Okay, so about 6 years ago, I bought my first riding lawnmower. I have about an acre to mow and using a push mower was a nightmare, so I made the plunge for a $1000 riding mower from Lowes. It lasted 5 years. So last summer I bought another from Lowes, and first time I tried to use it, it dug into the ground. I called Lowes, and after sending the mower to my "nearest service center" 35 miles away in another town, they said the would not honor my warranty because the blade was bent. The fact that the blade was cutting into the ground first time I used it (and on the highest setting) didn't seem to be a factor to them. So I was out about $200 for a new blade. I used it a couple of times, it seemed to be okay, although still cutting way too close to the ground and has almost no power when going uphill. I call Lowes service, but an unhelpful manager named "Chris" simply tells me they're not going to fix it. I put it away in disgust for the winter.
So this spring, I dug it back out, and boom, the blade goes right into the ground again, and it's just not able to climb even small inclines. Throughly pissed off, I call Lowes and ask for their legal department, as I'd like to know who to put on the paperwork for small claims court. To make a long story short, I finally get some results after a few painful conversations with management and one coming out to my house to inspect the mower. The mower seemed to be fixed, although there was no mention of refunding what I paid a month into having the mower. "Fine", I thought. At least it's fixed.
So today I get the damn thing out to mow my grass after the recent rain, and the blade scalps my grass again. I call the manager at Lowes again, who acts like he's done me some massive favor in the past, and he keeps repeating, "I don't know what else I can do." He said this at least 4 but not more than 5 times in our brief conversation. But he finally offers to come "look at it" tomorrow. I can see where this is going already.
After reflecting upon the conversation, and staring at my scalped front lawn that I pay TruGreen $650 a year (and that's cheap) to treat, I feel my temperature rising and I call him back. I told him I'm going to go ahead and file in small claims court tomorrow, and if he fixes my mower I'll drop the case. Apparently, I hurt his little bitty pride, because he then says if I'm going to threaten him, then he's not even going to come look at it. What do people have to be full of shit? I can see this is a game he's playing. His problem is that he doesn't realize that I'm serious. I don't need this headache. Rather than have him waste an hour of my time squawking about how he can't fix it, and how, although it's not even a year old yet, it's not covered under Lowes warranty, and how they'll have to eat the cost because it's just under manufacturer warranty, blah, blah, blah... I'd just as soon sue his ass in small claims court and recoup the full cost of the mower, the repairs I've put into it while it's been under warranty, and maybe even reseeding costs to repair my lawn. I've been to small claims court twice, and won both times. It's incredibly easy to win when you're in the right. It really is. I guess he thought I was just bluffing. Maybe he was hoping I'd start begging him to come look at it. Wrong answer, pal. By the end of the conversation, he agreed to just refund my money. Oh, hell. Now I really am worried because I have no idea where my receipt is! lol
People amaze me. They really do. If you sell a product, stand by that product. I can't count the thousands of dollars I've put into Lowes in the last 7 years that I've owned this house. Just offhand, I spent $2500 on windows, $1500 on custom blinds, $13000 on kitchen cabinets, another $4400 on a quartz countertop, $500 on my front door and lock set, another $600 on a side door, $1000 on my first (crap) riding mower (oh wait, am I supposed to call it a "lawn tractor" so that it seems more worthy of that $1000?), and now under $1000 on this second (even crapier) riding mower.
The $400 front door is peeling, and Lowes also didn't want to cover that. I walk into the place and see a sign that says "lifetime warranty on fiberglass doors", and I immediately think, "I wonder how they'll try to get out of this one?" Sure enough, the door guy says it isn't covered under warranty because I'm supposed to wipe it down with mineral oil. I ask for the documentation that's supposed to be handed out, because I don't recall getting any, and he says, "Oh, there's none. I just try to tell everyone." I said I don't remember you from 6 years ago when I bought my door. He responds that he's only been there two years. So what the hell? Am I supposed to just "know" that my door must be wiped down or else I have no warranty? And I won't even go into detail on my 4 picture windows that were installed side-by-side, and the redneck installer that Lowes sent made them all 4 different sizes so that they look zig-zagged across the outside of my house, or how the first door installer put the door in, caulking the weatherstrip to the door in an attempt to hide the fact that the door seal was terrible (light shined through all around the brand new $600 install).
This whole mess reminds me of the power company that tells you it's impossible for them to stop a disconnect unless you come in and pay the bill "right now." When you finally impress upon them that you're at work and can't come right now, and tell them to just cut it off, they say they can wait for payment. (Yes, in the youth of my early 20s, I had just that situation occur.) They LIE, trying to manipulate you into whatever it is they want, and only give in when they realize you can't or won't bend to their will.
It's like the tree cutting guy who knocks down your tv cable and when you inquire about it, he says, "Hell, maybe chipmunks chewed it in half." (Yes, another true quote.) This story has a happy ending, though. I told him I wanted it fixed, and the next thing I knew, the tv cable place came by and fixed it, but wondered how the "anonymous caller" knew the line was down when you couldn't see it from the road.
Lowes sucks, sucks, sucks, sucks. I am just sorry that Home Depot is closing down in my small town. Even though they probably suck just as bad, at least it was competition. Still, I'm done with Lowes. The stuff I've bought, even though hawked as though it's high quality, has been crap, and the only way I can get them to stand behind their products is to fight with them about it. That's not how I want to spend my evenings. I don't enjoy that. Hell, if I wanted that kind of torture, I'd go talk to a car salesman about buying a new car.
Lowes, I hope you read this. I want real customer service. You guys suck.
