I recently purchased a MAAX Optik C drop-in tub through Best Plumbing and Lighting. When the tub arrived and we unwrapped it, the neck pillows shown in the product photo were not included. I reached out to my sales consultant, who acknowledged in writing that the pictures were "deceiving." That was appreciated, but what followed was not.
I was told the pillows are sold separately and offered to me at a discounted price of $164 each. When I pushed back, the price was reduced to $130 each, described as "cost." At no point did anyone offer to simply make it right. I recommended a simple remedy: ship the two neck pillows at no charge, and update the product listing to clearly state they are sold separately so future customers are not misled. They updated the website. They did not send the pillows. There was obviously a problem worth fixing, however they were not willing to fix it for me since they already had my money.
The product page on their website had one photo of this tub. It was not a stylized lifestyle image with props. It was a straightforward product shot, and it showed the neck pillows with no indication they were sold separately. I have attached a screen capture of that listing dated April 15th so you can see exactly what I saw when I made my purchase. The Government of Canada's Competition Bureau explicitly states that businesses must not use illustrations that are different from the product being sold. This is exactly that.
I cited the Competition Bureau guidelines directly in my correspondence. The response was essentially that MAAX does not include this language on their website, so they are not responsible. The consultant did note she did not completely agree with that position, which tells you everything.
I chose a local plumbing showroom over a big box store because I expected better service and accountability. Instead, I paid a premium price and spent weeks going back and forth over two pillows that should have been clearly listed as add-ons from the start. I will be filing a formal complaint with the Competition Bureau. read more