LOWE'S

unknown

12/3/14 Narrative of events occurring while having Lowes renovate kitchen. January to March 2014 discussions started with Lowes kitchen designer about a complete renovation of our kitchen. In April decisions were made on the kitchen cabinets and the layout wanted. This was with Project Specialist Ana and layout performed by Brad. On April 29th, an order was placed for the cabinets and $ 648.00 for tear out of old cabinets and $1567.00 on Invoice 29799596 for installation of new cabinets. About the same time, Ana informed us that she was leaving Lowes and that instead of her doing the contracting for each item needing labor, she was turning the entire project to a turnkey contractor, Reliabuilt. In June 2013 we were informed that the cabinets were ready for shipment and that we needed to pay more detailed amount for labor before the installation could be scheduled. So on 6/24/2012 we paid another Invoice 29642398 of $3949.84 for a detailed listing of labor charges. Another Project Specialist Kelly informed us that she was taking over our project and the scheduled date for installation would be in July, but that the shipping company could not hold the cabinets any longer so they were delivered on July 21. We then tried to get a firm install date from Kelly but had trouble reaching her. Finally on the week of August 11, a representative of Reliabuilt (the contract company) came with Kelly to inspect the cabinets. He left saying there was a problem but would not elaborate. Kelly said that she would call the next day. After a week with no call from her and not returning our phone messages for her to call us, she did contact us on August 20th that Reliabuilt would not do our job because the layout was not correct and that the number of cabinets delivered did not match the design. She said that she would start scheduling individual contractors to perform the installation and other work. She said then that they would ?rework? the labor charges and that we would be getting a refund for the difference. Kelly said that the individual installer had the design and we would be contacted to schedule the installation. Between August 21 and August 27, we made 5 phone calls to get an update and none of the calls were returned after we left messages to call us. On August 27, we were informed that ?they? were still working on the design and that Trish (regional account person) would call us later that day. There was no call until the first week in September to let us know that installation would begin September 8th. The cabinets had been in un-air conditioned storage since June 6th (at Charlotte shipping terminal and our garage). We were given assurance by Lowe?s that not being in the house to acclimate would not be a problem despite warnings from the cabinet maker. Finally the cabinets were installed September 8 ? 15. There was one base cabinet, several trim pieces and several rollout drawers for cabinets. (A refund of $ 857.48 on October 27th was issued to Discover credit card for the Excess Material only, no labor refund involved). After the cabinets were installed it was apparent that the backsplash tiles chosen by Brad (not a designer) was not appropriate for the kitchen design and that the Island color was not correct either for the kitchen cabinet color/design. Brad had subsequently been terminated from Lowe?s. Also the first week of October we were informed that Kelly was leaving Lowe?s and someone else would be in charge of our project. We hired a certified kitchen designer/consultant at our own expense ($300) to advise us on the correct backsplash and island color. [We subsequently returned the tile to Lowe?s on November 15 for a refund credit ($268.64 for tile only) and ordered the proper tile and installation from another company.] The first week in October, the online invoices which we had already paid started changing with items added and some items showing returned (with no credit to us). Then some other invoices showed up with labor charges and returns (none of the returns were credited to either our Discover card or our Lowes card). It made analyzing the charges very difficult so we started trying to make sense of what was done, what labor had been done, and what was not done and what the refund amount should be. Changing invoices after they were settled, especially showing returns with no credit to the customer, seemed unethical if not illegal. On October 14 we met with Steve Hosted, assistant manager, about our project. He seemed receptive to our input listing all outstanding items to be done for our project. He said that they had a Lowe?s gift card ($417.64) for us to settle the amount of overcharge for labor. Since only a small portion of the labor charges had been paid via gift card, we stated that we didn?t want a gift card which restricted our purchases to Lowe?s only and wanted a credit to either the Lowes credit card or to Discover and the overcharge for labor was considerably more than the $417.64. He said he would get back with us. The cabinet installer was waiting for a piece of molding that was needed for him to finish the cabinets and prepare for the oven and cabinet surface to be installed. He had informed Kelly and Trish on September 15 that it was needed, and we found that had not been ordered when we met with Steve. This was holding up the entire project. It was ordered the next week. (October 24th). The cabinet installation was completed in the first week of November. Meanwhile we had not heard any more from Steve, assistant manager, so I called him on November 13th and stated that we needed to get the labor bill straightened out, and he again told me that they were holding the $417.64 gift card for us to settle the labor bill. I wanted to meet to show him all the invoices and my analysis of them (I have all documented). He stated that he wanted to look at it some more and would call back. I didn?t hear any more from him until November 18th when I received an envelope with the $417.64 gift card in it with no other information or explanation even though I had already told him a gift card was not an acceptable form of reimbursement. On November 24th, I called the store manager, explaining the situation. He said he would look into it and call me back that day and he even asked when I would be home since I had a doctor appointment in the afternoon. He didn?t call so I faxed him my worksheets the next day. He had never returned the call. On December 1 I called the District Installation Sales and faxed the work sheets to her. I explained the problem and that it appeared between the amounts we paid ($6,864.51) and charges for work performed ($4668.15), we are owed $2196.36. She said that there was a notation in our file that a refund of over $900+ was to be credited back to us for the backsplash installation cancellation but so far no credit for this amount has shown up on any credit card. I am still holding the gift card and will not accept just store credit for the owed amount. We will now escalate the complaint to Discover and to Angie?s List for further action. On December 16, my Discover statement arrived and I saw a credit from Lowes for $628.19 on 12/5/14 that I was not familiar with. I looked at my Lowes invoice listing and saw a new Return Order for return of labor for backsplash installation. However the return order stated that $957.59 was credited, not the $628.19 credit on the Discover statement. On December 17th I called the District Installation Sales manager, this time speaking to a gentleman who was unfamiliar with previous calls to that office. He stated that something looked wrong and that he would email the store manager for an explanation and would call me back. As of December 18th, there was no call back. On December 22, 2014, still no call back but I received in the mail a Lowe?s Merchandise Card for 329.40 with only a cash register receipt show a return of $957.59 and a credit to Discover for the $628.19 and a Merchandise Card for the balance of $329.40. The amount paid was not with a merchandise card so this is not acceptable. The envelope was handwritten on a Lowes ?window? envelope and no other explanation in the envelope. On December 23, 2014, I called the district installation sales office again and this time spoke to Casandra who was not familiar with any of the previous calls, so I explained again about receiving a ?Lowes gift card? and that was not a satisfactory method of reimbursement for the refund. I also let her know that I had let the sales in the kitchen department know this, as well as Steve Hosted assistant manager, the store manager, and the district installation sales managers. I let Casandra know that we were returning the gift cards to the store manager in the next few days. She said that she would contact the store manager and would let her manager know of the situation. I told her she could contact me via email if she wished since I had not had any returned calls from anyone up the chain of managers. I have copies of all the modified invoices and an analysis spreadsheet of the labor charges that were both charged and supposedly returned. Note that we received credit card refunds for only the materials returned and part of the last return order. I am not disputing whether the amount charged for each of services, but that we did not receive proper credit for the amounts marked returned in their computer without us knowing it.