The Home Depot The Retail Equation Blind Following of a policy based on faulty data will cost Home Depot and other TRE Clients Billions NEW SMYRNA Beach Florida Nationwide

Over the years Ive spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at Home Depot remodeling our homes, our rental/retirement home and procuring supplies for several businesses.  Ive stayed with Home Depot out of convenience as Lowes has superior lumber/building materials, pricing, and generally more educated employees.  At Home Depot Ive got a school teacher trying to find a 20amp breaker in the tool department since a "breaking device" must be a tool.

Anyway, under the advice of a Home Depot Associate I tried a 14k BTU LG portable AC.  I was told, that if it doesnt do the trick, return it and we can try a mini split (to cool a warm section of my house built in 1949).

Im also literally buying and returning items weekly.  Paint wrong color, something didnt fit, etc.  Never has anyone said a word as the Associates in this store know me - and in fact even encourage me to purchase items Im on the fence about - "because you can always return it".  I also almost always have a reciept or the sale can be tracked to a credit card. Amex if not my HD Card.

Occaisionally Ill return something with a reciept - but because I have to purchase something else, tell the Associate to just give me a store credit.

Well the ac unit I purchased at $599 had 5 other items totalling more than $100.  My final tally was about $700.  I had a $9.09 store credit in my wallet - been there for months - so I used it first and placed the balance on my HD card.  Ive got a $12k credit line - that HD increases about once a year.

Well I had the ac unit for exactly 18 days.  7 of which was out of the box and running.  After we realized the btus were too low, we boxed back up and i finally had a chance to return.

When I go to return I am declined.  Mind you I had 72 more days until my 90 day return date written on my reciept expired.

i was declined because I had used a store credit on this transaction - and one could argue the $9.09 store credit went against the other $100 in merchandise - but becasue the transaction had a store credit used - $9.09/$701.53 - 1.3% of the total payment - I was declined according to TRE, the Retail Equation.  Furious, I got home and called TRE and they stated I must produce a reciept without the store credit in order to return the AC unit.  Rep at TRE stated there was nothing they could do.

Now in lieu of the portable unit I was getting quotes on a split mini Mitsubishi ductless system through HD in Home Services.

i tried explaining to TRE Rep she was putting a $3500 sale at risk.

Tomorrow I am calling Corp and if they dont accept the return, I am cancelling my mini split, gathering anything I purchased in last 90 days and returing - and droping the AC unit on the Return Desk along with my credit cards and a note to pound salt.

What these idiots at TRE dont consider is just how much Ive spent over the years.

Depot - you are losing a high volume 25 year customer - all because you cant make an empowered decision.

what a shame............but Lowes is only 10 miles ...but you reap what you sow.  HD you can try to collect on the bill - but you wont get a red cent.