home depot sucks
Home Depot
2455 Paces Ferry Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30339
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to voice my extreme displeasure with a recent experience I had ordering an item from Home Depot Online.
On February 2, 2006, my order # 97652250 was shipped to me. It consisted of a Hampton Bay “Flex Track Starter Kit” and six track lights. When it arrived, I was disappointed to find out that the track light’s transformer was defective. I called Home Depot Online’s customer service and explained the situation to them. The representative and I came to an agreeable solution; that Home Depot would ship me a replacement track light kit, and I would return the defective unit.
When the replacement arrived, it too was defective. On top of the $287 I had already spent on the track light kit and track lights, I spent an additional $60 to hire an electrician to diagnose the problem for me. His conclusion was that the track light kit’s transformer was defective for both units.
On April 12, 2006, after several phone calls to Home Depot Online customer service to resolve the issue, I returned one of the defective track light kits. The representative promised me that someone from Hampton Bay would be calling me within a few days to deal with replacing the other track light kit still in my possession. After waiting two weeks, that call never came.
On May 3, 2006, I decided to call Hampton Bay directly to attempt to get the transformer replaced under warranty. After spending more time on the phone, I learned that Hampton Bay’s computer system can only look up products based on a SKU, which I no longer have, as the original packing material for the track light is long gone. I attempted to get the SKU from Home Depot Online customer service, but they could not find the correct SKU that would match up with Hampton Bay’s SKU.
Today is May 5, 2006. My final resolution is to return all the items in my original order back to Home Depot, and wash my hands of the entire ordeal. I am tired of dealing with this issue.
After wasting approximately 12 hours of my life over the course of four months, I have come to the following conclusions:
- Home Depot and Hampton Bay quality control is non-existent
- Even with the advent of computers, Home Depot and third party suppliers such as Hampton Bay still have not figured out how to share basic information such as common product SKUs
- Dealing with Home Depot Online customer service is a soul-crushing experience, as the average hold time before talking to a customer representative is approximately 45 minutes
I am taking this experience as a $60.39 (electrician’s bill and stamp) life lesson. I estimate that I spend approximately $500 — $1500 per year on home improvement, the majority of it at Home Depot. Starting today, I plan on taking my business elsewhere, namely local businesses who still care about quality products and service, and Lowe’s and Wal-Mart for commodity purchases.
A quick check online of the HD symbol reveals a stagnant stock price since 2000. With the quality and service I have received over the past four months, this data is not very surprising.
Regards,
Alexander Chiang
May 7th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Lowe’s in Loveland is great.
July 24th, 2006 at 6:14 am
I bought three fans (Windward III) $169 each. Electronic ballast of one of the fans died in just a few days of operation. Electrician wants another $60 to reinstall the replacement fan. Home Depot nor Hampton Bay will not pay $60 nor will install the fan for me. Why would I pay $60 again? All three fan go back to HOme Depot (Hampton Bay). No more Hampton Bay products will be purchased by me. I spend between $20,000 and $60,000 on home improvement every year, no kidding. In addition to that I was unable to enter warranty info into Hampton Bay’s statedwebsite at http://www.gpwarranty.com. THe website just wouldn’t open. They have no idea why…. Professionals……. Don’t.
October 27th, 2006 at 9:34 am
Year after year the Home Depot sends out a press release on how they are going to spend millions of dollars on customer service. I have a news flash for the Home Depot “It is not working” When I signed my contract on 9-14-05 the Home Depot was full of promises and now they can not seem to keep them. Now almost 14 months later and problems still are not corrected you can see the Home Depot just does not care about its customers. They will lose one customer at a time and end up like the old HQ. You can visit my web site at http://www.freewebs.com/myroof to see the destruction.
April 5th, 2007 at 11:37 am
PlentyofFish.com sucks…. they read their members emails. Only Canadian law applies to their privacy policy, all others - beware… your emails on plentyoffish can be read and used against you…
May 13th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I just googled track lighting problems. I too am experiencing the same problem. I am in the phase of calling an electrician to diagnose for sure it is the product; which I’m sure it is. I will be shopping elsewhere also.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:11 am
July 3rd I purchased a Hampton Bays, Reddington III model ceiling fan to replace the one I had. By all appearances it had the same appearance and model number as the old fan, which was reversible via remote control, and used four 60 watt bulbs, NOT included with purchase. Prior to buying the new fan, my man and I purchased a light kit to repair the old one. Luckily we never opened it because it had all the features that now have me incensed about the New fan. Old fan: used regular 60 watt bulbs (I purchased two 4-packs of the new energy saver bulbs); was reversible via remote, had heavier fan blades and and cooled GREAT! I loved it! Unfortunately, I could not find the “Lifetime warranty” that came with the fan when I shorted it out one morning while rushing to make the bed before work, hence the purchase of what I THOUGHT was a duplicate replacement. IT WAS NOT! I ASSumed I was buying a full function fan, NOT A HYBRID. A Quick connect it was NOT! In order to reverse I would have to stand on the bed where I STILL could not reach the switch; it only takes 40 watt bulbs of a special size (which were included with purchase); and the highest speed only whirls as fast as the SLOWEST speed on the old fan. NOW WHAT? My boyfriend is igoring my pleas to take the damn thing down since it took him 6-1/2 hours to figure out how to get the damn thing up there, since the new fan had a different remote sensor to accommodate the fact that it no longer operats from the remote. I HATE HAMPTON BAYS FANS. HOW COULD THEY SELL A FAN USING THE SAME MODEL NUMBER AS THE OLD WHEN THE NEW LIKENESS PROVIDES HALF THE POWER AND BRIGHTNESS? There should be a law requiring companies to clearly state that although the product is similar in appearance it no longer functions the same way as THE old product. Thanks for letting me vent before I do battle with the surly, incompetent return department of my local Home Depots.
IDEALLY I would like to find one of the original Reddington III models. Is there a suggestion as to how I can best resolve this problem without stroking out? Thanks again.
Disgusted1!
October 19th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I bought ML-2510/XAA monochrome laser printer 9 days ago in a brand new originally sealed box. Tried to register it online, but their website says that the serial number is invalid. I clicked on “where is my serial number?” link on Samsung’s website and it says it must be on the back of the printer. On the back of the printer the serial number window is completely empty, smooth and shiny. I called 1-800-SAMSUNG and their support told me the serial # must be on the back. It is not. So they suggested to call the store where I purchased it. I did, the store has no clue. Then I called Samsung again and the other support guy told me to check the front panbel and yes it’s there, but the serial number there has an extra letter at the end and a few digits and letters in the front, so that’s why I had all this time wasted being unable to register my “product” online. On the product registration card the serial number is shortest, on the box is medium length and on the front panel (inside of the panel) it is the longest, but you must know (guess how, god knows only) to enter the certain part of the serial number when you register iton samsung website. There are issues with their site as well, but…. next time I remember not to buy any SAMSUNG products.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
i would just like to add to the comment list that i been n the same shoes an totally agree with all of them, lowes an walmart as well as my little home town mom n pop stores is where i will remain. big people do not care about quality or quainty. thanks for letting me add my comment. kim