Precisioncountertops

My business ordered a countertop from Sherwood Home Depot, which they sub-contracted with Precision Countertops.

We requested they visit the job site to ensure they could produce the counters to specification. We specifically requested "No Seams" in the laminate counters, as the 30 year old original counters DID NOT have seams.

We were told by Sherwood Home Depot, that a non-refundable fee of $200 was required for Precision to visit the job site for a 5 minute visit! So, not wanting to throw away $200, we sent photographs and dimensional drawings to both Sherwood Home Depot and Precision Countertops.

We had to continually push to get any information from Precision regarding the seam question. It always came down to paying the $200 non-refundable fee for a site visit or pay Sherwood Home Depot the full price up front so Precision could schedule a visit. We should have known better, as we have never in all our years of business, had any company demand what Precision Countertops and Sherwood Home Depot was demanding.

Sherwood Home depot then told us to deal with Precision directly. We were given a contact phone number and name. We called Precision and got the exact same information from the exact same script. Pay the $200 non-refundable fee or pay the full amount up front and wait for their "templater" to visit the site and give a final decision on the seam question.

So, after more than a week to get this information, we decided to pay for the entire job up front and have Precision send out a "templater" who would tell us if it could be done without seams.

I asked Sherwood Home Depot what the process was if Precision decided that it would require seams; at which point we would cancel the job. I was told they would issue our company a full refund. Since the rental home belonged to a Home Depot Manager, we assumed it would get a higher level of attention.

Reluctantly, we paid the nearly $2,000 up front. Within 24 hours, the funds were removed from our business account. Almost immediately, I received a forwarded email from Sherwood Home Depot, in which Precision Countertops stated they could not produce the counters without seams! Even though the original 30 year old counters did not have seams! Magically, they rendered this decision after weeks of refusing to visit the site or respond to the photographs and drawings. Amazing how fast they can respond AFTER pulling $2,000 from your bank account!

Upon receiving that email from Precision Countertops (via Sherwood Home Depot), we immediately requested a full refund and were told it would "take 7-10 days to process... maybe longer because of COVID." The funds were electronically removed from our business account within 24 hours with COVID!

It's now been 21 days, as of today, and not a word about our money. Sherwood Home Depot refuses to respond to our emails. They transferred me to their store manager, who then hangs up without speaking to me.

We called the Home Depot Corporate Customer Service number and, after nearly 30 minutes, were told they would get back to us within 3 days! In the interim, we have filed a dispute with our bank, who is working on a fraud case. They will replace the funds and then go after Sherwood Home Depot for full restitution. Sherwood Home Depot called us after the dispute was filed and requested we drop the dispute. However, we have been advised by our bank not to dismiss the dispute until we actually have the funds in hand, so the case is proceeding.

We have full receipts, emails, bank statements, etc. Neither company has a leg to stand on! We told Sherwood Home Depot and Precision Countertops that this is EXACTLY what we wanted to avoid by having someone visit the site for 5 minutes and render a decision.

So, if you are considering ordering counters from Precision Countertops and/or Sherwood Home Depot (or ANY Home Depot for that matter) think long and hard about it. If they will treat a business that is working on their Manager's rental property this way, how will they treat you?

BUYER BEWARE!

UPDATE 2/22/22

My bank just informed me that Federal Regulations prevent them from completing a Dispute for any transaction that was not completed with a Credit/Debit Card.

Sherwood Home Depot refused to take the business card and insisted on a company check, which they immediately processed electronically and stapled to the invoice. Now I know why!

They know that banks are hamstrung on Disputes when they insist on company or personal checks. This allows them to do whatever they want to do when it comes to issuing refunds.

I received a voice mail from Sherwood Home Depot, stating they had mailed the refund... to an address on the far side of the city, on the edge of the Urban Growth Boundary and about as far away from our address as you can get and still be in the city!

Now they need to wait to see if their check clears and prove that we didn't get it or cash it! We have emails where we told them from the very beginning, that the address they were using was incorrect and even had them correct it AGAIN at the desk of the associate doing the order... and they still "allegedly" mailed it to the wrong address!

The level of incompetency or outright dishonesty is mind-boggling! So, now it has to go the legal route.

Be warned: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER do business with Home Depot and if you do... ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use a Debit/Credit Card... no matter how hard they insist on a check!