I needed a new waterheater to replace the one that went bad.
While this is a job that I can do myself, in view of my busy schedule, I decided to go with Home Depot to get the unit installed.
I went with a 50 gal electric heater priced at $349.00 and the installation charge quoted was $285.00. I felt that this was reasonable, considering that I needed the heater the same day and I was unable to get out of my busy schedule.
I was also told that if there are any code related improvements then I will have to pay extra.
The installer was a great guy and I have nothing to complain except for some additional items he said I needed to get into city code compliance. He said I needed the following items and they are detailed below.
1. A stand to keep the heater above the ground level. It is a galvanized 21" x 21" X 16" high stand capable of supporting the weight of the heater and the water.
I was told that it will be $195.00 plus taxes.
2. I was told I need a pan under the heater for collecting any leaky water. It is an Aluminum pan that looks like a Pizza pan, made of .032" aluminum. I was told that it would cost $90.00 plus taxes.
3. The 3rd and the last item I needed was a ball valve for water shut off, and I was told that it will cost $95.00.
These 3 additional items along with taxes were $391.00. I asked the installer why is it these trivial items are so expensive and I was told thats how much they cost. I had no choice at that time to go myself to the store and buy the 3 items for under $65.oo, becaus ethey can't wait while I am shopping. Basically I was put on a spot and had no choice and had to go with the situation I amm stuck in.
Since I am dealing with Home Depot, I said I was going to take care of it with them rather than the installer. On calling Home Depot about the exhorbitant prices for 3 items ( more than the cost of the new heater), they said they have no control over what contractors charge.
My question is: I pick Home Depot based on the fact that they select contractors based on their work integrity, service ethics, and their honesty and reasonableness of cost of services. I go with them because I feel that I won't get ripped off. In this case it was a grand day light robbery. The gal at the other end at Home Depot couldn't help resolve the robbery.
Just around the time of completion a Home Depot service manager stopped by to see if every thing went OK. I brought the above subject on the over pricing, and his answer was that these are fixed by Home Depot... (contrary to what I heard from the gal earlier who wanted to get my credit card approval for extras). He was just a good old boy nodded head and told me to see the store manager.
I found the stand, and the pan at Lowes for $34.98 and $15.98 respectively. The ball valve is no more than $15.00. So here I am being shafted $391 for 3 items that cost $65.00, and don't require any installation work.
What a rip off. It is not over. I am trying to get all the information on price of the items with a proof, and confront the store manager to explain the rip off, and if he can not resolve I will take it to corporate, and the blogs, and may be to the local TV station to let every one know.
Moral of this Experience: Never trust any body, be it the Joe Blow repair man or the corporation like Home Depot. They are all Crooks. They are all in it and work together to rip you off.
By the way, this comment above does not mean that all repair men are bad. I am only referring to those that rip off people. I know and I have dealt with some very honest ones and have recommended them to many of my friends.
FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE TO THANK HOME DEPOT FOR RESOLVING MY MATTER FAVORABLY TO MY SATISFACTION BY REFUNDING THE $ 300.00, THAT I FELT WAS AN OVER CHARGE. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFACTION DOES EXIST BUT ONLY AT HIGHER LEVELS OF THE CHAIN.
I finally put together a formal complaint to Home depot pretty much detailing what is posted here in my original complaint along with some pictures of the installation and price chart and the mark ups.
I contact their Toll free number and also a written complaint through the site link below.
Initially, the CSR offerred to refund $150. I refused to take it and mentioned that unless I was refunded $300, which I felt as the over charge on the parts, I don't need the money and they can keep it.
After a couple of days, they agreed to refund $300 but only in the form of a gift card thus forcing you to spend the money at their store. I received the card last week along with a note that said "At Home Depot we take Customer satisfaction seriously and would like to continue for you to shop at HD etc...etc.
getting the refund was not easy... I had to spend considerable time to write a detailed letter and pursue it. Being a big corporation they did respond favorably.
The big question is whether they are going to take my recommendations and implement it. For every one like me there are probably another 100 that think of it as a bad experience and give up their claim. This is where they make their money.
We as consumers need to fight back and keep these kind of practices in check. No body is going to fight for you.
Finally a lesson learned from this is: Always have some one come look at the job site and give a quote free of charge with no obligations and if they won't some one else is waiting to do the same.
Thanks to all those who sympathized with my plight.
FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE TO THANK HOME DEPOT FOR RESOLVING MY MATTER FAVORABLY TO MY SATISFACTION BY REFUNDING THE $ 300.00, THAT I FELT WAS AN OVER CHARGE. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFACTION DOES EXIST BUT ONLY AT HIGHER LEVELS OF THE CHAIN.
I finally put together a formal complaint to Home depot pretty much detailing what is posted here in my original complaint along with some pictures of the installation and price chart and the mark ups.
I contact their Toll free number and also a written complaint through the site link below.
Initially, the CSR offerred to refund $150. I refused to take it and mentioned that unless I was refunded $300, which I felt as the over charge on the parts, I don't need the money and they can keep it.
After a couple of days, they agreed to refund $300 but only in the form of a gift card thus forcing you to spend the money at their store. I received the card last week along with a note that said "At Home Depot we take Customer satisfaction seriously and would like to continue for you to shop at HD etc...etc.
getting the refund was not easy... I had to spend considerable time to write a detailed letter and pursue it. Being a big corporation they did respond favorably.
The big question is whether they are going to take my recommendations and implement it. For every one like me there are probably another 100 that think of it as a bad experience and give up their claim. This is where they make their money.
We as consumers need to fight back and keep these kind of practices in check. No body is going to fight for you.
Finally a lesson learned from this is: Always have some one come look at the job site and give a quote free of charge with no obligations and if they won't some one else is waiting to do the same.
Thanks to all those who sympathized with my plight.
I used to handle water heater sales for Sears.And one of the things you had to do when selling a customer an installed water heater was ask the customer a list of questions before ringing them up.Things like:
1) Is your water heater on a 20 or 30 amp circut?.A water heater with a 30 Amp heating element won't work right on a 20 Amp circut.
2)We had to ask was the water heater elevated or on a stand?
3)Was there a pan underneath?
4)Is current heater using a plug or hardwired?
5)Is there an available drain in the room?
6)Is this in an apartment or condo?
Point being is that the contractor got the answers to this checklist and would call the customer to clarify and/or call us back since Sears had standard fees for things like an electrical upgrade or placing a new pan or stand.They even had a condo fee.
We were also given a list of permit fees for the municipality where you lived.
Unless it was an highly unusual hook-up the fees were standard and available to tell the customer of any additional charges.
On one hand I am surprised at Home Depot on the other hand I heard contractors say Sears was better about collecting fees and information.
I would try to get a fee schedule from Home Depot on those upgrades.If they can't give you one that means you are probably dealing with the contractor.
i believe you! I bought a dishwasher once and paid 99.00 to have it delivered and installed. Once the deliver/installer came, he took a glance at the old one and said I'd need this and that to replace this new one and wanted 249.00!!!! Since the dishwasher didnt even cost 300.00 i figured...GET OUTA MY HOUSE! I called a nieghbor over (and homedepot manager who refunded my 99.00 thankfully)...and the neighbor had it installed in 10 minutes and all he wanted was a 6 pack of beer and a sandwich
Most installers are NOT hired by homedepot as employees rather they are contract workers. If they ever want more money call the manager immediatly. You can always tell them "this is not what i signed up for, return the item" Then go to lowes or hire a handy man.
The charges that were quoted to you where probably by delta mechanical which is most likely the install company. My personal oppinion is that the installer ripped you off. Did you pay him extra or did you give the money to the home depot. If you gave it to him or his co. they ripped you off. Home depot associates do not know the code nor is there any way possible they could know what your home and your specific install is going to need to get you up to code. Most installs are a straight switch and nothing is needed to get you to code so there is no hidden charges... they are unforseen conditions
I'm curious,did you ever get a chance to check the in-store customer take with price of the stand,pan and valve at Home Depot?
It's sound like the store at any level is a waste at this point.I'd go to their corporate headquarters.Then go to like the better business bureau then go to the media (printed or broadcast).
yes. They did run a plastic pipe from the pan to the floor. The installer said, " if you don't like it, and its in your way, you can remove it but be sure its there when the city inspector comes to check it".
I am sure HD toll free order line, knows what is needed in the name of "CODE", but don't want to disclose it at the time of order because any one in their right mind will cancel the order. They wait till the time of plumber's arrival and deliver the dose knowing your situation and capitalize on it.
By the way I spoke to the store manager about the excessive charges for 3 parts, and his answer after a long discussion was, we at HD can not do any thing \... you need to call the order desk and resolve it. Why the *** does HD advertise the services in their store. It is their way of avoiding the angry customer.
This sure sounds like price gouging if nothing else.You're right,they now have you in a bind in which case most will do nothing..It still sounds to me that they are in some way trying to build in what they think their cost is.
It sounds like the water heater itself was covered but if they have a call center handling the order why not program the computers they are using to determine codes by zip code.They still should be mentioning the most common code issues as to prepare the contractor and you for anything unexpected.
You might have a case in that the code costs were never given to you in detail.
First I visit HD, and they gal at the counter says $285 installation charge for the 50 gal heater I planned to buy.
She also said that it will have to be ordered through the HD toll free # or on line. The standard practice was that when you order over the phone some one will visit first and give a quote and then you order.
I call the HD toll free #, and we go over every little detail to the size, capacity and height of current heater to the new one. I made sure that I select one that is roughly same in form size and capacity.
I was asked where the heater is, access to heater etc etc. and was told that $285 for the install.
Yes, I was told that there may be code compliance extras as needed.
At this point I asked is some one coming in to first see the site and then verify an final quote. At this point the order desk clerk said ... No, we have all the info we need and we can send an installer to schedule the work. So I paid for the cost of heater + the 285 install cost +$99 for an extended warranty.
When the installer comes, later that a/noon, he unloads the new heater, starts working on the job and tells this is going to cost approx $400 more to bring into compliance.
The compliance involved 3 items the stand, the pan and the ball valve.
As I menmtionecd before these are off the shelf items and 2 of them don't have any install labor. The third item the valve has to be there any way and they could not use the old one.
I am unhappy with the way the 3 items were marked upo @ 550%.
TR,still unsure-did someone verbally go over possible code upgrades and costs?Example did someone ask did you have a stand and if you said no or unsure they should've said if we do it the charge will be 195$.
Did they even ask how many amps the water heater circut is?If it's too low a different tank with higher amp requirements might not heat as much water.
Curiosity,did you check the in-store price at Home Depot for these items.If they match the plumber's quote Home Depot is probably pricing those parts assuming most sales will be installed and are using the mark-up to defry the cost of labor.If the in store price is lower I'd bet the contractor or HD is marking up to cover labor or simply boost profit.
When stuff is sub contracted some times neither party will make that much and will want to boost revenue somewhere.Gotta remember that 285$ basic labor charge has to be split 2 ways so someone is going to comeout on the short end and will try to make it up.It's not right and a sneaky way of keeping the basic charges down but it goes on.
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