Ok, I love Lowes usually; it is kind of like a wish store. Yesterday, I went in to buy a new screen door to replace a really old one that was starting to rot on the bottom. I am fairly picky, and cheap , and took my time deciding which door I wanted and could afford. After finding one I liked I got the attention of the associate there and asked him if he had it in stock. The information placard on the display said they offered this door in white and black and I wanted the white. He told me he only stocked them in black and if I wanted a white one he would have to order it. I said ok and then he told me it would be considered a special order and would cost me an additional $50! If the store display says it is offered in white and black, why does the store only carry one color! And why should I have to play an additional $50 just because they didn't stock the color I wanted? I am not asking them to order me a color not specified! Needless to say, I bought another door! Anyone else run into this or did I just get a not so nice sales person?
Wow, could they not have just gotten the store from another Lowes in the area? That's what I did when I worked in retail, but it was not the same type of store. I would talk to a manager about it; you shouldn't have to pay $50 extra for something that a store sells but just doesn't have in stock. He was either trying to get you to go away or had no idea what he was talking about.
There is something I've always wondered. How can you love stores like Lowes or Home Depot? Is that more of a feeling reserved for the do it your self afficionado?
Lowe's and other big box stores can sell items cheaply because they buy huge quantities from manufacturers and can negotiate low wholesale prices. However, they also profit from poor treatment of employees and enforcing petty fees on customers. Workers in big box stores have no incentive to provide good service, as they are usually overworked and poorly paid, with no chance of advancement. If the item was shown as available in the color you wanted, it may be a violation of federal or state law for them to try to charge you extra for it,. There are regulations that govern tagging.
This is terrible! You have a point why would they say they are offering both when they consider one a special order! I mean why would people shop here all the time if they are going to consider this a special order because of them having to order in the specific color people want to have. Flat out ridiculious and I would have asked to talk to the manager and if he did not take care of the issue would have called corporate offices or tweeted about it.
I do not shop at Lowes because the wood they sell is always warped. I cannot tell you the last time I got a straight piece of wood to use. This will go in my catalog on why I will not shop here anymore!
I have also run into this problem with Home Depot. It doesn't make a good shopping experience at all. What they don't mention is that you can go on their website and have it shipped to the store for free with no special order fee.
I have not ran into this problem with either Lowe's or Home Depot. I think I would have asked him about the extra charge. That just seems wrong to me. If it is being advertised as being available in white, there should not be an extra charge to get one in white. I would have asked someone else to speak to a manager about it.
I have not had this particular problem with Lowes, but last month I was buying some veggie plants and a bunch of soil. I got the plants home and when I went to plant them the soil and roots were full of white mold that you can not get rid of. Only 1 plant was not affected. I opened my soil and it had mold too! This Lowes is in a humid area, but that means they should be careful with their products. I took everything back to the store with the receipt and would you believe that they didn't want to refund any of my money? I cause a ruckus and the manager did, but he didn't want to. I only go to Home Depot now.
If the sale sign says it is a certain price and it comes in certain colors, they have to honor that. I would have taken it up with a manager. Always threaten to call the Better Business Bureau and complain if you feel you are not being treated fairly in a store. It works like a charm.
I just went to Lowe's for the first time last week, and I don't see a difference from Home Depot. I've heart people saying Lowe's is better, but I don't know why. Lowe's is a little bit cleaner, but that's the only thing I noticed. The staff was helpful and I found everything I was looking for with ease. It was a new experience for me, but it's not bad. I still like Home Depot though, but that's just me.
It's things like that that keep me from shopping at most big-box stores. I do prefer Menards as my home improvement stores, but am not sure how widespread that store is.
As a former employee, the price for the door sounds wrong. There is not an extra charge for special orders. There could be an installation charge, if and only if, you were wanting the door installed by the store. It sounds like the employee was either new and didn't know any better (no excuse though) or the employee was ordering the wrong door. As far as the plant return and soil with mold in it, they should have returned those for you. That is not your fault nor the stores. All soils are kept outside. If you live in a high humidity area, those things just happen. The manager should have switched those out for you.
