Where do I begin? This all started on the 21st of October, when I decided to purchase a couple of storm doors and have Home Depot install them. I purchased the measurement option despite having already measured my doors according to the measurement guide supplied by the door manufacturer. In order to have the doors "professionally installed," my measurements would not be valid, so I coughed up the $30 to make sure the job was done right. I was patient and let it slide.
A day or two went by and the installer came out to measure my doors and inspect the job site. He came up with the same measurements I did originally, but the $30 guarantees me a professional install, so I was still happy. Keep in mind that he inspected the job site, because this will come up later. He told me that he would input the measurements into the system that afternoon, which pleased me because I needed to order the doors by the end of the month to qualify for an installation rebate.
On October 28, the dates were still not in the system. I ordered the doors using the installer's measurements to take advantage of the rebate offer. The $30 I spent for measurement did me no good, but it still got me professional workmanship, so I was still okay with things. I was patient and I let it slide.
In early November, the store called me to let me know that my measurements were in the system and I could order my doors. I informed them that I had already ordered my doors and thanked them for their time. They also informed me that they would contact me as soon as my doors came in so I could schedule my install.
Two to three weeks later I called the store to ask about the status of my order. They informed me that the doors had been there for a week. I was patient and let it slide.
I got the installation scheduled and reworked my schedule to accommodate it. Three to four days before the installation, the installer called me and asked if I had the doors on site. I did not, because Home Depot had failed to inform me that I would have to pick them up. I was unaware that the installation and measurement fees did not cover delivery of the merchandise. It was not too big a deal, but it would have been nice to know that I had to pick the doors up myself or pay the installer to deliver them. Anyway, the day before the installation, the expediter/installer called to reschedule me because the installer was going on vacation. I had just spoken to the installer less than a week before this, so it must have been a short-notice planned vacation. I was patient and let it slide.
I was rescheduled for installation around the middle of December. I was informed that they would arrive between 9 and 11 am, and I planned my day at work accordingly. The installer showed up at 4 pm. I was upset, but I knew this was the last step in the process and I would have professionally installed doors in a few hours and this would all be over. I let it slide.
The day after the installation, I came home from work and discovered that the wind had ripped my door open, causing the push button closer to rip a chunk of wood out of the door frame of my one-year-old house, about the size of my fist. I do not understand how this could happen, seeing as I am not a professional storm door installer. That is why I paid for installation in the first place. I called the store and explained the situation. They said they would send somebody out. I felt better.
The day the inspector was scheduled to come by came and went. I called the store again. They seemed surprised that nobody showed up when they were supposed to. I was not surprised at all. They rescheduled for the day after. So I rescheduled my day... again.
The inspector showed up at my house on the correct day, only 30 minutes late, which I was actually pleased with. He took a look at the damage, my door frame and the installation. He stood in my living room and flat out told me that the door was not installed correctly because it was not flush at the bottom and the installers should not have left it like that. Standing in my living room, he also told me that his installers WOULD be able to repair the damage to my door frame, they just would not be able to repaint it. He also said that they would be able to flush up the bottom of the door and replace the damaged hardware. He did not say they might be able to repair the damage. He promised me and verbally committed the installer. He said would.
This is his explanation of what happened. The door not being flush on the bottom left a gap allowing airflow between my door and the storm door. This allowed enough pressure to build up to pop the latch on the door and release it to the mercy of the wind.
He told me he was disappointed in the installer and that it made Home Depot look bad. He conveyed a sense of pride in ownership that I was glad to hear. It sounded like I was dealing with a stand-up company that, despite the miscommunication, was willing to make things right. I was relieved. He said he would be in touch within a week. I was patient.
Four weeks later, I finally had to call Home Depot to find out what was going on. Nobody knew anything, the people I needed to talk to were off or on vacation, and messages were not being relayed to the right people. I went to the store 3 times before I was able to talk to the right guy. The right guy was the same inspector who had given me a promise standing in my living room. He let me know that it was not his installers' fault and they could not repair the damage. The installer did nothing wrong.
Remember that the installer inspected the work site before installation day. Not once was the small step down from my threshold to the patio addressed. Even after the install, the installer did not inform me that the door not being flush on the bottom might be a potential problem. It seems to me that a professional would be able to identify that and at least notify me so that I am aware of it and can address it.
I came home from the store fuming. I was so upset that I could not function. My wife calmed me down the best she could. A few hours later I decided to go back to the store to talk to the store manager. I got to the service counter and asked for THE store manager. The man who appeared was the same guy who had come to my house and told me earlier that day that I was basically out of luck. I know that he is not THE store manager, because someone else's name is on my receipts. I asked to return the doors, because I no longer want Home Depot merchandise in my house. There is a 15% restocking fee. I also have to uninstall the door myself. He also told me that the damaged parts of the door are on order. He said he would order them over 4 weeks prior. I am not sure why this takes so long, and I did not ask. I was angry, but trying to be polite and hoping for the best.
I came home defeated. I have been run around, misinformed and lied to. I was offered $150 of store credit. A lot of good that will do me, since I do not intend to ever return to Home Depot. There is another home improvement store here in Abilene, one I have never had any problems with, and they just won my exclusive business by default. I have let many of my coworkers and friends know how I was treated at Home Depot. Many of them have been given the runaround or mistreated as well and no longer shop there. I guess I should have talked to them sooner.
CK, you flat out lied to me in my own house. If you did not have the authority or informed decision-making ability to commit your installers to a full repair, you should not have said anything. That is not how you treat people. They will cover everything except paint. You said it. If I had made it up, I would have included paint.
Where does this leave me? I might get the replacement parts from Home Depot. I am not holding my breath. Even if I do, I still have to find someone to repair the damage caused by the neglectful installation before I can install that hardware, which leaves me with a $300 storm window locked in place at my rear entry. I wonder if I can pay a contractor or carpenter with a $150 Home Depot gift card. I guess I will wait for my father-in-law to come visit my family while I am deployed. I trust him. He is a competent carpenter and a stand-up guy, and he will not be purchasing anything from Home Depot to repair my house. Thank you, Home Depot, for making sure I have nothing to worry about while I am in the Middle East.
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