

This is not a variation in colour and it is an inferior quality. If I bulked it up with all sorts of rubbish and sold it to consumers, I doubt they would be happy.

Have they bulked it?

I suspect you would have a hard time arguing that a small amount (in percentage terms) being dirt . and a few random bits of stone would be enough to be classed as bulking it out.

I'm guessing at £450 worth of the materials you're talking at least a couple of ton bags, in which case a few rocks that don't even appear to cover a piece of paper is nothing.

Is this the first time you've ever bought decorative stone, or indeed any aggregate materials?
It sounds like you're going to run into the fact that they're probably operating to an agreed and legally tested industry standard...

rebel_2

Nilrem wrote: »

Have they bulked it?

I suspect you would have a hard time arguing that a small amount (in percentage terms) being dirt . and a few random bits of stone would be enough to be classed as bulking it out.

I'm guessing at £450 worth of the materials you're talking at least a couple of ton bags, in which case a few rocks that don't even appear to cover a piece of paper is nothing.

Is this the first time you've ever bought decorative stone, or indeed any aggregate materials?
It sounds like you're going to run into the fact that they're probably operating to an agreed and legally tested industry standard...

When I said 'Bulked' I was using an example; it was 3 x Bulk Bag.
Only one bulk bag had the contamination, but all three had shale & rocks.

We didn't pick out all the shale & rocks, there are a lot more then the ones in the picture. Yes first time of buying it.

Anywhere I can find details of agreed and legally tested industry standards?

verityboo

rebel wrote: »

Anywhere I can find details of agreed and legally tested industry standards?

For ornamental white rocks?

I think your expectations of the product are totally unreasonable

rebel_2

verityboo wrote: »

For ornamental white rocks?

I think your expectations of the product are totally unreasonable

For the reasons stated above I disagree.

neilmcl

rebel wrote: »

The was the retailers response: 'As this is a natural product there will be a variation in colour and texture of the product. We do not feel that the product that you have provided is of an inferior quality and will not be able to take this complaint further.'

This is not a variation in colour and it is an inferior quality. If I bulked it up with all sorts of rubbish and sold it to consumers, I doubt they would be happy.

Do you have evidence that it's been "bulked up with all sorts of rubbish", looks more like a bit of grit/sand on the surface. As already been posted once it's laid and washed it'll look fine. You are being unreasonable.

neilmcl

rebel wrote: »

For the reasons stated above I disagree.

Well you're in a minority of one then.

rebel_2

neilmcl wrote: »

Do you have evidence that it's been "bulked up with all sorts of rubbish", looks more like a bit of grit/sand on the surface. As already been posted once it's laid and washed it'll look fine. You are being unreasonable.

I gave 'bulked up' as an example. Yes it's on the surface (that's what we thought) but it's throughout the whole bulk bag. It's been laid out, it's rained, it's still there.

rebel_2

neilmcl wrote: »

Well you're in a minority of one then.

That's not correct.