Unhappy with Home Depot

[heffneil]

So Stu over at ToolGuyd posted about this 9 piece Milwaukee set on sale at home depot for $499. Of course by the time I got to it - it was sold out online and in the store (Which I don't think it was ever available locally)

I filled out the form to notify me when its back in stock and of course two cursory days later its back in stock for $999.

That really is disappointing. Clearly they had a limit or something but just seems crappy in my opinion. Big big difference in pricing for a couple days to magically be back in stock. Perhaps I will be lucky to see it again but I don't usually have that luck

Sorry just had to vent...

 

[1982fxr]

Big box stores just ****, not much else to it

 

[Empty Pockets]

Have you talked to the store manager? Years ago, Zayre, now defunct, used to pull the same trick.

One day an investigator from the City of Chicago Consumer Protection Board, went in to buy a sale item that was on the sales floor in quantity the day before the sale. She flashed her badge, found all the sale items in the back room, and the excrement hit the fan.

Talk to the manager, if no satisfaction, there is always Lowes, Menards and local tool sellers.

Good luck

 

[-Brent-]

Next time a deal pops up and there's no stock, find a manager either in person or by calling. There's usually an assistant manager working. Show them the ad and they'll either set you up with one from another store or do whatever they can to hook you up. I don't know if some deals are until the stock runs out but you'd be a lot better off finding out from them.

No one sees that form you filled out. It's just an algorithm that gets triggered when the stock is updated.

 

[davethorik]

Went into HD today and they had 0 20a outdoor gfci outlets. 4 spots on the shelves, but 0 in stock. Same with 15a.

 

[Stuey]

It was a "deal of the day," which usually means the deal expires the next day in the early morning, unless supplies run out sooner.

http://toolguyd.com/dewalt-milwaukee-9pc-cordless-combo-kit-deals-12012016/

I'm sorry if I didn't emphasize the deal terms clear enough (Oh, and the deal ends at 4am ET 12/2/2016.) I was more focused on comparing the Dewalt and Milwaukee deals, and with so many deals of the day I might have taken the nuances for granted, thinking they're implied.

They're supposed to expire at 4am ET, but I've sometimes seen prices revert before then.

I did also stick the day in the title, so that someone checking the site 1, 2, or 5 days later would know that the deal expired.

I don't have a contact at HD anymore (he went to a different department), or I'd drop him a note to see what he could do to help.

There's a teeny tiny chance that Home Depot will have a "second chance" deal of the day that features a couple of previous deal of the day cordless combos.

They had something like that in the first week of December last year, featuring a couple of Dewalt deals from Black Friday week.

There's nobody for me to ask. I asked one contact for the deal schedule, but nobody got back to me.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be pretty disappointed too. I'm sorry if I contributed to that disappointment.

You might want to check the deal of the day page to see if the deal returns.

http://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy/SpecialBuyOfTheDay

In my opinion, the chance is slim that the 9pc combo deal will return, but greater than 0.

The same deal appeared last year, and I don't think it came around a second time.

Retailers have been playing games with their deals of the day.

I ordered something on Black Friday weekend, and as I was checking out the Black Friday special edition product sold out. So I bought the regular model for $10 more. Then, on Cyber Monday, they magically had 100 more in stock to sell. I couldn't change my order b/c it was packed up and on the truck already.

 

[Infinia]

there is a law called "bait and switch" look it up*
yup when stock magically appears, they're gaming the system.
id call em on it, the managers know the score, be nice and they'll work with you.

*here i'll google that for you https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="bait+and+switch"+black+friday+deals+limited+stock

 

[raddksn]

"Zayre, now defunct" Talk about a blast from the past! I grew up [so to speak] in a suburb of Chicago!

 

[MrGiggles]

Unless im missing something, I don't see the big deal here.

You missed the boat on an offer that was time and stock limited. Tough luck, it happens.

If I were the retailer, I wouldn't want to lose a boatload of money on a huge lot of tools either. I don't blame them at all for only selling a certain number of discounted items.

 

[Cope]

Went into HD today and they had 0 20a outdoor gfci outlets. 4 spots on the shelves, but 0 in stock. Same with 15a.

They probably had them, but they were in the wrong location. They and Lowe's have the worst housekeeping.

 

[Burgerkong]

Yeah I don't get the big deal, it's just like Amazon's deal of the day - once the max sales is reached the price goes back to regular pre-deal pricing.

 

[archirelic]

there is a law called "bait and switch" look it up*
yup when stock magically appears, they're gaming the system.
id call em on it, the managers know the score, be nice and they'll work with you.

*here i'll google that for you https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="bait+and+switch"+black+friday+deals+limited+stock

No one's gaming the system. Any On-Hand change in inventory is reported on and is actually a printable report every week for the week prior. It's a rolling 4 week report which shows all the On-Hand changes and is monitored by their Asset Protection division.

Anyone playing fast and loose with the adjustment of product On-Hands is accountable every week to the merchandising manager over their particular dept.

It was a deal of the day and so far as the hokey pokey inventory numbers, it can be very difficult to keep exactly accurate counts of available OH merchandise with all the SKUs a store like Home Depot has.

 

[6PTsocket]

So Stu over at ToolGuyd posted about this 9 piece Milwaukee set on sale at home depot for $499. Of course by the time I got to it - it was sold out online and in the store (Which I don't think it was ever available locally)

I filled out the form to notify me when its back in stock and of course two cursory days later its back in stock for $999.

That really is disappointing. Clearly they had a limit or something but just seems crappy in my opinion. Big big difference in pricing for a couple days to magically be back in stock. Perhaps I will be lucky to see it again but I don't usually have that luck

Sorry just had to vent...

I just had the opposite experience today. I bought a piece of home electronics on line, delivered to store free at HD. I had debated buying from the manufacturer's site. I got it home and had all kinds of problems with it. I called the company's support and the guy was a real a**hole and was not willing to concede that it was even broken. I returned it to HD and they took it back and re credited my account. The couldn't have been nicer. If I had bought it direct I would be up the creek.

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[Tenex]

Part of the reason that stores employ the "limited supplies" quantifier is because they sometimes sell items below their cost in order to drive traffic.

 

[6PTsocket]

I once walked into Lowes and a then $500 DeWalt planer was on sale for $229. There was no stock. I checked other branches and an employee checked the computer and discovered that only that branch was showing the sale price. It is now $600. What was that all about?

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[dsimatt]

I once walked into Lowes and a then $500 DeWalt planer was on sale for $229. There was no stock. I checked other branches and an employee checked the computer and discovered that only that branch was showing the sale price. It is now $600. What was that all about?

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I got my husky air compressor last year marked $100 off and there was a couple scratches on it being a floor model and when I asked to get a different compressor it was the only one left as they were clearing them out and no one else even had one.


I think a lot of times when stores knock the prices down so much they are just trying to move out old stock for the new stuff coming in and once what they have is sold that's it and it replaced with different stuff.

 

[Mrmontebuilder]

I was watching that too, it went out of stock and then back in stock for about 15 minutes and then all gone. Ended up with the dewalt $499 deal which arrived yesterday. There is always another deal just around the corner if you wait a bit.

 

[jd_1138]

I was watching that too, it went out of stock and then back in stock for about 15 minutes and then all gone. Ended up with the dewalt $499 deal which arrived yesterday. There is always another deal just around the corner if you wait a bit.

Plus DeWalt is an American owned company with a Made in USA push/program. Milwaukee is a Hong Kong co.. My cousin beats the **** out of his DeWalt tools as a pro carpenter and they take the beating. So I bought/buy DeWalt stuff myself.

You'll love those DeWalt tools.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Multiple times at Home Depot I've had to walk the store and find items up in the racks above the displayed products, sometimes they'll refer me to other stores and 15 minutes later I'm telling to bring the item down. This has happened multiple times....


Oh, I worked at Zayre's for a year while I was in High School in the auto, sports and toy department. When I applied the General Manager hired me to work at the autocenter, and the first day he told me that I would have to work in the store for a month before I could then do oil changes and tires, of course a week before that date they announced they were closing the autocenter. I firmly believe he knew about the closing before he hired me.

TheGrooveking

 

[southalabama]

I've seen closeouts posted and see it in the upper bins at both Home Depot and Lowes.

I always figured that was an employees stash. Never had one say I couldn't have it.

 

[6PTsocket]

I got my husky air compressor last year marked $100 off and there was a couple scratches on it being a floor model and when I asked to get a different compressor it was the only one left as they were clearing them out and no one else even had one.


I think a lot of times when stores knock the prices down so much they are just trying to move out old stock for the new stuff coming in and once what they have is sold that's it and it replaced with different stuff.

This was not a one off. There had been multiple pieces of fresh boxed stock. The replacements were the same item.

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[6PTsocket]

Plus DeWalt is an American owned company with a Made in USA push/program. Milwaukee is a Hong Kong co.. My cousin beats the **** out of his DeWalt tools as a pro carpenter and they take the beating. So I bought/buy DeWalt stuff myself.

You'll love those DeWalt tools.

DeWalt is owned by Stanley and has,
no problem making their products off shore. American ownership doesn't always translate to American jobs. Stanley sold Delta to to a Taiwanese company,Chang Type that moved operations from where they had been, forever, Tenn., to a new plant in NC., at least keeping jobs here.

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[gungatim]

I actually had 2 good experiences with HD recently. seems like they are trying harder lately, at least in my area.

black Friday they had cheap little microwaves for $39. stopped in to grab one for the kids apartment (going to college in spring), store was empty but several old gentlemen offered to help find them (rare, I know). manager comes over and says someone bought all their stock on pre-black Friday sale. so he sells me the larger more powerful one on sale for $59, for the $39 price. that NEVER happens on BF for a sale price when out of stock.

we noticed they had the same Samsung over the range stainless microwave on sale for $149 we have at home and I commented it was $359 when I bought ours 2 years ago...

fast forward to last Sunday. my 2 year old microwave that stayed on when you open the door finally let the smoke out. we were pissed, 2 yrs. old, now junk, and I missed the BF sale!!

went back to Home Depot, guy said nope out of them but still have the other over the range model, i'll give you the BF price anyway, even though it was over weeks ago...it's not stainless but only $99, so if I get another 2 years I'm not out much...

now, I haven't had service like that from HD in years...

 

[ZRH`]

You missed an online only time and stock limited offer. Just like the amazon gold box stuff. It is not a conspiracy.

That kit has never been in stock except as an online ship to store item at any of the HD's near me, and according to the SKU at the top of the page it is an online item only. Where it says: Internet #206510146, in store merchandise has skus in the pattern of 100X-***-*** or ***-***.

hd.com is a separate company from the individual stores for most purposes. You can get stuff shipped there but the stores don't get credit for the sales so yelling at employees wont help either.

 

[reader2580]

Places like Home Depot get shipments all the time. It may be just a coincidence that they got more in two days later.

 

[heffneil]

It was a "deal of the day," which usually means the deal expires the next day in the early morning, unless supplies run out sooner.

http://toolguyd.com/dewalt-milwaukee-9pc-cordless-combo-kit-deals-12012016/

I'm sorry if I didn't emphasize the deal terms clear enough (Oh, and the deal ends at 4am ET 12/2/2016.) I was more focused on comparing the Dewalt and Milwaukee deals, and with so many deals of the day I might have taken the nuances for granted, thinking they're implied.

They're supposed to expire at 4am ET, but I've sometimes seen prices revert before then.

I did also stick the day in the title, so that someone checking the site 1, 2, or 5 days later would know that the deal expired.

I don't have a contact at HD anymore (he went to a different department), or I'd drop him a note to see what he could do to help.

There's a teeny tiny chance that Home Depot will have a "second chance" deal of the day that features a couple of previous deal of the day cordless combos.

They had something like that in the first week of December last year, featuring a couple of Dewalt deals from Black Friday week.

There's nobody for me to ask. I asked one contact for the deal schedule, but nobody got back to me.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be pretty disappointed too. I'm sorry if I contributed to that disappointment.

You might want to check the deal of the day page to see if the deal returns.

http://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy/SpecialBuyOfTheDay

In my opinion, the chance is slim that the 9pc combo deal will return, but greater than 0.

The same deal appeared last year, and I don't think it came around a second time.

Retailers have been playing games with their deals of the day.

I ordered something on Black Friday weekend, and as I was checking out the Black Friday special edition product sold out. So I bought the regular model for $10 more. Then, on Cyber Monday, they magically had 100 more in stock to sell. I couldn't change my order b/c it was packed up and on the truck already.

Stu I realized it was a deal of the day but I was hopeful they would offer more - that same day or honor the price if it was quickly available. You did everything right and I appreciate the heads up on the deal - just wish I could have gotten it. I bought the 18v Work Light you posted a few days earlier from Depot so I am committing to the Milwaukee ecosystem.

BTW I bought a ladder from Home Depot about 8 weeks ago. It took 4 weeks to come in and it was the wrong size. I had to return that one and order another. Well guess what? The original order was on sale. We asked the pro desk manager and he said nope I can't touch online pricing at all. A lousy answer. Btw if you want to find the laziest bunch of people in Home Depot its the pro desk folks at mine. They sit around and watch the line build instead of jumping on board to help. I don't know how pro's in my area can justify waiting for the pro desk for the minimal savings afforded for the poor service.

The nice lady (who is new to the desk) called the online folks and explained the problem and they honored the price. I spent about 3 hours picking up the ladder, bringing it home to identify it was too short (it looked really short in the actual store with the 30 foot + ceilings) and then returning and price matching a new one. I request an expedite which they did do - but a horrible experience....

Thanks!

Neil

 

[Stuey]

I actually had 2 good experiences with HD recently. seems like they are trying harder lately, at least in my area.

black Friday they had cheap little microwaves for $39. stopped in to grab one for the kids apartment (going to college in spring), store was empty but several old gentlemen offered to help find them (rare, I know). manager comes over and says someone bought all their stock on pre-black Friday sale. so he sells me the larger more powerful one on sale for $59, for the $39 price. that NEVER happens on BF for a sale price when out of stock.

we noticed they had the same Samsung over the range stainless microwave on sale for $149 we have at home and I commented it was $359 when I bought ours 2 years ago...

fast forward to last Sunday. my 2 year old microwave that stayed on when you open the door finally let the smoke out. we were pissed, 2 yrs. old, now junk, and I missed the BF sale!!

went back to Home Depot, guy said nope out of them but still have the other over the range model, i'll give you the BF price anyway, even though it was over weeks ago...it's not stainless but only $99, so if I get another 2 years I'm not out much...

now, I haven't had service like that from HD in years...

I don't recall when, but HD had a somewhat recent push towards greater customer satisfaction.

I've been told by a few people that associates can discount certain products by up to $50 if it'll seal the deal with a sale.

I've never had a problem going to a Home Depot looking for something that is reported to be in-stock. Often this is a new tool that just hit the market. An associate will usually successfully track down the item and then get it down from an overhead shelf. It's not quick, but it seems they genuinely want me to leave the store happy.

 

[Stuey]

Stu I realized it was a deal of the day but I was hopeful they would offer more - that same day or honor the price if it was quickly available. You did everything right and I appreciate the heads up on the deal - just wish I could have gotten it. I bought the 18v Work Light you posted a few days earlier from Depot so I am committing to the Milwaukee ecosystem.

BTW I bought a ladder from Home Depot about 8 weeks ago. It took 4 weeks to come in and it was the wrong size. I had to return that one and order another. Well guess what? The original order was on sale. We asked the pro desk manager and he said nope I can't touch online pricing at all. A lousy answer. Btw if you want to find the laziest bunch of people in Home Depot its the pro desk folks at mine. They sit around and watch the line build instead of jumping on board to help. I don't know how pro's in my area can justify waiting for the pro desk for the minimal savings afforded for the poor service.

The nice lady (who is new to the desk) called the online folks and explained the problem and they honored the price. I spent about 3 hours picking up the ladder, bringing it home to identify it was too short (it looked really short in the actual store with the 30 foot + ceilings) and then returning and price matching a new one. I request an expedite which they did do - but a horrible experience....

Thanks!

Neil

Still, I feel bad that this didn't turn out well for you.

Home Depot customer service can depend on the associates, but I've had great experiences everywhere recently, except there's a store in Brooklyn that I've never really enjoyed going to. At that store it seems they don't really care.

Lowes is a little more unpredictable, and potentially more heavily dependent on store management.

At one Lowes somewhat near me, they act like they simply don't care about customers, and they probably don't. At the HD, even if they don't mean it, they put on a very convincing act that they care and are willing to run around the store to find a product or answer a question.

 

[DFB]

I've seen many Home Depot Deal of the Day sell out early especially when it comes to the cordless power tool kits. I have missed out on few deals myself seeing it in the morning and figuring I could order when I got back home from the job in the evening. So buy early (and read the e-mail early! )

Now just my .02 cents here maybe it can help some or maybe it wont

You can still get 7 of the 9 tools in that kit for $429 at ACME

Which leaves a $70 difference

Now I don't know which tools in the original kit you were hot on but the older pin retention 2662 that was included in the kit or even the optional 2663 ring anvil impact wrench lists everyday for $169 bare tool and Milwaukee currently has a $20 off code to use also, so applying both the 7 pc kit difference of $70 and the $20 off code for a total of $90 against the impact wrench list price would make it like only $79. And I'm quite sure Home Depot always charges sales with any online purchases at least they always do for me and in my case the sales tax on the $499 kit would be another $32. And so if you also save on that by buying online somewhere else that you possibly may not have to pay sales tax (that all depends on where you are located) and again subtract that, the final price, for me anyhow on those 8 tools would only be like $47 more than the original Buy of the Day that you missed out on.

And if you sub the multitool for the impact wrench it would be maybe $496 for those 8 pcs.

Now not as good as the original HD offer but still not bad and I would opt for 2663 impact also if I went that route.

I personally would skip on the mutitool although its a useful tool for some applications it would probably be the least used for most people. Be the one I would choose to go without for the time being.

Right now that current $20 off code can also be applied to the mutitool bare tool $119 and if that was maybe stacked with a future percentage off coupon of 10, 15 or even 20% the final cost on that could possibly get down around $75 bare tool. Buying the 2662/3 impact that way maybe $115 to $125. Just remember the $20 off code expires soon though.


No use crying over spilled milk I say. If I still really wanted these tools I'd buy them in one those 2 ways figuring its the best deal I can get right now unless you're truly intending to wait and see if the deal comes back.

 

[hancock1701]

I recently had a good experience at HD. My dad bought some stuff, including a 3 pc locking pliers set, it was already dark outside and he forgot the set in the cart in the parking lot after loading all the other things

The day after I took the receipt to the return/customer service and asked the lady if any chance a store employee could've picked those up as they collected the carts and saved them in a lost and found box. She was waiting to ask another guy, but he was busy, so she told me to go into the store and get the set with the exact same barcode on the receipt.

I got it, and took it back to her. After checking the bar code, she gave the set to me and said "have a good day". For this situation, I don't think there's a general policy/procedure telling the store employees what to do, so I guess it depends on who you talk to at that moment.

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[SteveCh]

Multiple times at Home Depot I've had to walk the store and find items up in the racks above the displayed products, sometimes they'll refer me to other stores and 15 minutes later I'm telling to bring the item down. This has happened multiple times....

This happens to me maybe once a month.

 

[6PTsocket]

I actually had 2 good experiences with HD recently. seems like they are trying harder lately, at least in my area.

black Friday they had cheap little microwaves for $39. stopped in to grab one for the kids apartment (going to college in spring), store was empty but several old gentlemen offered to help find them (rare, I know). manager comes over and says someone bought all their stock on pre-black Friday sale. so he sells me the larger more powerful one on sale for $59, for the $39 price. that NEVER happens on BF for a sale price when out of stock.

we noticed they had the same Samsung over the range stainless microwave on sale for $149 we have at home and I commented it was $359 when I bought ours 2 years ago...

fast forward to last Sunday. my 2 year old microwave that stayed on when you open the door finally let the smoke out. we were pissed, 2 yrs. old, now junk, and I missed the BF sale!!

went back to Home Depot, guy said nope out of them but still have the other over the range model, i'll give you the BF price anyway, even though it was over weeks ago...it's not stainless but only $99, so if I get another 2 years I'm not out much...

now, I haven't had service like that from HD in years...

Quick opinion on Samsung. Based on a phone and a TV, I bought a stove. I'll spare you the details but based on reviews and customer support, the general conclusion seems to be, buy the electronics, pass on the major appliances.

This happens to me maybe once a month.

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[heffneil]

Im just sitting with my fingers crossed that the deal comes back. Just to one poster I really want the multitool. I do more carpentry than mechanical so the multitool is key. That set seemed the best with real tools I would actually use. I don't need a radio who needs a radio?!

 

[Mrmontebuilder]

Myself I would have preferred the Milwaukee kit as I would likely get a lot use of the impact gun and blower that was included. However, I found the Dewalt ring retention gun with a 3.0ah battery and charger and bag for $169 at Sears Hardware today and may pick that up tomorrow. The blower may have to wait a bit but I have a corded one for now as well as a gas one so it's not the end of the world.

 

[gungatim]

Quick opinion on Samsung. Based on a phone and a TV, I bought a stove. I'll spare you the details but based on reviews and customer support, the general conclusion seems to be, buy the electronics, pass on the major appliances.



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yeah I already figured that one out the hard way...microwave was a POS from day one. inside paint flaking off, stainless steel scratches if you wipe it with paper towel. microwave turns ON everytime you open the door, then **** after 2 years...the cheapo I bought was some other basic brand, Hamilton beach or sunbeam or some such ****...we have a Samsung dishwasher bought at the same time and it is really nice, so far anyway...

ironically, the GE microhood we installed when we built 19 years ago still works fine, it was only replaced because the handle broke for the 3rd time (kids yanking on it) and they finally stopped selling the replacement handle!