Home Depot
Watches and Electronics Stolen During $8,511 Appliance Delivery

My wife and I wanted new kitchen appliances, granite countertops, and plumbing for the kitchen plus both bathrooms. A Home Depot sales associate visited for a consultation we had requested, and on Nov 19 my wife made the purchase. She was thrilled about getting a new kitchen for our little home in Melbourne, FL. The appliances, part of an $8,511 order from the Melbourne Home Depot, arrived on Nov 27. Three hours later I came home from work and headed into my den, like always, to put my wedding band in my leather watch case, which is about as big as a fat loaf of bread. To my shock, the top tray of three watches was gone. I called out to Sandra, my wife, and she was stunned. We both understood what had occurred. Nobody else entered the house that day. My den sits just around the corner, 8 feet from the kitchen. The Home Depot delivery men did it. At my desk, the center drawer was missing an iPhone and a slim digital camera. We looked for her iPad, left on the kitchen counter, and it was gone too. Later I discovered that one more watch, kept in a drawer by the doorway, had also been taken. Nothing else is missing, except our confidence in Home Depot.

Home Depot apparently outsources its deliveries. Here it works through Ralph's Delivery, and Ralph's Delivery subcontracted the job again to CMJS. Two shady-looking men did the delivery. Sandra was home, kneeling to clean behind the stove and refrigerator, shifting things to make room for installing the microwave, while keeping our two Golden Retrievers away from the Home Depot delivery men. While she was not looking, one of them dashed into my den, grabbed things, and left. She now feels bad that it happened right under her nose, and the big Christmas present we gave ourselves has cost us dearly, which leaves us deeply disappointed. Both of us feel violated.

Naturally the two men denied it, and the Sheriff's office has not been able to link them to the crime. There is still fingerprint dust in the den (leather does not take prints).

Three of the watches taken are valuable. Three police reports document what happened, but not how disappointed we are. The Home Depot store manager is aware but did not reach out. The delivery people passed it to their insurance company, which said it was not a loss but a theft, and their staff denied the allegation.

My homeowners policy does not cover valuables like these. I am normally wary of giving unsolicited advice, but I will make an exception because I am furious. If I were the CEO of Home Depot facing this problem, I would take several steps: yell at the store manager, change the delivery process with three levels of no accountability, and set things right for the customer. Nothing like that has happened. Be warned, buyers: delivery contractors working for Home Depot steal!

Company: Home Depot
Country: USA

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