HF policy change?

[Cedge]

Visited the local HF store today to pick up a drill index. As I walked in the cashier was checking a guy out and offered him the extended warranty and the insider club membership. The guy refused her offer at which point she made a big point of telling him HF policy had changed.

Seems they have a problem with things being purchased, used one time and returned for a full refund. She said the new policy was 90 days "in store" credit with a 20% restocking fee. Broken tools will still be replaced but apparently a full refund is not a sure thing anymore. Anyone else encountered this yet?

Steve

 

[allinon72]

HF is getting a little too big for their britches. I realize people abuse the hell out of their policies, but you need to do something to get people in the door to buy your junk tools.

 

[RECox286]

Well, how would you feel if you sold your _________ to somebody, and

they used it for a job, or drove it on vacation, then got in touch with you

and made an excuse for wanting you to take it back and they

also wanted the full sale price they paid returned. Shoe on other foot ?

Returned new in box is one thing, used, abused is quite something else.

Think about it. And don't think they have trouble getting customers in

the door. Sometimes it's hard to shop b/c the place is so full.

Uncle Bob

 

[rslaback]

I don't have a problem with this change at all. I know some will never agree with this but Harbor Freight is working toward becoming a respectable tool store and brand. People who abused their previous policy were making it more difficult.

 

[Matt M PA]

In many states...stores don't have to take returns. It's up to their policy...it's not required by law.

I've known people that bought things to do a given job...then return. I see it as nothing more than theft.

It sad it comes to this as I''ve made a couple returns to HF over the years. I have some very good things from there like my oil drain...but I don't shop there often. The returns I made were for things that just didn't live up to what I figured they'd be...but I can't say it was defective. It's shame that "safety net" is gone and this will impact my shopping there.

 

[Steevo]

I don't believe that any company should be obligated to take anything back for a refund unless that item is defective or has failed to perform the advertised function.
Not even gifts that people don't want and are unused.
This is HUGELY abused at Costco all the time.
Too many jerks out there abuse these loose return policies, and the only way to fix that is to toughen up the rules.

 

[brownbagg]

got a friend that works at HD, he says people will buy a drill, put the old one in the box and return it, a totally different brand and the store have to give a refund, store policy

 

[Jack Olsen]

The original posting sounds a lot more like Cedge overheard an attempt at making an extended warranty sale by an employee who was willing to stretch the truth in an attempt to close that sale. My guess would be that the HF employees get some kind of bonus for every extended warranty they sell?

 

[mmack66]

got a friend that works at HD, he says people will buy a drill, put the old one in the box and return it, a totally different brand and the store have to give a refund, store policy

So your friend claims that it is store policy at Home Depot to knowingly let people steal from them? That sounds like BS to me.

Why not just let people walk out with free tools and save folks all the driving?

 

[kursplat]

The original posting sounds a lot more like Cedge overheard an attempt at making an extended warranty sale by an employee who was willing to stretch the truth in an attempt to close that sale. My guess would be that the HF employees get some kind of bonus for every extended warranty they sell?

i don't know if that's what was going on, but every store i've ever asked the sales person about it, they get a couple bucks for each extended warranty they sell

 

[pattenp]

The return policy on the HF site says the following for on-line purchases so I can't imagine buying in the store and returning is any different.......

GOT ONLINE RETURNS?
TAKE THEM TO ANY HARBOR FREIGHT STORE! If you purchased an item through harborfreight.com, you can return it to any Harbor Freight store for an exchange or refund within 90 days of your purchase! Just bring the item and a copy of the order invoice and we will gladly exchange or refund the purchase, no questions asked. Buy it online—return it at the store—just one more way Harbor Freight is working to improve your customer experience!

 

[brownbagg]

That sounds like BS to me.

i thought it was b/s too, but some employee dont give a rat about the store and some manager wants it to go away.

 

[Erampu]

Am I the only one who has never been to Harbor Freight?

 

[volaredon]

Am I the only one who has never been to Harbor Freight?

could be; I have been there twice now and haven't bought anything yet...I didn't like the cheap **** they had and that was about 6 years ago

 

[diggerrick]

could be; I have been there twice now and haven't bought anything yet...I didn't like the cheap **** they had and that was about 6 years ago

But you're interested enough in their policy change to read the thread and even share your thoughts?

 

[Cedge]

Easy guys... Notice I used a question mark in the thread title. It's the first time I'd heard the statement and I asked if anyone else has had such an encounter. Don't shoot me... I'm just a piano player in this here bordello.

Several years ago, I needed a lawn mower and went to HD. The guy on the floor suggested I go ahead and pay for his higher priced mower "since you can return it each spring and get a new one". He went on to expound on how HD calculated that I'd spend several thousand bucks per year with them in building materials for X number of years, so they turned a blind eye to recycling purchasers.

I figured that was probably why his mower was higher priced and that the policy was not going to last very long. My final purchase was made from a local dealer. The HD thing just tasted all wrong.

 

[Twiggss]

Am I the only one who has never been to Harbor Freight?

could be; I have been there twice now and haven't bought anything yet...I didn't like the cheap **** they had and that was about 6 years ago

But you're interested enough in their policy change to read the thread and even share your thoughts?

I kinda wondered the same.

 

[Twiggss]

and FWIW on some of the higher priced items there is this policy in place to keep people from doing exactly what has been talked about. (buy for a job then return it)


*edit* can't find an example online but I know a few months back they had it on some of the jackhammers and SDS breakers.

 

[G_P]

So your friend claims that it is store policy at Home Depot to knowingly let people steal from them? That sounds like BS to me.

Why not just let people walk out with free tools and save folks all the driving?

I worked at HD. If we refused an obvious scam return and the returner called corporate to complain the manager who refused it could lose their job. Management would rather have the company lose a few bucks rather than get fired.

We always wondered why HD had a tool rental center. "Customers" would just buy all the needed tools, do the job and the return them (and all the worn out consumables) for a full refund.

It was common to buy a mower in the spring, return it and buy a leafblower in the fall and return that to get a snowblower in the winter only to start the cycle again in the spring!

Thankfully they put restrictions on returning used gas power equipment to stop it!

Sent from my C5120 using Tapatalk 2

 

[kert]

The original posting sounds a lot more like Cedge overheard an attempt at making an extended warranty sale by an employee who was willing to stretch the truth in an attempt to close that sale. My guess would be that the HF employees get some kind of bonus for every extended warranty they sell?

It may be worse than that. The cashier may have a quota to meet.

 

[wrench409]

It may be worse than that. The cashier may have a quota to meet.

While not a HF employee, my daughter EXCELLED at cashier sales and add-ons where ever she worked here locally. She was the queen! Other cashiers kinda resented her. Hell, *I* hate pushy sales people my self. She went into child daycare now.

Anyway, I shop at HF and have never taken anything back. I choose carefully what I want/need to buy. The quality is not there, but at times necessity rules the task.

 

[BigBoyinMS]

They NEED to keep a good return policy because their products are so hit and miss on quality. I've bought "one time use" items and I've kept them because they did the job but I've also taken items back that didn't do the job. I bought their best 1/2" cordless drill once (I have corded) to take to my property and drill out a hole to heli-coil on my tractor. I fully charged it and had a new $20 bit in it and the drill didn't have the torque to drill soft wood. I could stop it by holding the bit. I finally finished the job (1 hole) by spinning up the drill and pushing it into the hole. Because it was a super sharp new bit it would nibble a little each time. 19/32" hole 2" deep took 30 minutes. Yeah, that one went back to HF.

 

[RKA]

That would be my main issue. I know I'm taking a gamble when I buy from HF, but sometimes on infrequently used tools, it's not worth spending more. If you took away my ability to return something I deemed sub-par or penalized me with a restocking fee, I won't take the gamble in the first place, which means I'm less likely to set foot in the store and pick up a few other incidentals.

So their new policy may thwart the dishonest, but it will also thwart customers. I don't really care...I need a reason not to piss away money in that place. More often than not I'm left disappointed in the purchase.

 

[bugdust]

I think I have returned a couple of items. One I can remember is their stud welder kit. It actually worked fine as far as welding a stud to sheet metal but the slide hammer was ****. The other was their 40lb pressure-pot blaster. It just wouldn't work right. I tried different media and pretty much redid my entire air line system and filters trying to make it work. I borrowed a good one from my brother and it worked fine.

As far as whether or not their products are **** or not...some are, some aren't. You have to have realistic expectations and do your research. I buy a lot of small stuff there but not many "big ticket" items. I bought their roll around cart (black one) and it's fine. I also have their blast cabinet and 20 lb pressure pot but I bought both on craigslist.

A change in their policy to store credit only would keep me from buying there.

 

[purpurite]

The litany of stories of dishonesty in people is completely repulsive. I'm glad I don't work in a customer service-based retail industry.

 

[Cedge]

Apex
You and me both. I will definitely hold a product to warranty, but the idea of using something and returning it after the job is done rubs me the wrong way on several levels. I can see why companies have to tighten their policy, but certainly does make it harder to justify making a purchase if you don't feel the company will stand behind what they sell.

Years ago, I stopped doing business with one of my steady customers. I went to lunch with the guy to discuss an upcoming purchase he was considering. We had a nice meal and the discussions were going well. As the meal ended, he insisted it was his turn to buy and told me to go on outside. A few minutes passed and he came out to the car. As we were driving back to my shop, I thanked him for the meal and to my surprise, he said it didn't cost him anything. I asked how he managed that trick and to my surprise, he made an admission that changed my whole perception of him.

He said he had left a pair of reading glasses on the table to make it look like he'd gone to the restroom. He then walked out, leaving the waitress to deal with the unpaid tab. He then admitted that he bought reading glasses by the carton so that he always had a pair to leave on the table. Seems he did this on a regular basis and felt no remorse for doing it.

The deal being discussed was too far along to kill, so I did finish the transaction, but it was the last time we ever did business. He tried for several years to work with me, but I always recalled the look of satisfaction on his face as he told me of his scam. It cost me to make that choice, but somehow it never seemed to matter. I later heard the guy was busted for fraudulent dealings, so I probably dodged eventually getting scammed by the guy in the process.

I dropped back in, later in the day, and explained what had happened to the manager and paid for the meal, after apologizing for having been an unwitting part of the guy's scam. I also turned down the manager's kind offer of a free dinner for doing so. I have zero use for those who steal anything.

 

[Matt M PA]

Cedge...you did the right thing...I'm glad to read that.

 

[dladcock]

Went to Tractor Supply this Summer to purchase a come-a-long. I had one, but needed 3 for this particular project. One time deal and so I was trying not to spend more than necessary. I told the sales guy that I needed two of the tools, wanted a good item, but not the top of the line. He told me, "Hey, just get the best, use it and return it, people do it all the time and we have a "No questions Asked Return Policy."

I told him, "Dude, that's just not right, I can't do that. If I buy it it's mine unless it flies all to hell." He assured me it was not a problem, but it is. That item can't be sold for new and more likely than not it will be written off. How does that keep the doors open?

Someone will make money off a returned item or it will simply be trashed. The costs is passed on to you know who.

Here's one place that gets a ton of that "Used one time and returned goods."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/180-WATT-IN...741?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565216512d

dla

 

[brownbagg]

if u have never been to HF, you are not missing much, you have to assume everything will last just one job. now I have gotten some good stuff, but i dont buy anything that needs electricity. clamps, hammer, dolly,jack stand, they are pretty good. I even got a good bandsaw from them, but waiting for the motor burn up

 

[december45]

I went to the harbor freight in "Hesperia CA".
While in the parking lot on our way into the store, we noticed a guy and woman, busy unpacking a new sprayer and packing a old used paint strayer in a Harbor Freight box. They were standing behind a Corvette that needed a ton of body work and paint, they were huddled up pretty close whispering about the paint sprayer.
We went in and looked for what we needed, as we were leaving the woman was returning the paint sprayer, I'm not sure what exactly was going on but did not look to be on the up and up. Just looked very shaky and very blatant. Its hard to not blame HF for trying to look out for their interests too.

 

[john11139]

In our area during windstorms that knock the power out, People will buy generators, use them, then put dirt or something in the engine and take it back for a refund. Father in law worked at Sears for years. Said women would buy wedding dresses and out fit the brides maid too and after the weddinf taken the gowns back, or fancy suits and dresses for senior prom. He was always giving me drills and tools that people boght and returned them.

 

[Zeke]

I guess this shouldn't surprise me any that people will buy something, use it and return it for a refund. What doesn't surprise me is why I don't like people. Those who stage accidents and commit other fraud just make things more expensive for the rest of us.

If HF only takes returns for store credit, that's the same as holding someone hostage. I do buy some HF stuff, but I don't want to be in their debt or be obligated to buy from them.

Case in point: I bought a cheap spray gun from them just to see if I liked the gravity gun concept. I went to my truck and opened the box to check it out. Something was wrong with the threads on the fluid needle, it was messed up. I took the thing right back in and showed the cashier. After a moment of explaining how spray guns work, she realized it was messed up and I wasn't just some guy who bought a gun before, loused it up, came back to get another one and switch it out in the parking lot (although I could have done just that).

I didn't think I wanted another one of these POS's so I took the money for the return. I wouldn't want to be forced into buying with store credit when I had nothing to do with the piss poor quality of my purchase.

 

[kmk7110]

I buy a few things from HF every now and then. Last thing i think i bought was a large tarp. We have a 3ton floor jack and the jack stands and the jack does great. It has been a while since I've been there and only returned only 1 thing which I was in a rush to buy and it was a tarp. Purchased it, walked out to the truck to have my wife point out to me that it was to the incorrect size, and walked back in to exchange to get the right size.

 

[Kevin C]

Seems like people like to bag on Harbor Freight. No doubt some stuff is pretty shaky. On the other hand I have quite a few tools that worked out fine. For that matter I saved enough that it more than covered the few tools that didn't work out.

So far my 3/4 impact gun has been great, so has my SDS type concrete drill. The $2 clamps that broke after a week... Oh well. The concrete drill has been great, it cost a whopping $50 on sale and has been used over and over. Seems hard to believe it was so cheep.

I also picked up a giant set of angled ended, open end wrenches. I just needed one wrench to reach a silcock that was buried in the wall. They turned out to be pretty decent quality. Six years later and they are still fine.

While I was building my new garage expensive tools were not an option, I had to make due. What I didn't cheap out on was the materials I used to build the shop.

For a couple of the really critical tools I still went brand name. I didn't really want to find out how good a HF nails gun was.

 

[scab]

got a friend that works at HD, he says people will buy a drill, put the old one in the box and return it, a totally different brand and the store have to give a refund, store policy

I went to Lowe's to pick up a sump pump for my rent house last summer so I opened up one of the boxes to match the threads of some pvc I had. To my surprise, I found a used, rusted pump that looked twenty years old sitting inside the brand new box. I told an employee about it and they weren't overly surprised. So, I suppose it's more that they don't really check before restocking more than anything. I'm sure they take in a bunch of returns but come on.....

 

[kert]

I went to Lowe's to pick up a sump pump for my rent house last summer so I opened up one of the boxes to match the threads of some pvc I had. To my surprise, I found a used, rusted pump that looked twenty years old sitting inside the brand new box. I told an employee about it and they weren't overly surprised. So, I suppose it's more that they don't really check before restocking more than anything. I'm sure they take in a bunch of returns but come on.....

Sounds like we have the makings of a new scam. Buy an item, put the old one in the box ant take it back and tell them that you opened the box and found the used item that "somebody else must have put in there."

OK well at least I sure as hell wouldn't do that or want to associate with anyone who would.

 

[malibutwins]

bought a HF nail gun built my whole garage with it and the cheap compressor tooworkes great. Now I also bought a electric die grinder and it burned up in 10 min.

 

[mmack66]

In our area during windstorms that knock the power out, People will buy generators, use them, then put dirt or something in the engine and take it back for a refund. Father in law worked at Sears for years. Said women would buy wedding dresses and out fit the brides maid too and after the weddinf taken the gowns back, or fancy suits and dresses for senior prom. He was always giving me drills and tools that people boght and returned them.

Thankfully, most places around here have a no refund policy on generators.

 

[mmack66]

I must say that I am a little more than surprised that stores publicly state that it is okay to rip them off. Is this another byproduct of overseas manufacturing? Products are so inexpensive that giving them away has become a sound business practice?

Or is competition such that, are margins so tight, and/or the fear of negative publicity so great, that letting people rip you off is the more appealing business strategy?

No wonder this country has one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel.

 

[scab]

I must say that I am a little more than surprised that stores publicly state that it is okay to rip them off. Is this another byproduct of overseas manufacturing? Products are so inexpensive that giving them away has become a sound business practice?

Or is competition such that, are margins so tight, and/or the fear of negative publicity so great, that letting people rip you off is the more appealing business strategy?

No wonder this country has one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel.

I think it's the latter. A place like Lowe's or Wal-Mart brings in tens of thousands of dollars per store per day. I'd imagine that eating even a few thousand in bad returns each day is worth it when compared to bad publicity or whatever you want to call it. All things considered, it is a drop in the bucket. The part that ***** is the legit consumer who gets to absorb the price hike created by a bunch of criminal scammers.