Did I ever tell y’all how much I hate Lowe’s?

rockcity

rockcity

everyday is a chance to get better
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Greenville, NC
they are great for small simple items here and there for a typical homeowner.

But, contractor sales is a joke.

Ordered a bunch of pre hung doors, about $4k worth, because they were reasonably priced and “in stock”.

Last week called (Thursday) to check on delivery and was told it was being fulfilled out of Goldsboro (nobody knows why...) and that after a week it was scheduled to deliver this past Friday. Great! I’ll have my framers on site to receive and install this weekend.

Nope. Nothing shows up. No call. Nothing. So now I have framers on site who planned to work who now can’t. Shit costs them and me $$$.

Called this morning and the exact same lady I talked to last Thursday has the nerve to tell me she didn’t say it was going to be delivered last week. And now ah tells me she doesn’t know when it’s coming. Seriously? WTF.

I sure can’t wait until HD returns to Greenville.


Sorry. I had to vent. :)
 
I used to like Lowes until I went to Home Depot. Also, I continued to not like them when that one dude came on here and said he was a store manager at Lowes.
 
I'm just an average homeowner purchaser (although really above average, since I'm in the store almost every weekend... to the point a lot of the staff know me) but I always go to HD, only go to Lowe's specifically if I can confirm they have what I need in stock AND it's worth it for the extra 5% off.

jeepinmatt said:
I used to like Lowes until I went to Home Depot. Also, I continued to not like them when that one dude came on here and said he was a store manager at Lowes.
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He really did not do any favors to their reputation for sure.
 
When a store like that moves all their lumber inside, you know they don't care for contractors.

(To be fair, between 2008-2016, there weren't many contractors left.)
 
The Lowes stock system is a joke, at least it was when I worked for them and has only gotten worse as a customer. Any time you do a special order anything, just go somewhere else unless the savings just really is that much to be worth your time and effort.
 
I was walking through HD the other day. As I was walking and looking around I thought to myself "HD sure does beat the hell out of Lowe's". It just feels like a nicer layout and all around nicer place. I wish I had a HD closer to me. Was looking for a 25' Stanley tape measure in Lowe's the other day. They only had 2. Asked a employee that was standing close by about it, he said they are trying to push more Craftsman stuff now and thinning some of the Stanley stuff. He didn't agree with that decision.

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You didn't have to say anything. The hardware department says it all. :shaking:
 
I'm not a contractor, but I get massively better lumber quality and pretty much the same price (often cheaper) from my local independent yard, and much better selection. They have straight studs, and when was the last time you saw one of those at Lowes?
The downside is that they're not open on the weekends, so I have to sneak over there when I have the rare opportunity. But, I also don't have the comic relief that comes from watching people at Lowes load bags of Quickrete into the back of an almost-new BMW sedan, or a propane tank into the trunk of a Miata (I'll just tip it on its side, then wonder why it doesn't work when I get it home because I tripped the protection valve).

After a past experience, Lowes is the last place I would ever order any kind of building material. I can't remember what it was (mineral wool insulation a long time ago maybe?), but I never got it. No one knows where it went, but they graciously refunded my money after it became too difficult for them to sort out. Somewhere, there's a pallet of mineral wool lost in the system.
 
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so who do you guys use in the Mocksville Area? Blowes, we got that covered. An older yard my father in law recommended on a drive through appeared all but dried up. I used Sipes in Taylorsville for years but that's a haul. And when it really counts I still do....45 ish miles one way.
 
I had a shitty experience when we bought our blinds from Lowes - the blinds lady went on vacation for a week after we ordered, so they didn't get sent to the contractor until after she got back. Thanks!

Every time I order online, at checkout, it's stuff that would be avail for pickup today or tomorrow. I don't get a notice for days, and even when I get a notice, it's rare that the order is actually ready. They have major disconnects between their online system and their ability to get orders prepared.

Recently, our fridge bit the dust. Decided to bite the bullet and do an entire kitchen appliance suite during Lowes' Labor day sale. Total shitshow. Online says in stock and free next day delivery. Or at least I could have sworn it. We pick out what we want based on walking around in-store, then going home and researching, and going back to store. We picked a heavily discounted whirlpool fridge because it's a great deal and the matching microwave, dishwasher and range are also showing in stock and the prices were right. When we order the fridge, like last of all the appliances, they say ok it will be next week before we can get you one. But since we have a backup garage fridge and not wanting to go through the ordering process again for the other items, we begrudgingly say ok. So the fridge and range are installed by Lowes. The dishwasher, microwave, and disposal are all going to be oursourced. 2 separate orders and separate departments that don't speak to each other. So although I ordered everything on the same day, I have to call 2 different numbers to track anything down. Everything came at different times, the microwave had to be swapped out at the last minute for a different (but higher end) model.

They would call from one store and tell me they are -84 in stock for the fridge and tell me to pick another one, and then another store or rep would say it's coming day after tomorrow and a system generated email would say another day. It was never smooth. Their systems (lowes installs, outsourced installs, online inventory or and in store) do not communicate with each other and there's no one number to call for problems.

Eventually everything showed up. The fridge had a ding on the side where it would never be seen, so we got another 20% off for that. We already did a 10% off coupon, and everything was already on sale. So in the end we came out with a really good deal if you look at what we go for how much, but we just paid for it in a different way.

Every other option is a 20-30 min drive, but I'm not going to let that be an issue anymore.
 
Oh yeah this reminds me. We replaced the lab floor at work. Our install guy ordered the stuff from the local lowes for pickup. Our purchaser paid overt he phone, he got a call the next day it was ready to go, he went and picked it up.
Next week - he gets a call from them ,"Your flooring material is sitting here, when are you going to come and get it?" Ummm... its already been installed. He couldn't convince them it had already been picked up.

Last winter over my Christmas vacation I replaced the floor in the hallway. Ordered hardwood from local Lowes. Something they have to have sent in from warehouse. Go to get it, clearly about 1/3 of the boxes were crushed and several boards damaged. One looked like it was under a whole load right on the forklift forks, but sideways, with fork indentions across all the way through to the boards on their tongue faces.
Guy looks at me and says, "Eh, looks like a little damage in transit. You want these right?"
I'm like, you have to be freakin crazy. I'm not paying for a bunch of boards I can't use. So they reorder and of course it takes two weeks to get the replacements, by which time my planned time to work was up and I had to do it in a hurry over New Years.
 
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WARRIORWELDING said:
so who do you guys use in the Mocksville Area? Blowes, we got that covered. An older yard my father in law recommended on a drive through appeared all but dried up. I used Sipes in Taylorsville for years but that's a haul. And when it really counts I still do....45 ish miles one way.
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I like smith Phillips. I used them quite a bit when I lived in statesville, and was working in the lake Norman area. They are out of Winston and statesville. Hands down the best treated lumber. Most is #1 too. They still deliver to me in Burlington when I can place a decent order.
 
jeepinmatt said:
#Fakenews! No one ever asks to help at Lowes, they all scurry when they see a customer coming.
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You must have the exact same Lowes staff at your local store that we have here :lol: Damn, the superposition principle strikes again! :rolleyes: :lol:
 
jeepinmatt said:
#Fakenews! No one ever asks to help at Lowes, they all scurry when they see a customer coming.
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this has been the principle difference I've seen between the Lowes and HD here.
At the blue store, I can expect I'm on my own, and never to get any eye contact. I was once talking to a guy at the tile desk about ordering some marble wallboards for a shower (that in itself took forever to pin him down) and mid-discussion he cut me off and said, "sorry, my shift just ended, can you come back tomorrow?" and walked off.
Meanwhile at the orange store, just last weekend I was in the plumbing section digging for a part, and a guy walked up to me and said, "Hey, you look like you're looking for something, can I help?" and when they didn't have it, he went and found out where they were on a pallet, got the forklift, unloaded it and everything right while I waited. Oh and that guy is a retired plumber and actually knows his shit. Has told me before what does and doesn't meet code here etc.

I'd be curious to know what the difference is in how they operate at a corporate level.
 
Danger_Ranger said:
I was walking through HD the other day. As I was walking and looking around I thought to myself "HD sure does beat the hell out of Lowe's". It just feels like a nicer layout and all around nicer place. I wish I had a HD closer to me. Was looking for a 25' Stanley tape measure in Lowe's the other day. They only had 2. Asked a employee that was standing close by about it, he said they are trying to push more Craftsman stuff now and thinning some of the Stanley stuff. He didn't agree with that decision.

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I figured all they wanted to sell was their crappy Kobalt stuff. Ick.
 
I haven't had any problems w/ Lowes until I went to buy windows the other day. After looking at what they had on their shelves and framing up based on what I could get at their store, I went in to purchase and the kid behind the desk at the window section informed me that the windows they had on their shelves didn't meet code for the Charleston area. o_O I walked away, called my inspector the next day and he said I could use the windows, just keep my cutouts to put over them in case of hurricane. I assume its a trick they like to use to upsell you a more expensive "custom" window that they have to order.

I also know that Lowes in Marion has been known to profile @ramjo as he walks through the store :lol:
 
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nothing to offer but the total opposite about HD/ Lowes here in huntersville (both stores) and statesville / vs the abortion of a store that is HD

HD here is just awful the lighting tells it all. you damn near need a flashlight to walk around

but they are both soul-less big box stores that dont give a damn and the employees / service reflect it.
 
tknopp said:
HD fan here also. Cant stand Lowes.
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Funny how things change. HD used to be awesome back in the 90's.

Then they changed things and they sucked, hard.

And Lowes was awesome.

Now they have changed and they suck and HD has gotten their crap together somewhat and doesn't suck as bad.
 
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