My Email To Home Depot Regarding The Husky Hand Tool Replacment Process

[DerbyDad03]

I just sent this email to Home Depot Customer Care. I share it with the members of this fine group just in case you have a Husky hand tool that needs to be replaced someday. As you will soon see, the process is pretty straightforward. ;-)

Hi!

Having recently taken advantage of the ?Guaranteed Forever? warranty on a Husky hand tool, I thought that I would do a favor for Home Depot customers . I wrote a step-by-step guide for your customers to follow to make the tool replacement experience as enjoyable as possible. Perhaps you would consider posting this in the Help section of your website so that others can follow the same process. Please let me know what you think.

1. Go to a Home Depot store with the broken tool. Learn that if Home Depot no longer carries that exact model, you have to call 888-HD-HUSKY.

1. Call 888-HD-HUSKY. Learn that the replacement of Husky hand tools is the responsibility of the Home Depot. If they no longer carry the same model, they have to replace it with an equivalent model.

2. Call the Home Depot store. Learn that they don?t carry an equiva lent model, so you have to call 888-HD-HUSKY.

1. Call 888-HD-HUSKY. Learn that if the store doesn?t have an equiv alent model, the store has to determine the last price that the original model sold for and give you store credit for that amount.

2. Call the Home Depot store. Learn that they have no way of determining th e last price that a 15 year old tool sold for. Also learn that the store employee feels that after 15 years, the tool failed because of "wear and tear" and that "wear and tear" is not covered.

1. Inform the store employee that the HD website states ?If your Hu sky hand tool ever fails, bring it back and we will replace it free.? Inform the store employee that there is no ?wear and tear? exclusion to the Guaranteed Forever warranty.

2. Learn that there is nothing further that the store can do. Learn that th e only option left is to call the Home Depot Customer Care department at the Home Depot corporate offices. Obtain the number from the store employee.

1. Call the Home Depot Customer Care department. Learn that they have a "Proprietary Products" department that handles situations like this. Hold while they transfer you.

2. Get transferred to a very nice lady named Gladys. Spend some time on the phone with Gladys while both of you search the HD website for an equivalent replacement. Since Husky no longer supplies anything close to the tool that you are trying to replace, choose a somewhat-equivalent tool from a differe nt manufacturer.

1. Open your email to find a Home Depot Gift Card from Gladys for the pric e of the non-Husky but somewhat-equivalent replacement tool.

2. Thank Gladys for her customer focus and genuine desire to help in any way that she could.

1. Order the non-Husky but somewhat-equivalent replacement tool on homedepot.com using the gift card.

2. Accept the fact that the non-Husky but somewhat-equivalent replacement tool is not ?Guaranteed Forever? like a Husky replacement w ould have been.

There you go...pretty simple, right? All it takes is 3 contacts with the lo cal store, 2 calls to 888-HD-HUSKY and 1 call to the Home Depot corporate offic e to obtain a non-guaranteed, non-Husky, somewhat-equivalent replacement for your Husky hand tool.

I look forward to seeing my write-up in the Help section of homedepot.com. You don?t even have to give me credit. I simply want to help my fel low Home Depot customers.

Sincerely yours.

[Iggy]

replying to DerbyDad03, Iggy wrote: Yeah, that sounds about right. Though, I was hopeful they or Lowes' Kobalt might take over for Craftsman. However, you did the best things you could do. You held them to it and then exposed their fraud, instead of quitting and cowering.

[ads]

The HD gift card to handle a problem seems to be the standard response. I purchased some storm windows several years ago. The screen in one window didr not fit properly because it was not square - off about 1/2 inch on one side. Took the screen to local HD to find that they can't get a screen but they can order a new storm window and exchange it for the existing storm window (now installed, frame cut to fit the window and caulked between storm window and mounting surfaces when installed - not something I want to remove). Wrote a paper letter to HD Corporate about the impossible situation they pout their employees in. Got a gift card that covered the price of the replacement storm window. That didn't resolve the problem of not being able to get a screen without purchasing another window (stupid process choice). We never opened that winddow so the screen was primarily so it would match the other windows on the house. Used the gift card toward an air compressor.

[hubops]

< top post >

The Gift Card "refund" works for the retailers in several ways - they make about 30 % profit on the original sale ; plus about 30 % when the gift card is redeemed ; plus the gift card might get lost - bonus ! Also - many people are like me - they will spend a gift card more readily - to get rid of it - without the comparison shopping. John T.

[Steve]

LMAO-- Nice work. For what it's worth, I recently went through a reasonabl y similar process on a Kobalt Item At Lowes. However, upon surrender of the item at my local store, they just handed me the store credit. They're No l onger selling this, probably because they had so many returns!

On the other hand, I have brought a Maul that was clearly lovingly abused b ack to Sears, and they pointed to the shelf. "Yup. Go get another" was th e only comment from the staff. On one hand, it may be why Sears is trendin g down; too bad good service will jeopardize your business!

[Leon]

Not true. You left out the cost they are out when they issue the gift card and receive no payment for the gift card. So the original profit is refunded. It is a wash when the gift card is used.

[russellseaton1]

Completely unrelated to the situation here. But its a return story so it s ort of complies. I received a Harbor Freight cart a few months ago. Order ed online. It was missing all the bolts to assemble it. I called and talk ed to the Harbor customer service. First person said the only option was t o box it up and return it or go to the local store and get it replaced. No t a convenient option for me. I asked for Harbor to send me the missing bo lts. But those were not available. Couple days later I called back with a n idea. New person on the phone. I mentioned that Harbor sells several pa ckages of bolts and washers online. I asked them to send me several of the se nuts and bolts packages to replace the missing bolts from my cart. Harb or customer guy agreed and I received lots of nuts and bolts. I assembled the cart and have lots of extra nuts and bolts in containers left over. In the end Harbor Freight did the right thing.

? warranty on a

e Guaranteed Forever

would have been.

[dpb]

...

Actually, HF generally does pretty will on the service end, particularly when you consider their product niche. Yeah, it's essentially impossible to get a part for anything they sell as there is no manufacturing support network; they're all just throwaway products so there just are no spare parts.

But, they are generally more flexible as you note I've found and if there is an alternative they're not bound to follow some totally-controlled script from headquarters that the box stores have.

We've got same problem -- it's 200 mi to the nearest so returning something is generally more expensive than just buying another and tossing the first...

[DerbyDad03]

On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 4:27:56 PM UTC-4, [e-mail] wro te:

sort of complies. I received a Harbor Freight cart a few months ago. Ord ered online. It was missing all the bolts to assemble it. I called and ta lked to the Harbor customer service. First person said the only option was to box it up and return it or go to the local store and get it replaced. Not a convenient option for me. I asked for Harbor to send me the missing bolts. But those were not available. Couple days later I called back with an idea. New person on the phone. I mentioned that Harbor sells several packages of bolts and washers online. I asked them to send me several of t hese nuts and bolts packages to replace the missing bolts from my cart. Ha rbor customer guy agreed and I received lots of nuts and bolts. I assemble d the cart and have lots of extra nuts and bolts in containers left over. In the end Harbor Freight did the right thing.

Many years ago (30?) I bought a rolling wooden kitchen cart from JCPenny. I forget what was wrong with it, but when I called them they said they would ship out a new one and I could return the old one to the store so I didn't have to ship it back. (It's a heavy enclosed unit, not just open shelving.)

Anyway, while the picture on the box looked the same, the top was much better looking on the replacement unit than the original. More of a true butcher block. SWMBO and I laid out all the pieces (doors, cutting board, top, etc.) and used the best looking parts from both carts to build a bette r looking cart than was in either box. This was the microwave stand in our first apartment. We still have it in the kitchen of our house.

[DerbyDad03]

..snip...

Would you like to borrow one of mine?

4 miles, 14 miles, 28 miles, 77 miles, 80 miles, 88 miles.

[clare]

Anbd sometimes the best solution for the store is to send you a new one - and forget about you returning the first one - which solves (for you) the "noparts available for servics" problem - - and saves them having to dispose of the bad one.

[russellseaton1]

On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 6:44:42 PM UTC-5, [e-mail] wrote :

With my shelf cart, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, except it w as missing all the nuts and bolts to assemble it. And it had a small dent in one shelf. Probably got that in shipping from China or maybe in the Chi na factory when it was made. Dent was nicely painted over. No paint chipp ing or cracks. Dent was painted in the original cart painting. These cart s come with a small bag of nuts and bolts. They just left this bag out whe n putting the package together in China. I can't imagine Harbor just throw ing the thing away if they got it returned. I would guess they would tape it back in its box and put a sign on it saying "Missing assembly nuts and b olts." Then put it in one of their monthly parking lot sales. A potential customer would see it for 50% off and say "BARGAIN!!!!" And think I have

89 coffee cans of spare nuts and bolts at home collected by my grandpa's gr andpa's grandpa and my pa and me over the last 200 years. I can put this c art together without any help! "I'm going to steal this!" Yeah!!! And Ha rbor makes money since they paid only 10% of retail to the original manufac turer in China. They still net 40% after cutting the price in half.

[DerbyDad03]

bly similar process on a Kobalt Item At Lowes. However, upon surrender of t he item at my local store, they just handed me the store credit. They're No longer selling this, probably because they had so many returns!

back to Sears, and they pointed to the shelf. "Yup. Go get another" was the only comment from the staff. On one hand, it may be why Sears is trend ing down; too bad good service will jeopardize your business!

I picked a Rigid wet-dry vac a few weeks ago. I didn't notice it in the HD store because I was rushing, but when I got home I noticed the box had been retaped. I try to a void buying retape boxes, but I missed it this time.

When I opened the box my worst fears were realized. The vac wasn't just rep acked, it was well used. There must have been 2" of drywall debris in the canister, the f ilter was coated with dust and there were pieces missing.

I took it right back, showed it to the clerk and asked her what she could d o to make me a happy customer. "Go grab another vac. How's 15% off sound?" That worked for me.

[dpb]

On 19-Oct-17 4:23 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote: ...

Actually, I forget...there is an almost brand-new one now in Garden about 65 mi or so instead of Wichita/Amarillo. In fact, I'm thinking given how windy out it is today I may just make a trek up there instead of fighting the wind outside -- I need a trailer jack for the fuel trailer that nobody in town has for < 3X what can get adequate for the purpose one plus a few other things have caught eye in the lastest e-mail flyer...which raises question on how the "special coupons" work--do you have to print copies of those or are there flyers at the stores for those?

Wouldn't want to drive all the way up there and then they refuse the deals but hate to waste the paper/toner...

[nailshooter41]

epacked, it was

filter was coated with

do to make me a

I go to 3 different Lowe's, any Home Depot that is in the vicinity of my wo rk, and a couple of lumberyards.

Amazing how different each store can be. Each has their own personality. W ith contacts in management at a few Home Depot stores off and on over the y ears, and the managers tell me that the monetary demographics have a lot to do wit the store's overall relationship with customers.

These are generalities based on my personal conversations with managers and employees, so please, no lectures on being PC.

In the well to do neighborhoods, the employees are used to being treated pr etty badly, much like servants. Demanding women that can't believe that the y saw something on TV that a store clerk didn't, weekend warriors in cargo shorts, hiking boots, a well washed ball cap and a plaid shirt... that almo st make them a pro. And if they saw something on TOH, or some other show, they just might be a pro. I have was in an HD recently and watched a middl e aged man (VERY well dressed in a Ralph Lauren weekend collection kind of way) berate a store clerk because his time was valuable, and the poor clerk didn't have professional grade advice at his fingertips for him. Waiting m y turn for my favorite account rep at the pro desk a couple of years ago (f or about 20 minutes I might add)I was finally up. I was going over my list of materials and a older, well coiffed and bejeweled woman came up to me, put her hand around my shoulder and said "I'm sorry honey, but I am in a re al hurry and I need to talk to this man for a few minutes" and then started asking about drapery installation.

That unleashed a pretty good string of profanity that even surprised me. T he manager at that store is changed out about every 18 months as the compla ints by the clients pile up and they move them. I have known a few, and th ey assure me that everyone wants to speak to manager and they have the time to follow up with every complaint to corporate, including their favorite " the person I talked to was very rude" complaint.

My contacts at the least monetarily and mid range income stores tell me it is mixed experiences dealing with customers. But people are very demanding these days, as well as completely dishonest. I have developed a lot more s ympathy for the HD employees since I got to know some of the managers. The shop vac you got was probably put in the wrong bin, meant to be returned t o HD for refund. OR, if the customer service was filled by a new guy, the taped box may have been claimed to be "unopened" and it wasn't caught. Lots of variables, but I was cheered to hear that 1) you didn't come back here and let everyone know you were a huge prick that laid some (fill in stereot ype here) low, and 2) they did you a solid favor by discounting the purchas e. Not much I understand, but sometimes the thought counts a lot.

For a lot of different reasons, the whole HD/Lowes model of service has cha nged. Personally, I don't know how they get anyone to work there. The fir st weekend DIY snot showing off for his kids that mouthed off to me would c ertainly cost me my job.

Certainly there are exceptions, but I have found that much like all my prof essional relationships I get treated by my vendors as well as I treat them. A good example would be that I bought an electrical fixture at Lowe's that was picked by my client. It was the last one in the store, last one in th e city. Drove 30 minutes one way to get it. My electrician tried to insta ll it, but couldn't as there were parts missing. VERY close inspection rev ealed it might have been a repackage. Lowe's discontinued the fixture so n o help there.

I called PROGRESSIVE lighting (maker) explained my situation without too mu ch stress on my end and the lady on the other end was more and more relaxed . She wasn't exactly sure which package of screws and decorative nuts I ne eded, so she sent me all that came with the light. So I didn't have to wai t, she sent them two-day air.

I think a lot of folks would be better served to calm down and remember tha t in so many cases, situations are out of the person's hands that you are c onfronting with your problems. My experience at HD has been pretty good ov er the last 20 years, but I confess my only warranty needs have been servic ed by Ridgid. I have never tried Husky (or Kobalt) as they have too many m odels of too many products for them to keep up. At this juncture, I feel t hat if I got my $$ of use out of the tool and it breaks, I just toss it. I won't argue over a $12 pair of channel locks that I have had for a couple of years. (BTW, they rely on people like me to not pursue the warranty!)

Robert

[FrozenNorth]

rst fears were realized. The vac wasn't just repacked, it was

all debris in the canister, the filter was coated with

k it right back, showed it to the clerk and asked her what she could do to make me a

grab another vac. How's 15% off sound?" That worked f or me.

ot that is in the vicinity of my work, and a couple of lumberyards.

can be. Each has their own personality. With contacts in management at a few Home Depot stores off and on o ver the years, and the managers tell me that the monet ary demographics have a lot to do wit the store's over all relationship with customers.

ralities based on my personal conversations with manag ers and employees, so please, no lectures on being PC.

are used to being treated pretty badly, much like ser vants. Demanding women that can't believe that they sa w something on TV that a store clerk didn't, weekend w arriors in cargo shorts, hiking boots, a well washed b all cap and a plaid shirt... that almost make them a p ro. And if they saw something on TOH, or some other s how, they just might be a pro. I have was in an HD re cently and watched a middle aged man (VERY well dresse d in a Ralph Lauren weekend collection kind of way) be rate a store clerk because his time was valuable, and the poor clerk didn't have professional grade advice a t his fingertips for him. Waiting my turn for my favor ite account rep at the pro desk a couple of years ago (for about 20 minutes I might add)I was finally up. I was going over my list of materials and a older, well coiffed and bejeweled woman came up to me, put her ha nd around my shoulder and said "I'm sorry honey, but I am in a real hurry and I need to talk to this man for a few minutes" and then started asking about drapery installation.

ng of profanity that even surprised me. The manager a t that store is changed out about every 18 months as t he complaints by the clients pile up and they move the m. I have known a few, and they assure me that everyo ne wants to speak to manager and they have the time to follow up with every complaint to corporate, includin g their favorite "the person I talked to was very rude " complaint.

y and mid range income stores tell me it is mixed expe riences dealing with customers. But people are very de manding these days, as well as completely dishonest. I have developed a lot more sympathy for the HD employ ees since I got to know some of the managers. The sho p vac you got was probably put in the wrong bin, meant to be returned to HD for refund. OR, if the customer service was filled by a new guy, the taped box may ha ve been claimed to be "unopened" and it wasn't caught. Lots of variables, but I was cheered to hear that 1) you didn't come back here and let everyone know you we re a huge prick that laid some (fill in stereotype her e) low, and 2) they did you a solid favor by discounti ng the purchase. Not much I understand, but sometimes the thought counts a lot.

nt reasons, the whole HD/Lowes model of service has ch anged. Personally, I don't know how they get anyone t o work there. The first weekend DIY snot showing off for his kids that mouthed off to me would certainly co st me my job.

ut I have found that much like all my professional rel ationships I get treated by my vendors as well as I tr eat them. A good example would be that I bought an ele ctrical fixture at Lowe's that was picked by my client . It was the last one in the store, last one in the c ity. Drove 30 minutes one way to get it. My electric ian tried to install it, but couldn't as there were pa rts missing. VERY close inspection revealed it might have been a repackage. Lowe's discontinued the fixtur e so no help there.

ng (maker) explained my situation without too much str ess on my end and the lady on the other end was more a nd more relaxed. She wasn't exactly sure which packag e of screws and decorative nuts I needed, so she sent me all that came with the light. So I didn't have to wait, she sent them two-day air.

of folks would be better served to calm down and remem ber that in so many cases, situations are out of the p erson's hands that you are confronting with your probl ems. My experience at HD has been pretty good over th e last 20 years, but I confess my only warranty needs have been serviced by Ridgid. I have never tried Husk y (or Kobalt) as they have too many models of too many products for them to keep up. At this juncture, I fe el that if I got my $$ of use out of the tool and it b reaks, I just toss it. I won't argue over a $12 pair of channel locks that I have had for a couple of years . (BTW, they rely on people like me to not pursue the warranty!)

Yep, I always treat the employees of any store with respect, usually I will see them go o ut of their way to help me. Had a Lowe's employee w alk with me halfway across the store once, just to mak e sure I got what I wanted. It was a new store, and I wasn't familiar with the layout yet.

[nailshooter41]

Whoa... I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of the chair. My cost to print from my laser printer is ONE frickin' cent! The cost of my paper is 8/10t h of cent!

Really??? You are worried about 2 CENTS?

I can be tighter than a top on a banjo, but buddy, you shame me.

HF is very Google friendly. You really should take the PRINTED offer (I kn ow, I know... this could get you to a nickel if you don't watch it) with yo u as there are dozens of flyers, some are regional. But any stores I have b een to honor any current/valid coupon you can produce. One of many current offers:

LOL... 2 cents...

Robert

[dpb]

On 20-Oct-17 1:48 PM, [e-mail] wrote: ...

I guess being in line of those who made it through the depression and "dirty 30s" rubs off more deeply than we realize...

OTOH, there's just _so_ much paper that seems to come through the house that ends up just eventually being thrown away I really do try to minimize needlessly generating even more...

[krw]

PC, no, but perhaps you're just seeing what you expect to see.

Interestingly, one of the stores here has a downs woman working the front door. She's usually selling HVAC service contracts, or some such but she's always nice. I'm rather impressed that HD hired her.

I'm not a "tradesman", rather the guy showing up in clean clothes (I'd never go into any store if I was filthy. I may be strange, but even in the middle of a project, if I have to run to HD, I'll shower first.

I've dealt with companies like that too. I tend to give them more business, later.

+1

...and that goes for the poor slob behind the counter at the airport, too. He can't pull another flight out of his ass, either. Might just as well be nice to him. He can make your life miserable or actually help. I've gotten many to upgrade me to first class, just by being nice in an otherwise stressful situation.

[DerbyDad03]

In my experience, they do not have the coupons in the stores. They have the sales flyers, but no coupons. However, if you have a smartphone and can pull up the flyer with the coupons, they'll either scan them or type in the number. I do that with the 20% off coupon all the time. Store policies may vary, so I can only tell you about my experience.

If you feel safer printing them, do it in greyscale.