I have documentation involving The Home Depot, The Fence Company, and Citibank, The Home Depot's credit carrier. I tried desperately to get all the information to carry over to this page, but could not include a certified letter from The Fence Company, about 90% of which is fiction, not fact, and it simply wouldn't transfer! I thought it was useless to send the other information, which did transfer, without the letter from The Fence Company from Ben Lawrence. I have pulled up the website of The Fence Company, and its president, CEO and founder looks very much like Ben Lawrence, so I suspect they are mother and son, but I don't know that for certain.
At any rate, I have been fighting with this triangle of companies for a year now, beginning May 20, and The Home Depot will listen only to its subcontractor, The Fence Company! The Home Depot will not even permit one of its own representatives to come to my home and observe my complaints! I find this totally unacceptable! Citibank released my dispute based solely on the words of Ben Lawrence of The Fence Company! None of the three companies involved seems to care about what I have to say!
I finally have a letter prepared to go to the Chairman, President and CEO of The Home Depot, Robert L. Nardelli, the CFO, Ms. Carol Tome, and Carl C. Liebert, Executive VP. It will also be going to Hoovers, a D&B Company (because Mr. Nardelli and Ms. Tome spoke there), Frank Ashen, Mediator, BBB New York, Home Depot Credit Services in Des Moines, IA, and Angie's List, of which I'm a dedicated member and have been for several years.
I began my complaints when the installation first began, explaining that they were not installing correctly, but the crew didn't listen. Only the crew leader spoke English; the others did not seem to know a lick of English! Ben Lawrence's letter was sent to Citibank, and another was sent to Mark Smith, Manager of the Brice Road Store in Reynoldsburg, who originally agreed to come over and see my complaints but was advised by "Corporate" to stay out of it, and they forbade him from coming to my home! He was very nice and apologetic, but that didn't do anything to help me with my problem.
My neighbor had a portion of fence installed (both of these fences were privacy fences), and I will try to include the original picture of the "V" in her fence, which was required because of a tree. I recommended that she do it, and she has had problems all along. The "V" was corrected, as was her gate, but two small cut boards have broken off at the bottom and no one has contacted her regarding the replacement!
I have at least 1 1/2 reams of paper accumulated in email form and printed out, so I have all the documentation needed to prove my case! I have never received a copy of anything I was asked to sign, even though I have requested the paperwork several times!
There are several consumer complaints about The Home Depot, and I was very glad to see the one from Amy in Columbus, Ohio, who also had a problem with The Fence Company! A copy of her complaint will accompany my letters to all the people and companies mentioned above.
I cannot stress enough the importance of documentation when dealing with anyone, particularly a company that employs subcontractors to do its work! In real estate, we say location, location, location; in any work done, it's documentation, documentation, documentation!
If Amy would like to contact me, I would be very happy to "compare notes." You have my permission to give Amy my contact information, but I restrict that to Amy of Columbus, Ohio 43204.
I cannot begin to tell you all the stress and headaches this entire mess has caused me. I have plenty of pictures, which will also accompany my letters, including my neighbor's original "V." If I can import it into this report, I will do so. In the meantime, I implore everyone everywhere to boycott The Home Depot for any installation of any kind! Take heed of this advice, because The Home Depot does not care about its customers and hears only what it wants to hear!
Sorry, it looks like this site will not permit me to upload any files, so I am unable to provide a copy of the original "V" in my neighbor's fence. Let me tell you that although the post was installed correctly, the miter was cut away from the post, not toward it, and nails were visible everywhere. The 2/4 support boards were also crooked: since they didn't know what to do with them, they installed one support on one side lower (or higher) than the support on the other side of the "V."
If nothing else, we should be able to get them for false advertising, since they claim to have experienced, expert installers!
Again, stay away from The Home Depot for any and all installations!
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