# Just downright stupid



## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

I was in HD yesterday looking at Ridgid planers. The TP1300 and the 4330. They had about 5 of the 4330's and one display model 1300 that was totally beat up. The brushes were gone, the top was dented, the power cord was mangled, there was no box or manual, it had a heavy coating of dust on it, and in general, it looked like it needed help. So, I asked the guy what he'd sell it to me for. He called the manager and the manager said they can't sell it to me at any price because if I get hurt, they are liable. So, I asked the obvious question "If you can't sell it to me, you can't sell it to anybody. So, what will you do with it?" He said they would probably dispose of it. WHAT???? Yes, I heard right. They have to throw it away. Can you believe it? So I said "Tell you what. You throw it away and I'll dig it out of the dumpster. That way you can say I stole it and you won't be liable." He said he can't do that either because they are liable for their trash too. Sheessh. I just couldn't win with that place. What has this world come to?


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## Geoguy (Feb 22, 2008)

It's a shame but the country is "lawsuit happy". Someone could try to sue you posting that you were contemplating theft from a dumpster.:smile:


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## sweensdv (Mar 3, 2008)

Why are you blaming HD? They did nothing but cover their assets.


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

> Why are you blaming HD? They did nothing but cover their assets.


You're right Dave. I shouldn't blame HD. It's lawsuits. My wife's company has a Christmas party (oops, I mean Holiday party) every year. It's done up really nice where they have a chef slicing roast beef and ham and turkey at the front. They always have tons of leftovers. We had a friend whose house had burned down just before the party and they had nothing. So, we asked for the leftovers so we could take them to the family. "Sorry, we're not allowed to do anything with these except throw them away." What a shame. All because of lawsuits. Somebody at one time probably had taken leftovers home, left them in the fridge for 3 weeks, then ate them, got sick and sued. Now it's ruined for everyone. Such a shame. Then our taxes will go up to "feed the hungry". Sheesh. Don't get me started ! :furious:


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

You don't even know the 1/2 of it........... I work for HD part time.. The're getting better..... but have a LONG way to go.............


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## John in Tennessee (Jun 11, 2008)

OK..Here is how I handled the same situation. I took a $50 bill folded it up and shook his hand. Somehow I got a *obscene*​ phone call *concerning*​ a */X*)_+ dumpster.. I put a bunch of empty taped up boxes and the item they trashed it the boxes made it bounce out and land in my truck.


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## FXST01 (Jun 14, 2008)

Why don't you see if they are agreeable to a signed disclaimer, that you won't sue them if you get into strife with the machine.


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## user4178 (Apr 18, 2008)

If the people at Home Cheapo had a brain in their heads they would send it back to be refurbished, then sell it at a refurbished price.


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## USAFVET98 (Jun 30, 2008)

*Home depot*

I agree with that. They should send it out and sell it refurbished. Even harbor freight does it. Grizzly has a scratch and dent section. You know what else bothers me about them, they dont give us Veterans our 10% discount anymore. Ugggh! Lowes does it, but home depot stopped. When I ask why, they say they dont know. I am switching to lowes because I need the discount. :thumbsup:


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

Hell, they don't even give EMPLOYEES a discount.....................


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## goingenoan (May 24, 2008)

Interesting stuff. I once knew a guy that worked in HD's tool rental and he came home with a lot of cool stuff! 
Here is something that has nagged at me for a long time: Whenever I buy a lighting fixture or some other item (from a box store)that usually requires some assembly when you get home there is a sheet of paper included that begs the purchaser to call a 1-800 number for service and please don't return it to the store. I figure the box store probably throws it away and tells the manufacturer it is defective and gets credit for the item. Maybe I am wrong:blink:


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## johnjf0622 (Feb 8, 2008)

I worked for a company that did the rewire for the voice and data line in Home Repos. And you hit it right on the head Goingenoan. That is just what they do they have a pile of stuff they put green stickers on and when the vendor rep comes in they credit them for the damaged, used once by the customer and returned, or stuff like the planner and then they chuck them in the dumpster. I saw a special order oak front door that was in the dock of one depot and asked them what they were doing with it. And offered to pay them what they would get for the credit plus a little more and they still wouldn't do it. But they wouldn't hesitate to take back conduit and such that was left over from the site work that my employer paid for already and wouldn't credit it back to them. TS3660 said it all when he said DOWNRIGHT STUPID.


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## joesdad (Nov 1, 2007)

I used to love HD before they got wise to "_things_".


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## johnjf0622 (Feb 8, 2008)

Is WISE really a word you want to in the same sentence as HD?


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## Shamus (Aug 22, 2008)

I worked for a manufacturer years ago. They produced product and sold to all the major mass merchandisers like HD and Lowes. You are correct, it's the lawsuits that stopped it.

Companies will no longer credit the store with returned goods they way they once did, either. They tell them to have the customer call the Manufacturer to assist in repairs, and very grudingly a replacement for that "new" item you just bought. Everyone is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the cost of goods to include having it made off-shore. It's tuff to find anything today that is made the way things once were.

The cost of getting older I guess.

Richard


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

I worked for HD for a while before moving south. You would be surprised as to what gets sent to the dumpster. You need to work at the landfill where it gets emptied. They get all the goodies! Red


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## Barry Ward (Mar 22, 2008)

*Tools reviews*

If this was said and I missed it ,sorry.I agree you can't blame the store,but in some of the stores they don't throw it in the dumpster,but they have to return it to the manufactor to get a credit for it.My question is why do they even have it setting out there in the first place ???


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## Howard Ferstler (Sep 27, 2007)

TS3660 said:


> I was in HD yesterday looking at Ridgid planers. The TP1300 and the 4330. They had about 5 of the 4330's and one display model 1300 that was totally beat up. The brushes were gone, the top was dented, the power cord was mangled, there was no box or manual, it had a heavy coating of dust on it, and in general, it looked like it needed help. So, I asked the guy what he'd sell it to me for. He called the manager and the manager said they can't sell it to me at any price because if I get hurt, they are liable. So, I asked the obvious question "If you can't sell it to me, you can't sell it to anybody. So, what will you do with it?" He said they would probably dispose of it. WHAT???? Yes, I heard right. They have to throw it away. Can you believe it? So I said "Tell you what. You throw it away and I'll dig it out of the dumpster. That way you can say I stole it and you won't be liable." He said he can't do that either because they are liable for their trash too. Sheessh. I just couldn't win with that place. What has this world come to?


I guess it varies from store to store. When Ryobi was closing out their nifty OSS500 oscillating spindle sander last year (normally a $100 bucks) the store had one floor model left. The cast-iron top was scratched a bit and the lockdown nut and washer were gone, and of course it was dusty as hell, but the unit was otherwise OK, with even the multiple inserts and rubber sleeves still attached. 

I asked the department manager about the thing and he said I could have it for $67 bucks. I took it home, and it has served nicely ever since in the sanding section of my shop.

Of course, a spindle sander is less likely to fly to pieces and throw parts all over a shop than a thickness planer. The manager knew his lawsuit law, I guess.

Howard Ferstler


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## dokuhaku (Sep 15, 2008)

*Shears, Throwbuck & Co.*

In high school, 20 years back, I worked at Sears. At one point I was assigned to the hardware department's stockroom. When 'defective' power tools were returned it was my job to render them inoperable by whatever means I deemed fit before chucking them in the bin. Mostly, I would bash the hell out of them with the gold-painted, long-handeled sledgehammer we had dubbed 'Crusher'. Looking back, if I had wanted to seek out a business arrangement with area woodworkers, I suppose I could have arranged to throw the tools away, undamaged, at a pre-determined hour in marked boxes. At the time, however, I rather enjoyed getting payed to smash expensive machinery.
The policy that DID strike me as was the destruction of returned workboots before tossing them in the trash. The dumpster-diving hoboes must have been disgusted by such wanton wastefulness.


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## RJSmith (Aug 30, 2008)

USAFVET98 said:


> I agree with that. They should send it out and sell it refurbished. Even harbor freight does it. Grizzly has a scratch and dent section. You know what else bothers me about them, they dont give us Veterans our 10% discount anymore. Ugggh! Lowes does it, but home depot stopped. When I ask why, they say they dont know. I am switching to lowes because I need the discount. :thumbsup:


Lowes gives a 10% discount to Vets????????


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## RJSmith (Aug 30, 2008)

USAFVET98 said:


> I agree with that. They should send it out and sell it refurbished. Even harbor freight does it. Grizzly has a scratch and dent section. You know what else bothers me about them, they dont give us Veterans our 10% discount anymore. Ugggh! Lowes does it, but home depot stopped. When I ask why, they say they dont know. I am switching to lowes because I need the discount. :thumbsup:


Lowes gives a 10% discount to Vets???????? how do we go about getting this discount?????


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## allthunbs (May 14, 2008)

Manufacture of goods has become such an exact science now that the demise of your favourite tool is now timed almost to the minute. Not only is it impossible to get it repaired, they just don't import parts. Transportation and handling is just too expensive. What I find maddening is Makita has parts available for all kinds of old products but goods made in North America have no parts available. 

I have a Ridgid table saw guaranteed for life. I'm interested in seeing what will happen when I have a warranty claim.

Another thing I find difficult to accept is that manufacture is moved out of Canada into the Pacific Rim when it is far less expensive to produce goods here than it is to produce it in China and India. Shareholders benefit little because markup shrinks along with their dividends, employees lose their jobs, the raw material supply chain shrinks and on and on and on. The only people that benefit are the corporate executives who gain huge bonuses for increasing market share at everyone else's expense.

Allthunbs


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## jistincase (Apr 10, 2008)

I worked for a DeWalt service center once and innocently asked one time if something that they were going to throw away could be had by me. That was a big No No for sure. When they throw things away they smash them and them put a lock on the dumpster.


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## nblumert (Oct 15, 2008)

dokuhaku said:


> In high school, 20 years back, I worked at Sears. At one point I was assigned to the hardware department's stockroom. When 'defective' power tools were returned it was my job to render them inoperable by whatever means I deemed fit before chucking them in the bin. Mostly, I would bash the hell out of them with the gold-painted, long-handeled sledgehammer we had dubbed 'Crusher'. Looking back, if I had wanted to seek out a business arrangement with area woodworkers, I suppose I could have arranged to throw the tools away, undamaged, at a pre-determined hour in marked boxes. At the time, however, I rather enjoyed getting payed to smash expensive machinery.
> The policy that DID strike me as was the destruction of returned workboots before tossing them in the trash. The dumpster-diving hoboes must have been disgusted by such wanton wastefulness.


I currently work at sears in the appliance department. I just had the opportunity last week to take a big sledge hammer to some appliances that wouldn't sell. They had marked the prices down, but not enough where someone would want to buy a used or damaged floor model. First, everything was spray painted with a big black "X" on it, and then the fun came with the sledge hammer. I added up the retail value of all the items and it came to a stagering $15,000 All of the junk items were then taken to the landfill. It doesn't really make sense why they wouldn't lower the price to even get $100 for an item. That would seem like the more logical thing to do than junk the stuff.


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## Knucklebuster (Nov 17, 2008)

I worked for Sears 20-30 years ago. They trashed lots of tools, clothes, you name it because with "satisfaction garranteed or your money back", you could return anything and get a refund. 

If you bought a damaged tool for 1/2 price at one store, you could return it at another store for full price. Sounds unlikley, but things like that happened all the time. 

People would come in with lifetime tools that they picked up at garage sales and get new/full price refunds. From time to time Sears has a set of pliers, sockets, wrenches or whatever in a set at a very good price. Don't know about now, but those specials were called "class one" sale items. So some people would buy the set, then return each piece one at a time for full price. 

Used to really PMO (make me mad) when the sales person told the "customer" no, then the customer wants to see "your boss" So I'd tell them no, get your boss, he'd tell then no, and so on up the line all the way to the store manager, who always said "Write the refund".

Left Sears 20+ years ago and thinking about these "war stories" still gets me worked up.

OK, back to the present. I'm not defending stores policy, or maybe I am, I don't know. Just a fact of life that a few dead beats can screw things up for the the rest of us.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Knucklebustger, I can understand what you are saying.

I have been in Sears stores and have seen people return what are obviously mistreated tools. These cheats are doing harm to all of us. Their cheating raises the cost of tools for all of us. I wish that just once I had of heard a clerk say they could not accept the return.

George


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## LarrySch (Dec 31, 2007)

> It doesn't really make sense why they wouldn't lower the price to even get $100 for an item. That would seem like the more logical thing to do than junk the stuff.


 I think the answer to this question is pretty simple. If Sears or any other dealer of goods would take this policy up - the sales on regular items would go down - people would just wait for the opportunity for items of this nature to come up for sale. The whole out look for retail business is to make "money". I am sure when something is destroyed - it goes on the "lost" column" for a tax deduction. Many years ago - I had the pleasure of destroying hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of government property. Talk about waste - but then again - if they had given it away or donated it - who would of received the property - and who would of complain about not getting anything or not enough ?


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

This started as a thread about HD? 
Well, let me tell you something. The HD here is located
in a high end part of town, actually they share the park-
ing lot with a high end restaurant. 
And their prices reflect their location. As well as the class
of things they carry.

They only have the upper grades of everything. They have
almost no lumber, but every high end toilet seat they
make and $1000 faucets for the kitchen sink. It is
pointless for the average person to go in the place.

Lowes always has a table or two of returned or display
stuff, and most of the time it is a real bargain. I got a
B&D palm sander for $10 and a tradesman 3 1/2"
Hand power planer for $15. I also buy laminate floor-
ing off the bargain table for table tops and desk tops.

Lowes here shares the parking lot with McD's!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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