Same for me, but I buckled recently. I needed 2 4 x 8 sheets of plywood cut for a set of basement shelves I’m making. My local lumber yard used to have a panel saw and didn’t charge for cuts, but when I called them to check they told me that they no longer cut plywood. I could have strapped the 4 x 8’s onto my roof racks, lugged them into the basement, set up a space and hand cut them with a circular saw, but I went to the slightly further away Home Despot store instead. It’s hit and miss, but the guy that ran the panel saw for me was great, he managed to cut the 16 inch by 6 foot shelves to within 1/6th of an inch width of each other.
On an unrelated note, typing “home despot” into most browser address bars returns the home depot website, just saying…
Check your area for indy hardware stores and also indy building supply stores. They may be linked up with Ace or True Value or occasionally somebody else, but are genuinely locally run. If they don’t have what you need, ask whether they can order it for you.
Many of them deliver, and many of them offer useful advice; and pricing on at least some items may match or even be cheaper than the big boxes, though some items may be higher.
Having said all that: indys, being indys, vary. Some of them may also be run by people you don’t want to deal with. (Though, given a choice between the local indy that I don’t want to deal with and the big box that I don’t want to deal with, I might still lean towards the local. Depends on what the problem is and how blatant they choose to be about it.)
That’s for sure.
Pretty sure that some indys do also. (I’m not eligible for it so haven’t paid that much attention; but I think I’ve seen signs up.) It’s going to depend on the individual store; but you can always ask.
– Sometimes the individual store differs from the overall policies. My local Tractor Supply is apparently full of LGBTQ folk, fully supported by their manager.
Lowe’s was easier to verify but once you have the discount set up on your HD app it’s very easy to use.
The big difference is HD caps the amount of discount you can get per year. I think it’s $400. There is no cap at Lowe’s. HD is closer to me with no traffic lights to go through. I go there for smaller stuff. If I have to buy anything big I go to Lowe’s.
The only way to shop at HD is to go to their web site, find what you’re looking for, note the aisle/bin where you can find it in your local store and go get it. Do not waste your time getting directions from an employee.
I’ve generally switched to ordering HD stuff online for delivery precisely because any website data showing that store X,Y, or Z has some in stock is pure guesswork on the computer’s part.
I’ve got 3 HD’s within 8 miles and 12 within 20 miles. I have made the rounds of most of them chasing something that each store supposedly had about 5 of. Nope. Five is just the number left in the computer after they’ve all been sold or stolen.
Not doin’ that again. I’ll resume the project when UPS brings me the stuff, whatever it is. Then again, I don’t buy large or heavy things that UPS would balk at; living in an apartment means a LOT less DIY and outdoor stuff.
If it soothes your soul, it’s very rare for something like that to come out of the worker’s paycheck (which explains her attitude, I guess) and as far as the corporate office and their books, it was her mistake, not yours.
You didn’t cheat, lie, or steal. Go forth in peace.
A thousand times yes. I go to a smaller ACE hardware store, and they have more items I’m looking for than the giant warehouse-sized HD. HD has billions of the same items, but actually less selection. I’ve given up going to HD because I nearly always had to go to the ACE to get what I actually needed, so I go there first now.
LOL, yes. One of the most helpful clerks at my ACE was an older woman. She could help me with everything.
Me to HD floor person: Do you know where the widgets are stocked?
FP: ::looks around vaguely, as if they might magically appear:: Umm. . .I think maybe on aisle 75 (we’re presently on aisle 3).
Me: ::trudge-trudge-trudge-trudge to aisle 75. Another floor person: Are the widgets in this aisle.
FP: ::gazes about in confusion:: Umm. . .I think I saw them on aisle 4.
Me: ::takes out gun and shoots FP and then myself::
At Ace, not only does everyone in the store know where everything is, they will take you to it.
My favorite hardware store anecdote: Years ago I needed a specific nut for my bathroom faucet stem. I removed the stem but could not remove the nut from the stem, so I brought the whole stem to the local mom & pop hardware store.
The older man behind the counter tried removing the nut for several minutes before being joined by another older guy. They worked together for some time, then a third old dude joined in the fun. The three of them worked on it for, I dunno, seemed like half an hour before they succeeded.
So the first man goes to the shelves to retrieve the correct replacement nut, walks me to the register, rings me up, and says, “that’ll be 59 cents”.
You ain’t gonna get that kind of service at Menard’s Lowe Depot.
I have tried to order stuff online from the big box joints. If you don’t know the exact name of the thingy you want, you’re out of luck. The page you’ll be sent to will say 47539 items with that name and as many pictures to boot.
I bought a high-end Quoizel lamp at TJ Maxx (a $900 lamp for $89). It was a copy of a Tiffany design with a very heavy bronze base (with irridescent micro mosaic inlay) with a large stained glass shade. After I’d had it a while, I noticed the stem supporting the shade was tilted. I asked a store that specialized in selling this type of lamp if they did repairs. They did not, but recommended a guy who did repairs in San Dimas (the lamp shop was in Monrovia so not that extra far to go).
The guy had a little shop to the side of his wife’s gift shoppe, that we browsed while he was working. The wife was pleasant and we had a nice chat. After a little bit the guy came back with an inch long hollow screw that connect the top of the lamp neck to the shade. It was cracked, and you could literally crush it between you fingers. It was plastic? Anyway, he replaced it with a solid brass part, and I haven’t had any issues for the 20 years or so since.
I asked him “how much,” and he said nothing. It only took him about 20 minutes all told.
Here’s a similar example from a different vendor (Meyda Lighting) that’s very similar to my base (except mine is in shades of green and amber) and the “turtlebacks” are amber:
I have bad luck w that. It involves the same problem of picking a store that has stock.
If the store I designate for pickup doesn’t actually have stock, it gets back ordered, then UPSed to the store, then I get to drive over & get it. If the store doesn’t f-up picking my order out of their inbound stock.
A straight ship to me means I open my front door and there it is. Correctly picked at the big warehouse.
I always feel bad when someone does that; I mean, sir, it’s your experience, knowledge and education that did me a solid and you should take something. Depending on how much money/time they saved me, I try to stuff some bills in their hand — a couple bux for a smallish fix up to a sawbuck for a big ticket item. And then I try to get them to laugh by saying Here, take two bucks and get yourself 3/4 of a Snickers bar, or for a tenner Here, get yourself 2/3 of a Happy Meal. Usually gets a chuckle and they’re more inclined to take the moolah.
Some companies have gone out of their way to make their politics known, or their politics are so bad that they’ve become general knowledge. You don’t have to research every place you shop, or feel guilty for buying something from a business that turns out to be notably bad, but once that knowledge is in your brain, use it to do some good. I prefer Lowes over Home Depot for practical reasons, but I’m going to try to stick to Lowes after reading through this thread, at least when the local Ace (which is awesome) isn’t an option. I have a couple Harry Potter DVDs, but there’s no way I’d support anything with Rowling’s name on it now. A vendor brought Chick-fil-A to the office for lunch a week ago, and I’m not going to chide him for that, but I’ve also told coworkers I don’t want to go there for lunch and I don’t go there myself. Defeatist “I’m too small to matter” attitudes are how the orange shit stain got to be president, so do your part and vote (with your wallet or otherwise).
My boyfriend has worked at HD for the past 2 years. I will admit, when he had his pancreas blow up last year they did really well by him. The manager was on the ball with FMLA and got him hooked up with a bit of short term disability. Not too bad for a part-time worker who had only been there about 6 months. He also could have gotten some money from their employee charity fund, the Homer Fund, if he had done the paperwork. He got his job back after being away for 3 months, and they respected his light duty needs while he needed them.
Really tho, I think it was mostly due to their amazing manager at the time. Corporate HR wasn’t too bad to work with, either.
That being said, HD definitely embodies that “big corporate retail” feel to it. They won’t give anyone a lick of overtime. They’ll send you home and be short staffed rather than pay overtime. I can’t quite comment on pay - BF makes about $16.50/hr which is lovely only because he is the guy who cleans the carts out of the lot. I dunno how pay scales up. He’s at the bottom of the chain. Also they don’t give employee discounts. They do do profit sharing but so far it’s teeny tiny like $80 or something. But once again that goes to BF having part-time and low-end status.
Another good thing about HD is they have been crazy good about donating to our local VFW where my dad was a member. They just hooked the VFW up with $25k worth of materials to build a new patio AND they send workers to help with projects. They did a ton for the post when the Traveling Vietnam Wall came through. According to my mom (also a member, auxiliary) Lowes did not make any contributions when asked.
One other thing about the other owner of HD, Arthur Blank - he is one of those millionaires who has committed to giving away 50% of his wealth along with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. He donated enough to a children’s hospital to get it named after him. Also, as owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Blank has kept concession prices extremely cheap - $2 for a hot dog! - to show appreciation for the fans.
I’m not trying to convince anyone to shop at HD, or to excuse their mega donations to the Right. One owner being a slightly good dude does not negate the other being a raging fascist supporter, or explain the massive donations. They do definitely embody the Big Corporate mentality and no doubt people have had really unhappy experiences at their stores (I sure have! But my expectations are low)
Just trying to ease the pain of those of us who will continue to shop at HD because they’re closer and easier. Like me.