In the spring, I had new vinyl installed in my kitchen by Home Depot. The installer broke several ceramic tiles on the floor that joined the new one, tiles which I had installed a few weeks before.
The vertical splash guards under the cabinets were done incorrectly, but I repaired them myself. Luckily, I had kept a few small scrap pieces from the installation.
I called to complain, and eventually a service man from the installer, a Home Depot subcontractor, came to my house. He noted the damage and offered to install a wide brass strip to cover the breakage. I declined, since the strip would have made a mess of the floor. I purchased two new tiles from Home Depot and spent the best part of the weekend chipping out the broken ones and setting in the new tiles. After complaining about this, I received a Home Depot credit for the two new tiles.
Then, about a year later, I had to move out my refrigerator to clean behind it and noticed that a seam under the fridge had separated and lifted.
I went into Home Depot to complain about this and was told that, as the installation was done more than a year before (only a couple of weeks more, though), there could be no warranty claim. I was given the number of the installer to call to see if they would correct this poor work. The installer offered to repair the seam (about 36 inches long) for $180.00. I declined.
I went back into the store and talked to the salesman who had sold me the original vinyl. He agreed that the installation company was not well qualified and told me that they had been replaced. He sold me glue and a vinyl seam patching kit (about $30.00 together) and told me how to do the repair.
I left the repair until this fall, as I was busy during the summer and quite frustrated by the whole business. A couple of weeks ago (early October), I emptied the fridge, pulled it out, and did the repair. Despite several tries, I could not get the entire seam to lie flat, so I sealed the seam, with some of it still loose, and put the fridge back. I then contacted Home Depot via email.
Today I received a reply from a company agent named "Scott" in Atlanta, informing me that Home Depot had a corporate policy of honoring its warranties and that no further action would be taken. He is sending me a coupon for $25.00.
So I am out several days of work (the tile repair, the seam repair, and emptying the fridge) and the cost of the glues and sealers, and I still have a seam that is lifted.
I have spoken to a manager of a competitor (Rona) who told me that once a seal lifts, it can be very difficult to ever get it back down again in this sort of situation. He was also amazed at the intransigence of Home Depot.
I spent a considerable amount of money having carpets and vinyl laid in my house over the past couple of years by Home Depot, and I sincerely wish I had given my business to someone who appreciates my patronage.
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