Very disappointing experience with Grado design oy: poor communication and quality issues

I purchased staircase and loft railings from Grado this year and wanted to share my experience in case others are considering ordering stairs or railings from them.

The final product was delivered and installed, but the overall process was extremely frustrating. The biggest problem was that the communication from the company was repeatedly inconsistent and in my opinion not reliable.

During the project:

- the edge of my loft was damaged during the staircase installation;
- Grado personnel entered my apartment without informing me in advance and without my approval;
- parts of the staircase were scratched during installation;
- after Grado had specifically promised to inform me before any further visits, another visit still took place without prior notice;
- I received an installation/quality-control report indicating that checks had been carried out, but Grado later acknowledged two dents on the steps that I had pointed out as defects;
- I was offered either compensation or replacement for the dented steps. I chose replacement, but only around three weeks later was I told that replacing them would require dismantling the entire staircase, and since then the company has not seemed willing to proceed with the replacement.

Communication throughout the project was also poor. The installation manager did not answer any of my phone calls, and a delay of more than three weeks was described as only a “slight” delay. On one occasion, Grado also sent a worker who did not speak English, which made it impossible for me to discuss the outstanding issues with him.

I would be very cautious about relying on Grado’s communication or quality-control process. I would not choose the company again.