HD has also been my slight preferred home improvement big box store as it is the closest and they have always been easy to deal with on returns.

Tried to return some random small items totalling a whooping 45 buck today. All unopened, new in box extra stuff. Didn't have a receipt and none of it showed up on the cc I typically use. Maybe I paid cash, maybe it was a store credit, who knows.

When they ran my license it said return not accepted. Wtf? The clerk was rude. I asked for a manager. This seemed completely unusual. I have never had an issue before. Return stuff like this 2 to 4 times a year,from random over buys for projects.

Manager (or at least another person kind of doubt he was a manager, equally rude) says sorry it's a new corporate policy. You can return things without a receipt once a year.

As stated this was small stuff, all unopened and I only wanted store credit as I had a list of other crap to buy that would total over 10 times the return.

Wife walked up with a cart full of stuff. I turned to her and said f them. Let's go to Lowes.

Not sure what the deal is, but f home depot. I'll drive the extra 5 minutes to Lowes or pay a little more at Ace. Not shopping at HD unless I absolutely have to.

We spend thousands a year at that stupid store. That may not be big to them, but there are plenty of other options and I'm tired of ****ty corporate policies like that.

I know. But by running my license, they know how often and how much I have returned without a receipt. And it isn't that much.

Thanks for the advice, they didn't bother with giving that. Once I cool down, I'm sure I'll get over myself and fall back in convenience.

Yeah, it really sucks, especially because it is so inconsequential. Its likely on some of these things, they lose more money than they save by pissing off a customer.

BenTheGoodAg said:

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I think Lowe's and Home Depot are pretty equivalent, honestly, but Home Depot used to price match like-for-like and has taken a much firmer stance on it lately. We all know those xyz fittings from both stores were made in the same factory.

ETA - email reciepts at both stores for the win. If you use Gmail, just add a dot somewhere in the email address. You can add a filter for that email alias in your account to filter those receipts into a folder and pull them up when you need them.

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The only problem with this is those random times when you pay cash or use store credit.

Also, if you use ProXtra, they don't e-mail you the receipts, which I prefer, in lieu of storing the purchases in your account. Makes it harder to look up down the road for me.

Agree with white collar crime aka "corporate" poor thinking & lack of customer care.
When corporate came to town to close our last Kmart (now Tractor Supply, etc.) he took the manager out to lunch. When passing our long time Target store on Texas Ave ... he remarked in SURPRISE "hey you have a Target here in town?!??!" (wow)

HD past has always had a very good manager that bent over backwards for all I know, especially in the Christmas season. Once a wonderful deal on a Christmas tree, since their ad "in stock" was outdated. Always the best merchandise and bests Lowes in every way except one big area = landscaping. Here the Lowes manager that built up the Bryan store, was transferred to the "new" CS store and has surpassed herself.

Keeping up receipts is a real hassle & time-sink + UGH to anything accounting for me.
I also hate to phone ahead to get a crystal ball on potential hassles ahead but a buddy taught me to grease the path with a manager on phone, who will tell me what to bring to make things work out.

Me thinks your weird experience must have something odd in the background going on. Manager having a bad day with devil on his shoulder, not the head manager, corporate in town visiting, too many grumpy customers, etc.?

Now that lumber yards ONLY serve builders, can't live without HD quality lumber and many other items related.
So sorry, hope it works out for you and the manager warms up to you.

Earlier this year, they had a sign on the registers that said beginning on XYZ date, NO returns without a receipt. Date came and I saw people like the OP pissed about this policy and not being able to return a few screws. I understand it for something theft prone like tools, but keeping receipts for small stuff is a little unreasonable.

Understandably, they changed the policy after a few months. But it sounds like it's just been modified to one return a year?

htxag09 said:

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Slagathor said:

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We were told recently by an HD employee that they're being directed to really crack down on returns without receipts or outside of the 90 day window. She said it was a theft problem and seemed apologetic. We have just gotten into the habit of immediately putting every Home Depot receipt in the same place in our wallets when we leave. Or just order online and you have a digital receipt. If you order items that are in stock, they'll have it ready for pick up within 2 hours.

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You don't even have to purchase online to get a digital receipt. I shop in store, but typed in my email address, now when I pay with the credit card it automatically pulls up my email for an emailed receipt.

To the OP, just to play devils advocate. But someone walking in, returning a "bunch of small stuff", that doesn't remember how he paid nor remember how many times he's returned things without a receipt, sounds kind of like someone who steals stuff then returns it.....

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Oh, I get all the details behind it. I understand completely. I have in the past had my email tied to a card. Since switched cards do to fraud and hadn't reset things. I understand there are things I can do to prevent the situation.

I suppose my biggest issues are the attitudes of the two employees I interacted with and the fact that HD has not published this policy change. They just sprung it on me with attitude. Had they published something whenever they changed the rules so that I knew I had to be more careful with receipts and returns, then this responsibility is completely on me. But they are apparently ashamed of the policy change and decided to just spring it on people.

Never saw signs at my store. But I could have missed it.

Margins are tight with inflation. We ran some errands over the weekend and target, and other stores, have theft protection security standing at the entrance/exit. With tighter margins and increase theft, something's gotta give.

For the employees, sucks but I really don't expect much more from hourly employees these days

I kind of got a little miffed at HD years ago when they remodeled their stores to essentially have one entrance and one exit, on opposite sides of the stores, ostensibly to force/encourage you to walk through the store (passing displays and whatnot) on your way out.

So, I park either near the entrance or exit but still have to walk across the store, especially if I do self-checkout which is only on one side. Of course there are registers near the entrance that you *can* use but they're really meant for returns.

These days, I just usually go to Lowe's.

bam02 said:

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Several months ago I watched a meth head walk out of Lowes with three chainsaws and load them up and haul ass off. They knew he was doing it the whole time and they just followed him out while filming on their cameras. So infuriating since we all pay for it through stricter policies and higher prices.

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Why do companies do this? Once they walk out, just take the merchandise back and call the police. If u don't want to bother with the police, at least get your stuff back.

Big box stores lose a lot due to theft. Along with return games

Their P&L's are probably struggling. Gotta tighten the ship and numbers. This is one of the low hanging fruits to help.

Figured this might be the case. Guess Ill tell the wife, no more flowers or home improvement. I bet that will work for me!

Years back my daughter (she was pretty little then) and I were in Payless show(??) in Firewheel mall (outdoor type mall for those not around here.) It was crowded for the holiday shopping. Some dude walked out with a pair of shoes. The employees yelled and chased. Happened to be an off duty cop in the store. He ran out pulling a gun. The perp jumped in his Tahoe, smoked tires in reverse, hit a parked car, barely missed some people and took off at a really high speed down the crowded outdoor mall street. Cop ran out into the street and assumed a stance like he was going to shoot, but didn't.

All in all, I would have to say it would have been safer all around for them to let the 20 dollar cheapo shoes go in that case. It was such luck no one got hurt. It sucks, but gotta weigh the true costs.

Saw a news story the other day where a concealed carry customer shot some dude that was fighting with female workers at a dollar store in south Dallas Seemed a good Samaritan, but the cops were talking about charging him with murder, since he was not defending himself and the perp was running away when he shot him. Haven't seen a follow up.

I can understand them letting the methhead go.

Lowes is a train wreck. I have pro accounts with both retailers d. No matter what lowes can't find an order no matter how I purchase it if I need to return.

Home Depot has been way better. I consider Home Depot to be a true pro contractor box store. They carry professional brands and they don't give me trouble. I can buy it with one of three cards and when I return, they can find it with my account, the card, my number, you name it. It's there. No issue.

Lowes it a hot mess. Those yahoos couldn't figure out how to get a military discount for a family member and then after 4 days of back and forth, they finally validated it all and managed to link the GD thing to MY account and his account. Lol. It was supposedly impossible but they managed it. I now have two lowes ID barcodes linked to 10% off. His and mine…on the same account. And then I still have the actual true pro account. It's amazing the incompetence. I have orders and record of two people across two credit cards. It's wierd.

Serious talk: what the F is going on?

I've had multiple cases where they couldn't find stuff in the system on my CC from just days before, or as I said: they'll find 1 box of screws but not the second. I look befuddled and they say only store-credit.

Normally I'm fine with that, because it will be spent, but its the principle that pisses me off. I had an online order i returned and waited 45 min in the store. They had to call "IT" to do some system lookup. Nevermind the number, the item number, the electronic receipt. I feel like someone could start a class action at this point.

Man, f- if I know. I returned 6 identical pipe clamps three days ago to the tune of 100+ bucks. 3 they found on my card, the others went to credit. I have yet another lowes store credit in my wallet now. Lol.

SquanchyAg said:

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probably having issues with other people stealing stuff and trying to return it. seems like store credit would be allowed through. customer service has gone to hell these days.

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Even store credit for stolen items is a loss for them

100% right. There used to be some really helpful employees, but it's completely gone downhill at both stores in my opinion.

Thank goodness you can look up inventory on the mobile websites and easily find the aisle/bay and how many are in stock at a glance.