Home Depot  and Lowe's versus The Local Contractor.

If your product fails from The Big Two, Who do yo call?

Try there customer service........

First they have forced all the smaller customer service oriented stores out of business. This forces all of us to go to the big two.  I find myself having no place else to go. I'm forced to go there because there is no other hardware stores in Town anymore. Ever try getting help? Need something thats out of reach on the shelfs? How about the delivery charges?

Got a minute  maybe a month?  Read some Home Depot Complaints on the web just one of thousands of pages. Think Lowes is better Read some Lowes Complaints.

Do you ever wonder why Home Depot and Lowe's can sell products so cheap?

Scroll down view the pictures to find out why there products are less expensive.

It's easy the manufacturers are forced to cut corners to sell at Home Depot and Lowe's prices, all manufacturers have 2 lines one for professionals and another for the big stores, they even produce there own product numbers for the big stores so that the big stores don't have to price match, as they will tell you " that's not the same model number we only match price for the same model number" I find this just another way that the big stores are forcing themselves upon us. You buy an item that says it's Lifetime warranty, they tell you bring it back we will replace it for free. Here's an example you go to the big stores buy an toilet or a faucet, "Lifetime Warranty" you call me to install it, I come out and install it, it fails in a couple of months you call me back to remove the product, pay me a service call for that. Then YOU RETURN THE PRODUCT to the big store, call me back to install the product and pay me again. You have now paid 3 times as much for service that you should have. Is that a "Lifetime Warranty"? Another example you select a product from my company, I purchase it, pick it up arrive and install it, if it fails I replace it for free, no extra service calls etc. So read the fine print when they say "Lifetime Warranty"

Home Depot and Lowe's water heaters have to be returned to the store BY YOU if they let go in the warranty period, you pay someone to install it, uninstall it and install it again. Purchase a heater from my company, if it goes during the warranty I show up with a new one for a one time manufactures paperwork charge of $50.00. You don't have to return the heater to the store pay for it to be reinstalled etc.

They also specialize in closeouts, they buy several freight cars of a discontinued product.

They will special order you anything as long as you pay 100 percent up front, leaving you with no choice but to hope you get the right product in a timely matter. I had 1 customer order a kitchen sink, twice the wrong one arrived after we removed her old sink, she was 2 months without a sink.

Even worse use one of the big stores installers that they offer, they are subcontractors that don't work for the big stores they are totally independent. They are shoddy craftsmen. Don't believe me do a goggle search Home Depot installer complaints, or just click this link it's just one of several thousands, http://www.my3cents.com/companyReview.cgi?compid=412&subcat=5

make sure you have a week or so to devote time to read all the complaints. You call the big stores and complain about your installer and get no satisfaction whatsoever, I have acquired many new customers due to the so called professional installers. Your Local Contractor is Here Today and Will be Here Tomorrow when you have a problem. TRY THAT AT THE BIG STORES!

Whether you use me for your Plumbing or Reemodeling job please look closely at the big stores and compare if you are getting what you think you should. Are you getting Apples for Apples or Prunes for the price of Apples?

I hope this has educated you for any future remodeling projects your thinking of.

Thanks for your time,

Tony Coppola

TonyThePlumber@comcast.net

"Your Local Plumbing Contractor"

Pictured here is the bottom of a toilet.Pictured here is the bottom of a toilet. (underside) Notice The Rough Beige areas inside the boxes, these were cracks that happened while they made the toilet. They then wipe Hot Porceline on it after. Package it and sell it as a second, or reduced price to the big box stores. I have run into 10 plus in the last 5 years. The toilet will last 1-3 years. Thats what they want so you will go back and buy another. This toilet I took out of a customers house after only 2 years. The more you sit on it the more the cracks begin to open up.

The Toilets that I supply come with a 3 year 100% Parts and labor guarantee. If I can't fix it I replace it. In the last 6 years I have not had to repair or replace one of the toilets I have supplied.

5 factory repaired cracks! They sell this to you as NEW!

Notice a difference? This is one of the toilets I supply, nice smooth not rough, no cracks You truly do get what you pay for when I supply the fixtures!