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As a lot of you already know, we had an awful ice storm here in Massachusetts almost 2 weeks ago.
After not having heat or electricity for a few days, I bought a generator at Home Depot.
When I got it home, we couldn't get it started. I called HD and was told "there are no returns on generators". I understand, explaining that I'm sure people are trying to return them when their power goes back on since they cost almost $700.00; but that I did not want to RETURN the generator. I simply wanted to exchange it for one that worked. They tried to shut me down until I screamed that I just paid $700 for something an hour ago that doesn't work and its absolutely without a doubt going back to their store.
When I got it there, a very nice guy in the tool department ended up fixing it for me. It was something small; oil bobber or something like that.
So I'm on day 11 with no heat or electric. The generator is smoked. Don't know what happened to it since I followed the directions to a "T", changing the oil, protecting it from water intake, etc. Again I bring it back to HD only to be told that "repairs need to be sent out, and won't be back for approximately 4 - 6 weeks". Our govenor called a State of Emergency, and HD won't let me exchange my $700 generator that only ran for a week??
Okay, everyone knows damn well why we are buying these generators. They are selling them at a rate of 750 per day. I don't NEED my generator in 4 to 6 weeks, I need it TODAY as I have a small child in the house and my pipes have froze. And oh yeah, in THREE DAYS its Christmas.
I understand items needing to be sent out for repairs; but not after one week. You should be able to return it for a brand new f#$king item after only having it for a few days. Not to mention that HD made a KILLING selling these damn things.
We have utility companies as far out as North Carolina here trying to restore power. Right now there are still 6 thousand people out in MA/NH. And its a whopping 14 degrees outside.
Think I'll light Home Depot on fire; for heat of course.
[last edit 12/22/2008 10:03 PM by Debi - edited 1 times]
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You should have taken that $700 and went somewhere nice like a hotel in the city or even taken a vacation. Like hell i would keep my kids in a house with no power and water. Dont hate on Home Depot. Policies dont change just because times get tough. Im sure if you were bleeding and dying on their floor, they would help you out. I figure since you are alive and walking into their store on your own 2 feet, they kind of categorize you with the other thousands of people without power.
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! | |
Yeah, but if you buy something like that for that much it should work, and you should be able to exchange it for one that does work if they have them in stock. Returning it because you don't need it is one thing, but returning it because it doesn't work or you want an exchange is another.
Did you talk to the store manager yet? Sometimes they're more lenient when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Keep it fuzzy. | |
I disagree. That should not have needed to be repaired twice within such a short amount of time, something is wrong with it, she didn't do anything to make it break. She did the responsible thing of buying a generator to keep her family warm and safe, and it failed her.
Any company is capable of making exceptions to their policies. They probably don't have thousands of people with faulty generators, most likely this is just a faulty piece of equipment and the situation should be handled with the customer's best interest in mind, not "sorry, it's policy."
[23:38:31] <metawaffle> I'm surprised the NE forum doesn't fall off UER from the weight of thread locks
uer.ca is like / being in the mob / basically, a / ninja mob. - Aleksandar | |
Yikes. I was thinking the other day about what I would do without power in winter and I have no idea. Good luck.
Que pasa, baby? | |
Posted by big dave
You should have taken that $700 and went somewhere nice like a hotel in the city or even taken a vacation. Like hell i would keep my kids in a house with no power and water. Dont hate on Home Depot. Policies dont change just because times get tough. Im sure if you were bleeding and dying on their floor, they would help you out. I figure since you are alive and walking into their store on your own 2 feet, they kind of categorize you with the other thousands of people without power.
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wait just a minute here, kids.
I worked for Home Depot and believe me, they are fucking cocksuckers when it comes to shit like this.
Even during periods of low demand, when it comes to power equipment, their philosophy is it's always the customers fault- NO MATTER WHAT! How do I know this? I worked in their power equipment/small engine/ equipment rental department...
When I worked for Country Home Products (Out of Vergennes VT [the DR Power people]) we busted our asses to make it right for the customer, even if they fucked the machine up themselves! I remember this old dude calling me telling me that the engine on his trimmer mower had gone tits up right out of the box. After talking with him a little longer, I learned that he had never put oil in the engine when he started it and that was what seized his engine up. What did CHP do? We called a Briggs & Scrap Iron repair shop, sent out a new engine and paid to have the engine replaced even though it was no fault of ours on why it detonated.
All those big box stores are cocksuckers when it comes to shit like this...
One of the many reasons why i did not work for them long.
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As far as going to a hotel to keep warm, believe me, I thought of it. Except that you couldn't find a hotel with power or vacancies within a two hour drive of where I live. And with juggling kids, pets and jobs, it just wasn't feasible.
It made much more sense to me to spend that $700.00 on something I would still have once the money is gone, which was the generator.
I could understand if I had the generator for more than 30 days. But I had it for less than two weeks. To me, an EXCHANGE was in order. As I said, they know damn well why we need these things. Sending something out and getting it back in 4 weeks is not going to solve the problem.
It may not sound like a big deal to be without heat and electricity. But let me assure you, when its going on 2 weeks, its a whopping 14 degrees outside, pipes are freezing and you have no water, pets are dying, and you have nothing but candle light to entertain young children, it certainly is a big deal.
We had more than ONE MILLION people without power in MA and NH. There are crews from NY, NJ, CT, RI, Ohio and North Carolina trying to restore us. They have been working 24 hours a day for 12 days. Not to mention that we got 2 feet of snow over the weekend.
But my problem is not with what happened, mother nature is certainly out of our control and there are people who have experienced much more serious things than this. My problem is that Home Depot refuses to return my $700.00 piece of shit item for a working one.
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Posted by Debi
It may not sound like a big deal to be without heat and electricity.
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That sounds like a huge deal to me. I don't know that I could survive 2 days in this weather. I suppose my landlord would get a generator? I don't know.
Home Depot are assholes for the treatment they gave you. I will avoid them at all costs. I never really shopped there. I tried twice and both times they sent me to another store because they didn't stock the item I was looking for.
Que pasa, baby? | |
i'm a contractor for home depot and if you scream loud enough, they'll give you whatever you want. i've seen people walk into home depot and walk out with free appliances. i've had two customers get their whole kitchen for FREE - and these are 30 and 40 thousand dollar kitchens. any of my kitchen or bath customers that have some sort of inconvenience get thousands of dollars off their balance.
call customer care and things will happen quickly. 1-800-553-3199
leave the gun. take the cannoli.
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Thanks Don, I will certainly give that a try.
You are actually the second person to tell me that "kicking and screaming" will benefit me at HD. It did help me out with the first problem (oil bobber) because they were trying to turn me away then also. I got a manager on the phone and let him know EXACTLY what they were going to do for me.
Unfortunely, when this last problem happened I was more discouraged and weepy than I was pissed. I knew a phone call at that time was just going to turn into a crying fit.
Course, its a new day and I'm feeling renewed. I will let you know what happened.
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Posted by Debi
Thanks Don, I will certainly give that a try.
You are actually the second person to tell me that "kicking and screaming" will benefit me at HD. It did help me out with the first problem (oil bobber) because they were trying to turn me away then also. I got a manager on the phone and let him know EXACTLY what they were going to do for me.
Unfortunely, when this last problem happened I was more discouraged and weepy than I was pissed. I knew a phone call at that time was just going to turn into a crying fit.
Course, its a new day and I'm feeling renewed. I will let you know what happened.
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Please do.
Damned shame they're treating you like crap. The Homely Despot stores around me have been pretty good with us in that their staff were very helpful. Saved me some cash as well!
As for being without heat or electricity being a big deal, you got that right! I remember when our power was out for nearly a whole day and we nearly had our basement flood out on us. No power, no sump pump. Those buckets got pretty damned heavy after a while and when I was about to say "F**k it!" and let it go, the power came back on. That pump starting up was music to my ears.
My sister in law had that happen to her just this year and her basement flooded in about 3 inches of water. They bought and installed a generator for the next time.
Good luck and I hope this matter is resolved very quickly for you.
Gone for a while. Be back when I'm back. | |
Posted by Debi
Thanks Don, I will certainly give that a try.
You are actually the second person to tell me that "kicking and screaming" will benefit me at HD. It did help me out with the first problem (oil bobber) because they were trying to turn me away then also. I got a manager on the phone and let him know EXACTLY what they were going to do for me.
Unfortunely, when this last problem happened I was more discouraged and weepy than I was pissed. I knew a phone call at that time was just going to turn into a crying fit.
Course, its a new day and I'm feeling renewed. I will let you know what happened.
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Go get them girl!!!! They know the situation and $700 is not pocket change and you are getting screwed without the kiss. Don't back off until you get what you have coming to you.
A mirage is not an optical illusion. It is a real phenomenon, and one can take photographs of it. The interpretation of the image, however, is up to the fantasy of the human mind.
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what happened with this, debi?
leave the gun. take the cannoli.
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I've just read this,and I'm curious,too.
Sorry to hear,what a major inconvenience!
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No dice getting HD to give me a new generator, so I finally agreed to have them send it out for repair at no charge, of course.
Haven't heard back from them and its been about 3 weeks. I let you know what happened.
Here is a few pics I took after the storm. The first pic is what I saw when I opened my front door. My big maple split and landed right on my front porch!
[last edit 1/11/2009 10:38 PM by Debi - edited 1 times]
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jesus christ.
leave the gun. take the cannoli.
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that's terrible. I remember one like that here in 95 or 96. It sucked.
Through the darkness of future's past
The magician longs to see
Once chants out between two worlds Fire, walk with me | |
Posted by sheNANigans
that's terrible. I remember one like that here in 95 or 96. It sucked.
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Nan remember the one we passed out for in 06?
Debi that looked horrible! I hope that you had better luck with the insurance company than you did with Home Depot.
A mirage is not an optical illusion. It is a real phenomenon, and one can take photographs of it. The interpretation of the image, however, is up to the fantasy of the human mind.
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That is really horrible. I can't believe they would treat you like this, especially when it was obviously a time of such need.
I hope that you have some privately owned stores around you. I know they are harder and harder to locate, but they tend to treat their customers much better. It is too late now, but it would be nice if you could take your business elsewhere in the future.
Que pasa, baby? | |
the big ice storm for us (NY), Vermont and Quebec was in 1998.
we didn't have power for almost a week.
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