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Being Gloomy and in Need of Help
I moved into my new house about one and a half years ago. It was the third time that we had ever moved, from a shared house to a 34 square meters, then to a 79 square meters, and finally to the present one, 135 square meters. It almost cost me all the lifesavings and I still have to pay the bank monthly for the personal housing accumulation fund loan. Everything was going OK with the house and the interior decoration. And we had been enjoying the new life in the new home.
However, since last Chinese New Year, I was astonished to find that some of the floor tiles (light yellow) in the sitting room are difficult to clean. And consequently, it looks like some tiles are “white” and some others are “black”. The clean ones feel smooth and therefore are easier to clean while the dirty “black” ones feel kind of rough, and there seem to be tiny grains on the surface. How come? How could it be like this? These tiles have a famous brand name: Marco Polo. (马可波罗) And each piece cost me 188 Yuan!
I could have bought much cheaper ones. However, the salesperson said the glossy tiles can be slippery while the matt ones are hard to clean. And this kind is between the two, not too slippery or too difficult to clean. And now how can I take it? Living room is the first thing people see on entering the house. In a sense, it is our “face or image”. People would laugh at me, being fooled by the exaggerated description of the salesman. How embarrassing it would be! You can imagine how disappointed and gloomy I was when I realized how tricky the problem was. It may be immature products of the so-called high technology. It would have been better if I had bought certain common tiles. It is even worse than plain concrete floor!
What makes me even more disappointed is the response from the sales agent and the manufacturer. First the sales agent said I had to wait until after the New Year, and then the representative of the factory was too busy to come. Not until several months later did a guy come and take some photos. I waited and waited for the explanation and possible solution to my problem, but no reply came. With no alternative, I had to take the initiative in making calls. Guess what? That guy told me they had examined the pictures and found no evidence that there’re quality problems with the tiles. When asked why some get dirty quicker while others not, he replied it might be either the way we use or the atmosphere. I was totally speechless. Later I contacted the sales agent, who said scientifically speaking there’s no quality problem but that considering the real situation they can pay me some compensation. How ridiculous! If there’s no quality problem, in what name should I receive the compensation? What I really care about is how to solve the problem. I cannot imagine my living in a living room with so many “dirty” tiles!
I’m considering seeking help from the local Industrial and Commercial Bureau. However, some friends told me they just mediate and have no real power. I’m also thinking of asking the media to help me. The problem is: Would they come and report such a matter for a common person like me? I feel a bit helpless. Why are we consumers still in such a weak position? It has been more than 30 years since the market economy was introduced into China! Who will stand out and safeguard the interests of us common customers? No matter what, we should make our voice heard, and if necessary we should take some “tough” action.
马可波罗瓷砖的质量
马可波罗瓷砖质量 近照
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Post comment Comment (34 replies)
- Reply Sheena1208
- Sorry to hear your high cost for the "dirty" tiles. Some producers or businessmen are black-hearted. They might cheat the consumers in order to make profits. Perhaps you can try to complain the cheating behavior to the Quality Supervision Bureau. It is not bad to contact the media and ask them to disclose the tile of poor quality sold by the black-hearted.
Consumer are always the vulnerable groups. We'd rather spend more because we seek higher quality and better service. More concerns should be paid to our consumers' benefits. Hope the problem of your tiles could be solved smoothly.
- Reply snowflying
- my friend,at first i congratuatie your new home.indeed,moving to a new house,many amd many house work need be done.not only buying.i have the same experiences with you.though i don't ensure your floor tiles whether bought by yourself.i think it should be so.(because my house is settled well when i got the house key).this is a trouble ,not big ,not small.in vital,it's not good looking.i know a way from my company's decoration about the floor tiles.that is besmearing a new coverd special materials above those bad and dirty floor tiles. this way at least may keep two-three years.look like entire new one.but all of these works need be done by the special factoty by
their professionals.you maybe discuss the trouble with the company which offered these production and try it.my friend.wish your success,wish your home better.
- Reply rich
- snowflying: my friend,at first i congratuatie your new home.indeed,moving to a new house,many amd many house work need be done.not only buying.i have the same expthank you for your suggestion. you mean i should put something on top of the tiles? what is the material exactly? and how can i protect my legitimate rights and interests? i have contacted the sales agent and the company, but they all take the strategy of procrastination. i strongly recommend you guys never buy any Marco Polo products, which are not reliable at all. and what's more, their after-sale service just cannot be any worse.
- Reply rich
- Sheena1208: Sorry to hear your high cost for the "dirty" tiles. Some producers or businessmen are black-hearted. They might cheat the consumers in orderjust cannot agree more. yes we consumers would rather spend more than get something cheap but of poor quality. actually that was the very reason i decided to buy that expensive brand name product, for i wanted to avoid possible quality problems. but never imagined that i would have it after all. for now i will continue negociating with them, however, if they don't cooperate or cannot give me a satisfactory solution, i will resort to any means possible. thank you for your help and advice.
- Reply sunnyv
- Oh this is really what we call frustration. Seems you have bought tiles which are not up to regular standard. Your tiles have only been "fired-up" once only. Long lasting ceramic tiles have to be glossed and then fired in a kiln, then the glossing and re-firing has to be repeated 3 times to achieve the long lasting effect. Since it has been fired once only, it will wear out quickly when you walk over it repeatedly. The result is that small spots like dots or scratches would accumulate and soon the tiles would look annoyingly dirty. You could have avoided this problem in the beginning if you had applied liquid film wax after you mop the floor and repeat it regualrly like every few weeks or every month after you clean the floor. The liquid film wax would protect the tiles and reduce the wear by about 80%. Unfortunately, it is too late to do that now because your tiles have already be worn out. You have been sold defective tiles due to the reasons aforesaid. This is unacceptable if it is from a reputable factory. Marco Polo is an international brandname for tiles and everyone has expectations for quality from them. They surely have a case to answer.
Strange. I have similar experience as you. When I completely renovated my home few years ago, I planned very carefully because the labour and material are very expensive here. I only did what was necessary, saved a lot of money and with good results. It invovled changing to aluminium windows, plastering, repainting, altering the partitions and completely change the tiles on the floor, bathroom and kitchen. I insisted that the tile work must be done to the best because I would be using it for next 10 to 20 years, I paid extra to get an experienced tile laying guy. The work was excellent, very even and very small spaces between each tile. However, I did not check the tile laying in the kitchen, they tried to save money by mixing dirt with cement and as a result, today the tile have large dark spots comming from down under due to the dirt decay, but it is not very serious. Overall the result was good and today I enjoy an easy to maintain floor, bright, cozy and comfortable.
As for the tiles for the living room and bedrooms, I was almost driven nuts in choosing the tiles. First the color has to be what I like, sort of light beige, semi-matted with a shiny sandy shine. Found what I wanted but it was exceptionally and suspiciously cheap, therefore, I pressed the salesman to tell me the truth about the tiles because I know what you get is what you pay. He honestly told me that the tiles have been fired once only and it would wear out soon. The boss told me that the wear could be reduced by using liquid wax regularly and he offered me several bottles free. I knew I should not buy this kind of tiles, but I looked everywhere and could not find this color and texture. Eventually, I took a calculated risk and ordered the tiles. It looked excellent when laid and finished. I also waxed it as advised. Now almost 3 years, the tiles still looked great, except at the place where I sit had those ugly spots because of the constant rubbing of footwear and the gliding of the chair legs. Overall, I am happy with it and got what I wanted.
In your case, you can consider taking up the matter and seek compensation from the manufacturer because the problem arose from the manufacturing process. People normally expect tiles to last several years at least. They knew that the tiles would wear out quickly and yet still sold it as regular tiles. They should replace your tiles without chrge including free labor for re-tiling your floor without charge. I know mainland China does not have an effective remedial system like our small claims simple court and it would not be easy for you to seek remedy. You can first raise your case through arbitration, then use the conclusion to demand compensation. Inform them that you would seek media attnetion for this matter. Should they fail to compensate appropriately, you have every right to report the matter to the press to seek justification.
Good luck to you and hope the matter can be resolved in the name of fairness.
- Reply sunnyv
- Your pictures of the tiles are a bit dark and can't see the details of the defect. I have optimised the photos and posted them on my Album in this website. Wow the situation is quite serious. How can that be acceptable by any standards?
- Reply bluephoebe
- sunnyv: Your pictures of the tiles are a bit dark and can't see the details of the defect. I have optimised the photos and posted them on my Album in this webPoor Rich. I totally understand what he must feel now: indignant and frustration. Since I just went through home decoration and I know what a demanding, tricky, hard business it is. After we went through so many troubles, actually we would expect a satisfactory outcome. It’s the home we are talking about now. I can’t imagine what I would react if same thing happened to me. I know I couldn’t offer any help on this matter, all I can do is to pray for him and wish they would give him a comparably satisfactory solution. I also learned a lot form your comments. I just want to know what brand the liquid film wax is, or does it have a Chinese name? I spent a lot on my bricks too. I am kinda worried and I want to get some wax you mentioned, just in case.
- Reply rich
- sunnyv: Oh this is really what we call frustration. Seems you have bought tiles which are not up to regular standard. Your tiles have only been "fired-upthank you sooo much. you're always so helpful. i don't know you are actually very knowledeable and experienced in many areas like computer and housing renovation. with harm done, i have to deal with it. i dont know the final result, but i'll fight for my due rights and interests. sometimes i feel i'm fighting not just for myself but for the fairness and justice. if we all kept silent, how can our society change for the better. i'll let you guys know if there's some development.
- Reply rich
- sunnyv: Your pictures of the tiles are a bit dark and can't see the details of the defect. I have optimised the photos and posted them on my Album in this webthe clear ones were taken when the ceiling lights were on.
frankly there's nothing so frustrating as that. the sales agent said if i want to ask for arbitration, i'll have to provide evidence. i dont know how tiles are made but i can tell whether it is up to the standard or if they have quality problems by taking a simple look. if tiles commonly used for only one and a half years, cannot be cleaned by mopping while others can, no matter what you say, i'll never buy it. it is something self-evident.
- Reply sunnyv
- Come on. You don't need to be a cook to complain about bad food and you do not need to be a builder to notice such obvious defect in the tiles. A tile consist of a under earthenware base, then a layer of color and then shiny glazing top. According to what I can observe from the photos, it appears the supportive clay earthenware layer under the ceramic is substandard and as a result, it changes color after it is laid. The darkened clay works it way up to the light color top layer causing it to decolorize and appear dirty. The defect is in the earthern clay layer. They have used substandard clay in manufacturing the tile and this is not noticable to an ordinary consumer until after it has been laid.
There is not much to argue about the quality of the tiles. It is plain to see there are problems in them. The price you paid is quite high and you never expected such bad quality.
According to what you said, it appears they are not taking your complaint seriously and I doubt if they would do anything about it. It is absolute nonsense when they ask for evidence. The tiles itself is clear, undisputable, and convincing evidence of your claim. As these are immovable items. the photos are visually supportive evidence. How can a same batch of tiles have some clean and clear while the rest looks so terrible. Don't break or move the tiles until the matter is solved otherwise you would be giving them excuses.
These things should not happen to a nice guy like you. I know these unscrupulous dealers would do anything to evade responsibilty and they probably think there isn't much you can do to them.
Press your claim strongly and should they fail to compensate you for the loss, let me know and I could pressure them from the top downwards. I can write to their head offices under my company title to demand a settlement. You also have the right to complain to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) which intervenes in consumer dissatisfaction as long as their products are sold locally and overseas. Any manufacturer would be worried when their products are subjects of complain there, particularly a serious complaint like yours.
Good luck to you buddy.
- Reply sunnyv
- bluephoebe: Poor Rich. I totally understand what he must feel now: indignant and frustration. Since I just went through home decoration and I know what a demandinYeah there could be so many things that could go wrong in a major house renovation task. You can enjoy for a long time if the outcome turns out to be satisfactory but it could also cause deep frustrations if things go wrong. The liquid film was I am using is "Ceramic floor polish". The brand name is "First choice". You can't buy that in mainland China, but I have seen similar products in China supermarkets. Most liquid ceramic floor polish should be ok for protection.
- Reply rich
- sunnyv: Come on. You don't need to be a cook to complain about bad food and you do not need to be a builder to notice such obvious defect in the tiles. A tilei dont know how i can thank you enough. according to the salesman, the tiles are semi-matted, or semi-polished. when they were laid, they all looked the same. the dirty places can be cleaned by using special detergent that the sales agent brought along that day. but it can accumulate and became dirty again.
today i went the local industrial and commercial bureau. the guy there looked indifferent and after looking at the receipt, he said my complaint deadline has expired. that is i have to make the complaint within one year. they never told me that and i never expected it would go wrong like this. on the other hand the first time i called the sales agent was before chinese new year. so they refused to accept my complaint.
then i went to the quality checking bureau, where i was told they only deal with complaints concerning the locally produced goods.
i also went to the administrations of the building material market, where my tiles were bought. he seemed kind-hearted but he said he can only help us communicate. he called the sales agent and urged him to pay attention to this matter. then he said to me that it looks hard to settle issues like this because the standards are all made by the manufacturers themselves. you can imagine how stunned i was. how absurd! how could things be like that? once again i was speechless.
- Reply sunnyv
- Sorry about the frustrating time you had. I have dealt with officials in China at city and county level, so I know how they work. The treatment you got is no surprise and that is why people in general don't even bother to complain.
This is a clear case of dereliction of responsbility. I know it is tough to handles these situations in China and quite often it ends with nothing but frustrations. Try to see what can be done to seek justice or compensation. Don't let this unfortunate incident affect you.
Should you need any help, let me know.
- Reply davidhuang
- 188yuan? wow that means an arm and a leg! home decoration will spend a lot moeny.when you go to the markets the salesperson often persuades you to buy the expensive one.because they want to get more profit, that is understantable. in my opinion expensive one is not always the best and i believe the suitable one is the best.
and i have a specail treatment for you.don't think too much and let it go. when bad things happen to us .what can we do? my motto is "who cares!" it means no worry.
- Reply rich
- sunnyv: Sorry about the frustrating time you had. I have dealt with officials in China at city and county level, so I know how they work. The treatment you gothank you for reminding me. yes i should never be affected by this frustrating matter. it is not my fault, instead i am a victim of the defective system.
yesterday i searched the internet and found the relevant legal item, which says that the complaint shall be made within one year from the time you knew or you should know that your interest has been violated. in my case, i bought those tiles in 2009 july and it took 6 months to renovate. i didn't move in until after a few months to let the poisonous gas out from the furniture. it was after about 8 months that we discovered the problem. what's more, i told the sales agent about the situation before the chinese new year. so no matter how you calculate, the tiles should be still before the deadline of making a complaint. however, the guy in the bureau just calculated from the time i bought them.
do i have to pull some strings for my legitimate rights? sounds funny!
i also found a website of BBB you mentioned on the Net, but it seems that they only deal with complaints within Canada and the US.
for now i'll continue trying other means including the media. if all those fail, i might need your help. i would be sorry to trouble you, really. thank you soooo much.
- Reply rich
- davidhuang: 188yuan? wow that means an arm and a leg! home decoration will spend a lot moeny.when you go to the markets the salesperson often persuades you to buyyes i agree. the suitable one is the best. the problem is how can we know what is the suitalbe. it's just impossible for us to know everything.
do you mean i should let it go? and swallow the bitter pill? living room is where you live and actually the most important place. frankly it's not for me. i admire you for your tolerance and i-don't-care attitude. however, have you ever considered this: why there are so many black-hearted businessmen? why they are so bold so unscrupulous?
i know it is hard to safeguard our legitimate rights. but i'm determined to do something. at least i will let them know that not everyone will keep silent. i believe justice will eventually defeat evil, though it may not come in the foreseeable future.
- Reply snowflying
- rich: thank you for your suggestion. you mean i should put something on top of the tiles? what is the material exactly? and how can i protect my legitimateoh,my friend,your question is a trouble indeed.a new house with the not good looking tiles brings a bad mood when you go home.what i said is a temporary short-term method ,exactly is a technological way.last year ,in our company,more than ten outlets decorated and renovated with the unified standard which are provided by the headquarters,also including the floor tiles brand,color,side,qulity,ect.very detailed.some tiles appeared the same questions with your home.according to the manufacturer says,they can offer a methord with covering a special materials with a special dealing with the surface in those dirty tiles.in this way, the manufacturer may avoid exchange a new one.the cost is lower than changing new one.our brand is a famous one too in china.but from your photos,i noticed the colour is different,some white,some yellow,some red a bit, why?your shooting question?my friend.
- Reply hurrymm
- I do feel sorry for your frustration caused by those troublesome tiles. Although I can offer no sound advice to you, my friend, standing by you may bring you some comfort.
- Reply rich
- snowflying: oh,my friend,your question is a trouble indeed.a new house with the not good looking tiles brings a bad mood when you go home.what i said is a temporathe first and third ones were taken when the ceiling lights were on while the other two not. and i didn't use flash. anyway you can see the difference, some tiles are dirtier and others are not. and they can not be cleaned by mopping!
it seems hard to safeguad our rights in china, but i'll do it for myself and for the fairness and justice.
- Reply rich
- hurrymm: I do feel sorry for your frustration caused by those troublesome tiles. Although I can offer no sound advice to you, my friend, standing by you may brthank you for your imotional support. i don't know the final result, and it could be hard. mine is a new house. how can i have a peaceful mind living in this living room! there should be some remedial solution by the manufacturer.
