Home Depot Woes

LBrown59 · Oct 8, 2005

Anyone have any good tips ?
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 Never combine savings / investments with insurance. They are 2 different things so always keep them separate from each other.

LBrown59 · Oct 8, 2005

The single thing that I wish I had done when I was younger, and had an income, was to spend more time educating my self about individual finances.
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I did that 21 years ago but wish I has done so another 25 years before that.
Had I done that then I would have bought fewer cars and more real estate and invested more money in savings and would have been a millionaire several times over by now.

Mismanagement of assets is the biggest killer of retirement financial security!

Farwell · Oct 8, 2005

I didn't have all the cars and toys, had too many kids. I did ok in some of my real estate ventures. Split it all in half, along with my pension and 401K going through a couple of divorces but through dumb luck, if I am careful, I should have enough to survive for a few more years. My only regret is that I don't have enough to buy the land and tractors I want.
The guys I worked with think they are going to be able to live on the company pension when they retire. The pension will probably pay their property taxes and not much more if they continue to live in California.
The Vanguard funds have really helped me preserve my investments.
Farwell

dennisthomas · Oct 9, 2005

I used to go to LOWES for all my lumber needs then i was talking to my babysitters husband who was building a deck. about 25x25 a good size deck off the back of his house. i asked him where he got the lumber and he said 84 lumber and i said really why not lowes and he said 84 beat lowes by approx 1000.00 i was shocked. i had a little building project in the works and went to 84 and they gave me a huge discount just walking off the street. needless to say i get all my lumber products from them from now on. i dont even check at lowes anymore
W

AndyM · Oct 9, 2005

I'm a Carter Lumber guy myself.
They go out of their way with extra service...

I ordered the materials for my deck railing. When it came time to deliver, they were missing a few items. The assistant manager went to another location to pick them up, and he dropped off the missing items at my house after hours in his own vehicle. On top of that, my delivery charge was refunded because of the missing items on the first trip.

You don't get that kind of treatment from the box stores!

rtimgray · Oct 10, 2005

Just a reply to this thread in general:

I guess that I have had almost a completely different experience with Home Depot and Lowes than most posting on this thread have had. I live about 40 miles away from them (Lowes and HD are located about a mile apart). We've been in the process of building our house for about the last 2 years (we've done all of the working except the septic system ourselves - excavated, poured basement, brick, framing, roofing, siding, electrical, plumbing, etc.). A lot of our lumber came from a building materials supplier in the same town as HD, - cheaper and good quality. Almost all of the sheet goods and studs came from HD - lower than building supplier. Tools, windows, doors, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans - HD. Shingles, siding, etc - HD. Everytime that I have gone to HD I have left with a positive feeling. We went one time and spent about 2 hours putting together an order. I had a clerk with me walking around with the special order list, writing down quantities and SKU numbers, then we went to the contractor desk, verified everything and set up delivery. The windows that we got were all special ordered - came in with no problems.

Now in defense of you guys, for the most part, I know what I'm looking for so I don't have to have that much help looking for something. The few times that I have needed help, I've found the folks at HD to know their store very well and the've directed me to the right spot.

My wife and I have commented several times that building the house would have been much more difficult without HD. There is a local building supplier less than five miles from the house, but their prices are sky high and they have a tiny stock of anything in house (but oh, they can get it for you). Their prices for Andersen windows were almost double HD - for the same models.

I do buy most of my plumbing and electrical stuff at a local farm/hardware store, where they do have a "can do or can get" attitude (I've been going there for years and years and years and their customer service is excellent and prices are comparable or below HD for plumbing/electrical stuff).

Maybe we are fortunate and simply have an uncommonly well-stocked, well-staffed and well-run Home Depot in our area. I'll be sure to update you guys on my future dealings, as we are getting ready for another big trip.

sixwarden9 · Oct 10, 2005

Another Home Depot story:

Yesterday I was in the big orange store looking for an air filter for the Central A/C. I use a 3M Filtrete rigid frame filter with a refillable media. I needed the refills. My bride had gone by the store last week searching for the same item. I went to the display case and they were out, but as luck would have it, a gentleman in orange garb walked by and made the mistake of asking if I was finding everything I needed. The answer was no. The gentleman was kind enough to write down the product number and check the computer for the reorder status. All is going well at this point......

When he came back he asked, "Are you sure we don't have any? The computer is showing three in stock." I humored the gentleman and looked again at the empty rack, but still did not find any. His response was to go to another store because the computer would not automatically reorder the item until it showed 0 in stock. The ironies of life!

As there were obviously none in stock I asked if it was possible to force the computer to show zero so an order would be placed. I was met by a blank stare and then, I don't know, you should probably go to another store. I tried to explain that I lived twenty miles away and would have to travel an additional twenty miles to get the nearest store, fuel prices are high, etc., etc., would he please asked about reordering. His look of annoyance told we I would be taking another trip.

goodoleboy · Oct 17, 2005

Well HD and Lowes have a great business model. Stock the shelves and stay open till 10pm so everyone can get the chance to give them their money. Most people know what they want when they go in.When a person with no knowledge of what they need and an employee "helps" them the unknowledagble person does not know the differnece.
Example I had a friend who worked at HD and was pretty smart on most subjects but not on others such as electrical (I dont think anyone is that good to know everything) and gave me bad advice as well as customer on occasion.

I do have to comment on the hours they stay open really late.If they did not stay open late I would be without the product I shopping for at 9 pm so thats a positive.

FL_Cracker · Oct 17, 2005

The fact is all HD and Lowe's are not alike. Sure the stores look the same, the product is the same and the advertise like they are the same BUT they are run by managers found in the local market. A lot rides on his skills to manage people but for the most part it's up to the quality of the local labor market. Some gene pools are just not a full as others. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Example, hire a dummy and he'll act like a dummy... When they open a store they need lots of people and you just don't know what your going to get. (Box of Chocolate)

Forest Gump

I will give the two HD stores I use(Stuart, FL & Blairsville, GA) a "thumbs up". I must also say that the Ace Hardware & Building Center in Blue Ridge, GA gives HD a run for the money. Good prices(often less than HD on lumber), great service, yard employees that help you load, and good old fashion charge account. They also offer a free delivery service to the local contractors and your sales rep will deliver small stuff in his pick-up.

Blue Ridge, GA has a new store ready to open but has only 1/2 the help they need so we'll see what happens when they go on line....

LBrown59 · Oct 17, 2005

Went to Lowes Saturday to get a 12'' long radiator type hose clamp.
I asked a guy where the hose clamps were and knew I was in trouble the minute he asked what I wanted it for.
He was no help at all.
I then asked 2 other guys where they were and they took me to the clamps in the plumbing department pointed to the counter and showed me the bin with 6'' diameter clamps saying that was the biggest they had.
Well, my lightning fast mind told me 3 x 6 is about eighteen inches long for the 6'' diameter clamp and 3x4 is about 12 inches long for the 4'' diameter clamp.
I grabbed up one of each.
Turned out the 6 incher was to long for my application but the 4 incher was just right.