NEVER, I Mean NEVER Contract Anything With Home Depot !

[billt]

Time to vent. Last April 27th I signed on with Home Depot to get 2 small bathroom floors tiled, and 2 new toilets installed. Now, almost 6 weeks into this fiasco they are nowhere near done. It took over 2 weeks just for them, (Home Depot), to deliver the materials. (They're less than a mile away).

Then I had to wait another 3 weeks before they, (the installation company Home Depot contracts with), could give me an installation date. (June 6th). So finally last Monday the guy shows up to start... At 9:30 AM. The next day he didn't show up until 11:00 AM. Yesterday he didn't show up at all, and never called. (We've been operating with just one working toilet during all of this.) Then around 3:30 PM yesterday the installation company called to ask.... "If he was showing up in a timely fashion". I said, "Timely fashion? The guy isn't showing up AT ALL!" They said they would find out what's going on and get back to me. I'm still waiting for that call.

So..... Here I am 4 days into this, and they're nowhere near done. (They still have to grout the second bathroom, and set the new toilet). Then to frost the cake and light the candles, the guy told me that after he's done with all of the tile, they have to send out yet another guy to finish cut and re tack the carpet where it meets the tile, because he doesn't do carpet, only tile. So that will be yet another day, involving yet another guy, and still more waiting and farting around. They've managed to involve more people in this, than it takes to launch the Space Shuttle. If no one shows up by 8:00 AM this morning, I'm going to start raising hell. Christ, these people are as worthless as tits on a Bull! I will never contract with Home Depot ever again!

[Timothy]

Should have asked us first Bill!

There's a reason I've taught myself to basically do everything myself!

[billt]

Should have asked us first Bill!

There's a reason I've taught myself to basically do everything myself!

I had no intentions of doing this myself. I'm at the stage of my life where my, "do it yourself career" is quickly coming to a close. There still are some things I do myself, but no more major home improvement projects. My mistake was contracting with an outfit that I thought was reputable. They don't do anything but sublet everything out. Too many people wind up getting involved, in what is a basically simple project. I should have simply went with a kitchen and bath place. They're a dime a dozen around here. Live and learn.

Now the freaky part. I just got off the phone with the installer. And they told me it is very unusual for this guy to just not show up and not call. And they have been trying to contact him since yesterday with no success. I hope the guy isn't dead.   

[Timothy]

Yea, I get that...  You're retired, have better things to do.

I learned shortly after Home Depot became a monster that it's better to have a dedicated roofer, carpet installer, anything contractor do the work.  Sears was my learning curve when I was out of town for months and needed to finish a bathroom and kitchen floor.  They contracted some fly by night installer and he pooched the job so badly I had to drag the Sears guy to the house, get my money back and do it myself. 

Basically had to rip both floors to the floor joists and redo everything.  Thus began my never ending learning curve.  That was 1992...

Since, I'm content to rent and just call the owner.....

[billt]

The other thing that really bothered me was I had to pay for everything up front. Something you should never do. However, being Home Depot I figured they're not going to dodge me like a fly by night outfit can do so easily.

Anyway, the installer just called me and said they'll have a guy out shortly, and promised it would be done by today, or the latest tomorrow. We'll see.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

the other side of that is I have known a few HD contractors that have been totally fucked over by them.


no way in hell I would ever do it.

[billt]

The general manager of the installing outfit was just here to see exactly what's left to be done. He told me he'll have someone out here by this afternoon to finish up. We'll see. So far a lot of talk, but no action. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, because he told me they're still trying to contact the guy, and have had no luck. He seemed really worried about the guy.

[tombogan03884]

Never deal with contractors with out getting several local references.
Always ask friends and neighbors who they use first.

[TAB]

Never deal with contractors with out getting several local references.
Always ask friends and neighbors who they use first.

   I never even printed biz cards lol.   Did almost 30 mill in gross sales over 12 years.

[Timothy]

Twenty years back I had a section of roof collapse under a snow load.  Bad remodel job by previous owner.  I was out of town at the time so I had the wife call four or five general contractors to get a bid to rework the structure, install some windows and get it back to sound.

Of the five, not one called back.  Job was too small for them, probably under 5K.

Talking to my boss one day, he gave me the name of a contractor who I called and he agreed to meet me the next day so I flew back from Chicago that night.  He showed up, took a look at the problems, calculated a list of materials for me to pick up at the local lumber yard including a few new windows.  The next day he and I rebuilt that section of the house and he didn't miss the list of material by more than a few feet of scrap!  Amazing work, learned a lot from the guy in the 6-8 hours we worked together.  I finished the siding, trim and rock/mud finish work over the next few weeks.

Did a quick search for the guy in the yellow papers and it turns out this guy's normal build is a home of about 3-5 million bucks and thousands of square foot!  He could have told me to pound sand but he saw someone in need and answered the call!

Not all contractors are schmucks...