End Table Troubles

Our new end tables arrived last week while we were in DC. Yesterday was the first day we had a chance to drive to Hickory to pick them up. I had Sonny drop me at Hobby Lobby to shop while he went to the furniture store to pick them up. (didn't take him near as long as I had planned!!) After lunch, we were driving back home, when he asked me "Do you know that the tables don't match?" Duh ..... no, I didn't know that. When you buy 2 tables to put in the same room, you expect matching tables. The tables are square with an oak base and 4 slate tiles on the top. The slate are all different colors. When he told the guys at the warehouse they didn't match, they said, yep, that's the way they come. Wouldn't it have been nice for the salesman to tell us that? So, when we got home and opened them up (some assembly required!), sure enough .... one table (which I kept) is real nice and pretty much like the one in the store. It has 2 black tiles and 1 tile that is sort of a copper color and the other is sorta marbled greenish.

The other table has 3 black tiles, but one of the black ones has what it looks to me like discoloration on it and the 4th tile is dark brown/coppery. Not even close to matching.

I called the store and was told that this is the way the natural stone looks - that anything from nature is that way and they could not guarantee that they would match. Well, why not tell us that before we pull out the Visa Card!!! But, she said they would just send me a box of tiles and I could replace them and pick whatever I wanted from the box to put in the table. Well, about 30 minutes later, the Parts Dept. called to tell me that they had just gotten the order for the box of tiles, but, SORRY - these tiles don't come out. They are siliconed or something in the table and no, there is not a Manager available. I could return them, BUT would be charged a 25% restocking fee! I was all ready to call the store this morning and demand satisfaction. But, surprisingly, they called me and told me they would refund them if I wanted. I really like the table so we went back to Hickory and took the "ugly"one with us. Of course, the salespeople in the store oohed and aahed over the stone in this one - how unique and different it was. (they can have it!) We were told that all the tables are different. . . At the factory, they just randomly pick tiles to put in the tables. And the funniest thing is, I told the Manager that I couldn't believe that the people putting together these tables couldn't match the tiles - that if this was going to be a floor in her home, she wouldn't want all different colors of tile. She said that a computer pulls the tiles and assembles them. That you would only have matching tables if you were buying from a high-end furniture store (can you believe she said that??). But that is the reason they are #1 in the country - because they make and sell in bulk. I don't think I'd tell a customer I don't consider my store high-end!! And I'm not talking about Wal-Mart - this is Ashley Furniture. After much discussion, the manager told us she would work it out for us. Don't know what she is going to do, but my guess is somehow she knows how to get these tiles to match! I will have to say, they were very agreeable and helpful and we didn't have to get ugly!! We'll see what happens - I'll keep you posted - if you care!!