Just Fed Up!!

[HPL]

I have been doing some work on a rent house we own and this morning I needed a somewhat esoteric part for an old Moen fixture. I went to my locally owned small business plumbing supply store to get it. They carry the neat stuff. While there I was also buying some general plumbing supplies (as small businessman myself I think it is good to support the local guys). Bill came to $129.00. I write out the check, name, address, phone number, and DL number on check. THEN they want my date of birth. That ripped it. I am so tired of folks to whom I am trying to give my money treating me like they think I'm going to steal from them. We are told to protect our personal information and then everybody and his dog is asking for more and more. I gave them the option of taking the check as presented or restocking their merchandise. They actually chose the latter. Told them I might be back with cash. Went to Lowes and found everything but the one part. Went back to local guy with cash so as not to write a check. Lady behind counter says she kept all the stuff together for me. I told her I only needed the balancing spool. She said "you're kidding? You are going to do that just because I asked for your birthday?" I said yes (didn't say that her boss who was there during the initial encounter had, because of his policy caused me quite a bit of inconvenience, not to mention getting my hackles up). She said that well they wouldn't sell me just that one part and could refuse service to anyone. I said fine. Called moen and they sent me to someone who mentioned that Moen fixtures have a lifetime warranty and gave me the part (saved me about $80.00). The local guy will NEVER see me again (did I mention that I own my house and five rental properties making me responsible for 7 water heaters, 10 toilets, 6 kitchen sinks, 10 bathroom sinks, etc. and that I do most of my own repairs so I decide where the supplies are purchased?). I am so sick of businesses (especially the local guys) making it hard for me to give them my money!!!

As a counter point, I was at a small nursery that specializes in native plants buying some plants for my photo site and hadn't asked what forms of payment were accepted. Turns out that they didn't accept credit cards and I didn't have my checkbook with me. That owner (who doesn't know me from Adam but was aware that I lived about 120 miles away) said "just send me a check when you get back home". Now, he will not only be seeing me again, but I will be passing his name around to all I know who might need his services. (Have also already started telling everyone I see the plumbing story including folks standing inline at the store etc. so may be able to cost them even more business). Really hacked me off.

[Gerry Clinchy]

A happy customer will tell three people; an unhappy customer will tell ten.

[Down East Labs 217]

I have left more than one store to never return. I will not spend my hard earned cash in a place that treats me wrong. If I am frequenting a business I expect to be treated as though you want my business. Not with, I could care less if you are here or not. I don't expect them to kiss my back side but I do expect polite assistance.


Richard

[gmhr1]

Customer service these days is a joke.

[BonMallari]

there is an old saying " take care of your customers...or someone else will"

[HPL]

In fact, up until they asked for one more piece of information than I wanted to give, they were polite, cheerful, and helpful.......but, as I had to give them more and more info for them to accept my check, I finally balked. Although it was the lady behind the counter that asked for the info, the owner soon joined in and said that he didn't need to apologize for his policies. He suggested that if I didn't want to give that info I could use a credit card, however there is a sigh on the door saying that they charge a 3% "convenience" fee for credit card usage. As I said, I did go back with enough cash to pay for the part that I couldn't find elsewhere, and we could have parted friends and I would have been back, but when they decided that they didn't want my eighty or so bucks instead of the $129.00, well, they surely cost themselves many hundreds in the future.

They don't trust me enough to take my check without my full personal history, but expect me to trust them with enough personal information to steal my identity and they accuse me of being unreasonable. Dopey.

[charly_t]

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...................

They don't trust me enough to take my check without my full personal history, but expect me to trust them with enough personal information to steal my identity and they accuse me of being unreasonable. Dopey.

Just exactly how I feel about it. Ask them for all of their info before you trust them with yours might work.
Long story but we had a legitimate business run a copy of our check ( that we had given to them for payment of a service ) through after they had cashed our check and had the money. Twice the cash that they should have had and it was legal. I don't know if that can be done anymore or not. They fixed the problem pdq but I never trusted them after that. What was more troubling was the fact that the bank honored the copy......never checked on things at all and it was a small home town bank.

[Franco]

My experience is kind of the opposite. I too have rental property and use to do all of my business with Lowes. In 2009, I received a letter in my monthly statement informing me they would be charging me an annual fee of $50. to cover all of thier bad credit that they have issued. I called them and pointed out that I had never been late and that if they insisted on charging me the $50. fee that I would close my account. Person on the phone said that there was nothing she could do about it so, I paid off the balance and closed the account.

I then approached a large local hardware store and opened an account with them. I also use a local "handyman" for when I get those phone calls like, "my toilet won't flush". Most licensed subs like plumbers charge $75. an hour. My local handyman only charges me $35 per hour.

[HPL]

My experience is kind of the opposite. I too have rental property and used to do all of my business with Lowes. In 2009, I received a letter in my monthly statement informing me they would be charging me an annual fee of $50. to cover all of thier bad credit that they have issued. I called them and pointed out that I had never been late and that if they insisted on charging me the $50. fee that I would close my account. Person on the phone said that there was nothing she could do about it so, I paid off the balance and closed the account.

I then approached a large local hardware store and opened an account with them. I also use a local "handyman" for when I get those phone calls like, "my toilet won't flush". Most licensed subs like plumbers charge $75. an hour. My local handyman only charges me $35 per hour.

I'm not saying that I love Lowes, although their check acceptance policy is less intrusive, just that this local guy is a jerk and has lost my business to corporate America. There are only two other sources in town for general plumbing supplies and neither had the specific part I needed. Did get it from a locally owned dealer in the next town, just not here in our little town. The check wouldn't have been an issue if he hadn't had the 3% surcharge for credit card use sign on his door. He just made it too difficult to give him my money and then when I went back with cash for the single part that I hadn't picked up on my other perambulations around town getting other supplies, they chose not to sell to me. Their loss in the long run.

Most of the time I am my plumber and carpenter and painter (don't do the electrical). I just don't have enough property to keep a handyman busy. I have several acquaintances that own enough to have someone on staff. If I ever get that big, we'll still be buying our plumbing supplies elsewhere.

The other (and possibly most salient) point is that the local guy here in the town where I have lived since 1978 was going to SELL me the part for around $80.00, when in fact, the part was covered under Moen's lifetime warranty and was GIVEN to me by another dealer in a neighboring town. Now who shouldn't be trusting whom? Believe that it could be argued that he was about to steal from me.

[Franco]

I'm not saying that I love Lowes, although their check acceptance policy is less intrusive, just that this local guy is a jerk and has lost my business to corporate America. There are only two other sources in town for general plumbing supplies and neither had the specific part I needed. Did get it from a locally owned dealer in the next town, just not here in our little town. The check wouldn't have been an issue if he hadn't had the 3% surcharge for credit card use sign on his door. He just made it too difficult to give him my money and then when I went back with cash for the single part that I hadn't picked up on my other perambulations around town getting other supplies, they chose not to sell to me. Their loss in the long run.

Most of the time I am my plumber and carpenter and painter (don't do the electrical). I just don't have enough property to keep a handyman busy. I have several acquaintances that own enough to have someone on staff. If I ever get that big, we'll still be buying our plumbing supplies elsewhere.

The other (and possibly most salient) point is that the local guy here in the town where I have lived since 1978 was going to SELL me the part for around $80.00, when in fact, the part was covered under Moen's lifetime warranty and was GIVEN to me by another dealer in a neighboring town. Now who shouldn't be trusting whom? Believe that it could be argued that he was about to steal from me.

I don't disagree with what you did, given those circumstances. No doubt many locals can be difficult to deal with.

I just didn't like being charged a fee becuase Lowes granted credit to those they shouldn't have and wanted to pass the cost along to those that pay their bills on time. Kind of like our ourrent politicians in both parties

BTW, the Handyman that I use is a part-timer. Heck, if I hired him fulltime he'd have more money to spend but then, I'd have to provide him with Health Insurance!