ALERT! Home Depot's subcontractor delivered my new refrigerator which was purchased with basic installation included.
I am female, 73,and live alone. As soon as I answered the door an alarm went off inside my head. The first delivery person (R) was glaring at me before I could even greet him. His body language was very hostile. He has a "flat" expression in his eyes which is difficult to describe. A moment later, I saw the second delivery person, a perfectly normal acting man called "A". R, from outside, grabbed my door handle, instead of waiting for me to greet him or open the door. He pushed past me into the room and headed for the kitchen. He and A (who was perfectly normal) removed the old refrigerator. While they took it out to the truck, I swept out the small space where the old refrigerator had been and where the new one would be located. There wasn't a lot of dust or stuff. I'd had back surgery recently and find it painful to bend, so I told R that and asked him to hold the dust pan so that I could sweep into it. R snarled, was angry and hostile, and looked very threatening. His loud and angry verbal response was "I don't get paid to clean!" I explained again why I needed his help, but he only repeated that he wasn't a cleaning person. I told him that I wasn't asking him to be a cleaning person, only to help by holding the dustpan so that the refrigerator could be installed. His hostile response was "Then why should I clean up after you?" I calmly said, "It was my understanding that this delivery included basic installation". R responded that holding the dustpan wasn't basic installation. At that point I was becoming more frightened, but I said, "Well, I have no way of moving the refrigerator once it is in place, and I don't intend to have it installed in this little pile of dust, so maybe I'll have to refuse delivery." He glowered and growled, "Is that what you want me to do?" I said, "No. I want you to hold the dustpan and install the refrigerator." He continued looking as angry, hostile, and threatening as possible and finally helped with the dust pan. Meanwhile, A stood back looking appalled, but was silent. Finally, the refrigerator was in place. They left together, via the front door to their truck. A moment after they left, I heard two or three sharp, loud noises from outside. Five minutes later, when I went out to get my mail, I saw the heavy wood railing which runs along the garden path to the sidewalk lying in the dirt. Its' bases go many inches underground and it had been broken at ground level. That required strength. Not only had I been bullied in my own kitchen, my property had been intentionally damaged significantly. I live on Social Security and cannot afford to have it repaired . . . if it is repairable, which I doubt. Home Depot and their subcontractor are supposed to investigate my claim. Their inspector was supposed to arrive here today between 10 to 10:30 and call if there was a problem. Nobody arrived or called. I called them to see why. I was told that the inspector would be coming sometime today. I was supposed to wait for the inspector, but they couldn't even give me an approximate time. I insisted on a time, because I had other things to do today besides wait all day. Given this level of "customer service" I have poor expectations for my damages claim. Anyone living alone and expecting an appliance delivery from Home Depot's subcontracting delivery service has every reason to be fearful, in my opinion. In all my years, I have never had any trouble with a delivery or service person who has come to my home. But, it only takes one bad individual to do harm to yourself or your property. DO NOT BE ALONE WHEN YOUR APPLIANCE IS DELIVERED. read more