I have also had major problems with our tiles from Hafary that I would like to share with everyone.
Our contractor recommended Hafary to us, so we went down to their showroom at Tradehub 21 and selected some tiles for our HDB living room, which the salesgirl informed us was homogeneous tile. The tiles were delivered shortly afterwards and our contractor began installing it on our living room floor the next day. However, when we popped in to check the progress, we were totally shocked because the tiles looked completely different from the showroom sample that we saw. So we quickly brought a piece back down to their showroom to compare side-by-side, and I think the photo speaks for itself:
Showroom sample is on the right, vs. the actual tile that we received on the left. Same design & pattern.
Once we were at the showroom, we could easily identify what the problem was. The original showroom tile is homogeneous tile material, which has a polished surface and the same texture all the way through. It feels cool to the touch and smooth, like marble. Whereas the actual tile that we received is actually ceramic tile, which is basically just a printed photograph stuck onto a cheap tile backing. The feel is warm and sticky, like a bathroom tile. More importantly, the cost is also up to 50% cheaper compared to homogeneous tile.
See here for a detailed explanation of the differences between the two: https://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060827223604AAO8SIZ
Close-up of showroom sample (right) vs. actual tile that we received (left). The pattern is exactly the same, but you can see that the showroom homogeneous tile has a polished/reflective surface like marble, whereas the ceramic version is glossy but non-reflective. Also there is no subtle variation of colour or veins like in the homogeneous tile.
You can clearly see the difference in the tile composition in this photo. The showroom homogeneous tile (on the right) has the same white colour all the way through the tile. Whereas the actual tile that we received (on the left) is only white on the surface, and below it is an orangey colour.
The showroom sample label also states that the tile has shades & veins variations (meaning 2 tiles won't look exactly alike). The salesgirl on the day that we purchased also assured us that the this would be the case. However, you can clearly see that every tile installed in our living room floor is a copy of each other. Every tile looks exactly the same:
Showroom sample label (centre) clearly states shades & veins variation, which salesgirl confirmed would be the case.
Actual tile installed in our living room floor. No shades or veins variation whatsoever.
We pointed all this out to the showroom assistant and manager, and first of all they acted like there was nothing wrong: this was just a normal variation of the design and was to be expected. However, my husband (who luckily happens to be an architect) pointed out the fact that the showroom sample is homogeneous tile material, whereas the one that we received is ceramic tile. Then they tried telling us that our tiles came from a different batch than their showroom sample, but again we pointed out that it's nothing to do with the design or QC, it's a totally different material. Finally the manager told us that they had received a new shipment of tiles, but they hadn't gotten round to changing the showroom sample or the label on the tile yet. We pointed out that they hadn't gotten round to changing the price either.
In other words, they were charging us $4.50 p.s.f. (premium price) for a knock-off version of their showroom sample. Homogeneous tile vs. ceramic tile -- it's like diamond vs. cubic zircon. Or charging us for an original Louis Vuitton handbag, then giving us a fake China product instead. This is a very dodgy way of doing business if you ask me...
In the end they apologised and agreed to let us select a new tile, but not after we wasted a whole morning in their showroom; not to mention the extra cost & headache of replacing the tile that was already installed and the subsequent project delays. Also, I feel like it is one thing to apologise to us, but I sincerely hope that they won't do this sort of thing again to other customers, because in my opinion it's total misrepresentation and very deceptive business practice. And according to the floor manager, we are not even the first customers who have complained about this issue before...
Therefore I would advise everyone to be very careful when dealing with Hafary, because IMHO they are not straightforward about their dealings. They basically tried to substitute a 50% cheaper, knock-off version of their tile in a different material to us and hoped that we wouldn't notice. Luckily we spotted it right away, but what about other customers who might not be able to distinguish?? Quality control is one thing: scamming your customers is something completely different.
