HomeDepot.com (online) Customer Service Is Terrible-- Avoid buying from the online store!

I have purchased a refrigerator from the HomeDepot.com online store in September 08. The fridge is good, but the description of it online did not match the actual model. The online description was for a 25cu ft fridge which had better options and more of them the one I purchased at 23 cu ft. The fridge was over $2300.

I called HomeDepot.com customer service and spoke to a manager and was promised 5% refund the next day and a $100 gift card in a couple of weeks. What followed was about 6 phone calls from me to during a course of 3 months, trying to get homedepot.com customer service to follow through. It seemed like they sounded helpful, but in the end would do nothing. The manager was not reachable for a long time. Leaving voicemails would never get a return phone call, asking to speak to a manager and they'd always be busy; Seemed like their whole call center was 10 people at the most.

Finally, after a few months, I was able to reach the manager and got my 5% refund. However, the $100 gift card still took about 3 more phone calls to get. Finally, they just overnighted it to me.

One more thing. The homedepot.com also had a delivery rebate program at that time. The $69 delivery charge would be rebated with a gift card following the rebate submission.

I submitted my rebate online immediately after my purchase. All was fine until I received an email after about 2 months saying my submission was declined because I never made the purchase. I called their customer service (which is different than the above customer service I was dealing with). They told me that my submission was declined because I submitted it within minutes of the purchase and their system was not build to handle that scenario. They cleared my rebate and said I'd get the card in 4-6 weeks. A month passed and I called again. Apparently, again, the system flagged the submission and I needed to resubmit. I described what happened and they again said they cleared it and will get the card in 4-6 weeks, but most likely in 2 weeks. Another month had passed and looks like their rebate processor went bankrupt. Now someone else is doing it. I called and asked for a manager. I was giving a supervisor who told me I need to mail in my submission. It's been about 4 months now. I guess I'll keep calling until I get my money.

In closing, I understand that everyone is talking about the economy these days. However, I think now, more than ever, when people are not sure about spending their money, the customer service should be #1 priority for businesses. With all the trouble I went through with homedepot.com and all the time I wasted on the phone with them, I will NEVER buy from their online store again. I hope if you have gotten this far in my story, you will support me in avoiding homedepot.com.

FYI, items purchased online can not be returned to the store. The online store is apparently a different entity.

P.S. I shop at the physical stores of Home Depot all the time and will continue to do so. Their staff is very helpful and the customer service is great. This post is strictly regarding the ONLINE store.