Home Depot

Re-think Buying Major Appliances at The Home Depot!

On April 23, 2021, I sent Home Depot's customer service an email about my grievances. It has now been 23 days and I haven't received a response. I have given them ample time; therefore, have revised the email into a review. I have also added what has taken place after I sent the email to Home Depot.

I bought a house this past August 2020. The kitchen appliances were 14 years old and deemed, "End of Life" by the home inspector. After I moved into the house, I noticed that all of them, with exception to the year-old dishwasher, had issues and needed to be replaced ASAP. I was worried that any one of them could give out at any time.

So, on September 31, 2020, made an online purchase for a refrigerator, wall oven, gas cooktop, and microwave oven. The gas cooktop was on back order; therefore, the appliances wouldn't be delivered until the first week in January 2021. A week before the delivery, I got online to check the order status and found out that Home Depot had cancelled it! I had received NO notification that it had been cancelled! I called customer service three different times and received three different responses: 1. They didn't understand why it had been cancelled, and told me to contact the store. 2. The cooktop was still on backorder, so they cancelled the order. 3. It was a computer mistake.

Home Depot had $4484.84 of my money for 2.75 months, and my order was cancelled only shortly over a week before my scheduled delivery!

So, on January 4, 2021, I went to Home Depot and reordered the same refrigerator, wall oven, gas cooktop, and microwave. The store associate informed me that the gas cooktop was on backorder indefinitely, and she couldn't give me a date when it would become available. Therefore, I was only able to purchase the three other appliances. She told me to just keep checking online to see when it comes back in stock. Out of all the appliances, the cooktop was the one I needed the most!

Since the gas cooktop was backordered indefinitely, I tried to find another solution. I looked into Samsung's other offerings, along with other appliance lines. Then I found my answer, a slide-in gas range! I checked to see if the one I wanted was available and was happy to see that it was in stock. My kitchen had a built-in cooktop and oven below it, so I made a plan to have my kitchen cabinet modified to accommodate a range. I accepted a bid of $250. from a carpenter to have the work done. I also decided to upgrade the refrigerator to a more expensive model. So, I canceled my January 4th order to make a new updated one.

Financially, I couldn't make another purchase until I received my refund for the cancelled order. I waited for my refund for over three weeks and still hadn't received it! So, I called Home Depot's customer service and was informed that I would have to go to the store to get it. I went to the store and was told that the cancelled appliances hadn't reached the warehouse; therefore, I wouldn't get a refund until they had been received. Mind you, I cancelled the order before it was delivered, and I hadn't taken possession of the appliances. I had to wait an additional 2 more weeks after this to get my refund! Overall, it took 1 month and one week to get it!

After I finally got my refund, I went back to the store on March 2nd to make my new updated order and purchase. The day before, I made sure the range was still listed as available on The Home Depot website, and it was. But while I was making the new order, the sales associate informed me that the slide-in gas range was now currently backordered and wouldn't be available until the end of June. At that point, I couldn't trust that the range would really be available at that time! I felt that I had run out of options, was desperate and couldn't wait any longer. Therefore, I was forced to order the electric range because it was the only choice I had! I left the store very upset because it wasn't what I wanted! Well, two days after my appliances were delivered, I got on the Home Depot website and saw that the gas range I wanted was available!

This order was delivered on 4/15. After everything was installed. I noticed that the refrigerator's interior water dispenser wasn't there. It was then that I realized I had been given the *wrong refrigerator! Delivery instructed me to contact Home Depot's customer service within 48 hours to let them know that my order wasn't correct. They assured me that Home Depot would get me the correct refrigerator.

*Before I placed the order at the store, I showed the store associate the floor model I wanted, which had the water dispenser. After I received the incorrect one, I got online and compared the two refrigerators. The model I wanted and thought I had purchased, RF28T5101SG, and the one I received, RF28T 5001SG, looked identical. The only differences between the two were the water dispenser, model number, and price. Their model numbers were almost identical, but off by only one digit. Obviously, the sales associate had mistakenly entered the wrong model number.

After delivery left, I called Home Depot's customer service. I had an extremely difficult time understanding the foreign worker, and he had trouble understanding me! So, he contacted my store and connected me with an appliance associate. I told her my issue. The first thing she told me was that I should have refused the refrigerator! After it was installed and my old one was on the truck to be hauled away? Then she said that I had only one option and explained some nonsensical excuses of why. Instead of a trade and a price difference payment for the correct refrigerator, I had to purchase another refrigerator! Plus, I had to wait for a refund on the wrong refrigerator! I had reported Home Depot's mistake immediately after the refrigerator had been installed, yet they placed their mistake back on me! The next day I went to the store. Both the associate, the one I had spoken to on the phone, and a manager repeated that they could only give me this option. I had no other choice but to purchase another refrigerator! With this extra purchase, Home Depot had an extra $2100. of my money! Plus once again, I had to go through another delivery and installation hassle: disruption of weekend commitments and plans. This isn't right! Home Depot shouldn't place the burden of its mistakes back on customers!

Along with receiving the wrong refrigerator, two days past the 48-hour return limit *I noticed two deep scratches on the range's glass cooktop! Even though the range was delivered on 04/15, I couldn't and didn't use it until Monday night 04/19. The day before the appliances were delivered, I had removed the old wall oven, so the carpenter could modify the cabinet for the new range. It was then, that I discovered there wasn't an outlet. Instead of being plugged into an outlet, the old oven had been hardwired directly into the house wiring. (Delivery can verify that there wasn't an outlet, just an electrical conduit coming out from the wall.) I contacted an electrician, but he wasn't available to come out and hardwire the new range, until the following Monday afternoon. Therefore, Monday night was the first time I used the range to make dinner. That is when I noticed the two deep scratches on the glass stovetop and I hadn't even used it! Also, there is a safety issue with the stove knobs! They are way too sensitive! If you brush up against them while cooking, cleaning, or just reaching over to move a pan, they switch on! This now has happened multiple times with family members and me! This is a safety hazard! Because of this, I have almost burned myself more than once and a hot pad has been scorched! Lastly, I hate how the stovetop cooks! It is difficult to regulate the heat, which makes it hard to properly prepare food. Plus the cooktop stays hot for a long time, even after the burner has been switched off. (Safety problem) I didn't want an electric stove! I wanted and waited for a gas model for 5 months! I did report the two cooktop scratches to Home Depot's customer service, but they told me that since it was past 48 hours, they couldn't replace the range. They told me that the range is under warranty, but since it is a cosmetic issue I would have to pay for a new cooktop!

Before I moved into my current home, I had cooked on a whirlpool glass top range for 11 years. What I didn't like was the inability to control the heat, which is normal for cooking with an electric cooktop. In the past, I have also cooked with gas, which is controllable, and I loved it! This is why I wanted the gas model so badly. I did like how easy it was to keep my old Whirlpool glass cooktop clean. And yes, while my old cooktop developed superficial scratches from years of use, it NEVER had the deep scratches that my new range cooktop had before it was even used.

On 04/23/2021, Home Depot came to switch out the refrigerators. Since I didn't thoroughly examine and see the scratches on my unused glass cooktop, and therefore missed the 48-hour return policy, I made sure that I thoroughly examined the replacement refrigerator. I found scratches on the front door and I pointed this out to delivery. They made a notation of this and told me to call customer service, which I immediately did. While I was speaking to the Home Depot customer service rep about this problem, I gave him an overview of what I had already gone through with the wrong refrigerator situation. I also told him that the 48-hour return policy wasn't long enough to detect problems and wasn't customer friendly. He told me that it wasn't Home Depot's fault, instead it was the vendor, Samsung's, fault and Home Depot couldn't do anything about it. This was exactly the same thing I had heard from the appliance associate. So, Home Depot blames the 48-hour return policy for only defective appliances, on Samsung?! If this is true, then why does this same 48 hour return policy apply to not only Samsung, but ALL of the appliances Home Depot sells? I didn't pay the vendor, Samsung, I paid The Home Depot! Home Depot is responsible!

Lowes, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Best Buy all sell Samsung too. Yet, Lowes and NFM have a 30 day, if you aren't satisfied, return policy, and at Best Buy you have 15 days to contact them regarding defects, damage or other issues! The Home Depot's 48 hour, defective only return policy isn't long enough to discover hidden or overlooked problems. Plus, the customer should be satisfied with their purchase no matter what!

I received notification of the refund for the wrong refrigerator 04/30. This was two weeks after I ordered the correct one. Plus, I had to go back to the store to receive the refund. Including this trip, since 01/04/2021 I have gone back to Home Depot multiple times. My time spent driving to and from the store, plus business taking place in the store. I have also wasted 3 hours and 10 mins of my time on Home Depot's customer service hotline, trying to get my issues resolved.

Last Saturday, May 8, 2021, my refrigerator was delivered without any problems.

During this 7 month ordeal, I have been very patient and understanding about the COVID-19 delays. But I am extremely upset and displeased about how my situation was handled by Home Depot! And all the stress and headache I have gone through, since my initial order 7 months ago, September 30, 2020.! Plus, now I am stuck with a damaged electric range and don't have the gas one I wanted!

I have been a loyal Home Depot customer for many years. But does Home Depot really care about me as their customer? I think not!

My advice to others is to think twice before purchasing major appliances at The Home Depot. There are other alternatives that will treat you right as a customer! I have provided links below to these other businesses. I do know that I will never purchase another appliance from The Home Depot, and will let others know about my experience.

Links to Lowes, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Best Buy's return policies:

https://www.nfm.com/returns-and-exchanges/

https://firstquarterfinance.com/lowes-appliance-return-policy/

https//www.lowes.com/l/returns-policy.html

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/return-exchange-policy/pcmcat260800050014.c?id=pcmcat260800050014

1-19-21 North Frisco store Frisco Texas
Small contractor frustrated with horrible personal treatment including being hung up on by Monica while talking. Called back to speak with manager but hung up on 5 times. This store is terrible and getting worse monthly. Customers should not have to call or contact any third party or continue to try and call a manager repeatedly to conduct respectful business. Employees come and go but the store front and customers living near are constant.
My business like others struggle lately and options for materials is vital. I will not be treated horribly to make a living. My $2500 order as well as future orders will go elsewhere for now.
Respectfully, James Johnson [protected]