Anthona wrote:
Those ads that are on TV are a real joke...not that I expected
otherwise..but someone should sue HD, for false advertisement. I
recently went to my local HD to look for a storm door replacement. I
was told by the salesman that they would have to send a measurer to my
home and there would be a $30 charge, which would be deducted to the
price of the new door, if they do the installation. I hesitated, but
its either I agree and get it done or not. So I reluctantly agreed.
Well, I was really taken aback when a couple arrived to do the
measuring. They were a ma and pa pair. Judging by their accent, I think
they were from Russia or one of those slavic country's...nothing wrong
with that, per se. The problem? First, it was their accent...they spoke
broken english...they were in an arrogant mode. After taking the
measurments, I asked to see it or at least make a copy of it, and she
said HD don't allow to show it. I demanded that I paid for it and i
want to see it. She was just about to hand it over to me to look at it,
and as I was to accept it, she withdrew quickly and cursed me in her
native tongue and took off in her car. I yelled that I was going to
tell HD..but that didn't phased them. I called HD and spoke to the
expeditor and she said she would make a note of it and would call me in
3 days to let me know what the measurements are. Where the heck does HD
get these people? I was looking for a professional man or woman, who
could explain to me what and why they were making such measurements in
an area, where I was told by one of their salesman on the phone, to
just measure the door only I knew that was wrong, I have had
previously installed jambs to accommodate the door i have now. I know
its not the standard size..but I thought at least they were installed
already and make a custom door to fit in. I wonder how cheaply HD is
paying these people that are sent to measure only. ..maybe that was the
reason of their arrogance.

I imagine all these outfits just have the local stores contract with
local yokels, without having to pass a competency test or such. And
they're probably going to get the folks who really need the business,
rather than those who have a local reputation.

I had a similar experience with Sears years ago. Bought a cheapo
storm/screen door on sale. Won't fit in a Civic. Do they deliver? Not
without installation. OK, send over an installer. The guy's coming in
in the AM when I'm leaving. We nod and grunt. In the aft I come back
and he's put the hole in the door for the latch way inboard (I mean,
the hardware comes with a paper template, how can you be off by more
than an inch?) so now he had to make the latch piece on the door frame
meet, so he built it up with some scrap wood he obtained by breaking
off a piece of the door molding and busting it down and stacking up the
pieces. Not cutting, breaking, leaving a big jagged edge. And it's not
flat molding either, so you've got this stack of chunks of wood where
no layer is flat.

I complain to the store, they call back with 'well he told you when he
saw it it couldn't be a perfect job". 1) he didn't see it until i had
driven off 2) WTF? OK, the store calls back and says he's going to
"come out and look at it again." He doesn't come, but a week later, the
store calls back 'he quit" so they're going to not charge me for the
install. Great, now I only have a screen door with the latch hole in
the wrong place, and a ruined molding.