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Expo Design Center - Flooring

Expo Design Center • Bathroom remodeling • Kitchen remodeling • Other remodeling • Flooring • Installation foul-ups • An installer's view • Refunds & exchanges • Customer service • Returns/refunds • Low-price "guarantee" • Contractors' advice • Insider's view --- News • Home Depot to Close Expo Chain

Jennifer of Lake Forest CA (1/6/04):
Last July, I decided to replace all of the flooring in my house. I placed a deposit for my Pergo flooring at the Expo Design Center in Laguna Niguel. After waiting a few weeks to be contacted in order to set an appointment for a measuring, I called the store myself to find the associate who had written my original order was no longer with the store and my paperwork would have to be located.

After finally reaching an associate who could assist me, I paid for the full cost of materials and installation totaling $5604.54 with my Home Depot Credit Card on August 21. I was told the material would take four to six weeks to be delivered since it was a special order product. The materials were delivered at the end of September and the installation was started on October 13.

During the installation, 15 cases of the Pergo were found to have milling defects so that the pieces would not fit together correctly. The installer at first set the defective pieces aside, marking them with his pencil. He soon noted a common batch number. He originally counted seven cases and notified the store and asked them to order seven replacement cases. After the installer had inspected all of the material, he reported an additional eight cases to have the same defect and notified the store of the new amount.

The store contacted me on November 14 to inform me that my order for seven cases of Pergo flooring was in and ready to be picked up with a balance due. After making many phone calls and leaving numerous messages at all levels from the delivery and pickup department to the store�s General Manager to The Home Depot�s Customer Care Line, the additional eight cases arrived and were delivered to me on November 26. I was told by the store�s Quality Control Manager that some of the cases were opened because he personally inspected them. I again had to make a series of phone calls to the Customer Care line, the General Manager, and to the installer just to get an installation appointment on December 18.

When the installer arrived, he immediately began taking a board from each case to see if any had the same milling defect. Not only did many have that same defect, but most were of the exact same batch number as before. The installer even noted a few pieces that had pencil markings identical to those the previous installer had made! I have left messages for the store�s General Manager, Mike Kenzie, on December 18 and again on December 23, and have yet to hear from him or speak with him. I left a message for the Expo Design Center District Manager, Johnny Cardena, on December 19. I have received no response from that message either. And on December 29, I mailed a letter detailing my problems to the CEO, Bob Nardelli, at The Home Depot Headquarters. I have received no response as of yet from that letter. I even filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on December 5 to which the store has not responded. I have a two page log of all communication made and actions taken.

Because of all of the delays, I had to take my family to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, I had to have family to my house for Christmas and New Year's Day with an unfinished kitchen, and had to cancel and reschedule appointments twice with another contractor who I hired to install the base moulding. I used my Home Depot Credit Card because of a six months no interest special. This promotion period ends on 2/23. I received a message from a sales associate today that my new replacement flooring won't be in for another two weeks. At this rate, the six month period will have ended before I get my flooring even completed! And still have yet to hear from the General Manager at the store, the District Manager, or anyone from The Home Depot Headquarters.

Steve of Glen Cove NY (1/6/04):
I am writing to you hoping that I will get somewhere with this because I have been having a problem for a while now and nobody has the decency to even give me a call back. On 11/29/03 I purchased tile from home depot expo and was told that it would take 2 weeks to get it in stock. I did not have a problem with that being that I ordered this tile well enough in advance, because my contractor was not going to install it for another 2 weeks so it would work out perfect.

I waited 3 weeks and nobody even called me concerning my order! I had to call the store numerous times and I was told two times that my order was on the truck and going to be delivered to the store in 2 days. Well 2 days passed and I still did not have my tile and I still did not receive a phone call from the store. Meanwhile I had my contractor in my house waiting for these tile to be delivered so he can install them. It was getting close to the holidays and I expected to be finished with my bathroom renovation project, but I did not even have my tiles yet.

On 12/20/03 I called the store again and was told that the tiles were once again on the truck and were to be at the store on 12/22/03. Well 12/22/03 came and went and still no tiles. I was so fed up with this, I wanted to cancel the order. I had called the store once again and they had told me that I cannot cancel the order, and if I did they would charge me a 20% re-stocking fee!

It is now 1/6/04 and I still have no tiles and my contractor is still charging me $300 a day to be at my house because of Home Depot's Stupidity. To top it all off I was in the store this past weekend and the saleman who sold me the tiles said that the cap moulding that I had ordered did not come in the color that I wanted. After 6 weeks you are going to tell me that? This was a nightmare dealing with Home Depot. I will never ever shop in a Home Depot store ever agian. Dealing with Expo was like a dog-and-pony show. Nobody knew what was going on and nobody even cared. I have made a call to the customer service line to file a complaint, and they said someone would call me back and I have not heard from anyone.

I now have my garage loaded with 3 toliets, 3 sinks, a bathtub, and all of the fixtures that were for my 3 bathrooms that i was remodeling all purchased at HOME DEPOT EXPO which I am going to return.

Mark of Ridgewood NJ (9/19/03):
I have been experiencing numerous delays and poorly set and missed expectations primarily driven by one of Expo's suppliers, Hoboken Floors. Specifically I have placed an order for bathroom tiles and in first week of August. Initial date I got for tiles was August 21. A few days before this ship date I checked with store and was told that tiles were back ordered to Sept 12. I called again on Sept 10 to verify and was given Sept 19. I called on Sept 17 and now have been told Sept 23. To say that I am annoyed and extremely dissatisfied with my experience with Expo is a major understatement.

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