Beef with Lowe's(Kobalt)

[heavydutyOEX]

I've got a Kobalt ratcheting screwdriver on my work truck that I use not everyday but often enough. The retaining collar on the very end of the shank came off and I have no idea where it is. It still holds bits but not as good as it used to. I've had this thing for a couple of years and it looks rough. I had some time to kill in between jobs so I walk in the Lowe's near where I was at. I find a new one one exactly like the one I have. I ask the lady at customer service can they warranty it and what the problem is with it. She tells me no and that they need a receipt or the original box,packaging. I said I don't have any of that. She says "sorry she can't help me". I said "you guys advertise a hassle free warranty?" She shrugged her shoulders and I walked out steaming. Anyone one else run into this?

 

[signcrafter]

I would have asked to speak to a manager. Try another store and see what they say. Did you google to see if lowes actually requires a receipt in their warranty?

 

[Mickey O]

I've got a Kobalt ratcheting screwdriver on my work truck that I use not everyday but often enough. The retaining collar on the very end of the shank came off and I have no idea where it is. It still holds bits but not as good as it used to. I've had this thing for a couple of years and it looks rough. I had some time to kill in between jobs so I walk in the Lowe's near where I was at. I find a new one one exactly like the one I have. I ask the lady at customer service can they warranty it and what the problem is with it. She tells me no and that they need a receipt or the original box,packaging. I said I don't have any of that. She says "sorry she can't help me". I said "you guys advertise a hassle free warranty?" She shrugged her shoulders and I walked out steaming. Anyone one else run into this?

Maybe you mixed up their advertisement, maybe it's a free hassle warranty, sounds like you got hassled, what's the problem?



Ask for a manager, I can't ever think of a time I had a problem dealing with tools that had a lifetime warranty but at times I had to set some people straight to get it done. Don't take no for an answer.

 

[bluechevy94]

I have warranty some older Danaher stuff at lowes before and never asked for a receipt.Sounds to me like the woman was just being a you know what.I would have asked to speak qith a manager.It even says on the packaging "HASSLE FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY".The only time have been asked for a rwceipt at lowes is when returning something.Sometimes I dont have the receipt and they give me store credit.

 

[allinon72]

If you would have just went to the returns desk and asked to return it because you didn't need it, they would have given you store credit. Lowes will take ANYTHING back.

They are not sears though, you can't just walk in and warranty something.

 

[RedFordTruck]

I warrantied numerous pairs of Kobalt pliers/ locking pliers and never was asked for a receipt. They ask for drivers license which i thought was weird but ive always gotten either new pliers or store credit.

 

[jhelrey]

I would have pulled the tag off of the new one, put it on the old one and said I need to exchange it. This one is broke. Then walked out

 

[SMKS]

Did you read her the warranty statement off the package?

I think Lowe's is hassle free with no receipt mentioned, but Home Depot's tool warranty does say a receipt it required. They sometimes don't enforce it, but it is there.

I would say an email to Lowe's is in order naming the specific store where it happened.

 

[TinKnocker]

kobalt tools say no questions asked. go back tomorrow and get your new screwdriver and throw the idiot employee under the bus to the manager.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

I had a ratcheting screwdriver from kobalt i bought back when i was in A&P school and I hated it. I broke it and called lowes before driving in to find out what i needed to do to waranty it. I figurede "hassle free waranty" would mean that i would drive in. exchange the screwdriver and walk out.

NOPE! she wanted my drivers licence, receipt and everything had to be in the package like it was the origional product. all the bits and holders, everything, so after hunting around and finding bits of the right size to fill the missing slots. i drove into lowes.

Girl at the counter went and got the new product, cut out the screwdriver from the package and handed it to me. didnt even want the holder or the bits that i hunted for. and ive never seen a kobalt tool ive been happy with.

 

[greasemonkey44]

heh just buy the new one; warranty the broken one and return the new one you bought

 

[64merc]

It is not worth the effort fighting over this. Just buy a new one (in cash preferably), come back in with your receipt and return the old one for a refund. If they even look at the date, they might wonder how you caused so much damage so quickly but oh well...

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

I have become less happy with Lowes than I was.

I bought three rolls of window screen at $60 a roll. I bought one roll and then bought the other two a few days later.

I used part of one, but it was obvious it wasn't going to work out for the purpose, so I took the two unopened rolls back. I forgot my receipt (but could come back the next day with it if I had to).

The returns person said "No problem, give me the card you bought them on, and I can use that for the return."

So, I give her the card and she runs it through the reader. Suprise! She can only find the first purchase of one roll. She gets the idea in her head that I am lying, that I only bought two rolls to begin with, and that I made it out of the store without getting the second roll rung up.

So, in her view, I am now trying to return a roll I paid and a roll I didn't pay for.

We were not exactly good friends when we parted, but I did walk out with the correct amount of store credit on a card.

Don't get me started on their stocking of damaged goods and **** lumber.

 

[TinKnocker]

i didnt like kobalt tools until i walked through home depot and looked at the garbage they put the husky name on. now i have a new appreciation for kobalt. all the great deals on sockets and sets have went away now though.

 

[mayday0017]

It seems all stores are getting more strict on their return policy.... It ***** too but I guess they must really get that much fraud. I wish they would let their employee's use their brain instead of trying to make strict black and white rules. It's easy to know what is a high shrink item and what you arn't going to walk out of the store with. If I return 2 pallots of 2x4's I probably didn't walk out the front door with them.

 

[RedFordTruck]

Ive never had a problem with lowes returning anything or warrantying anything. Including stuff I had taken out of packaging and done my best to put back in the plastic after I figured out it wouldnt work


And TIP FOR EVERYONE!

When you warranty any tool at lowes... GET STORE CREDIT instead of a replacement!

I warrantied a 12'' pair of Kobalt tongue and groove pliers and got store credit ($11.**). Well a 3 pack (7'', 10'', and 12'') of Kobalt tongue and grooves was on sale for $9.98... So I get store credit for my 1 broken pair and use that to buy 3 pairs and have some change left over!

 

[crewchief888]

i've never had an issue at lowes

or HD for that matter..

menards is a whole nuther story

 

[Chadwilliam1]

Lowes has always taken back everything I have returned no problem.

but i don't buy many tools from Lowes.

 

[SMKS]

It seems all stores are getting more strict on their return policy.... It ***** too but I guess they must really get that much fraud.

The problem is that Lowe's didn't follow their own tool warranty. They're getting so strict they won't even follow their own "lifetime" warranty.

I guess the OP should have grabbed a tool and read her the warranty then talked to the manager.

 

[rusty65]

i've never had an issue at lowes

or HD for that matter..

menards is a whole nuther story

My hometown Menards will warranty anything even channel lock without receipt.

 

[mikefromme]

I have become less happy with Lowes



Don't get me started on their stocking of damaged goods and **** lumber.

I recently bought 2 hundred dollar screens for sliding glass doors that I installed. One fit perfect the other was a1/2" too tall. It was obviously designed for a different version of the door. It was alsomissing the hardware


Took it back explained the problem and got a refund. As I was walking away the cashier asked the manager what to do with the screen. He said to put it back on the shelf. So someone else will have the same problem, brilliant.

 

[jhelrey]

I love how Lowes stacks up their 2x4s perfectly. Go through the entire load and leave it looking like a messed up box of toothpicks. Come back 15 mins later because you need two more and have to go through the **** mess to get to the good ****.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

I love how Lowes stacks up their 2x4s perfectly. Go through the entire load and leave it looking like a messed up box of toothpicks.

I do that. I leave the aisle strewn with warped, skewed, and cracked lumber.

People don't seem to know any better. I watched another customer loaded up his wagon out of one of my reject piles.

 

[RedFordTruck]

I do that. I leave the aisle strewn with warped, skewed, and cracked lumber.

People don't seem to know any better. I watched another customer loaded up his wagon out of one of my reject piles.

This. Last time I bought lumber I moved the top 4 sheets of 3/4'' plywood before i found one that was decent.

 

[allinon72]

I'm the guy inside the shelf, on top of the stack of lumber, trying to find some decent pieces in the back.

 

[EOC_Jason]

My dad just exchanged a Craftsman screw driver the other day that he partially melted from shorting it on an electrically hot wire... Bzzt Bzzt... KA-POW! No hassle what so ever, got a shiny new one...

 

[dwp99]

How are you suppose to give a receipt to Home Depot for a tool warranty when 6 months after the purchase the receipt is so faded you can't even read it? I guess you better break it with in the fade time of the receipt.

But seriously you should have gotten the warranty on the screwdriver, I would have started talking so loud that the manager would have come over to find out what was going on.

It would be cool to see about 10 customers in line look at the Kobalt Tools that they were going to purchase, shrug their shoulders, put the tools down and walk out of the store.

 

[heavydutyOEX]

I finally got by a different Lowe's while I was on the road and showed the woman at the return counter my ratcheting screwdriver. She said with a smile go get one like it and come back. I was re-leaved when I found one because I'm not really sure they are still producing them. The long style one with the velcro pouch with the bits. She made me sign a little piece of paper and that was it. No receipts,no questions, no hassle just like they advertise.

 

[SMKS]

I finally got by a different Lowe's while I was on the road and showed the woman at the return counter my ratcheting screwdriver. She said with a smile go get one like it and come back. I was re-leaved when I found one because I'm not really sure they are still producing them. The long style one with the velcro pouch with the bits. She made me sign a little piece of paper and that was it. No receipts,no questions, no hassle just like they advertise.

Did you ever send Lowe's an email? I think you should, if you haven't. Just explain like you did here and tell them the address of the store that hassled you. It might not make a difference, but it could.

 

[Vibrolux]

Did you ever send Lowe's an email? I think you should, if you haven't. Just explain like you did here and tell them the address of the store that hassled you. It might not make a difference, but it could.

Oh, it will. I got MAJORLY hassled by a Lowes up in GA, I sent an email explaining what happened and I got a call from the manager and he wanted to meet with me. Long story short, I got a sincere apology and was assured I'd never have any more trouble with them again. Two years later ans the service is still great.

 

[pop pop]

I finally got by a different Lowe's while I was on the road and showed the woman at the return counter my ratcheting screwdriver. She said with a smile go get one like it and come back. I was re-leaved when I found one because I'm not really sure they are still producing them. The long style one with the velcro pouch with the bits. She made me sign a little piece of paper and that was it. No receipts,no questions, no hassle just like they advertise.

This has been my experience.

 

[LSU]

I think the secret to dealing with Lowe's is the attitude of the clerk.

I've not had trouble returning items to Lowe's. I've never had a Kobalt tool fail (darn, I just jinxed myself) but I've returned a whole bunch of stuff w/o a receipt. I pay for all my tool purchases on my credit card (I get the points) and when I return something I'm asked for my credit card. The clerk swipes the card and the "refund" is put back on the Amex card.

If you have a probem with a clerk, ask for a manager.

I agree with the previouis poster about Home Depot quality of tools.