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The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....
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The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 11:19 AM

I posted previously about all the trials and travails of actually procuring a new refrigerator for my Ma-in-Law. One finally got installed and working last Thursday, after a last minute cabinet height adjustment by Moi so that the new "side by side" model I finally bought from a local merchant. NOT Lowe's, would fit. The actual refrigerator is working great. But, here is where the saga continues.

When last we left our intrepid heroes, we had taken the still new in the unopened box Icemaker back to Lowe's, on July 13th, around Noon. It had been delivered to Ma in Laws home, despite the fact that phone mail message said that the order for the refrigerator from the Columbia Lowe's warehouse was to be cancelled. This was because, after all the wrangling, finding a model that they had an icemaker for, ordering and paying for it, turns out even the WAREHOUSE didn't have one, didn't know when or if they would GET one, so, order to be cancelled.

Now, the totally unhelpful CSR's at the Orangeburg Lowe's just flat refused to give me a receipt for the return of the icemaker, saying they couldn't refund money on it. I kept telling them there was no money to be refunded, it was a no cost add on at the time of purchase of the fridge. All I wanted was a receipt to prove I had in fact returned it in its new, unopened box. After speaking to three different people, none of whom would oblige, we finally gave up, left their icemaker with them without getting a receipt, and left, to go find a fridge somewhere else. But, here is a key point. BEFORE we left the Orangeburg store, they said they had sent out an email to me ~11:00 that morning, saying my order was cancelled, and that my purchase price would be refunded to my debit card within 1 to 3 business days. This was at noon on July 13th.

The next communication I got from Lowes was yesterday evening at ~5:45 pm. It was an email, finally saying my order had been cancelled. I guess the ethernet was just moving molecules around REAL slow, if it was sent at 11:00 am on July 13th and took that long to be delivered. So, now, I figured my 3 day clock on getting my refund had actually only started yesterday.

So, imagine my surprise when I got a Lowe's email at 6:30 am this morning, saying my Lowe's Merchandise card had been ordered, and was on the way! At no point was there any discussion about a Lowe's Merchandise card, I do not WANT a Lowe's Merchandise card, and I am not going to USE a Lowe's Merchandise card. And, on top of that, it was not even for the right amount. They had shorted me the $40 "Haul Away Fee" that I paid to have the old refrigerator hauled away.

So, I once again gather copies of all these emails, and head back to the Orangeburg Lowe's. Once again, no help from CSR's but I did finally impress upon them that I needed to speak to a "higher up" about this situation. Finally, a young man named Vernon, with a tag that said Assistant Store Manager on it came on the scene. I patiently explained the whole sordid saga to him, and showed him the email about the Merch card, and the fact that even the amount was wrong on that. I want to go on record as saying, Vernon is the only employee at the Orangeburg Lowe's who actually provided any real help during this whole mess, he should be commended for at least TRYING to do something.

The first thing Vernon did, after looking through the whole stack of emails, was to make the CSR do a store refund to my debit card for the $40 Haul Away Fee. Then he did whatever checking he could, and found out that the Merch card had already been shipped via FedEx. He got a tracking number, and said it shows a delivery date of July 19th. He said that whenever it DOES come, if I will bring it to the Orangeburg store, he will verify that it has not been used, and will refund me the amount shown on it in cash. So, that is the plan at this point.

But, to be honest, it was not until I made the following statement in the store this morning that things really changed. I said "Let me tell you how strongly I feel about not accepting this Lowe's Merchandise card. If I have to gather up all these emails, get into my car, and drive to Mooresville, North Carolina to the Corporate Lowe's Center in person, this deal is going to be resolved with the money getting put back in my checking account." And, I meant that, 100%. There comes a time when you are just tired of being screwed over, you know? The way I currently feel about Lowe's, it would have taken YEARS for me to buy over $800 worth of ANYTHING from them.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 11:36 AM

You are a great story teller. I could feel my blood pressure rising just reading your first post and this follow up post. What a saga. Customer service ain't what it used to be.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 11:45 AM

I had the opposite with Lowes. I had ordered a Christmas tree last fall and was shipped one that had been used. Took back to store, no problem, ordered a new tree. Credited my card and 3 days later a new tree arrived and was absolutely what I wanted. Kept waiting my card to be billed, called and was told it was already paid. Explained to them that in fact had not. Kept insisting to me everything was fine. Have a tree and as far as I’m concerned it was freebie from Lowes. A person can only do do much so if they are satisfied giving away a $400 tree so am I.

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Trouble is, it is the TRUTH. I do consider myself a pretty


Jul 16, 2022, 11:49 AM [ in reply to Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued.... ]

good writer when I want to be, but I don't think I could have INVENTED a tale this ridiculous.

Customer service like this from stores like Lowe's is what enabled Amazon to come on the scene and be so ultra successful. Two things make Amazon stand out. Super fast delivery, and easy to deal with customer service on those rare instances when something does go wrong.

American automakers would love a "do-over", but truth be told, the only thing that allowed the foreign car companies to get a foothold in the US was that the American car companies dragged their feet on several fronts.

1) They were slow to bring fuel efficient cars to the market. Ford, GM, and Chrysler kept producing huge gas guzzling land yacht tanks, for the most part.

2) Poor quality from American car makers was another reason. Engines that were flat worn out at 80,000 miles or less. Bodies that would rust through before the car was even paid for. And terrible customer service whenever any of these problems were brought back to a dealership. The attitude back then seemed to be "Once you buy that car, you're on your own."

The huge irony in all of that is, the Japanese became efficient mass producers of goods because of automation and statistical quality control measures that were introduced to them by the U.S. during the occupation following WWII. They proceeded to beat us at our own game, because we sat back and let it happen.

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...then South Korea... and now China.***


May 30, 2023, 2:00 PM



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Re: Trouble is, it is the TRUTH. I do consider myself a pretty


Jul 17, 2022, 8:01 AM [ in reply to Trouble is, it is the TRUTH. I do consider myself a pretty ]

Yes. Think it was two guys, last names Charles and Demming maybe?, that taught the Japanese the importance of “zero defects” post WW2. They started sending quality vehicles this way while Ford and GM were producing junk. I remember my Dad buying a new truck in ‘77 that the tailgate basically of off when he got it home.

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You are correct. I believe Demming is considered to be the


Jul 17, 2022, 8:14 AM

"father" of Statistical Quality Control. We used it extensively at the chemical plant. If used smartly, it can be a great tool. If used dumbly, then the user IS a tool.

:)

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 11:46 AM

It seems there is no communication and customer service anymore. Trying to get some home repairs done around the house and nobody will show up or return phone calls or emails.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 11:55 AM

So true. At one point during this mess, I actually had a phone mail message from the Orangeburg Lowe's one morning saying my order was being delayed yet again, while that same afternoon, I got an automated call from Lowe's Delivery Service saying my refrigerator would be delivered the next day (on time) between 8 am and 2 pm. Definitely a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 12:50 PM

With credit card companies, I find it fairly easy to gain a solution to this sort of thing and I've done it 3 or 4 times over the past 50 years or so.

I simply explain the shady dealings to the credit card company and tell them I want to dispute the charge. If they agree with my assessment that a charge is unsupported by circumstances (and they always have), they immediately remove the charge (temporarily) from my account, contact the merchant and explain the charge-back and wait to see if the merchant replies with an appeal (which I've never had one do). If the merchant doesn't respond within 90 days, the charge-back remains as a credit on my account.

I assume debit card companies operate in a similar manner.

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Take some advice


Jul 16, 2022, 12:51 PM

Never get a Frigidare oven. Going through that with Home Depot for my parents new wall oven. Its slick, looks great, user friendly digital controls. Just one little problem, it wont heat up and cook.
Have had other frigidaire products and been pleased, but they need to stay out of the oven business.

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Re: Take some advice


Jul 16, 2022, 1:17 PM

Sadly, few of today's employees care about customers. The old adages of "The customer comes first and the customer is always right" died with the millennials. All they want to do is punch in and punch out.
When is the last time you heard "thank you" at a fast food restaurant ? It is non existent where I live. Rudeness and uncaring have taken over today.

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Re: Take some advice


Jul 17, 2022, 7:36 AM [ in reply to Take some advice ]

I always chuckle when you have a oven made by "Frigid" aire.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 1:15 PM

Your first mistake made, was when you thought of Lowe's as being the place to buy a fridge. I made that mistake myself about 10 years ago, and I learned a valuable lesson. Lowe's should never be the place you choose for kitchen appliances, go to an appliances only store, and not a buy all store!!!

Lowe's buys kitchen appliances that manufactures are discontinuing!!!!!


Message was edited by: allorangeallthetime52®


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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 1:33 PM

At some point, it's just the principle of the matter that drives the issue.

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"It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers any more than it is to make sheep ferocious."
--Henry David Thoreau


Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 2:02 PM

Keep in mind that the Lowes employees are a product of our modern day education system.

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Well, good for Lowe's asst mgr VERNON..


Jul 16, 2022, 2:10 PM

and wish you 76er would head straight to DC and straighten out a zillion mini-officials who run America..

and our good senses into the ground Daily!

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THAT and


Jul 17, 2022, 1:53 AM [ in reply to Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued.... ]

the Lowe's/Big Box culture. Poisonous!

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 2:11 PM

The Lowe’s merchandise card is a scam! They want you financial information. Go to you tube and watch the seminar by Frank Abagnale. They made a movie about him “ Catch Me if You Can” he had made millions designing safety feature on checks. It would be very valuable time wisely used. Best of luck to all of you with customer service and product issues. We need to force manufacturers to bring production back to the US. I avoid China because I am not going to fund a country who desires the destruction of the United States!

I bought an an Amana Dryer from Home Deport. A year later I am still trying to get Amana to replace my dryer or fix it.

I try to buy Made in USA and from mom and pop small businesses because they actually care about customer service. I google for the product I want then try to find it Made in USA.


Message was edited by: wueagle86®


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Home Depot has a minor role in this as well. When I gave up


Jul 16, 2022, 2:24 PM

on Lowe's drove to Lexington to Home Depot nearest me. Same issue as Lowe's, no refrigerator in my size range in stock, none. Had them get on their website, and and found a model they were showing ONE THOUSAND of, in their warehouse. Guess how many icemakers they had in stock, or in the warehouse that could be installed in that model refrigerator? ZERO, nada, nyet, kapunt, kaflooie! (And it WAS icemaker capable.) That was the point when I gave up, slunk back to Orangeburg, and bought a double wide from a local appliance repair / new sales store. Got the double wide, since the local appliance store price for a single wide with the freezer on top was literally almost twice as much as the one I unsuccessfully tried to get from Lowe's, and within $200 of the price of a double wide with all the bells and whistles, water and ice in the door, etc. It is painfully obvious that all resalers are trying to drive customers to the side by sides. What a racket.

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I had problems getting an oven from Home Depot.


Jul 16, 2022, 2:30 PM

Went online to Best Buy and got one delivered in a few days. Later bought a fridge from them and got it in a few days.

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"Dabo crushed my soul." --- Classof09


I feel your pain 76er, went through similar last summer....


Jul 16, 2022, 3:46 PM

Bought a new fridge from Lowe's, nothing fancy, just a basic model. I'll probably be moving into my GF's house in the next year or two, so no need to go all out. This was to replace my 20 year old fridge that was not worth repairing. I figured I'd just give this new one to my son when I sell the house and move. They didn't have one in stock in Simpsonville, I had to wait a couple weeks for them to ship one in.

Delivery and installation was scheduled for 4pm on a Friday afternoon. They were running late and didn't show up until almost 6pm. Didn't even get it off the truck... after unpacking it, they called me out there and showed me that the water line was "broken". I noticed at the time that it looked just like someone had sliced it with a box cutter, not bumped or crushed. Just a nice clean cut. Oh well. So they take pics and have me sign a document that it was "damaged in shipment". OK fine.

I call Lowe's, they say no problem, and schedule a delivery for Monday. I thought that was a bit odd... if I had to wait weeks for this one to get shipped, how do they suddenly have another one in stock so quickly? Whatever, maybe I just got lucky. So Lowe's comes on Monday. I walk out there and notice they're not unpacking it from a crate like the first guys did. So I ask them to check the back first. Sure enough, it was the same one from Friday with the cut water line. These guys commented that this was not the first time a "damaged water line" occurred with a late Fri installation...

In other words, the first guys cut the water line because they didn't want to fool with an installation at 6pm on Friday.

Naturally, I was extremely pizzed off and go to Lowe's in person and show out. How could you send me the same damaged fridge again? So they order another one and I wait a couple weeks again. They come, it's a brand new one that I verify before they get it off the truck. OK, finally. But then I notice that they're sitting at my kitchen table studying the ice-maker instructions. They say they've never installed this particular one before. Do what?? But they assure me everything is cool...

Well no. The ice-maker leaks water and immediately freezes up. This is now the 3rd attempt for Lowe's to simply deliver and install a freaking refrigerator that works. As you can imagine, I went ballistic... bottom line, they gave me a great deal on a upgraded model that they had in stock, and a rush delivery/install the next day. I've had it for a year now and it works great.

TL,DR: it took Lowe's FOUR attempts and me raising hel1 to get a refrigerator that worked properly.

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A drunk will run a STOP sign, but a stoner will wait for it to turn green.


Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 8:31 PM

Seriously, I have come here since the beginning of TigerNet! I don't post alot! I graduated from Clemson in the Class of 73! Yeah I am old! I know you have 28000 plus posts. My problem is why these continuing posts about your personal life! I visit daily to see what is going on in Tiger land since I moved to Florida. I thought this was a football website! We all have had our issues with Lowes or other vendors! I have had mine over the years, but I did not post them on a football website. Okay I know I will lose more points on my " status " for this, but I really don't care. I am tired of the political crap on this website! Yeah I know you are going to say, just move on. I won't!

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 16, 2022, 9:03 PM

You are not only old but crotchy too. For what it's worth the post was not on the football board.


Message was edited by: Purple Gunstock 15®


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Not going to TD your post, everybody has the right to their


Jul 17, 2022, 7:49 AM [ in reply to Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued.... ]

opinion. I do find it odd that someone who literally only posts once in a blue moon would get so triggered over a post in the AMPHITHEATRE, not the football board. If you don't want to see any of my posts, Tigernet has a button labeled IGNORE. Click that happy thing, and you will never have to be put out by one of my posts about anything ever again. You are welcome.

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^^^Triggered the Lowe's greeter^^^***


Jul 17, 2022, 8:37 AM [ in reply to Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued.... ]



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"Dabo crushed my soul." --- Classof09


This has No Business on TIGERNET


Jul 16, 2022, 8:54 PM

…This is crazy to put something like this out on TIGERNET.
I trust that the Mods will see this and remove it soon.

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#### OFF!!!*******


Jul 17, 2022, 1:54 AM



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See my reply to hotalt above.


Jul 17, 2022, 7:50 AM [ in reply to This has No Business on TIGERNET ]

Thank You.

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So, the moral to the storty is


Jul 17, 2022, 1:50 AM

NEVER, EVER, buy anything but tools and lawnmowers on SALE at Lowe's. NOTHING.

The people are mostly nice and want to help, but either corporate rules or procedures or the person you are dealing with doesn't give a #$&* about you and gets pleasure from jerking you around.

Corporate Lowe's doesn't know you, doesn't WANT to know you and damnn sure isn't gonna talk to you. Your phone calls or trip to Corp. HQ. would have been wasted. Don't ask me how I know.

Stay the hayul out of Lowe's and you'll have a happier, better life with much less aggravation.

I don't knos if Home Depot would be any better. I think it is the nature of 'The Big Box Store Beast'.

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 17, 2022, 8:22 AM

Preach on brother!??

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Re: The Never Ending Lowe's Refrigerator Saga, Continued....


Jul 17, 2022, 8:27 AM

I’ve owned hundreds of rental units for decades and we usually get all of our appliances at Lowes and have never had an issue.

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Was in Lowes today trying to buy some 5/8" x 1" lag screws.


Jul 17, 2022, 11:32 AM

They are the ones loose and you put them in the bag after writing the item number on the bag. Excepts there was no pen. Only a key ring. Went down to the 2nd one. No pen. But this one had a chain on the key ring. Went down to the third and last one. Key ring, chain, and 1/2 of a pen. Not the writing end unfortunately. Found the worker for the are and borrowed his pen. Informed him of the situation. His comment: "well the vendor will be here tomorrow". Find it hard to believe with all the workers milling around that they have no plans to fix the issue until a vendors shows on Monday.

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