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Ever felt like you were getting ripped off?!

TonkaJoe

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Dec 19, 2014
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Thought I'd share this with you guys and girls since I know we've all experienced this at some point or another... weather it be on tools, parts, building supplies, vehicles, estimates, etc. A few weeks back I went to grab some pegboard for my new bench setup... since Lowe's and Home Depot in my area are literally next door neighbors it's great to be able to browse through both for deals and price comparison. Here's the kicker, I'll let the pictures do the talking!, Keep in mind these are Canadian prices. Identical 4x8 sheets of white laminate pegboard, only difference being 1/8'' vs 1/4 inch holes, first picture is Lowes price, Second is Home Depot. Share those rip off, or over priced stories here.! :thumbup:
 

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XxToolAholicxX

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Two different items and maybe different materials aye..... Or no. Ripoff is when something is misrepresented to you or tricked into buying. In this case you don't have to buy it. All the info is there size price and all
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I am a ToolAholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit
 
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rsanter

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Can also be the rate at which it sells.
The more they move of,it the less mark up they can tolerate

Bob
 

gregtwojeeps

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It appears from the pics to me at least the $8.20 rack opening labeled is for their hardboard, in which the bin for it is empty. Therefore the confusion in pricing, as pegboard is higher than just plain hardboard. JMO
 
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MushCreek

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I have seen a rip-off in my local HD. They have paint thinner in a 'one gallon' container that is actually 120 ounces. And the 'quart' container is 30 ounces. Kind of like the Incredible Shrinking Ice Cream container. What makes it a true rip-off is that the sign on the shelf actually says 'one gallon'. I pointed it out to an 'associate', and he didn't understand. I'm sure he has no idea how many ounces are in a gallon or a quart.
 

Nowater

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Take a rule with you, and measure it first. Much 1/4" pegboard is actually 3/16". Measure the holes with a drill bit if you must, but true 1/4" pegboard fixtures will not easily fit in the 3/16" holes. DAMHIK.
 

PAToyota

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It appears from the pics to me at least the $8.20 rack opening labeled is for their hardboard, in which the bin for it is empty. Therefore the confusion in pricing, as pegboard is higher than just plain hardboard. JMO

Exactly. Online the $9 price is just for tempered hardboard - pegboard is $18.

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Whitworth

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Ripoff?

You be a retailer. Order it, stock it, store it, damage out goods, stolen goods, inventory system, advertising, returns, slow sellers, no sellers, loss leaders, yada yada. You think Home Depot makes any money carrying pegboard ? In my Home Depot the sheet goods aisle is like a ghost town. You've heard of the 80/20 rule ? In retailing 20 percent of the products carried account for 80 percent of the revenue while the other 80 percent of the products only account for 20 percent of revenue.
 

Strouty

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Backfired thread, you don't have to hide. It is obvious that the second picture is not for pegboard. Oh well mistakes happen, better luck next time.
 
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notallthere

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Sarnia Ontario
The 1/8 peg board price is the empty home below it. If HD puts the sticker on the bottom beam it is for the product below, if it is on the top of the beam it is for the product on top. Lowe's will just label the beam below or put arrows on it if the product is in a different location.
 

G McKay

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I almost always go to HD anymore. But Waltrip is right. The Lowes board is twice as thick. Although $22.00 is a little steep at any rate. You really don't need that thick of a board to use as a pegboard anyway, do you?

:dunno:
 

mmack66

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I almost always go to HD anymore. But Waltrip is right. The Lowes board is twice as thick. Although $22.00 is a little steep at any rate. You really don't need that thick of a board to use as a pegboard anyway, do you?

:dunno:

Pegboard is about the same price at both places. The HD price in the OP is not for pegboard. :dunno:
 
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T

TonkaJoe

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Wish I had the receipt still, I wasn't about to pay 22$ when I saw it for 8 and change... which I did pay upon leaving HD... wouldn't have shared this otherwise!. But if it was a simple mistake since we are all human here ( or so I assume) I apologize for the thread!.
 

PugetDude

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Nearly everyone wants to categorize big-box retailers as being in business for the sole purpose of ripping off their customers. Home improvement, eyeglasses, tires, cheeseburgers- it doesn't matter what the product is, they're only out to fleece their customer base and reward the fat-cat denizens lounging in their ivory towers.

The solution? Obviously we need more government to protect us from these evil corporate scammers...since the government has shown us time and time again how thorough and efficient they are at spending our money regulating our lives.

^Sarcasm, for those who are nodding their heads enthusiastically...

If you don't like the price of something, buy it elsewhere. Find a retailer that carries the merchandise you desire and aligns with your moral compass and patronize them. If you can't beat a price, you're not shopping, or that is the market price. But ranting on social media about one retailer charging more for a similar item being part of a grand conspiracy to "rip you off" is ludicrous.
 

Leaflessshadetree

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Don't ask.
Without a doubt I've been ripped off at Menards. I don't even go there anymore. I'll drive many extra to avoid them even on little stuff.
As far as peg board in a garage or shop. I only use the larger pegs and thick dense pegboard, usually with the foil backing. Also only in limited places. The small thin stuff just doesn't hold up.
 

bwringer

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Wouldn't the 1/8" stuff have more holes? Or do they use the same hole spacing?

No idea. I am not familiar with the wily ways of pegboard.


FWIW, whether this particular example was a dud or not, you see the same aggravating differences in pricing at every store.

It's especially a pain in the *** at grocery stores -- they juggle prices of non-sale items constantly. Item "A" is cheaper at one store, while item "B" is more expensive. The next week, it's a whole different set of items -- most of the time, it's just barely not worth stopping at the other store.

Exclusive or store brands are another aggravating way to obscure pricing and discourage comparisons. If you look at floor tile or toilets at bLowes, Meanards, and Home Despot, few or none of the choices are the same, so you can't really compare.

Or accessory pricing... floor tile on sale? Great! That tiny container of grout is $25...


Long ago, I did learn to give up comparing gas prices. When I need gasoline, I stop and fill up whenever and wherever it's convenient. It's simply not worth an ounce of angst or effort to save a few cents per gallon, memorize prices, etc.
 

MushCreek

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Having been building a barn and a house on a very limited budget, I learned a lot about shopping for building materials. Plywood and lumber is pretty even in price, but I saved about 15% buying at local lumberyards. I asked HD for a quote, and the guy said the price would be the same as it was already marked. NO discount for large quantities! HD is very high priced on hardware and nails. I needed 500 galvanized lag bolts, and they were 600% higher at HD and Lowes than buying them from an industrial supplier. That one single item saved me $600 on my build! I used two tons of rebar, which would have been insanely expensive at a big box store. I also saved about 30% on drywall and steel studs from a dedicated supplier.

Oddly enough, HD sometimes is cheaper than everyone else, though. I needed large post bases for my deck, and HD was much cheaper than anywhere else, even on-line. They didn't stock them, but shipped them for free.

I've noticed that Amazon is no longer the best price on stuff, either. Add to that they report the sales for tax purposes, and I've pretty much stopped using them. I wouldn't mind paying the tax if they collected it at the time of sale, but they don't. They report it, and you have to pay a lump sum at tax time. Ouch!

The bottom line is that if you're buying something expensive, or in large quantities, it pays to really shop around, both locally and on-line.
 

Tuscani2718

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Never count out your local lumber yard for these items. Secret is bring a quote and find a young salesperson. When I was in sales at a yard I did pretty much whatever it took to keep business out of the box stores or local competitors for that matter. Items such as hardware, screws etc have ALOT of built in margin that can be modified to be competitive.
 

Leaflessshadetree

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Don't ask.
Hmmm... how?
Did they charge you more than the posted price?
Bait and Switch?
Raise the price for an item once you got to the register?
Employees pick your pockets?
Please elaborate...
Most could be categorized as poor quality. PVC fittings that split, twisted lumber, soft nails etc. A few times for not having items in stock when they assured me they did when I called before making the drive to their store.
I happen to live where there have 5 stores within 45 minutes of me in various directions.
The last was a generator that had parts missing or loose (small stuff like screws). It wouldn't generate 1/4 of the advertised wattage. 1 hour after I purchased it I was told absolutely no returns of anything with a motor.
They did offer to reimburse me for the cost of repairs at a specific small engine shop. That shop refused to look at it, says they can't get parts for the motor and don't work on the generators. They have no way of testing it. Also told me that Menards sends a lot of people there with the same situation.
 
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