Home Depot, Nile, IL - Custom Kitchen Department - $2000 error, expects consumer to pay

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on June 30, 2002:

From:

RE: Home Depot, Niles, IL - Custom Kitchen Department - $2000 error, expects consumer to pay

Home Depot, Niles IL has made a $2000 error and now expects me to pay for their mistake.

Mike Green from the Niles, IL store was helping us design our kitchen. After 5 designs he finally came up with a drawing that was approved by the contractor. I was informed that I had to pay for the material and labor in advance and I gladly complied. I went to the store on Saturday June 1st and Mike Green assured me he was pulling up the correct drawing.

BUT ON THAT SAME DAY HE FAXED TO VALENTINO CONSTRUCTION DRAWING 5 AND BILLED ME FOR DRAWING 4. So I paid for the cabinets and labor in cash. He actually retrieved and charged me for a drawing that was NOT APPROVED by the contractor and this wrong order was processed. Upon delivery of the cabinets it was quite clear that it was the wrong order.

We immediately called the store and Mike Green was on vacation. The Store Manager Ellen Hybaugh simply would not listen to us. She stated to my wife "You have a signed contract, there's nothing we can do"

So my wife went to the store where a gentleman working in the kitchen design department pulled up the history of our order and concluded Mike Green simply sold us the wrong kitchen. He came to this conclusion because the drawing we were sold was not approved by the contractor. This is clearly Mike Green's mistake.

After insulting my wife and myself several times over the phone, Ellen Hybaugh stated since it was clearly our responsibility Home Depot would split the difference with us to make the order right. This is absolutely unacceptable. Why should we pay for Mike Green's absent-mindedness?

All I tried to do was pay for my order and this is how I am treated. Mike Green lacked the professionalism and experience to simply charge us for the right kitchen and know he lacks the integrity to take responsibility for his mistake. Meanwhile I am sitting with a worthless kitchen order totaling $4200 in labor and materials in my garage.

Mike Green goes days without returning my calls and his attention to this matter proves he and Home Depot care very little about customer satisfaction.

I expect this kind of customer service from a convenience store or a used car dealer but not a Home Depot.