At the big orange yesterday, in the returns line.
The guy in front of me is returning scrap pieces of molding. Like he bought a 10-foot piece, only needed 8, and is now returning the extra two feet.
1) Is this for real? It never would have occurred to me that you could return cut-offs like this. Who is going to buy a little 2 foot section with pencil marks on it if they re-stock it?
2) This guy should be in the Cheap SOB Hall of Fame.
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Replies
THey should have a special policy that the returns clerk is allowed to smack you on the head with the cutoffs for being such an idiot. I had no idea people were like that. Can I return the half eaten Big Mac that I didn't want?
This is too funny. A few days or so, my neighbor came how with a milk crate full of 1 foot cut-offs. I figured he burned them in his fireplace. Then I realized, he does not have a fireplace. SO I asked what they were for. He explained that he collects them from jobsights and returns them to the HD. That cheap SOB.
I was at my local HD near closing time when I guy rolls in a cart of all sorts of odd items for return, including a space heater and saw blades!!!! Give the manager credit, she immediately barked to the return line that they don't take back blades.
So, my project is done and I don't see a need for these tools anymore so, here you go. Oh, and here's two feet of left over trim.
...that's not a mistake, it's rustic
I have a buddy who's the tool dept manager at the local HD, and it's astonishing what lying creeps some people can be if there's a few bucks involved. I saw a guy try to return a coil roofing gun that was positively demolished, filthy, rusted, almost unrecognizable as to brand. He claimed it was only a month old etc etc and was just berserk when he was refused a refund. On the plus side, if they know you to be a straight shooter, they will go way out of their way for you. I've returned a few items (most notably a very expensive Shop Vac) just because I didn't like it, no box, no receipt but they know I've never tried to take advantage, so it was "gee Paul, no box or receipt? Going to have to give you store credit, is that O.K.?" For all their faults, there are some advantages to the muscle they have with vendors...
"For all their faults, there are some advantages to the muscle they have with vendors..."
You mean like forcing vendors to sell so low that they lose money, go out of business and lay off employees? You guys shouldn't be going to home depot unless you have to. Buy from your reputable building materials places and support your local economy so that it can support you.
Actually, the recent poll in another thread showed that this board is half DIY. No surprise that there are so many home depot references in these threads.
Well, that's why I qualified my comment by "for all their faults". As was discussed in another thread, I often shop at HD because A) Selection... they have many many specialized items I can't otherwise get locally. B) Convenience ... there isn't another supplier anywhere that keeps the hours they do. C) They treat me like a human, I have never had them deny a return with a receipt, unlike the local store that caters to the trades that jerked me around for weeks on a $300 tool that was defective right from the box.
I don't dispute that there are many things wrong with HD, but there are a few things they do very very well, and I use them for those but I don't hesitate to go elsewhere when it's to my advantage.
I'd much rather go to the reputable building materials place and pay MORE for green DF than I would for KD at HD.
Makes sense to me, especially when I can enjoy the bad attitude that goes with the higher prices at the local reputable building materials place.
Joe H
That's my biggest b*tch with the local guys around here. I may not be a pro, but my contractor friends gasp when they see the stuff I buy (and use routinely). When I'm spending the money I bust my backside to earn, whether for a hobby or a profession I expect to be treated like a valued customer, not a pain in the butt who's interupting someone's break. True story...a local building supplier had some swanky Titanium hammers on display. I'm recovering from a dislocated shoulder so I asked about it... the reply... "are you a carpenter?... "ummm, no I'm not"... "then forget about it". No problem...I haven't been back since. By the same token, I used to routinely drive an hour to buy tools from a small place that had a great selection, great service, but not very competitive prices because I knew they would take the time to chat about the pros and cons before ringing it up. Unfortunately, they became too big for their britches, their service plumetted, and I (as well as many others, apparently) stopped patronizing them and lo and behold, they folded. It's just capitalism. I'm in a business right now that's being decimated by big boys, much as it pains me, I know I either have to outservice them or fold up my tent. Sorry for the long winded post, but after a while I get tired of the incessant big box bashing without addressing why they've gotten so powerful, and what it is that they do well.
David,
Shouldn't be so quick to generalize an approach for everyone. In my area we have 2 lumber yards other than Lowes. One is a poorly run small chain that couldn't keep inventory on there best day and has material that makes Lowes look like the best grade on earth. The other is a family run yard that caters to builders. Big builders. If you stop in for 6 2X4's, some nails and a tube of caulk you are treated like the low man on the caste system totem pole.
I know one guy that wanted a price on 200 sheets of OSB and the "local yard" said if you are building a house and don't want to give us all the business we will pass on a quote. Now thats 200 sheets of the same thickness of OSB. 2 skids.
Ok, anyway go to Lowes and they have 100+ employees. Lets see the 3 yards that are no longer around had about 60 employees. So we have gained 40 jobs in the area. Lot of people from surrounding communities shop at Lowes, and eat and shop here. Not always a bad thing when you look at the economics of it all.
Do they have great help. NO! But there are half a dozen folks who have a clue and if you are there frequently you know who they are. And that was the same with the local yards too. I sure didn't want to talk to everyone there either. Percentage wise I am sure the nod goes to the local yard.
And to take it one step further at the one and only electrical supply house here in town I have kept track and it takes me an average of 18 minutes to get waited on. And of the last 4 times that I timed it only once was anyone else there. And that time was one other person. They don't even keep someone at the counter at all times and the inverntory there sucks also. Lowes, plenty of inventory and if I go out at 7 in the morning I am in and out in less than 15 minutes. Time is money. All cases are simply not the same. DanT
OK, I'll revise my statement--if you live in an area where the local lumber yard sucks and the employees are morons, pass them by and go to HD. They deserve to go out of business. In fact, stop by and tell the owner how you feel and what you're doing.
I've lived and built in three places, each with one or more really good yards that will take care of you whether you're buying a tube of caulk or 500 sticks of framing lumber. I'm small and buy small quantities most of the time. Good inventory, knowledgeable sales people, special order anything you want, returns, exchanges, replacements not an issue, etc. etc. In two of the three cases the yard and counter guys were union lumber clerks and handlers who could support their families and go to the doctor if they needed to. No way I'm going to go to HD to buy inferior material and lug it through a warehouse just to save a very small amount of money. And when you factor in trying to run jobs professionally with materials from a big box, forget it.
Anyway, soapbox off and sorry that my tasteless outburst dragged a bit of woodshed flavor in here.
David,
I agree entirely with the vast majority of that. If HD or anyone sells me inferior products I wouldn't patronize them at any price (I'll point out that price was never one of the reasons I listed for doing business there). And, FWIW I didn't find your post tasteless. No harm done...
If the guy you knew who wanted the quote on 200 sheets was asking for it when the demand/supply curve was bonkers last year you might not blame the yard. Some aroung here could not get it and were rationing what they had. I would be hard to not be able to sell a package to a good customer because you sold your stock to a one-off, if that was the case. Just my .02.
Bob
Thats right, time is money. thats why I go to the local yard. I can back my truck right up to whatever I want to load then stop by the yard office and write a ticket. in and out in ten minutes or so.
Go to Lowes or clown depot for a load of lumber.... push all your lumber thru a warehouse on a cart with square wheels...stand in line behind some grandma buying batterys and curtain rods...oh yeah...price check...the UPC sticker is missing on one of these warped 2x4s....M.O.D M.O.D M.O.D... I cant figure out how to load paper tape....then push the broken cart full of lumber through the parking lot to your truck that you had to empty all your tools from before you could make this trip!
What'd you save?
While a "DIY" myself, I will have to ask what reputable building companies are you referring to now that Lowes and HD have put all them out of business? There are not many "lumber yards" that give both good prices and decent service to the smaller guy anymore. In reality it is the exact opposite in fact.
I use one of the remaining lumber yards for finish lumber to be milled into trim, for woodshop projects, decking etc. However there prices are high and service is horrible unless you are buying on account.
As a business owner I can udnerstand why they would rather take care of your best customers (ie. the ones with accounts) but it doesn't mean that a guy like myself that drops a couple grand on lumber for a project should be treated like crap.
So since I technically fall into the "DIY" category as I do not work in the building trades for my primary occupation I don't have the option of using a reputable building supply store and unfortunately have to deal with the damn big boxes of idiots.
I would much prefer to have a decent local yard, but there are none. Sorry for the rant but for many people not using the big boxes isn't an option.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
I think YOU perpetuate the trend just by patronizing the big box. Depot and Lowes came in and knocked out the small yards or at least part of their business. The yards had to adapt to stay alive. If that means they dont have the personel to hand hold the DIY's, then too bad. The pro's have kept them in business.
Its also funny how the big box prices have returned to competetive after they knock out the competition. Maybe thats why the DIY's are slowly returning to the yards.
What is your point to me?
I should drive 20-30 miles out of my way to receive crap service from a lumber yard as opposed to a very short trip to either Lowes or HD just to buck the trend? Should I not patronize the boxes? Where should I get supplies then? Any of the "local" yards have either cut service to smaller operations and "DIY's", don't have the selection or don't carry nearly enough products to make the trip worth it.
I think too many people on here think that the smaller yards around the country are actually decent businesses and provide good service etc. Many absolutely suck. If there was a great one near me, I would go for whatever products they carry provided I don't pay through the roof. It isn't always apples to apples to say "support the locals".
Lowes and HD changed the dynamics of the market by bringing a large well funded public company to serve a market and the competition lost, therefore it must be my fault according to your post.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
"SJ responds with a strong right cross after a peppering of quick jabs from Mav! "
"The low blows affected neither of the combatants as their stamina held their feet stedfast to the canvas."
The patrons of the match watched with intensity.
A frail Chinese man in the front row leaned forward on his cane saying 'verrrry interesting'. (He then turns to his bodyguard and says to remind him to increase his control of the smaller secondary markets.)
HD is owned by the Chinese?????
That was pretty darn funny............I needed a good laugh. lol
The last thing I want to is wind up defending shopping at Lowes and HD......but the other choice is never doing projects and that just isn't a real option for me. I don't like speaking for other people but seeing as how HD has 1500 stores and Lowes 900 or so I guess I'm not the only one that shops there on occasion.
I would love to deal with the little guy and tell the smocks to eat crap but there isn't a real "little guy" in my area anymore that is worth driving to or paying more to. The one other place I do use is National Lumber and they are a chain of sorts as well.
I occasionally get a burger from Wendy's too, I guess I perpetuated the closing of all the mom and pop diners too. I am the devil. (toungue planted firmly in cheek) ;-)
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
It's funny.........I'd rather do biz with the little guy, I am one. Been one for 30 years.
I'd rather do biz with the mom & pop but I guess mom's got a heavy coke habit & pop has to charge 50% more so he can pay for her habit.
And their inbred maroon children that run the place treat me like sheet & tell me I can only pick off the top of the pile.
They also seem to get a lot of pleasure out of telling me "They don't make those" when I have something I want to replace.
Makes me think mom & pop don't much care about me or my money, so off I go to somewhere that does, even though it's 50 miles each way.
Joe H
Capitalism. It's great isn't it? You get to vote with your money. If the local mom and pops don't give you a reason to do business with them, why do it? Take the business elsewhere....just like you did.
Problem is many people don't have a choice anymore due to larger businesses swallowing up the competition, it's just the way it works. I ahve one large warehouse liquor store around me, all the mom and pops couldn't come close to matching the selection and prices.....gone are they.
HD can handle returns however they want it doesn't bother them. They do roughly $30-40 million in sales per store per YEAR!!!! They can take back $15 worth of cuttoffs and frankly it doesn't mean a damn thing to them over all.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
IMHO, what we're talking about here is basically economic Darwinism. It has gone on for hundreds of years and always will. There used to be dozens of small car manufacturers, ditto radio and TV makers. In my current business (photography), the big boxes that turn out garbage for half the price I charge for quality work are gobbling up the market. Now, I can do everything in my ability to outservice them, but the future viability of a business such as mine is very dubious. Let's say I don't survive. Will there be an uproar of people bemoaning the end of the high end highly skilled photo labs? Probably not. In that case, I can change careers (the most likely scenario) or I can go to work at a Big Box. In reality if I do, I'll probably make as much or more than I do now, have better benefits (at present, for instance I cannot afford medical insurance) and be able to take my first vacation in 13 years.
Near me there was a small pharmacy, everyone loved the guy and all the locals went to him loyally for many many years. About two years ago, he put a sign up in the window that he was closing abruptly since he was fed up with the pressure to match prices from the chains, and spending half his time filling out insurance forms. I ran into him not long ago working as the pharmacist at one of the chain stores. He's never been happier he said, less hours, more money and a fraction of the stress.
For myself, if I had to close my business after 20 years I'd be heartbroken in many ways, but I'm enough of a realist to know that market forces are a powerful thing and not a reflection on me or my work. And the Big Boxes are a reflection of those forces, they aren't inherently evil, or wonderful. They thrive because they offer what the majority of people vote for with their wallets.
Any marketing guru can tell you that when you're faced with such crushing competition you have to find a niche that they don't address and make it yours. Contrary to that, my impression (and it seems many others share it) is that the smaller suppliers have responded by giving lousy service, poor selection, inconvenient hours and higher prices. Now that being the case, I'm no romantic... Big Box here I come.
There's another long running thread about the deal HD is offering on a great Rigid saw stand for half price. I wonder how many would pass up a deal like that just to avoid patronizing them?
Logic, it is wonderful thing. I'm with you 100%. Large chains are what they are. They have good points and bad. In some industries there are specialty niches that the little guy can service and make it, however as you eluded to, in the building supply industry....the little guys have not chosen well with their reaction to HD/ Lowes. Some have chosen to service 100% contractors and large bulders and reduced showroom space etc. That is a solid business decision for them. The little "DIY" or small contractor has to now use the big boxes instead of them.
The other local yards have chosen, as you mentioned, to become bitter and just hang on as long as possible.......they have or will be out on their asses soon. It's like a volcano, you can either worship them or get the hell out of their way, but you can't ignore them.
Why shouldn't I get sheet goods or 2x4 studs from Lowes? I have decent luck....6/10 are keepers and their prices are the best.........paying more, driving longer just to avoid the inevitable is a fools game in my opinion.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
The "contractor yards" are pretty much worthless here. HD is less than worthless while Lowes does a decent job of meeting my lowest expectations. IMHO, quality and service went the way of old growth timbers a long time ago no matter where you shop, but come-on already. Do the local yard guys really have that bad of a day every day?
They do seem to be improving. It usually only takes two or three return trips with them for corrections and returns now and I no longer have to kiss the ring of the head order taker before he will speak to me. You would think, after the last round of screw ups, and blow ups they would loose some of the attitude but I actually overheard them joking about how bad they pooched another guys order after he left in a rage the last time I was in there.
As if to add insult to injury, they quit taking American Express a couple of months ago so I have an added incentive to shop the box for the high priced (read high rewards) items I've been buying at the "local" lumber yard now.
At some point I'm going to have to start ignoring the jibes around here about evil Box Store Shoppers, toss the "contractor price break" to the wind, and succumb to the reality that Lowes is really the better choice in the Abilene market. Maybe the death of "quality local service" is the Big Boxes fault but from where I stand I can't see the local boys doing anything but trying to hasten their own demise. Kevin Halliburton
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men." - Solomon
My local town is expecting a HD within the year.
No more 100 mile trip to get what I need.
The local Ace Hardware guy has decided he can compete, and has put a huge addition onto his store. He's got all the weird junk HD doesn't have and a pretty good bunch of people now.
He'll do ok, those others are gonna go down the drain.
Joe H
"They don't make those" when I have something I want to replace. Oh yeah
...treat me like sheet & tell me I can only pick off the top of the pile. Ha ha! Man, don't that bring 'em out with the guns blazing. But man, I want a straight board.
Yeah, there's no discount for those curly ones.
No smile either.
Joe H
"How many boards you want?" "10 straight ones" "10, that's it?......pick from the top of the pile."
"I need 20 10' 2x8's." "we only have 8' and 14', you are going to have to buy 14' and cut them down." Doh!!!!
"In order to get a new bundle down I have to get the forklift!"..........long pause..... "You going to get the forklift?"........"Oh, you still want them?"
They're everywhere. I got a bunch of decking from National Lumber a couple of years ago, each one was marked all over the faces with crayon......some had it on both sides.
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.
It is exactly your fault. In the same way Wal-mart has killed the little guy. Once you let the big conglomerate stomp out the competition, you have no right to criticise the smaller operations for not providing the level of service you think you should recieve, even though you helped the process.
As far as comparing apples to apples, take a closer look at what you are getting at the big box. Almost everything is a grade lower.
Here is an example for you; Go to clown depot and try to buy a piece of "select" pine then do the same at a yard. Let me know what you find. While you are there count the number of ply's in their comparably priced plywood.
Anyone who has built a business around providing a higher level of quality can't be pushing a cart around home depot.
I know exactly what I am buying everytime I buy something. If I need quality lumber, I will go the extra distance, however you can't tell me that buying #30 felt at a "local yard" at a significant markup is a solid business decision when you can buy the same thing at a box in the same quantities, and yes I know the difference in 30lb and #30.
The business world is survival of the fittest and frankly the boxes offer what the majority of the market wants.......a ton of products under one roof. It's basic business 101. The little guys may offer better quality on a small number of products, however if that is what the majority of the US market wanted in the first place HD and Lowes wouldn't exist.....so that argument is fundementally flawed.
Saying that someone such as myself is at fault for purchasing items at Lowes or HD due to the fact there are no other choices is also completely flawed. There were no other choices from the day I started working on my house. Special ordering all sorts of stuff from several hardware stores, lumber yards, paint stores, electrical supply houses, plumbing supply houses, flooring stores, etc. is a thing of the past.
Things change Maverick, and you can argue all day long that the industry was better when it was less efficient and talk about yester-year when lumber yards provided what the market demanded, but reality is different today. I have no choice but to shop at the boxes and frankly they serve most needs fine for the majority of the population otherwise your beloved "small guy" that did everthing perfect would still exist.
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.
Edited 3/26/2004 10:15 am ET by Steve Joyce
I'm DIY but I avoid HD like the plague. I agree with you entirely that we should suport real lumber yards and industrial suppliers.
Added after reading the other messages: in truth I shop at HD when I'm not sure exactly what the thing I want is called (e.g. plumbing fittings) and I can poke around. That's difficul for a DIY at a real supplier. For lumber I ALWAYS patronize my local yard. They load my PU and give a fair price. AT HD I would need to struggle with those horrible carts, the checkout line, immense parkling lot, etc. It takes 10 times as long.
Edited 3/22/2004 4:07 pm ET by javier
"I'm DIY but I avoid HD like the plague."
Javier,
Yeah, me too. Since we're doing some HD bashing here, What is up with they not have angled parking. EVERY store out here has it, as lots of people drive pick-ups and SUV's. Takes like four moves to park a vehicle in an HD lot. Reason alone not to go to one, 'cept for the service (or lack there of). I haven't been to one in nearly a year.
Jon
Jon, if you've ever tried to lay out a parking lot to fit the demands of all the involved parties, it's a nightmare.
You gotta have........for every 1000 square feet of building x number of spaces. For every x number of spaces you have to have x number of handicapped spaces.
Those handicapped spaces take up a lot more space than the regular size.
You have to have x% of landscaping per the size of your building & lot size.
By the time you go through all this nonsense, the building shrinks, the parking lot grows, the landscape gets squeezed in somehow and those nice big easy to park in angled spaces don't happen.
Not here in Southern Cal anyway. Maybe out in the middle of Wyoming where land is cheap, but not here.
It's a real pisser as the lot you thought was gonna work just won't. Or it cost so much for the size building you can put up that it just can't happen.
Joe H
"if you've ever tried to lay out a parking lot to fit the demands of all the involved parties, it's a nightmare."
Joe,
My point was......EVERY STORE HERE has angled parking except for HD. HD TRIED TO get a prime lot in Germantown down the road but refused to go along with the local ordinances about the building "looking German" so......they didn't get it, a Menards Mega Home Center went in, and they got a #### location 1/4 mile from the main road in a town across the street.
Not that I care, but a company that won't adapt to regional differences......? How much more does it cost to paint lines at angles vs the cost of lost sales. I went to that HD once, said to myself, "this place sucks", and haven't been back since.
Jon
Costco has it figured out.
Costco returns are pretty easy.
I've not had much trouble with HD returns either. About every 6 months, I usually wind up with a box of stuff I though I was gonna need and then didn't. Take it all back without receipt, get a gift card to use later. Works for me. But I don't return cuts of any size, that's just low-down.
Sorry I was short on this, there was a post about parking and Costco has publicly stated that they provide extra large spaces. That is what I meant, sorry for the confusion.
Most of my business is in the area of home repairs and small type projects. I do most of my shopping at the HD and Lowes, but kick in whatever business is possible to the locally owned Ace Hardware store. I just discovered the Ace.com site where you can order by Monday noon and have your stuff by Wednesday and pay no shipping. When I'm working on a problem that does not have one clear solution, I can buy extra stuff at the big box stores and return unused, unneeded stuff later. I would not return cut trim pieces. This is the same rationale people used for shopping at Sears for years.
Our local lumber yard is Foxworth. They are catering to big builders, now. They have gotten rid of most of the stuff in their showroom for homeowners. I've shopped there for 25 years and they all know me by name and treat me well. They are the resource for special stuff (20 ft. 2x6's, lower grades of cheap 1x #2yp). They let me wander around the yard to see what they do have, and they usually just wave me out the gate without checking my order. I do my best to be hassel free for them and have always paid my charge account on time. Really makes me feel like a "good old boy" when I shop there, where "everybody knows your name."
>Going to have to give you store credit, is that O.K.?
How nice of them. But really, they're just passing the buck to the manufacturer--'cause HD will surely return it--and making sure that they keep your money (and their profit) in store.
I think you missed my point, but that's OK... The product was a 200 dollar piece of crap, so of course it should go back to the manufacturer! My point however was that I returned it with no box or receipt, nothing more than being a good, recognizable customer and they gave me full credit back. As far as I'm concerned they're entitled to keep that profit, since they honored their part of our relationship, which is to keep me happy with my purchase. How many local retailers do you think would be willing to do the same?
Home Depot is just what some people need. If you have bought alot of stuff from them and are happy then they are for you, and either you're very lucky or not very particular. And if you think they are only screwing vendors, you're naive. I've seen it from every angle possible and believe me it ain't pretty.
<waves the truce flag>... there's them that hate the Big Boxes, and them that accept them for what they are...
Amen brother...
I'm sure there's more then 1 person out there that don't care for the way I do buisness. And as long as the phone keeps ringing there will be more. I can't be every thing too everyone and as a percentage of sales I'm probably no better then big orange.
But there is at least 2 things that set me apart...I don't rip people off...and I don't lie.
Oh and 1 more... solving a customers problem is not done by paying them off.
I sleep well using these fundimentals.
I didn't intend to start a thread that went quite in this direction. I simply couldn't believe that you were allowed to return cut-off pieces of trim, and that someone would take the time to do it. The guy returned an 18-inch piece of railing, for pete's sake, just in case someone has a very short staircase that they want to put a railing on.
However, I do in general like HD's return policy, because I was in line returning various things that I had purchased in the previous 18 months, no receipts, no questions asked. (All was unopened in original condition)
If you're looking to support the little guy, try Coastal Tool in W. Hartford, CT, or on line at coastaltool.com. They have good selection, very fair prices, and great service. I returned a broken tool there 8 months after buying it, no receipt, no questions asked. Plus, they are nice to you whether you are tire-kicking or spending thousands of dollars a week!
Also, Anderson McQuaid in Cambridge, MA is a nice spot to get trim in poplar, oak, mahogany, etc, as well as exotic hardwoods. Self serve, reasonable prices, good service.
Anyway, back to work!
I'm also in CT, and second your opinion of Coastal, have gotten a number of things from them as well. I've heard about a place in Manchester, the name escapes me, as a good source for woods, ring any bells?
I've been to the place in Manchester that you talk about. Bought some maple there once for a dictionary stand. If I remember correctly, they will also run your wood on their tools. For example, I glued up a table top that was too big for the 13" overhead planer, they ran it on their overhead sander for me.
Have you much experience with Sanford and Hawley? I've purchased a few things there, mostly S4S birch.
Ill have to check them out... can't say as I've ever heard of the other place though, wherebouts are they?
http://sanfordandhawley.com/
I've only ever been to the location in Avon, but they have several.
They are more of a building supply yard that also has some hardwood tucked away upstairs. They have always been friendly to me, but that may be because I have always gone there with my FIL who is a local builder.
Was the place in Manchester CT Harris Enterprizes? Very nice people and a decent selection/price.
MikeD
Yuppp, that's the place Mike...thanks for jogging my memory ;) I'll have a look there soon!
Yeah, Harris is the name of the place.
I was thinking that's what it was called, but since the last time I was there I had a son who we named Harris, and it didn't seem right to me that the hardwood place was also called Harris.
You guys might want to try Conway hardwoods in Gaylordsville if its not too far. Up route 7 just past new milford. A great supplier for the cabinet maker. And they offer shop services for cheap.
I agree completely about Coastal tool. Years ago I used to shop prices and always ended up at Coastal anyway. Great service and prices. As a matter of fact I drive 30 minutes past Tools (attitudes)Plus to get there. And the kicker is they are across the street from HD.
Home depot is fulla bafoons!!!!!! ever try to buy a custom door there? I did..ONCE! different prices everytime you ask..they can't read the manuals correctly.
I go to a small lumber yard in Winthrop, MA. This guy ,on average, can save $100.00 or more EVERY TIME!!!!!!!(on a spec. order)
Another place as AlecS mentioned is Anderson & McQuaid. The moldings there will blow your hair back, and for what HD charges for a plain, pine crown molding, I can buy a much more ornate molding, in more stable poplar, for the same money..
Edited 3/22/2004 11:20 pm ET by fitzcarpenter
Edited 3/22/2004 11:21 pm ET by fitzcarpenter
All of those short trim pieses you see at home depot are inventoryed and sent back to the supplier for credit to H.D. Words from a supplier that I talked to at the H.D.
then they cut new finger joints and re-sell em huh?..I think I have seen some of that recycled trim..<G>View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I was looking for furring strip ripping material yesterday so I called all the local yards to ask about culls. The HD guy told me, "sure, we have several stacks of culls out back from $.50 a board on up. Some of them are even close to five feet long or so."
He, He, he... I don't think all those off cuts are going back to the suppliers here. I don't see shopping for lumber at a place that can't distinquish between culls and offcuts either. It's different everywhere I'm sure but around here Lowes is just a far better supplier than HD. I tend to have better shopping experiences with both places than I generally have with the local yards though.Kevin Halliburton
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men." - Solomon
So thats why there are so many finger joints in that crap.
I will feel guilty about where I spend my money. Like when I go to the local tool supply outlet / sells to electrical plumbing machanics, and auto body shops , and I look at there prices {example: 18 volt Millwaukee cordless flashlight , price 59.00 and I can find it at another big box store 29.00 same model with hook for hanging it do you think im going to go spend 30.00 dollars more so the owners of the smaller place can stay in buisness = I dont think so . and the Porter cable circ saw right or left hand framers saw is 159.00 and it can be found at H.D. for 119.00 , 40.00 less I know where im going .
dogboy
No, I got the point and was just making conversation. Store credit is easy for them and beats a cash refund for their bottom line.
How many local retailers do you think would be willing to do the same?
My local yard,
I had a battery for a I've mak drill, I bought it at HD, still had the package floating around as I never got throwing it away. No receipt, battery went bunk after about a month, took it to HD to return, where I bought it, whole long story here, but it took an hour of my time, a call to their national customer service number, and 2 managers, the first being a dick, the second being really cool to get it done...
I was in my local yard the next day complaining about to the guy I know behind the counter, he said next time, bring it to him, he'll do the return, even if I didn't buy it from him... they just send it back to the manufacturer as a bad item...
I try to avoid HD when I can, but when I'm on that side of town, after 5, or sat and Sundays.. they're the only one to go too... Not all that bad if you know what you need and it's basic, but customer service is not their specialty, no matter what their commercials say....
as a side note back to the original point of the thread, I've found just what I need for pennies in the HD cull cart from time to time, when you only need a few feet of this or a few feet of that...
I saw a guy return a bunch of landscaping and deck books, I guess he did his project and figured why keep 'em. The SOB didn't even have the courtesy to protect the books, they were dog-eared and dirty.
I like a store with good return policies, but the thing that pisses me off is when people abuse it because the store ends up eating the cost of things like the above-mentioned books, but as we all know, it just gets passed on to the rest of us. So the way I look at it, I ended up paying a very small portion of the dumbass' landscaping books.
They should all burn in hell..anyone working at ANY type of store who knowingly re-stocks a return item..ought to be castrated if they don't check the contents.
Last summer had a PITA time getting some last minute stuff for a install..like a few run of the mill drawer glides..local place had 3 in stock..needed 8. Lowes had 5..no prob. me thinks..turns out my buddy picked them up..and because they were 22" slides musta been bought and returned a few times..from BOTH places..a package with 2 left sides..missing screws, or a 18 and a 20..in the same taped up package, or undermount 3/4 ext. in a package marked full ext. side mount.
Normally I would order the stuff by mail..but this was a "can ya do this while your here" type thing...out of a total needed being 8 pair,I wound up with 4...and we wasted a day..arrrgghhh.
Two rules now..NEVER buy a previously opened package unless ya open it again before purchase..and NEVER go to a register with an item that is not clearly and plainly attached to a pricetag..or code do-dad..
View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I had a love/hate experience with HD this week. Bought a piece of 1/2 in. black pipe and had it cut to length and threaded. Never thought while I was at the store to check that it was threaded correctly. I go to use it today, and there's not enough taper cut in the threads for me to even start to thread on the fitting. That's at 3:30. So, off I go for the 25 minute drive back to HD. Of course I don't have the receipt with me.
I'm feeling pretty good and understanding of the human condition when I get there, as you might imagine. The first guy I see is the return goon, and he says no problem. Wraps a paid sticker around the pipe so I can leave again, and sends me off to the threading machine. Well, there's nobody in plumbing. I ask two sales guys if they thread pipe, and each says no. But each pages for help. That takes up about 15 minutes. I go up to the service desk and ask for someone to thread my pipe. They say that guy won't be in until 4:30, about 15 minutes from now. But Tom can thread pipe. Tom is paged.
I go wait by the threading machine again. Ten minutes go by. I'm about to go do a tapdance on someone's eyelids when Tom shows up. And guess what? He's competent! I'm a sucker for competent people. He takes one look at my problem, adjusts the machine, and properly threads my pipe. I thank him, cause in the end, it's my own damn fault. I know that it's critical to check everything you buy there to be sure it's useable and that it has a UPC somewhere on it. I didn't check. Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Have a love hate thing with some of the local yards!When I started building my new house had Htfd Lumber (local) suppled the material.Three loads were dumped on top of each other(like 3 boxes of toothpicks upside down)could not take a decent inventory to save my life.Worse than that about 30% of the load was garbage(Whole bundles of rotted out 2X4s,delaminated LVLs,reloads)When I called the owner on it ,he told me to have my framer cull through the loads for the bad pieces.I told him that I'm paying him to frame not cull all that bad lumber.It got ugly from there.I ended up getting charged a 15% restocking fee for the BAD lumber,and he left all of the rest (300 sheets of plywood,28'LVLs,and 2x10s)and wouldn't take it back.Not to mention that they were over $7,000 off on the take off.
Called in another lumber yard(forrestville lumber)Everything that was delivered was in perfect shape ,outstanding service.
So I have come to the conclusion that use caution where you shop,at least H/D has a decent customer service policy
At one point I had $46,000 of lumber at the lot,talk about sleepless nites!
Any way I think I made out on the PLYWOOD as of the prices today(LOL)
It is not something I did on purpose and wouldn't but there is a way of investing on the commodity market through HD. The story goes like this: Some time ago I purchased three rolls of what I thought was three rolls of #12 THHN. I was buying for a small job. The job got delayed for a month.
Time came to do the job and I get there with the materials purchased and found out that I had, in a rush, I had bought #14 instead of the #12 I needed to use. Luckily I had enough wire on the truck to get the job done. A day later I took the wire back to HD.
No problem returning the rolls as they were in good condition, unused and I had a receipt. They credited my credit card I had used. Leaving the store I looked at the receipts. I had bought the wire at something like $11.67 a roll but was credited $16.85. I had made over $5 a roll profit. The price of copper had gone up.
Store doesn't loose money as the rolls were resold at the new, higher, price. Seems to me that if you knew a commodity price was going up you could 'invest' in products using that commodity. So I suppose a person could, if they were a bit shady, make some money on this type of deal. Not sure how HD feels about it and multiple returns might raise a flag.
I have two lumber yards 10 minutes away. One has the highest prices around and the other is a mud hole. Both have noligable employees and good customer survice. Several times I have made a quick trip to them only to be told we don't stock that item or we don't carry that length ect ect. Lowe's garantees lowest prices every day but I have compared prices on the items I buy and find them to be cheaper at HD. So now I pass up two close stores and a lowes to shop at the Depot 25 miles away. I will go to the other stores only when I have to. I don't like paying more for an item than I have to. I don't like walking through the mud and tracking it into the car and the house. I have had good and bad experiences at all four stores. One of the best shopping exp. I ever had was at the Lowes in Sevierville, Tennessee. Was greeted at the door by a nice lady sweeping the entryway, looked straight in the door and the first isle I see is plumbing which is what I was after- walked into the isle and was immediatly asked if I needed help finding what I needed. showed him the part I needed replaced and was told I had two parts there. he picked out both pieces and showed me how they went together so they were like the piece I was replacing. He showed me where everything else I would need to fix my broken pipe. Took them to the checkout and was greeted again by another nice lady there. I was in- got what I needed- paid for and out the door in less than 10 minutes and didn't have to return because I was given the wrong part or didn't have enough parts to finish the job I was doing. I had a broken pvc pipe which attached to the water heater and was told everything I would need to fix it like new. Job took about ten minutes to fix and works fine. I wish every trip to the lumber stores were like that. If they had a HD in Sevierville I would have probably went there first just because of the shopping exp.s I have had at home. Was on vacation staying at a friends cabin but thats another story. Anyway hats off to the employees at the Lowes in Sevierville, Tenn. You guys could teach the rest how it should be done. BT
Nice post.
Would you please do me a favor? If you would break up the text of the posts into smaller blocks it would make it much easier to read and follow. Every eight or ten lines just hit <Enter>
to insert an empty line space.
If you use <Shift + Enter> it will start a new line.
Large blocks of text start looking like grey walls and I keep loosing my place. Often reading the same line twice or skipping a line. Thanks in advance for making things easier for my old, tired eyes.
Sorry about that
Never knew about the[enter]effector the [shift+enter] effect
BT
Hey Ron- You ever get service like that?
Hey Ron- You ever get service like that?
Not at the home dildo. The last time I went in there I was trying to find a eneergy saving bulb that would work with a photocell. I waited and finally found the guy who worked in the dept. He said he was busy with a customer and he would be right back when he was done with them so i waited and waited and waited, I took a look around and found him stocking the shelves on another isle... yea I get all kinds of service from that place.
But now Ganahl Lumber I walk in go to the contractors desk get a yes sir may i help you... and a lot of yes sirs,, then they loaded my truck the lumber was dry , straight annd clean. Ill pay a little more rather than fool with those big box morons...
You had to get me started didnt you, now Im gonna get a email at home and be told I shouldnt say those things.... unless they have changed their return policy my HD is hosing me on that too...
Darkworksite4:
Gancho agarrador izquierdo americano pasado que la bandera antes de usted sale
Sort of a HD return gripe but also a gripe on quality of some of their products. I bought several hot water baseboard enclosures to replace some that had gotten banged up over the years. Over half of the ones I bought were bent! And not a little bit- it looked like someone put them in a break! I brought them back to HD and after looking through their inventory, found that ALL of their 8 foot enclosures were beat to $hit. I promptly carried them all up to the return counter and told them they shouldn't even have that on the shelves. Probably after I left all that stuff went back on the shelf for the next unsuspecting customer. Even worse, half of the stuff I bought had probably been returned by someone before me.
Needless to say, I get that type of stuff from a local distributor and have had no problems since.
Bought a dehumidifier at HD. Ran well for a couple of weeks, then stopped collecting any water in the basin, with obvious humidity still around. I assume the compressor stopped working, but the fan still ran, as noisey as ever.
Returned it, explaining the problem. Guy at the counter insisted on plugging it in, heard the fan running and told me it was working fine. Finally got someone from electrical to come. He glared at me for a while, but finally allowed me to return it (given the other things I've seen returned, I can't figure out why it was so difficult to return). Two days later, my dehumidifier was alongside all the others, for sale at the regular price. Just like when I returned it, out of the box and filthy from being in my basemenet for two weeks.
Also had a fun experience ordering some base and railings. I ordered a substantial order, and it included about 16' of cheap railing. I specifically gave them the three lenghts if railing I needed, so that they wouldn't just give me two 8' pieces. They shipped a 14' piece and a 2' piece. The whole order was a complete mess. I probably spent 5 hours on the phone talking to "managers" and never did get the whole thing sorted out. Finally ended up walking into the store, grabbing a piece of railing, told the guy at the counter my story, and walked out. Told them they could come pick up the 2' piece and the cutoff from the piece I walked out with if they want them.
For the record, I still use HD, they're handy for stuff that's in stock, but will never order a large order, and definately anything custom from them again.
The local lumber yard has good service, but a tube of PL300 costs $10.00 and a role of tyvec tape costs $20.00. They also have to custom order a lot of things I can buy off the shelf at HD.
I find the little things like the caulk etc. are where the real savings add up. The lumber etc. if you are going to place orders the yards still may be the palce if they will serve you. The boxes are crap when it comes to special order items. Obviously each store is different and some actually get things right.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
Yikes! too real dude..I bought a 100' roll of charcoal window screen..got home and every ten feet was a tear, kept unrolling, and still there..1 hour to return it, get a new roll..get home, SAME DAM THING..take it back, now I'm running outta time..custom screens to be PU'ed by a contracter next morning..off to Lowes..and get it. No problems.
2 weeks later talking with thw contractors lead guy..they had some other fixed screening to do onsite in addition to my removeable panels..he's telling me about a 100' roll of screen they got that had a rip every ten feet..from where? HD in Asheville...they restocked the screen I had returned..had too..cuz they only had 2 when I was there..and returned both!
azzwipesView Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I swear to you all, the following story is cut and pasted EXACTLY as I received it. I did NOT substitute H-D's name for any other.
QUOTE:
This is truly a heartwarming story about the bond formed between alittle girl and some construction workers. This makes you want tobelieve in the goodness of people and that there is hope for the humanrace .....
A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day aconstruction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest inall the activity going on next door and started talking with the workers.She hung around and eventually the construction crew, all of themgems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of projectmascot.
They chatted with her, let her sit with coffee and lunch breaks, andgave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.At the end of the first week, they even presented her with a pay envelopecontaining a dollar.
The little girl took this home to her mother who said all theappropriate words of admiration and suggested that they take the dollarpay she had received to the bank the next day to start a savingsaccount. When they got to the bank, the teller was equally impressedwith the story and asked the little girl how she had come by her veryown pay cheque at such a young age.
The little girl proudly replied, "I worked all last week with a crewbuilding a house.""My goodness gracious," said the teller, "and will you be working onthe house again this week, too?"The little girl replied, "I will if those useless sons-a-bitches atHome Depot ever bring us some f_ _ _ing lumber that's worth a ####!"
End of Quote.When your company name works its way into jokes in general circulation, your reputation is truly, truly made....Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
My top ten reasons for going to HD. (In N.Y. anyway.)
1. You want to layout your entire bathroom renovation in the middle of the plumbing aisle.
2. You got hurt on the job and want to claim a Kohler cast Iron tub fell on your foot and want to sue.
3.You have the hots for the checkout girl.
4. Your doctor prescribed a stress test.
5. You don't like your car or truck.
6. You want to goof on the people and the items in the return line. (there should be a confessional there.)
7. You like to return someone elses returns.
8. You don't have the discovery channel at home.
9. You want fresh joint compound. (I had to put one serious one in here.)
And the top reason for using the Home Depot in NY.....................You don't speak english.
Even better yet....you can always go and pick something up off the salesfloor and return IT for credit. Just open a box.....return it and get store credit, sad but it happens.
SJKnow a little about alot and alot about little.
I was behind some guy at return line and he had 6 or 7 small plant pots that he had to leave for months without watering and were bone dry athe plants were dryed up little sticks but he kept the tag that sticks in the dirt that tells how to care for them , like sunlight and watering schedule. and because they have a guerentee on plants they took them back. it took quith awhile for them to find the price they sold for as they haddnt been selling these types of plants since the spring before.
come on you buy somthing and it dies because you forget to water it for months whos fault is that. some people are just s--t heads.
Dogboy.
Unfortunately, that's a problem of their own creation. They sell molding by the foot instead of by the stick. If they priced and sold by the stick they wouldn't have to take back cutoffs. You buy it by the foot and they even have a little mitre box for you. Ever wonder why the molding section is loaded with little 16" pieces? Because people cut and buy 7' sticks for doors, etc.
HD will also accept returns on cut wire sometimes, so save those little pieces of romex. I have not checked whether they'll take back half a bucket of joint compound or a handfull of nails, but I bet they're dumb enough.
Let me explain how HD handles these little pieces. Ever notice how the cutting table is loaded with these little pieces? HD doesn't even stock their own molding. Once a week a representative from their supplier arrives and puts the order away. When he is finished he lists all those cut pieces and gives them a credit. They never put the small pieces back on the rack. If you find a short piece there it's because some homeowner put it back after he cut it. So if some tightwad wants to return 2 ft of unused molding it costs them nothing but the time to process the return.
Ouch. I wouldn't want to be their supplier. Maybe they mark up an extra 10% to allow for the waste. Not much you can do with the shorts except chip and burn. I'm not sure you can even do that with the primed stuff.
Most of the lumber yards around my area sell moulding by the foot--not by the stick. Maybe they should sell 8's, 10's, etc at HD and the lumber yards--wouldn't have to deal with returns. I've seen stained and finished pieces that HD took as returns--smart clerk!!
"smart clerk!!"
OK Not a return story but
Was at Menard's yesterday and among other things, was checking out 4 4x8 sheets of 1/2" Oak plywood. Had no markings, so the clerk and the supervisor got into a debate as to wether it was BCX or CDX. I kept tellin' um' "ITS OAK" and they thought I was trying to pull a fast one over there heads. Finally I walk the "supervisor to the rack I pulled it from and show her........She say OOOOOOOH, OK
Not to mention it did cost more than BCX or CDX, and looked nothing like it!
Jon
Classic case of customer is always right.!!!!!BT
uh i dont know about that dont get me going on the rotozip they hosed me on...
Darkworksite4:
Gancho agarrador izquierdo americano pasado que la bandera antes de usted sale
NOT THAT DAM ROROZIP STORY AGAIN...I'M GONNA LOSE MY MIND!!!!!!
Pssssst...guys, HD has a salesmen for you if you're a legit contractor, skip the lines, call ahead..get the inside track. I still use my local yard for everything big and important..the rest of the non vital stuff can be had at the depot.
I know a guy who when he breaks a tool that HD rents(from the rental yard, not at every HD but some)he will then go rent the same tool, get the tool breakage coverage for an additional 10% and swap out the broken parts from the rentals.He did it to an airless, took the pressure valve, body and piston. Works like new again. Don't associate with that guuy much....sneaky
i knew a low life like that too...
stealing is stealing ...wether it's from HD... or your neighbor...
teh guy i knew would buy a tool ... use it for the job and then return it..
ANd he would brag about it.... hah, hah, hah....
he finally went bankrupt and left town.... funny... nobody misses his lying azzMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
My HD seems to have "learned" from the others. The moulding aisle has two medium dull backsaws and a pair of mostly square plastic miter boxes. You can ccut the length you want--the rest goes in a bin. (From some of the marks on the scrap, the short ends in the bin came back from somebody's job site . . . )
Yeah, I actually have a buddy that does that. He says "they charge by the foot, if I dont use it i'm tskin' it back". I personally would rather not stand in the return line.
This kind of cutoff gets burned on our jobsite. I've never heard of returning part of an item that's been cut. One thing I do know, though, the HD accepts more returns from the bigger spenders. Maybe this guy buys a lot.
We had a disgusting experience with a local roofing supplier. We bought $6000 of 50 yr comp. roofing and one $250 Senco nailer. The nailer failed to fire properly - right from the start. The supplier made us drive back there twice, drive to a different store and drop it off, and get on the phone to Senco ourselves to negotiate a replacement. This is why we shop HD. Time is money and I don't need to fuss over a legitimate return.
Senco staplers need a lot of pressure to fire reliably. I use mine at 110 lbs or it acts like it's busted. My Senco framing nailer will drive 16s into rocks at 80 lbs. Go figure.
We had an ice storm a few years ago that took out the power for more than a week in places. Home Depot called in all the generators they could get from other stores. They never marked them up any higher than the normal everyday price. People would buy them and when the power came back on they would return them saying they didn't work. Home Depot got wise to it and changed their policy. They had a small engine mechanic check them out. There were even smaller hardware stores and others going there, buying them and reselling at inflated prices. Made me wonder who was really serving the community best in a time of need. Kudos to HD!
We recently lost a great yard here in Denver, Barrett's. Now that its gone we use HD and Lowes b/c the remaining yards are not that good.
Its odd that we have a love fest going in this thread for the box stores, but there's lots of truth to whats being said. Recently a large apartment building burned to the ground, displacing hundreds of families. The local HD immediately opened up space for the red cross to set up. People brought donations (beds, clothes food etc) to the HD and the displaced tenants who lost all of their belongings were able to start over again. It became a community gathering point. HD donated many items including many hours of employee labor
Granted, it was good marketing/exposure for HD - but it was also the right thing to do.
Here in Vancouver, we have a new HD opening about 1.5 miles from me. It will impact 4 thriving yards.
One, I occasionally use so I can't really comment.
Another has a reputation of being a specialty yard. When I need furniture grade ply or exotic stuff, I go there first. They also get specialty doors, decking and solid lumber. Probably will survive.
One is so expensive I don't know why a builder would buy there.
Fourth one is a good supplier, great cedar, reasonable prices, nice people. Trouble is, they are small and who knows.Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
Bdub,
It was a sad day a few years back when Hugh M. Woods ,went out of Biz! , Liked that place, could roll in & out with lumber without handling it twice! I think Builders First Source bit the bullet here in the last few months. We mostly use BMC West & Home Lumber for the large orders, Home Sleep'O for punch items
Crissey Fowlers sold out to Stock BS... They droped the retail line and went strickly commercial account / wholesale. It's a wonder 84 and BMCW stay in business around here.... They're sad. Then there is Wickes Lumber.
Hutchinsons the place to do buisness. They are always there.
The HD's here don't seem to be nearly as busy as Lowes. Lowes is always busy.Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
HUM Woods was great wasn't it. 20% off anything that would fit in a promotional paper bag..... I saw a ladder go through the checkout there with one of the bags taped to it - 20% off no questions asked - I guess thats why they went of of Biz.
Was Hugh M. Woods in other states besides Colo.? It was like a 7-11 for builders and DIY's. Fast inside and an effiecient outside yard. A bit limited, but good folks.
One thing that is overlooked is the positive impact HD and others can have on businesses in the area, the increased traffic can expose previously unnoticed businesses to the market. These small mom and Pop places can capitalize on the increased traffic and exposure that the big box brings if they offer a service that the big box does not, or a better version of a service they do offer.
Prime example, While acquiring electrical boxes and framing materials at the HD I noticed a small cabinet shop located across the street. Since I did not have the time or energy to make my own again I stopped in. Result. Large order for the independent. I asked him how HD had affected his business and he stated that it was the best thing that could happen. People would go to HD for cabinets, get their quote on crap products and then wander in to his shop, see the value and buy them there. I never considered HD for Cabinets but the location of the shop where I bought mine influenced my decision only because I was in the area and it only took a few minuets to get a quote. Granted I was not the prime customer he desired since I did my own install so a profitable aspect of his business was lost on me. But my wife referred a couple of complete installs to him.
Coastal Tool (mentioned elsewhere in this thread) is just across the street from Home Depot in West Hartford CT. They say they like the traffic that HD brings. Coastal is competitive on price, more knowledgeable, better service, they thrive on the HD traffic, otherwise they are kind of out of the way and might not do too well.
Same as your cabinet guy.
Hugh Woods, Knox, Furrows. Lumberjack, Contractor Supply, and PCI Builders Resource where all part of Payless Cashways.
They where mainly in the mid-America states.
I have not heard of the last two, but AFAIK the all of the other operated similar to Payless and used the red arcing arrow as a logo.
Payless did not go out of business because of complition by HD or Lowes, but rather plain old mismanagement.
It was aid and abbeted (sp?) by some finance deals in the late 80's, early 90's with some leveraged buyouts and then going public again.
But for years the president lived in MN which the headquarters was in Kansas City.
And they never knew who they where targeting. One Janurary it was for "commercial contractors" and the tool department had things like Delta DJ-20 which is certain not a on the job tool and large dust collectors.
^ months later they where discounting the last of that stock and then focusing on the some remodeler. I don't know how many times that they repeated that kind of cycle.
And for the last year or two there cash flow was so poor that the stock was always way down and most of the time it was not worth going to the 20% deals as everything was out of stock.
News Bulletin! You may now return empty bags for credit.....
I was behind a lady at Lowes that returned two empty bags of fertilizer??????????
I wish I could have heard her explanation..............I asked the guy if this is some new policy they have? ....................He wasn't smiling......and didn't coment.....
What could be Cheaper than that?
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
The ideas to be had... As long as those cheapos don't try to pull it on us...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
There is good and bad about the return policy at Home depot.
When I moved from So Cal to Wash, I had a lot of left over construction material from my business and from remodeling my home. I had all of this stuff piled up in the corner of the shop and the shipping company said it was going to cost approx. 30-40 cents per pound to ship it. I considered selling it at a yard sale. But, after talking to one of the managers at the local home depot, he said as long as it was in re-sellable condition, they would take it back. I also told him that I had 300' of floor tile that never got laid. He checked the computer and they still sell that style/print. I asked about the possible dye lot not matching and he then contacted the lead guy in the flooring dept and his response was "none of the stuff matches from box to box. Some shipments we get have 10 or more batch lots on the same pallet." When it was all said and done, I had close to $800 credit. This was for plumbing fittings, ceiling fan, copper and pvc pipe, etc. I spent that credit certificate within a month or so of moving up here. And I have probably bought another $5000 since then.
On the other had, they do take back every ones' crap and I have come home with some of it, like tools with broken or missing parts. I even bought an electric drill that had all of the previous purchasers drill bits in it. None of them were any good. A good of mine bought some lacquer thinner that had something added to it to fill the can back up. It ruined a project he was spraying and had to strip about 6' of kitchen cabinets. Luckily it wasn't the whole job. All of this because he ran out of thinner and home depot was still open at 8:00 at night and the job needed to be delivered the next day.
As a matter of fact, Today I'm return 2) 50' 10 guage construction cords that were used for a few days on our jobsite. Nice cords, but the female plug ends are so loose, nothing stays plugged in. The male ends never stayed plugged in, either. The prongs don't have any beef to them to grip the receptacle
migraine- what's the brand name on those 50' 10 gauge cords?
IN the early nineties when the economy had gone to hell in a hand basket I was a young man working at Home Depot Part time as we were only Framing what we could scrape up. I was Just out of the Army and getting Married too.
The theory is this. If a HD moves into an area, The average homeowner will spend around a thousand dollars the first year. If noone at the store pisses him off he'll spend around Three thousand the second year. It goes on until said homeowner is spending around $7200.00 per year. This doesn't bring into play the contractors. Remember, HD wasn't big wih professionals at first.
The cost of taking those returns is just another cost of doing business for them. Yes a bunch of the tools and such do get sent back to the Vendor. And, yes the Vendor is strong armed into taking them back as part of doing business with HD.
In my area We have two really good yards around. Warren Lumber is all over New Jersey and Eastern P.A. and Huston Lumber in Oldwick NJ. Both are top quality yards and price competitive.
As far as how you are treated by the industry yards, Open an account. It shows you are serious. I have stood at the counter many times while a homeowner or DIY'r wasted an hour of a salesmans time and bought $10 worth of nails in the end. Also, with an account you can get stuff delivered.
It isn't just HD though. I watched a Reputable builder hand a salesman six 1' pieces of oak hand rail. " This stuff is $5 a foot and I'm not paying for those new company trucks damn it". The salesman had sent a 12" piece of rail to cover an 11' stair for the last six houses in the development.
It takes all kinds, and to some people getting $30 back on $600,000 worth of lumber is more important than pride.
My friend, I know you write very well but it is next to impossible to return 2 pieces of molding as you needed 8 pieces from 10. I know Home Depot store policy allows its customers 90 days time frame to return and items purchased from an online store can be returned by mail or at the store. There are certain items that have an exception to Home Depot Policy.
True story.... Some years ago I was at a HD store here in Toronto, Canada late on a Friday or Saturday evening picking up a few items for a job I was doing in my home. As I walked down one aisle I came upon a fellow with his evidently new mail order Asian bride strolling hand in hand. He would point to various items, carefully pronouncing the name of each. I watched as they turned the corner and proceeded down the next aisle to do the same. Who knew that HD could serve as an "English as a second language" learning facility.--but somehow I don't think learning the word "drywall" was of much interest to her. I hope that cheapo took her out on the town for a more enjoyable experience afterwards. It always brings a smile to my face when I think about that night.