Complaint Review: The Home Depot

Over the years Ive spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at Home Depot remodeling our homes, our rental/retirement home and procuring supplies for several businesses.  Ive stayed with Home Depot out of convenience as Lowes has superior lumber/building materials, pricing, and generally more educated employees.  At Home Depot Ive got a school teacher trying to find a 20amp breaker in the tool department since a "breaking device" must be a tool.

Anyway, under the advice of a Home Depot Associate I tried a 14k BTU LG portable AC.  I was told, that if it doesnt do the trick, return it and we can try a mini split (to cool a warm section of my house built in 1949).

Im also literally buying and returning items weekly.  Paint wrong color, something didnt fit, etc.  Never has anyone said a word as the Associates in this store know me - and in fact even encourage me to purchase items Im on the fence about - "because you can always return it".  I also almost always have a reciept or the sale can be tracked to a credit card. Amex if not my HD Card.

Occaisionally Ill return something with a reciept - but because I have to purchase something else, tell the Associate to just give me a store credit.

Well the ac unit I purchased at $599 had 5 other items totalling more than $100.  My final tally was about $700.  I had a $9.09 store credit in my wallet - been there for months - so I used it first and placed the balance on my HD card.  Ive got a $12k credit line - that HD increases about once a year.

Well I had the ac unit for exactly 18 days.  7 of which was out of the box and running.  After we realized the btus were too low, we boxed back up and i finally had a chance to return.

When I go to return I am declined.  Mind you I had 72 more days until my 90 day return date written on my reciept expired.

i was declined because I had used a store credit on this transaction - and one could argue the $9.09 store credit went against the other $100 in merchandise - but becasue the transaction had a store credit used - $9.09/$701.53 - 1.3% of the total payment - I was declined according to TRE, the Retail Equation.  Furious, I got home and called TRE and they stated I must produce a reciept without the store credit in order to return the AC unit.  Rep at TRE stated there was nothing they could do.

Now in lieu of the portable unit I was getting quotes on a split mini Mitsubishi ductless system through HD in Home Services.

i tried explaining to TRE Rep she was putting a $3500 sale at risk.

Tomorrow I am calling Corp and if they dont accept the return, I am cancelling my mini split, gathering anything I purchased in last 90 days and returing - and droping the AC unit on the Return Desk along with my credit cards and a note to pound salt.

What these idiots at TRE dont consider is just how much Ive spent over the years.

Depot - you are losing a high volume 25 year customer - all because you cant make an empowered decision.

what a shame............but Lowes is only 10 miles ...but you reap what you sow.  HD you can try to collect on the bill - but you wont get a red cent.