Lowes Home Improvement Overcharge Sanford NC

On or around 1/22 I went to the Lowes website to order a new water heater. I found the one I wanted for about $367.  I called the 800 number on the website to get installation for the water heater. I was told the water heater I wanted was in stock and it will take 3 to 10 days for delivery and installation, I said that this would be fine.  

The next day, the installer calls me to say that they are at Lowes to get my water heater, but the one I ordered is out of stock and that I needed to get a more expensive model. I disputed this, but ended up getting another model which was more expensive.  The installer shows up (one guy), does the installation, but had to leave to get a part.  The installer comes back and completes the installation. I am very happy with the work.

I had applied for a Lowes credit card to make this purchase.  I call Lowes the day after the installation to ask when to expect the Lowes card and if I have to activate the card to make my payments.  While going over my account info with Lowes, I find that my bill is $1,252.85.  I'm shocked! I purchased a water heater that was $450 (the more expensive water heater I had to get because the $367 one was out of stock).  So, I'm paying over $800 for the installation?  I was told that there was additional parts needed for the installation including an expansion tank.  OK...but $800?  I am then told I was being charged $100 for an "emergency call" which I never requested and I was being charged $100 because the installation was a "two man job".  Only one guy came to do the installation. 

I immediately start disputing these charges and also argued that I should get a discount on the water heater because I was told the $367 water heater was in stock and was then told less then 12 hours later it was out of stock.  I was ultimately given a total of $229 credit for the $100 "emergency call" and $129 credit for the more expensive water heater.  However, I'm being charge $89 for a "hard access fee". The "hard access fee" was originally called a two man job, but when I said only one guy did the work, I was told it was a "hard access fee". 

To install the new water heater, the installer need to carry the appliance 4 feet straight from my door to where the heater needed to be placed for installation. I had to move my clothes dryer, which I did myself before the installer arrived at my house. It took the installer less then 5 minutes to carry the water heater from my driveway to where it was to be installed.  Nothing to move out of the way, no corners to move around, nothing to climb over, under or around.  Four feet straight forward from my driveway to where the water heater sits now. 

I call Lowes, Lowes customer service and Lowes credit card services to dispute this charge. The credit card services investigates and tells me about a month later that because I already got a $229 credit that the $89 "hard access fee" will stand.  Huh?  I call and dispute the charge again. The credit card services say that will investigate again. When I asked what the investigation entailed, I was told they will call the store and/or the installer.  If they say the charge is a "hard access fee" then that is all they can do for me.  I asked the credit card service if the stand by the card holder or Lowes and or Lowes installer?  I did not get an answer.

I offered photos and video proof that the "hard access fee" is unjust. I explained that while $89 may not seem like much to some, but that it is big for me because I'm on a fixed income and can't afford to just eat it because an installer is outright overcharging me.  Extra parts for the installation came to less the $125.  So, I'm paying over $700 to install a $450 water heater. Being disabled, I could not do the installation myself, but more so, I didn't want to void the warranty for not having it professionally installed.