Great Product - Customer Service Lacking
The wainscoting product I ordered from Elite Trimworks was excellent, the customer service, however, was severely lacking. I ordered a 52-inch beadboard wainscotting kit and two of the 8-ft. panels were damaged in shipment. Technically not their fault, but Elite Trimworks promises 100% customer satisfaction for any reason, as well as transparency. I contacted Elite Trimworks via email and they offered me a choice: ship two new panels or refund me the cost. Wanting to get the project done since shipping took slightly longer than anticipated, and having the possibility to work around the issue, I opted for a refund. They only refunded the cost of one panel ($14.19). I was expecting a refund for two panels. I thought that was fair since I saved them shipping costs of the replacement panels. Elite Trimworks estimated the shipping cost for two replacement panels to be in the $30-40 range. When I asked about that I was told they believed they were fair in their resolution since the eight-foot panels needed to be cut to length anyway which was my first misunderstanding, I was expecting the panels necessary to cover 8 linear feet would already be cut to 47-inches. That was not the case. I decided to investigate further and found the cost of purchasing the exact items individually and not in a kit were cheaper than buying the kit. But wait, not so said Elite Trimworks. According to Elite Trimworks, I was charged a special price on shipping of only $25.00, in a separate transaction, vs. $79.00 UPS charges them to ship to the USA from Canada. Hmmm I asked them why is that? Why would UPS charge less for a kit than the same exact items ordered individually. Didnt make sense to me. So, I did some arithmetic and found out the remaining shipping cost is added to the kit price meaning there is no special shipping charge when ordering a kit. It was only after I emailed about the damage issue did Elite Trimworks mention this to me in our correspondence, but the horse had already left the barn, so to speak, since I had the product in hand and the transaction was paid for. Bottom line: Elite Trimworks is not honest with consumers when it comes to total cost including shipping regardless of how their product is purchased. If this pricing policy doesnt bother you, great, use them. However, I prefer to deal with companies that are transparent and honest and dont play games with shipping charges by making the consumer think purchasing a kit is better than buying the number of products required for a project separately.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $221.00
- Company Response
Hi, thank you for taking the time to write this. We’re sorry to hear that you felt that you had a hard time with our customer service regarding this issue.
In regards to the planks, it is stated on the product page for the kit that you purchased that “The plank may be shipped pre-cut, or they may be shipped at 8ft, thus may require cutting on site.”
We can certainly understand any confusion over being shipped 1 vs 2 planks according to the needs of your project and the damages, but as it was stated in the communication between you and our customer service team, only one plank was needed as it would need to be cut down into the panels. While you may not think it fair, it worked out to cover the damaged pieces, especially as you we able to complete your project.
Now, we completely understand your frustration in the assumed costs of the materials, the kit itself and the shipping, and the comparison you’ve made on your own. “According to Elite Trimworks, I was charged a special price on shipping of only $25.00, in a separate transaction, vs. $79.00 UPS charges them to ship to the USA from Canada. Hmmm I asked them why is that? Why would UPS charge less for a kit than the same exact items ordered individually.” There may be some confusion as it was stated in the communication between yourself and our team that the kit would ordinarily cost around $79 to ship, and the shipping special was $25. It would have cost less to ship the individual plank(s) as offered. As we responded to you: “it was $79.00 for a full kit, however it would not be that much to ship 1 or 2 planks, cut in half to 47" sections. Perhaps around $30.00 - $40.00 to ship.” There is still a marked difference between the cost of ordering a kit and having it shipped to ordering each individual piece and having them shipped. Because of the popularity of the kits and the ease they offer clients in installation, we absorb the cost difference of shipping to provide a shipping special on them. That being said, we do apologize for any confusion, and we will be certain to look into this clarity discrepancy that you’re referring to. We want to ensure our customers feel comfortable and certain about working with us.