Expo - Home Depot's Expo store, Braintree, MA - hardwood floor installed incorrectly - 3.5 months later, got refund - repeated visits by Expo employees, contracters and independent inspectors

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RE: Expo - Home Depot's Expo store, Braintree, MA - hardwood floor installed incorrectly - 3.5 months later, got refund - repeated visits by Expo employees, contracters and independent inspectors

I purchased a hardwood floor at Home Depot's Expo store in Braintree, Massachusetts and subsequently had one of their contracters install the floor on Feb 24 and 25 of 2003.

On August 9 of 2003 I awoke to find that across the entire width of the floor three of the boards had pulled up and were in a pyramid shape in the center of the room. And so began a 3.5 month nightmare that ended today (November 24), when my money was finally refunded....(of course I am walking on plywood so the nightmare isn't quite over).

I was assured that everything would be taken care of, I "have nothing to worry about." What transpired was 3.5 months of repeated visits by Expo employees, contracters, and independent inspectors. I was assured that the independent inspectors report would be the final word in determining if there was installation error, which is covered for a year by Expo.

The inspector found that while the moisture level in my floor was slightly higher than normal, the problem was caused by inadequate expantion room, as the installer placed the boards too close to the wall on all sides. Now of course I only know what the report says because a sympathetic employee allowed me to read it in the store. It is actually against Home Depot policy to let costumers read this report.

The manager, not knowing that I had read the report suggested to me that based on the report in was the feeling of the Expo management that I file a home owner insurance policy claim as they had no responsibility for the damage to the floor. As soon as I informed him that I knew what the report said he backpeddaled and said he would have to get back to me.

Tens of unreturned messages, too numerous to count trips into the store,(since no one would return my calls). That is the treatment I recieved from Expo. It was only after threatening legal action that I got any satisfaction. Even the people in the corporate consumer section were unhelpful.

And to add insult to injury, never did anyone say they were sorry this had happened.

So now I am left to cancel plans to have family over for the holidays, as I have dirty plywood on my kitchen floor.

Good thing Lowes moved into town.....

SB