You saw these online ... Did the picture look remotely like what you received?

I would NOT be happy with this, but I am also sort of picky.

I tried to post the photos from the site but they showed up as thumbnails and the larger photo has that zoom feature than gets in the way. I just posted the link to the website.

Here is a link that might be useful: marble cake plate

I wouldn't accept it.

I once ordered a wrought iron paper towel holder from Ballard and it came without the little piece on the side where you pull the paper. I thought they'd just send me the piece, but they sent out a whole new holder, and told me to keep the other.

Their customer service was awesome. Just call them.

That is definitely not marble~marble usually has a gray/black veining, is matte not shiny, and should feel cold to the touch.

I had vanity tops years ago which looked like the same thing, and was told they were either cultured marble or cultured onyx. It was 35 years ago so my memory is a bit rusty.

If you want to see what a real marble cake plate should look like, check out an antique store in your area.

Call and talk to them. It's not marble and that seam is a patch job.
It is definitely defective with both a seam and a tilting dome. Because of this they should send out a new one and pay for the return of the one you have. Or, just give you a refund and pay for the return shipping.

A 13" round piece of stone should not be seamed. It looks like yours was.
Call them, send them the pictures. Demand they pay return shipping and get your money back.

ML

Even though it doesn't look like it is marble, the actual stone is pretty; however, I would not accept the seam --I would send it back.

Hmmm, now I understand the color a bit better. But I would still send it back and ask them to pay for the shipping. Can you take a picture of it with a level on it and email this to them? Or a glass bowl with colored water (if a level isn't handy)?

That might help customer service see that you aren't just saying, "Gee, I changed my mind" but there are real problems with the item and it was not made correctly.

I respectfully disagree. Marble can be matte OR shiny: it all depends on how much effort was devoted to polishing it. I've cut and polished it myself in a lapidary workshop. Marble is also soft: so when it is old, wear will cause it to lose it's high polish. And, little iridescent flecks are normal for some kinds of newly cut and polished marble, seen at a certain angle. Those would become less obvious when the surface wore. And, not all marble has visible veining. White with grey veins is just more common.

Regardless, if she is not happy, she should call Ballard. I don't think the iridescent flecks are objectionable. But the obvious isolated vein is. Companies stay in business by keeping customers happy.

Deeinohio, thanks for letting me know your experience.

Patty Cakes, I can go a shorter distance. I have marble counters in my kitchen and love them. I have a marble mortar and pestle and used to have a marble rolling pin (chipped off a piece and it was kind of hard to use after that). I used to have marble tile flooring. But the only stone I've seen with this kind of graininess to it was granite.

Linnea56, I know marble can be matte. My mortar is polished, my counters are honed and pretty matte. But neither they nor any other marble I have seen has been composed of grainy chunks. There are some spots within it, but not all of it.

Maddielee -- I agree, and I think that is the biggest problem. The line looks wrong and it worries me.

Hilltop, I spent Christmas day looking at it and I agree -- the stone is pretty and, even though I was expecting something different, I think I'd keep it if it weren't for that line.

EngineerChic, I hadn't put a level on the plate. It was the dome that I had put a level on and both sides slanted. However, I realized there could be a reason the dome looked worse on the cake pate, and it is not level, so it would make the leaning dome look worse.

I guess I need to call them. It isn't getting any better.

2 of the photos on the website shown a seam through the middle of the "plate". It looks like they are making these out of remnants.

The pics at the website appear to at least have some veining in them compared to yours, but the seam would really bother me. I would send them some pictures of yours and see if you can get a replacement. For the money you paid I think this is pretty poor.

I can see veining in their site photos, not a lot of strong color, but some veining, in their photos, but I can't see any lines that look like what is on the plate I got.

The plate I got is completely honed -- the surface is matte, but the stone is mixed granules of opaque matte and the reflective crystalline granules. There isn't any variance in the polishing -- it's the stone, and while it isn't what I was expecting, I'd be okay if that was the only issue. It's still pretty stone.

I do plan to call them in the morning. Not looking forward to it, but I will.

Don't feel bad about calling- that is a pricey item and it should be nice.
I would emphasize the visible seam and the fact that it does not sit level- no way would you put that out for guests.

Sit back with your feet up when you make the call and get into the headspace where you could sit there for two hours- I keep a nail file or laptop handy for while you are on hold.
Be zen- the least little bit of emotion will derail your resolve to hold out for return shipping paid and a replacement/refund. Just be matter of fact and assume they will handle it well- if at the end of the conversation you are not happy ask to speak to a supervisor. You can ask to speak to that persons supervisor as well- calmly and lightheartedly, not grumpily.

And write down the date, time, and NAME of everyone you speak with in case you need to write the company later.
I have had excellent success with naughty companies by writing every executive and board member whose snail mail address I can find. If I send ten letters certified mail I KNOW I am the topic of conversation at the water cooler that day and someone is always given the job of putting out the fire that is me.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I didn't want to call, but they were extremely nice and had no issues with the return or offering to try again -- just suggested I include a note so they know what I was unhappy with. Now the laptop battery for my son is another issue......

oh that's great news. are you going to get a replacement or a refund? It's a lovely dish even though it does look quite different to the website pic.

I was planning on just returning it. Since I felt so bad about suggesting it and then being disappointed, I didn't have the heart to try another one, but they were so nice and suggested to put a note inside the box that pointed out what I was unhappy with so and there would be no problem with trying again and returning a second time if it still didn't work. I rearranged my cabinet to store them, and then re-rearranged it after they didn't work, so I need to look at that again to make sure where I will put them, but I plan to try another one.

I am now used to walking past and seeing the sparkly stone, so I almost hope I can get one like that without the seam. LOL DH sees the tilt on the done too, and I think it will be worse with a cake under it, so I am going to try another round on both. One of the things I like about the cake plate is that the plate comes off the stand for storing and to allow use directly on the table. The dome is so tall -- more than twice the height of my standard cake dome and maybe three times, that it really would be nice to have a cover for tall cakes. I do have a crystal cake plate the dome fits on, and I don't think I'd be looking at the difference between the crystal and the glass with a cake under it. It also fits on at least two round platters, so if I only got the dome, that would be okay. But I still like the cake plate....

It looks like marble to me - I'm a geologist.

Mexican White marble has those shiny flecks in it. I know because an online company sent me a whole bathroom floor in this marble instead of the statuario I ordered. :(