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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Bathroom Reno Speed Bumps

It ain't a major renovation without some speed bumps and roadblocks along the ride.

First one up is the Riobel shower system I ordered from Bath City.

Who knew such a pretty set could be such a pain in the neck? So far we've been back to Bath City FIVE friggin times for the same shower kit, and I swore today would be the last otherwise I am returning it!

Second Visit: First visit was to place the order. Bath City ordered wrong rain shower head, wrong handles, and wrong hand shower kit! They might as well gave us a completely different set they wanted to sell us!

Third Visit: We went back to pick up the correct set, and were guaranteed that everything should be in order.

Fourth Visit: We found out that the hand shower head had cracks in it, returned it and Bath City had to order a replacement.

Fifth Visit: We picked up the hand shower replacement.

Sixth Visit: Today just before our plumber was about to install the shower system, they found out the hand shower drop-ear elbow kit was missing. I called Bath City and they said Oops, they somehow forgot to include that part in my order. Fortunately they had spare parts lying around in the store, so for the fifth time we went back to the Bath City to pick up a missing part.

As if the shopping experience at Bath City could get any worse, and it did. While I was in the store today, one of the store owners with a strange accent gave me an earful of why I should've sent a plumber to buy the kit (whose plumber does that???), and that he had sold hundreds of the same shower systems before. I finally had enough so I gave it to him: "Who cares if you've sold thousands of them if you couldn't even get me a complete and correct set!" There was pin-drop silence in the store at that moment.

I might expect similar problem if I had only spent $100 at a local hardware store. But for more than 10 times the money I spent at Bath City on one shower kit, I certainly didn't deserve such sloppy order fulfillment and lousy customer service.

I've been fuming all afternoon, so I think I should just go and calm down before I talk about the second speed bump. Hopefully things will fix themselves tomorrow. Fingers crossed.