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Let me start by saying as a Veteran I am happy that Home Depot offered a discount to Veterans. Also, I try to purchase everything I can from stores that honor veterans by offering discounts to us for our service to the country.

That being said, the Home Depot policy is implemented differently depending on which store and even which cashier helps you in that store. Earlier this month I started having issues getting the Military discount they advertise. Every time I have gone to Home Depot this month each cashier applies it differently if offered at all. It is frustrating because it is a waste of time not knowing whether I will get the discount or not until after I shop and wait in line.

Lowes gives the same discount without all of the uncertainty. Lowes has never refused the military discount for any reason. I visited a Home Depot today and the cashier was going to allow the discount. She had to call the manager to get authorization, this is new they never did this before.

He authorized it but when I tried to use a business credit card to pay she refused the discount, said it has to be a personal credit card. I never had this problem before either, I explained to her that this would cause me to go shop at Lowes to get the 10% discount. She relayed this to the Manager and they said no, knowing they were going to lose my business. She claimed that the 10% discount is only supposed to be used to benefit the veteran and if I am using the discount as a business or contractor the discount is invalid and they won't honor it.

I explained to her that I do not own a business anymore and when I did it was a photography studio. We keep the business card for the interest rate and benefits are better than a personal card. Nothing I said mattered, I was not getting the discount anymore. The manager would not take time to talk to me so I could get the details as to why the discount is being implemented differently than before as well as what difference it makes what card I use.

I left the Livonia Middlebelt store and drove to the Canton Ford Rd. store and asked to speak to a manager at the customer service desk. She wanted to know what I needed a manager for and when I told her she said she would handle it that we didn't need a manager. She pulled out a policy on a single sheet of paper concerning the Veteran discount.

For the first time ever I learned that the discount is only offered to active duty, retired military, and service connected disabled veterans. Sorry if you served for 4, 8, 12 years and didn't get hurt, you don't count. They had pictures of the different id cards accepted to make you eligible for the discount, and only if you carry one of these cards. I showed her my VA benefits card that states Service Connected just like the picture on the policy and told her that I have been refused several times.

She said it is dependent on whether the cashier knows about the policy and how it works. This is where the inconsistency comes from, can you say training? Really? Then I asked why a business card makes a difference.

She replied that the discount is supposed to benefit the veteran only, not his business. Really? How does this not help the veteran being the owner of the company? This policy makes no sense and it appears they are making the discount restrictive and difficult to use.

She also stated that there are veterans abusing the policy and bringing their friends and family shopping in order to get them the discount. Again, while this may not be the right thing to do, this brought the business to Home Depot instead of Lowes. Is 10% worth getting business they may not have gotten to begin with? They made money in this scenario no matter how you look at it.

They may not have even gotten this business without the veteran bringing them in for the discount. The lady at the customer service desk also stated that they have contractors that are veterans using the discount to buy supplies for their jobs. Again, how doesn't this help the veteran? If I were a contractor, which I am not, I would lower my prices 10% to pass the savings on in order to win bids on new jobs.

Either way a veteran contractor is benefitting from the 10% discount no matter how you look at it. Again this makes no sense other than to try and make it restrictive and difficult. That is when she started complaining that she does not get a discount as an employee, it is obvious there is some animosity concerning the veterans getting a discount and not employees at the store. I did not waste my breath educating this woman who obviously is not a veteran on the sacrifices our military men and women make every day in order to provide her with the life style for which she enjoys.

I am a veteran with a service connected disability, I met all of their criteria yet several times in the last month I have had several frustrating encounters which ended by my having to drive to Lowes to get a discount as advertised. For the record, I am an engineer, I work for a corporation, and everything I buy at Home Depot is for my personal use on my own house. I never had these problems prior to a month ago.

I urge all Veterans to reconsider purchasing products from Home Depot, go to Lowes where they do what they say they will do with no headaches or wasted time. I also urge you to contact any manufacturers of products at Home Depot that do not supply Lowes and let them know you will be purchasing competitorsโ€™ products carried at Lowes because you are not shopping at Home Depot anymore because of the change in corporate policy at Home Depot regarding veterans.

Monetary Loss: $1.

Location: Westland, Michigan

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Guest

Yes, 12 month deployments are a real test on a family's strength.

Yes, putting my life on the line in some foreign country whose inhabitants hate America is scary.

But, I did enjoy tax free combat pay - no taxes on my income. I enjoy the housing allowance that allowed me to pay rent, cable, and electric and still have some money to go out once or twice a month.

I still enjoy a really low premium on my insurance and super low co-pays for my health insurance.

I was college educated for free on the GI bill and after serving got a GOOD job making lots of money.

I didn't get rich, my marriage was tested regularly, and I lost friends.

I don't deserve a discount at a retailer.

I served, it was my job and I joined mainstream America. Thank you for thinking of me - but I'm doing just fine without a discount.

Guest

I guess your serving your country isn't enough. I guess you have to lose a limb. Isn't that a disgrace.

Guest

I will be going to Lowe's from now on!!!!!

Guest

Thank you to all the veterans that served our country, but please stop complaining that retail stores don't give you a discount. There are a lot of people out there that could use a discount as well but you don't see them complaining.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-914530

Chicken winer

Guest

lolz as if the rest of the country should honor you for being tricked into servicing Israel and Saudi Arabia!

Guest

Same issue at the Castle Rock, CO store v. the local Lowes store.

Just bought a "Backflow Valve Cover" for $30 and wasn't given the discount.

Went over to Lowes and got the 10% discount.

Really, not worth going 3 miles for $3.20, but its the principle.

Next time, I'll just save my time and go to Lowes.

Having said that, I have been a loyal Home Depot customer for . .

. forever!

Guest

I Shop At Store 5511 In Wilmington NC They Let Me Use My Discount Sometimes And Again They Tell Me Sorry We Cannot Give You A Discount..I Am A Vietnam Vet And I Feel This Is Very Unfair Therefore I Have Started Shopping Lowes They Never Give Me Any Problems!!!

Guest

The confusion regarding Home Depot's Military Discount Policy is aggravated by Home Depot's hiring personnel who have never served in the Armed Forces and, in most circumstances, their incompetence in comprehending the policy that they were hired to uphold. All Veterans understand the Home Depot Military Discount Policy and only those Veterans who meet the policy criteria will provide their credential and request the discount.

Those Veterans who do not have the credential will never request the discount as this is breach of Honor. But, having a Home Depot Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity hired cashier deny the Military Discount to a properly credentialed Veteran is an embarrassment to the Veteran requesting the discount to the extent of a 'spitting' in the Veteran's face.

Guest

I had this problem for the first time yesterday, the discount was applied to some of my order but not all. The cashier couldn't tell me which items didn't count or why they were excluded.

I had to go through with the purchase because I already had the whole order lined up and delivery scheduled. All in all it cost me $160 more without the discount.

Guest

Home Depot does NOT honor their military discount policy. I purchased several items today and after asking for the discount and swiping my credit card, found out that Home Depot has a large number of items that do not "qualify" for the discount.

Worse yet, you won't know until you complete your transaction. I promptly returned my items and got my money back. This is apparently a new policy and a lot of veterans are getting fooled into thinking their military service is appreciated. Lowes does not have such a horrible practice and do not pick and choose what items to discount.

I will never set foot in a Home Depot again. They DO NOT care about veterans, just their greed.

Guest

The reason you can not use a business credit card to get the 10% discount at Home Depot is because Home Depot has had numerous complaints from other contractors regarding Military receiving an unfair advantage in pricing contracting jobs. If you are competing for a job against a contractor that does not receive the 10% discount would you not agree that that is unfair?

The cashier has no control over what her computer/cash register will accept as payment. You can swipe your business card but the computer will reject it. Also the cashier has no control over what military cards are accepted. I am wondering how you survive.

Where on earth do you buy your groceries, fast food, movie tickets, vehicles, car maintenance, etc. Personally I am sick of the whining. You signed up, there is no draft in my opinion you are entitled to what the Govt.

promised you when you signed on that dotted line and nothing more. I am retired miliary...so take that to the bank.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-826647

I believe contractors also get 10% off if they register with home depot. They don't stack the discounts, so I don't understand why it would be a problem.

Guest

lol, "serving our country", you got paid, no? , its a JOB YOU chose...no? Geez.

Guest

Wow! This guy's complaint is probably longer than his entire military records! That's a lot of words just for some trivial non-incident.

Guest

I have active military friends and they think people like you who come on here and complain about a 10% discount are a total disgrace to the military. You did not join the military for a 10% retail discount. You are the most entitled group that finds it's way to this website at least once a week on Home Depot, Menards or Lowes some entitled veteran complaining about a 10% discount.

There are many other hard working Americans that get no discounts. I will list a few because you don't get it at all; doctors, police officers, fireman, and teachers.

As far as the whole contractor/business card goes WOAH ARE YOU CLUELESS. Business credit cards can have more than one person on that account the actual owners may not be a veteran, however, you are giving him/her a great advantage a 10% DISCOUNT WOOOWHOO. It's totally unethical to try and charge it on a business card even more unethical that you still have it yet you don't have a business. That is considered a FREUD and your bank could take actions against you and your credit.

Menards(if you don't know them look them up) used to offer a 10% veterans discount but stopped because they realized how unfair it was to other hard working Americans.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-760755

Someone from WD.C. types freud instead of fraud. Oh, the irony

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-760761

My spell checker didn't catch that or switched it to that. If you don't have a spell checker on your web browser then you fail at the internet.

Take a minute and think, I know it's hard but give it a try.

Ever had a spell checker change a word to something you did not want it to be while you were typing quickly? I'm around 100 words per minute a typo will happen every now and then.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-760755

They are a total disgrace to the military. Most people I know are proud to serve their country.

They don't do it to get discounts in stores. If they do it's fine, but they don't throw a fit if they don't get one.foc

Guest

1. Home depot does not list the policy on the web site.

2. they do not list it in the store.

3. employees are unaware, untrained, or spiteful.

If the rules regarding usage are not available to the person trying to use it how does he know he is breaking the rules? If the employees do not know the policy and apply it improperly how is that the customers fault. This is a serious customer issue that causes an inconvenience to a customer. Regardless of a discount the customer should never have to have issues caused by poor implementation / training. A discount is not a gift as someone said. It is a marketing strategy used for more than just veterans. The store may offer a discount but that does not make the user beholden to the store, the store is making a profit from that customer. It is a mutual exchange. Give us your business and we will give you a discount when you come here.

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