I returned a similar drill set to Home Depot recently for another reason. I understand your issue with getting the wrong tool, but my solution was would be to just exchange it or get a refund. I would not bring up the possible "switch" of the drill, just get your money back, exchange it or shop elsewhere. Why deal with the suspicion, etc?..
yep, he could do this several days later or return it to another store perhaps. Except, he may get caught retrying the lesser quality tool, and at this point he IS committing fraud. So it's a crappy situation he's stuck in. One of those situations where being honest was he right thing to do but didn't work out for ya. I would go up the chain of command at the store. Because someone trying to commit fraud generally doesn't want to PUSH IT with management. Also, ask them to check the previous returns on this item. If all that failed, then I would stubbornly bite the bullet, stop whining and learn a lesson; CHECK YOUR PRODUCT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE. I have always had great service and understanding from HD. I s once charge for 300 brackets, when I bought 30. I had no way of proving it. But they lady at customer service was super cool about it. I am a Ridgid tool guy. I have had great HD customer service, even with the crap Ridgid LSA program. After I got back a broken circular saw I sent off thru the LSA program, while standing at customer service, they could clearly see it was still broken and had not been fixed (I asked if they had high schoolers working at the repair center). The customer service lady said to go grab a new one off the floor. They didn't have that model, only the upgraded model. She said go ahead and take that one, but b/c it's an exchange I couldn't get the LSA b/c there's no receipt. Easy Fix. I put that one in the truck, came back in, bought another one, took them home, registered the one she gave me with the receipt I got from buying the other one, returned the one I bought. BaBAM. LSA on the upgraded circular saw I received in exchange. Problem solved.
@@heyman5525 actually the deal was listed on the website and when you add them in your cart it splits the 299, even when he bought them in store the recipe shows the split cost of each item, not what I would have done would be to return them both and order online. I bought that same deal and I happy with it the stubby m18
@@heyman5525 yea but not so many people would take the deal knowing a cheap tool is in the box. especially people who are going to be using it professionally. its a ok deal for a diy’er
Same thing has happened to me several years back, I'm now in the habit of OPENING the box when they bring it out of the cage in front of the store staff that hands it to me at the counter. I'm not leaving the checkout stand until I know I'm paying for what I'm want to buy. This tends to slow down the line and the cashier makes faces or makes comment but I'm not gonna get scammed again. I totally know what you're talking about. Thank you for the post.
Take your empty box in there in the cart. Act like shopping. Grab a new one in box. Drop empty box aside. Take the full box to the return with your receipt. Get money back
Damn bro, it really sucks that happened to you. It's really cool of you to look out for the rest of us by explaining the situation and the solution to prevent it. Says a lot about your character. You're a real man. Appreciate you brother.
Why did he just return the product? Has never had an issue returning anything to HD! I would state that much of the responsibility of this HD "victim" is in the choices He made to not return this item. Maybe he didn't just return it because he was hung up on getting the deal. Blah, blah, blah . . .
@@lakemoonlight4697He would need to redo the entire special buy method, AKA pay 250$ again for 2 more batteries and a charger. Return the other charger and battery set and re order everything. So he can get the “free” battery. Its roughly 150$ for the batteries and 100$ for the tool. Its annoying but some are willing to do it again. Personally I order them and pickup at the service desk. They can see me open it and verify the item. Never had a issue but your never know.
Heard of The Retail Equation or TRE for short. It’s a 3rd party service that many retailers including Home Depot use that is intended to prevent problem returners from returning items like people who buy a bunch of products to try out and return all but one of them. Sometimes TRE has screwed over Home Depot and other retail customers that did not abuse the return policy.
I’ve worked in Home Depot in both asset protection and hardware and can honestly say I’ve never had a problem taking customers word for it on situations like this.. Tina sounds like a poor manager
@@899lidon "The customer is always right" is an economics term/phrase that means given the chance, the customer will buy the item they want (or service/etc). It meant that you could trust the customer initially to know what they wanted to spend their money on. It has been misquoted/misinterpreted quite a lot since it's inception and people constantly use it incorrectly now. Sure, a store can have a policy that says the customer is always right, but I assure you they will never run with it... otherwise I (the customer) would simply say that I now own said store free and clear or a lower impact method would be to say that I don't have to pay for items... because, "The customer is always right" right?
@@899lidon not always. There are times where we witness people or have repeat offenders trying scams. But here with no evidence to the contrary Yes he is right
F that!!! Call corporate!! The average home depo loses about a million dollars every time they do a physical inventory, (twice a year!) I’m sure the can write off a 3/8 impact.
@@dangalangslanger1254 I was the guy who looked for the stuff you wanted. I feel your pain. It bothered me when I could not find one of the 5 items the computer said we had.
@@Austinite333 me my cousin and two employees looked for some floor dryer style blower fans..for 30 minutes..we found the pallets of 180 right up front. Lol we walked right past them
This has been happening for a very long time and not just Home Depot, and not just tools. I have made a habit of asking the store associate to open the box to check the merchandise before I even put it in the cart. I look to see if the box has been previously open, if the cardboard is torn anywhere, etc. I have made so many trips back to the store with similar problems, many items that were previous returns that no one checked to find broken and used items, or in your case, someone swapped the tool for another. Good video for everyone to keep their eyes open and check what you are buying before you leave. Sorry you got the rip off and what is worse they make you feel like you did it.
A year ago I switched from Dewalt to Milwaukee. Home depo here in ft wayne IN had a special going on so I spent about $800 on some Milwaukee power tools. I was new to Milwaukee so due to my lack of knowledge I didn't realize the tools I bought weren't fuel brushless until 6 or 7 months after I bough them. I called the store and talked to the head manager and explained everything to him and he told me i could bring the tools in and switch out for the fuel brushless. I got really lucky that this manager was super cool!
I just burnt out my 18volt Dewalt impact. My 18v circular died a few months ago. Now looking at getting a Milwaukee kit or two. From what you posted, the "Fuel" and "Brushless" are the way to go? I also heard something about a handful of generations of the same product. Is that something that is specified on the box? Are you a satisfied Milwaukee owner? Thanks for any information in return.
Honestly brushless isn't always better. Two pros of brushed that come to mind are better torque at 0rpm, and less electronic brains, so more durable/reliable in an electronic way
I spent 25 years in the credit card business. There is a federal law that requires the card issuer who bills you to engage in a customer dispute process that involves the seller/merchant. Call whoever issued your card and tell them you want to dispute the purchase and ask exactly what information they need to originate a chargeback on the basis of 'customer disputes' rules. There are specific things you need to include. A url reference to this YT wouldn't hurt.
Check the box good. Make sure it looks 100% original. These bundles deals especially, check them out right there at the register. I’m sure someone returned it with that cheaper impact in it. Gone depot return department is just going to check if the number of pieces are there. Not that they are the correct pieces. Most of the workers there are pretty clueless. Really though, if it’s in a box and you can’t view the product, that’s the time to check it out. As far as you know, it could just have bricks inside. You bring it home, see the bricks, go what the F, bring it back, how do they know it wasn’t you that out the bricks in the box to try and scam them??? So before you walk out of that door with all the cameras around, open that box every time and double check you are getting what you paid for. A box is not proof of anything. Visually seeing the product is.
Same here. My addiction is fpv racing drones. We buy DOA gear all the time and in some cases get no refund or replacements. You don’t know if it works until you put current to it. It’s all diy so we solder everything ourselves. It’s annoying that you have to come up with gadgets to test gear you buy just to be sure you have what you paid for.
Stumbled upon this year old story. It was like giving Home Depot a million bad reviews. Hopefully you eventually got this problem resolved. On a smaller scale there was a chicken place that opened near me. My friend ordered her meal and when she sat down she noticed there was no cole slaw. The clerk said she packed it so the lady went to the owner and he backed his employee. So for the last five years my friend has done nothing but bad mouth this place. A big problem over something that would only cost 50 cents to replace. Probably cost the owner a lot more in bad publicity.
A business has to take into consideration any losses they will take from shady customers, but they have a tendency to notice it far too late and start treating all of their customers as suspected criminals.
I did a lot of business with an online auction company. I felt like they owed me a refund of LESS than one dollar. Their policy clearly stated that they do not refund less than one dollar. I contacted them anyway. They refused to refund so I refused to do business with them anymore. Instead, hundreds of dollars was made by a competitor of theirs in fees to them instead of the first company.
@dyneslair3158 Social shamming has its merit. I personally prefer to resolve situations by simply speaking to somebody. However, I have at times had to resort to social shaming just to get anything done.
Yeah I started doing that after Best Buy sold me a tv with a cracked screen and didn’t wanna let me return it even though I brought it back like 30 minutes after purchase.
On a side note, when buying air or oil filters, open the box and make sure the correct brand and size filter is in the box. Common practice by thieves is to buy generic brand filters swapped out with brand name filters.
Yea I bought a screw on oil filter recently and someone opened the box from the bottom and stole the sealing ring from it , few weeks after I bought a water pump and a thermostat and opened the boxes at the counter before the purchase and found a rusted out old thermostat in a new box , even the parts counter guy was surprised and glad he saw it first hand , said that if I would of walked out with it and came back later they would of assumed I did the swap smh
Went to advance auto... walk out to the car... open the box of a brake caliper bracket... used... Walk back in "yeah this is what was in the box can I get a new one..." Had a starter too, OE in the box... had to return that... They do not even look this shit was all covered in grease, brake dust, oil... they were cores put in as "new" (or reman whatever)
Twenty-five years ago I bought Wagner sprayer from HD. Got home and found it was used with paint on hoses etc. Looks like HD is still irresponsible with returns. Just throw it back on the shelf.
Any tool I have ever returned to HD the employees have never opened the box to check if it’s the right tool or a box of rocks I’m returning. The only thing I’ve noticed recently is they are scanning your driver’s license on a big money returns.
@@akaredcrossbow I don't let anyone scan my driver's license. A driver's license is full of personal information that hackers can use to steal your identity. What exactly is it that they do with your DL , where do they keep the information, and how long is it kept for? You have to push back and tell them that nowhere on their posted return policy does it say they can scan your DL.
@@JR-kk6ce next time I will ask what info it’s taking from the driver’s license, but I’m guessing it’s just name and address so if something like this happens they know how to find you.
@@akaredcrossbow When they scan the magnetic strip of your DL, they get everything, including your height, color, eyes, and photo. The information is then transferred to a company called The Retail Equation (TRE), and they run algorithms with the information they got from your DL. Many say that both Wal-Mart and TRE sell the information to other companies that deal in the sale and transfer of personal information. The photo is used for facial recognition purposes. You have the right to get a copy of the report TRE has on you by sending an email to ReturnActivityReport@TheRetailEquation.com with your name and phone number where they can reach you
We have had several instances of this at HD. My wife bought a kitchen faucet at HD that appeared to be unopened even with 2 plastic straps around it. She asked the cashier if she could open it before leaving. When it was opened the cashier found an old used faucet someone had returned and repacked! You think they would have believed me if I brought that back?
I’m never in the business of sticking up for companies or speaking on their behalf sort of say but what I will say is it definitely would’ve sucked but I believe from watching other people return stuff they run your ID to see if you’re on some shady business and if you brought stuff back and asked for cash refunds they’re really good about doing exchanges specially with me being military I put my ID and phone number in so I would like to believe that they keep track of that kind of stuff an can see how many high valued items I’ve purchased and that I have no need to return stuff for cash but it’s just my opinion
Have had this sort of thing myself. One instance was with shoes. Buying my kid shoes pulled the box off the shelf, and thankfully, the cashier opened the box to discover an old pair of shoes in it. Had to walk to the back of the store to get another pair.
Whoever accepts returns in any retail establishment, should be trained to always check the contents to verify that the correct item is being returned. Nowadays, you can't trust anything, or anyone. It sucks!
This is a common problem with merchandise that you get from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes all of them. Someone working for those stores switch out the expensive part, tool or whatever and replace it with something of lesser value. So, anyone buying anything that comes in a box, inspect the box to make sure the security tape has not been tampered with. I agree with all you said. It is a sign of the times we live in. Trust no one especially Tina at home depot. Store managers are there not to protect the customer, but to protect store profits.
Employees are the ones swapping tools? Why? The likely culprit is as mentioned in the video and we’ve all seen it. Lowe life scammers want something for nothing regardless of who has to pay for the loss. They buy the cheapest and the top end, return the expensive box with the cheaper tool. The person at the return counter may look to see if the tool is in there but doesn’t know the differences. It’s not that difficult, Pedro.
I say what he said, open the box don't just check the box for tampering. A hair dryer can remove and reattach the "security tape" without signs of tampering! Good video!
}}} Store managers are there not to protect the customer, but to protect store profits. True... this is where you ask for info on how to reach their supervisor. Then call that person. If THEY don't fix the problem, then you ask for THAT person's supervisor. This technique usually works -- because, sooner or later, you get ahold of someone who says, _"Why the hell am _*_I_*_ being bothered with this? YOU!! FIX IT! _*_NOW!!_*_ "_ First learned this technique in college. Worked well there, too. I had already qualified for a certain amount of student aid at the CoCo I'd briefly attended for 3m before switching between major schools (personal matters). The FinAid people tried to tell me that it was "too late", that I was "long past the date for applying for aid." AGAIN: Already qualified, and the actual aid *wasn't coming from the University in question.* 😡 So, went to the Assistant Director of FinAid. "No, we can't help, blah blah blabitty blah". Went to the Director of FinAid. Same response. Went to see the Dean of Students. The Director happened to be _In His Office._ when I was ushered in. (RBG) The Dean listened to my story, looked right at the Director, and asked, "Is there any reason we can't help this young man?" Director stammers, "Uh... no sir." And I got the aid I had already qualified for. Idiot. He got replaced a year or so after by the same guy who was in charge of FinAid at the _other_ State U I'd been attending previously. MUCH more positive, helpful attitude. He'd actually gotten in some trouble at my prior U because he tended to staff _his_ FinAid office with pretty young girls. *He wasn't a lecher or anything.* He just specifically noted that FinAid was often a frustrating experience, and he knew that both men and women were *_much less likely to lose their temper with a pretty girl._* Sexist? No. Truth. Fact. And a smart way to work. But he had to hire more guys, regardless, just for appearance' sake.
Glad I watched this video. Way to look out for the people. Shame on Tina and that Home Depot store. I was literally going to try and do this same deal for Memorial Day coming up, but got some things to consider now. Appreciate your advice.
I'm always suspicious of boxes that look like they have been opened, especially if it is the last one on the shelf. Been burned by customer returns that were put back in inventory.
My "protip". If I have to buy an opened box I always get the cashier to write and sign on the receipt that the box was previously opened. It simplifies the whole return procedure if something is wrong with the product.
I agree, however, when I encounter this, I open that previously opened box right then and there. I inspect it, look for screwdriver marks indicating a tool has been taken apart, and I have also found tags saying the unit was rebuilt, repaired, or in one case marked NO GOOD. We have a new store here where I live that sells liquidation stuff. Stuff that people returned from any of the big box stores. Weed eaters, lawn mowers, power tools. Some of it is truly scrap. But some of it, can be fixed. A place like this, ......................... I expect to see weird stuff and mismatched boxes, etc. But not at the big box stores selling new stuff.
I made a purchase from HD and found the tool was used so I bring it back to replace a brand new one - no hassles. From this point on I will check the content in the store before I pay. The other way to work around is to ask credit card company to hold the payment before the issue has been resolved - it works every time.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! ITS EFFIN INSANE HOW MUCH WE HARD WORKING FOLKS PAY FOR OUR TOOLS ONLY TO BE TAKEN FOR OUR TIME AND MONEY AND THEN ACCUSED OF BEING THE BAD GUYS!!
So sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience at Home Depot. I really hope they eventually do the right thing. I always open up the box from a new TV whenever I purchase at Best Buy because of a review I read where someone opened the box and noticed the screen was cracked. When they took it back to Best Buy, they looked at him like he had cracked it and wouldn't accept the return. That's when I decided to start opening boxes for my electronics in front of a store employee before I walk out the door. Never thought about doing it for tools because of the possibility of exchanging it for a cheaper model. Thanks again and good luck with everything sir! 👍 🤜 Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us.
I worked at Home Depot in the Front End. I can confirm that this situation in fact DOES happen and yes it's quickly assumed that the customer is doing something shady, especially if the store gets hit a lot with theft. This situation wasn't that complex and the other store is the one who needs to take liability for it. In fact I would definitely advise any shopper to ask an associate to open the merchandise for verification.
Ya some hd employees assume everyone is shady they need to check there returns before they put on the floor. I got burned so now I ask for the box to be opened.
I've worked for home Depot for almost 5 years, and I've seen this happen often enough. Unfortunately, the bottleneck is with customer service and the people taking in the returns. When there's a line of eight people trying to return things the associates at the returns desk have a tendency to not inspect the contents of the box like they should. It's amazing what they accept as a return. I would recommend that anyone buying an expensive item from any retailer check the product before leaving the store. As a general rule of thumb, I have found Home Depot management to be pretty good when it comes to treating customers well, and I'm very disappointed to hear that that store treated you badly. I hope this doesn't sour you on all home depots.
@@ClodODirt this is so true, customer service is very lacking on checking out returned product, I work at home depot, and it annoys the shit out of me on the lack of accountability, look in the flipping boxes people
The Home Depot on the inventory label (#2026) is in Greenfield. And what happened is EXACTLY what you said probably happened. Somebody bought the Fuel version, put in the cheaper version, then returned it and got their money back. The worse part about it is the people at customer service usually don't know what to look for in those situations. They see a box with tape on it, they call it good, do the return, and refund the money to the person standing there. Then you come along, buy that particular one, and you get accused of switching it. The one I work at has a bad theft problem. We have stuff stolen daily. We can only do what we're allowed to do unless we want to be fired. But I gotta tell you, it's getting so bad that I'm getting close to the point of saying to hell with the job, I"m tired of just letting people take stuff and not being able to do anything about it except smile and thank them for "shopping" with us.
All they have to do is look at the picture on the box and compare lol. I see this all the time in the Star Wars toy collecting market. People will go buy a figure and swap it out with something that doesn’t even look like the picture on the front and get their money back. It’s even worse for those because you can see into the box.
@NaptownTuner Thank you for posting this video. This happened to me at Lowes too. When I bought back to Lowes for return, they gave me dirty look like I am the one who did the swapping of the old tool. From that moment on, I always double checked with the sale clerk right after paying for the tool to make sure they NEVER gave me a dirty look again. Now a day, this is happen everywhere at all retail stores. MAKE SURE YOU VERIFY TO THE TOOL BEFORE LEAVING THE CASH REGISTER so you don't get SCAM by the store or ...😢😭
I personally wouldn't. But there's actually quite a few stories I've seen where ppl have written letters to corporate higher ups and actually get results
I worked at auto parts 20 years ago and found parts that some one had returned and it was the old part from there car they returned and got there money back. Even old oil filters that had dirty stinky black motor oil and some customer returned to us and had gotten there money back.
I work at a certain Irish sounding auto parts store and you damn right, my latest attempted return was 2 bottles of atf refilled with water, he said "why are you opening it" just before running out. OPEN EVERYTHING EVERYTIME
I bought a new pex crimper. It comes with a black plastic box over the die part and contains the gauge. Get out to job. Crimper die is broken. Someone over torqued it and returned it.
More often than not, in this situation the credit card company will tell you to pursue a claim against the vendor (store), they will only reverse or freeze a charge if the card was stolen, used w/o authorization, or if the charge went through for an erroneous amount. After watching this, I would open the box while in the store and confirm the contents before I payed, or at least before leaving the store in view of security cameras. And I'll remember to inspect boxes for signs of opening or damage when at home depot or other hardware or appliance stores.
@@Matty88K The card company will probably refund if you didn't receive what you ordered. I ordered 5 Makita impacts and 6 5a batts w/chargers from Staples and received 2a batts and DeWalt bit sets. Got charges reversed and kept all incorrect items.
@@cocarr1 Yep, but if you walked out of the store with the wrong items and they refused to exchange your credit card company might not have been that helpful, as we see from the video. Loss prevention manager Tina will say you're trying to do switch
@@cocarr1 Probably not a refund but they might issue a credit until the dispute process is resolved with the seller. If the seller is held accountable, there will be no charge but if you are found accountable you will receive a charge when it is resolved. At least, that's the way it worked 30 years ago.
Home Depot puts returned merchandise back on the shelf for sale. Problem is they take anything back, without inspection. Result is all kinds of wrong or broken stuff get sold to unsuspecting customers
Home Depot employee here… I apologize for the crappy experience at that store. I would definitely recommend going above Tina’s head, or calling store 2026 even. Every associate in that store knows that happens on a regular basis. If the situation truly played out the way u say it did, and I have no reason not to believe that and neither does Tina for that matter, you have every right to be upset and should 100% get what u paid for. Tina is not “living up to our values” as they say and I find it very surprising that a store manager would act this way. Usually our store managers go against what everyone else thinks and gives in to a customer even if we all know the customer is full of it. Very bad customer service from that store.
@Soup Can Husky is a Home Depot brand, sold in store, and is lifetime guaranteed no questions asked. We swap em out on the spot no receipt needed. I’m just sayin…. Don’t believe everything u read on the internet my friend. Every big corporation does shady shit, Home Depot is not innocent by any means, but they do go above and beyond to make the customer happy. 🤷♂️
Actions speak louder than some unknown UA-cam commentator. Please prosecute the criminals not the good guys. You are nothing but crooks behind a big name.
Thank you for sharing this with us. It's an eye-opener for us as customers. I truly believe your story, and I think you should get what you paid for. If Home Depot doesn't correct its management, they will be in trouble very soon. I hope your issues are resolved in a fair and professional manner.
Unfortunately Home Depot doesn't care enough as it has a big chunk of the market, along with Lowes. It would make a difference if the big stores were losing significant money when the pros or any customer were able to buy at smaller local retailers, but the problem from years and years ago is that there are almost no smaller hardware stores or suppliers. The few left usually charge more though they may sell better products.
Yes, exactly. But i will say that tools like this, i know they don't sell Milwaukee, go back to a return center. Just about everything that gets returned at Walmart never goes back on the shelf.
Thank you for your video. I too have a Milwaukee addiction . I got the long neck 1/4 ratchet 3/8 short neck stubbi 3/8 impact. The big and small speed squares and framing square the red anodized is so sexy. The hammer , the cats paw , the flashlights oh my GOD the flash lights I’ve spent never mind how much I’ve spent on just the flash lights . You understand it’s a real and expensive addiction but man I love that black and red color scheme oh and the tools are the best with the most power but that color scheme . Oh I have all the hoodies the beanies the hat ok I need to stop. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will definitely open the box to any and everything I buy from any store and I’m so sorry you have to go through that but know you have helped me and a lot of other people with your video and you got good karma coming to you sir.
I purchased an entry lockset for a home and lowes asked me to come back the next am because it had to be re-keyed. Next day picked it up and didn't notice it was in a different box. Opened it and the thing had all different finishes on the hardware. Took it back and the box was marked no return. I ate $167 loss because they did the same thing, only it was an employee who robbed me.
@@Linkedblade I think that may vary from store to store. I've *DEFINITELY* seen items go right from returns back on to the shelf at the Walmarts in my area.
Thanks for sharing this. It seems to have spread from tools to ALL things from home depot or Lowes. They're putting returned items back on the shelves without checking. Found this with 3 different lights (I've also been finally cleaning out and getting my garage how I want it set up). If it's not stolen/swapped tools, its repackaged products with missing parts. I now try to shop at stores known for less theft but not sure if that's much help if they move prduct to other stores. It seems to be at the stores with young kids working that don't seem to care much.
You are not alone Brother ... I've had the same thing happen to me on a few occasions. The problem seems to be that when a customer brings back a product, no one checks to see if what they are bringing back is the correct item. Apparently it is placed in a restocking bin and goes back on the shelf without any verification of it being correct. As a contractor spending over $50 K per year in the Pooler, GA store, I never had a problem with a return, but that's not the case with everyone. A previous comment said get in touch with the Regional Manager and they will most likely resolve it, if not call the home office in Atlanta, GA. Good luck and thanks for speaking out.
Thanks for helping your viewers! This will be my standard practice when buying tools from now on. Do you have another Home Depot within a reasonable distance? They may be more accommodating.
Thank you !!! For telling your story and letting other people know. I hate that this happened to you and I understand how that it happened. I will be sure to look out for this, cause I see how that it could of been me in your situation. I will be opening the box before I leave the store anymore.
Thank for your great advice. May I add that when buying brake pads from an auto part store to open the box before you leave. I once purchased a box of brake pads to find that the sealed box only contained 3 pads. I am glad I checked before I left the store!
Great tip, never thought about someone switching them out. This day and age I am sure it happens a lot, I guess another option is to buy and go directly to the customer service desk and have them witness you opening it. To much money to not get what you paid for.
@@zanderday4466 I just find a name tag and and say “I want to open it up and make sure it’s all there” , usually the young ones shrug but get it and the older guys get uptight or act like it’s weird. I just ignore them and go find someone different
I would contact Milwaukee and talk to them. I have been really impressed with their customer service. Home Depot should stand behind it, especially if the box and tool part numbers don’t match. Some boxes include serial numbers. Wonder if Milwaukee could track serial number back to who actually purchased it.
Pretty sure there's a national database for Milwaukee serial numbers that is available to the public online with searchable content. Not for sure where it would be found but I'm almost positive it is there.
I have problems with HD in a guarantee. The people and managers often don't know about the guarantee. I had a case in which I called Rigid and the an had to tell the store worker what to do.
How would Milwaukie know who purchased it if no one registered the warranty or product (which is usually a not so good idea as by US law, you don't have to register a product to be covered under all the terms of a warranty
@@baltazard133T Umm, I"m pretty sure that if it's out there, it's most likely proprietary. Pretty bad press and business practices to release buyer info.
Just saw your video. I managed different retail stores. And watching you speak about it. I would have made it good for you. I e worked with a few female managers. Most of the ones I worked with. Made poor decisions. I can usually spot someone trying to scam like this. You are genuine, calm and really asking for help with this situation. I would have taken care of you as a good customer should. I went to Home Depot once. I had a question only. Asked fur the manager. They called HER. She never came up front. I left.
As a former auditor I can tell you stories of managers, loss prevention and others who form their own in-store/inter-store cartels which can involve other managers from other stores in the chain and they steal a lot....Chains where managers were caught include Home Dep., ARCO, Lowes, Stater Bros., 7/11 and more....If I was a corp. LP auditor I would be looking at that Tina.
The website states that items are in stock at my local store, but when I go there, the shelf is often empty. Obviously, items are going missing. This does not happen in the other store further down the road.
I know of a local home depot where the entire management team was fired for that very thing just last year. One of them had been with the company over a decade and you never would have suspected it
I worked Home Depot Hardware/Tool department for 13 years and I have one thing to share: don't ever buy anything that has been opened and even then before you get to the cashier, open the sealed box and verify that the content is exactly what's on the box. There are some crafty individuals who return tools and reseal the box as it came from the factory and the box with whatever it's been replaced with will be put directly back on the shelf. Be aware and happy shopping.
Also don't pick the front item on the shelf....always take the ones in the back.....returned items are usually placed at up front, which usually have parts missing. Sorry for your loss.
I agree,I've had the same thing happen when I bought something from Home Depot that was previously opened and put back on the shelf. I think they should check the contents before they restock a returned product.
I've worked for home Depot for almost 5 years, and I've seen this happen often enough. Unfortunately, the bottleneck is with customer service and the people taking in the returns. When there's a line of eight people trying to return things the associates at the returns desk have a tendency to not inspect the contents of the box like they should... not to mention the fact that most of these young people they have working at the desk wouldn't know the difference between an impact tool and a multi-tool if you put them both in front of them. It's amazing what they accept as a return. I would recommend that anyone buying an expensive item from any retailer check the product before leaving the store. As a general rule of thumb, I have found Home Depot management to be pretty good when it comes to treating customers well, and I'm very disappointed to hear that that store treated you badly. I hope this doesn't sour you on all home depots.
They need to set return policy in order for them to accept the returns is to inspect the package BEFORE refunding the customers or exchange for a new one. that will protect them from getting scammed and they should call the authorities to report attempted fraud or attempted scam.
This! Also with Target's return BS. I worked there for 2 years in the photo lab in 2007-08. And it was next to customer service. So when they got too many people returning stuff, guess who has to help them instead of doing my own job? Yea, me! .. Anyway, I would usually tell people "No, this doesn't match what's on your receipt" (yea I have worked with several companies that use serial numbers and I am thorough) and they would cry bloody murder until a manager got there. Guess what? Manager doesn't want to deal with it! They tell you to take the return and they don't want to come back up to the front again! (Probably because it interrupted them flirting with Desiree in the lingerie section). So you take that false return and then later think about if you could be fired for accepting an item that was not the item.... By the way.... F*^% Target
I know this video is getting old and whatnot but this horseshit has been going on FOREVER with HD, Lowes, WalMart, sometimes Target. This tip would have helped the video OP (just a lot more of a pain in the ass due to it being locked up in a tool cage) but you basically have to open expensive shit right there in the store BEFORE you even go for your wallet!! This is to make sure it hasn’t been molested at all. If it’s a normally stocked product The typical scummy customers will do stuff like packing a broken tool in a brand new product box and return it for a refund, putting a lesser item in a nicer product box. Dumb shit that would easily get caught IF the returns dept or corporate would actually give a shit about it but the don’t. They know eventually it will find the hands of someone that won’t take it back to store. What I would do is take a ball point pen and write “missing parts” so they wouldn’t blindly restock the bad product and to keep it from being restocked but they have (and have had this for a long time) a returns rule or policy that any returned item must not be marked or written on, and be in the original box. They do this bcuz that’s all they want to do, restock it over and over again until it doesn’t come back. Maybe they will give a shit if enough people do enough things to alert other customers not to buy it or at least mess up corporates game a bit. I hope OP got somewhere with HD and either got his tool or the money.
Returns shouldn't be going back on the shelf anyway. But even if it's going back on the shelf, it should be inspected BEFORE it goes back on the shelf. Just because one shady customer manages to sneak one past customer service isn't an excuse for HD to then sneak it back out onto the shelf as "new" and foist it back on an honest customer.
Happened to me at Lowe’s also. Bought a dremmel (full kit) with the white plastic bands still around the box, opened it at home, discovered a used older model dremmel in the box, half the attachments missing, and the box full of sawdust, lol. I was able to exchange mine though. 7:52
Someone screwed HD, so they thought they would pay it forward and screw you. Start by calling your credit card provider and putting a stop payment on the transaction, then talk to the HD regional rep, not the local store staff.
I’m curious how many people know you can do this. If there’s an issue with your purchase and the strode won’t do the right thing, then you can always call the number on your credit card to block the transaction.
@@BuddyChy it's actually not true. When you purchase something on CC you actually have given permission. You can't just stop the transaction. You can only do this if your card was stolen or you did not authorize a purchase. (This is not a case of unauthorized purchase.) In this case you have to go through a lonnggggg procedure called "Chargeback". It's ridiculous.(3-6mnths) Even then you may not win. You have a better chance of getting/negotiating a refund with the store then to go through this process. They give all the power to the stores, not the consumer. But yes I'd open the box right after paying to verify. I hope it works out.
@@jeffcamm5707 you must not bank with Wells Fargo. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a problem with it. Doesn’t matter if I “gave permission” by being the one that used my card. Maybe some situations vary and this one is actually different from any of the times I’ve done it, but Wells Fargo has always worked with me when I’ve been screwed over. You may be right in this instance, I don’t really know. Most of my situations have been online. I’m second guessing my self about it now lol. Hopefully I’ll never have to find out first hand if I’m wrong.
@@jeffcamm5707 on the other hand. You’re saying this was an “authorized” purchase when it really wasn’t. It’s all in the wording. You authorized the purchase of a particular product and you didn’t get it. You were given a product you didn’t purchase instead.
@@jeffcamm5707 I don’t know if I clarified this at all, but I’m also assuming you block the transaction the same day you made the purchase, went back to the store, and they don’t resolve it right away. That way you save your butt instead of finding out days or weeks later that they won’t fix it for you. If you wait until then, I’d anticipate you have an issue getting your money back. It’s unfortunate that you have to do this and I don’t blame him for getting screwed like that but I think that would help.
The same thing happened to me years ago with a Dewalt. Now if they need to unlock a cabinet to get me the tool, I make them open the box before the worker steps off. Sometimes they get pissed. I don’t care.
I worked at a similar store and we never had a problem doing this. It was basically spending 2 minutes to remove someone's anxiety by opening a box vs potentially having lost a customer for life over a 30 minute drama event at the return counter.
@@ninob411 So true I've spent a lot of money in home depot over the last twenty years of my life and all I've noticed lately is their customer service is getting worse just like their people skills and the way they treat their customers in today's market.
No way dude. Dont let them get away with that. It will be in their system that it was previously returned. Dont let them screw you over. Talk to a manager
Happens a lot, I bought a Milwaukee m18 circular saw just to find out that someone had returned the box with an old wired skil saw 🤦🏻♂️ got it changed tho
I bought someone else's NASTY used engine oil at Walmart once. I drained the oil, changed the filter and then opened the "new" oil jug. Luckily, I have a 2nd vehicle and didn't have to dump my old oil back in. My drain pan was filthy, but there's no way I was going to put some crackhead's mystery oil in my engine.
@@handyman7748 wish I could tell you what it was, something electrical. I made an exchange as was defective/ missing parts. A week later needed another and saw my returned product on the shelf...
I am currently doing this when buying fast food to be sure i got what i ordered and paid for, guess ill have to do this when buying my power tools. Anytime you buy a product and it is handled by multiple people you should get suspicious that they are pulling the old watch the pea and which shell is it under game. Hell of a world we live in today. Thanks for putting yourself out there for the rest of us to learn from, new lessons we must past on to our kids about the "Real World"
I've learned this lesson too. No matter what, get an associate to open the box in front of you and examine the contents together. More than a few times I've found "returned" merchandise back on the shelf, and it's caveat emptor! This crap happens a lot more often than one should expect, and especially in areas where there is a high immigrant population. Sorry, snowflakes, dat be da troof.
My dad used to work at a Home Depot and said that the returns process was so bad that people could bring in boxes of trash or rocks and the employees wouldn't know because they didn't even open the box in the moment. It would be a good move to set aside a little space to be an unboxing area for those checks you mentioned. They could have cameras local at counters focused on the task so that it would be completely clear what happened. This would force the company to deal with the consequences of these scammers instead of us consumers, and then I bet their returns process would get a lot more thorough really quick.
This type of theft has become more rampant the past few years. I'm even getting more skeptical of anything i buy including electronics,small appliances almost everything. Major retailers now need to move and include their loss prevention funding to returns as well as shoplifting or price tag switching. If they don't, they'll lose more and more customers as well as money. Unhappy/dissatisfied customers usually don't come back. You souldn't buy a 5-10$ yard sale table saw without at least asking to plug it in first! BUYER BEWARE! check merchandise before leaving the store, you probably check your fast food bag before leaving the drive thru.
And yet I've been to a wal mart that opened up a spray paint return I was making just to be sure it wasn't sprayed. Like, how do you know someone didn't do that in the store before I bought it (in theory, this one was not used and I do check them).
I used to work at Home Depot and thought it was funny when customers would open the box and get a resealed one. But now think they may have been gifts who knows.
My reaction to your attitude about "not a big thing" made me react with "oh but it is". You are to be commended. I can't tell you how many times my reaction from getting screwed, just caused me more personal pain. Then every time I used the item I'd get frustrated again. I'm old now and have purchased all kinds of tools and equipment over the years, for myself and for the business that I worked at. It may take me months, at times, but I usually get some kind of gratification if I persist. The trick is finding the right person at the right time. I believe that my motivation is that possibly just possibly my efforts could curtail a little of the dishonesty that is so prevalent. The reality is probably not, but I try and have more faith that good will result in good. Sometimes my efforts were rewarded by improved loss prevention measures or better communications between associates and customers. I've had a lot of awesome experiences trying to rectify situations. Not always but that is how I choose to roll.
Something I learned a long time ago, open the box and inspect the item right in front of the sales person. I purchased an expensive computer card from shop and while the sales person was doing her thing I open the box and rather than an expensive computer card in the box it had a San Fransico news paper in it. They still look all over the counter to see where I had got the paper from and I'm sure they still figured I had some how duped them.
I feel your pain! I had this happen with hard drives I went to buy at bestbuy before they went belly up. They had trouble locating 2 drives I bought online, it was around 500 dollars that I bought online to pickup. I asked the employee to open the package which from the outside did look new retail and sure enough, there were 2 old hard drives in cleverly repackaged. Had I walked out the door I'm sure I'd been given, "sure you didn't get the drives". This is real and happens. Any expensive purchase my advice is never leave the store without opening the package there at checkout before walking out.
Not sure why you think Best Buy went belly up, In my area they are going strong. But yes I have heard of some sloppy sales by Best Buy. Returned Items have been sold as New and customer is not aware.
I had almost the same thing happen on a different tool. When I opened the box a used tool was in it that did not work. This was close to a year ago and I was out the $$$$. Low life’s are everywhere, even here in Alaska. We need to open the boxes at the register and make sure we’re Not getting scammed.
Happens more often than you think. I worked for HD for almost 12 years and I saw it all the time. I would usually take the persons word for it. Recently I bought a combo kit and when I opened it, every tool looked like it had been drug behind a truck. Mud all over the tools and scratches. The blades were dull, etc. I was lucky they believed me and let me exchange the whole kit.
You're allowed to try to use the tools and if you don't like them return them. I have done it a few times. Run a tool on the job site for a few days and compare the new improvement compared to some of our old ones
I was in the return line at a HD some years back when a old dude with a battered lawnmower pushed it in and demanded a refund. He claimed "it no longer worked." It was pretty obvious why. Lawnmowers don't mow ROCKS very well. The attendant looked at it. .then him . .and then proceeded to credit the machine. Couldn't believe my eyes. We've lost our way.
nothing wrong with testing tools and returning them. ive had multiple brands and didnt feel right or worth the money. the store should not just put them back on the shelf
Excellent advice, Home Depot strikes again. I just bought a table saw yesterday, travelling home and unboxing, discovered that the item was previously used and full of sawdust. Had no problem returning and exchanging although the store is 20 minutes away x 4...gas/diesel ain't cheap these days
Yes this happens in the Napa home depot too. And I have purchased a few items that were clearly used and returned them, (even a few 2x4s that were trimmed) Their return policy is great but the merchandise must be inspected! I hear it all from the employees, there's not enough time and not enough people. I know men that needed tools for certain jobs, used them and took them back. There is no embarrassment opening the box for inspection before leaving. Good Video!!
I bought a Milwaukee Fuel grinder and it was missing the wrench to remove the blade… I notice at Home Depot it’s common for ppl to remove tools and even use tool and then return it. Good Advice
Pro tip. Take battery off. Press blade lock button spin blade untill it locks. Grab the blade and twist it left. Preform steps in reverse to install a new blade.
I've returned things to Home Depot and a lot of times they don't even look in the box, which surprises me. After watching this I will always open the box before leaving the store.
A person at the returns counter wouldn't know thee difference between a M18 or M18 FUEL tool. They just look to see if something is in the box. I have returned unopened boxes and they saw that the box looked factory sealed and left it sealed
@@ronjclm8590 All they have to do is check the model number. I don't know about Milwaukee, but also DeWalt puts the serial number on the box. If it is a big enough problem, they'll start checking. When I ship tools, I put the serial number on any invoice or receipt I include. It just tells the customer "I know what I shipped".
These chain stores make no effort to hire people who can tell the difference between a circular saw and an impact driver. When they do hire someone knowledgeable, they make no effort to retain that person. Most of their staff can barely confirm the box actually has contents.
@@tooolboxx Yes. better training for the returns counter would be helpful. But mostly the employees may not be capable of being trained to care. It appears that in most stores, The employees are trained to not be confrontational. This store should/could look in their records and see who all have recently returned a tool with that ID number. But they still wouldn't pursue it...they don't want to make the criminals angry.
Thanks for the heads up. One thing to watch very carefully, is how the box is sealed. If its the factory clear little circle shaped tape, you should be good. But if it looks like its been modded, and taped back up with normal packing tape etc, then be very skeptical. Even if its the right tool inside, it might be a return etc and you are not getting a brand new tool which is what you paid for. And if it IS the wrong tool because someone swapped it out, it sure as heck wont be the factory circle type tape.
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. File a complaint with your State Attorney Generals office.. Yes it is a big deal, never accept anything less. They don't want to get sued by the state and quickly correct the problem.
Always check, no matter how good condition the box appears. Not just a tool thing but, cheaper items being switched with much better models is all too common. You never know if the person at the returns desk is the the scammer, or the unfortunate customer who got surprised, when they opened the box. One of my favorite stories involved a high end (pricey) router/router table combination. Someone took the time to hot knife open the glued bottom of the box, remove the contents, measure and cut plywood (side note: when they could have used the cheapest thing they could find, they used good both sides, cabinet grade maple) to fit the box, then expertly reseal the box and return it to the store for a refund. Next customer purchasing the unit got the surprise. FYI: A couple of things good to know is that the better tool brands put a serial number for the tool, or tools, on the box (That's for the package but the items inside should be close numerically). They also engrave, or stamp date codes on the tools. Batteries should have matching date codes and all tools in a combo should be within about 6 weeks of each other.
I once bought a box at Fred Meyer that was supposed to have 4 granola bars. Someone had opened it and taken one out, probably homeless or teenager. I didn't realize until I got home and opened it. Not a big loss, but something to think about.
I got screwed the same way. Thinking "ok" I will live with it, but found later its a cheaper model and it's a brush motor. The feul are brushless and far better units.
There is probably teams of scam artists going around to hardware stores doing this. Or they just rob the store in broad daylight in democrat run shitholes.
A “mild” addiction 🤣 I know your struggle brother. And know you know that the Milwaukee bundle deals at ANY Home Depot have a curse placed on them that manifests itself with errors and shitty customer service.
I was in the Return line at HD and a guy ahead of me "returned" a brass outdoor faucet valve. Only thing was, it looked like it was 20 years old, no longer shiny and with tons of calcium deposits, and they accepted it without question. I almost said something but figured that HD wouldn't do anything, afraid of creating a scene. You and I and everyone else pay for these situations, all thanks to lawyers, who are all enabled by us. The irony.
I worked at an Ace Hardware and witnessed a guy return an empty paint can and said it was defective…. there’s a lot of shitty people in our world unfortunately
i saw someone had just returned a clealy used and abused drill bit.. I asked the clerk "you accept used stuff like that?" her response : unfortunatey, yes...
I got an entirely WRONG John Deere riding mower and didn't know it until I used it later and couldn't change gears. I didn't ask for a transmission. Thanks Enid Lowes.
Hey man THANKS for posting this. This happened to me about 6 years ago and since then I never buy open box or repackaged tools AND STILL do exactly what you suggest and open every boxed item BEFORE leaving the store. I've dealt mainly with the same Home Depot and I add my phone number (Pro Account No.) to every purchase. This way I know I have an e-receipt emailed to me on every purchase and never have to worry about paper receipts. That's also a good reason for having an Inside Track card at Harbor Freight - emailed receipts for every purchase and every Harbor Freight cashier is well trained to ask for my phone number on every purchase so forgetting to include my number, as I occasionally do at Home Depot, is never an issue.
If you return as "broken" they would literally pull a new one off the shelf and throw that one in the garbage with no questions asked. If you are honest they will treat like a mastermind criminal they have caught with their amazing detective skills.
Returning as a broken is not honest. If he writes a letter to corporate he will get his money back or even blow up Home Depot on social media and give them bad reviews will do the trick as well. Besides even if you return it broken if they see it’s not the same item in a different box, and he’s labeled as a thief then nobody will ever believe him
@@mrplumber0001 He already tried to return it the honest way and they labeled him a thief. Home Depot is constantly skammed with the item swap return and they just write it off as cost of doing business but sometimes an innocent customer gets screwed.
@@PeterATomich That’s why you complain to corporate in writing. Roy didn’t get you a long way trust me. Sometimes just give them bad reviews on social media will make corporate call you. And most likely he didn’t get nowhere at the local Home Depot because nine times out of 10 it’s inside scam. The employees are buying them at other locations and returning it with the cheaper item at the store they work at because when you return a big ticket item they have to open the box to confirm that there is no brick inside of the box especially when you have to lock it up into it a cage. And the only one who can pull that off are The employees that are committing that scam. That being said it’s a lot easier to complain to corporate and even call your bank and explain the situation. Most likely the bank will give him a provisional credit until it’s final.
It's ideal to fight "the good fight" to try to hold corporations accountable. But sometimes it feels like no good deed goes unpunished and you are out the money and the time and being called a thief is humiliating.
There is a simple way to prevent this. Milwaukee should step up with a legit seal for there boxes like most other major companies. Instead they use generic clear tape. Now this might not prevent every case of this, however its a good start and can easily be implemented.
if someone pulls a return fraud, an opened box is still gonna go back out on the floor. i generally check the seals on things i buy new, because i buy the returns and see how much return fraud there is!
As someone who spent 14 years with Home Depot as a hardware manager and recently retired as the guy who unlocked those tools for you I’ll speculate that impact was returned by a less than honest person who stuck a non fuel in a fuel box. Things like that happen all the time. Unfortunately even if the returns associate looked in the box they would not know the difference.
Sad to think that the associates can't even compare the actual in box item with the picture on the front of the box... it's not like the stubby fuel 3/8 and the non stubby not even fuel look that much alike... goes to show how complacent and dumb people have become...
Isn't there model number reference on the tool and box? This should be a standard practice. They should be able to track if this item was sold in the past and returned by the serial # on the box. If it was returned and sold to this man, then they should refund his money or exchange. Homedepot shouldn't assume it was him even if it's a possibility. That's the price you pay for not inspecting returned products.
@@carlosp8697 unfortunately in this day and age, what you guys are asking for is waaay too much to ask from most of the people that Home Depot and Walmart hire.
This one video alone probably saved countless return headaches by showing us your horror story. From now on I'll be opening any and all tool boxes right after the receipt prints. I don't care how annoyed the people in line behind me get. This sucks!
Just fricken open it in the aisle where it is and if It's junk just leave it and open the next one b4 you get to the reg and slow down the line, the lines are bad enough already....
Several years ago, I bought 3 rolls of window screen at Home Depot. At the counter, I noticed that one of them seemed a bit "soft." Looking carefully, it was obviously less than a full roll, though the plastic wrap on it was completely undamaged. Turned out it had been accepted as a return and put back on the shelf. I have to admire the person who was clever enough to rewrap a partial roll of screen so neatly! At a different Home Depot ( both were in the San Francisco bay area), My son returned a defective air compressor, and 2 days later saw the same compressor back on display.
Something that I do regularly when buying tools or receiving certain online purchases is to record the unboxing process, from recording the receipt and showing the sealed box...just my two cents
I honestly never have understood the point of unboxing videos or people’s obsession with them; however this is the first application of one that I could kind of understand why you may make one?
He's right about this kink of thing. It's happened to me, where something was missing in a box , so make sure that everything is in the box also. Sadly, people buy something, swap it out or remove the piece they need, and then return it for a refund.
What has to happen is Home Depot needs to have better quality control of the return process. When someone returns a high value item like a cordless impact, they should confirm it is the right tool before accepting the return.
depot has it and you got it no matter where it came from no receipt gift cards to cash is the poor mans $ maker out here.depot will take returns by the bag full and not think nothing of it
Thanks for the heads up brother...your loss has given me an edge over these lower level theft minded pieces of garbage whom will soon face the consequences of their actions. I will pray that your willingness to share your experiences will get rewarded.
This happened to today with a set of m12 Milwaukee Fuel drills. Opened the box at home and they threw two used (smaller) batteries and a used drill. I was so pissed off and was thinking that they were going to think I swap the items. Thankfully they were very helpful and gave me a new set. Homedepot needs to get their shit together and revise all returned items especially with power tools that cost a pretty penny. 😮💨
@@pedroloco3362 exactly this world is going to hell You need to look after number one because no one else will It’s you or them and I sure ass hell wont be the one crying because I got ripped off they will It’s called numero uno me, I and me getrdun
I returned a similar drill set to Home Depot recently for another reason. I understand your issue with getting the wrong tool, but my solution was would be to just exchange it or get a refund. I would not bring up the possible "switch" of the drill, just get your money back, exchange it or shop elsewhere. Why deal with the suspicion, etc?..
yep, he could do this several days later or return it to another store perhaps. Except, he may get caught retrying the lesser quality tool, and at this point he IS committing fraud. So it's a crappy situation he's stuck in. One of those situations where being honest was he right thing to do but didn't work out for ya. I would go up the chain of command at the store. Because someone trying to commit fraud generally doesn't want to PUSH IT with management. Also, ask them to check the previous returns on this item. If all that failed, then I would stubbornly bite the bullet, stop whining and learn a lesson; CHECK YOUR PRODUCT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE. I have always had great service and understanding from HD. I s once charge for 300 brackets, when I bought 30. I had no way of proving it. But they lady at customer service was super cool about it.
I am a Ridgid tool guy. I have had great HD customer service, even with the crap Ridgid LSA program. After I got back a broken circular saw I sent off thru the LSA program, while standing at customer service, they could clearly see it was still broken and had not been fixed (I asked if they had high schoolers working at the repair center). The customer service lady said to go grab a new one off the floor. They didn't have that model, only the upgraded model. She said go ahead and take that one, but b/c it's an exchange I couldn't get the LSA b/c there's no receipt. Easy Fix. I put that one in the truck, came back in, bought another one, took them home, registered the one she gave me with the receipt I got from buying the other one, returned the one I bought. BaBAM. LSA on the upgraded circular saw I received in exchange. Problem solved.
Yes, it is a big deal! You paid good money for a fuel impact and you got the cheap one. Home Depot needs to make things right.
@@heyman5525 actually the deal was listed on the website and when you add them in your cart it splits the 299, even when he bought them in store the recipe shows the split cost of each item, not what I would have done would be to return them both and order online. I bought that same deal and I happy with it the stubby m18
Home depot sucks all together
@@heyman5525 yea but not so many people would take the deal knowing a cheap tool is in the box. especially people who are going to be using it professionally. its a ok deal for a diy’er
@@scuba130 yeah I agree. This guy definitely got ripped off because he's putting out money for a guaranteed item.
try listening to what he said before you make remarks - the TOOL was FREE he bought the BATTERYS
Same thing has happened to me several years back, I'm now in the habit of OPENING the box when they bring it out of the cage in front of the store staff that hands it to me at the counter. I'm not leaving the checkout stand until I know I'm paying for what I'm want to buy. This tends to slow down the line and the cashier makes faces or makes comment but I'm not gonna get scammed again. I totally know what you're talking about. Thank you for the post.
It happened to me on a Milwaukee fuel purchase too. The store took it back, and marked it. But that deal was over so I lost out.
absolute lky you have that very right as a consumer, open box protection and verification
Take your empty box in there in the cart. Act like shopping. Grab a new one in box. Drop empty box aside. Take the full box to the return with your receipt. Get money back
@@wally123ish not so easy to do when the items are locked in a cage and requires store associates to unlock in the first place.
Thanks for sharing brother that would Erc me too. Bad advertisement for that store.
Open the box before leaving store from now on! That's my lesson learned.
Damn bro, it really sucks that happened to you. It's really cool of you to look out for the rest of us by explaining the situation and the solution to prevent it. Says a lot about your character. You're a real man. Appreciate you brother.
Welcome to home disappointment
Thank you. What a scamm.
Why did he just return the product? Has never had an issue returning anything to HD!
I would state that much of the responsibility of this HD "victim" is in the choices He made to not return this item. Maybe he didn't just return it because he was hung up on getting the deal. Blah, blah, blah . . .
@@lakemoonlight4697He would need to redo the entire special buy method, AKA pay 250$ again for 2 more batteries and a charger. Return the other charger and battery set and re order everything. So he can get the “free” battery. Its roughly 150$ for the batteries and 100$ for the tool. Its annoying but some are willing to do it again. Personally I order them and pickup at the service desk. They can see me open it and verify the item. Never had a issue but your never know.
Heard of The Retail Equation or TRE for short. It’s a 3rd party service that many retailers including Home Depot use that is intended to prevent problem returners from returning items like people who buy a bunch of products to try out and return all but one of them. Sometimes TRE has screwed over Home Depot and other retail customers that did not abuse the return policy.
I’ve worked in Home Depot in both asset protection and hardware and can honestly say I’ve never had a problem taking customers word for it on situations like this.. Tina sounds like a poor manager
"The customer is always right"
@@899lidon "The customer is always right" is an economics term/phrase that means given the chance, the customer will buy the item they want (or service/etc). It meant that you could trust the customer initially to know what they wanted to spend their money on. It has been misquoted/misinterpreted quite a lot since it's inception and people constantly use it incorrectly now.
Sure, a store can have a policy that says the customer is always right, but I assure you they will never run with it... otherwise I (the customer) would simply say that I now own said store free and clear or a lower impact method would be to say that I don't have to pay for items... because, "The customer is always right" right?
@@899lidon not always. There are times where we witness people or have repeat offenders trying scams. But here with no evidence to the contrary Yes he is right
He shoulda shaved first
Tina's real name is Karen.
F that!!! Call corporate!! The average home depo loses about a million dollars every time they do a physical inventory, (twice a year!) I’m sure the can write off a 3/8 impact.
I agree, call corporate and tell them what happened. Give them all the info, including store number and managers name.
They can't find the stuff to sell it to me half the time..I doubt they find it when they need to count it
They lose a fortune but inventory has been done once a year for a long time now. And they do not prep for it like they use to.
@@dangalangslanger1254 I was the guy who looked for the stuff you wanted. I feel your pain. It bothered me when I could not find one of the 5 items the computer said we had.
@@Austinite333 me my cousin and two employees looked for some floor dryer style blower fans..for 30 minutes..we found the pallets of 180 right up front. Lol we walked right past them
This has been happening for a very long time and not just Home Depot, and not just tools. I have made a habit of asking the store associate to open the box to check the merchandise before I even put it in the cart. I look to see if the box has been previously open, if the cardboard is torn anywhere, etc. I have made so many trips back to the store with similar problems, many items that were previous returns that no one checked to find broken and used items, or in your case, someone swapped the tool for another. Good video for everyone to keep their eyes open and check what you are buying before you leave. Sorry you got the rip off and what is worse they make you feel like you did it.
A year ago I switched from Dewalt to Milwaukee. Home depo here in ft wayne IN had a special going on so I spent about $800 on some Milwaukee power tools. I was new to Milwaukee so due to my lack of knowledge I didn't realize the tools I bought weren't fuel brushless until 6 or 7 months after I bough them. I called the store and talked to the head manager and explained everything to him and he told me i could bring the tools in and switch out for the fuel brushless. I got really lucky that this manager was super cool!
Did he charge you a lot more money? Or just a straight trade? Fuel tools cost a good amount more
I just burnt out my 18volt Dewalt impact. My 18v circular died a few months ago. Now looking at getting a Milwaukee kit or two. From what you posted, the "Fuel" and "Brushless" are the way to go? I also heard something about a handful of generations of the same product. Is that something that is specified on the box? Are you a satisfied Milwaukee owner? Thanks for any information in return.
@@LtDan-hr1pb yes fuel is the best they are brushless I recommend Milwaukee
@@LtDan-hr1pb yes the "fuel brushless" is Milwaukees best and while Dewalt is a great product I'm very satisfied with the switch to Milwaukee.
Honestly brushless isn't always better. Two pros of brushed that come to mind are better torque at 0rpm, and less electronic brains, so more durable/reliable in an electronic way
That's why I always open the box in the store. They don't like it but I won't buy jack sh** without touching it. I share your "mild addiction."
Same here bud, I always have to look at what I'm getting before I go out of the store
I spent 25 years in the credit card business. There is a federal law that requires the card issuer who bills you to engage in a customer dispute process that involves the seller/merchant. Call whoever issued your card and tell them you want to dispute the purchase and ask exactly what information they need to originate a chargeback on the basis of 'customer disputes' rules. There are specific things you need to include. A url reference to this YT wouldn't hurt.
Check the box good. Make sure it looks 100% original. These bundles deals especially, check them out right there at the register. I’m sure someone returned it with that cheaper impact in it. Gone depot return department is just going to check if the number of pieces are there. Not that they are the correct pieces. Most of the workers there are pretty clueless.
Really though, if it’s in a box and you can’t view the product, that’s the time to check it out. As far as you know, it could just have bricks inside. You bring it home, see the bricks, go what the F, bring it back, how do they know it wasn’t you that out the bricks in the box to try and scam them??? So before you walk out of that door with all the cameras around, open that box every time and double check you are getting what you paid for. A box is not proof of anything. Visually seeing the product is.
for sure open that shit up
Same here. My addiction is fpv racing drones. We buy DOA gear all the time and in some cases get no refund or replacements. You don’t know if it works until you put current to it. It’s all diy so we solder everything ourselves. It’s annoying that you have to come up with gadgets to test gear you buy just to be sure you have what you paid for.
Stumbled upon this year old story. It was like giving Home Depot a million bad reviews. Hopefully you eventually got this problem resolved. On a smaller scale there was a chicken place that opened near me. My friend ordered her meal and when she sat down she noticed there was no cole slaw. The clerk said she packed it so the lady went to the owner and he backed his employee. So for the last five years my friend has done nothing but bad mouth this place. A big problem over something that would only cost 50 cents to replace. Probably cost the owner a lot more in bad publicity.
A business has to take into consideration any losses they will take from shady customers, but they have a tendency to notice it far too late and start treating all of their customers as suspected criminals.
That’s why I don’t shop at Home Depot.
I did a lot of business with an online auction company. I felt like they owed me a refund of LESS than one dollar. Their policy clearly stated that they do not refund less than one dollar. I contacted them anyway. They refused to refund so I refused to do business with them anymore. Instead, hundreds of dollars was made by a competitor of theirs in fees to them instead of the first company.
Rule of thumb is that if a customer is happy, he will tell a friend. If he is unhappy he will tell 20 people.
@dyneslair3158 Social shamming has its merit. I personally prefer to resolve situations by simply speaking to somebody. However, I have at times had to resort to social shaming just to get anything done.
Sorry you got screwed by Home Depot. I appreciate the heads up, Brother. Thank you for warning others about this scam.
This is why I open the box at the counter , every time. As , I too , have taken it in the shorts , like you have.
ALWAYS open at counter. Its sad but there are so many crooked people out there & they never run out of ways at cheating stores.
You're one of them comma users too huh?
@@anythinggarage “I too”and “like you have” is redundant in a strange way.
@@dollyhadbraces9361 "I've taken it to the 'shorts' as well."
Would that have been better?
@@anythinggarage soooooooooooo wwwwwwwwwwwh ,,,,,a,,,,t,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,🤮🤮🤮🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Open the boxes in-store before you purchase, that’s what I’ve been forced to do, however I do it WITH an associate next to me and WITH permission.
Yeah I started doing that after Best Buy sold me a tv with a cracked screen and didn’t wanna let me return it even though I brought it back like 30 minutes after purchase.
Best course of action with big buys..
I dont ask, whats the difference if I take it home and drive back, I just do it there
@@alpham777 why I loved frys, rip, they always opened up the TV before I loaded it up.
On a side note, when buying air or oil filters, open the box and make sure the correct brand and size filter is in the box. Common practice by thieves is to buy generic brand filters swapped out with brand name filters.
Happened to me.
Yea I bought a screw on oil filter recently and someone opened the box from the bottom and stole the sealing ring from it , few weeks after I bought a water pump and a thermostat and opened the boxes at the counter before the purchase and found a rusted out old thermostat in a new box , even the parts counter guy was surprised and glad he saw it first hand , said that if I would of walked out with it and came back later they would of assumed I did the swap smh
I'm safe then, cause I buy from the low end; no place to go but up 😉
This happened to me at walmart with oil filters and at autozone with rod bearings.
Went to advance auto... walk out to the car... open the box of a brake caliper bracket...
used...
Walk back in "yeah this is what was in the box can I get a new one..."
Had a starter too, OE in the box... had to return that...
They do not even look this shit was all covered in grease, brake dust, oil... they were cores put in as "new" (or reman whatever)
Wow! Good advice! I have heard of people on Amazon getting used stuff. That sucks!
Twenty-five years ago I bought Wagner sprayer from HD. Got home and found it was used with paint on hoses etc. Looks like HD is still irresponsible with returns. Just throw it back on the shelf.
That's right. That is exactly what most stores do, they just put it back on the shelf even if it was defective.
Any tool I have ever returned to HD the employees have never opened the box to check if it’s the right tool or a box of rocks I’m returning. The only thing I’ve noticed recently is they are scanning your driver’s license on a big money returns.
@@akaredcrossbow I don't let anyone scan my driver's license. A driver's license is full of personal information that hackers can use to steal your identity. What exactly is it that they do with your DL , where do they keep the information, and how long is it kept for? You have to push back and tell them that nowhere on their posted return policy does it say they can scan your DL.
@@JR-kk6ce next time I will ask what info it’s taking from the driver’s license, but I’m guessing it’s just name and address so if something like this happens they know how to find you.
@@akaredcrossbow When they scan the magnetic strip of your DL, they get everything, including your height, color, eyes, and photo. The information is then transferred to a company called The Retail Equation (TRE), and they run algorithms with the information they got from your DL. Many say that both Wal-Mart and TRE sell the information to other companies that deal in the sale and transfer of personal information. The photo is used for facial recognition purposes. You have the right to get a copy of the report TRE has on you by sending an email to ReturnActivityReport@TheRetailEquation.com with your name and phone number where they can reach you
We have had several instances of this at HD.
My wife bought a kitchen faucet at HD that appeared to be unopened even with 2 plastic straps around it. She asked the cashier if she could open it before leaving. When it was opened the cashier found an old used faucet someone had returned and repacked! You think they would have believed me if I brought that back?
I’m never in the business of sticking up for companies or speaking on their behalf sort of say but what I will say is it definitely would’ve sucked but I believe from watching other people return stuff they run your ID to see if you’re on some shady business and if you brought stuff back and asked for cash refunds they’re really good about doing exchanges specially with me being military I put my ID and phone number in so I would like to believe that they keep track of that kind of stuff an can see how many high valued items I’ve purchased and that I have no need to return stuff for cash but it’s just my opinion
Have had this sort of thing myself. One instance was with shoes. Buying my kid shoes pulled the box off the shelf, and thankfully, the cashier opened the box to discover an old pair of shoes in it. Had to walk to the back of the store to get another pair.
Ha! Forgot about the nail gun with paint all over it too. Menards...
Whoever accepts returns in any retail establishment, should be trained to always check the contents to verify that the correct item is being returned.
Nowadays, you can't trust anything, or anyone. It sucks!
@@chachadodds5860 I doubt the average store worker would have known the difference.
This is a common problem with merchandise that you get from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes all of them. Someone working for those stores switch out the expensive part, tool or whatever and replace it with something of lesser value. So, anyone buying anything that comes in a box, inspect the box to make sure the security tape has not been tampered with. I agree with all you said. It is a sign of the times we live in. Trust no one especially Tina at home depot. Store managers are there not to protect the customer, but to protect store profits.
Ummm, NO
Employees are the ones swapping tools? Why? The likely culprit is as mentioned in the video and we’ve all seen it. Lowe life scammers want something for nothing regardless of who has to pay for the loss. They buy the cheapest and the top end, return the expensive box with the cheaper tool. The person at the return counter may look to see if the tool is in there but doesn’t know the differences. It’s not that difficult, Pedro.
I say what he said, open the box don't just check the box for tampering. A hair dryer can remove and reattach the "security tape" without signs of tampering! Good video!
}}} Store managers are there not to protect the customer, but to protect store profits.
True... this is where you ask for info on how to reach their supervisor. Then call that person. If THEY don't fix the problem, then you ask for THAT person's supervisor.
This technique usually works -- because, sooner or later, you get ahold of someone who says, _"Why the hell am _*_I_*_ being bothered with this? YOU!! FIX IT! _*_NOW!!_*_ "_
First learned this technique in college. Worked well there, too. I had already qualified for a certain amount of student aid at the CoCo I'd briefly attended for 3m before switching between major schools (personal matters). The FinAid people tried to tell me that it was "too late", that I was "long past the date for applying for aid." AGAIN: Already qualified, and the actual aid *wasn't coming from the University in question.* 😡 So, went to the Assistant Director of FinAid. "No, we can't help, blah blah blabitty blah". Went to the Director of FinAid. Same response. Went to see the Dean of Students. The Director happened to be _In His Office._ when I was ushered in. (RBG) The Dean listened to my story, looked right at the Director, and asked, "Is there any reason we can't help this young man?" Director stammers, "Uh... no sir." And I got the aid I had already qualified for. Idiot.
He got replaced a year or so after by the same guy who was in charge of FinAid at the _other_ State U I'd been attending previously. MUCH more positive, helpful attitude. He'd actually gotten in some trouble at my prior U because he tended to staff _his_ FinAid office with pretty young girls. *He wasn't a lecher or anything.*
He just specifically noted that FinAid was often a frustrating experience, and he knew that both men and women were *_much less likely to lose their temper with a pretty girl._* Sexist? No. Truth. Fact. And a smart way to work. But he had to hire more guys, regardless, just for appearance' sake.
I will definitely spread the word about Tina on social media how that store SUCKS !!!!!!!
Glad I watched this video. Way to look out for the people. Shame on Tina and that Home Depot store. I was literally going to try and do this same deal for Memorial Day coming up, but got some things to consider now. Appreciate your advice.
I'm always suspicious of boxes that look like they have been opened, especially if it is the last one on the shelf.
Been burned by customer returns that were put back in inventory.
I know guys who will keep boxes of higher end tools and put shity ones in it and return it, most returns clerk have no clue what they’re looking at.
Yup
I have returned clearly faulty parts etc and come back another day and saw the same broken part on the shelf.
My "protip". If I have to buy an opened box I always get the cashier to write and sign on the receipt that the box was previously opened. It simplifies the whole return procedure if something is wrong with the product.
I agree, however, when I encounter this, I open that previously opened box right then and there. I inspect it, look for screwdriver marks indicating a tool has been taken apart, and I have also found tags saying the unit was rebuilt, repaired, or in one case marked NO GOOD. We have a new store here where I live that sells liquidation stuff. Stuff that people returned from any of the big box stores. Weed eaters, lawn mowers, power tools. Some of it is truly scrap. But some of it, can be fixed. A place like this, ......................... I expect to see weird stuff and mismatched boxes, etc. But not at the big box stores selling new stuff.
I made a purchase from HD and found the tool was used so I bring it back to replace a brand new one - no hassles. From this point on I will check the content in the store before I pay. The other way to work around is to ask credit card company to hold the payment before the issue has been resolved - it works every time.
Using the credit card as leverage is a good idea.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! ITS EFFIN INSANE HOW MUCH WE HARD WORKING FOLKS PAY FOR OUR TOOLS ONLY TO BE TAKEN FOR OUR TIME AND MONEY AND THEN ACCUSED OF BEING THE BAD GUYS!!
So sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience at Home Depot. I really hope they eventually do the right thing.
I always open up the box from a new TV whenever I purchase at Best Buy because of a review I read where someone opened the box and noticed the screen was cracked.
When they took it back to Best Buy, they looked at him like he had cracked it and wouldn't accept the return.
That's when I decided to start opening boxes for my electronics in front of a store employee before I walk out the door.
Never thought about doing it for tools because of the possibility of exchanging it for a cheaper model.
Thanks again and good luck with everything sir!
👍 🤜
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us.
I worked at Home Depot in the Front End. I can confirm that this situation in fact DOES happen and yes it's quickly assumed that the customer is doing something shady, especially if the store gets hit a lot with theft. This situation wasn't that complex and the other store is the one who needs to take liability for it. In fact I would definitely advise any shopper to ask an associate to open the merchandise for verification.
Ya some hd employees assume everyone is shady they need to check there returns before they put on the floor. I got burned so now I ask for the box to be opened.
@@mikealinewallgren4985 I don’t blame you
I've worked for home Depot for almost 5 years, and I've seen this happen often enough. Unfortunately, the bottleneck is with customer service and the people taking in the returns. When there's a line of eight people trying to return things the associates at the returns desk have a tendency to not inspect the contents of the box like they should. It's amazing what they accept as a return. I would recommend that anyone buying an expensive item from any retailer check the product before leaving the store. As a general rule of thumb, I have found Home Depot management to be pretty good when it comes to treating customers well, and I'm very disappointed to hear that that store treated you badly. I hope this doesn't sour you on all home depots.
@@ClodODirt this is so true, customer service is very lacking on checking out returned product, I work at home depot, and it annoys the shit out of me on the lack of accountability, look in the flipping boxes people
Why everyone is not a thief .
The Home Depot on the inventory label (#2026) is in Greenfield.
And what happened is EXACTLY what you said probably happened. Somebody bought the Fuel version, put in the cheaper version, then returned it and got their money back. The worse part about it is the people at customer service usually don't know what to look for in those situations. They see a box with tape on it, they call it good, do the return, and refund the money to the person standing there. Then you come along, buy that particular one, and you get accused of switching it.
The one I work at has a bad theft problem. We have stuff stolen daily. We can only do what we're allowed to do unless we want to be fired. But I gotta tell you, it's getting so bad that I'm getting close to the point of saying to hell with the job, I"m tired of just letting people take stuff and not being able to do anything about it except smile and thank them for "shopping" with us.
All they have to do is look at the picture on the box and compare lol. I see this all the time in the Star Wars toy collecting market. People will go buy a figure and swap it out with something that doesn’t even look like the picture on the front and get their money back. It’s even worse for those because you can see into the box.
Thanks for sharing this. In the past, I wouldn't have a problem purchasing an item in a damaged box. But this will make me think twice in the future.
@NaptownTuner Thank you for posting this video. This happened to me at Lowes too. When I bought back to Lowes for return, they gave me dirty look like I am the one who did the swapping of the old tool. From that moment on, I always double checked with the sale clerk right after paying for the tool to make sure they NEVER gave me a dirty look again. Now a day, this is happen everywhere at all retail stores. MAKE SURE YOU VERIFY TO THE TOOL BEFORE LEAVING THE CASH REGISTER so you don't get SCAM by the store or ...😢😭
I would absolutely escalate this and call corporate.
Do you have a number for corporate? So many companies today do their damnedest to obfuscate such contact information.
@@willong1000 Just tag a tweet with #TheHomeDepot or #HomeDepot about it, they are on that like flies on poop.
@@phillipsofthedriver I have not been on Twitter since the election; but I do appreciate your tip. Thank you.
I personally wouldn't. But there's actually quite a few stories I've seen where ppl have written letters to corporate higher ups and actually get results
Call Arthur Blank,
Do the same at the auto parts store. I can't tell you how many times I checked and used parts were in the new box!
I've had the same problem at auto parts stores. Now I open the box in the store and make damn sure I'm not getting screwed.
Yes unless you know the person you are dealing with
I worked at auto parts 20 years ago and found parts that some one had returned and it was the old part from there car they returned and got there money back. Even old oil filters that had dirty stinky black motor oil and some customer returned to us and had gotten there money back.
I work at a certain Irish sounding auto parts store and you damn right, my latest attempted return was 2 bottles of atf refilled with water, he said "why are you opening it" just before running out. OPEN EVERYTHING EVERYTIME
I bought a new pex crimper. It comes with a black plastic box over the die part and contains the gauge. Get out to job. Crimper die is broken. Someone over torqued it and returned it.
Dispute the charge with your credit card.
Would you still have to return it?
More often than not, in this situation the credit card company will tell you to pursue a claim against the vendor (store), they will only reverse or freeze a charge if the card was stolen, used w/o authorization, or if the charge went through for an erroneous amount.
After watching this, I would open the box while in the store and confirm the contents before I payed, or at least before leaving the store in view of security cameras. And I'll remember to inspect boxes for signs of opening or damage when at home depot or other hardware or appliance stores.
@@Matty88K The card company will probably refund if you didn't receive what you ordered. I ordered 5 Makita impacts and 6 5a batts w/chargers from Staples and received 2a batts and DeWalt bit sets. Got charges reversed and kept all incorrect items.
@@cocarr1 Yep, but if you walked out of the store with the wrong items and they refused to exchange your credit card company might not have been that helpful, as we see from the video. Loss prevention manager Tina will say you're trying to do switch
@@cocarr1 Probably not a refund but they might issue a credit until the dispute process is resolved with the seller. If the seller is held accountable, there will be no charge but if you are found accountable you will receive a charge when it is resolved. At least, that's the way it worked 30 years ago.
Home Depot puts returned merchandise back on the shelf for sale. Problem is they take anything back, without inspection. Result is all kinds of wrong or broken stuff get sold to unsuspecting customers
Home Depot employee here… I apologize for the crappy experience at that store. I would definitely recommend going above Tina’s head, or calling store 2026 even. Every associate in that store knows that happens on a regular basis. If the situation truly played out the way u say it did, and I have no reason not to believe that and neither does Tina for that matter, you have every right to be upset and should 100% get what u paid for. Tina is not “living up to our values” as they say and I find it very surprising that a store manager would act this way. Usually our store managers go against what everyone else thinks and gives in to a customer even if we all know the customer is full of it. Very bad customer service from that store.
@Soup Can unless it’s reported broken, or the box is damaged or opened, Home Depot always puts power tools back on the shelf. 🤷♂️
@Soup Can Husky is a Home Depot brand, sold in store, and is lifetime guaranteed no questions asked. We swap em out on the spot no receipt needed. I’m just sayin…. Don’t believe everything u read on the internet my friend. Every big corporation does shady shit, Home Depot is not innocent by any means, but they do go above and beyond to make the customer happy. 🤷♂️
Actions speak louder than some unknown UA-cam commentator. Please prosecute the criminals not the good guys. You are nothing but crooks behind a big name.
They probably have had people do this! They buy a tool, switch out in the parking lot and come back in saying that they were scammed.
Thank you for sharing this with us. It's an eye-opener for us as customers. I truly believe your story, and I think you should get what you paid for. If Home Depot doesn't correct its management, they will be in trouble very soon. I hope your issues are resolved in a fair and professional manner.
Unfortunately Home Depot doesn't care enough as it has a big chunk of the market, along with Lowes. It would make a difference if the big stores were losing significant money when the pros or any customer were able to buy at smaller local retailers, but the problem from years and years ago is that there are almost no smaller hardware stores or suppliers. The few left usually charge more though they may sell better products.
The only thing that makes me super suspicious is that the impact wrench he claims he pulled out of there does NOT fit in that box. 🧐
Never ever buy anything from Home Depot or Walmart that the seal is broken on period!
Yes, exactly. But i will say that tools like this, i know they don't sell Milwaukee, go back to a return center. Just about everything that gets returned at Walmart never goes back on the shelf.
Thank you for your video. I too have a Milwaukee addiction . I got the long neck 1/4 ratchet 3/8 short neck stubbi 3/8 impact. The big and small speed squares and framing square the red anodized is so sexy. The hammer , the cats paw , the flashlights oh my GOD the flash lights I’ve spent never mind how much I’ve spent on just the flash lights . You understand it’s a real and expensive addiction but man I love that black and red color scheme oh and the tools are the best with the most power but that color scheme . Oh I have all the hoodies the beanies the hat ok I need to stop. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will definitely open the box to any and everything I buy from any store and I’m so sorry you have to go through that but know you have helped me and a lot of other people with your video and you got good karma coming to you sir.
I purchased an entry lockset for a home and lowes asked me to come back the next am because it had to be re-keyed. Next day picked it up and didn't notice it was in a different box. Opened it and the thing had all different finishes on the hardware. Took it back and the box was marked no return. I ate $167 loss because they did the same thing, only it was an employee who robbed me.
Don’t say that Lowe’s is the one I always got problems to take something back
@@Linkedblade I think that may vary from store to store. I've *DEFINITELY* seen items go right from returns back on to the shelf at the Walmarts in my area.
Thanks for sharing this. It seems to have spread from tools to ALL things from home depot or Lowes. They're putting returned items back on the shelves without checking. Found this with 3 different lights (I've also been finally cleaning out and getting my garage how I want it set up). If it's not stolen/swapped tools, its repackaged products with missing parts. I now try to shop at stores known for less theft but not sure if that's much help if they move prduct to other stores. It seems to be at the stores with young kids working that don't seem to care much.
You are not alone Brother ... I've had the same thing happen to me on a few occasions. The problem seems to be that when a customer brings back a product, no one checks to see if what they are bringing back is the correct item. Apparently it is placed in a restocking bin and goes back on the shelf without any verification of it being correct. As a contractor spending over $50 K per year in the Pooler, GA store, I never had a problem with a return, but that's not the case with everyone. A previous comment said get in touch with the Regional Manager and they will most likely resolve it, if not call the home office in Atlanta, GA. Good luck and thanks for speaking out.
Thanks for helping your viewers! This will be my standard practice when buying tools from now on. Do you have another Home Depot within a reasonable distance? They may be more accommodating.
Thank you !!! For telling your story and letting other people know. I hate that this happened to you and I understand how that it happened. I will be sure to look out for this, cause I see how that it could of been me in your situation. I will be opening the box before I leave the store anymore.
Thank for your great advice. May I add that when buying brake pads from an auto part store to open the box before you leave. I once purchased a box of brake pads to find that the sealed box only contained 3 pads. I am glad I checked before I left the store!
Great tip, never thought about someone switching them out. This day and age I am sure it happens a lot, I guess another option is to buy and go directly to the customer service desk and have them witness you opening it. To much money to not get what you paid for.
don't buy it until an employee opens it and You Check it out - I've seem this Many a time when I worked there
@@zanderday4466 I just find a name tag and and say “I want to open it up and make sure it’s all there” , usually the young ones shrug but get it and the older guys get uptight or act like it’s weird. I just ignore them and go find someone different
“its a mild addiction” - I Felt That ☠️
WORD!
As a fellow Milwaukee splurger I completely understand 🖖
We're here for you bud!
I would contact Milwaukee and talk to them. I have been really impressed with their customer service. Home Depot should stand behind it, especially if the box and tool part numbers don’t match. Some boxes include serial numbers. Wonder if Milwaukee could track serial number back to who actually purchased it.
Pretty sure there's a national database for Milwaukee serial numbers that is available to the public online with searchable content. Not for sure where it would be found but I'm almost positive it is there.
I have problems with HD in a guarantee. The people and managers often don't know about the guarantee. I had a case in which I called Rigid and the an had to tell the store worker what to do.
How would Milwaukie know who purchased it if no one registered the warranty or product (which is usually a not so good idea as by US law, you don't have to register a product to be covered under all the terms of a warranty
@@baltazard133T Umm, I"m pretty sure that if it's out there, it's most likely proprietary. Pretty bad press and business practices to release buyer info.
Long as it was purchased with a credit card, that should work.
Just saw your video. I managed different retail stores. And watching you speak about it. I would have made it good for you. I e worked with a few female managers. Most of the ones I worked with. Made poor decisions. I can usually spot someone trying to scam like this. You are genuine, calm and really asking for help with this situation. I would have taken care of you as a good customer should. I went to Home Depot once. I had a question only. Asked fur the manager. They called HER. She never came up front. I left.
As a former auditor I can tell you stories of managers, loss prevention and others who form their own in-store/inter-store cartels which can involve other managers from other stores in the chain and they steal a lot....Chains where managers were caught include Home Dep., ARCO, Lowes, Stater Bros., 7/11 and more....If I was a corp. LP auditor I would be looking at that Tina.
Good advice... .I've seen this happen like you said... where the managers were doing shady crap..
The website states that items are in stock at my local store, but when I go there, the shelf is often empty. Obviously, items are going missing. This does not happen in the other store further down the road.
I know of a local home depot where the entire management team was fired for that very thing just last year. One of them had been with the company over a decade and you never would have suspected it
I worked Home Depot Hardware/Tool department for 13 years and I have one thing to share: don't ever buy anything that has been opened and even then before you get to the cashier, open the sealed box and verify that the content is exactly what's on the box. There are some crafty individuals who return tools and reseal the box as it came from the factory and the box with whatever it's been replaced with will be put directly back on the shelf.
Be aware and happy shopping.
Also don't pick the front item on the shelf....always take the ones in the back.....returned items are usually placed at up front, which usually have parts missing. Sorry for your loss.
I agree,I've had the same thing happen when I bought something from Home Depot that was previously opened and put back on the shelf. I think they should check the contents before they restock a returned product.
I've worked for home Depot for almost 5 years, and I've seen this happen often enough. Unfortunately, the bottleneck is with customer service and the people taking in the returns. When there's a line of eight people trying to return things the associates at the returns desk have a tendency to not inspect the contents of the box like they should... not to mention the fact that most of these young people they have working at the desk wouldn't know the difference between an impact tool and a multi-tool if you put them both in front of them. It's amazing what they accept as a return. I would recommend that anyone buying an expensive item from any retailer check the product before leaving the store. As a general rule of thumb, I have found Home Depot management to be pretty good when it comes to treating customers well, and I'm very disappointed to hear that that store treated you badly. I hope this doesn't sour you on all home depots.
They need to set return policy in order for them to accept the returns is to inspect the package BEFORE refunding the customers or exchange for a new one. that will protect them from getting scammed and they should call the authorities to report attempted fraud or attempted scam.
Absolutely
This! Also with Target's return BS. I worked there for 2 years in the photo lab in 2007-08. And it was next to customer service. So when they got too many people returning stuff, guess who has to help them instead of doing my own job? Yea, me! .. Anyway, I would usually tell people "No, this doesn't match what's on your receipt" (yea I have worked with several companies that use serial numbers and I am thorough) and they would cry bloody murder until a manager got there. Guess what? Manager doesn't want to deal with it! They tell you to take the return and they don't want to come back up to the front again! (Probably because it interrupted them flirting with Desiree in the lingerie section). So you take that false return and then later think about if you could be fired for accepting an item that was not the item.... By the way.... F*^% Target
I know this video is getting old and whatnot but this horseshit has been going on FOREVER with HD, Lowes, WalMart, sometimes Target.
This tip would have helped the video OP (just a lot more of a pain in the ass due to it being locked up in a tool cage) but you basically have to open expensive shit right there in the store BEFORE you even go for your wallet!! This is to make sure it hasn’t been molested at all. If it’s a normally stocked product
The typical scummy customers will do stuff like packing a broken tool in a brand new product box and return it for a refund, putting a lesser item in a nicer product box. Dumb shit that would easily get caught IF the returns dept or corporate would actually give a shit about it but the don’t. They know eventually it will find the hands of someone that won’t take it back to store.
What I would do is take a ball point pen and write “missing parts” so they wouldn’t blindly restock the bad product and to keep it from being restocked but they have (and have had this for a long time) a returns rule or policy that any returned item must not be marked or written on, and be in the original box. They do this bcuz that’s all they want to do, restock it over and over again until it doesn’t come back.
Maybe they will give a shit if enough people do enough things to alert other customers not to buy it or at least mess up corporates game a bit.
I hope OP got somewhere with HD and either got his tool or the money.
Returns shouldn't be going back on the shelf anyway. But even if it's going back on the shelf, it should be inspected BEFORE it goes back on the shelf. Just because one shady customer manages to sneak one past customer service isn't an excuse for HD to then sneak it back out onto the shelf as "new" and foist it back on an honest customer.
Happened to me at Lowe’s also. Bought a dremmel (full kit) with the white plastic bands still around the box, opened it at home, discovered a used older model dremmel in the box, half the attachments missing, and the box full of sawdust, lol. I was able to exchange mine though. 7:52
Someone screwed HD, so they thought they would pay it forward and screw you.
Start by calling your credit card provider and putting a stop payment on the transaction, then talk to the HD regional rep, not the local store staff.
I’m curious how many people know you can do this. If there’s an issue with your purchase and the strode won’t do the right thing, then you can always call the number on your credit card to block the transaction.
@@BuddyChy it's actually not true. When you purchase something on CC you actually have given permission. You can't just stop the transaction. You can only do this if your card was stolen or you did not authorize a purchase. (This is not a case of unauthorized purchase.) In this case you have to go through a lonnggggg procedure called "Chargeback". It's ridiculous.(3-6mnths) Even then you may not win. You have a better chance of getting/negotiating a refund with the store then to go through this process.
They give all the power to the stores, not the consumer.
But yes I'd open the box right after paying to verify.
I hope it works out.
@@jeffcamm5707 you must not bank with Wells Fargo. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a problem with it. Doesn’t matter if I “gave permission” by being the one that used my card. Maybe some situations vary and this one is actually different from any of the times I’ve done it, but Wells Fargo has always worked with me when I’ve been screwed over. You may be right in this instance, I don’t really know. Most of my situations have been online. I’m second guessing my self about it now lol. Hopefully I’ll never have to find out first hand if I’m wrong.
@@jeffcamm5707 on the other hand. You’re saying this was an “authorized” purchase when it really wasn’t. It’s all in the wording. You authorized the purchase of a particular product and you didn’t get it. You were given a product you didn’t purchase instead.
@@jeffcamm5707 I don’t know if I clarified this at all, but I’m also assuming you block the transaction the same day you made the purchase, went back to the store, and they don’t resolve it right away. That way you save your butt instead of finding out days or weeks later that they won’t fix it for you. If you wait until then, I’d anticipate you have an issue getting your money back. It’s unfortunate that you have to do this and I don’t blame him for getting screwed like that but I think that would help.
The same thing happened to me years ago with a Dewalt. Now if they need to unlock a cabinet to get me the tool, I make them open the box before the worker steps off. Sometimes they get pissed. I don’t care.
I worked at a similar store and we never had a problem doing this. It was basically spending 2 minutes to remove someone's anxiety by opening a box vs potentially having lost a customer for life over a 30 minute drama event at the return counter.
yup
It's a mild addiction, perhaps you're addicted to robbing stores. This sounds hinky, I bet you did swap the cheap one and tried to get $$ back.
@@epnuzuluaga766 Darn it!!!! I thought that I had everyone fooled. You got me.
I would call Home Depot corporate offices.
Bwahahaha. I worked for hd almost 7 years. They don't give 2 shits about customers.
@@ninob411 So true I've spent a lot of money in home depot over the last twenty years of my life and all I've noticed lately is their customer service is getting worse just like their people skills and the way they treat their customers in today's market.
I'm glad you posted that. I have had a situation like that and ended up thinking it was me who was mixed up. Not again. Thanks
Nice move. Cost them way more money than that impact would have cost them.
What a shame.you need to find the number to the corporate office and i bet they make it right.
They are a terrible company anyways. Get woke go broke.
No way dude. Dont let them get away with that. It will be in their system that it was previously returned. Dont let them screw you over. Talk to a manager
Happens a lot, I bought a Milwaukee m18 circular saw just to find out that someone had returned the box with an old wired skil saw 🤦🏻♂️ got it changed tho
I bought someone else's NASTY used engine oil at Walmart once. I drained the oil, changed the filter and then opened the "new" oil jug. Luckily, I have a 2nd vehicle and didn't have to dump my old oil back in. My drain pan was filthy, but there's no way I was going to put some crackhead's mystery oil in my engine.
This is the fault of the return department they are supposed to open the box & verify what's in the box is in fact being returned.
and the sad part is that it made it all the way to the shelf to be sold
@@paulsosa1872 what if it was an employee who was in on the switch
@@handyman7748 wish I could tell you what it was, something electrical. I made an exchange as was defective/ missing parts. A week later needed another and saw my returned product on the shelf...
I am currently doing this when buying fast food to be sure i got what i ordered and paid for, guess ill have to do this when buying my power tools. Anytime you buy a product and it is handled by multiple people you should get suspicious that they are pulling the old watch the pea and which shell is it under game. Hell of a world we live in today. Thanks for putting yourself out there for the rest of us to learn from, new lessons we must past on to our kids about the "Real World"
I feel bad for David Harbour, he didn’t deserve this!!
Home depot has some "stranger things" going on for sure
You should see what they did to him in Black Widow 😂 Talk about disservice
I've learned this lesson too. No matter what, get an associate to open the box in front of you and examine the contents together. More than a few times I've found "returned" merchandise back on the shelf, and it's caveat emptor! This crap happens a lot more often than one should expect, and especially in areas where there is a high immigrant population. Sorry, snowflakes, dat be da troof.
@@MrJB8383 good eye Ai
Red Guardian!!
My dad used to work at a Home Depot and said that the returns process was so bad that people could bring in boxes of trash or rocks and the employees wouldn't know because they didn't even open the box in the moment. It would be a good move to set aside a little space to be an unboxing area for those checks you mentioned. They could have cameras local at counters focused on the task so that it would be completely clear what happened. This would force the company to deal with the consequences of these scammers instead of us consumers, and then I bet their returns process would get a lot more thorough really quick.
This type of theft has become more rampant the past few years. I'm even getting more skeptical of anything i buy including electronics,small appliances almost everything. Major retailers now need to move and include their loss prevention funding to returns as well as shoplifting or price tag switching. If they don't, they'll lose more and more customers as well as money. Unhappy/dissatisfied customers usually don't come back. You souldn't buy a 5-10$ yard sale table saw without at least asking to plug it in first! BUYER BEWARE! check merchandise before leaving the store, you probably check your fast food bag before leaving the drive thru.
And yet I've been to a wal mart that opened up a spray paint return I was making just to be sure it wasn't sprayed. Like, how do you know someone didn't do that in the store before I bought it (in theory, this one was not used and I do check them).
I used to work at Home Depot and thought it was funny when customers would open the box and get a resealed one. But now think they may have been gifts who knows.
My reaction to your attitude about "not a big thing" made me react with "oh but it is". You are to be commended. I can't tell you how many times my reaction from getting screwed, just caused me more personal pain. Then every time I used the item I'd get frustrated again. I'm old now and have purchased all kinds of tools and equipment over the years, for myself and for the business that I worked at. It may take me months, at times, but I usually get some kind of gratification if I persist. The trick is finding the right person at the right time. I believe that my motivation is that possibly just possibly my efforts could curtail a little of the dishonesty that is so prevalent. The reality is probably not, but I try and have more faith that good will result in good. Sometimes my efforts were rewarded by improved loss prevention measures or better communications between associates and customers. I've had a lot of awesome experiences trying to rectify situations. Not always but that is how I choose to roll.
Preach on... well said
I wasn't a big thing means; I didn't get caught and charged with Attempted Larson ,,
Is it strange that I can guess a person's approximate age by their choice of words and sentence fragments..
.
Something I learned a long time ago, open the box and inspect the item right in front of the sales person. I purchased an expensive computer card from shop and while the sales person was doing her thing I open the box and rather than an expensive computer card in the box it had a San Fransico news paper in it. They still look all over the counter to see where I had got the paper from and I'm sure they still figured I had some how duped them.
I've gotten screwed like this before with tools and auto parts
I feel your pain! I had this happen with hard drives I went to buy at bestbuy before they went belly up. They had trouble locating 2 drives I bought online, it was around 500 dollars that I bought online to pickup. I asked the employee to open the package which from the outside did look new retail and sure enough, there were 2 old hard drives in cleverly repackaged. Had I walked out the door I'm sure I'd been given, "sure you didn't get the drives". This is real and happens. Any expensive purchase my advice is never leave the store without opening the package there at checkout before walking out.
Best buy is still open . I was there Today lol
Not sure why you think Best Buy went belly up, In my area they are going strong. But yes I have heard of some sloppy sales by Best Buy. Returned Items have been sold as New and customer is not aware.
As a former Home Depot employee I would take your issue to head office. They will make it right.
Are they also going to pay for his hassle and lost wages it’s up too about 7k now !
No. They won't.
@@Liberty-Freedom-Outdoors 7k?! Calm down there squirt 🤦♂️
I see why you left.
*Right on,* Homer D. Poe!
I had almost the same thing happen on a different tool. When I opened the box a used tool was in it that did not work. This was close to a year ago and I was out the $$$$. Low life’s are everywhere, even here in Alaska. We need to open the boxes at the register and make sure we’re Not getting scammed.
Happens more often than you think. I worked for HD for almost 12 years and I saw it all the time. I would usually take the persons word for it. Recently I bought a combo kit and when I opened it, every tool looked like it had been drug behind a truck. Mud all over the tools and scratches. The blades were dull, etc. I was lucky they believed me and let me exchange the whole kit.
You're allowed to try to use the tools and if you don't like them return them. I have done it a few times. Run a tool on the job site for a few days and compare the new improvement compared to some of our old ones
I was in the return line at a HD some years back when a old dude with a battered lawnmower pushed it in and demanded a refund. He claimed "it no longer worked." It was pretty obvious why. Lawnmowers don't mow ROCKS very well. The attendant looked at it. .then him . .and then proceeded to credit the machine. Couldn't believe my eyes. We've lost our way.
@@kiltedwolf2 sounds like you may have ran into my grandfather lol!
nothing wrong with testing tools and returning them. ive had multiple brands and didnt feel right or worth the money. the store should not just put them back on the shelf
@@kiltedwolf2 What you saw is what The Home Depot was built on. It has changed so much in the last few years.
Excellent advice, Home Depot strikes again. I just bought a table saw yesterday, travelling home and unboxing, discovered that the item was previously used and full of sawdust. Had no problem returning and exchanging although the store is 20 minutes away x 4...gas/diesel ain't cheap these days
Man, you should be on radio with that voice of yours.
Dude!!! I said that the minute I heard him speak!! Shit i need him to read books on tape type shit lmfao
@JAC 08 Ha Ha Ha
Yes this happens in the Napa home depot too. And I have purchased a few items that were clearly used and returned them, (even a few 2x4s that were trimmed)
Their return policy is great but the merchandise must be inspected! I hear it all from the employees, there's not enough time and not enough people. I know men that needed tools for certain jobs, used them and took them back. There is no embarrassment opening the box for inspection before leaving. Good Video!!
I bought a Milwaukee Fuel grinder and it was missing the wrench to remove the blade… I notice at Home Depot it’s common for ppl to remove tools and even use tool and then return it. Good Advice
Pro tip. Take battery off. Press blade lock button spin blade untill it locks.
Grab the blade and twist it left. Preform steps in reverse to install a new blade.
They obviously need to look inside returned boxes and confirm the contents match.
I've returned things to Home Depot and a lot of times they don't even look in the box, which surprises me. After watching this I will always open the box before leaving the store.
A person at the returns counter wouldn't know thee difference between a M18 or M18 FUEL tool. They just look to see if something is in the box. I have returned unopened boxes and they saw that the box looked factory sealed and left it sealed
@@ronjclm8590 All they have to do is check the model number. I don't know about Milwaukee, but also DeWalt puts the serial number on the box. If it is a big enough problem, they'll start checking. When I ship tools, I put the serial number on any invoice or receipt I include. It just tells the customer "I know what I shipped".
These chain stores make no effort to hire people who can tell the difference between a circular saw and an impact driver. When they do hire someone knowledgeable, they make no effort to retain that person. Most of their staff can barely confirm the box actually has contents.
@@tooolboxx Yes. better training for the returns counter would be helpful. But mostly the employees may not be capable of being trained to care. It appears that in most stores, The employees are trained to not be confrontational. This store should/could look in their records and see who all have recently returned a tool with that ID number. But they still wouldn't pursue it...they don't want to make the criminals angry.
I love it when the clerk checks to see if my legit returns have what is really supposed to be in the box. Keeps things straight.
Thanks for the heads up. One thing to watch very carefully, is how the box is sealed. If its the factory clear little circle shaped tape, you should be good. But if it looks like its been modded, and taped back up with normal packing tape etc, then be very skeptical. Even if its the right tool inside, it might be a return etc and you are not getting a brand new tool which is what you paid for. And if it IS the wrong tool because someone swapped it out, it sure as heck wont be the factory circle type tape.
Sadly this happens happens with many items...tools, TV etc....there's so many dishonest people out there ....makes it hard on the honest ones...
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. File a complaint with your State Attorney Generals office.. Yes it is a big deal, never accept anything less. They don't want to get sued by the state and quickly correct the problem.
Always check, no matter how good condition the box appears. Not just a tool thing but, cheaper items being switched with much better models is all too common. You never know if the person at the returns desk is the the scammer, or the unfortunate customer who got surprised, when they opened the box. One of my favorite stories involved a high end (pricey) router/router table combination. Someone took the time to hot knife open the glued bottom of the box, remove the contents, measure and cut plywood (side note: when they could have used the cheapest thing they could find, they used good both sides, cabinet grade maple) to fit the box, then expertly reseal the box and return it to the store for a refund. Next customer purchasing the unit got the surprise. FYI: A couple of things good to know is that the better tool brands put a serial number for the tool, or tools, on the box (That's for the package but the items inside should be close numerically). They also engrave, or stamp date codes on the tools. Batteries should have matching date codes and all tools in a combo should be within about 6 weeks of each other.
I once bought a box at Fred Meyer that was supposed to have 4 granola bars. Someone had opened it and taken one out, probably homeless or teenager. I didn't realize until I got home and opened it. Not a big loss, but something to think about.
My motto is you look at it BEFORE you pay for it, nothing like getting home and finding that has happened, or it is broken/missing parts etc.
I got screwed the same way. Thinking "ok" I will live with it, but found later its a cheaper model and it's a brush motor. The feul are brushless and far better units.
There is probably teams of scam artists going around to hardware stores doing this. Or they just rob the store in broad daylight in democrat run shitholes.
A “mild” addiction 🤣 I know your struggle brother. And know you know that the Milwaukee bundle deals at ANY Home Depot have a curse placed on them that manifests itself with errors and shitty customer service.
I was in the Return line at HD and a guy ahead of me "returned" a brass outdoor faucet valve. Only thing was, it looked like it was 20 years old, no longer shiny and with tons of calcium deposits, and they accepted it without question. I almost said something but figured that HD wouldn't do anything, afraid of creating a scene. You and I and everyone else pay for these situations, all thanks to lawyers, who are all enabled by us. The irony.
I worked at an Ace Hardware and witnessed a guy return an empty paint can and said it was defective…. there’s a lot of shitty people in our world unfortunately
i saw someone had just returned a clealy used and abused drill bit.. I asked the clerk "you accept used stuff like that?" her response : unfortunatey, yes...
I got an entirely WRONG John Deere riding mower and didn't know it until I used it later and couldn't change gears. I didn't ask for a transmission. Thanks Enid Lowes.
Hey man THANKS for posting this. This happened to me about 6 years ago and since then I never buy open box or repackaged tools AND STILL do exactly what you suggest and open every boxed item BEFORE leaving the store. I've dealt mainly with the same Home Depot and I add my phone number (Pro Account No.) to every purchase. This way I know I have an e-receipt emailed to me on every purchase and never have to worry about paper receipts. That's also a good reason for having an Inside Track card at Harbor Freight - emailed receipts for every purchase and every Harbor Freight cashier is well trained to ask for my phone number on every purchase so forgetting to include my number, as I occasionally do at Home Depot, is never an issue.
If you return as "broken" they would literally pull a new one off the shelf and throw that one in the garbage with no questions asked. If you are honest they will treat like a mastermind criminal they have caught with their amazing detective skills.
Returning as a broken is not honest. If he writes a letter to corporate he will get his money back or even blow up Home Depot on social media and give them bad reviews will do the trick as well. Besides even if you return it broken if they see it’s not the same item in a different box, and he’s labeled as a thief then nobody will ever believe him
@@mrplumber0001 He already tried to return it the honest way and they labeled him a thief. Home Depot is constantly skammed with the item swap return and they just write it off as cost of doing business but sometimes an innocent customer gets screwed.
@@PeterATomich That’s why you complain to corporate in writing. Roy didn’t get you a long way trust me. Sometimes just give them bad reviews on social media will make corporate call you. And most likely he didn’t get nowhere at the local Home Depot because nine times out of 10 it’s inside scam. The employees are buying them at other locations and returning it with the cheaper item at the store they work at because when you return a big ticket item they have to open the box to confirm that there is no brick inside of the box especially when you have to lock it up into it a cage. And the only one who can pull that off are The employees that are committing that scam.
That being said it’s a lot easier to complain to corporate and even call your bank and explain the situation. Most likely the bank will give him a provisional credit until it’s final.
It's ideal to fight "the good fight" to try to hold corporations accountable. But sometimes it feels like no good deed goes unpunished and you are out the money and the time and being called a thief is humiliating.
broke is the way to go sometimes its just easier say it does not have the power it should
There is a simple way to prevent this. Milwaukee should step up with a legit seal for there boxes like most other major companies. Instead they use generic clear tape. Now this might not prevent every case of this, however its a good start and can easily be implemented.
HD now does this for battery tools
if someone pulls a return fraud, an opened box is still gonna go back out on the floor. i generally check the seals on things i buy new, because i buy the returns and see how much return fraud there is!
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP. I NEVER ORDER ANYTHING FROM HOME DEPOT ONLINE EITHER. THEY MESS UP THE ORDERS. AND GOOD LUCK GETTING YOUR STUFF NOW.
I've been going to Home Depot for a long time, in the checkout line I open up the tool and tell him it's cool I'll buy it works every time!
As someone who spent 14 years with Home Depot as a hardware manager and recently retired as the guy who unlocked those tools for you I’ll speculate that impact was returned by a less than honest person who stuck a non fuel in a fuel box. Things like that happen all the time. Unfortunately even if the returns associate looked in the box they would not know the difference.
There it is a former defending a employee!If they dont know what they are looking at go home!
@@scor440 idiot I am defending nothing. Just stating possible fact.
Sad to think that the associates can't even compare the actual in box item with the picture on the front of the box... it's not like the stubby fuel 3/8 and the non stubby not even fuel look that much alike... goes to show how complacent and dumb people have become...
Isn't there model number reference on the tool and box? This should be a standard practice.
They should be able to track if this item was sold in the past and returned by the serial # on the box.
If it was returned and sold to this man, then they should refund his money or exchange. Homedepot shouldn't assume it was him even if it's a possibility. That's the price you pay for not inspecting returned products.
@@carlosp8697 unfortunately in this day and age, what you guys are asking for is waaay too much to ask from most of the people that Home Depot and Walmart hire.
This one video alone probably saved countless return headaches by showing us your horror story. From now on I'll be opening any and all tool boxes right after the receipt prints. I don't care how annoyed the people in line behind me get. This sucks!
I open them before I buy them with sales person
Just fricken open it in the aisle where it is and if It's junk just leave it and open the next one b4 you get to the reg and slow down the line, the lines are bad enough already....
@@Delta9SFBay11 you can't. It's locked in a cage. You get an associate, they get it out, then walk it to a register
@@histguy101 depends on your geographic location....my point is open it b4 paying otherwise they'll send you to returns....
Several years ago, I bought 3 rolls of window screen at Home Depot. At the counter, I noticed that one of them seemed a bit "soft." Looking carefully, it was obviously less than a full roll, though the plastic wrap on it was completely undamaged. Turned out it had been accepted as a return and put back on the shelf. I have to admire the person who was clever enough to rewrap a partial roll of screen so neatly! At a different Home Depot ( both were in the San Francisco bay area), My son returned a defective air compressor, and 2 days later saw the same compressor back on display.
Something that I do regularly when buying tools or receiving certain online purchases is to record the unboxing process, from recording the receipt and showing the sealed box...just my two cents
just open it in the store
Considered doing this myself, but thought it was overkill. Seeing you do this I'll start.
I honestly never have understood the point of unboxing videos or people’s obsession with them; however this is the first application of one that I could kind of understand why you may make one?
Lol, this sucks I’ve not thought about opening it under a camera, return the favor “return it.” This why I go to lowes
He's right about this kink of thing. It's happened to me, where something was missing in a box , so make sure that everything is in the box also. Sadly, people buy something, swap it out or remove the piece they need, and then return it for a refund.
What has to happen is Home Depot needs to have better quality control of the return process. When someone returns a high value item like a cordless impact, they should confirm it is the right tool before accepting the return.
yeah, you would think
depot has it and you got it no matter where it came from no receipt gift cards to cash is the poor mans $ maker out here.depot will take returns by the bag full and not think nothing of it
Thanks for sharing your tool buying experience with us. Open the box and verify you are buying the correct tool is great advice.
Thanks for the heads up brother...your loss has given me an edge over these lower level theft minded pieces of garbage whom will soon face the consequences of their actions. I will pray that your willingness to share your experiences will get rewarded.
My heart goes out to you an I admire your tolerance. I hope to achieve that in my life.
Thank you for taking the time to share this.
You are right! I use to work for them and that's exactly what they do. I agree with everything that you have said. Thanks for sharing.
This happened to today with a set of m12 Milwaukee Fuel drills. Opened the box at home and they threw two used (smaller) batteries and a used drill. I was so pissed off and was thinking that they were going to think I swap the items. Thankfully they were very helpful and gave me a new set. Homedepot needs to get their shit together and revise all returned items especially with power tools that cost a pretty penny. 😮💨
First time I've ever seen 29k subscribers and 29k likes on a video. Thanks for the vid!
what? where?
This is why i open my shit in the store before buying or after paying. So they can’t pull that mess.
lol ok
I also Always RIP open the box before buying it. I dont give a Flying shit if its allowed or not.
@@pedroloco3362 Do you at least give it proper funeral after said RIP? Say a few last words? Have a little bbq after?
@@pedroloco3362 exactly this world is going to hell You need to look after number one because no one else will It’s you or them and I sure ass hell wont be the one crying because I got ripped off they will It’s called numero uno me, I and me getrdun
lol I'm sure you do, and what the hell do you mean "before buying or after paying" You mean before buying, or AFTER buying?
Pretty sure they will regret soon to treat a guy like that, that does youtube videos on it…👍
not to sure about that, at 543 he picks up the stubby impact he was ranting about.
As long as it's not censored like on FB.
@@yoshinoyajones8924 no that was a 1/4" impact for the Fuel reference ... he got screwed on a 3/8" impact...
@@Sankeyite aaaaah.
LOL RIGHT!!!
Thanks for letting people know. I'll be sure to OPEN tools before I leave the store when buying them.