WARNING!! home depot shoppers

[gemini5362]

I picked up my 80 sheets of plywood that I left at Lowes the day before. I just had to show the cashier my receipt. Two of the clerks from the lumber department loaded my trailer for me and I was good to go.

I have noticed something interesting about the lowes store that I go to. I go in there quite a bit and know who the managers are. you can go down the aisles and see the general store manager helping customers find what they want. Often I have seen department managers helping customers loading vehicles with their purchases when the clerks are busy. The other night I was in there and there was a long line of people at the checkout register. I saw the assistant store manager walk over to one of the cash registers and start checking people out. There is another store that is closer to me but I drive the extra distance to this one because it gives better service. To me it seems that having the managers willing to jump in and do what ever needs to be done to help the customer out shows a commitment to customer service that more stores need to develop.

 

[Bedlam]

I noticed when our local Lowes opened, I was in need of a stove(electric). We went to HD. and they didn't have any of the lower end ones in stock. And estimated up to a week before they would have any in.
So we went to Lowes which had just opened. We found a good stove with just what we wanted.I saw a sale person come over and ask if he could help. I said yes please, we would like this stove. He looked it up ,and said he would be right back. shortly , he came back with it.And he wheeled it out front, where we paid for it, he continued to the car with it and helped slide it, in. I WAS UNPRESSED and so was my 80 year old dad. One person from start to finish, Just the way it should be.
When I bought my water heater at HD. I had to find load it onto a cart and check out by myself. And listen to the big sales pitch about the warranty for and extra 50 some odd dollars.(water heater cost 175.)..
Its interesting how they all say SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.
just how far will they go...
Al

 

[Bird]

I have had help loading at both Home Depot and Lowe's, and on other occasions had to do the loading myself with no help at all at each of them. So now if I want help loading, I don't gather up the stuff and pay for it first. Instead, I go to the cashier and say, "I'd buy X number of (whatever) if someone would put it in my truck". You know, they've always found someone to go put it in my truck.

 

[Dargo]

Okay, I just got screwed by HD. I won't go into the complete story (it's too long), but it involves about $6000 of special order doors. First, they had one in stock and I reluctantly agreed to have them install it (I normally do all my own work) since they dropped their price to try to entice me to let them install the rest. Well, what a shocker, the installer showed up 3 days late, installed the door incorrectly, and split the jamb because he used too large of screws without pre-drilling. Rather than point it out and offer to repair the damage, they simply didn't mention it and bolted as soon as they had it installed. Since they were in such a hurry to leave, they also failed to leave some additional parts.

I called HD and they said they'd "make it right" with me when the other doors came in in a week or so. A month later, when they finally came in, the department manager and the store general manager refused to make good on the door their installer damaged. They told me that I'd have to take it up with the installer. I politely explained to them that, as far as I was concerned, they were the installer. I paid them for the job and they are the ones who subcontracted the installer; so I feel it's their problem. They disagree. What do you think?

Next, another of the special order doors came complete with shipping damage. I noted the damage and got to play the "who's on first" game with the department manager and store manager. An hour and a half later, the store general manager told me that a certain amount of shipping damage is expected and is reflected in their prices. What?!! I see nothing in my receipts about buying a 2nd, or a scratched and damaged door. I paid in full for a special order new door. The best the store general manager would do was to "give" me some magic marker of sorts to try to hide some of the damage!

I'm glad I didn't come out and side with Home Depot. From my point of view it seems that they must be hurting in a big way for money and have instructed their store managers to save money every way possible. It's no wonder that across the highway the Lowe's parking lot is nearly full and the Home Depot, where I stood in anger, was nearly empty. Is Home Depot going down the tubes?? Did they spend too much money sponsoring Tony Stewart's race car to be able to take care of their customers?? It sure looks to me like they spent all their money on advertising and have opted to leave their customers out in the cold. Am I missing something here?

BTW, they had my money in full so I couldn't just leave the door. After having paid for them over 5 weeks earlier I felt it would be tough to get my money back. So, I spent a hundred bucks or so of my money and all day yesterday fixing the damage on a brand new door from Home Depot. As far as I'm concerned, they can go ahead and go bankrupt. Sorry, but I don't see where they are taking care of their customers; even when pushed to do so. I know I won't shop there again.

Sorry for being so long, but does anyone think it would be worth my trouble to write Home Depot's main office and explain my situation?

 

[dmccarty]

Dargo,

I would complain up the chain of command.

I don't see this as a HD worse/better than Lowes, it just depends on the store manager. My impression is that the managers have a fair amount of freedom in running the store.

We spent alot of money at HD and had some ups and downs but they always made it right.

What is funny is that I DON'T want anyone but me loading my truck. They often offer to help but I don't want it.

Some of what we needed HD did not sell and they sent us to Lowes. One of those items was custom ordered doors, 8'x 3' solid wood, that we bought from Lowes. We finally got the doors and they where installed by our GC. One door was obviously damaged in shipment by pallet forks. The doors had been unloaded at the house and put on the porch with the damage door being the one next the house, i.e., no way for us to see the damage until we had moved the other doors. The painter did an excellent job trying to patch the door which was damaged on the backside of the door. The door is almost always open and thus the damage is not seen. But we paid over $800 for that door so I want a new one. We went to Lowes told them the problem and they reordered the door. Given the lack of effort on our part to get them to order a $800 door, I'm sure they knew they had damaged the door. Weeks later the door arrived and Lowes sent a man out to take off the damaged door and hang the new one. No charge.

The door is not finished of course and in the meantime my youngest daughter has written all over the door in pen!!!!!! It can be sanded off so I guess it is a good thing that the door was not finished. The builder is getting back this week to fix a few things so this should finally get fixed.

Certainly Lowes did it right with us but so did HD. I guess we got lucky!

I would complain about the door to the manager's boss. If that fails I would see if the local TV trouble shooter would like to go after a big box store.... Hmmmmm....

Later,
Dan

 

[Dusty]

.........Sorry for being so long, but does anyone think it would be worth my trouble to write Home Depot's main office and explain my situation?

Yes!!

What I don't understand through this entire thread, is why people don't just shop the local lumber yard? When you are spending this amount of money on doors, etc. the local lumber yard can match any savings that you will find at HD or Lowe's. OK, granted, they local lumber yard doesn't keep the same hours as the box store, but the service will be better, and they are usually open half day on Saturday. They will also deliver, and even recommend a good carpenter to do the installation. Even if it costs you a few extra dollars, you are dealing with a local company that spends the profits in the community. Where do the profits go that HD, Lowe's, Walmart, Big Lots, etc. go? To stock holders all over the country and world. Those profits rarely get spent in the local where they were earned. Be a good citizen of your community and support the local economy.
Dusty

 

[Dargo]

Be a good citizen of your community and support the local economy.
Dusty

Lesson learned.

 

[plowking]

I have a Lowes near me, opened last year. They have done right by me. I still shop the small hardware stores near me. I had HD install their brand of jalousy windows[ my wife went and picked windows and made the arrangements] Their installers came in cold weather and framed openings with rough lumber and [acrylic caulking,I think]it cracked and I had to reseal all the windows with silicone. The window manufacturer will send me parts I need, so I have no complaints about them. I've had tradesmen tell me the brands of windows , other items,aren't as good at home improvement stores HD, haven't bought large item at Lowes yet, then if you bought directly from their respective manufacturers. I have sent my wife and she has come back with something different, because of a recommendation of a salesperson. That wouldn't bother me, except they were out of an item one time and sold her something that didn't hold up as well. plowking

 

[MossRoad]

Okay, I just got screwed by HD. I won't go into the complete story (it's too long), but it involves about $6000 of special order doors. First, they had one in stock and I reluctantly agreed to have them install it (I normally do all my own work) since they dropped their price to try to entice me to let them install the rest. Well, what a shocker, the installer showed up 3 days late, installed the door incorrectly, and split the jamb because he used too large of screws without pre-drilling. Rather than point it out and offer to repair the damage, they simply didn't mention it and bolted as soon as they had it installed. Since they were in such a hurry to leave, they also failed to leave some additional parts.

I called HD and they said they'd "make it right" with me when the other doors came in in a week or so. A month later, when they finally came in, the department manager and the store general manager refused to make good on the door their installer damaged. They told me that I'd have to take it up with the installer. I politely explained to them that, as far as I was concerned, they were the installer. I paid them for the job and they are the ones who subcontracted the installer; so I feel it's their problem. They disagree. What do you think?

Next, another of the special order doors came complete with shipping damage. I noted the damage and got to play the "who's on first" game with the department manager and store manager. An hour and a half later, the store general manager told me that a certain amount of shipping damage is expected and is reflected in their prices. What?!! I see nothing in my receipts about buying a 2nd, or a scratched and damaged door. I paid in full for a special order new door. The best the store general manager would do was to "give" me some magic marker of sorts to try to hide some of the damage!

I'm glad I didn't come out and side with Home Depot. From my point of view it seems that they must be hurting in a big way for money and have instructed their store managers to save money every way possible. It's no wonder that across the highway the Lowe's parking lot is nearly full and the Home Depot, where I stood in anger, was nearly empty. Is Home Depot going down the tubes?? Did they spend too much money sponsoring Tony Stewart's race car to be able to take care of their customers?? It sure looks to me like they spent all their money on advertising and have opted to leave their customers out in the cold. Am I missing something here?

BTW, they had my money in full so I couldn't just leave the door. After having paid for them over 5 weeks earlier I felt it would be tough to get my money back. So, I spent a hundred bucks or so of my money and all day yesterday fixing the damage on a brand new door from Home Depot. As far as I'm concerned, they can go ahead and go bankrupt. Sorry, but I don't see where they are taking care of their customers; even when pushed to do so. I know I won't shop there again.

Sorry for being so long, but does anyone think it would be worth my trouble to write Home Depot's main office and explain my situation?

Hahahahahaha!!!! I'm laughing with you, Dargo. Many years ago I ordered shingles from a large home improvement store that were to be delivered to the roof of my house. The truck shows up and it is a flat bed. They have a motorized conveyor (with no airplane on it, by the way) and the guy expects me to help him put it up. So I get up on the roof and he starts to lift the conveyhor into place. As soon as I get my hand on it, he drops it off the edge of the flatbed, it drops 3 feet, I let go so it doesn't yank me off the roof and it slams my aluminum siding and falls to the ground. I call the store manager and tell him what happens. Tell him I paid for delivery to the roof and expected them to get them to the roof without my assistance. He tells me to send the delivery guy back and they'll take care of the siding and getting the shingles to the roof. Then I hear nothing for several days. I call the manager and he says I have to sue the delivery guy, because even though the truck has their big store name on it, in fine print it says he's a contractor for BIG STORE COMPANY. He ain't their employee and they won't help me recover damages to my house. Took it all the way up to corporate and they basically said, "so sue us". I talked to alawyer and he said it wasn't worth it. I got my shingle money back, but was left with a dent in my siding.

So I took my shingle money + 10% more and bought from a local lumber yard. They came out with real boom truck and delivered them to me as I walked across the roof.

When dealing with the big home improvement stores, it is truly "buyer beware!"

 

[Dusty]

MossRoad..... allow me to tell you the story about my old friend Bubba
who had Shingles.

Those of us who spend much time in a doctor's office should appreciate this! Doesn't it seem that more and more that physicians are running their practices like an assembly line? Here's what happened to Bubba:

Bubba walked into a doctor's office and the receptionist asked him what he had. Bubba said, Shingles. So she wrote down his n ame, address, medical insurance number and told him to have a seat.

Fifteen minutes later a nurse's aide came out and asked Bubba what he had.

Bubba said, Shingles. So she wrote down his height, weight, a complete medical history and told Bubba to wait in the examining room.

A half hour later a nurse came in and asked Bubba what he had. Bubba said, Shingles. So the nurse gave Bubba a blood test, a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram, and told Bubba to take off all his clothes and wait for the doctor.

An hour later the doctor came in and asked Bubba what he had. Bubba said, shingles. The doctor asked, Where?

Bubba said, "Outside on the truck. Where do you want them??"