Internet buying = NO WARRANTY (Kahrs)
was on www.kahrs.com, or more specifically:
http://www.kahrs.com/us/Consumer/Pages/start.aspx
and
it’s their Internet Purchasing Policy which I stumbled upon while roaming throughout their site…
This may have no impact on you pros; but for DIY folks (like me) who purchase products for our own use or installation – this is “good to know info!”
see their policy stated here:
http://www.kahrs.com/us/Consumer/AboutKahrs/commitments/Pages/InternetPurchasingPolicy.aspx
read that and went…WHOA!
Now I’m getting confused I think. HELP?!
Am also boucing from one internal site reference to another trying to figure out where I’d stand if I bought their flooring and installed it myself?
http://www.kahrs.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/US/Warranties/0208_FloorCareGuide.pdf
what do you think?
“Be yourself…everyone else is
already taken.” — Unknown author
Edited 10/16/2008 4:15 pm by mizshredder2
Replies
I recently bought a bunch of Konecto flooring and discovered when it arrived that rather than the normal 25 yr warrantee, internet purchases carry a one year warrantee.
My personal opinion is that this is essentially a scam in order to support the retailers that are screaming about internet dealers. In my case, the flooring was literally half the price it sells for locally. I can understand that the retailers have a big investment in showrooms, etc and need to make more than an online supplier does but double? Especially since this was a special order so they would have made a grand for nothing more than placing the order and handing it to me when it arrived.
Personally I'd buy it without a second thought as long as you have no misgivings about being able to install it correctly (I don't know what product you're looking at). What are the odds of getting defective flooring?
Anyway, that's my take...
PaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
Product quality is top notch. Claims ratio is one of the lowest in the industry. The only chances of getting defective flooring will happen during shipping. When I was selling on the web I ran into constant problems shipping the Kahrs Longstrip products because of their length (96”) and the smaller manufacturer pallets(about eight inches shorter than the product on each side).
That issue ticked me off constantly with the supplier I worked with who basically didn’t give a rats behind most of the time. I’d safely say for every 10 shipments, three got damaged. It’s usually fork lift drivers that push pallets into other pallets around in trucking warehouses, or when the truck is loaded The hardwood hanging over the edge of the pallet gets crushed. It got so bad I had each order (an extra $60.00 I paid for)shipped to my warehouse then repackaged on a larger more secure pallet.
Before I learned my lesson I had replacement shipments (2-4 boxes as an example to fill order) get damaged too. It was a nightmare. Now if you’re looking at their Castle Cottage…no problem..shorter lengths, proper pallets. Rarely freight problems. As far as installation warranties…they won’t help on that if it’s a DIY.
My final 2 products looking at are a Mannington Heritage Hickory in Saffron (handscraped, engineered, 25 yr warranty) and the Kahrs Brazilian Cherry Brazilia Woodlock in teh 2strip planks.
I noted on your site that it got installer ratings of 5 stars and ease of install "floating DIY friendly".
But I'm not sure how concerned to be about 2 other aspects of that Kahrs product:
1 - as your own site says, "Color change: pronounced darkening from tan/salmon color to deep reddish brown" and,
2 - from the Kahrs website it says in their "floor Care Guide and LIfetime Guarantee" under "Exclusions", that this particular Brazilian cherry is expected to darken in color and GET WHITE SPOTS that "develop after installation in the Brazillian Cherry and Doussie species, are excluded form our Guarantee. Exposure of all or portions of the installed flooring to direct sunlight may cause variations in color, and such variatins in color are not covered by warranty."
But I honestly don't think I'll be in this house more than 3-5 more years, so I'm very unsure how much to be concerned about these aspects of the Brazilian Cherry Woodlock Kahrs product. Your thoughts? (TIA!)
BTW, love the great info on your website. I think I've virtually printed out and made highlights on key portions of darn near the whole thing. Especially the page "HW Floor Moldings, Types, Uses, Where?"
:-)
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author
Thanks Paul!
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author
Looks like you already have a better answer than I can give you. I buy smaller stuff online, but never consider larger items like this specifically because I fear the hassle of damages and time to deal with returns and credits.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I'm gonna check if Direct Buy handles Kahrs and if so, see how any purchase via DB, is affected by - or not - the posted Kahrs "internet purchasing policy"...?
We'll see!
One of the things I'll be getting to very soon, is planning the final plank layout orientation and whether or not, and by how much, to rip the starter board - given that I've got 2 adjoining rooms with key features to accommodate. I may need some help from someone who does Sketchup to help me evaluate the options for layout...
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author
I never quite got my head wrapped around SU. I speak a different CAD language.bUt post when you need help, there are plenty good guys here, as you know.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
OK and will do.
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author
In the summer of '03 I installed about 2600 ft. of the 5/8" Kahrs in the house I'm in now & have had no trouble with it and only good results. I did buy it over the internet and the distributor was in Florida. I used the Beech and was a little aggravated that in the instruction sheet mentioned Beech and a couple others as not being the best choice for radiant heat applications which was what I had. It never mentioned it anywhere else prior to the install sheet. My radiant is under floor under Avantech. The other thing it said was not to open it prior to the installation do not acclimate it to the house!
I had no problems but over a poured radiant might have been an issue. I have repaired a scratch from a stone under a chair leg with great results. Good luck
Thanks for the first person account of using Kahrs with good results!
I've been downloading a lot of their free pdfs from their website. They tell ya over and over again in their literature not to open the cartons until you're ready to install because they are all sealed at some specific humidity level.
I got to go look at a friend of a friend's house where they have Kahrs installed and it looked GOOD.
So I'm feeling a lot better about making the outlay (dang stuff ain't cheap but then again, most good things aren't).
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author
I've put in Kahrs. No hassle to install, other than the usual logistical stuff concerning getting through doorways, around/under cabinets/islands, etc.. Very nice looking flooring.
Thanks Ken! I think I'm gonna pull the trigger and go ahead and place my order this week.
It means a lot to hear folks' first-person account of their experiences with a product line so thanks again!
"Be yourself...everyone else is already taken." — Unknown author