This review has three parts. The first regards the overall, fabulously overwhelming store, the next regards an experience I had in late September with a return at customer service, and the later with a painstaking issue everyone should have with how rebates are handled at the Menard's chain.
I first discovered this store in St. Joseph, MO and was very happy to find out that we would soon have several locations in the Kansas City area. The products are great and, basically, you can get everything under the sun for a reasonable price. It's a great place to work out too, and by that, I mean, a good place to walk for long periods, while getting lots of update ideas.
Last September, I had a bad experience with a return at a customer service. The person behind the counter, well lets say, I am going to be politically correct here, but she was lazy and I will let you visualize what I mean. I had to show this person where on my receipt the item was and how to find the bar code on the product to match it with the receipt. I assume she had either missed training or they plopped her behind the counter from off the street in order for Menards to get a tax break from this person's hours. Anyhoo, she should have given me cash refund or returned the amount to my debit since I had the receipt, instead she gave me a $3 in-store credit. No biggie, at that time because I was going to shop for some tile.
A few weeks later, I go to the return counter because, although, I had purchase tile, I bought a few other things as well, and I changed my mind on one thing that would not work out for a project I had. It was only an $8 item, but this shouldn't have been a big deal. This time, another customer service lady was savvy and kind but insisted that I could not receive a refund, not even partial, because I had provided the cashier on the day of purchase my $3 in-store credit on a $40 something total purchase, and the $8 (new returning item) in theory, should have been refunded with $5 in cash and, maybe, a separate $3 refunded in-store credit, to be used again. But, because I had used a measly $3 in-store credit my receipt (I assume) was flagged from ever receiving a full refund because I used in-store credit, making my purchase, in theory, some exclusionary Menard's only cash. I asked to speak to the lady's manager, which was none other than some flaming stuffy red head who made me feel like I was a nuisance. She encouraged me to get some other products. And this is when I realized that Menards, although neat and overwhelming eye-catchy for their consumers, particularly cares about keeping any penny you spend there. I went ahead and gave my receipt and apprehensively received a now $8 in-store credit. The problem after this is that the red-head manager never returned my receipt when she handed me the credit so that I couldn't ever mail the receipt w/rebate to the "Rebate International," which sounds rather scammy, for the some odd $32 left on the receipt for products I had purchased and still owned.
Which brings me to the point with regards to how rebates are handled at Menards.
There is a fundamental issue with the way Menards has set up rebates, and their lure to try and gain customer whim, making the customer had the edge, in their own Wal-Mart fashion. The rebate is set up as such that you can only mail (yes, in this technologically advanced age, snail mail) your rebate, and there isn't any way to enter rebates online by adding transaction numbers and amounts paid, such as many technologically advanced big boxes do. I had recently checked to see the status of my rebates, at least I had sent three in, and one I had just received in the mail. I would have had four if I had received back the one the manager never handed back. The two other rebates, according to the rebateinternational.com are unaccounted for. When I had mailed off two together, in order to save a postage stamp, with two separate rebate slips for each I assumed that I could or should trust Menards and/or their affiliate : rebate international to keep all rebates organized and accounted for. I was wrong. Apparently, there is a website with regards to very dissatisfied customers who have vented at Menards. p**ssed consumer.com, and you will find many varied discrepancies with missing rebates. One person claims that anything above $50 for an 11% rebate seems to magically disappear. It seems to go hand in hand with my theory that Menards is like the roach motel of consumers cash, once you check it in it never comes out.
I will still shop there, but I suppose, unless I'm not sure it is a good deal, and I can get it for less elsewhere. If it seems like it's too expensive I can and maybe should purchase it with a credit card since most credit cards will protect you on your purchases. read more