*** June 4, 2012 Update –
I received a cryptic email from “The Retail Equation” telling me that if I wanted a copy of my return activity report to call a phone number. This was in response to an email that I sent them threatening legal action.
I called their number and talked to a rep. She wanted the last 4 digits of my drivers license number.
I asked her how she would have my drivers license information since I have not filled out any credit applications with their firm, nor did I authorize any company to give it to them. She told me that when I gave a merchant my drivers license number that the merchant gave it to them. Very interesting.
I played along. It turns out they have me down for 3 return items in 6 months, including 2 defective items. So they blacklisted me from being able to make returns at stores that use their service.
I requested to speak to a manager and was told that there was no one to talk to.
I am now contemplating a class action lawsuit, or an individual lawsuit. I will write a follow-up article very soon.
If you have been a victim of Home Depot or “The Retain Equation” I would like to hear from you, I need plaintiffs for a class-action lawsuit.
*** June 3, 2012 Update –
I reported Home Depot to the Better Business Bureau.
I also called Home Depot’s Corporate Office and spoke to a lady named Evon who opened ticket # 513849.
She told me that There is absolutely nothing Home Depot can do to resolve the problem. I asked to speak to her manager, she told me that there was nothing he could do either. She stated that “The Retail Equation” was entirely responsible for the situation. Moral to the story, DO NOT SHOP AT HOME DEPOT. IF THEY WILL DO THIS TO AN ATTORNEY WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WILL DO TO YOU?
I sent an email to “The Retail Equation” requesting to get their side of the story before I take any further action.
Read about what happened to me below.
I am an Attorney at Law. I have been shopping in stores for over 35 years. God only knows how much money I have spent shopping.
I have spent probably tens of thousands of dollars in Home Depot over the years.
I had a little project I wanted to do over the weekend, so on Friday evening I went in to Home Depot and spent a few hundred dollars on parts.
I started my project yesterday and discovered that one of the parts was the wrong part.
I brought the part, placed in its packing, one day after purchase, back to Home Depot along with the receipt. They asked me for my ID which I thought was kind of odd.
To make a long story short, they told me that my return was rejected and they gave me a receipt type printout that has an 866 number on it to call.
Further, the printout says that I will not be able to return any items at Home Depot for the next 90 days, and that after 90 days it will be re-evaluated.
Of course, I called the number and they are only open Monday – Friday, etc.
It appears to be a 3rd party company that Home Depot is using called “The Retail Equation,” that was responsible for Home Depot not allowing me to do a valid return. I found their website at http://www.theretailequation.com/ .
Apparently retailers are now hiring this company to determine whether they will allow returns to be made at the retailer.
I have never heard of such a service or thing.
I suspect they have me on some kind of list. I know they have made a mistake, or there might be identity theft going on.
Whatever it is, can you imagine if I made a several thousand dollar purchase and this happened?
Who wants to shop at a store that may not allow you to return anything for any reason?
I asked to speak to the manager, he refused to do anything. Basically Home Depot ruined my weekend project and I may be out a hundred dollars because they are refusing to allow me to return an unopened, undamaged product which I have the receipt for, the next day.
The blatant refusal of Home Depot to return something a day later with a receipt at least to me is unheard of.
I am warning all of you here and now, not to shop at Home Depot because based upon my experience, you may get stuck not being able to return something that may be defective, or something that may be the wrong size, the wrong type, etc.
You too could get stuck holding the bag for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Unless this is made right, I will take my money to Lowes and to other stores. I will never set foot in Home Depot again.
Home Depot and the Retail Equation just pissed off the wrong attorney. I am going to first start off by warning all consumers not to shop and Home Depot because they may not be able to do a return.
I will then take any and all appropriate legal action against anyone involved in this fiasco so that ordinary consumers do not have to go through what I went through.
You have been warned about Home Depot.
By California Consumer and Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., June 3, 2011
Welcome, my name is 
i have to agree with you i hate home depot .i havent had that problem but sounds just like what they would do.they just gave me bad service so now i go to lowes
Just have someone else return your stuff for you. Tell your buddy what’s going on and find someone who isn’t black listed or hasn’t used there ID. But I agree it’s bullshit. There not giving cash away it’s Store Credit so there buying the merchandise back from u and selling it for what they bought it from u for. Where’s the loss?
I think you should post this on their Facebook page
This is how Home Depot treat their customers? I am officially turned off. Thanks for the heads up.
Very interesting, especially since its the Home Depot employees that suggest you buy more than you think you will need and just return what’s left over. Ditto for when you are not sure which part or size you need, they recommend taking both or all and returning what doesn’t fit.
I am sure there is some abuse going on with returns but if big companies are going to just outsource this stuff to nameless faceless companies, its a bad sign for the future of customer relations. It would be totally understandable if they employed such a company to “assist” the manager, just raise a flag, and then let the manager make an informed decision on the spot. I’ve seen that happen, where the clerk will call his\her supervisor and who will authorize the return unless they see something amiss or someone trying to abuse the system.
This “retailequation” outfit may have created a monster for themselves and their clients.
In addition to FTC protection, most states have consumer protection statutes or regulations indicating that merchants must comply with state mandated return policies, such as 30 days for an unused item with proper packaging and receipt. Without a receipt, they must often give a store credit if it’s unopened or used but not misused. If it’s defective, the product’s warranty gives further protection to shoppers.
Where a state doesn’t have a specific mandated time/condition return period, they usually require the merchant to prominently post their policy, which can be reported to the attorney general or other official agency if a consumer deems it unreasonable.
“retailequation” should have significant liability coverage because it it challenging the fact that state and federal governments control issues that can harm consumers. If I were a merchant who relied on their advice or service and was prosecuted for doing so, I would immediately file suit against them.
Cheers!
Thanks for the info Pat. I am looking for class action plaintiffs now!
Norm
That’s terrible. I’ve always been a fan of Lowes though. Every time I go to home depot it seems impossible to find anyone who can point me to the right place for the product I’m after.
Their customer service is a total mess. Good for me that I don’t shop to that store. I appreciate the warning though!
I also tried to return items not opened (wrong size) and they refused told me to call number on receipt. I called the beyond ignorant and rude man at number on receipt. I got no answers whatsoever. I will NEVER shop at Home Depot again…hello Lowes!! Please include me in any and all class action lawsuits regarding my experience with Home Depot.
I just encountered this situation at HomeDepot. I went to return $570.00 worth of tile and was given a slip with a # to call, the woman at the other end told me to wait 30 days and bring it back! The same day i bought a drain for my bath tub. Well the drain didn’t fit so the next day i took it back to exchange it and was given a slip with the same # on it and told to call it. The woman has not called back, the store manager’s manager was supposed to call, he hasn’t so now i’am stuck with $600.00 worthy of tile and $63.00 worth of a drain that i can’t use and HomeDepo has $663.00 of my money which i’am shure they are putting to good use.
Thanks
Frank Dine
And i forgot if you havent sued these bozos yet i want in .
Frank
I’ve never bought anything in Home Depot.
Their service is really very bad after reading your experiences ,and I will never go there.
This just happened to me tonight. I even have a credit card with HD and tried to return an unopened bag of bird food only $16.95 part was put on my HD card and the other was a store credit so they definitely saw that I paid for part of it on my HD card- How could I have stolen it? I’m so turned off– Are you going to bring a class action suit–if so, sign me up. I have never stolen anything in my life and to think these bozos have my personal information sickens me.
Have not initiated any lawsuit yet. The more people that get screwed by Home Depot, the more what they are doing will get out.
Norm
Dear Mr. Fernandez,have you ever heard of HD not completing a sale because you don’t have an email address or don’t want to give one. We purchased a carpet install we paid on our credit card 315.00. They came out an measured the room. Next day they called and said unless we give an email address they can’t complete the sale. Thank you in advance.
Hi,
I was just given the 90 day slip even though one of the manager’s there knows me and knows my returns have been for stuff related to DIY repairs to my home since I had a pipe burst and paint and flooring repairs including piping attachments. Some of which contractors gave me wrong size and others were simple things like wrong type glue or tape or telco biscuit jack and these simple things all count against you even though I had unused unopen products with receipts in all these instances-totally asine and ridiculous and I’m in against these practices as I don’t try to fit any behavior or fraudulent consumer pattern (not unethical people who defraud and actually ripoff these stores) just common sense home owner whom makes every day choices and decisions whom is college educated and will take my business elsewhere after this. If there is a class action forthcoming against these people count me in for the righteous.
Hi,
I was just given the 90 day slip even though one of the manager’s there knows me and knows my returns have been for stuff related to DIY repairs to my home since I had a pipe burst and paint and flooring repairs including piping attachments. Some of which contractors gave me wrong size and others were simple things like wrong type glue or tape or telecom biscuit jack and these simple things all count against you even though I had unused unopened products with receipts in all these instances-totally asinine and ridiculous and I’m in against these practices as I don’t try to fit any behavior or fraudulent consumer pattern (not unethical people who defraud and actually ripoff these stores) just common sense home owner whom makes every day choices and decisions whom is college educated and will take my business elsewhere after this. If there is a class action forthcoming against these people count me in for the righteous.
We are serious DIYer and do have multiple properties and purchase 10’s of thousands on improvements. We do also purchase store credit (online) at 5-10% discount and do shop at Home Depot when possible. Never thought our information is being stored and given to third party when we returned product we don’t need or don’t fit. HD denied returns and we are stuck with it. Main office ‘standard answer’ is that this policy is for everyone…. Well, why don’t you ask my DL when we do make purchases? No straight answer.? Will read more what made court to throw out invasion of privacy law suit against law suit…. I guess next we need to give our blood sample as assurance to HD when we return few hundred dollar worth item… ? Cutting our purchases from Home Depot and surely going to Lowes . Much better quality and easy price matching
Please add me to the list. I have also contacted investor relations and warned them a class action suit is being considered which usually gets the attention of the top executives.
You got it.
Send your emails to: investor_relations@homedepot.com
This may help!
Norm
I would like to be included in any class action suit. I just got denied a return with a receipt within 7 days of purchase date because I used 11.45 cents store credit that the store approved. And this was after I spent over 300 dollars the same week and tried to return seventy dollars that was not needed of unopened merchandise with receipt …this kind of crap has to be illegal.
Any luck by contacting them?
Ok this just happen to me. I had a reciept and was givin a warning. If you get a state id you will not get flagged considering the drivers license number is what is tracked. State id is a differnt number so just use that instead and the return will go through. Or get someone else to do it lol. It worked for me victoria secret victim here
I just got the same Return Denied receipt. I was pissed and felt humiliated. When I make a purchase you take my money and have no problem. When I return you do this… Unacceptable. For the past 10 years or so I did 2-3 big home improvement project and got all my stuff from home depot, and not sure how many small projects all done through home depot.
I would love to participate the class action if anyone filing for it. I am saving my receipt
I am ready to sue. All these complaints I read but no one has sued? Not even in small claims? Well I am preparing to take legal action as this tracking led to a allegations I was a criminal upon doing a return and was USED AS EVIDENCE and BELIEVED, even though the TRE report was full of inaccuracies and representing attorney did not understand it or question Home Depot loss prevention and other employess on stand with solid golden questions about the TRE that would have destroyed their credibility. Instead, mine was destroyed even though I am and was innocent but the TRE report was used to make me look like a criminal and I almost went to jail even though I had no criminal history. Someone help stop this abuse of customers. Be aware-do NOT accept store credits as these are already linked and tracked with TRE.
How do I join the lawsuit? This is happening at all sorts of stores, especially Best Buy. I get banned every 90 days despite defective products. It’s a way for them to get around the written contract of accepting returns. Once again, the law abiding citizen who spends thousands of dollars pays for the bozo’s who rip them off.
Print all this off and send it to the producers at 60 Minutes.
Let CBS try to return $1,000 worth of stuff in Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, Chicago and Hazard County Kentucky and see what happens.
I’m not mechanically inclined but if I got blood on the box
trying to open it up and couldn’t wipe it off, Home Depot
always took it back here in Ontario Canada.
These sound like real horror stories of customer abuse.
All this doesn’t sound like America people expect.
I am a 52 year old woman living in Scottsdale Arizona. Just yesterday i went to Home Depot to return an outdoor speaker volume control that did not work. I too was denied and given a number to call at Retail Equations. Me and my husband have put in well over 30 nightclubs all over the country over the past couple of decades. I personally make sure that at the end of every project that all building supplies that were faulty or unused are returned to save on our bottom line on construction cost. Many of the materials we use come from Home Depot. As you can imagine we’ve spent I’m sure we’ll over a million dollars plus there and I’d hate to know what the real number would be. At any rate I have never been given a hard time when returning those un-used items till 2013. I started being flagged regularly even with my receipt. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to run a business where we could reject any return we wanted for any reason. Well that’s not based on reality. Home Depot has apparently decided that standing by their return policy is not protocol. Home Depots return policy seems to be a moving target that can and is changed without notification of any kind. Apparently the the CEOs and their loss prevention heads have lost sight Of the fact that we are not all criminals who do returns and that accepting returns are part of running a business. I personally think they need to rethink the whole return process because I for one am done with Home Depot. I am moving our business to Loews. Please include me in your class action suit. I am not a thief nor will I continue to be treated like one. We all need to take a stand and say “no more !!!!!!!!!!”
Count me in if you are still pursuing a class action suit. I have had this problem for the past few years. I built a house back in 2012. I must have spent $20-30K at the home depot. I started to be denied returns about a year ago, and have been forced to wait 90 days to try and return anything. I am going to write their corporate offices, but do not have high hopes. I have since started going to other business and lowes. I bet lowes also used the retail equation though.
This recently happened to me with tile backsplash I purchased and I am disgusted. I renovated my kitchen this year and probably spent close to 13,000 at home depot. Now I am being told that I can’t get my money back for $300 worth of tile. Are you kidding me? I even had others try to return the tile without a receipt. I have the ORIGINAL receipt that shows how I paid and yet I still am unable to return. Question for the folks out there: were you approved the return after the 60/90 day hold period? I opened up a complaint case with HD and they said I have a 15 day hold period before TRE gives me a second opportunity to review my case. This is just ridiculous!
Today i went to HD to return some extras items and told the CRS that dont havec receipt after she scan everything she told me that my return was denied. I was sooo upset because she explain me that i return in less that 60 days too much items. I told her that im a contractor and i didnt found my receipt. … whyyyy the do this… they are going to be out of business
Please add me to this class action lawsuit! The sooner the better. I was just told I can not return anything to sephora for 365 days because the retail equation declined a return even though it was in the box not used and I had the receipt. No one told me my privacy was being compromised. I was not sent anything from sephore,bath and body works or victoria secret saying they are using this third party and tracking my private information, nor was there any signs at the register or on my receipt about using the retail equation. Not ok and not legal
I worked at the home Depot in south Dakota up until 9/2015 , I worked the returns area for over a year. I was terminated due to another employee stating I took a break longer than allowed, I repeatedly told them it was not true and the cameras can prove it, they still fired me. I had district review the camera and sure enough my break was on 13 minutes, a little over a month ago I bought 2 items there and lost the receipt so I was OK with store credit…the system flagged me , I have never returned there, so I had my boyfriend try that was also terminated from there and it flagged him as well, he’s only done one previous return. I told the manager I would be bringing somebody I know is not affiliated and they said ok, but when she gets there they refuse to even try it…this is definately a personal issue.In all the time of working returns I have seen them with groups that come in and if ones ID declined they would try others for them until it worked. Wether that is right or wrong that’s how they did it for everyone until I go in.
I worked at the home Depot in south Dakota up until 9/2015 , I worked the returns area for over a year. I was terminated due to another employee stating I took a break longer than allowed, I repeatedly told them it was not true and the cameras can prove it, they still fired me. I had district review the camera and sure enough my break was only 13 minutes, a little over a month ago I bought 2 items there and lost the receipt so I was OK with store credit…the system flagged me , I have never returned there, so I had my boyfriend try that was also terminated from there and it flagged him as well, he’s only done one previous return. I told the manager I would be bringing somebody I know is not affiliated and they said ok, but when she gets there they refuse to even try it…this is definately a personal issue.In all the time of working returns I have seen them with groups that come in and if ones ID declined they would try others for them until it worked. Whether that is right or wrong that’s how they did it for everyone until I go in and try the exact same thing. The manager refused to even look at the ID or try to do the return to see if she would get the same slip with the 1-866 # on it to call.I told the very nice lady behind the counter even called and told her I was coming back to have
the same happened to me today.. have hardly returned stuff .. some basic dyi stuff (4 items) the store manager was nice enough to credit me the $ for another purchase but the system is screwed i will never buy anything at hd.. amazon it is for me!!
Add me to the suit also my company spends approx $35,000-$40,000 a month I went to return some items without receipt because receipt was already turned in they accepted a $700.00 return bug would not accept a $30.00 return and said I have to wait myself and 15 other employees return items all the time now I’m on some stupid list let me know what I can do to help
Happened to me today. I cannot believe this started a few years ago and we customers are still being victimized in an arbitrary an capricious manner forcing us to sustain losses in perpetuity. Although I am not an attorney, nor have I claimed to being one, everyone (including attorneys) are being victimized by these gestapo-tracking techniques. If these tactics aren’t illegal, they should be!!!
This is pretty much spot on the same thing that happened to me a couple months back. After fifteen years of buying stuff at HD, thousands of dollars worth of stuff, I am done. They might figure out that their biggest and most loyal customers are the ones who do the most returns, but no, they have decided to treat us like shoplifters. Sorry HD, I do not do business with people who treat me like a shoplifter. There’s a hardware store down the road, and a locally-owned lumber yard, and I am doing business with them now.
I was thinking about a class-action lawsuit even before I got back to my car, so send me an email if you want another plaintiff.
The same thing just happened to me at Best Buy. I tried to return a gaming console with a receipt within the 14 day time period listed on the receipt and it was declined. I called The Retail Equation (TRE) and the customer service representative told me that I would not be allowed to return anything for 365 days since I had too many returns to Best Buy. The only returns I have made was for defective merchandise. Unforunately you don’t know what is defective until you open and use it. Tablets that overheat, etc. I just tore up my Best Buy Credit Card and will never do business with them again. The same goes for Home Depot and Lowes since they also use the TRE.
My husband is a contractor. He spends thousands of dollars every year for at least the last fifteen years. Our warehouse is full of boxed unused items that range in price from .16 to over 100.00 each. Hd employees urge you to buy more and return if unused when your doing a project. It doesn’t matter if u have the receipt or not. There is no sign posted. Please count me in your class action suit. This is totally ridiculous
Had a similar experience today at Home Depot. As many of you have stated, I will also be taking my business anywhere else but Home Depot. Unfortunately this is a problem which will continue to grow at the large retail chain stores as they seek out any and all means to increase their bottom line and hit revenue targets. We the people (myself included) helped create these behemoths by failing to seek out and support small businesses in this county. Remember to support local business and Made in America products whenever possible.
Please count me in on the lawsuit. I just tried to return 4 smaller items, gate latches and towing rope, and have never returned anything to that store in my life. What is this evil TRE cult? If I have NEVER returned a thing there, why would I be denied? Embarrassing to say the least.
Have you filed suit against them yet? I am the #2 contractor in my local Home Depot store in TN. Last night I was given the ” receipt” and my return was refused. Not a good feeling when my small company spent $ 68K last year and that was a small year for me! I want in !!
Count me in. I was just denied for a $199 defective item I purchased two weeks ago.
This happened to me at Best Buy, where I am an employee. Apparently TRE also consideres the margins, and if they are low, they will consider you a fraudster. Of course the margins on my purchases are low, I get a discount!
This happened to me last year. I returned one $10 item and was denied my second return, apparently being banned. Eventually I got them to refund the item from the second order, and I haven’t been back since.
https://consumerist.com/tag/the-retail-equation/
the same happen to me , same as you i spend thousands of dollars for so many years at home depot, and of course did some returns never a problem. then a few days ago i try to return a item for less than six dollars and was refused. then i found out about the retail equation. i feel like a criminal. i need help with this matter, what can i do.
I want in as well. That is ridiculous.
We have spent over $20k for remodeling projects. Our contractor always buys extra stuff with different sizes or extra materials to save trips. We have hundreds of receipts. When we returned the extra stuff last year, we chose to get store credits. Now when I try to purchase with store credits, apparently, I just lose the chance to return them. Well they should have let us know when they gave us the store credits last year. We would have brought those hundreds of receipts to let them scan through.
I can’t believe that Home Depot can just change their policy any time they want without informing the customers.
Same here. Bought $600 worth of bathroom equipment. Tried to return it with receipt. Received denied return slip. Unbelievable. Has anyone filed a complaint with the better business bureau? Has it worked?
I used to work for home depot, as a supervisor of the returns department. There is a SCAM they can run to black list you that i was told to do with bad returns.
Here is how it works.
1) when you return a item with out a receipt it is recorded in the Return system. It tracks you number of returns, and total Doller amount, and how many returns you doing in a day or week, and to which stores your returning items to. It is all recorded off your Drivers license.
2) If the cashier thinks this is a fraudulent return they accidentally screw up the return and put it through twice within minutes. with your same license. Now you have returned the same thing twice in the same day, r you have exceed the total amount allowed in a single day. NOW an approval is needed and when the Mgr. shows up he pushed a button that says NO on the screen, and NOW your blacklisted.
We used to do this a lot with high end breakers, and blinds. People would bring back like 6 breakers that ended up being like 200 dollars.
THEN if you go to another Home depot to try to return the same items you were realy screwed because now the system say you tried to return the same item 3 times at 2 different stores.
Retail Equation is running a 3rd party database that is impacting the credit-worthiness / purchasing power of many innocent consumers. Yet unlike credit-reporting agencies, they are not subject to any governmental oversight, eg., the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and consumers have no recourse. If a return is incorrectly denied at Home Depot, you are then blacklisted from returning anything to ANY of the stores in the circle that subscribes to Retail Equation. This smacks of Deceptive Business Practice, and should be reported to the local Consumer Protection Agencies in the jurisdiction where these retailers operate, as well as FTC, etc
Not sure if, when or status of class action lawsuit but I definitely want to be included on the list for general principle to let Big Brother know they can’t abuse this either. What with all the leaks on databases these days there has to some sort of oversight and monitoring of a company like this!
You guys are idiots. The Home Depot and The Retail Equation are two separate companies. And maybe if hundreds of people trying to defraud The Home Depot every single day, they wouldn’t have to use a third party company. It’s like the military. Everyone gets punished. So stop whining and start keeping track of your receipts.
TRE needs to be shut down. I spend 10k a year at best buy and home depot combined and have just been denied an $80 item for a return that I had purchased earlier in the day? Seriously??? I’ll be taking my business elsewhere thank you. Idiots
New slogan: People – avoid home depot!!!
Just came back from home depot (not Home Depot! ). To my surprise the return of a few items without the receipt was denied… (I was gonna buy something else, so I didn’t even care about getting cash, the store credit would be just fine). All items were without a scratch, in original package… I talked to the store manager and customer service at 866-550-3133 but nobody could tell me why these items are denied for return (these items were scanned and proved that they are from home depot). This is the first time ever something like this happened to me. Every store I know, takes back their merchandise and give store credit if there is no receipt.
Never, ever I go to home depot again, thanks LOWES is not far!
Hopefully all of the people who have written prior will somehow see this and get back to me. We have an active lawsuit filed against Home Depot (and others) regarding just the opposite of what is being complained of. We, too, were placed on a 90 day suspend period when trying to return legitimate items last year. However, over a 17 month period Home Depot somehow allowed a heroin addict who was consistently stealing materials from us (he was an employee – we had no idea he was also a heroin addict – obviously has since been fired) return items worth in excess of $30,000 to their store, WITHOUT A RECEIPT and WITHOUT EVER GETTING FLAGGED! If any of you would e-mail me your story on how Home Depot with their supposed sophisticated theft deterrent system did not allow you to return material, I would greatly appreciate it. My e-mail is joanie008@comcast.net. Please use a reference of Home Depot.
Thank you for enlightening us. I often lose the receipt and wish to return things to receive store credit.
A lawsuit (http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-federal-circuit/1585311.html) represents multiple examples of Home Depot’s (HD) greed and corporate arrogance. As the court stated: “Home Depot literally organized the theft of the Powell invention….”
For a competitive advantage, HD cuts customers lumber. But injuries were costing HD over $1 million per year. At HD’s request, a long-time vendor named Michael Powell developed a saw guard to stop the injuries. HD subsequently stole the idea through willful infringement, engaged in “vexatious and bad faith litigation” by repeatedly trying to assert claims that the court had dismissed, as well as producing more than 6,000 pages of ‘nonresponsive documents’ during the discovery phase (much were related to fork lift injuries). This was done by a very wealthy defendant to punish the plantiff.
It is humorous to me that the 6,000 pages of documents included photos of HD executives taking measurements of the prototype invention. One corporate officer’s statement when confronted with the patent infringement was “Fuck Michael Powell, let him sue us”. As the court stated: “Home Depot literally organized the theft of the Powell invention”.
My opinion of HD is similar to the corporate officer’s comment. My opinion is “Fuck Home Depot”.
For more opinions on the case read http://www.conceptlaw.com/michael-powell-vs-home-depot-usa/
Hi..Can you add me to your group? I was so piss. Long story short.
I bought a refrigerator and it was limo unit with loud noise, and building up the frost. I realized the problem within 3 days. But however they refuse to replace due to their 48 hrs return policy that was never mention to me, and on my purchase contract or receipt.
They done 2 inspection already but they can not sure where the noise come up from.
Can you help me or I should find my own lawyer or simply file small claim?
I purchase an 30″ electric cooktop of about $1000 value through online. Existing opening was not fit to new cooktop under structure slightly. They said on website that online purchase can be return to store, but they said major appliance purchase by online is non-returnable and non-refundable.
During the check out process, I see only “free delivery” advertisement, but no “non-returnable” at until I press submit order button.
In a long technical specification, it is said “non-returnable”. They said that once you signed, major appliances can not be returned. What kind of return policy is this!! Please include me.
all non receipted returns are subject to system approval and are not guaranteed. no matter how much you spend at home depot you dont get to be treated like a special princess.
I too returned a few SMALL(under$25.ea) items in the last month, items I bought as different sizes to the item that fit. I use the correct one that fits and return the other, saving me a trip or 2 ( and time ) having to go back and forth. I too buy so so many items from HD, no more I am switching to Lowes, that I sometimes can’t put my finger on a certain receipt. Last week I went to return a $29 item sealed in its box and was also given the 90 day slip. I quickly went 1 block away to Lowes and spent $854. 47 that I was going to drop at Hm Depot. Bye bye Hm D you lost me for good.
I think once the general public finds out what Home Depot is doing, or if we organize a boycott, they will change their tune. Who wants to shop at a place where you cannot return items that are not needed, or defective?
Norm
I too am the victim I’ve purchased many items from Best Buy and I am an Elite member at Best Buy and I’ve just spent over $800 on Black Friday only to come back 2 days later to return a $30 video and was blacklisted I want to join your class action lawsuit also
Hi Norman,
I don’t think they will change.
The Retail Equation is growing larger.
Many others stores are using them.
Would you consider bring a class action to The Retail Equation? The way The Retail Equation and the stores who are using them to collect our id and using it to build a database definitely without our consent. It is just not right.
I am a DIY who regularly spends 5 to 10k or more a year at Home Depot. That has been over 30k on some of my larger projects over the years. I shop there so often I absentmindedly turn in there out of habit. I have always enjoyed being able to pick up a few extra items to make sure I didn’t have to stop in the middle of a project and then bring back the unused items. I shop their so often I have hundreds of receipts laying around but unorganized. I was shocked when HD refused my return for a gift-card today. I called the number on the refusal and was simply told HD was no longer accepting returns. HD customer service was very abrupt and unhelpful. They made me feel like they thought I was a crook. Perhaps they saved a few dollars by denying my return today but they will lose thousands as I will never shop there again.
I read though most of the comments just trying to find out if there is a pending lawsuit or not. I too shop at Home Depot to the point that I know several employees on a first name basis. I tried to return $60 worth of items and got the infamous receipt.
Please post an update in your article if you are still pursuing this class action suit.
I got blacklisted when made return. Had I known it before that they use my drivers license to track ONLY return, I would have simply not shop there. DUMPED HD.
Same goes for Best Buy. Glad to know this about Home Depot because a lot of projects require buying a lot of parts and supplies that might not be used.
The real danger is that you cannot even return unopened items with a receipt. This should be illegal.
Same here with Best Buy! If there is a class action suit against them I want in! What they are doing is so unethical!!
Yeah, Home Depot is a pretty despicable store. I know people who worked there who blacklisted people they didn’t like. They put thoe people on their unofficial black list and would be harrassed by employees, had the beeper go off on them as they exited the store, and be put on the non-return list.
Upset feeling with Home Depot return be declined, they will hate more customer, not buying from Home Depot!!!!!
The same denial happened to me and I never even returned a single item to home depot.I use to be a faithful customer. Today I take my money and business somewhere else and I will do the same for all stores that are labeling me as a person with excessive returns. It’s ludicrous.Count me in for any type of legal action your persueing.
I just tried to return a defective spray paint can.
Was declined, this is a joke, I won’t k.for a.construction retail outfit, and return stuff at home depot all the time. They just losty business.