I am down to one home improvement store

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
I needed 12 more sheets of Advantech subfloor to finish my last room before my hardwood arrives next week. I went to Lowes on Capital Blvd, their price was 51.98 according to the rack label and verified by a ProDesk employee. But they were out so they checked with other stores and told me to go to the Wake Forest store as they had 35 in stock. There was no price label on the rack in WF, I loaded 12 sheets and was rather surprised when they rang up over $14 higher. They would not price match their other store so I had to pay an extra $180. I went back to the Capital store to verify what I had seen and to vent a bit. They would not help.
I just closed my Lowes personal account and will never use the corporate account again - HD from here on out
 

Bas

Recovering tool addict
Bas
Corporate Member
Wow. That's substantial difference. I'd have returned the items to the Lowe's on Capital for the higher amount, then rebought them at the lower price. And make them do all the loading unloading. Unbelievable.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Wow. That's substantial difference. I'd have returned the items to the Lowe's on Capital for the higher amount, then rebought them at the lower price. And make them do all the loading unloading. Unbelievable.
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Reactions: Oka

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Price depends on what they paid for coming off the truck. A day different, a store different, may be different. BUT, if it is ADVERTISED at the lower price, they have to give it to you.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
I feel your pain man - living in Sanford, Lowe's is "local", where the closes HD is in Apex - I pass it daily on my back-forth to my main office in RTP, but for weekend work, Lowe's is significantly closer.

All of that said - absolute crap-show in there. I closed my personal and commercial accounts there last year - just have to plan a little further ahead, and stock-pile a bit for the unexpected. They aren't going to feel the loss of my revenue of course, but it's worth my sanity. Always left there grumpy, ha.
 

smallboat

smallboat
Corporate Member
Something about blue box stores. If you think their retail practices are bad try dealing with corporate.
 

cobraguy

Clay
Corporate Member
I second Heath's disdain for the Blue Pit of Despair in Sanford. The management and help there are pitiful. I am about half way between Lowes in Pittsboro and HD in Fuquay. They are each about 5-10 min further than the Sanford Lowes, and well worth the extra few minutes. Store management can also make a huge difference. HD seems to be getting my nod more and more these days, but I also frequent many of the locally owned stores and building supply firms. Prices are often on par with, or lower than, the BORGs, and quality is mostly better.
 

Michael Mathews

Michael
Corporate Member
I've had other similar experiences at Lowe's. I haven't been to a Lowe's in years! HD has been serving me quite well all this time!
 

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
Things are crazy right now. About 3/4 quarters of our builders, are no longer giving contract prices. They work on cost plus.
 

Charlie

Charlie
Corporate Member
After ruining PC Penny after a few years as CEO, Marvin Ellison left and was hired by Lowes as President & CEO in July 2018. Lowes has been going down hill since then. I guess Lowes liked the way that he ruined JC Penny.
 

rcarmac

Board of Directors, Secretary
Robert
Staff member
Corporate Member
I hate it, but I think all these large stores are going this way, downhill, with help and customer service. I went to a big box store and found the item I wanted, on the store’s app, for cheaper then on the store self. Went to customer service to get the price adjust to match the app. They said they couldn’t do it. Before I complained, the sales person told me to purchase it online at the cheaper price and select pickup at store, then they would bring it to my truck in just a few minutes. Go figure that one.
 

tri4sale

Daniel
Corporate Member
I went to a big box store and found the item I wanted, on the store’s app, for cheaper then on the store self. Went to customer service to get the price adjust to match the app. They said they couldn’t do it. Before I complained, the sales person told me to purchase it online at the cheaper price and select pickup at store, then they would bring it to my truck in just a few minutes. Go figure that one.

This is somewhat common with large retailers, the "online" store is different than the "brick and mortar" stores and treated as separate entities, and they can't (or won't) price match instore the app prices. That's poor customer relations to do it that way. Won't name names, but I have had this issue with 4 different large national retailers (three are blue and one is orange) over the past few years.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
Wow ! So much animosity towards Lowe's.... I guess it is true in the romance of customer service and the courting of good pricing Lowe's only delivers blue balls of expectations........ ;) :p
 

mpholway

Board of Directors, Events Director
Matt
Staff member
Corporate Member
Phil, I feel your pain and am constantly frustrated with Lowes. I go to HD rather than Lowes whenever I can but down here near Pinehurst there is no other option.
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
Luckily we have a local lumber supply company in Floyd. Wills Ridge Supply is very easy to deal with and much closer than the Lowes or HD in Christiansburg. They don't carry as much other stuff as the big box stores, but have the lumber and hardware I mostly need for my DIY projects. They are struggling with the current supply problems, but aren't taking it out on the customer other than having delays in getting some things.

I know the owner personally and he is building a house and his budget has doubled for that project. It is happening everywhere to everyone.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
I have more trouble with the big orange box than the big blue one... but neither are my preferred place to visit!
I enjoy Ace Hardware, but obviously they don't have everything the big box stores have, and especially no wood, but I prefer other suppliers for that kind of product...
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
I still shop both stores. Customer service is non existent in either. Wife is always amazed that I know more about store than employees. Lowes recently redid their stores. It seems that there is no rhyme or reason for their stocking. Things that used be grouped together, are no longer together. Makes you walk over the whole store to find the other piece that you need. Today, in Lowes noticed that studs had dropped to around eight bucks., while rewire had gone up by $20+ to $183 a roll. What really gripes me is stores don't have the same inventory. Right now, I need some more peat moss. Only West Cary (17 bales,) and Pittsboro (97 bales) has it in stock in this region. So in the morning, it's off to Pittsboro.
 

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