$30 Harbor Freight Rant

[Charlie_Iliff]

A while back, I ordered several hundred dollars worth of stuff from Harbor Freight's website, primarily air tools. They weren't fast, but after a while a box arrived. In it, along with most things I ordered, was a trailer spare wheel and tire, which I hadn't ordered and for which I have no use. Missing was a set of impact sockets which I need now.

After a series of e-mails, I am advised that Harbor Freight will not send the sockets which I ordered, and will not refund the money they charged to my credit card for those sockets, until I return the trailer wheel and tire, with a shipping label that they will send me by regular mail when they get around to it.

It's only $29.99 that I'm out until some day in the future, along with the sockets that I need now and will get at a local Home Despot or somewhere. But, it's a substantial irritation that correction of their mistake seems to be my responsibility rather than theirs. And, although I trusted them with my credit card number for a several hundred dollar order, they don't trust me to stick a label on a box and send it back to them. It seems not to occur to them that I wouldn't have told them about the mistake if I'd been dishonest and out to cheat them /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

It will move Harbor Freight well down my personal list of suppliers.

Sorry for the rant.

Actually I'm not sorry at all. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[popeye]

I just emailed Corner Hardware with a similar letter on some axe handles I ordered. After paying shipping both ways. Which includes the return of wrong merchandise. I would still be out $19.00. Merchandise on the web page did not match what I got. Their reply to the shipping issue was "shipping is the customers responsibility. My question is? Whose responsible for misrepresentation and sending the wrong merchandise. This is the first bad experience I have had with ordering over the net. Guess I got a little complacent and careless.

Mike

 

[cmsedore]

My advice: First call HF and tell them to refund or you will call your credit card company and protest the charge. If you protest the charge, they lose in this scenario, at least in my experience.

I had a vendor double my order. One item arrived, then, a few days later, a duplicate. They said "refuse shipment: UPS will take it back". Called UPS: "You have to pay". Called vendor, they said sorry you have to pay. I said "I will not pay return shipping for something I didn't order." At that point, we were at an impasse.

Finally, I called my credit card company, who asked for a letter. I wrote a simple letter telling what happened and offering to return the item if they provided a shipping label. After one more request for info from the credit card folks, I still have the item (almost a year later), and haven't paid for it (of course, I have no use for it either, so it just sits here).

I think you only have 30 days from when you receive your statement to protest, so don't wait too long.

-Chris

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red">My advice: First call HF and tell them to refund or you will call your credit card company and protest the charge. If you protest the charge, they lose in this scenario, at least in my experience </font>

That's good advice, Chris. I hope it won't be necessary, since they did say that they'll refund the money -- they just refuse to do so until I send back the unordered and unwanted merchandise. They also said they'd refund my handling, whatever that means. Perhaps the label they're sending isn't pre-paid. If that's true, I'll be in your scenario fairly promptly.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I've never dealt with Harbor Freight but have had similar problems with other vendors. When I encounter stupidity such as you apparently did, I simply ask for a supervisor and quietly and logically explain my position and what I think would be the best solution.

In your situation I'd suggest that they not only immediately ship but overnight ship my sockets since they should already have arrived. I would also ask that they credit my credit card the shipping for the entire order as, after all, they didn't shipped my order (my complete order) as promised and I was without the sockets I'd bought and for which I had paid. I would, of course, offer to return the errantly sent item as soon as I receive their pre-paid shipping label.

As you can clearly see here, when my position is presented in this manner, there's hardly any reasonable answer but "Yes, sir. We'll get that out to you right away. Thank you" You should have it in the morning." If there's any 'negotiation' after that, the worst I'd expect you to end up with would be paying the shipping you'd already agreed to pay and/or only getting the sockets sent to you via normal channels instead of overnight delivery.

Those things aren't that big of a deal, anyhow (unless you really DO need those sockets tomorrow). In well over 95% of cases like this, I get everything I want. Logic is a wonderful thing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RanchMan]

Charlie -

<font color="blue">They also said they'd refund my handling, whatever that means. Perhaps the label they're sending isn't pre-paid. If that's true, I'll be in your scenario fairly promptly.
</font>
HF has 2 charges you incur - (1) a standard "Handling fee" of $5.95 on all orders; and (2) shipping if the total cost of your purchase was less than $50. The return label they will be sending you is a "freight due" one meaning that HF will pay the postage (whatever it adds up to) once it arrives back at them. You will not have any out-of-pocket expenses to send it back. Pretty much all you'll have to do is put the pre-printed form that will come from HF in the box (identifies you as the one to credit), attach the pre-printed label (filling in your return address), and drop it off at the local Post Office. A couple of weeks later you'll receive a post card in the mail from HF showing you have been credited the amount of the returned item.

I've sent things back to HF before my self. (can ya tell? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif) I’ve also sent things back to other companies in the past (names you'd recognize) and have NEVER had them pay for return shipping of a returned product, much less refund me their "handling fee."

I understand your frustration, but it sounds to me that HF is trying to do you "right" - all they want to do is make sure they get their item back before credit your card (you are in possession of it, after all.) It also sounds like they are giving you an additional $6.00 back (which is substantially more than enough to cover any finance charges you will incur on your credit card for the couple of weeks this takes to clear up.) If that was the only item you ordered, then yea, you'll be out somewhere in the neighborhood of $.25 in finance charges (assuming you have a really high rate card.) If you ordered other stuff too, then you will essentially be receiving an additional discount on your purchase in the form of a refund.

To me, the HF deal is a pretty good one. That time factor is the biggest drawback with HF. If I gotta have it for something soon, I don't go the HF route, but otherwise it's a pretty inexpensive route to go. Again, I understand your frustration, but going off the deep end and contesting the charge will only wind up costing you more money out of your pocket. Sometime working “through the system” is a bit tiresome, but I’ve never had HF do me wrong when it came to returns - I suspect that you won’t either.

<font color="blue">Missing was a set of impact sockets which I need now ... I am advised that Harbor Freight will not send the sockets which I ordered... </font>

I can't promise this is what is happening, but there are times when HF discontinues a specific item and it is no longer available. I have received both "backorder" notices and "discontinued" notices for items I had ordered. The BO ones have always come in (although sometimes a significant delay) while the "discontinued/cancelled" items are just that - no longer available. Simply another less than great thing about HF - but again, I've had catalogs from other companies where items were no longer available when I went to finalize my purchase too, so it's not a unique scenario.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Gary:
My communication was by e-mail rather than phone. Essentially I requested exactly what you suggest. The response was repeatedly: "We're sorry, but we can not do that until you return the item."
You're right that it isn't that big a deal. But, I had to buy the sockets at Sears today, because I need them now. That was part of the irritation.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> I understand your frustration, but it sounds to me that HF is trying to do you "right" - all they want to do is make sure they get their item back before credit your card (you are in possession of it, after all.) </font>

Ranchman:
You're probably right that it will all work out, but it isn't because they're trying to do me right. As you note, they're trying to ensure that I am not venal enough to take advantage of their mistake. That has two irritating aspects: First, that they don't trust me for the value of their cheapo 8" wheel and tire when I trusted them with a credit card number; and second that they refuse to send the sockets I ordered in time for me to use them, requiring me to buy a set locally. My concern is certainly not the credit card interest, which will be zero because I've already prepaid it. I am just angry at the hassle - certainly disproportionally to the amount at issue - but if I can't rant at minor irritations, I might have to think about something important. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> My communication was by e-mail rather than phone </font>

I think that was a big part of the problem. You were at the lowest level of the food chain there. My suggestion would have been to escalate your problem to a higher level. To me, that's key if only because you'll be dealing with someone who's often able to go outside the 'policy' you're hearing at the lower level.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> My suggestion would have been to escalate your problem to a higher level. </font>

If more were at stake, that certainly would make sense. I got tired of fooling with it, however, and went and bought my sockets, because I was scheduled to change/sharpen blades on three mowers today. Of course it's now raining five hours ahead of predicted schedule, and mowing will be tomorrow evening at the earliest -- it's that kind of spring.
Thanks for the responses.