Home Depot return policy change without notification

[Brian Henderson]

Here in Canada if you purchase with your CC you can return (without receipt) if you have your CC and they can track it down.
I'm not sure if it's good that they keep my CC information but it sure is easy for returns as I really don't need to keep a receipt.

For Lowes, I know you can do it with your Lowes card. I assume HD lets you do the same thing. I wouldn't imagine they'd have access to purchase records for any other cards.

[Judson Green]

Home Depot in my area not even sell 1/4" oak veneer ply anymore.....

Yup, ¼ and ½" oak ply are gone from my local HD. I never bought em anyways but I'm very surprised to see em not stocked.

[David Cramer]

Yes, that's definitely part of it, employee theft (I worked at a Big Box Store years ago).

As for returns, "most" stores, if they know you, aka recognize you as a frequent shopper, will return anything within reason.

I did not work in the returns, but I frequently saw contractors return boxes of parts and poor them out on the counter. No big deal. Home Depot is happy for what they bought and the time to scan those items and re-shelf them is all figured into their wages...part of their job. The returns employee would simply scan the items, ask for a receipt, and issue a store credit card if they don't provide one. The plumber or electrician didn't steal the items and 9 out of 10 times, the guy in electrical or plumbing, me, watched the contractor picking up his items in the department days earlier.

Do people steal small items and return them, of course. But after x amount of times, the manager has the right to refuse. The customer can call their district manager and/or go all the way up to corporate in Atlanta. Trust me, they have their history and can look things up. Most dishonest people don't call or ask for the district manager as they don't want to stand out, aka being remembered, because they want to continue doing what they've been doing and try to stay under the radar.

In Home Depot, they won't stop you or grab you if you walk past a register with a tool, or whatever, and haven't paid for it. They can call the police, etc...but employees can't grab you. Loss prevention has a different set of rules, but not "regular" employees. They can write your plate down, they can yell out "wait, you didn't pay for that", but they cannot physically grab you.

My point, theft is big and shrinkage is worked into the prices, regardless, they will still try to recoup what they can at the return counter with no receipt items, as unless they know you, it's possible that it was stolen. Trust me, I've seen contractors return "OLD" drills with their company names on them (in permanent marker), years of use, NO receipt, and want a full refund or 5 brand new drills. It's not hearsay, I was there. My first few weeks, I would stand there bewildered at what I was witnessing. Then, after a short few weeks, nothing phases you.

I witnessed more than one person fill up a cart of tools and go right out the front door. I could NOT touch them or impede them, believe it or not and it happens more than most realize, which unfortunately makes them tighten the screws in other places...returns

Home Depot netted, not grossed, 1.1 billion dollars in installed sales in 2006 (if my memory is correct). They are not in the business to lose money and overall, their return policy is extremely tame. Before they existed, who would let you use a power tool for 90 days or less and return it for a full refund or get a new one if there was an issue? That was unheard of, even Sears didn't do that.

As others have stated, it's not that bad, just use a credit card, get an emailed receipt, etc...use other avenues to make things easier for yourself.

David


P.s. If Mr. Smith says I won't shop there anymore, trust me, they're fine with that because Mr. Wilson still will.

IMO, the generous return policies many big box stores are offering are a form of courtesy and in no way are they obligated to do so and if I owned a retail store my policy would be - no receipt no return.
I can't say whether HD has changed their return policy but I could easily understand why they would. Walmart released last years numbers a few weeks ago and they posted (if I remember correctly) $8 Billion - with a 'B' shrinkage due to theft and fraud.
My son worked part time at the local, relatively small, CO OP hardware store while in High School when the lady working the customer service counter made up fake cash returns and was eventually charged with theft over $150.000. She was picked up by police at home while hosting a big family event.
I'm not saying that any HD employees are dishonest, but at our CO OP it was the employee causing great damage. As I am a CO OP member she also affected my bottom line.

[Bert Kemp]

Check your financial institution to see if they have card use alerts. Every time I use my debit card I get an alert email that it was used, were it was used and how much I spent.(as good as a recite) A couple years ago before I had this and the main reason for setting it up was someone stole my card info at a restaurant I ate at and racked up 1400$ worth of charges in another state. Lucky for me I was able to prove my were abouts at the time the crooks were using my card. Took 2 weeks but I got my money back, also had to get a new debit card.

yes! This works great! I usually get the email before I've left the parking lot. Gmail nicely filters them all into a Home Depot folder too

[Von Bickley]

Take stuff back? Good heavens, why?

What are my favorite things is to go fix something in the house and find that I have the tools and the parts I need on hand. Of course this means a two-minute repair and no trip to the hardware store but it still feels good.

I'm with you Tom. I seldom take anything back, and I don't buy small plastic bags of screws, I buy a box. I will buy extra screws, nails, pvc fittings, pipe fitting and clamps. If I need something, I can usually find it in the shop. Once you buy them, they are paid for and they don't eat or cost you in the future. I will buy extra boxes of screws in different sizes because one day I might need them.

[Brian Henderson]

In Home Depot, they won't stop you or grab you if you walk past a register with a tool, or whatever, and haven't paid for it. They can call the police, etc...but employees can't grab you. Loss prevention has a different set of rules, but not "regular" employees. They can write your plate down, they can yell out "wait, you didn't pay for that", but they cannot physically grab you.

Just as an FYI, loss prevention can't do anything legally either. Those people are not law enforcement officials, they have no legal power to do anything. They can ask you to accompany them, they cannot lay hands on anyone and drag them away, that is a crime and they can be prosecuted for it. They can issue a citizen's arrest, but that carries zero legal weight, it depends on the "arrestee" agreeing to go along with it. They can just walk away and there's nothing the "arrestor" can do about it. They can follow the person, they can write down license plates, they simply cannot touch the individual or that qualifies as assault. The only reason they have loss prevention people in most big stores is because those people have been trained what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do. That way, stores don't get sued when some overzealous employee decides to throw someone to the ground because they think they're stealing something. It's happened and the stores always lose.

[Prashun Patel]

Thanks for this. Good to know. Next time I shop lift, I'll ride my bicycle.

[Chris Padilla]

I'd steal the bike, too, Prashun.

[Bob Falk]

If you don't have a reciept with a return at Menards, they only give you the last sale price back on the item. I've never had a problem with returns at Home Depot, but I carry a HD commercial credit card (they also give 5% off every purchase)

[John Huds0n]

Just as an FYI, loss prevention can't do anything legally either. Those people are not law enforcement officials, they have no legal power to do anything. They can ask you to accompany them, they cannot lay hands on anyone and drag them away, that is a crime and they can be prosecuted for it. They can issue a citizen's arrest, but that carries zero legal weight, it depends on the "arrestee" agreeing to go along with it. They can just walk away and there's nothing the "arrestor" can do about it. They can follow the person, they can write down license plates, they simply cannot touch the individual or that qualifies as assault. The only reason they have loss prevention people in most big stores is because those people have been trained what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do. That way, stores don't get sued when some overzealous employee decides to throw someone to the ground because they think they're stealing something. It's happened and the stores always lose.

I don't know where you are from, but in California someone trying to make a citizen's arrest can use 'reasonable force' to keep a person in custody until the Police arrive. Citizen Arrests are primarily used in misdemeanor type cases where a Police Officer did not witness the crime - think petty theft or drunk driving. There is no difference between a citizens arrest for a misdemeanor or a Police Officer making the arrest - the crime is the same. In a lot of these 'shoplifting' cases were the suspect is being detained by store security when the Police Officer gets there and starts investigating - they find that the person entered the store with the intent to commit a crime, which then becomes burglary (which is a Felony) and an Officer can arrest for a Felony not committed in their presence, so the citizen's arrest is no longer needed

"Store Policy" may prevent an employee from physically contacting someone, but the law doesn't

[Brian Elfert]

I just returned an item without receipt at Home Depot last weekend and got a store credit no problem. I usually use a credit card, but my credit card only allows me to redeem my rewards for gift cards so I get Home Depot gift cards. I should do emailed receipts, but I use gift cards, but I don't.

I still remember when Home Depot would give cash refunds without receipt on anything with no limits. The returns desk was a lot busier then. People were stealing things and then returning them for cash all the time.

Home Depot, Menards, and all the rest actively encourage folks to buy extra and then return what they didn't need. They know a certain percentage will never be returned. I return everything I don't use as long as the item is unused and still salable as new. I don't want my garage to end up as a warehouse of extra parts. It costs money for that stuff too.

[Robert Engel]

So your main gripe is not the policy but they didn't tell every person in the United States they changed it?

It never crossed my mind to expect a cash refund with no receipt.
You get a store credit if you don't have a receipt and they are being generous even with that.

If you want to gripe about something, how about the scarcity of orange apron people.

[Brian Elfert]

I don't think the policy has changed in quite a while. There is some limit on no receipt returns and has been for a few years at least. I think it is three no receipt returns in 90 days. I have a Home Depot receipt in front of me and it states right on it "The Home Depot reserves the right to limit / deny returns."

Good luck shopping at Lowes. They are almost always the highest priced on just about everything. I guess you are paying more for their "hassle free" returns. I never have had any problem with returns at any of the three home improvement chains.

[Brian Elfert]

What I hate the most about returns at Home Depot/Menards are the guys who have a wallet full of receipts. They wait until they are at the counter to start looking through the stack for their receipt. Sometimes they look at 30 or 40 receipts, don't have it, and then ask for a store credit. Find your darned receipts before you get to the counter! If I have multiple returns with various receipts I will usually have my returns sorted by receipt although the registers now don't make that necessary.

[Clarence Martin]

You mean I can't buy that $7,000+ General International 20 inch helical Planer, run 10,000 BD FT of Iron Wood through it , and then return it in less than 30 days for a FULL REFUND?????

Dang!!


LOL