I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but
little in the store.

So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one
first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a
faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't
carry it in the store.

Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces
that actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker
accessories we sell.

What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,
that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't
sell it anymore?

Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're
geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local
lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This
ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,
then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.

Larry wrote:

What's up with the big orange?

Don't be a chicken ****.

If you mean home depot (or home despot) then say it.

This is usenet - and (good for you) you're using AIOE to post
anonymously. So don't be afraid to **** all over Home Depot - we all
know they basically deserve it.

But don't be an attention-seeking emotional woman by posting "UHG!" as
the subject line. That does suck.

Next time, be a man and put some effort into it.

On Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:36:50 -0400, Larry wrote:

I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but
little in the store.

So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one
first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a
faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't
carry it in the store.

Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces
that actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker
accessories we sell.

What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,
that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't
sell it anymore?

Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're
geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local
lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This
ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,
then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.


I can still USUALLY get whatever plumbing and electrical parts I need,
in stock, at one or the other of about 6 wholesalers and 3 or 4
retailers here in Kitchener Waterloo, and if not in stock I can almost
always have it next day. The most frustrating place to try to get
anything is Home Despot or any other big box store. The cell phone
saves a lot of miles on the old Ranger. (and unlike the Borg, the
wholesalers know what I'm talking about and what I need, and if they
have it in stock)

wrote in message ...
On Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:36:50 -0400, Larry wrote:

I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but
little in the store.

So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one
first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a
faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't
carry it in the store.

Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces
that actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker
accessories we sell.

What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,
that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't
sell it anymore?

Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're
geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local
lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This
ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,
then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.


I can still USUALLY get whatever plumbing and electrical parts I need,
in stock, at one or the other of about 6 wholesalers and 3 or 4
retailers here in Kitchener Waterloo, and if not in stock I can almost
always have it next day. The most frustrating place to try to get
anything is Home Despot or any other big box store. The cell phone
saves a lot of miles on the old Ranger. (and unlike the Borg, the
wholesalers know what I'm talking about and what I need, and if they
have it in stock)

Ace Hardware here is very good for most everything - especially the odd items. And nice to park 20 feet from the front door!!! It could just be this particular store, but they hire exceptionally knowledgeable and pleasant people. They all wear these little earpieces and can talk to each other without trying to "find someone who knows."

On 7/8/2014 10:05 PM, HomeGuy wrote:
Larry wrote:

What's up with the big orange?

Don't be a chicken ****.

If you mean home depot (or home despot) then say it.

This is usenet - and (good for you) you're using AIOE to post
anonymously. So don't be afraid to **** all over Home Depot - we all
know they basically deserve it.

But don't be an attention-seeking emotional woman by posting "UHG!" as
the subject line. That does suck.

Next time, be a man and put some effort into it.


Maybe he should be an invidious attention seeking woman by posting
adverse issues about the US. That's how real chicken **** men do it.

Larry,

I'll join the rant. I'm working on an undermount sink. It's held in place
with sink clips ( E lugs). Need to replace the clips. Went to both box
stores and 2 hardware stores. Nothing.
Looked on-line. Easy to find at around $7 per pack. I'd gladly pay that.
But they want $12 for shipping and handling. I'll not pay $20 for a pack of
sink clips. I'll jury-rig something.

Dave M.

On 7/8/2014 9:36 PM, Larry wrote:
I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but
little in the store.

So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one
first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a
faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't
carry it in the store.

Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces
that actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker
accessories we sell.

What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,
that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't
sell it anymore?

Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're
geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local
lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This
ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,
then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.




Clerk at Lowes gave me this argument the other day that store could not
possibly carry all the items in their on-line catalog.

Amazon warehouse is only about 20 miles from here and a neighbor that
works there tells me they have 8 million items in stock. Being so
close, I've gotten stuff from them in regular mail without shipping
charge in a couple of days.

Same for huge computer store not stocking a battery for a lap top I
bought from them. Considering price of gas and a 10 mile round trip to
pick up item they would order for store, it was cheaper to buy at Amazon.

On Wednesday, July 9, 2014 8:13:42 AM UTC-4, Frank wrote:
On 7/8/2014 9:36 PM, Larry wrote:

I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but

little in the store.



So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one

first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a

faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't

carry it in the store.



Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces

that actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker

accessories we sell.



What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,

that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't

sell it anymore?



Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're

geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?



I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local

lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.



If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This

ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,

then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.



Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.









Clerk at Lowes gave me this argument the other day that store could not

possibly carry all the items in their on-line catalog.



Which seems very reasonable to me. They'd be out of business if they
stocked every possible product. The bathtub is a good example. There
is a huge variety of bathtubs, kitchen sinks, etc. I'd expect they
stock the ones that people most frequently buy. But not every possible
style, number of holes, color, etc. When I went to buy a Kohler, I
had to order it at HD. It took less than a week. I didn't have a
problem with that. The major regional plumbing supply that has a store
here didn't have the sink in stock either.

IDK why anyone would expect HD to stock all, or even most of the items
they have online.




Amazon warehouse is only about 20 miles from here and a neighbor that

works there tells me they have 8 million items in stock. Being so

close, I've gotten stuff from them in regular mail without shipping

charge in a couple of days.



Amazon also only has about 50 of those in the USA, while HD has
2200 stores. You can't see the item at Amazon, nor can you go buy
it there this morning either.






Same for huge computer store not stocking a battery for a lap top I

bought from them. Considering price of gas and a 10 mile round trip to

pick up item they would order for store, it was cheaper to buy at Amazon.

That's true with many things. You just have to figure out what channel
is best for which product. There are a lot of things I buy on Ebay, Amazon,
other online retailers either because they have it, price, etc.

On 7/8/2014 9:36 PM, Larry wrote:
I'm sick of these box stores. They carry a billion things online, but
little in the store.

So you want to order a bathtub do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one
first. Sorry, we don't carry it in the store. So you want to order a
faucet do you? Yeah, but I'd like to see one first. Sorry, we don't carry
it in the store.

Tile, or yeah, we can order that. You mean those little trim pieces that
actually go with the tile? Here, I can show you our money maker
accessories we sell.

What's up with the big orange? They constantly display online stuff,
that's discontinued? Hello, why show it on the website if you don't sell
it anymore?

Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're geared
for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local lumber
yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This ordering
stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts, then you
have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.



Odd. I live in a relatively small market but when I was purchasing plumbing
items for a total bathroom to-the-studs-and-joists replacement I found a
vast number of plumbing and lighting and tiling and electrical items in
stock at my nearest big-box stores. The biggest problem was winnowing
through the scores of faucets from at least eight different makers before
making a choice. Same thing for lights. Same thing for sinks. Same thing
for vanities. Same thing for toilets. Same thing for electrical. Same thing
for tiles. Not that I bought everything locally; sometimes price just
overrides everything else. I got the special night-light GFI outlet and
heated towel rack elsewhere because I couldn't find them locally and I
bought the Schluter material and exhaust fan online to get a better price.
I _did_ order the shower door from HD's website and they totally ****ed up
the whole purchase by losing the first one without even a clue as to how
they shipped it but that was the only thing that caused any real pain. BTW,
my 'local' big-boxes aren't the largest of their kind in the area, just the
closest -- the selection is larger in the other stores.

On 7/8/2014 9:36 PM, Larry wrote:


Don't get me going about wholesalers and plumbing stores. They're
geared for the high-end user. Do they really need to display $6K faucets?

I sure do miss the little plumbing/hardware shops. Even the local
lumber yards _used_ to carry items not carried by the box stores.

If they want to compete, carry stuff the average joe uses. This
ordering stuff is for the birds. It comes in damaged or missing parts,
then you have to reorder. It's getting near impossible to schedule work.

Frustrated? Nah, just miss the good ole days.

Hmmm, I want above average stuff so I go to supply houses. They did not
have $6000 faucets but I did buy $300 Kohler ones. Upstairs bath got
brushed nickle Devonshire, downstairs is getting Forte.

When you turn the sink faucet on it is the same feeling you get handling
a quality tool versus the cheap ones. They are on a Swanstone sink on a
cherry Bertch vanity.

On Wed, 9 Jul 2014 08:11:44 -0400, "David Martel"
wrote:

Larry,

I'll join the rant. I'm working on an undermount sink. It's held in place
with sink clips ( E lugs). Need to replace the clips. Went to both box
stores and 2 hardware stores. Nothing.
Looked on-line. Easy to find at around $7 per pack. I'd gladly pay that.
But they want $12 for shipping and handling. I'll not pay $20 for a pack of
sink clips. I'll jury-rig something.

Dave M.

My local building supply has them. My local plumbing supply has them.
My local hardware store can have them next day from the warehouse
about 15km away.

In the odd case that they are out when I need them, the plumbing
supply can generally have them in a couple days.

Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP



Hmmm, I want above average stuff so I go to supply houses. They did not
have $6000 faucets but I did buy $300 Kohler ones. Upstairs bath got
brushed nickle Devonshire, downstairs is getting Forte.

When you turn the sink faucet on it is the same feeling you get handling
a quality tool versus the cheap ones. They are on a Swanstone sink on a
cherry Bertch vanity.

Dats Nize

--
Tekkie