This Atlanta man spent $9K on a shed from Home Depot that was never delivered and still had to fight for a refund
Warren Kale, who lives in the metro Atlanta area, thought he had found the perfect shed. After looking at several models in the area, he found a large bright red shed in stock at the Home Depot in Cartersville, Georgia. There was even a display version in the parking lot that he toured to make sure it fit his needs.
After making his decision, Kale paid for the shed with his debit card, totaling $9,058.03. However, days later, the shed still had yet to arrive, so he contacted Home Depot.
“They said that there was a glitch in the computer and that my money had gone somewhere but they didn’t know where,” Kale told 11Alive Help Desk reporter Bill Liss.
Here’s what Kale did next to try and retrieve both the lost payment and his missing shed.
Left without a shed, Kale tried to get a refund for his purchase. Since Home Depot didn’t have his money, he headed to his bank. But after 52 days, Kale still didn’t have his shed — or his refund.
Frustrated, he finally turned to Liss for support.
“When I talked to you, things started happening,” Kale told Liss. As a last effort, 11Alive reached out to Home Depot’s corporate offices and Ameris Bank, the issuer of his debit card.
Within a few days, the bank finally issued a refund of $9,058.03 to Kale’s account.
The U.S. Sun also covered the mishap and asked Home Depot to comment on the situation. A spokesperson for the retailer said, “This is not the experience we want for our customers, and we’re glad the situation has been resolved.”
Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here’s the net worth you need to rank among America’s wealthiest — plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio
This unusual situation highlights how important it is for consumers to protect themselves — especially when making large purchases. Before finalizing a purchase, make sure you understand the store’s policy around returns, exchanges and shipments and save all receipts and contracts as proof of purchase.
Consider using a credit card for large purchases. Credit cards typically offer more consumer protections than debit cards. For example, you may be able to file a chargeback if your order is never delivered.
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