Well, I've now purchased 2 fireclay sinks online (both from Homeclick). I've had problems with both of them, and it is like pulling teeth to get anyone to resolve my sink problems.

But we are on a tight budget, and a fireclay sink (let alone 2!) was never really in the budget to begin with. So when my husband found out he could save $150 by getting it from Homeclick, instead of a local vendor, he decided that any potential hassle was worth it.

What if it comes defective, I asked. (Which it did.)
Then we send it back, he said. (Which we are trying to do).
And is $150 worth this hassle, I asked?
Yes! He insists.
For how long is it worth this hassle, I ask.
If we can resolve this and have a sink within 2 months, it is worth it, he says.

It hasn't been worth it to me! The stress. The worry. The daily phone calls and emails to Homeclick that go unanswered. But you are looking at different vendors. And $240 is a big savings. I've heard very good things here about Home and Stone, though when I called them to ask some specs about the Rohl sink, they seemed very curt and grumpity. So that was a main reason I didn't buy it from them.

Oh--you asked about shipping. Both of mine were freight. first was via "Yellow" and took about 2 weeks maybe. Second was Fed Ex Freight, and took about 10 days from time of order.

I hope you fare better than I have!! You probably will.
Francy

Yes, I bought my Whitehaus 36" Quatro from qualitybath.com. Saved a bundle, excellent communication from them, including answering questions, quick shipping in incredibly strong packing! After that, bought the rack that fits in the bottom, and had the same excellent experience.

Free shipping, AND they're having a Fireclay Sink Promotion right now. I couldn't recommend them more highly. Good luck with yours! Kate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quality Bath

So, one great experience and one horrible experience. Can anyone else weigh in with their thoughts, to help me decide whether or not to buy the Herbeau online?
Thanks in advance!
Tara
ps I bought the Galaxy Ticor sink online thanks to this forum - great price, nice item, arrived super quick too. I'm just nervous about the fireclay sink.

I bought my Franke Orca fireclay sink from fixturesetc.com. The sink arrived very well packed and in perfect condition. The communication was excellent.

I did not get a great price and I paid for shipping, but the sink was hard to find and I was on a waiting list at another online company and got tired of waiting and holding up my remodel. I've also ordered a lot of stuff from Home and Stone with very good luck and excellent customer service, even when I received a faulty faucet.

Bought two fireclay sinks, both from Homeclick and had no problems (from Homeclick). They were my first online purchase, and maybe I was just lucky.

Ordered the 30" Herbeau on 5-13-07 with a 8% disc (saved at least $250). First one arrived (directly from Herbeau in Florida) obviously broken and it was refused. Had to wait until Herbeau rec'd it before a replacement was sent, got it about 2 wks later, in perfect condition. The shipper was UPS Freight. When I talked with Herbeau in Florida (before I placed my order) they told me they open every box from France and inspect each sink for defects before shipping them on to the buyer. FYI, Herbeau stopped production a year ago when they had problems with the glaze, but its fixed now.

Second sink was a Rohl Allia prep sink, shipped directly from Homeclick by FedEx Freight, and VERY well packaged by mfg, also in good condition. Got 15% off with a "coupon" from Homeclick. HTH

I just bought a Rohl Shaw's sink from WSCDirect. No problems, good communication, fast shipping. So I would do it again - but with one warning. This sink is HEAVY - and when FEDEX called to schedule delivery, I asked them to come after 3 when my son would be home. They arrived at noon - no one home but me (I wonder if they would have just left it outside, if I hadn't been there) and the delivery guy did not help me open it up and inspect it. So I was able to open one side and look at the thing - but had to wait until DH was home to flip the box over and look at the other side. I'm wondering if I had found damage then - would I have been able to return it? In retrospect - I think I should have written something on paper I signed with Fedex that I hadn't inspected it yet.

Anyway - all in all, I would order online again - just be sure to inspect at delivery.

Inmydreams: a bit off topic, but by chance did you measure the height of the 4 corners of your sink? If so, how off are they? Shaw's are generally off, but mine is *really* off. The top front lip is quite visibly slanted downhill in one direction.

Thanks!
Francy

I bought my Whitehaus fireclay from Home and Stone. It arrived in less then a week, packed solid, no chips. It must of killed the UPS driver and the workers brought it into my kitchen since I was at work. I'd definitely go through H & S again.

We ordered a Herbeau double farmhouse sink from Designer Plumbing Outlet.com last September (a year ago) when our home was being built. I believe at the time I was saving around $400.00 by ordering online from them. When it had not arrived by early December, I began calling DPO's customer service. They were always quick to return my calls but kept moving the promised delivery date back. As each new date passed, I would call them (they never contacted me before the date had passed) and they would promise another date. After 3 failed deliveries, I began to panic. Our kitchen (and home) completion now hinged on delivery of the sink as plumbing inspections and countertop installation had to be delayed because the sink had not arrived. Boy, were my builder (and husband) upset. I finally called Herbeau in Florida and they informed me that noone could give me a firm delivery date because no sinks were being shipped from France due to production problems. Now we really panicked because the sink cabinet had been designed specifically designed to accommodate this sink. Finally, I found a replacement sink with similar dimensions that would work with the cabinet, the Shaw's Original double-bowl farmhouse sink. After my plumbers searched everywhere in NC for the sink, I found it online at Ira Wood. I asked them to personally check the sink before shipping and they had it to me in two days in perfect condition. They truly saved the day. If I had to do it again, though, I would have spent the extra $$ and ordered locally. Too many things can go wrong and you might not have good recourse. DPO was very good about giving me a full refund and I had good luck with some other plumbing fixtures I purchased from them. A sink like this is a very bulky, heavy, expensive item and I would order it locally. I don't think I would ever go with Herbeau, either, after what I went through, even if they have solved production problems. I know people on this forum last year had trouble with Herbeau farm sinks arriving that were defective (bowed, broken, chipped) and they had to deal with returning them and waiting for acceptable replacements. Sorry for the long post :-)

I purchased my Whitehaus Fireclay sink from Home & Stone. It arrived in a few days. It was appropriately packed. I would do business again with Home & Stone in a heartbeat.

inmydreams -- Whenever you receive something big that can't be fully inspected, don't just sign the delivery guy's slip. There's a bunch of legal jargon that could get you in trouble if there's a defect. Instead, write "Delivered But Not Inspected" and sign next to that. That way, if there are defects, you have not signed something stating that you have inspected and it was in good condition on arrival.

sarschlos_remondeler - thanks for the advice. I did think of that after the Fedex guy left. I think I got lucky this time.

bayareafrancy: I read your original post after I had ordered the sink and almost didn't want to measure it. It's back in the box right now - but I'll get DH to pull it out and measure over the weekend. How much is really off? I would think when it's installed the front edge should be level. I'll let you know how mine turns out.

Well, the Shaw's is supposed to be 10" high, plus or minus 2%. Mine is off by more than that--.25". I think they are typically off by about 1/8". that would be pretty easy to deal with.

But at this point, I think I'm going to have to live with it. Maybe I'll call Rohl today...

Homeclick is unresponsive. I would NEVER order from them again!

Francy

In case anyone else is debating whether to purchase their fireclay sink via internet, I wanted to follow-up with a posting about my positive experience. I was a little leery after reading everyone's posts - definitely a mix of good and bad - but finally decided it was worth a try. I ordered my Herbeau "Luberon" farmhouse apron sink from Designerplumbing.com, and customer service was great. They shipped it via UPS freight, and it arrived today, one week after I placed the order. Well packaged, we inspected it and it looks beautiful. In the end I paid about $375 less than through my local retailer, and the local retailer also would have had a 6-8 week wait. I can't wait until the sink gets installed!

I guess I was lucky. I ordered mine from Homeclick and got it in very good condition. I waited 8 weeks but it showed up when I expected it. There aren't any apparent irregularities so I was able to install it on time.

I would order locally though, if I had the opportunity again. Too many people have had problems with buying these sinks online.

I have a different question about apron front sinks - why did you buy the sink you did? There are so many options now, so many price points. I know I want a white, plain, single bowl apron front sink. Any words of wisdom?

I ordered mine through a local store...the Shaw 3018. It arrived yesterday and we inspected today...it is cracked at the rim (would show with any sort of reveal). So far my local store has been responsive, but there has been no resolution yet and I need a sink soon! The Rohls are now waitlisted due to some problem at the factory...maybe cracked rims??? LOL. It was also packed with the bottom on the side that said "Front" and to open that side. Does that seem odd? It seems like the bottom of the sink should have been on the ground...

Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I stay with Rohl or change to a Herbeau or a Franke or a Kohler Fireclay apron front. Most people love the Shaw, but obviously there are issues with it, too, and I can't wait until Jan. to get the replacement...

After this, I would definitely stick with local - they are going to come pick it up so I don't have to deal with shipping, and hopefully they will help resolve this mess.

I ordered all sorts of things off the internet--even a commode, and my bathroom lavs.
I did not order my fireclay sink online.
Are your cabinets custom?
I ordered a 36" fireclay sink. The cabinet man wanted it in his shop to make sure the cabinets were built for a perfect fit. The sinks are heavy. I did not want to get in the middle of all that. I would have had to take the sink to him. Or, if I had it shipped to his shop, I was afraid it would arrive damaged. So, I ordered through my general contractor. He had his plumbing subcontractors order the sink and handle getting it to the cabinet company. They ordered from Ferguson's. To me, saving a couple hundred dollars can backfire with something as unwieldy as a huge sink. My sink is my favorite thing in my kitchen. You want it to be a perfect fit. Now, if your cabinets are not custom, you may be able to save the money. But the sinks can really vary in size, as the posters above cautioned.

My Herbeau fireclay in ivory came from Homeclick 4 years ago. It arrived almost immediately and perfectly. 4 years later and it still looks brand new. I just love it.

But I don't know that counting who did or didn't have a good experience will help though. It depends on if it's worth the hassle. If I could have found it locally, I might have paid the extra money to have somewhere to return in just in case. Lacking that, I ordered it online and had great luck. But it does seem luck of the draw. I've seen many happy and unhappy people with homeclick experiences.

Does anyone have a fireclay sink by Belle Foret? It's a Home Depot higher end brand I've been told. I'm curious how it compares to Franke or Shaws. The price is great, about $480 for a 30" sink. Just don't know if I should take a chance on it.

I ordered my Franke 28" single bowl farm sink from HomeClick and they could not guarantee shipment...I kept waiting and waiting for more than 3 weeks and saw no movement in shipment status. As a result, I cancelled and went with Home and Stone - not only did I save almost $75 since they were having a special sale, but they guaranteed me quick shipment and my sink arrived within a week - very well packed and with no problems. In response to another inquiry about the Franke farm sinks, mine did not have a visible logo on the front. It is very simple - just like a farm sink should be.

I received a Shaw's original 3018 yesterday which I purchased on ebay. I got it for half the price of the lowest internet price I could find, and it arrived in perfect condition. It was 4 weeks from the end of the auction to delivery. I did open and inspect it carefully before signing.

I have had my Herbeau for only 2 years

A glass slipped from my hand (is heavy) it did not break but my sink got a huge quarter sized chip on the front apron at top...I looked into this sink and was told very durable. Yet when I called Herbeau and suddenly they tell me "oh yes they will chip, get scratches etc.. You need to replace it". My sink is in a custom built cabinet as the Amish made my cabinets, and the only way to get the sink out is to destroy and replace my granite. I am so upset and still trying to find a solution....with no help from Herbeau I now know. It is a white sink....I still need to read all the comments above and am hoping to find a solution. Just wanted to post so other people thinking of buying will know. I wish I had known, never would have bought (and I thought I did my homework, so did my friend who told me about it....she has scratches and chips now too