If you're looking to upgrade your home appliances anytime soon, you'll want to make sure you have delivery squared away. Items like new stoves, refrigerators, and laundry machines can end up costing you hundreds to thousands of dollars, so you certainly don't want any mistakes to be made. One customer is now learning that the hard way: He's calling out a popular home improvement retailer after he claims he bought over $10,000 worth of new appliances that were not delivered correctly. Read on to discover why he's furious with Home Depot over botched appliance delivery.
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Home Depot offers different delivery services.
iStockIf you're looking to get appliances delivered directly to your place of residence, Home Depot has options for you. The basic level allows delivery carriers to bring the "item to the closest dry area outside your home," according to the retailer's website. This may include areas like your front door, porch, or the driveway in front of your garage.
The next level you can get is Home Depot's threshold service, which "includes delivery to the first available area in the home, such as the entryway, garage, or backyard."
But if you want to get an even more premium delivery, the home improvement retailer offers a room of choice option (also known as white glove delivery). While assembly service is not included in this, it does include "delivery to the room of your choice (within two flights of stairs), unpacking and packaging removal," per Home Depot's website.
Unfortunately, one man is claiming that his premium delivery service wasn't so premium after all.
The retailer is being slammed over an allegedly botched delivery.
iStockA Massachusetts man is now calling out Home Depot's delivery options after buying more than $10,000 worth of appliances. Russell Sharprecently told local ABC-affiliate WCVB that he didn't end up receiving the white glove delivery service he was promised after purchasing his products from the retailer's store in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Sharp told WCVB that the appliances never made it inside his home at all. Instead, a Home Depot delivery driver left his products out on Sharp's front lawn.
"I've never heard of such an experience with an appliance delivery ever," Sharp told the news outlet. "Who would order appliances if they're just going to drop them in your yard?"
Sharp says the appliances are damaged.
ShutterstockThe appliances were still sitting out in the middle of Sharp's walkway three weeks after they were delivered. He told WCVB that they started growing mold because he has no way of getting them inside by himself, even though he had attempted to make delivery efforts as seamless as possible for Home Depot.
"I just built this ramp so that it was just easy access to come up and just go right directly in the house," Sharp explained.
But it's not only the mold forming that's a problem. According to Sharp, two of the appliances were also delivered with damage. He told WCVB that the washer and dryer were scratched up, while the freezer appeared to have been hit by something, as it was dented and bent.
"I haven't had anybody return my call ... Everyone passes the buck to a different manager who never follows up with me," Sharp said. "Been there four different times. How simple is it just to send two people to move the range? Order me a new freezer? I don't understand how it's turned into three weeks of nothing."
RELATED: 7 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-Home Depot Employees.
Home Depot claims there was a misunderstanding.
ShutterstockHome Depot's white glove delivery service doesn't include installation, which Sharp said he knew and was fine with. But he was expecting for the appliances to actually be delivered inside his home instead of outside.
"My understanding was just bring the appliances in your home and take the boxes with you. That simple," he said.
But for its part, Home Depot said Sharp's order didn't actually qualify for in-home delivery. He bought Forno-branded appliances, which are sold from the retailer's website, not in its stores. So even though Sharp bought and paid for the products through a sales agent at the Plymouth Home Depot, these appliances are only available for curbside shipping.
A Home Depot spokesman told WCVB that the company miscommunicated Sharp's shipping options with him and that the retailer has since apologized. Home Depot has also reordered the damaged units and told the news outlet that it will be replacing the moldly range as well.
"We’re currently working with Mr. Sharp to replace the damaged appliances. We apologize for any miscommunication regarding the original deliveries," a company spokesperson told Best Life in a statement. "This is not the experience we want for any of our customers, and we're grateful for the opportunity to make this right."
