Why I don't buy or install locks from Home Depot

Home Depot, as least where I live, has actually begun encouraging people to freely "rent" something that they might need for a one time use (saws, pressure washers, etc.) by suggesting they buy it, use it, and return it. They ~say~ that they will then offer it to their contractors but maybe they are repacking them...

Home Depot in many areas runs a regular rental operation. They take product off the shelf and rent it. They have a rental center set up right in the store. They make alot of money off it because the daily rental usually runs about 25% of the retail price. They rent it 4 times and they have made as much as if they sold it. It's still a good deal though for somebody who needs to use a relatively expensive piece of equipment only one or two days. Whoever thought of it probably got a huge raise and it has made the company alot of money. They don't have any need to repack the stuff and in all fiarness the quality of most of their product is no worse than any other mega hardware store. You should remember the locks they sell are almost all F/residential and they are not that heavily made.

<snip>NO OFF. As you mentioned renting things, I remember once seeing a pair of bolt cutters on the rack that looked like they'd been already used on something that did'nt easily submit.

goma.

Goma:

Home Depot is famous for using things off the shelf to slove store problems and then putting said items back for sale... I am told this is because they have a budget that has to be followed pertaining to marking down items for "store use" and it affects bonuses for Department Heads and Assistant Store Managers and the like...

Evan the Maintenance Man

Famous with who?

And who told you this?

Umm... Several employees of various rank... And it does happen at more than just this one store... Like I explained before, one of the employees at the store in question is one of my retired high school teachers...

It sounds to me like disgruntled employees whining about management. I shop there all the time and have never had a problem. Also how does putting obviously used merchandise back on the shelf help the stores bottom line? Do you think people are really just going to buy it as new when it's obviously used?

Hmm...

He is not disgrunted, and was merely stating fact during a conversation I had with him a while ago...

Do you think that most of the "weekend warriors" that shop in Home Depot (which is their bottom line) can really tell if some things they are buying have been used ?

How do you know it's a fact? Simply because he stated it?

Yes.