On Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:07:03 -0400, blueman wrote:


In fact, even though I can often get better quality and cheaper
pricing at some of the pro supply houses that I have an account with,
I often will go to Home Depot because I can browse the shelves and
return the excess. The pro supply houses frown on too many returns and
I don't want to look to "lay" to them

Exactly. I don't think I've ever returned something to a contractor's
supply store, because afaik, they don't want it back. Maybe I
misjudge them, but I get this impression somewhere.

Also, I end up going to HD over Lowes even though the local Lowes is
bigger and has a nicer atmosphere specifically because HD has an easy
return policy without a receipt as long as you have your credit card.

And LOwe's doesn't have the same poliicy. I though they did.

HD here doesn't require a credit card. If you have no receipt, they
note your drivers license number, I assume to keep track conceivably
if someone is returning too much stuff he bought, but more likely if
one person is shoplifting and returning for cash. I can certainly see
that. But I return two or three things, maybe 30 dollars worth a
year without a receipt and they say nothing. I don't think the cashier
or anyone thinks I've stolen anything, and I haven't. (although once
I may have unintentionally returned something from Lowes at HD. A few
things have the same wrapper and bar code.)

So, as someone who spends several thousand dollars a year at HD, I
would say that there flexible return policy is a good investment for
them in customer satisfaction and increased purchases.

Absolutely.