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PSA: two very different experiences ordering tile samples

10 years ago

Just an FYI what my recent experiences ordering some tile samples through two online sites.

1. Floor and DÃ¯Â¿Â½cor: $2 samples. I ordered a total of 7 samples that ended up coming from 3 different locations. 5 samples arrived fairly quickly, but the packaging was almost non-existent. 5 tiles were wrapped in a single sheet of newsprint and placed in a shipping box. The samples arrived broken. After piecing them back together, none of the 3" x 3" samples were enough to see any veining on the marble look porcelain. They all looked like plain white or off-white tile. One sample arrived somewhat later, well packaged and undamaged. The final sample never arrived.

2. BuildDirect: Up to 5 free samples, with free shipping. I ordered 5 wood-look tile samples (they didn't have a porcelain marble I liked). They arrived quickly, well packaged and clearly marked with the manufacturer and color information.

Just based on this I will be considering BuildDirect but not Floor and DÃ¯Â¿Â½cor. I suspect others may have different experiences.

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Comments (3)

User
10 years ago
Look local. You not only have someone who knows the products that can help with suggestions, but you also get to check out large sample boards to take home.
millworkman
10 years ago
Look for reviews on here for Build Direct as I believe you will find some less than flattering reviews. I also like holly recommend shopping local for tile.
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jrueter
Original Author
10 years ago
I am shopping local as well. I just wanted to cover a few more bases by going online to look.

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