To my eye that’s a significant difference.

I feel your pain, the sample is a different color, that being said....... have you decided on a back splash yet? Adding a back splash with your creamy color will balance the two.

Big difference...not sure if it is still within what the manufacturer considers acceptable.

The sample color definitely looks better than the actual counter top with your cabinets. I would not be a happy camper.

the problem is the samples. over time they seem to change.

if you read the fine print on your contract, it will say some variation will occur and will be within normal parameters.

This is why we tell people to ALWAYS view your slab before it's cut.

The name "pure White" should have been a key that it's a whiter white. Did you tell the salesperson you wanted a warmer white or an off-white? If you did and they gave you this one, shame on them.

did you happen to look at Blizzard?

next to pure white, below, it seems warmer

lets see a pic of your entire kitchen. how does everything else look? what kind of backsplash are you doing?

hardware?

Flooring?

I can get more pictures of the entire kitchen soon but I don't go back until tuesday. We move in this weekend. I have not decided on backsplash yet and don't want to until I have the countertop figured out. Our floors are a medium brown ash. Considering these comments I'm thinking I should make an official complaint to Caesarstone. The sales person told me they couldn't do anything for me since the products can vary, but I think its not their issue anyway. It is still Caesarstone's sample. I thought the name 'pure white' was misleading too, but seeing as paint comes in all kinds of misleading names I didn't think too much about it.

there have been many other posters with your exact complaint, and it always comes back as, "It's within the normal amount of variation".

I see a marked difference between the two. I don't blame you for being upset.

But give it a try. There is a Caesarstone rep on here and I see them pop in on complaints. Hopefully they see it since you have their name in your title post. If not, reach out to them for a formal complaint.

I just don't understand why they don't update their samples.

Beth, she knew I had trouble finding a creamy white. I do remember the blizzard name but it may have had an undertone that didn't work. Or maybe the sample was off too! I will never choose from a sample again! I am so disappointed.

Lisa:

Pull some drawers and look for any manufacturer identification numbers please. Get some other whiter-white Caesarstone samples and hold them next to your top. Ask your fabricator to show you his supplier's invoice. I'm betting someone fabricated the wrong sheets.

Following up on Joseph's suggestions, you're going to have to be in contact with the manufacturer on this. Find out who the rep is that calls on your fabricator and reach out to him/her The warranty is tough and even if you are successful in getting them to replace the material you very well may have to pay the cost of new fabrication. We just went through this with a client on another quartz line. If the id numbers match, your fight is with the manufacturer, and be persistent. Good luck

So, here are some photos I got this morning. It was very sunny! You can see though that it isn't a great meld of colour, and it will forever frustrate me. I took the sample to another supplier and matched it with their sample and mine was still that creamier shade. It was a closer match than my countertops however. I just think I chose from a sample on one end of their 'variances' and was supplied with a slab on the other end. I have yet to check the numbers on the back of the slab and match them up.

Thanks everyone, your support and help is appreciated.

Beth's comment above above samples changing over time (a year?) is interesting.Wouldn't that mean that the countertops would change over time as well? I wouldn's assume samples are necessarily left sitting in the sun...so what causes the samples to change color?

Found the numbers and it IS their 'pure white' number, 1141.

Mrs S that was my question to the fabricator. She said that it could change a bit over time like the sample. I think the Caesarstone warranty suggests that it shouldn't. So what should I expect?

I wanted to add that I never signed any contract stating that I knew anything about variances. It wasn't until I got the counters in that I found this out. I would never have gotten it if I knew that it could come lighter/brighter white.

I still think once you've added a back splash, put stuff on the counter top you can make it work...... BUT I would preach loud and clear that the samples are not consistent. Why waste your time choosing from a Caesarstone sample when they do not represent the product's true color. I hope tile store owners are reading this blog so they may better serve their clientele.

Kathylawyer, that's exactly it. I wasn't actually told anything about variances and if I was I would have steered clear since I needed the perfect blend with my off-white. I had looked at other colour options but desperately tried to find a good white from all suppliers. Now I'm told that they can't promise that shade? Then why offer it? Why not tell me? I'm mostly upset because I paid for it and I can't return it. I'm also being told it is highly unlikely anyone will do anything to help me. How unfair is that?! I'm super mad. It will take extra effort on my part going forward to TRY to make this right, and maybe all for nothing. For the price I paid, it should have been right.

I still say what you rec'd is pure white. whatever sample they showed you (are you sure it was pure white) wasn't an accurate representation. So either the sample had patina from a million hands picking it up, or maybe it's a 10 year old sample that's been laying around the store, or, they gave you a different sample name.

Heck, go to a diff places and get a sample of Pure White from that place. see how it compares to your original sample, as well as your countertop.

Or order a pure white sample from caesarstone. compare the 2-3 diff samples. and then compare them all w/your countertop.

Lisa, contact a caesarstone rep (you can find a link on here too) and see what they say.

This is the one shot where the colors are very noticeable. the other shots, not so much. You're there in person so only you know. do you think w/hardware, tile splash, and other countertop accessories it would still be noticeable to you?

If so, then by all means contact a rep and get them out there.

here is there link on houzz. I just sent them a message to come and read your dilemma

https://www.houzz.com/pro/caesarstone/caesarstone

Thank you Beth H! I will try to look at more samples this week. I did see one yesterday and compared it to my original and it was lighter/whiter. I didn't bring it to the house though. I probably should have. There is another place nearby I will try to get a sample from as well. I do think that it was the sample and like I said, had I known about the variances I would have done things differently. As for my backsplash, it worries me that I now have to find the perfect blend, and if it doesn't work out it will be more of a frustration for me. I chose black handles/knobs for my cabinets so hopefully that will help draw the eye away from the mis-match. *sigh*

It is indeed a problem, Lisa, and I feel your pain. The same situation exists with fabrics, so you always want a sample from current stock. Old samples of stone and fabric can oxidize and change color over time. I doubt that it is the wrong color or that Caesarstone will give you any satisfaction.

I think that from the photo you showed there is enough of a difference to make a design statement. You can play up the cream/white palette by continuing it. Read this blog post from Amy Mitchell of Home Glow Design and see if you can capitalize on the mistake and turn it into an asset: https://homeglowdesign.com/2016/08/27/cream-white-kitchens-stroke-genius/

I just wanted to update this post to say that the response I received from Caesarstone was that this is not a warranty issue. That there is info on their website that says there could be variances, and that I could have picked out my slab. I asked how I was supposed to know that picking out my slab was an option? If no one told me, and they don't require it, but instead offer samples to choose from, then how is this fair to me? I never got a response. If, like stated above, this is an ongoing issue, why not rectify it so customers like me aren't paying hard-earned money on a product they can't just replace? Their sample was off and I'm stuck with it. They need to take some responsibility. Require everyone to choose their slab, perhaps?

Lisa, thanks for the follow-up. Unfortunately you aren't the first poster to say the same result. Caesarstone always says just what you say. So why doesn't the sales rep ever mention, "since you're doing white and the white can vary, why not pick out your slab so you can be sure to get the tone you want?"

I don't know, why don't they? Are they afraid customers will shy away from that ? possibly.

We always tell people to pick out your slab regardless of what it is. those tiny samples of granite they show you in Lowes can be completely different from the slab you actually get. People are often shocked when their granite goes in. They are never informed to go look at the slab either.

Customer service nowadays is nothing like it was 20-30 years ago. Nothing. Back then businesses would bend over backward to help you. Now? They don't care.

If Caesarstone cared they would send out updated samples every year or inform their sales reps to tell customers to go view the slab in person. Very simple to do and would cut down on complaints.

Tell me, would you ever recommend caesarstone to family or friends? Probably not.

I'd probably leave a very low rating review on Yelp for the company where you bought it. The salesman should know better. Maybe if they start getting poor reviews they'll make more of an effort.

@Caesarstone reps used to monitor the boards.

What do you have to say for yourselves?

Beth H, that's exactly how I feel about it. No customer service. I am so disappointed with them. They did say that the sample could have come from an old batch... I asked about how that was fair to me, and again I got no response.

I will leave my review. Thanks.

I am wondering whether if you had spotted the difference when the contractor brought the counter into your kitchen, but did not yet install it, whether you could have refused it at that moment and told them to leave and bring back one in the color you chose - would that have been helpful rather than trying to fight them and Caesarstone after the fact? I am asking because perhaps that should be an automatic caution to everyone who comes on this forum with questions about an imminent Quartz installation. “Examine your counter when they carry it into your kitchen before they install it, and decline if necessary, and don't pay the remaining 50% until they bring you the right one”

Miranda 33, I absolutely should have refused it. I am unfortunately one of those people who automatically assume its my fault, but once I got the sample back and matched it I saw I was right. It's also not the fabricators fault... Kinda... It's all just making me tougher in the end I think. I would never have allowed the install knowing what I know now.

Oooh. This is crazy. I wonder what happened. Did the cabinets get painted in order to create a whole new look after that? I feel for anyone that goes through this. It’s the nightmare we’re all trying to avoid.

I had this exact same thing happen to me with Silestone! I paid $2000 extra for eternal staterario because the sample matched better and didnt have pink undertones, then it came and it is blue. Doesnt match the sample at all. Silestone just says ”they don’t have to match”. They wont even send anyone out to look.

@leannabaker, was your sample a current one ... a sample that matches the current dye lot of the slabs in inventory?

An older sample will not be an exact match to any current inventory.

I've been doing remodeling/decorating and some building for the last 20 years and I quickly learnt that you always ask for a sample of the current dye lot ,or with fabrics, a CFA (cutting for approval).

Same thing with flooring. Those large boards at the flooring store can be years old and not match current dye lots. With flooring you order a box from the current inventory and have them hold the full amount you need for the project. They give you a few days to verify you are happy with the one box and place the order, or they return the stock on hold back into available inventory.

A lot of these issues got worse during covid when many manufacturers had to source raw materials, pigments, etc from different suppliers, which affected their "recipes" and the end results.

@chipsa

Im not sure how to determine if its current. The place that i ordered the quartz through didnt want me having their sample for weeks so i ordered one from Home depot. The samples wernt exactly the same but were pretty close and both looked good with the cabinets.

After it was installed and i sent a picture to the silestone rep, she said it was likely an old sample. I ordered another sample hoping to get closer to what was installed so that i could attempt to match tile. The newer sample is even creamier.

My question is: Does the fact that they say there could be a ”slight variance” cover them from any and every color difference?

According to Home Depot the samples come straight from Cosentino.

To me this is so far off, the samples are useless.

There are some stone yards that have inventory of quartz slabs. Instead of trying to ascertain if a sample represents the current dye lot, see if you can view the actual slabs in inventory and select one of them. You probably won't be able to do that if you're ordering the quartz through the big box stores, and that's a good reason not to deal with them.

As far as the manufacturers' defense that they don't guarantee exact colors, you probably don't have a claim against them for that.

But looking at your photo, it doesn't seem so horrible.

I didnt go through a big box store. I went through a cabinet company. I live in Canada and there just isnt places that have stock of quartz.

At this point (even though I cannot afford to) I feel I need to replace it but I cannot find anyone that will let me see the slabs. I cannot gamble on a color a second time.