Why I hate Home Depot Canada. PS> Thanks for nothing, UPS.

2013 was supposed to start out better. After seeing an apartment size washing machine at a friend’s house, who spoke highly of it, I thought I would also get one. I spent New Year’s Day reviewing prices online, and settled on Home Depot Canada, because they were a reputable business and the price was right. Or so I thought. I placed the order later the same day. 

On January 2, I received an order confirmation email with an estimated delivery date of January 9. Fine. Wednesday, January 9 rolls around, I receive no email, no telephone call. I call the 1-800 number after work, and speak to someone who told me it had left the depot, gave me an updated estimated delivery date of Monday, January 14 and said I should expect a shipping confirmation email either later that day or the following day. It never came. After work on Monday, January 14 I called Home Depot’s 1-800 number again. This time the CSR told me my item was back-ordered, that they were expecting 24 to be delivered to ‘the depot’ and that I could expect it probably the following Tuesday (January 22). I queried why the person I spoke to the week before didn’t say anything about a back-order when I spoke to her. The CSR had no answer to that. So what if I was lied to. Asked me lamely if I had received a voice mail from Home Depot earlier in the month. Apparently, the mumbled phone call I got on January 9 that had started with “unfortunately you ordered an item from Home Depot” was a notification to say my machine had been back-ordered. If that was the case, why didn’t the CSR I spoke to a few hours later on January 9 have the same information? 

Nothing to be done, I waited some more. On January 17 I finally receive the shipping confirmation email from Home Depot! I read it. I re-read it. No tracking number. Time to call the 1-800 again! This time, I got a tracking number, the same information the Home Depot CSRs have, the rep tells me brightly. Yay. After 3 phone calls to Home Depot, misinformation, best guesses, and 15 days of waiting, here endeth the Home Depot Canada of the tale.

Armed with my trusty Tracking Number, I have a look-see at UPS.com. My package was scanned in Ontario on Thursday, January 17. When I got home after work on Wednesday, January 23 I had the yellow slip I’d been waiting for on my mailbox. I called the 1-800 for more information: 1st delivery was attempted at 1:26 pm and driver would try again on Thursday “between 2 pm and 5 pm”. I tried to change the time – no success. I spoke with an agent because I had a meeting Thursday afternoon. Not to worry, she said. If you don’t catch him tomorrow, you’ll catch him the next day. We make three attempts. I thought, I’ve been waiting for this thing for THREE weeks at this point, I’m not waiting any longer. 

I left work early on Thursday, January 24 and was home by 1 pm (he had been there the day before at around 1:30 pm so I thought, just in case he’s a little early, I’ll catch him. I checked the annunciator panel (where all the buzzers are for units in my building) and my mailbox (where the notice had been affixed) and the general lobby area (floor to ceiling windows). Nothing. I went upstairs to wait. I went downstairs at around 2 pm. Still nothing. I went again between 3 and 4. Still nothing. I checked again around 5. Nope. It’s okay, I thought. The rep from the night before had said they deliver as late as 7 pm. I went down again at 6 pm. Nada. Then, on a whim, I went down at 6:40. There was a notice. I called the 1-800 number. The machine tells me delivery had been attempted at 11:48 AM. BUT THERE WAS NO NOTICE ANYWHERE ON OR NEAR THE DOOR! I speak to an agent who told me it was a quarter to seven and that I really could have called earlier to get any results. I told her, if I’d received the notice any earlier, don’t you think I would’ve called you earlier? I could’ve made my meeting, I could’ve gone back to work and not wasted a half day waiting for the door to ring that was never going to ring that day, if he even rang then and if so, why did it take 6 hours for a delivery notice to materialise? Was he on the way back to the depot and saw the notice and swung by my house really quick? I call bullshit. I refused to accept that as a second attempt at delivery. The rep escalates my call and I am to hear back from the dispatch office in the morning. And why the hell was he at my house a full TWO AND A HALF HOURS before he said he would be.

Friday, January 25 at quarter to eight the dispatcher called. She had no new information for me but I got to explain the entire previous day to her. Said she would speak to the driver after he came in at quarter to 9ish and would call me back, which she did. She had no answers to my question as to why the time delay on the delivery notice but said he would’ve been by early because Air packages need to be delivered by 1 pm and there were some for my building and he can’t come back again for a Ground package but that he’d be by between 10 and 1130 am that morning. I said fine, but can I count on his help getting the machine to my apartment because it weighs 75 pounds and my building doesn’t have an elevator. She said okay. I mentioned the weight of the package on each of those phone calls and the fact that I needed help because I’m on the third floor and each time no protest was raised. I got ready for work and waited. 

At around 11 am the doorbell rings. I answer it, it’s the delivery guy. Finally! I buzz him in and let him know the door to the staircase is across the front door. Right. A few minutes later he buzzes again - maybe the buzz-in didn't take, it happens. I let him in again. I wait. After a few minutes, I go to the staircase. I don’t hear anything. Fearing the worst, I run downstairs, see my parcel (it’s as high as my chest), the front door is closed, and I hear the sound of a diesel engine starting up. I opened the door to holler at the driver to stop, yanking the carpet out the door so I had a doorstopper to get back inside (I had run out without my keys). The driver, maybe 30 years old, didn’t turn the engine off so I had to talk loudly while standing in the middle of the road. Aren’t you going to help me upstairs? Blah, blah, Home Depot installation will do that. Installation? I didn’t order any installation. I cleared it with your dispatch. Well, more blah, blah, I’m by myself. And? I’m by myself as well and you’re expecting me to get along just fine. Look at me. Blah, blah, it’s too heavy. We’re not supposed to lift more than 70 pounds. And you think I can? I talked to your dispatch, you’re supposed to help me. He drove away and left me standing there in the middle of the street. He didn’t apologise, didn’t offer the use of a dolly which I’m sure he had with him (health & safety and all), because this man with a trim build looking to be in good enough health likely did not lift it any more than the minimum requirement necessary to dump it in my building’s lobby – no effort at co-operation, hey let’s do it together (that way no one has to do all the lifting). Bubkas. 

I’m sure if I’d offered him money, he would’ve jumped down from his cab quick enough or if I were young, 5’8” and weighing 100 lbs I wouldn’t be writing. I’m not - and that doesn't make me any less of a customer. By the way, when UPS weighed the package, it came in at 72.6 lbs. I dead lifted it. All the way up to my front door. You’re welcome. 

I drove to work and called the UPS 1-800 again, this time to lodge a complaint and gave them the entire story. The CSR typed away and said I would hear from the local office. After that phone call, I still felt beyond stressed - I thought I might throw up. The local office called just after noon to acknowledge they got the complaint. Not a whole lot more as the driver hadn’t returned from his rounds, but I would hear back from them before 7 pm. Oh, they did mention it would go on his record. Oh, goody. Since then, he’s falsified the record some more:
Richmond, BC Canada   01/25/2013   10:51 A.M. The customer was not available on the 1st attempt. A 2nd attempt will be made.    

So, essentially, UPS isn’t even confirming delivery? Great – does that mean I get to carry another 72.6 pounds all by myself? 

Update: Friday, 8 pm. UPS did not call back. Have posted on their Facebook pages and on Twitter. No response. Not surprised.  
Update: Saturday, 5:00 pm. No phone call from UPS. No response via social media channels. Ran to hardware stores (both Home Hardware and Home Depot) for casters for my washer, no joy. With online only sales, HD doesn't carry "parts", I was told (it's not like I was looking for a belt drive, I need wheels for a product you sell!) Did some online searching. Apparently, the HD ones are NOT the ones to get because they're plastic and break easily (just what you want when the thing attached to them weighs 70 lbs plus water plus wet clothes), so placed an online order with Lowe's. It's either that or drive an hour to Queensborough and back. I've wasted enough time on this.
February's "to-be-fair" update: Home Depot will be using this experience as a 'teaching case' and updating some things on supply chain, etc. The rep in Toronto I spoke to had to laugh in spite of himself at the ridiculousness of it all. Home Depot gave me a choice of a $75 gift certificate (in-store only) or a credit against my credit card. Predictably, I chose the latter. UPS delivered an apology card from the driver and a bouquet of flowers. There had been some talk of a $50 credit on-file at UPS for which I was to be given a code in order to access, but nothing came of it. 


Here endeth the saga.