Like most others, Homecenter.com lied to me about the item I ordered being in stock. After ordering, I got their standard email response informing me that there was a 2-3 week lead time. When I called their order line, posing as a new customer, they again told me the item was in stock. When I then informed them that I had already ordered the item and asked when it would be shipped, they passed me on to customer service, which apparently does not exist because nobody answered. Ultimately they refused to cancel the order without a 25% restocking fee, so I waited patiently for shipment. After 3 weeks with no shipment, and with Homecenter ignoring all requests for an update on shipment status, I checked with the product manufacturer Danze and discovered that the item had been discontinued and that the items replacement would not be available for at least another 4 weeks. Unable to wait any longer, I was finally able to get CEO Brian Okin to cancel the order, but only after charging me a 40% fee, 25% for restocking 15% for return authorization. When I explained that there was no restocking or returning involved, Mr. Okin explained that Homecenter does not make money on fees, that they charge fees only because the manufacturer charges them fees. I then checked back with Danze and was informed that Homecenter had cancelled the order and that Danze had charged Homecenter no fees. When I passed that information back to Mr. Okin, he informed me that since the order had entered the shipping process, it was subject to a 25% restocking fee and that he would not discuss it further. When I informed him that he charged me 40%, he offered to reduce it back to 25% if I would agree to the charges. I decided to dispute the charges instead of accepting his ridiculous proposal. I then ordered the product from another retailer that actually did stock it, and I received the item in 3 days.
CEO Brian Okin is a pretty good con artist. He will tell you that “he has been in biz for over 10 years and that he offers the lowest prices on earth and great customer service”.in reality, you’re only a customer until you place your order, then you’re a mark. After he gets your money, you have three options: 1) Wait an indeterminate amount of time to receive your order and hope he ships the right product, which apparently he often does not based on other reviews, and the return process is really a nightmare, or 2) Pay him a large undisclosed additional drop ship fee for having the product shipped from someone other than the manufacturer in presumably a more reasonable time frame (but you shouldn't count on that), or 3) canceling your order and paying a cancellation fee of somewhere between 25% and 40% of your order total. After you click the Buy button, none of your options are good. If you pay with a credit card, you can usually get your money back by disputing the charges, but it’s an unpleasant experience so it’s best to avoid it altogether by simply avoiding Homecenter.com. If you’ve read this, please tell two people and tell them to tell two people. If word is spread, we can eventually run this scam operation out of business and prevent other unsuspecting people from being victimized.
If you still have thoughts of ordering something from Homecenter.com, I encourage you to read the complete email communicatons that I had with Homecenter CEO Brian Okin at the following URL:
Http://www.mixsoftware.com/HomeCenterFool.htm
This email communications reveals the true character of CEO Brian Okin and the company he runs.
If you would like to read countless other complaints, I encourage you to visit the following URL's:
Http://www.resellerratings.com/store/HomeCenter
Http://usashameboard.com/? Search=homecenter.com&everything=Everything
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Http://www.epinions.com/pr-Online_Stores_Services-HomeCenter_com/display_~reviews
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