Complaint Review: Home Depot - Toledo Ohio

On June 13, 2018 I went the Home Depot Store in on Secor Rd. to buy and arrange for the installation of security storm door on the back door of my house. I had just had a contractor intall back door a week earlier.  It was job well professional and well done. The door was secured properly, but I felt the need a security storm door would provide. I thought it would a simple process and I knew Home Depot has installers whom they contracted with to install these doors.

So, I sat down with Home Depot's agent and looked over the doors and found the one - the lowest priced of all ($198.99)- and decided it would meet my needs. The agent advised that I would have to pay, in advance, an measuring fee of $35.00. This would count toward a total installation fee of $159.00 - so I o would be out no money. The total charge - $357.99.  That sounded reasonable.

So, I ponied up the $35.00 off my charge card and let the process begin.

Two days later I got a call from the agent advising me the measurement process was complete - BUT he some bad news: the new installed door way was too small to fit the door I had chosen. I asked how far it was off. The agent said about an inch to an inch and half. Therefore, the door I had chosen could not be used. Instead I had to order a custom made security storm door.  I asked for a price and was given a ball park figure somewhere between $550.00 to $600.00 for the door. With installation fee that would bring to maximum price of $759.00.

I  then asked him what the cost of the most basic storm door (non-security type) would be. He advised that the minimum charge for a custom made ordinary storm door was $375.00.  With the installation fee that made it a cost of $534.00.

I told the agent either price was way out of the range I intended to spend. He advised that was okay and he understood. He did suggest I contact my original contractor and see how much he would charge to install a storm door.  

I asked about a refund of the $35.00 charge for the mearsurement. He said as their agent had already done the job that the money was not refundable, but that the measurement was good for up to six months - so I if decided to let them make a custom door there would be no extra charge for another measurement provided I came back within six months.

I did call the contractor who installed doorway and told him what happened. He said he was appalled and advised that the one needed to be careful with the big box stores who often use tatics to make big sales to folks. He said the doorway he put itself should have had no obastacles to putting in a standard storm door of any kind. I asked him to estimate the cost of doing this small job. He said he would get that to me on the weekend.

I think Home Depot is kind of pulling a bait-and-switch like scam here.  The issue is the measurments their agents come up with.

Another report filed by married couple here ran into the same problem: the measurements are just a wee-bit off and so a custom door has to be made and used. That couple had already pre-measured the door, but their Home Depot sales Agent told them that only Home Depot's agent's measurements could be used or Home Depot's installers would not install the door. 

Bait-and-switch: buyer selects a door on display  in store- at cost buyer wants. Store's agent's measuments never quite fit the installers standards forcing buyer to choose an expensive custom made door or nothing or buy door and install it on their own. If the buyer doesn't proceed - Home Depot is still richer for the nonrefundable measurment fee of $35.00.