After having been diagnosed with Job Burnout and its subsequent PTSD occurrences, I find that, frankly, I am unable to deal with inefficiency of any kind. It's not when a person or a company makes a mistake per se. It's when I can clearly see that an individual or a company has failed to communicate in one or more ways... And, that they rarely, if ever, evaluate the entire set of actions for which the company has performed when would be, in my mind, a very simple act of actually talking to people...
And so it was that, on a recent call with Citi, the individual had little if any interest or knowledge of what had occurred for me, the customer. It was like a broken record, "but you were late..." and had no desire to explore why that occurred, even if I attempted to explain. It was a man, clearly uninterested in what I had to say, no matter what it may have been. You see, the only record he had of the entire purchase activity, was not available or, worse, he did not care about anything other than his own opinions.
So, let's look into why I recommend never shopping at The Home Depot! On January 8th 2024, I went to town to buy a washer. I considered it an emergency given that I'd had no way to wash clothes for weeks and health issues such as incontinence, was a factor in getting a new washer. Note that I had formerly purchased an Electrolux, discovered too late that the company was located out of the country and there was no way to sue or pressure anybody... But that's another story... Everything that happened by Home Depot Staff was done by employees of Home Depot. Here's the details and my impression of what happened.
January 8, 2024, I had never shopped at Home Depot, so had no idea about the store itself. My grounds caretaker drove me in and helped me into the store given that I was still recovering from several operations. I went to find a washer. I had decided to buy a cheaper model, given my experience with the former more expensive machine. The Delivery was scheduled for the 11th. Now here's the first kicker! At NO time did the sales clerk indicate that delivery would be--outside delivery!!!! I learned that at the time of the 3rd delivery attempt!!!
As with most companies these days, the paperwork clipped together was in such small print that I never tried to find a magnifying glass. Note that in red, though, damages must be reported 48 hours of receipt... So, a company who apparently will accept no report of damages, but that would refuse to install and test the product, was demanding that I report within 48 hours of receipt...of a boxed item, sitting in my yard...
But wait, there's more, the delivery was NOT MADE on the 11th as scheduled!!! Now I have NO idea who is supposed to actually ensure that the delivery information that I and my caretaker had clearly discussed, was apparently NOT provided to the scheduling people...
MAJOR COMMUNICATION BREAK AT THIS CRITICAL POINT!
Seriously folks, how in the world can a company sell a machine that required installation, but NOT talk about it to the customer. And when that customer shared about a delivery concern that needed to be addressed, wouldn't you expect that MUST BE IMMEDIATELY passed on before delivery is scheduled. NOT... Let me say with no doubt in my mind that none of the delivery issues I was concerned about was passed on by the sales representative. Why do I know this? Because IF I had actually been given a verbal statement that delivery would be a problem and that they would not install, I simply WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE WASHER! Further, when I was asked to sign a delivery form, I feel I had a right to assume I had been told everything already that I needed to know, since I had brought the subject up myself. Further, On the form where the issues of delivery were stated, I would have been required to 'INITIAL' that I agreed to things that I did not sign/agree to... My first reaction was correct, none of the form that I was being asked to sign was ever brought forth to me and my caretaker at the time of the purchase!
Yes, I admit that I did not read the 5 pages I was asked to sign. But since my signature was clearly hurried on the form that related to delivery since my last name wasn't even completed, I must assume that it was thrown into a packet, stapled, and clearly NOT discussed related to delivery, and more... And, that, I did NOT initial the spot related to conditions, I cannot see how I am liable for any further costs...
MAJOR BREACH OF COMMUNICATION RELATED TO DELIVERY
Especially since the first form says, 'Consumer Credit Account Temporary Charge Pass...' Ok, I may not be the smartest person in the world... But when I see that I've received a temporary pass on charges, based upon my agreement to pay off the account quickly, surely, don't you think, that I have a right to question just who decided one thing...a pass on charges--yet Citi began to charge fees immediately even, in the discussion I had with a Citi representative, he stated that both interest and late fees had been routinely added...
A man had come to help me in the store, although he did little to actually guide my selection. Specifically, he made no effort to explain the pros and cons of individual machines. Finally, I had selected one and began the purchasing process. The washer would cost just over $800,including a 5-year protection plan. I also mentioned that I would be trying to pay it off quickly. He did handle the paperwork fairly well offering a credit card discount, which I accepted.
Here was MY first mistake - Don't Accept a small discount - for a Larger Cost! The fact is that if I had NOT accepted a small discount for a credit card which I never have used, I could have paid my three checks and be done with The Home Depot within 3 months!
He had explained that they had a program for early payoff and I signed an agreement. Note that this agreement stated that I would pay NO interest if paid within...and then a list of options was provided... up to 24 months... I paid the washer off within the first six months!
Apparently, this contract was never to be honored... Completely...
Now let's look deeper at the actual delivery of that washer...
In the store, I and my caretaker clearly explained to the individual (no introduction of himself was ever made) selling the washer that there were delivery issues that had to be addressed. Specifically, I explained that a very large truck would have a problem coming in, explaining about the long winding driveway. I added that trucks about the size of a UPS truck would be ok. I also shared that I had not had access to a washer for weeks and needed delivery quickly (see earlier post on another company selling washers). He assured me that could happen...
The delivery was scheduled. My caretaker was there. The truck was a very large truck. The driver refused to drive in and offered no option to deliver... A card was handed to my caretaker and the truck left! (more on that later...)
Please note that I discovered, just today in pulling all the paperwork merely handed to me, as I write this a delivery statement was included. IF I signed it, I didn't finish my last name... Also, IF I signed it, I would have assumed that all of the issues covered on that statement would have been addressed by the seller. That was not to be the case... Yes, this has been said before, but needs to be repeated... Because that washer was NOT delivered on the 11th because of bad communication within the company. Indeed on that day, I walked outside and called to talk with the delivery people. I talked to a woman that day, explained what had happened, she expressed concern (the only one in this entire fiasco) and told me that there was NOTHING on the delivery about my explanation for adequate truck size preparation...
My caretaker walked up and they had handed him a card to call...to reschedule... Oh Boy, here we go again, phone service would be a problem.
Again, repeating, I searched for my cane, pulled on a coat and went outside. Thankfully, a woman answered. I explained that I was outside and had no paperwork with me...She pulled up the delivery account... Yes, deliveries are still another communication line that I had to deal with. She told me what I already knew... There was NO reference to the fact that I had explained a delivery issue which had needed to be passed on... She scheduled a new date and apologized... (see why I wanted to talk to a woman?)
The schedule time came and went... Another delay... Due to an accident of the delivery truck staff.
Finally, another crew was scheduled. Please NOTE that this crew was 2 men...when they saw the driveway, they got a dolly and brought the washer in and knocked on my door. They had decided not to try the driveway and they walked it in!!!!! In our opinion, the same could have happened by that FIRST deliverymen... In fact, I have no idea whether this crew was told about the long driveway. Obviously, they had the skill, drive and determination to make the delivery on time and they did... IF ONLY THE FIRST MAN HAD DONE WHAT THE THIRD CREW DID WITHOUT EVEN A DISCUSSION!
MAJOR BREAK IN COMMUNICATION REGARDING A POTENTIAL INSTALLATION COST!!!
But, the two men stood at my door and I asked them to go ahead and unpack to bring in to deliver...They told me I had not PAID FOR DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION!
What kind of company sells a washer and won't automatically do the hookup??? Yeah, Home Depot! And $60??? It took no longer than 5 minutes to do the hookup!
Yes, it was the delivery men who, for the first time told me that there was a $60 installation charge!!!!! They showed me where that line item was on the delivery sheet! These two men were very polite and I LATER gave a good reference (these two were the only ones that I was asked to reference, by the way... ASK ME WHY...
BUT they offered to unpack and bring it into my home. Which they did... I apologized that they were getting my angry feelings for not knowing about all of this and told them about the first delivery man not being willing to bring it in just as they did... And thanked them for getting the washer to my home. I showed them where it was to sit...
I recognize that mistakes can be made. Including by me... But in my opinion, far too many mistakes are being made by big corporations who have lost sight that their companies exist ONLY to support their customers! If this company is losing status as stated in the above videos... I hope this account will help others to consider how to proceed... in considering whether to work with this company on any purchase...
Because you know what?
Each Month, I continue to get a bill for money even after the bill was paid off in less than 4 months!!!
At last bill in September, I should be paying $142.00 for...what...?
February 21st Paid $300
March 5th Paid $300
April 16th Paid in Full $239.88
You See, Citi Cards - The Home Depot Account Ending 4950 had entered the financial process... Note that if I HAD NOT ACCEPTED A CREDIT CARD DISCOUNT, I COULD HAVE JUST PAID THE THREE PAYMENTS AND BEEN DONE WITH THIS COMPANY!
Even though I had to wait WEEKS FOR delivery, I paid the total amount in less than 6 months!!! But, hey, Citi started an entirely new process... I was given an agreement to pay early, BUT, IF I DIDN'T PAY BY A CERTAIN DATE I WOULD BE CHARGED--WAIT FOR IT--A LATE FEE!
So, here's the reality of accepting a credit card discount
I got a card that I didn't want!
I was now under control of that credit card--forget about the agreement I had willingly signed... FORGET ABOUT MY INTERPRETATION OF THE STATEMENT: CONSUMER CREDIT ACCOUNT TEMPORARY CHARGE PASS meant that I would be charged nothing but the cost of the washer and repair coverage...
But, NOW, it had to be paid by a certain date... So, folks, I was sent a bill that had a minimum payment... I paid about 10 times the minimum payment... BUT...that didn't make any difference...I missed a date by which THEY WANTED ME TO PAY THAT 10 TIMES THE MINIMUM AMOUNT!
I get the bill. Somewhere along the line, I had paid another $300 BUT, APPARENTLY THEY DIDN'T GET IT BY A CERTAIN DATE...YOU GUESSED IT...A LATE FEE!
I get another bill, finally see the first $300 on the bill and paid it off according to my records... I have the exact records and I am fast-tracking everything here... Finally, I paid $239.88 and specifically wrote on the check to be delivered by my bank...Final Payment
Ahhhh, but the check didn't get into the hands of a clerk somewhere and was posted as being received too late... Now, let's be very clear... Payment by an individual is either through a bank or via mail. Neither of these are controlled by the individual, that is, me. We have NO way to confirm whether a payment is late or not... BUT, that's beside the point, at least in my mind, because I signed an agreement for NO INTEREST!
THAT MEANT THAT IF I PAID THE TOTAL AMOUNT WITHIN THE LENGTH OF THE SELECTED FIRST OPTION OF THE AGREEMENT FOR EARLY PAYMENT, THERE WOULD BE NO COSTS!
NOT!
Home Depot's Citi Credit was NOW in control...
And that last payment...according to them...was late!!!
And you know what? They continued to charge interest on that late payment over and over and over and over...Frankly I couldn't believe that some supervisor had not already found what was happening... Check the records on my account, see my signed agreement and that I had indeed paid it off within a set time... NOT
And with a pass on consumer credit account fees...
You see, The Home Depot exists for you to make long payments. And there is where the money is made, apparently. Because they don't want early payment...In fact, they WANT you to be late, because then they can charge you "fees!"
So, finally, I get a notice...Not a nice one but rather one that threatened me for NOT PAYING FEE UPON FEE UPON FEE UPON FEE UPON FEE AND MANY MORE TIMES...
Now, I am going to digress for a minute to pull in other companies with whom I've been dealing... Verizon and AT&T... Without going into detail about services from either of these companies, I will only state that, I now know why the old ad "Can You Hear Me Now" has been stopped. Because, I finally tried to call this company who had just threatened me; i.e., The Home Depot's Finance Company (as stated on its letterhead).
I was hoping for a female...
I got a male... Who immediately started talking about my not meeting their imposed deadline... They had, apparently, no knowledge, or, rather, they didn't care about the fact that I was under an agreement for no interest if paid quickly... Their only concern was that a certain date that they set (and I, the customer, never agreed to) was when money was to be in their hands... Most of the time I was being told that the man couldn't hear what I was saying... Funny, I heard him... In any event, I talked louder--shouting, actually, trying to make him hear. The call ended. I have NO idea whether it was the phone, he thought I was being irate, or just...didn't...want...to...hear...what...I...had...to...say!
So, on August 30th, they sent me a warning that I might lose their card permanently... DUH... Again, they asked for a Minimum payment of the extra fees that they had, in my opinion, illegally charged since I paid the full amount on April 16th! Yes, you are right, they had been sending bills for late fees on top of late fees since April!!!!!
You know, I just don't have the energy to try to figure out how these companies use fees... Given the lack of communication from the seller, to the delivery people, and then being told by the third deliverymen that there was a fee for installation!!!! And then thinking I had fulfilled my agreement to pay off the account quickly... Only to be told by the credit card side of this activity that I had to abide to a certain date with a MINIMUM payment...while I was paying the full account in 3 months! Well, all I can say is that when I decide whether or not to pay those extra fees, should I bill them for having to PAY somebody to hook up their washer! And, to bill them for the hours of waiting for a delivery...not once, not twice, but three times!
But I think that President Joe Biden has been talking about all of this happening... It HAS to get better!
But how long must we be forced to deal with what I call harassments, embarrassment, and just plain ole weariness of dealing with this type of thing left and right? If it was just one company, the average person could deal with it...But, considering that every single large company has given me headaches and turmoil, I know that I can't possibly be different than the average citizen in the country... And It's Got To Be Stopped!
Years ago, I walked off the job with what I was later to be diagnosed as Job Burnout. My doctor told me it was either my life or my job. I made the decision and worked with the Human Resources Office to take a medical leave. Not once did my boss reach out to me, except when he walked into my office upon my return and asked me to sign a form from Human Resources. You see, I had been cleared to return to work from that leave; however, I had not been placed back into my former position. Human Resources was wanting me to sign and state that I had agreed to that decision by my supervisor. When he came into my office, I refused to sign that statement, stating, it was you that changed things. He responded that he had a right to... I responded, you may think so, but I will not sign that form and had been cleared for return to my position. I also added one of my better zingers after going through what I had, I said very clearly, "You may have had the right to not return me to my position, but you don't have the right to my respect. I will not sign that form."
Today I still have PTSD based upon that last period of my life after having served West Virginia University for over 35 years... Each time I have somebody claim that it was I who chose to do something in what they consider to be the wrong way--that is, the exact way they want it to be, whether it makes sense or not! IF The Home Depot cannot train their first contact to fully explain details to the customer, then they have NOT fulfilled their obligation to that customer.
For instance, when the offer of a discount was made if I signed up for a credit card, don't you think that same individual SHOULD have told me that, if you do, then your early payback with no interest MUST BE PAID BY A DATE SET BY OUR CREDIT CARD PEOPLE?
And, don't you think that since I was clearly talking about delivery issues, that individual HAD to be trained to pass this requirements on to appropriate people... And if that wasn't the seller, then whoever was the person to handle the scheduling should have done their job...
And, don't you think that same individual should have told me there would be an installation of $60 for that job that took a few minutes? No, that would have allowed me to know that, with all these extra fees, I might decide to go to another store--that's the only conclusion I can make that is logical...
I have seen since 2015 a change in the POWER structure of the United States. With a president that cut taxes for large corporations, that new power seems to have gone straight into the corporations who see their customers as "suckers and losers" just as the past president saw anybody who was below him and other millionaires
Not caring that it is those individuals who are the people who could be their customers one day and decide whether or not they want to shop there...
I'm returning the unsigned/unverified credit card unused...
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