"James Wynne" wrote in message ...
"TURTLE" wrote in message
...
"Joseph" wrote in message
om...
Just got done talking to my local Home Depot (for the second time)
regarding a foul-up on their part. I'm redoing my kitchen as the
first part of a remodel of the entire house. Anyways, I ordered a
tile-in sink from Home Depot to butt up against the new tile
countertop I'm putting in (no lip on the sink). The order says
tile-in sink. They sent me an undermount sink. The problem here is
that these two types of sinks are almost identical (at least in the
model I purchased). Same finish, same size...just that the undermount
has holes drilled that are too big for the faucets I purchased (they
dropped right through when I tried to install them).
They admit the screw-up was their fault. They also have told me that
there is no faucet made that will fit the holes the size of the
undermount sink. However, since they did not do the installation,
they will do nothing for me other than replace the sink with a
tile-in. The undermount sink currently resides in the middle of my
tiled countertop (cemented it).
The store manager has been no help in resolving this situation in an
equitable manner. No refund/replacement without the sink (torn out of
my counter) and no money/credit towards the removal of the existing
sink.
Can anyone who's run into a similar situation give me any help on ways
to get Home Depot to do what's right here? I'm a do-it-yourself'er
simply trying to make my dollars stretch. I would like to believe
that the home supply stores out there understand that. But when they
refuse to take responsibility for screw-ups like this, it makes me
wonder what a do-it-yourself'er is supposed to do.
- Joseph
This is Turtle.
When you deal with Home Depot , your dealing with a discount supply house
or another word for it is Wholesale supply house. I'm in
the HVAC / R business and I buy the equipment from the Wholesale supply
house and i do get the equipment at a very good discount
verses buying from a retail supplier. Home Depot is a wholesaler of retail
supplies and they are taking the same stands as a
wholesaler supply house like I buy from. If you want to buy at wholesale
prices, expect to be treated like me at my wholesaler
supply house. If I order a piece of equipment from them and it is wrong
like the wrong seer rating and I install it. I call them and
tell them that it was the wrong seer rating. They will say well bring it
back and get a new one with the right seer rating. I can
ask them to help with the added cost of re installing the right equipment
and they will tell me this. We are in the wholesaling of
equipment and not in the installation of the equipment. You are
responciable to see that the equipment is correct before you install
it. We will only replace anything that is defective or the wrong type and
installing the equipment is your baby.
Home Depot , Low's Discount Stores, and Wall Marts is all Wholesale
suppliers. Wholesaler suppliers are a far cry from a retail
store where you would want them to do something about this.
The Public is just now understanding the Discount supply houses /
Wholesale suppliers ways of doing business. If your going to Do It
Yourself then you are the contractor and You better know what your going
to do way before you start. I'm not saing anything good or
bad here about this problem , but letting you in on the wholesale business
and how it works.
TURTLE
---
While you're correct in principle, you're absolutely wrong in characterizing
Home Depot,
"Low's" and "Wall Marts" as wholesalers, in any sense of the word. Sales to
the general
public are retail sales. The stores you cite are all retailers.
This is Turtle.
You must not being the business of reselling equipment or supplies. I can buy breakers, copper tubing & fittings, plumbing supplies,
Thermostats / the cheap kind, PVC glue & fittings, drills, bits, saw blades, Electric wire, EMT and PVC or Metal Electric Conduit +
fittings, air buster fans, freon 134-A from Sam's Wholesale place or freon R-22 with licences, Cans of 134-A for small appliances &
adapters to guages, and everything i need to install a central system with and pay less or the same as my wholesale supplier. The
only thing that I can't buy cheaper at the wholesaler is the air handlers , gas furnaces, & Condenser units. There is a general rule
of mark up of you buy from the manufactor and the wholesalers adds a 20% mark up on the product from the manufactors price they had
to pay for it. Then the Wholesaler will sell the product to the dealers / Retail stores / or any outlet like walmarts , low's, Home
Depot, or any type retail out let with this 20% mark up on it to keep the Wholesaler a live.
Walmarts, Low's, Home Depot, Sam's Wholesale place, and all the so called retailers but they are selling for wholesale price just
like the wholesalers are selling to me. They got smart and started buying from the manufactors theirself and cutting the wholesalers
out. They are selling the product at a 20% mark up and with only a 20% mark up. You don't have enough money left over to fix every
screw up that is proformed by do it yourselfers. If they warrentied every screw up of a do it yourselfers. They would go in the hole
in 1 years for the failure rate for do it yourselfers is about 50%. I in the HVAC / R business a .10% screw up rate for i do this
for a living and don't screw up much. If i started having a 50% screw up rate in my business. First my supplier will cut me off and
they will only supply replacement parts for free but no labor allowance for screw ups. Screw up's do include the wrong parts or
equipment delivered to me and I put them in. You may not know it but your buying at wholesale prices at these places and Wholesalers
don't cover screw up's of the installers. There is suppose to be a another 20% mark up on the product tacked on the product from the
installer / contractor to cover screw up of any kind. I get the 20% mark up on the HVAC equipment just for any screw up's you cause
or I cause. If your kid shoots a hole in the condenser with his pellet rifle and Lets the freon out. I will fix the hole in the coil
for nothing for the first year for i got 20% mark up to cover screw up's of any kind. Now if you bought the equipment and i just
installed it for you. I did not get any mark up to buy insurance on screw ups. The hole in the coil is going to cost you regular
rates of repair and i feel no obligation to fix it for nothing. When you buy from Low's or Home depot you cutting the retailer out
and buying at wholesale prices just like me in the HVAC / R wholesale supplier business.
If you expect Low's or Home depot to insure screw up like a retailer will. You have a surprise coming. They are not going to insure
screw up's of any kind. Now every once in a while they may cover a screw up to get good
PR but in general. They will not insure
screw up's. When dealing with them, You are the installer / contractor and they feel no obigation to insure screw ups of any kind
for they are wholesalers.
You may not understand how the wholesale system works but if you deal with them long enough. You will understand the difference
between retail and wholesale outlets. I know your going to call them retailers but in every advertisement. you will see where they
say buy at wholesale prices and save big time. Also you can take Home depot to court over a screw up. They will usely win because
they will claim wholesale supplier status and you are the installer / contractor. Installer / contractor are responiciable for all
screw ups of any kind and should have checked everything before starting the job.
The day and age of retail outlets is gone and now you have wholesale outlets. A good example of this is the self service gas
stations. Try to make Exxon pay for you putting the wrong fuel in your car. The pump are maked as to diesel or gas and you are
responciable to install the fuel correctly. You should known what type fuel goes in your car before ever tring to fill the car with
gas.
TURTLE
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (
http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.622 / Virus Database: 400 - Release Date: 3/13/2004