Granite Transformations

Poor workmanship, customer service and communication by Granite Transformations Glenfield.

The benchtop installed had colored chips in the black top. One particularly nasty orange one. I brought this to their attention and I was told by their Managing Director Matt ** that I did not understand their natural product. He failed to understand that their product failed to match the description he made to me and the sample he had shown me by which I made the color choice.

Their workmanship was poor. Granite Transformations Glenfield did not install the sink properly into their benchtop, they left clasps, and the silicon seal was poor and uneven. Part of the kitchen they dismantled to place the sink was not reinstalled. The plumber advised to get them back to redo and guarantee their work. I had to threaten them with the Consumers Guarantees Act before they would fix this. It took them 9 weeks and they still refused to guarantee the sink they installed, stating they "don't know how I will use my sink".

I have refused to complete payment as the bench top was not installed properly and I have now found a joint that is raised and uneven. They state they knew about this at time of the installation. It appears that they thought they could get away with just filling it, but the fill had broken away leaving gaps in the joint. It has been another 9 weeks with no repair and their excuses includes stating they will not make any further repairs until I pay in full, as they believe I will not pay. They have to remove the problematic piece and replace it. I have decided to settle this matter with the Disputes Tribunal because Granite Transformations Glenfield failed to meet the Consumer Guarantees Act. My kitchen should have been completed in 1 month and it has so far taken 5 months with no date for repair for the joint.

They presented at the Auckland Home Show. Use the other company Benchtop Transformations, their product, workmanship and customer service is superior. This is who my parent used after my problems with Granite Transformations. I would not recommend this company to anyone. Internationally they also appear to provide poor service.

The salesman came to our home to provide a free estimate. We asked for a basic black granite countertop for our kitchen and master bath. He brought out his samples and we carried them around our home choosing two different colors, 1 shade of black for bath, 1 shade of black for kitchen. He then took his measurements and calculated prices. The pricing was good enough so we agreed that we would make the purchase. We returned all his samples back to him, showing him our selections. Before I signed the paperwork and paid for half of the total sales price, I asked him if he was sure that he knew what our color selections were. He said he knew them. Then I signed the paperwork with the pricing and he finished up filling in all the details like sink selection, back-splash options, color selection and future templates/installation.

On the day of installation, my husband was on his 3rd day post-op from shoulder surgery. I had asked the company beforehand if this would be a problem. They said it wasn't as they perform installations when no homeowners are even home. My husband was on two very strong medications that day (Percocet and Valium) which made him very incoherent. I returned home after work that evening and 3/4 of the installation was already complete. The counters were still covered so they would not get scratched during installation and the small portions that were viewable were still covered with resin and glue. Come 8:30 pm, the installers finally finished.

As they were loading their vehicle, my husband and I was already arguing about how this wasn't the color option we had chosen. He was adamant that I should not pay them the 2nd half of the bill which was due before they left. I, on the other hand, still needed to put the kitchen back together again, feed my invalid husband, and prepare for work the next day. The last thing I needed was a two-hour argument with the police which I figured was likely to happen when the installers decided not to leave the premises without being paid in full. I was also confident that the company would fix the mess. After all, the countertops were fully installed already and could no longer be removed.

I signed and paid, but was on the phone with the company the very next day, telling them there was definitely a horrible mix-up. At this point, the owner agreed to completely redo our kitchen, only charging us whatever his cost would be. But he said we would have to wait until after the Christmas holidays as he was booked solid until then. Plus, he mentioned that he wanted to wait and see if our countertop 'grew' on us. They have done anything but 'grow' on us. We absolutely hate our kitchen now! It looks like a glass disco ball was shattered into pieces and got mixed into the composite material. Each place your eye catches a glass shard, which is just about everywhere, it looks like the granite is chipped and defective.

How in the world is this glass infused pattern the company's basic black countertop? That's what I want to know. Could we have been any clearer with the salesman about what we wanted? We vehemently believe he simply wrote down and ordered the wrong color. When we bring this up with them, they claim he's never made a mistake before so it couldn't possibly be their fault. I challenge anyone to name a human being on this earth who hasn't made a mistake!

As of now, the owner has changed his mind and revoked his offer of replacement at cost. Actually, he refuses to do anything to resolve the matter in any way. We refuse to sink another dime into this countertop as we've already paid $4,862.50. We will fight this tooth and nail, suing in small claims court if necessary! I will also warn anyone I come into contact with against doing business with Granite Transformations.