No More Home Depot for Us! Nov 28 '06 (Updated Nov 30 '06)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line Messy stores, deceptive ads, cranky workers-- goodbye to Home Depot! When Home Depot built a store right down the road from us, the hubby and I were excited. We no longer had to drive to the next town over for our home improvement projects. Every summer, I eagerly waited for the first shipments of perennials as they were unloaded from the truck. The plants were fresh and lively looking, and the prices were just right. As the years went on, we started grumbling about our local Home Depot. Products were very disorganized and it became a game of trying to match a product on display with the actual supply stored above and below. It became harder and harder to find a Customer Service Representative, let alone a happy/helpful one. After purchasing a shed and realizing that we didn't need the floor kit that the "Oh So Helpful" representative recommended, we returned the floor and obtained a store credit. As the cashier rang up the credit on to a Home Depot gift card, I asked her what would happen if we should lose it. "No problem," she responded. "I'll add the code to your name in the computer and you'll be able to get your credit if that happens." Well, sure enough, the hubby borrowed the card from me one day to make a small purchase and the card disappeared. We tore the house up-side-down and looked in both cars. Nothing. So we sheepishly trudged to the Home Depot store and let them know that we lost the card. We even had the receipt showing the last balance used. It took months of visits to Home Depot to try and obtain the credit amount. First we needed a manager's approval. Then they had to contact headquarters in Atlanta. It became a joke every time we stopped in the store or called. "We're still waiting for Atlanta." Then one day, I received a message saying that Atlanta approved the credit return but that we had to use it all at once. So I had it. I marched into the Home Depot and demanded to see a manager. While we were waiting, I shared some thoughts about customer service with the service representative and he shared some of his insights. Apparently with the arrival of a new CEO, the morale at Home Depot changed. No wonder there were so many cranky workers there. After several minutes of explaining the situation, showing the receipt and telling the very grumpy manager why I didn't want to spend it all at once, I left with the bright orange card in my wallet. It only took a couple of months, but we finally got our money back. So over the weekend, the hubby and I were up north and decided to stop in the Home Depot in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. We were looking at ceiling fans and picked one out. "Hey look, honey," I said. "The lights and fans are on sale for 25% off." The one we picked out had a flyer taped above it, so we assumed it was on sale. It wasn't. So I asked for a manager. Deceptive advertising-- how is a customer supposed to know what's on sale and what's not when the flyers are taped all over up and down the aisle and right above the product we picked up? We were kept waiting for several minutes. The cashier agreed with us: "I'd give you the sale price if I was a manager, but unfortunately, I'm not." The manager returned, and with a grim look on his face, he announced that it wasn't on sale and couldn't give us the sale price. So we walked out. We still have quite a bit of money on the bright orange card. We're going to make one final trip into our local Home Depot and purchase drywall for our basement. Then I'll be visiting Lowes and Menards from now on. ***Update*** After this was published, a friend of mine shared her dishwasher story. She purchased a diswasher from Home Depot and had it installed by one of their contractors. The person didn't connect it right and it leaked into her kitchen, destroying a wooden floor. She contacted Home Depot, and at first, they refused to take any responsibility because it was a contractor who caused it. After a lot of haggling and complaining, she was promised a refund. It took her a year to get a promised refund and reimbursement for the damaged floor.

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