On July 30th we purchased 500sq ft of carbonized bamboo at Brampton Hardwood. Ivy helped us choose the product, and she was great to deal with. Unfortunately when it came time to make our purchase Vandana took over, explaining that she was the Sales Manager. We brought the sample of wood to the front counter and she prepared our Bill of Sale. We explained that we needed delivery after 4pm, and she assured us that wouldn’t be an issue. We then paid in full for the product and arranged for delivery on Friday, August 1 after 4pm for $125 plus tax. On Thursday, July 31, the delivery driver called my husband at 11am and asked if he was home to take delivery. My husband said that we scheduled delivery for the next day after 4pm. The driver said ok. On Friday, August 1st, the driver again called my husband and pleaded for him to be home by 2pm, since he had a very busy day and didn’t think he could get there after 4pm. Since we were scheduled for installation on Tuesday (and the wood needs 3-5 to climatize as per Vandana’s instructions) my husband felt like he had no choice to leave work earlier (at our expense) to ensure we got the product delivered. At this point I was annoyed since we only agreed to the delivery fee under the promise of an “after 4pm” delivery. When I called Vandana to express my disappointment that the delivery driver forced an earlier pick up, she responded: “It’s not my problem that you are mad at your husband for leaving work early”. At that point I said thank-you and hung up the phone – it wasn’t worth the effort to argue further.
Two hours later our product was delivered. After the delivery driver dropped it off, we discovered it was the wrong colour! When Vandana placed the order, she mistakenly entered “natural” instead of “carbonized”. I didn’t realize this since the carbonized version is a natural colour, so I assumed it was ok, but there is a distinction between the two. I do accept that some of this is my fault, however I gave Vandana the sample at the time of purchase and trusted that she had the correct item ordered. I immediately called the store to speak with her. We had to sort this out since their installer was coming five days later to install the product. When Vandana picked up the phone I explained the error. She abruptly cut me off and said: “This is customer’s problem, dear, not store’s problem”. She said that we had to find a way to get the wood back to the store, and they would switch for us. I tried to explain that we don’t have a vehicle to bring it back, but she wouldn’t listen. I tried to explain that we had an install scheduled in five days, and again, she wouldn’t listen, and she refused to contact a manager for me (kept saying no one was available). SHE KEPT CUTTING ME OFF!!! IT WAS THE WORST DISPLAY OF CUTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. She was rude and downright disrespectful. I felt the only way to get my point across was to raise my voice, and at that point she hung up and SCREENED MY CALLS. So we were left with the wrong wood, with no way to bring it back, and an installer coming in four days.
At that point both my husband and I drove to the store. As I was driving, I remembered that Lina at the Caledonia location has received excellent reviews on Homestars (unlike Vandana). I have never met Lina, nor have I ever even been to the Caledonia store, however when I called and explained the situation, she did everything in her power to help. LINA IS A LIFE SAVER! She said that she would try to get a hold of a Manager to come up with a solution. My husband got to the store first and exchanged words with Vandana. She then escaped into a back room. When I arrived I was told that Vandana left for the day. Ivy promised to figure out a solution, so we waited. This whole experience was very frustrating and being 8 months pregnant, it was stress that I didn’t need. Ivy offered to get me a tea to calm down, which was much appreciated. At that point I heard Vanada’s voice in the back room (yes, she was hiding). I called out to her and she (eventually) came out. No eye contact or acknowledgment. She ignored me much like a child in the school play yard. We finally got a manager on the phone and he said he would deliver the correct product on Tuesday (one day before our scheduled installation). When I asked about climatizing, he said “don’t worry about that”. When I asked Vandana the same question, she brushed me off. I even asked to review the manufacturers recommendations, and was told they weren’t available. In the end, they delivered the correct product the following day (Saturday) which allowed for enough time to climatize, but only after my strong insistence.
My advice to future customers: If you are looking for the cheapest price on hardwood, chances are you won’t beat Brampton Hardwood. If youmust buy from here, drive a bit further and deal with Lina at the Caledonia location. We did shop around and the prices were hard to beat. That said, do not expect ANY SORT OF AFTER SALES SERVICE. If anything goes wrong, this is the kind of place that will look to lay blame on you rather that work with you to find a solution. Next time we need to install hardwood, I will gladly pay a premium to have a reputable supplier/installer do the work. This place isn’t worth it. By the way, the only reason I gave this review 2 stars instead of 0 is because of Lina and Ivy.