home depot and oil tanks

ed wallace

I was in the Home Depot in Waltham Ma today and saw they now sell oil tanks now thats scary just what the industry needs Know it all home owners installing oil tanks and oil fired boilers with out any training

Unknown

I think

That there is a very limited number of homeowners who would try to install an oil tank , let alone a boiler and oil tank . Theres just too much expertice needed - knowlege in soldering , wiring , flaring ( maybe ) - We have seen some jobs that a customer has installed - they usually do have a background in the field , but these are the jobs with PVC as a fill and vent , compression fitting for everything , live wires hanging out of controls . The worst one I saw was a boiler with smoke pipe sticking out a broken window - lower than grade , and going nowhere . The homeowner was proud he thought of that trick when the chimney lining collapsed .

todd s

Homey

Sold someone a Slant fin oil boiler with a gas chimney. Cust got oil delivery and then got p/o when we wouldn't fire it up for him. Another situation cust didn't want to have his clogged coil cleaned so he got a free replacement. This one had 4 - 3/4 zones on a 3/4 header probably will give him a bigger boiler if it doesnt heat the house. I think the warranty/return area holds more product than the shelves.

eleft_4

Homey

Todd,

Right on!

Think about this: Time wounds all heels.

HD can't sustain this return/warranty abuse any more than anyone else in business.


al

keith

chances

are the supplier is the one who takes it on the chin for product returns not H.D. Their exposure is probably labor only.

eleft_4

on the chin

Keith,

Well,

"The term jointly and severely"

in other words: those that got it pay!

The supplier should know this going in. Maybe they should stay out.

Sometimes good business and "marketing" don't go together.

al

Earthfire

HD

From the rumours that I'm hearing from some local store personel at the big orange box and what you see in the box and on the tv, them suckers are about ready to collapse like ENRON.
I've been told also, to get out of that stock as fast as I can, by a couple of WALL Str. traders. Seems that on the abysmal numbers from the Expo division ,several bad partnering deals that laid goose eggs, Expansion into area's that they have no experience in ( Wholesale Supply) that ,The big Box is not generating the revenue stream that their managment expected. They built a pyramid based on revenue growth from new store openings, there are few places to open new stores in that will not affect the numbers from existing Big Box's own stores, and they can't keep the revenue growth numbers flowing . After forcing some of their competition out of buisness or buying them out and closing the locations, now they are raising prices and cutting inventory to the point of having only fast movers on the shelf and anything else is special order at high price and long delivery time and exsorbident delivery fee.They still offer the price guarantee but it better be on the same exact model number or no go . They get their own Model and UPC codes on a lot of items. And they have started excluding certain items from the price guarantee Last wk. they said they can't honor the PriceMatchGuar. on circuitbreakers at the local Big Box. They have the ENRON corporate slime Stench about them. And if your not looking at carpet or paint forget about getting any assistance until after about four pa anouncements, if you can find somebody that will page some one for assistance

Dave Palmer

big box suck

I take care of a family owned hardware store thats been around for 75 years(great oil account)nice people,great store.Wellll last year big box moves in a couple miles down the road.All the young guys get the idea to check it out for jobs.More money ,a title,bla bla bla.Six months later 3 are laid off and the last one walks around all day mumbling "this place sucks,this place sucks" (funny but true).Mom and pop stores and real customers and customer service looks real good to them now.Small high quality workmen will always be there,we might get kicked in the gut but cream rises at the end of the day.Dave

Steve Ebels

I just read

That Lowe's is going to open 5 of their mega stores in the greater NY city area. The first one is going on Staten Island. Far as I can see from around here Lowe's sucks the doors off HD. Better product mix and better grade products in a lot of categories. Around here at least, they tend to stay out of the more technical type stuff.

Hang on to yer hats out there in NYC!!

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Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

very true

from my understanding is that after they grab the manufacters for stock orders on new stores that when the growth slows, so will their large orders. once that happens then they will not survive these large floorplans at cut-rate pricing, how many jobs are got after the fact of the DIY that could not get it correct. my best customer is one that has tried to perform it themselves and got beat, at that point all you got to do is commit to finishing these jobs and standing behind what you do, no advertising needed, just follow the rainbow!!


And i hope everybody remembers who is supporting the trades and who sleeps with homer!!

Earthfire

lowes

but they sell crimp pex and fittings to the unknowing and give them a crimper to use Scarry combination

Mike T., Swampeast MO

You forgot to mention...

...the Lowes is OFFICIALLY out to destroy Home Depot--just as Home Depot did to countless small stores. They make the "buying cooperatives" look utterly benign by comparison.

Around this area at least Lowes is opening stores explosively and generally within 1/2 mile of existing Home Depots.

Visited my first Home Depot Expo recently (in St. Louis) and understand why it's not performing too well: in trying to turn "high end" into "mass market" they forgot that it's high end because the masses cannot afford it--even at a discount.

Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

did you know.....

that the homey and lowesy stores are owned by a divorced couple, seems the wife is out to give her ex a run for his money in more ways than one!!


aha, the plot thickens!!

Steve Ebels

I heard that same thing

From a guy who has ben in the investment business for 20+ years. Also from one of the big whig in our stores' hardware buying co-op. They both said HD is WAAAAAAYYYYYY out on thin ice. The investment guy said he's advising all of his clients to get rid of HD stock PDQ.

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Sincerely?

Hell hath no rath...

Rich

hd

Years ago I worked for a company that installed for Home cheapo. The amount of confusion that the staff at this place layed into the customer, did nothing but bolster our companys business.More often then not we looked like heros and the big box boys looked like zeros. I have a question! Has anyone out there, as a installer had similar expieriances?!

Paul Pollets_2

Lowes

I watched carefully in Seattle when Lowes bought out Eagle Hardware. The Kitchen & Bath showroom was the most extensive I've ever seen and put every wholesale display to shame. They offered free CAD design for K&B services. After the Lowes buy out, the inventory levels slipped and service suffered. You can still buy Grohe faucets at or below wholesale cost. But the service?.....Not good and certainly not contractor oriented.

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chuckmac

hd

if iam asked about hd i say sure do bussines with them bet it will be just once