Complaint Review: Lowe's Home Improvement - Estero Florida

Went with Lowe's for a new kitchen because price was competitive, product seemed to be decent quality, and contract said "Lowe's will make it right." I purchased the all wood option on my cabinets to ensure a better product. To complete the order, Lowe's sent me an 8 page contract with many terms that I was required to follow. I also thought the contract would bind Lowes as well. Boy was I wrong! Each line item of the contract spelled out each specific piece of the kitchen in great detail. For instance, one line item stated: "Deep wood tall end panel DWTEP84 Shenandoah September All Plywood Construction Option % Painted Linen % Cottage Painted Linen American Woodmark Corporation."

On the day of install, I inspected the kitchen pieces as they were being unboxed by the installers. To our surprise, 3 large end panels were not all plywood construction, but rather particle board. I showed my purchase order to the installer and he said something was wrong as it was clear that I ordered (and paid for) all plywood construction, as it was specified for each piece of the kitchen, and that is what I should get. He advised me to call Lowe's and they will make it right.

I called the store manager and alerted him to the problem. I learned that notwithstanding the specific language in the contract and on my receipt for each item of the kitchen, an all plywood option is not available from the manufacturer for particular parts of this kitchen. His solution- I still had a warranty and when the cheap particle board fails, I can ask the manufacturer to deal with it under the warranty. There was nothing else Lowe's could do, notwithstanding the blatant misrepresentations in my contract and on my receipt. Lowe's sold me a product that apparently does not exist and they are unwilling to remedy the situation or refund the cost of the items I contracted for and did not receive.

Additionally, with regard to the granite counter tops, Lowe's provided me a written quote on the first day of our initial visit. I understood the amount of the quote could change based on the actual measurements and options we selected, but I expected the cost per square foot for the material would be as represented in the initial written quote. When it came time to finalize the process, the cost of the material increased by $1.54 per square foot. Because the Lowe's paperwork only provides the number of square feet and the total cost without explicitly spelling out the cost per square foot, the sales person was surprised that I did the math and compared the final quote to the initial quote to find the discrepancy in the square foot price.

Even though Lowe's provided a written initial quote, it was unwilling to honor the price per square foot contained in the quote. The sales person blamed a "computer error" for the initial quote I received and told me I would be paying the higher price if I wanted to move forward. I again contacted the store manager and provided copies of all my paperwork to prove what I was quoted. He initially informed me that a sign on that day probably had the higher price per square foot, and I should pay the higher price, notwithstanding the written quote. I explained that I think a written quote should take precedence over any sign that may or may not have existed a month prior. After much frustration and arguing, the manager did me a "huge favor" and honored the price per square foot as originally quoted. Geez thanks for the aggravation, misrepresentation, and overall awful experience. Lessons learned-- Lowe's will not make it right. Save yourself a boatload of aggravation and pick a local, reputable company for your home improvement projects.