The Home Depot, Asheville, NC - trouble with Mill's Pride cabinet order and installation

# 3 for June 17, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on June 16, 2003:

From: Gordon Walters [Email User]

RE: The Home Depot, Asheville, NC - trouble with Mill's Pride cabinet order and installation

Greetings,

I would like to register a complaint of breech of contract against Home Depot, as well as a blatant disregard for customer service against both Home Depot and Mill’s Pride. Each and every transaction that I have had with the two companies, since the purchase of our cabinets, indicates that they are completely incapable or unwilling to properly fulfill their obligations in a timely and professional manner for me. The Home Depot

795 Fairview Rd

Asheville, NC 28803 Mill’s Pride

Sales and Service

250 South Australian Avenue, 13th Floor

West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 Per the Home Depot Special Services order numbers our cabinet purchase was to take 6 days to install, by the installer they would assign. Installation began on November 27, 2002.

During the next month, I had several conversations with the Fairview Rd, Asheville, NC Home Depot, about my misgivings on how the install was progressing, both in appearance and the completion schedule. In mid December, the installer informed me that the job was virtually finished, and requested that I sign off on the PO’s. In response, I requested that the store send a representative, for independent assessment of the problems I saw in the job.

A meeting was set up, and we were asked to compile a punch list of problems. After viewing the installation, the inspector for the HD cabinet department agreed corrections were needed. An appointment was set up to return in early January, with the original installer. Though his return was against our inclination, it was explained that allowing the original installer the opportunity to correct the problems was company policy.

Some of the problems were resolved in early January. The bulk needed to wait until replacements for warped cabinet doors were received from Mill’s Pride, the manufacturer.

This was anticipated to take two weeks, as HD receives orders from Mill’s Pride every week. On January 30th, I reinitiated the process by faxing a notice of dissatisfaction, along with a large, but incomplete list of over 90 outstanding problems.

On Wednesday, February 12, 2003, as requested by Home Depot, I met with Ben Harden of Mill’s Pride, Eddie Roberts, assistant manager of the East Asheville Home Depot store, and Mike Corvino, (the original inspector) also from HD. After taking almost three months to improperly install a 6 day job, despite my many attempts to get this job corrected, the extensive failings of the installation were further confounded with the insult of a plethora of illogical excuses and feeble justifications by the HD store assistant manager and Mill’s Pride representative. A few such examples being: 1) Because our range would not fit into the supposedly standard 30” opening

between the cabinets, I placed a framing square on each side of the cabinets, showing that the “kitchen bar” was not perpendicular to the wall. Despite seeing this evidence, they repeatedly insisted that the cabinet installation was correct, and the cabinets were merely “following the wall”. 2) I should be content with the fact that the install was less than precise

(doors and drawers out of square to the frames of the cabinets, for example), because a very exact installation would not remain so over time. 3) The assistant manager went so far as to attempt to completely discount

the installation complaints by proclaiming that my discontent was not with the installation, but with the installer. This is a small sampling from well over an hour that made almost no effort to resolve any of the project’s shortcomings. One of the few positive results of the meeting was that a few warped and damaged doors would be replaced by Mill’s Pride. At this point, I decided to contact Home Depot corporate office, via email (Feb. 16). Of course, my initial email resulted in an automated response (signed Ben Hill). Feb. 17, I got another email, this time signed by a member of the HD ‘Customer Care Department’.

This note assured me that someone from corporate would be in touch. After hearing no more for the next two weeks, I attempted to reply to the personalized email, getting only the aggravation of another standard ‘Ben Hill’ response. Over the next two months, Mike Corvino did reduce the impact of a number of installation failures, modifying them to make them less noticeable, squaring up some doors and drawers.

Not all issues could be resolved since some items would require major removal and reinstallation. After such a long delay, the floors and ceilings were now finished and such an overhaul held considerable potential for damaging the surrounding finish work. The primary delay over these two months was the repeated failures of Mill’s Pride to send correct, or undamaged doors. Time after time, we received the wrong style of door, the wrong finish, doors that had nothing at all to do with our job. One would think that after a customer has encountered a three-month delay, every effort would be taken to expedite the half dozen doors needed to complete the job.

Finally, after five months, we came to the best possible resolution of the job failures, without tearing out half our kitchen to recover from the errors at the base of the installation. It was agreed that some monetary reimbursement would be the most cost and time efficient correction. For another month, I called the store manager at least once each week. Each call would conclude with the manager saying, “I will call you back in a couple of hours”, or “Someone from the home office will be giving you a call.” At the end of the next week, I would call again, and receive another dubious justification for no contact.

After 6 months of endless phone calls, aggravation, stress, and time lost just to result in a job of lesser standard than I contracted, it is my opinion that my account should be refunded no less than the full amount of the charge for labor on the job, $2480.75. This is a minor concession for the job failings and my lost time. Home Depot’s offering was consistently less, or for store credit. Since I never again open myself to such an experience, by doing further business with either firm, store credit is not a resolution, but further insult.

Regards, Gordon

Comment On This

We bought our Mills Pride cabinets from HD in Jantzen Beach,Oregon, We did not have one in our town in WA State.

THe Sales people were great, We brought home all the cabinets and doors for one wall at a time and we installed them ourselves. Other than several pullouts with chrome metal rims that came broken and we had to replace them, we were satisfied with the cabinets, We did purchase them because of the guarantee, Now that they are no longer making the cabinets and I think are out of business. I am still satisfied with the product. We knew putting a new kitchen in with the kind of cabinets we could afford was the way to go at the time, We did a 14 x 14 kitchen, a laundry room, a bathroom and a craft room with these cabinets, all installed buy us. Our total price for all the cabinets was less then $6000.00 It has been 11 years and they still look good. I think the problem with the above person is that he had a bad installer. We have watched This Old House for over 25 years and we learned alot and one thing we learned is how to install cabinets correctly.

Pam

Comment On This

I'm looking to replace a broken door does anyone know of someone with stock or can make a look a like custome door?

I tried the website listed somewhere here www.skb-kitchens.com it was blank of any product.

Thanks

Ed

www.visitmylongisland.com

Comment On This

Mills Pride is comming back with its new website http://www.millspridekitchens.com

Comment On This

Mill's Pride cabinets are no longer available at Home Depot. If you need replacement parts I found this great website http://www.skb-kitchens.com where you can order extra parts and same doors styles as mill's pride cabinets.

Comment On This

Sounds like a case of the singer and not the song. My husband and I purchased MillsPride cabinets from Home depot in Florida and had them shipped to our island home in the Cayman islands. Together, we assembled and installed the cabinets.

That was six years ago and our cabinets still look great. Have had many comments of surprise that they are not solid wood, high end cabinets.

Comment On This

I think one of the previous responses sums it up- Mills pride is for the cheapskate (such as myself).

I purchased $2500.00 of these cabinets for an extensive renovation in our 100 year old farm house. I did so with the explicit knowledge that these were the LOW END product and that I needed to assemble them out of the box. Most importantly, I installed them myself with limited experience hanging cabinets and such (let alone the lack of square/level/plumb in the house). I did have some issues with parts out of the box, however a call to mills pride and they FedEx'd the replacement to me immediately. Ultimately, i am happy with the outcome.

I think your barking up the wrong tree on this one in regard to the resolution you are expecting.

I agree with the basic concept that you had a problem with the installer- and unfortunately that is about it.

Home Depot is glad to take our money, but once they have it that is that. They sub contract the installer, so your legal recourse would be with the sub. Your other recourse would be directly with Mills Pride- as it appears you have done already. This is the "buyer beware" element

I would suggest you contact someone at the state level where you live (perhaps attorney general) for guidance. Your installer should be licensed by the state to do business (if not, then more recourse via Home Depot). There usually are rules and regulations to protect the consumer when receiving sub contractor services. Unfortunately, you may find that you aren't the first person to file a complaint against them, and the potential action might bring about an interest on their part to resolve the issue.

Good luck!

Comment On This

Gordon:

I am surprised to hear you have had such a problem with Home Depot I have had contract work with them, I have also had

installers that broke my front window twice before they finally got it right. They did a beautiful job on a very good window product.

I also ordered a complete set of cabinets so I could overhaul my kitchen. All parts arrived on time, only one item was damaged and promptly replaced.

To properly install cabinets you must be absolutely sure they are level and inline properly. Your eye can tell if there is a problem. Even though my house is very crooked and the kitchen dimensions were not the same anywhere you measured. Which meant great care must be taken to ensure everything lines up. Otherwise the drawers & doors will not line up properly. My wife was really happy with her new kitchen, she had chosen white, (plastic coated which is easy to clean and doesn't stain). I being a semi-amateur felt pretty good about the results too. It may seem challenging but if you have the time I think most people can do a decent installation. Not too bad for a crippled vet with only one good working arm, the other being damaged and very limited mobility. If I can do it, so can you. I only tool that I used was a battery operated drill which also drives screws. Handsaw & some misc tools, I did not install fancy cabinet tops. I used HD's selection right off the rack. It looks pretty good, not top grade but hell no one notices. Regards Jim

Comment On This

Hey pain aren't Mills Pride Cabinets made in Ohio, not China?

Comment On This

This sounds like the typical Home Depot. They are all this way.

I have Mills pride cabinets in my kitchen and LOVE them. They are perfect for our budget! They are sturdy and look really great! I love them and will put them in every house I will own in the future! They are perfect!

We had a couple doors we screwed wrong and a couple drawers that were chipped, but we called Mills Pride direct and they were so friendly. They shipped new product to us without question and without any charge to us. (we recieved it within days) They were great to deal with, even to this day two years later if one was chipped they still replaced it free.

Great cabinets, great company.

It is Home depot that sucks and needs to be out of business. They are worthless and have no business being in business. Everyone should boycot them and maybe they will have to close their doors. Support your local lumber yards for great service, or deal directly with manufactures.

Comment On This

no home,condo or construction is square or plumb which leaves a problem for all carpenters when dealing with uniform cabs. yes these cabs are low end but know that high end installs have the same ghosts of unseen situations. a good installer can make a millspride box cab look like thomasville if he is not rushed or underpaid for install.

i suggest talking with installer before the job and make sure he is knowledgeable.it helps if he speaks your language.bob ft myers bch

Comment On This

I too bought Mills pride from Home Depot

It took them three weeks to get here, so I didn't have a kitchen for that long. When they did get here, the cabinets were flattened down and I had to build them myself. They said they told me I would have to do this, but I was not aware of this. I even went to the web site of the manufacturer and it did not say anywhere that the cabinets would come broken down in a box. I wish I would have gone with another company.

TheWallcabinets areso flimsy I dont believe they will stay on the wall for long

I know a little about LOAD BEARING and I dont trust theseawll cabinets

Any part of the cabinet that lays against the wall is madeof cardboard.

Home depot told me to return them, no problem.

We shall see...

Comment On This

I am not at all surprised to see you had this experience. Things have not changed since your post.

I purchased an entire kitchen full of Mills Pride Four seasons in stock cabinets starting in the summer of 2007. The number of instances where sales people were either rude or unhelpful is countless. I have traveled across Long Island to various stores to try and put together a complete kitchen. I am still waiting on toe kicks and it now approaching November. I was told by a kitchen department manger that the pieces would be ordered.

I stopped into customer service only to be told nothing was ordered. I have spent aproximately 5,000.00 in merchandise during the course of this project, and have made them aware of this. I have every receipt to prove it, yet they still are completely unwilling to help. I was told to order it from a "mom and pop shop". They will never tell you "no" but they will wear you down with incompetence.

Things I have a MAJOR problem with:

I have had my car damaged by their employees during loading of a countertop - Only to find it was also the last one in stock-had to return the entire order.

Employee scanned the wrong receipt causing me to have an invalid or "used" receipt during another necessary return. Then was accused of stealing the item. I had to wait till the following day for them to review the tapes by the "risk management team"

I eventually got the money I was owed, but never have been so humiliated.

Stop and think before you spend a great deal of money with these jokers.

Stay away from Home Depot!

Comment On This

Mill's pride is designed for the cheap skate jerk who thinks he can have a kitchen for 50% less than what a cabinet company would normally charge. YOU got what you deserved. You want cheap crap -you get cheap crap. I have no sympathy for you whatsoever. You are THE ONE AND ONLY REASON we are losing our skilled jobs and manufacturing base to China. I love your pain!!!