Snyder Diamond

The installers who came turned out to be totally incompetent. They didn't have the model numbers from Snyder Diamond of the machines I was considering, therefore didn't have official specs/dimensions. And at first they didn't even measure my laundry closet, they just looked at it and said "Oh yeah, they'll fit." When I incredulously asked whether they wanted to take any measurements, they reluctantly pulled out a tape measure, and I gave them a printout of the web page for one of the three machines. They concluded that the machines would fit, and reported this back to Snyder Diamond; they also said they would inform their company that at installation time they should bring a tight elbow fitting for the dryer vent. On that basis I ordered those machines. On delivery day, the same installation company claimed to have never heard of the instruction re: tight elbow and didn't have one on their truck, and also claimed I was supposed to pay for new hoses, which Snyder Diamond explicitly said were included in their installation price ($90). Low and behold, the machines didn't fit--the bifold doors could not be closed in front of them. But the installer said if I just moved the door track 3/4" outward then the doors would close. This turned out to be false. I had to hire a contractor to replace the existing door jamb with one that projects 2" further into the hallway, and now the doors (barely) close. That work cost about $1900. My contractors also discovered something the installers should have, namely that the dryer would not do any drying because of a major blockage in the vent to the roof--they figured this out by feeling the vent tube for about 30 seconds. So I complained to Snyder Diamond that (a) they should hire a different installation company, and (b) they should offer me some compensation for the fact that I shelled out $1900 in renovations that I wasn't expecting, and if I had known about the true fit at the time of the initial inspection I would have been free to choose cheaper and/or smaller machines to offset and/or eliminate that renovation cost. The manager at Snyder Diamond, Dennis Snyder, made clear over the course of our phone conversation that is philosophy is that the customer is always wrong. First he told me I couldn't I have bought smaller machines because all washer/dryers are exactly the same size as the Frigidaire models I bought (or larger). Measurements at other stores showed that to be false. I pointed out there are 'european-style' compact machines, and he claimed that I couldn't have used those because they don't run on gas (yet my home does have electricity!) and need a vented space (my laundry closet does have an exhaust fan), so again he was wrong. And he claimed I couldn't have acquired the machines cheaper elsewhere because they have a price matching guarantee, but when I pointed out I already found those machines cheaper on the internet, he launched into a long explanation of why a brick-and-mortar store can't possibly match prices of internet retailers--which was totally irrelevant since I HAD THE CHOICE OF WHERE TO BUY. In essence, he tried to tell me I would have had no choice but to pay all the money I paid even if I had had accurate information to begin with, which is simply false. Moreover, he never apologized for the incompetence of the installation company, or for anything else. All he did was say that 'because we always want our customers to be satisfied' he would offer me $100 refund, which I received. (Of course I never said that would satisfy me, and he never asked.) He also had in front of him proof that I had spent about $4500 at Snyder Diamond within the last year on a bathroom reno, and I should therefore not be treated like a walk-in customer. He just didn't care.

After surfing the internet for cabinet knobs for my kitchen remodel, I decided before I buy I would like to see the knobs in person before buying them. So I went to Snyder Diamond in Santa Monica to see if they had any of the knobs and latches I was interested in on display (they did). The salesperson who came to help me when I entered the store was Andreas Ong. He was very nice and helpful and patient. When I didn't see the exact knobs in the size I was looking for , he looked in the catalogues and computer for me. He was not pushy at all and much to my surprise was able to give me prices on my knobs and latches which lower than the prices I found on the internet. At first the prices he quoted to me were much higher than what I saw on the internet, but when I showed him the printouts I had showing the prices available on the internet, he took them to his manager who then approved the lower prices for me. They even accepted two $5 manufacturer coupons I had printed from the internet!! The knobs and latches I ordered took about 2 1/2 weeks to arrive (that's why I gave them a "B" for punctuality). I wish they could have come a bit quicker, but it was worth the wait since I saved about $207 over the internet prices. So I learned that buying things on the internet are not always cheaper. Just ask for the lower prices, you might be pleasantly surprised like I was. All in all, I received outstanding service from Andreas and fantastic prices for my knobs at Snyder Diamond.

They have stores in Pennsylvania and Santa Monica and we use the store in Santa Monica. There was a lot of personal attention and care in the selecting of the items and a lot of work went in to dealing with them. They were very good and efficient. They gave us a very good deal of one to four because one of the appliances was a sub zero refrigerator. They gave us warranties and provided installation also.

It was a completely unsatisfactory experience. I bought faucet set from Snyder Diamond. When installation was nearly complete, the plumber discovered that the faucet was missing one small piece. Snyder Diamond refused to give me the part that I had already purchased unless I paid an additional $20. The alternative that they gave--to take out the faucet set which was at that point almost entirely installed and bring the entire set back to exchange for one with the missing part--was not an option. They had the part in question in stock, I had paid for it, but they refused to give it to me.

What a nightmare! My order was supposed to take 4-6 weeks to fill. The Jado fixtures I ordered came in around 3 weeks. One of the Jado faucets was defective. The handle wouldn't turn. It was sent back to Jado where apparently a technician took pliers (with teeth) to it and it was returned scratched up. I eventually took the floor model. One of the Kohler sinks was scratched, the replacement sent was the wrong sink. The Rubinet three way diverter valve for the shower was defective. The Rubinet fixtures came in 9 and a half weeks after ordering, along with the mirrors. 9 and a half weeks! One of the towel bars delivered was the wrong one. All in all, I made 6 or 7 trips to the showroom to correct mistakes, replace parts, and pick up the correct pieces. My two week job has now turned into a 3 month job.

I knew what kind of bathtub I wanted but didn't know what brand, etc. I walked around with my contractor and the sales rep and found a great tub. He looked up online the dimensions and the side paneling that I wanted and even called the company to triple check they had it in stock and ready to go. I was in and out in 25 minutes and very happy. The sales rep even called me to confirm delivery date which I know sounds like something they should do, but in my experience sales rep often don't.

I worked with sales associate Chan and he was fantastic. Threw in free delivery, never was pushed like at Pacific Sales. Prices were excellent, most of the time could beat anyone else price that I had gotten. Will use again and again!

Good experience. They even suggested that I could arrange to have my plumber pick up the toilet, thus saving on their delivery charge. Also once I picked it out, I was able to order it and pay for it over the phone and fax without having to go back to the store. It was in stock and ready to pick up which was great, no waiting. Professional, wide selection, helpful. The parts department varies, some are helpful, others difficult to interact with and not very helpful, kind of a "gotcha" mentality.

THE STAFF WAS HELPFUL ONCE I GOT TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE. THEY ARE VERY BUSY AND IT TAKES A WHILE FOR SOMEONE TO SERVICE YOU. THEY DID NOT STOCK THE PART I NEEDED BUT HELPED ME LOCATE IT AND ORDERED IT FOR ME.