Dispute with Home Depot regarding payment for Defective Merchandise. Sub: Request for Cancellation of PO. I do believe that only a few bad apples among many Home Depot employees are the causes of many poor service complaints.

The Asst. Store Manager at a store created a problem for me. But the “Customer Care Center of Atlanta” could not prevail on him. That was their JOB.

Chronology of events:

I placed an order for an out –of –stock (they call it a special order) toilet system at Home Depot in Paramus on 3/22/2007. I picked up those items from Home Depot at Paramus on 4/02/2007.

As my bathroom remodeled was to come for work the week of 4/23/2007, I partially opened the toilet bowl box on 22nd April ( Sunday) and found a broken chip. On 23rd April I took that box to the store to get a replacement. They opened the whole box there and saw a bigger broken piece. The bowl is unusable. The Asst Store Manager Mr. Gautam Wadha first said that any return for special orders had to be within 48 hours. I was not aware of any such rules. [Maybe, he made it up.] Finally, he said that he could re-order the item but I could not pick it up at the store. I have to have it delivered to my house and any further breakage I will have to deal with the shipper. He said I had to pay $ 50 for the delivery. I protested , then agreed. The clerk while processing the order said the delivery charge would be $ 65 per the computer program. I balked to pay for delivery for an item which costs $ 143 and which I could pick up. But Mr. Wadha was insistent on that $ 65. I wanted to talk with the store manager, also wanted to know the name of the district/regional manager. He said he was the BOSS. Finally, he gave me the Atlanta’s Customer Care Center number .

I called Atlanta at 1-800-553-3199 the same day at 2.15 pm . Got John (X 78340). He said that he would take care of it and asked me to call him back at 5 pm. I did call that extension twice and left a message. After several calls to that extension on 24th morning and leaving messages, I called the customer care number and started the process again. This time I got Jacquice (X 78318). She said Carl was working on it and the case no was 4409725. Nothing was resolved. She would get back to me definitely. She did call me back in the afternoon. She did talk with the store manager Mr. Steve Whitman. Store’s position did not change. Atlanta office could not do anything. She said that I have to deal with the store manager directly.

I took all three packages back to the store but was unable to meet the real store manager Mr. Whitman. The same Mr. Wadha met me. I told him as I could not use the system, so I wanted to return the set. This time he said I have to pay re-stocking charges for the other two items and he would not take the broken item back nor would he give me any credit.

That exhausted my patience. I told him that

[ 1 ] I am not going to pay for a defective merchandise.
[ 2 ] I am going to stop payment with my credit card
[ 3 ] I am going to buy a similar product from a different store.
[ 4 ] I am not going to come back to this store.
[ 5 ] He should arrange to pick up the items from my house. I am not going to that store anymore.

P.S. I have put a stop on my credit card. I have already purchased a toilet bowl system from another store and installed it.