SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
aglitter

Quality from "Quality Bath"?

Aglitter
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Does anyone have insight to share on whether @Quality Bath, an online retailer that closes down in observance of some calendar days, is known to consistently ship unused, previously uninstalled merchandise? They ask customers to notify them about issues but then are closed down for sometimes several days at a time including weekdays. Here are photos of one of two faucets that just arrived for my kitchen renovation. I was delighted to have gotten them at a great price during a percentage off sale that Quality Bath offered at https://www.qualitybath.com/. One of the faucets appears pristine. The other one looks like this with numerous finish scratches, and these are Brizo Artesso articulating faucets in stainless steel:








Comments (28)

  • Denita
    3 years ago

    Pics haven't shown up yet in your OP. Please post again here in the comment section.

    Aglitter thanked Denita
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    They are posted now. Houzz ususally lets me upload from my phone, but this time I had to go to my desktop computer to get it to work for the uploads. Four photos are now posted in the original comment. Thanks! Waiting to hear back from @Quality Bath on why they shipped me this faucet in this condition.

  • Related Discussions

    Quality Bath vs Plumbtile

    Q

    Comments (5)
    I ordered all shower and sink hardware, a pedestal sink and toilet, and probably a few other things from Quality Bath last summer. They were very helpful, and everything came when promised. I plan to use them again for the bathroom and powder room/mudroom I am about to start. If you call, you can usually get prices a bit lower than what is shown on their website. They also often have site-wide discounts.
    ...See More

    Is there a big differences in quality of bath room accessories ?

    Q

    Comments (5)
    We got some Target (high end for them, very nice modern lines they don't sell anymore but not solid brass) brand ones for our daughter's bath before we remodeled, and the finish lasted for about 4 years. I'm guessing it was the fact that they're not brass, but I don't know for sure. For the remodel we'll use stainless steel in her room (can be had from Ikea for not much at all, actually), and solid brass/chrome plated in ours (and probably solid brass/satin nickel in the powder room). To save a rather *significant* amount of money on higher end accessories (Motiv Frame--not the highest end, but at least they're brass), we went to the high-end plumbing shop in town (I don't mind not giving them business because they're *so* snooty), saw what we liked, and found it at a great discount online. As budge mentioned, Restoration Hardware has some beautiful accessories, too, solid brass. If you wait for a 20% off sale (which they have on a regular basis), you can save there, and they're not even that badly priced to begin with.
    ...See More

    Have you used Quality Bath.com?

    Q

    Comments (11)
    The customer service dept is telling me that the Shaws they have in stock have the drain on the left side of the sink. That would be backwards for my set up. Seems strange as I have never seen it with the drain on the left. I was just trying to find another way to install it so that I could save a couple hundred dollars in cabinet labor costs. Might have to forget that idea. Am still unsure about fireclay. I need to post a separate thread to ask those who have had the Shaw for five or more years how it is holding up. Does it chip or scratch easily? I feel the cast iron Kohler is probably more durable. Am having a hard time making this decision on which sink to purchase. I love the Kohler Sea Salt finish, but the cost is more than what I can purchase the Shaw for. I think the Shaw has a more vintage look as well.
    ...See More

    Who has the best quality bath towels?

    Q

    Comments (11)
    Our most recent towels are from Pottery Barn, http://www.potterybarn.com/products/hydro-cotton-bath-towels/?pkey=e%7Ctowels%7C10%7Cbest%7C4294967163%7C1%7C48%7C%252Ftowels%252Fbath-bath-towels-solid-bath-towels%7C3&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH. They carry them at the PB outlet where you can get better pricing.
    ...See More
  • salonva
    3 years ago

    I have not used them, but I know people on here have recommended them for quite a few years.

    They are Sabbath observers so they close early on Friday and all day Saturday. This is currently a holiday (Shavuot from last night through Saturday) so that is why they are likely closed now. I know in general they are reputable.

    Shavuot 2020 began in the evening of

    Thursday,

    May 28and ends in the evening of

    Saturday,

    May 30

    Aglitter thanked salonva
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you, @salonva. I had read mixed reviews in other places so will be awaiting their reply and update if a response is received. By the way, the function for thanking contributors here in the Houzz discussion forums seems to be working some times and not others. I've tried to thank everyone who has responded to my posts in the last few weeks, but some are not registering on my end after repeated tries.

  • Shannon_WI
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I bought a Blanco sink from them, and the sale went perfectly. Got the sink in 2 days, and it was packed really well, which is key. It was just one item, but that was my experience. Yes, they are closed for the Jewish holidays. Was not a big deal for me.

    I also phoned my sink order rather than an online purchase. That way, I spoke to someone live at Quality Bath and got information on whether the item was immediately in stock. Sometimes website information - for any seller - is not as updated as speaking to someone live.

    I would call them when they are open to ask about exchanging the faucet that is scratched. A call is better than an email definitely. The only problem would be if you’ve had the faucet a long time. And that would be a problem with any online seller.

    Edited to add: Oops, I forgot I also ordered my pulls at Quality Bath (Princetonian Collection). That order also went perfectly. That one I did order online and not over the phone because I got 4 sizes of pulls and it was just easier to do it online, and I’d already had a good experience with the sink.

    Aglitter thanked Shannon_WI
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    The faucets took several weeks to ship and recently arrived. We are still in the middle of the renovation and won't be needing them until July most likely. I have also contacted @Brizo Faucet to ask if these types of defects are commonly created during the manufacturing process. I would suspect not since one faucet was perfect and the other has numerous flaws.

  • salonva
    3 years ago

    I would try contacting them Sunday or Monday and I believe you will at least be successful in reaching them. Keep us posted. I really do think you will be fine.

    And the functions with liking and thanking- totally understand and join you in frustration.


    Aglitter thanked salonva
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks @salonva. I used to work in New York City and remember whole sections of retail and manufacturing being shut down or operating with skeleton staff several times through of the year but hadn't remembered this holiday in particular. I had really wanted to leave a positive review for this company because they offered fantastic pricing with a sale and present a good online shopping experience, so I am waiting to hear how this could have happened that they were in possession of stock that was in this condition. If it was a previously returned item you would have thought someone would have inspected it before shipping it out again.

  • lucky998877
    3 years ago

    I received 3 Brizo faucets from Build.com , in their stainless finish.

    ..all 3 absolutely perfect.

    Aglitter thanked lucky998877
  • Shannon_WI
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    This whole thread, including many, many Good Links to the site, seems like spam.”

    Stax - I see one link (not “many, many” that you said) to the website under discussion, in the OP, in which she is reporting about a faucet arriving all scratched—with pics. That is not very spam-like. My post was complimentary to the website, but I have been on this forum for many years - who are you saying is spamming here?

    Aglitter thanked Shannon_WI
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Hi @Stax I'm a homeowner in Texas doing a small kitchen remodel. We decided to put in a large workstation sink to make the small kitchen as efficient as possible and needed two faucets for it. After research in the Houzz forums and from other web reviews, I settled on the award-winning @Brizo Faucet articulating faucet in the Artesso style with stainless steel finish:


    I started this thread for several reasons, as follows:

    1. @Quality Bath's closure left me a bit confused as I was originally uncertain for how long the current closure would last since this is a weekday. I'll know in the future more about the weekday calendar of closings for some businesses. In addition to sending an email, I started this thread to document my efforts to report the problem and to gather information for the opportunity when I am able to make contact.
    2. The damaged faucet was sold to me as new. It contains multiple scratches and nicks. I also started this thread to find out if anyone else had received products from Quality Bath that appeared to be in anything other than new, uninstalled condition as they claim to ship.
    3. I was also interested to know if the defects might be a result of the manufacturing process itself. So far, I do not see any replies that would indicate this is the case.
    4. Quality Bath offered the best pricing of any source that I could find for these faucets, and that made a difference to my budget to benefit from their sale. I was eager to recommend them as a resource until I encountered this problem. If this faucet was a return that they re-shipped, I am hoping they will take responsibility and perhaps inspect future merchandise more closely. If this was something other than that, then I wanted to give Quality Bath a chance to explain. Supplier transparency helps us all. It sounds like some people have had good experiences with the company while others have not. Thanks, everyone!


    Final note about these faucets, the finish is PVD-applied so anticipated to be extremely durable. It is called the "Brilliance Stainless" finish. The faucet head is not stainless but a metal-like material according to a Brizo customer service phone rep. The Litze (pronounced LITZ) articulating faucet was a close runner-up as my choice, but I decided on the Artesso because it has a longer faucet head which appeared to offer more room for the fingers to fit around the spray/stream button and a flared head which looked easier to hold. The Litze model's spray head texture would not have been uncomfortable to the touch, again according to a Brizo rep.

  • lucky998877
    3 years ago

    My pot filler is Artesso, and my main sink and prep sink faucets are Litze. I also chose the Brilliance Stainless (and paid extra for it) for the extremely tough finish and no fingerprints. I hope you get a reply soon, these faucets are so heavy and gorgeous!

    Aglitter thanked lucky998877
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @lucky998877 Thank you! I'm very excited to use them and am glad to hear you've had a good experience with the Brilliance Stainless finish. I certainly didn't anticipate starting out pre-installation with a faucet already scratched up, so hopefully this will be resolved.

    Early in my faucet research I saw several old Garden Web posts about how that selecting a kitchen faucet was for some contributors back then, roughly 10 years ago, the hardest decision they made in their renovations. I wondered about that until I honed in on all the factors to consider and can definitely say it was a much harder decision than I anticipated. Everything about this faucet fit my list of desires, so I'm looking forward to using both of them when the renovation wraps up.

    The Kohler Karbon used to be a favorite articulating faucet among Garden Web renovators, but in time some users were finding it leaked at the joints and the motion awkward to position, plus it required two countertop holes per faucet. Then Kohler moved some of its production out of the USA, and quality complaints about the brand in general increased. Seems there is always some new thing to consider with every brand. Even these Brizo articulating faucets garnered reviews of losing tension and falling forward during the early years after the design's release, but that problem has been fixed with the newest production.

  • yeh_yeh
    3 years ago

    I just finished my 3 bathrooms remodel early this year and I purchased all of my shower trims, some faucets, and a bath tub from qualitybath and I also told my other friend that was remodeling her bathrooms to get her shower trim from them as well. Most of my trims are from Grohe, out of all of the items I did have one tub spout that was missing a small screw and qualitybath contacted Grohe for me and have the missing screw sent to my home. They also keep me up to date with the status as well. My experience with their customer service has been great, nothing to complain about. After my tub spout was installed, I didn't get to use it until maybe 2 months later and noticed there was what looks like bad plating artifacts. I contacted Grohe directly and although it took awhile, but they sent me a new tub spout. I am happy with both qualitybath and Grohe. I hope you will get a reply from them soon! I am not sure if they have limited staff due to the pandemic though.

    Aglitter thanked yeh_yeh
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @yeh_yeh I'm very happy to hear you had a great experience with Quality Bath! If you catch their percentage-off sale prices, they are the ones the competitors can hardly beat since many of the upper-tier manufacturers set restrictions on how low the advertised prices can go numerically. Percentage-off sales from Quality Bath get around that.

    Grohe as a company has undergone many changes in the last 15 years or so according to StarCraft Custom Builders' review. Sourcing and manufacturing that was once done in Europe and Canada is now in Asia and South America. Ownership switched from a German family-owned business to acquisitions by a series of large plumbing conglomerates. I hope your fittings wear well for you, as Grohe has historically had a good reputation.

    It's possible Quality Bath may have reduced staffing due to the pandemic, but I don't know for sure. They are based in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, south of New York City, one of the hot spots of the virus. My order took several weeks to ship which I assume was from a slowdown along the entire supply chain. All given, I was happy the faucets were still available during this unusual time in world history.

  • yeh_yeh
    3 years ago

    When I was researching for faucets and shower trims, I did review StarCraft’s review as well. But I also added in my own experience in my decision. I had a Grohe lavatory faucet installed in my previous house 13 years ago and the chrome finish was very easy to clean and it still looks excellent when I sold the house 5 years ago. Total 8 years of usage and not a single problem. Then when I researched for kitchen faucet for my current home, I saw there were some bad reviews and I think the quality really depend on which model it is. I went with my gut feeling and got a Grohe non touch kitchen faucet over the Delta touch faucet I was also looking at. My friend had that and they have to call Delta to mail them a new solenoid every 6 months to keep that touch feature working. I like that feature but dislike the hassle. No complain with my kitchen faucet for the past 5 years. When I was looking for bathroom trims, I went to several showrooms. I saw Brizo and other high end brands and the quality is great but I like single handle for everything and I didn’t see a style I like (honestly I probably can’t afford some of those) I also checked out Hansgrohe as a lot of people rate that over Grohe. However, I think the quality are pretty much the same (at least for the models I was considering) and I like the particular Grohe style I chose more so I decided to go with Grohe again for the bathroom remodel. I am hoping these will last like the one in my last house! So far so good but only time can tell! Good luck!!

    Aglitter thanked yeh_yeh
  • PRO
    Quality Bath
    3 years ago

    Hi @Aglitter,


    Sorry for the delay!


    As others pointed out we were closed for the Shavuot Holiday.


    Great choice on the faucets, I personally just purchased a Brizo articulating faucet myself for my kitchen :)


    I apologize for the issue with the faucets. Please send an email to returns@qualitybath.com with the pictures, and someone will get right back to you. You can cc feedback@qualitybath.com on the email as well so I can make sure to stay on top of it for you. We are a little short staffed now due to COVID-19, but we are making to sure to get back to every customer as soon as possible.


    Please let me know if there is anything else I can do!

    Aglitter thanked Quality Bath
  • PRO
    Quality Bath
    3 years ago

    @salonva @Shannon_WI @yeh_yeh


    Thanks for the kind words! Nothing makes me happier than hearing from happy customers!

    Aglitter thanked Quality Bath
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Quality Bath Your prompt reply is delightful. Thank you for promising to resolve this issue.

    Yes, the Brizo articulating faucet style is a winner, isn't it! I spent many hours over several months researching faucets online and visiting showrooms and talking to sales representatives, and the Brizo articulating faucet really stood out. The ability to adjust the height, angle, and reach up to several inches further forward than most gooseneck faucets allow is an advantage to helping prevent back strain during long periods of prep or cleanup. I love how there is no retractable hose to make noise or get stuck under the sink. The powerful magnetic spray head dock makes the spray head fast to grab and replace. Another advantage to me was that the toggle switch stays in the same position when you turn the faucet on and off. It works opposite with some European-made brands of faucets like @in2aqua GmbH and @The Galley Brands Tap where the handle off position always reverts to stream. Each user has a preference, but I like the spray/stream to stay put until I change it.

    Quality Bath happened to have a great sale on Brizo one day near the end of my research, so my husband and I finalized our decision quickly for that reason and are so happy with this choice. I had seen your website repeatedly in my research for both faucets and sinks and have come to appreciate your upscale selections and competitive prices.

    The Brizo articulating faucets have a few older, negative reviews on Amazon and Build from people who saw the joints loosen over time so much that the faucet wouldn't stay in place and would slowly drop down into the sink, however @StarCraft Custom Builders confirmed in another post that this problem has been fixed, and I also talked to a Brizo rep who said the same. The faucets I received from Quality Bath have extremely tight joints, which is good. The one concern for customers is that some of the old, loose-jointed models may still be in circulation in older stock, however, the covered-hose model which I picked is a newly released style, so there was no concern about older stock with that one. Otherwise, to order straight from Brizo to assure a fresh manufacturing date would have cost about double what I paid to purchase from you, and we saved several hundred dollars overall on the order compared to the next lowest competitor's pricing.

  • PRO
    Quality Bath
    3 years ago

    @Aglitter Glad to hear it. Please let me know if you need any more help getting this resolved down the line, though you are in good hands with our returns department :)


    Yeah, I personally went with the covered hose as well. It definitely has a very striking look. Brizo produces very high quality items, and you should be enjoying these faucets for many years to come.

    Aglitter thanked Quality Bath
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    To update this thread regarding new vs. used merchandise, Quality Bath replied by email, "I am so sorry for the inconvenience. First, let me assure you that we only sell brand new items shipped to us by the manufacturer. That being said we have seen things pass quality control that shouldn't, sometimes things shift around in shipping and can scratch the finish. Please confirm that you want a replacement and we will go ahead and get one on order for you. We will also send you a return label along with return instructions to get the defective/ damaged faucet sent back."

    In my opinion, the damages go beyond what shipping could have inflicted. Shortly after the email from Quality Bath, I also received a reply from Brizo based on photos I had sent to them stating, "Thank you for contacting Brizo. We are sorry that you are having a concern with your faucet and will be happy to help you. No, this damage is not normal for our new faucets. We would recommend you contact the retailer and follow their return processes. Please contact us back if you have any questions or need further assistance."

    So, the question remains, how could this damage have occurred? Brizo doesn't take responsibility for the damage as being normal, Quality Bath says Brizo may have shipped them the faucet looking like this or that it may have been damaged during shipment to me. My own personal opinion is that the possibility of this faucet having been a returned item and then not fully inspected prior to re-shipment has not been ruled out. Regardless, it sounds like Quality Bath will follow up with a replacement. Thanks everyone for your helpful input.



  • PRO
    Quality Bath
    3 years ago

    @Aglitter


    I can assure you that this was not a returned faucet. Your faucet was shipped out to you the same day we received it directly from the manufacturer.

    Aglitter thanked Quality Bath
  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Quality Bath I wondered about that, thank you! So then, whether this faucet did come off the production or packaging line like this would be the remaining question. I wonder if @Brizo Faucet sources production of the same faucet style to more than one supplier which might explain different levels of quality control. I worked for a company once as an intern that was known to regularly do this with the most popular of thousands of products they produced so that if one place was affected by some natural disaster, the entire supply line for that in-demand style wouldn't be lost. However, those were sewn goods, while I can imagine the tooling for faucet production would be more complex, so perhaps not. Maybe Brizo will see this and respond. I was so impressed with everything else I had learned about the Delta Faucet Company and Brizo prior to this selection that it was a surprise to run into this issue.

    By the way, Quality Bath continues to follow up. There was a 24-hour wait while they conferred with Delta regarding the damages, then they sent me notice of a new faucet to be shipped and said a FedEx return label for sending the scratched one back would arrive by email in up to two weeks. Obviously I am so relieved to look forward to having a faucet in good condition, having never ordered from Quality Bath before and not knowing what their practice would be. Thanks @Quality Bath!

  • Aglitter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    One more note about the Brizo articulating faucets for anyone who finds this thread in researching, these faucets do include the Diamond Seal technology also seen in most of the newer Delta Faucets. This is not as clearly delineated on Brizo's website as it is over on the Delta website with faucets that features these cartridges. The Diamond Seal technology is something that @StarCraft Custom Builders calls out as a huge positive in its review of Brizo and Delta, something that helps prevent leaks over time. Other high-end faucets like @in2aqua GmbH have a similar concept with ceramic cartridges that have an abrasive coating to keep hard water deposits from building up and hindering sealing. I had to call the Brizo rep for confirmation of both the PVD "Brilliance Stainless" finish and Diamond Seal features for their articulating faucets and wish that this had been more clearly marked on the company's home website so as to prevent confusion. I currently have an older Delta faucet in my kitchen that leaks badly even after a couple of parts replacements over the years, so I wanted to be sure that the new Delta/Brizo faucets I was ordering for the renovation had the Diamond Seal feature and that the stainless steel finish was PVD-applied. Note that Brizo's chrome finishes are still electroplated which is durable but not as much so as a PVD finish.

  • Barbara BK
    3 years ago

    My contractor had recommended Quality Bath for a large home renovation project and I had the most positive experience. I recommend calling the website which gives you the opportunity to develop a relationship with a sales representative. I worked exclusively with Dov over the course of 6 months and I found him knowledgable, professional and very helpful. The selection of products is tremendous and the prices are excellent. Bearing in mind the size of the project and the number of items purchased, we had only two insignificant items which required replacement. Janet in Customer Service, a pleasure to work with,, took care of them immediately to our satisfaction. They are truly fine people to work with and I would definitely work with them again in the future.

    Aglitter thanked Barbara BK
  • roughearth15
    5 months ago

    Quality Bath sells defective knock-off items. I purchased a Robern Medicine Cabinet/Mirror for $2,000 and now one of the lights doesn't work. It's only 2 years old. Now they want to charge me $650 for a replacement door. Quality Bath does not stand behind their products at all.

  • M Miller
    5 months ago

    After 2 years of ownership you are complaining that it's Quality Bath's fault that now one light does not work? This cracks me up, it's absurd. How does a light going out after 2 years mean that it's a Robern knock-off? SMH at what people will say. If actually that is even a person, and not a bot post paid for by a competitor of Quality Bath. @roughearth15 is a first-time one-time commenter who has resurrected a 2-year old thread, so who knows if they are real.