[Did You Know] Labels Tell it All

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This post actually arises because of a situation I bumped into recently with a client.  They had bought some 'engineered hardwood' from a warehouse/overstock type company about a year ago and had already started walking through the wear layer and the actual veneer layer!

(By the way a veneer layer when it comes to engineered hardwood is the top layer of hardwood that you see - thicker the better.)

They still had a carton label for the product which I took a look at.  No where on the label did it every say the word 'hardwood'.  And it also mentioned that it was made in Indonesia. 

That there shows the two problems with that floor...

1. Always make sure you know EXACTLY what you're buying and have it in writing.  If the label doesn't say 'hardwood' it is probably not hardwood.
2. If a product (at least in regards to flooring) is made anywhere besides in the USA, Canada, or Europe it is probably a quote-unquote 'budget' product meaning it was made cheaply and will perform cheaply.  As the saying goes, "You get what you pay for."

We've all had times where we were grocery shopping in a hurry and grabbed the wrong can of this or the wrong box of that (at least, I know I have: powdered sugar instead of white sugar anyone!)  And when it comes to a small (comparatively speaking) amount of money, it's easy to deal with.  But when it comes to a multiple hundred to thousand dollar purchase, you are going to want to take your time and make sure you're actually getting what you think you're getting. 

What label-mix-up stories do you have to share?