30 feet or 30 seconds---RANT

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Gary Max

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Has anyone else noticed that stores no longer stand behind the products they sell. I just tried to return a light that I had bought at Lowes---had the box and sales receipt---the box said two year warranty----will it's only been a couple 4 months so I figure I am good to go.
Wrong -----after fussing with the service desk---then getting real REAL mad at the pup they sent over to explain this. I did take the time to tell him what I thought about the store policy and the fact that I was never going to buy a dang thing from them ever agian-- in a very loud voice-----yah I lost it---the light was $50.00 and the switch went out there is no reson for this lack of serivce.
I picked my stuff up from the service counter and came home.
When I got home I called the folks who made the light and told them the story----the gal I talked to get madder than I was. She called the store and the company---made a point of talking to the Pup and called me back.
The company that made the light is sending a new one at no cost. They also told me to toss the defective light in the trash.
I am starting to see the lack of service in a lot of the BIGGGGGGGG stores.
Things must be getting bad and they are trying to save money?????
Just wanted to share my rant.
 
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Sorry for your problem Gary. I don't understand Lowe's. I live in SE KY and I have returned a lot of "stuff" both with and without a receipt. There has never been a problem. I hope they don't start that because Lowe's is about the only place we have here to buy the things I want and need.

Again, sorry for you problem.
 
Lowe's has an on-line response form. I have used it twice because of problems with our local store. Both times, within an hour of posting I got a call from the local store manager wanting to make things right. Those complaints are registered against the managers performance and get action.
 
Wow, that's good to know Frank, thanks. Gary, unfortunately those stores can't get qualified people to work the customer service desk, and the ones the DO find are frequently overwhelmed by the hostility they receive; sounds like you got one of THOSE guys. Sorry for your experience! I'd do like Frank suggested, and complain to Lowes corporate, too.
 
I will give Franks ideal a try. I am seeing this happen more and more. Last month I returned a SuperNova ll to Woodcraft---it had a 2 year warranty----I got to listen to the store owner explain to me that I just wore the chuck out----my thought was---So What---if the dang thing wears out that fast the warranty should cover it. Maybe I am expecting to much out of the warranty?????????
It gets to the point where I feel like I am just testing the product for them.
 
Originally posted by Gary Max
<br />I will give Franks ideal a try. I am seeing this happen more and more. Last month I returned a SuperNova ll to Woodcraft---it had a 2 year warranty----I got to listen to the store owner explain to me that I just wore the chuck out----my thought was---So What---if the dang thing wears out that fast the warranty should cover it. Maybe I am expecting to much out of the warranty?????????
It gets to the point where I feel like I am just testing the product for them.
Click to expand...

Woodcraft, probably an independant franchise store, and Super Nova is a hoss of another color. Depending on the warranty from Nova, the store owner may have had to eat the loss if you returned. I think this is a case of needing to read the fine print and complain to the responsible party. If it is the store owners responsibility, and considering the price of a Nova chuck, I believe this is an issue that should be brought to your small claims court for resolution. What the warranty says will tip the scales the right way.
 
Frank the box says 2 year warranty--plus I bought it from his store----the sale was on his computer---the end result was simple---he lost a customer----I bought a Titan. I have reached the age where fighting with folks over small things is a waste of time. Heck "I would rather turn pens than fight"
If I never step into another court room as long as I live---that would be just fine with me.
 
No Lowe's here - but - much to my anger Wallyworld here told me that after 4 weeks I have to contact the manufacturer about warranty issues. They won't deal with it. I agree with Gary about what service is coming to.
 
George----I think these store should just put up a sign-----
If your item breaks---you own the pieces-------or -------------
After we have your money you are on your own----30 feet or 30 seconds--- also speaks closer to the truth
 
Home Depot used to (maybe still does) have a "lifetime" warranty on their big tools, and the salesmen used to really push it. However they were well aware that they were playing on the pubilcs naviety. Their "Lifetime" warranty was against "defects," not wear. IF a motor quite working within 6 months, it was common for them to claim "wear" as the problem and not fix it or replace it.

Over on another forum that I frequent, I can't tell you the number of times people would come on and tell about the deal that HD was offerning with "lifetime" warranty. And several had problems within 6 months to two years only to find out that the lifetime warranty was only against "defects" that 99.9 percent of owners will discover in the first week.

I think Gary's light probably had a 2 year "unconditional" warranty. Most stores are required to stand behind those, but not all do.
 
Here was a good article from a few days ago on MSN Money. It was written about how Home Depot is shafting shoppers by short staffing the stores to save money.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/HomeDepotShaftingShoppers.aspx

Its a good article, and I see the same effect at both the HD and Lowes in town.
 
Gary,
I'm surprised you had the trouble with the return... I just started at a local Lowe's part time about a month ago and I've seen things brought back and returned without receipts, damaged, obviously abused and they still took it back... I suspect you got someone who didn't know the policies and was trying to show how smart he was..
 
I think the store managers are setting policy. I am going to contact Lowes Corp in the morning but I really do not see them getting concerned about it. The real stupid part is this would of not cost them a dime but it did cost them a customer. American Flourscent stood behind the light.
 
Gary, I just retired from Lowes, Or semi retired. I was in management and corp. policy is customer service. Just call your Lowes store and ask to speak with the Manager on duty or the Store Manager and most times if not all they will bend over backwards to avoid a corp. complaint. They work on a point system and corp complaints of any kind must be resolved and resolution sent back to corp. explaining how the customer was satisfied. I can only think that the person on the return desk was not trained well or was new and thought they were doing what was right. Two years ago we had an 80 year old lady want to return a pair of work jeans (we do not sell jeans) and insisted she had bought them from us for her husband. The associate on the return desk explained that we don't sell jeans but the lady insisted to speak with a manager. I was manager on duty and was called to the return desk. After 15mins. of talking to a stone wall I asked her how much she paid for the jeans. She thought she had paid 29.00 for them and I gave her a 29.00 plus tax gift card and told her to donate the jeans to the salvation army. The next day her son came in and asked for me and apologized to me and insitsted I take back the card and he has been a very good customer from that day on.Sorry about your experience with your local Lowes I hope that is the exception not the rule.
 
One thing people seem to forget is the stores that sell these products don't make them. Many of them have different return policies. If something breaks and its under warranty just contact the mfr.
 
Originally posted by dubdrvrkev
<br />One thing people seem to forget is the stores that sell these products don't make them. Many of them have different return policies. If something breaks and its under warranty just contact the mfr.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with dubdrvrkev;

The light you purchased may have a 2 year warranty but it is a MANUFACTURERS warranty and NOT a store warranty. The store has a return policy and not a warranty policy. You say "it's only been a couple 4 months so" and that seems a little ambiguous, can you narrow down the time frame a little better? If it is beyond the store's return policy then you should have contacted the manufacturer.
 
I must agree with Kevin and Mudder as well. If it is beyond the 30 day or whatever return policy, then it is up to the manufacturer to honor the warranty, which it sounds like they did. Blaming Lowes for not honoring a warranty they didn't offer (the manufacturer did) sounds silly to me.

Just my opinion,
Draken
 
I side with the store on this one, too. As Mudder correctly pointed out, those warranties are made by the manufacturer and not by the store.(unless the product is a store brand) I agree that HD has gone down quite a bit in the past few years; but they still do have a "no questions asked" 90 day return policy which seems more than fair to me. I have the general expectation that I will have to deal with the manufacturer if a problem arises after 30 days.

This sounds like a good subject for a pole?? Think I will fire one up to see what the membership thinks.
 
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