The NY AG says:

Bryan Boone, 47, of Kenmore Avenue in Kenmore, was arraigned before Justice Thomas S. Kolbert in Cheektowaga Town Court for Grand Larceny in the 2nd degree (class C felony). He is being held at the Erie County Holding Center, with bail set at $150,000 cash or $200,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

“It is particularly troubling when dishonest home improvement contractors use fear and intimidation to steal from the elderly,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “We will continue to work with local law enforcement to catch contractors who prey on vulnerable senior citizens.”

According to court papers, in October of 2007, Boone, doing business as Urban Residential Maintenance, contacted the victim by phone offering to make inexpensive repairs to her Cheektowaga home. She accepted and over the next seven months Boone made repeated requests for payments and was given a total of 70 checks for $82,158. The homeowner told investigators “When I would complain about how the work was progressing, he would sometimes get very angry and assure me the work was first-rate. As I felt intimidated, I always relented. Similarly, if I questioned a demand for payment, he would sometimes become angry and I would relent.”

The police were alerted to the situation when the contractor tried to cash a check at a local bank, but the teller refused. The contractor then brought his client to the bank and waited outside. The bank manager called the police.

The AG's office says that the work done on the woman's home was shoddy and incomplete and caused damage to her property. They also estimate that the labor and materials used were worth no more than $13,000. The contractor also did not obtain permits or provide a contract to the consumer.

So, how can you avoid situations like this? Well, if you live in New York, you can research any contractors that you're thinking of hiring at the Attorney General's website. They have a special site just for contractors called www.nyknowyourcontractor.com.

The Website allows users to view substantiated complaints that have been filed with the Attorney General’s Office and read legal judgments against contractors. Consumers can search contractors by name, business name, region, or county. It also has links to state and local consumer agencies, information on how to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office against a home improvement contractor, and what you should do before hiring someone to work on your home.

Even if you don't live in NY, and let's face it, most of you do not, you can check out these tips on hiring a contractor. Laws vary from state to state and county to county but it's still good advice.

Questions about contractors your own state? Check with your Attorney General's office.

New consumer-protection site targets shady contractors [Consumer Reports]
Attorney General Cuomo Announces Arrest Of Home Improvement Contractor For Scamming Western New York Senior Out Of More Than $80,000 [NY AG]
Know Your Contractor [NY AG]
(Photo: DCvision2006 )

Home Depot slashes prices, seeking to gain share [MarketPlace] (Thanks to Anne!) (Photo: Maulleigh)

Maybe he had a harder time getting material than I thought. Several commenters point to this arrest report on The Smoking Gun indicating Bates was arrested in '05 for paying prostitutes to have sex with their customers, gave stage directions, and told them how to detect undercover cops, all in order to make his tapes better to sell to the national media. Is it the curse of every vigilante to be drawn to the dark side?

Update 2: Bates claimed the charges were false. He admitted to paying the girls to tell their stories, but not to have sex and stage encounters. Charges were dropped to misdemeanors. Bates contends the charges were trumped by the DA's office up in retaliation for him catching police brutality on tape and it making national headlines. Bates also started a campaign to vote out DA Wes Lane, who subsequently lost his seat in the next election.

100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend [The Simple Dollar] "One hundred fun ways to spend a money free weekend."

8 Home Improvements That Pay Off [Smart Money] "The home improvement projects that offer the biggest payoff."

10 most and least expensive cars to insure [Bankrate] "Stay away from small, fast cars."

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

(Photo: me and the sysop)

I have just recently put this nightmare to a close, but I thought I would share with you my story. After all, I used your site to get to the Executive Customer Service of Lowe's before I finally got any resolution.

It all started when I visited Lowe's of Roeland Park, KS back in May. Our house needed a new door and I knew they sold Pella doors and windows and did the installation as well. Off I went in May to get a new door and was told they would come out and measure the door and inspect the frame so they could verify the dimensions and estimate the installation costs all for just $35 which would be deducted from my purchase.

June 1st arrives and I go back to the store to purchase the door and setup installation. The salesperson I spoke to was confused, mainly because all the customers in the store kept asking him where other things were. After a few minutes and a few "no, that's the wrong door" comments, I believed we had a door and installation setup. The door had to be custom ordered and I was told I would get a call back to schedule the installation within a few days.

That same day the Installation Team called to say that our door was ordered and it should be in "ready for pickup" within a few weeks. I just expected they didn't read it was for an installation and let it slide. Sometime later, the installer calls to say he can install it on the 24th.

Install day arrives and the installer takes off our old door and then realizes the new door is the wrong size and was ordered incorrectly. He happily places our old door back in place and tells us they will need to reorder the correct door and that it will take another 3 to 4 weeks. So much for the $35 fee for them to measure for the right size when the salespeople can't pay attention.

In the meantime, my credit card statement arrives and I notice another charge from Lowe's for $960. They ordered the second door on my credit card without my authorization and without refunding me for the first door. I call the store and speak to a manager who claims he will call me back in 15 minutes. Three hours later and no call, I call him back and he passes me off to someone else who says they "will personally look into it". Of course, that manager tells me to call back in 30 minutes and when I do I was told he went to lunch 30 minutes ago. So I speak to a third manager who tells me that the normal process for this type of issue is to do a refund and reorder, but they didn't process the refund. He assures me that come Monday I will hear from someone regarding the issue. Although not very happy, I still need a door so I wait for a call.

I then get a call from a Customer Service rep who insists they refunded me the original door and that I need to check with my credit card company. I insist that since she is the merchant, they can call and do the same and that I have already verified they have not. Ten minutes later I get another call from "Jessica" who as it turns out is the only helpful person at this entire store. She said she would call the credit card company and look into it. However when she calls back she informs me that another manager gave her my credit card number and wants the first 4 letters of my mother's maiden name just so she can contact them. At this point I contacted Executive Customer Service with the issue.

Two days later and no word from Lowe's, I cancel my credit card because they obviously are giving it out to anyone that asks. Executive Customer Service states they will get to the bottom of it, which they do to some extent but the new door won't be here until July 24th. Since I need a new door, I wait. I explain to them what a pain it has been to find someone with any knowledge of how things work in their store and how dissatisfied I am with their responses. They offer an apology and to try and get the door in faster and refund the original incorrect door to my credit card.

Monday of last week and yet another person from Lowe's calls to say that he doesn't know the whole story, but he'll check into it and get back to me. Apparently he was the manager of the store and the phone was unavailable for 3 days. Executive Customer Service calls me yet again to assure me the door is being built. However, another person from the store calls to say she will personally see my door arrives on 7/24 and that it is a "product variance".

At this point, I'm tired of speaking with people about it and a complete lack of communication between anyone at Lowe's. I call her to ask what a "product variance" is and she isn't sure. Not wanting a rushed door and a company so incompetent to install it I finally cancel it and tell them they can keep their "product variance" and issue me a full refund including the new door, the $390 in installation costs, the $35 fee for "measuring" and the materials. She then offers me a discount, which is basically an insult at this point. Where was the discount for jerking me around for a month and a half? I explain that I refuse to do business with them and request the refund, to which she hands off to another person.

Sure enough all of it but the materials are refunded a few days later and a last call to get the materials refunded and all is done. I call Executive Customer Service one last time to say I've cancelled the order and that they need not call back because I won't be doing business with Lowe's ever again.

We're happy you were able to get a refund, and let's face it — you're probably better off shopping around a little to see if there's a local company that's more competent than that particular Lowe's location. As a wise man once told me, "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run." Here's a handy flowchart that illustrates this important concept.

From CR:

As we reported in our June 2008 story “Scrimping Doesn't Pay,” the Valspar Ultra Premium Satin ($24 per gallon) and the Valspar Ultra Premium Semi-gloss ($24) exterior paints are less expensive than the California 2010 ($38) and Kelly-Moore Acry-Shield ($32) finishes that we rated just above them...If you hire a contractor, then labor costs will add another reason to choose a longer-lasting finish. A finish that lasts for a decade will cost you less than a cheaper one that fails after five years.

Protect Your Investment: Buy quality paints [CR]
(Photo: traci_todd112 )

Representatives with KDA and its owner, Design Ventures, were not available for comment Thursday. A regional manager for KDA said he couldn't comment on the store closings or the status of customer orders.

Evans said he used his tax refund to make the down payment for the cabinets, which he ordered in early March.

"My cabinets were supposed to be in two weeks ago," Evans said Thursday. Signs posted at stores instructed customers to call KDA, where they were greeted with a recorded message telling them "an effort will be made to return all calls within 48 hours." Evans said he did get a return call Thursday from a KDA employee, who couldn't tell him why the stores closed or whether he'd see his costly cabinets.

Any readers have unfulfilled orders with KDA?

KDA customers paid deposits but haven't seen orders, refunds [Sun-Times] (Thanks, Jim!)

I would like to tell you an incredibly positive customer experience, because I feel like there are so few out there.

In a renovation a few years ago, I installed ~25 expensive Lutron Maestro switches - they are these dimmers that slowly turn on and off your lights and remember the dimmer setting you left. Anyway, these are $30+ switches. Compare that to the 50 cent standard switch.

Regardless, three years after that renovation, a heavily used switch started to fail. Then another, and then another. Based on the pattern, I thought that about three more might go out on me. My house is almost 120 years old and I have original switches from when they first wired this house that still work to this day. Three years for a $30 switch was outrageous!

I packaged up my three switches and sent them to Lutron expressing my disappointment and my concern about the next three switches. I did not hear from them right away.

Much to my surprise, I got a phone call from a product manager at Lutron. He talked to me about my problem, and told me that they had a defect with some of these switches and that he would replace the three I sent and send another three for the ones I thought might go. He then asked me how many I had in the house and when I installed them. I told him I had about 25 and that they were all installed at the same time. He said that was interesting.

A week later, a package arrived in the mail. It contained 25 brand new switches! That's about $800 worth of product!

What's amazing to me, is that as an individual homeowner, my total lifetime value to Lutron could never be that much. How many renovations / builds does one person go through in their entire life? If I were a contractor or designer, sure, I'd potentially be of high value to Lutron. Nevertheless, they chose to serve their customer in the best possible way, and that to me deserves to be shouted from the mountains. Why do only squeaky wheels make noise? We should be sure to celebrate the great stories as well!

Peter

What they do is write down or take cameraphone pix of the gift cards in the stores before they are sold to customers. They periodically check in online to see if the cards have been sold and activated. Once they see the card is live, they order a bunch of stuff online with the stolen gift card numbers. By requiring the gift card be physically present, retailers, not just Home Depot, are hoping to prevent fraud. Takeaway: before buying loved ones gift cards this season, check to see if the cards can only be used in the flesh, and then make sure they live near a retail location.

PREVIOUSLY: HomeDepot.com Does Not Accept Home Depot Gift Cards

RELATED: Gift Cards Are New Source of Scams

(Photo: IHP)

"There is a showroom of doors and windows unlike any other we've ever tried," Feldman said.

"She can buy a light bulb as well as all of the lighting," he said. "Or a major appliance plus the laundry detergent to go with it."

Though there will be a garden center, the focus won't be on the act of gardening as much as the appreciation of outdoor living. No piles of dirt and grass-seed bags or rolling shelves full of begonias and impatiens will be found at the design centers. Instead there will be more stylish outdoor furniture and accessories, upscale pottery and other garden paraphernalia.

This Home Depot is for women [Contra Costa Times]
(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

One has a built-in grinder. One has a charcoal filter to make the water taste better. After the charcoal filter runs out, you can buy a new filter. Several of them are embedded with extra digital functions, clocks, alarms, one will start making coffee at a pre-set time. One coffee-maker has a function that cuts off the drip so you can pour coffee while it's being made. These various add-ons justify prices of $20-$60 more than the entry-level Mr. Coffee.

There's a reason hobos make coffee in a sock. It's not that hard. You heat the water, you pass it through grinds, and sieve it into a receptacle.

I didn't buy any. Instead, I may toss the Mr. Tepid Coffee and try out the french press that's been languishing in the cupboard. I'll know by the boiling water on the stove that the water is hot and ready to be poured in, no circuit boards required.

UPDATE: I have tried the french press, a Bodum. The french press really releases the natural aroma and flavors of the coffee. Delicious.

I have also learned that you don't need nearly as much grinds in the french press as you do the Mr. Coffee, which is why I have 6 posts done by 9:30 and my intestinal tract has, shall we say, been put through proverbial wringer this morning.

(Photo: thefuturistics)

For example, if you think a chewing tobacco can would make a good junction box, you should always hire someone.

Home Inspection Nightmares VIII [This Old House via boingboing]

The next best value is vinyl siding replacement, with a 87.2% recoup rate, followed by window replacement at 85.3%.The lowest? A sunroom addition garners a paltry 66.3%. Houses it seems, unlike books, are judged by their covers.

Cost vs Value 2006 [Remodeling Online via Consumer World Blog]
(Photo: Getty)

But "shopping for furniture is treacherous," says the editor of ConsumerAffairs.com in the Times article. Here are five things to do to avoid paying too much, buying the wrong piece, or not getting what you thought you paid for.

• Research - "approach furniture buying as you would car buying"
• Room Plans - use available services to enter your room measurements and avoid the "scale problem" (buying something that looks like will fit just fine, but doesn't)
• Store Visit - take as long as you can to sit, open and close, and generally inspect every inch, or find an outlet or furniture warehouse and shop there to ensure the model you examine is the product you'll receive
• Delivery - your best bet is to buy what you want off the floor, load it yourself into your van or truck, and get the hell out of there
• Laways and Financing - avoid these like Britney avoids panties

"A Good Time to Sharpen Furniture Shopping Skills" [New York Times]

RELATED
Top 10 Furniture Shopping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them"
(Photo: crazyegg95)

For those of you who haven't been subjected to Direct Buy's frequent and annoying commercials, the club is marketed as a store with no mark-ups, then Direct Buy cues the parade of McMansion owners who claim to have saved some ridiculous number like $80,000 on kitchen cabinets alone. (That they made kitchen cabinets that cost more than $80,000 was something we didn't know. If it's not in the IKEA catalog it doesn't exist.) Anyhow, Consumer Reports says:

To evaluate the pitch, we went undercover at two DirectBuy franchises in New York. Both gave us the same hard sell and offers of up to 70 percent off retail prices if we were to join. Only after an hour and a half of sales pitches and video testimonials from members did we learn the membership fee: $4,900 to $4,990 (plus tax) for three years and then $190 a year for seven more. Financing is available at 17.75 percent.

After the fee disclosure, we discovered that we had to sign up on the spot or never come back. We couldn't bring DirectBuy's "confidential" prices elsewhere to comparison shop, the representatives said, because this would likely anger retailers who might then retaliate against the manufacturers by refusing to sell their merchandise.

The fine print in the DirectBuy contract says you cannot return items, cancel orders, or terminate your membership. When we asked if, after plunking down $5,000, we could cancel and get a refund, a salesperson said, "You'll have to check state law." A review of New York state law revealed that the three-day cooling-off period for canceling contracts wouldn't apply in this case.

Tacked onto the cost of merchandise—which you select from catalogs since DirectBuy has limited showrooms—are a 6 percent handling fee, shipping fees, and tax. Goods are typically shipped only to your local center, so you might pay additional fees to actually get your new stuff home.

With DirectBuy, it will cost you a lot to save [Consumer Reports]

• You have too few to start with, like only one.
• You have far fewer bathrooms than bedrooms
• A floor doesn't have a bathroom on it.

(Photo: Maulleigh)

Sadly for Rebecca, Lowe's contractor ripped out her old carpet, realized they hadn't ordered enough new carpet to cover her floors, then disappeared. Where did they go? Well, they're just really busy!

I live in Appleton, Wisconsin and a Lowe's came to town about a year ago.

After 7 years of living with horrible wall to wall carpeting, it was time for a change. Home Depot doesn't have a great reputation so I thought Lowe's might be the way to go.

Was I EVER wrong.

Ordering was easy and paying for laminate and carpet AND installation upfront was easy. I paid with 41 $100 bills. Yes, $4100. In cash- upfront BEFORE installation. I thought, well, they must stand behind their services if you have to pay upfront. Satisfaction guaranteed. The nightmare began the minute I was handed my receipt for $4100 in product and services from Lowe's. The cashier actually apologized because my change came to about 8 cents. From 41 $100 bills. I pay everything in cash. I don't do credit.

The laminate was simple, or so I thought. Pick it up a few days before installation and we are good to go. I ordered special order carpeting, which was to arrive in two weeks. Two weeks later the carpet was in and I was ready to schedule installation. Upon scheduling installation, I was told all I needed to do was pick up the laminate a few days before installation so it could adjust to the temperature of my house. The contractor would pick up the special order carpet and padding and other items.

It was Friday July 13th. I should have known not to begin my home improvement journey on Friday the 13th. I waited one hour for them to bring my laminate to me and load it in my vehicle. That was Friday. Installation was scheduled for the following Thursday, Friday and Monday. After I had already picked up the laminate the previous Friday, Monday July 16th I received a friendly voice message from Lowe's instructing me that I was to pick up the laminate at least 48 hours prior to installation. I called back and happily explained that I had picked it up on Friday and was ready to go. They said OK and confirmed my scheduled installation. Tueday I received another friendly message from another Lowe's employee telling me that I had to pick up my laminate blah blah blah. Same thing as the day before. I again called to tell them I had already picked it up. Wednesday, same deal as Monday and Tuesday only this time they said I had to cancel installation because I hadn't picked up the laminate.

By now I am wondering if my installation is going to go ahead as scheduled. The contractor seems nice enough and had confirmed with me the installation time frame. Wednesday night the contractor called and said he would be slightly late on Thursday morning. OK, I told him to call before you get here. Thursday comes and my husband and I wait and wait and wait. 4pm the contractor shows up and does nothing. Tells us he will be back tomorrow and if need be, can the installation be completed on Tuesday instead of Monday. OK, seems alright since my husband works at home.

Friday comes and the laminate installation seems to be going smoothly. Monday he continues to work on the laminate. He starts to remove the carpeting from my stairway and loft area where my husband has his office. He unrolls the special order carpet and there is a major flaw, several rows of material are missing. SO we have to order more special order carpet. I see where this is going and start to get extremely upset. It's going to be another two weeks for carpeting. Many phone calls to Lowe's and their sub par management do nothing for me. They order new carpet and can't do anything for me satisfaction wise until the installation is complete. So they have my $4100 in cash for partial materials and partial installation.

Three weeks later the carpet has arrived at Lowe's, the contractor calls and asks me if it's OK if another contractor installs the carpet as he is booked out 2 and 1/2 weeks. This is not how things work at Lowe's. They schedule all installation. So I called Lowe's immediately and spoke with a nice man named Sonny. He said that Lowe's installation manager was working diligently to get another contractor scheduled. I told him that Thursday August 23rd is it. The carpet has to be installed that day. My husband and I are not taking any more time off work for this. I also informed him the laminate installation was not completed by the first contractor. The transitions were not complete and he left a bunch of stuff behind, tools and nails and other assorted items. Found a few razor blades in my loft from where he had started to remove the old carpet before we knew there was a flaw in the special order carpet.

Here I sit, waiting for Paul the installation manager to call me and tell me that my carpet will be installed August 23rd and this nightmare will be over. My husband has had to work around ripped up carpeting and exposed tack strip on the stairways since July 23rd. We haven't been able to have anyone in the house for fear they would injure themselves using the stairs with the exposed tack strip. The first contractor couldn't remove the carpeting without making some nice scratches in my newly painted walls. So that is another project I will have to work on. Do I get a lawyer involved? What type of compensation do I deserve for wasted days off of work and a disgusting mess of a house for a month? All the unnecessary phone calls to pick up laminate I already had? A manager at Lowe's even admitted to my husband we could have picked up more laminate and they would have never known. Twice we could have done that, and didn't .

Help!!

Rebecca

Obviously a lawyer would scare the contractor and (maybe) Lowe's but lawyers aren't free. We suggest filing a complaint with the BBB and your state's attorney general—they just love shady contractors. You'll also want to escalate your complaint with Lowe's. You can do that by launching an EECB. Make sure to include the photographs that you sent to Consumerist.

Another resource is your local government. In some states there are government agencies specifically set up to deal with home improvement complaints. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection has a complaint form (PDF) specifically geared towards home improvement complaints. We suggest filing a complaint and asking the department for more information about your options as a citizen of Wisconsin.

Anyone else have advice for Rebecca?

10 most-hyped products and what to buy instead [Consumer Reports]
Consumer Reports reveals the ten most hyped kitchen products [Chatham Journal]
(Photo: Nancy Hugo, CKD)

Home Depot promised changes and now ABC 5 is following up:

Team 5 Investigates obtained Home Depot's most recent online reference guide for service providers who are sent to customers' homes, and it shows significant changes to what has been published in the past. "I think this is a step in the direction of tightening up the requirements and recognizing the public needs to have confidence and know that it's going to be safe to have these contractors doing the work," said professor Jim Post of Boston University's School of Management.

The most significant changes relate to background checks. There are now new obligations for those who are supposed to be doing them and an increase in how often they're supposed to performed. Home Depot is also demanding that service providers verify the identity and social security number for each worker. A failure to do so could result in hefty fines.

Workers must also wear a new type of badge to show they've met the new requirements. If they don't, the fine is $500. Licensing infractions, including a failure to pull permits, could cost a contractor $1,000. And for every consumer complaint filed with an attorney general's office where the service provider fails to demonstrate an effort to resolve the complaint, that service provider is subject to a $2,500 penalty. "It certainly shows that they're serious about making sure the quality of service that's delivered to customers is consistent with the standards that they've set," said Post.

Home Depot Makes Policy Changes After Team 5 Investigation [ABC 5]
(Photo:Maulliegh)

PREVIOUSLY: Home Depot Sent Registered Sex Offender To Refinish Single Woman's Cabinets

When we say that we expect contractors to comply with the law we mean it," Commissioner Farrell said in announcing the results of the sting operation, which was conducted with cooperation from the Ridgefield, Redding, Stratford, Fairfield, and Trumbull Police Departments, Trumbull building officials, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. "Any person who wants to perform work in Connecticut must follow the State's legal requirements associated with the job. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. We intend to pursue appropriate penalties and punishment for these contractors."

The sting operation used an empty house in Ridgefield, CT to lure unsuspecting contractors. Department of Consumer Protection agents, posing as home owners, invited contractors to bid on various projects at the house. The sting operation concentrated on contractors who had been named in consumer complaints, but also included names collected from newspapers, local building officials police departments and business cards placed with local shop keepers. The vast majority of the contractors caught in the sting were from CT, but 44 were from New York.

Why was the sting important? According to the Farrell, it's a good way to remind consumers that there is Home Improvement Guaranty Fund in CT that provides up to $15,000 to victimized consumers, but "the money is only available to homeowners who have used a registered contractor. That is why it is so important to verify your contractor's registration before signing any contract or giving them any money."

That's good advice whether you live in CT or not. —MEGHANN MARCO

160 Home Improvement Contractors Caught in Department's "Operation Spring Sting" (.doc) [CT Department of Consumer Affairs]

"I asked for a kitchen, and I never thought I was going to get a sex offender."

Not only that, it turned out that the man wasn't even a licensed contractor. Since then, Home Depot pledged to conduct a rolling series of background checks to look into all of its contractors. Even after this, WCVB investigators were able to find a few with criminal records.

Though Niki was in no way harmed, you gotta be careful who you open your door to, even if they're coming from a brand-name store. — BEN POPKEN

Home Depot Rescreens Workers Sent Into Homes [WCVB] (Thanks to Jay!)
(Photo: IHP)

Bankrate says you can protect yourself by including in the contract a, "release-of-lien addendum or by placing your payments in escrow until the work is finished."

Several commenters also advised holding back 10% for 30-90 days each time the contractor asks to get paid, until you have confirmation that the subcontractors were paid for that phase. And of course, always use a licensed contractor with good referrals and BBB record. — BEN POPKEN

Don't let bad contractors nail your budget [Bankrate]

PREVIOUSLY: If Your Contractor Doesn't Pay The Sub-Contractors, You Can Find Them Coming After You

• "I just happen to be working in your neighborhood."
• "I have materials left over from another job."
• "I need the cash up front."
• "I have a special offer that's good for today only."
• "I can help you finance the project."
• "I want to use your home as a model."

6 sleazy home improvement scams [Bankrate]
(Photo: seawallrunner)

And within 24 hours....

...an assistant the the CEO, a district manager, and the new store manager called Heather's mother. Lowe's made several offers, including refunds, and discounts on their next home installation service, but the only thing Heather's mother wanted was assurance that what happened to her her wouldn't happen to any other customers. The hardware store said they would look into the workers from the day and make sure they're not sent to any other customer's homes.

Heather said, The Lowes people who called, "were very nice and seemed genuinely concerned about making my parents happy...They still do not want to do business with that particular Lowes location however, and will now attend the one in the next town over."

Posting her mother's story, "really made a difference to my parents as I don't believe Lowes would have contacted them otherwise...My parents have new faith in the internet!" said Heather. — BEN POPKEN

PREVIOUSLY: Lowes Steals Money From Old Lady's House, Threatens To Sue Her For Slander
(Photo: cmorran123)

In this episode, Mr. Marco answers questions about mysterious light bulbs, sparking outlets, rewiring an older home, and how to hire a contractor.

Let's start with Julie's question:

Man, I've been needing an electrician to answer this question honestly! I'm so excited to have this opportunity!

Here's the deal. I live in an old-ish house (built in the 50s, updated in the 70s). When we moved in (90s) there was a substandard electrical box and we did upgrade that. The problem is that we seem to go through light bulbs like no one else I know. Bulbs are constantly burning out in all of our lamps, ceiling fixtures, outdoor fixtures, etc. Even "long lasting" and compact fluorescent bulbs. We don't have any other obvious electrical problems, and no problems with appliances that are plugged in, etc. Everyone I've ever spoken to about it says it's just coincidental. But what do you say about it?

Thanks!

julie

Mr. Marco: (Speaking from his cell phone in the grocery store parking lot): In the 70s, especially the early 70s, they used a lot of aluminum wire, which they found out was bad, because with aluminum wire as you tighten it up, the aluminum moves away from the pressure point and it gets loose. What it sounds like is happening [to Julie] is either when she had the service redone they left an open neutral, or there's a loose connection on the neutral that causes the bulbs to burn out.

You get an unbalanced load on one side and more voltage goes to the lamps than is supposed to, depending on how the load is balanced. So I would recommend they hire a competent electrician and have them come in and check the neutrals in the panel, and all the circuits coming back through the panel, to make sure that the neutrals are tied in properly. Also make sure the neutral tied to the service (you know, the one that goes to the electrical company) is tight... and not loose or burnt. Because I've seen the wires so loose that you can pull them out of the connector.

That's if the wire is aluminum, if its copper you don't have that problem, but maybe someone didn't tie the neutrals in properly.

The Consumerist: So, hire an electrician, tell them to check the neutrals.

Mr. Marco: All the neutrals in the system.

The Consumerist: So, It's probably not coincidence, then?

Mr. Marco: Boy, I'd find that pretty hard to believe, especially since she's burning up those CFLs that are supposed to last for 5 years. If there's a loose neutral... there's a transformer in there, in that bulb, ok, and if the neutral is disconnected, then that light will receive more voltage than they're supposed to and that'll burn the transformers. She doesn't have any problems with her appliances, but she could. If there's a neutral that's loose or disconnected eventually it could wear and tear on her appliances, too.

The Consumerist: So just because they're not all breaking...

Mr. Marco: Well, how long do you use a blender? Ya know? A light bulb, that's on.

Donna had a common problem for our readers. Bad outlets and how to replace them:

Hello,

This is a fantastic offer, because I've been having a problem that I wasn't sure what to do about.

A few months ago, I noticed a small spark in one of my kitchen outlets just as I plugged anything in. I started avoiding that outlet, but now two of the others are doing the same thing. I've only noticed it in that one room. Could there be some kind of problem with the power in the kitchen that's causing this, or is it more likely that the outlets are just wearing out around the same time?

My husband is fairly handy, and since we got the house he's surprised me with his ceiling-fan-hanging and changing-light-fixture skills. Is changing the outlets the kind of thing he could safely do on his own with basic knowledge and good instructions, or should I insist on calling in a professional? And should we replace all the outlets in the whole room, or only the ones that are acting up? If we need a pro, how would you recommend finding a good one?

Thanks a lot, Meghann's Dad!

-Donna
Raleigh, NC

If they are the 3-prong type, replace them with the 3-prong type. And if they are used a lot....There are two types. There is a 15 amp receptacle and a 20 amp receptacle. If they are high-usage, I would recommend replacing them with a 20-amp receptacle. The 15s are cheaper, but the 20s last a lot longer.

The Consumerist: Would you recommend that her ceiling-fan hanging husband endeavor to do this on his own considering that the outlets are sparking?

Mr. Marco: He sounds like he's a pretty handy guy. I would definitely want him to disconnect all the power, even to the point of pulling the main if he's not sure which circuit is which. Because when you take the outlet out of the wall, there's a possibility that even though the outlet is dead there could be other circuits in there that are live. So I recommend that he do it on a bright sunny day, that he has a flashlight and shuts the power off to the house with the main breaker. Replace all the outlets. White wire goes on the silver screw, colored wire goes on the brass or copper screw. Polarity is very important.

The Consumerist: Is it likely that there is something else wrong with her kitchen or anyone's kitchen that is having a similar problem?

Mr.Marco: The only other thing that makes me wonder is what she's plugging in. Is the cord in good repair? Or is the cord frayed? If the appliance that she's plugging in has problems, that could cause sparks.

Chad has a question about his older home and its ancient wiring:

Dear Mr. Marco,
A year and a half ago I bought a 1905 bungalow style home in beautiful Dayton, Ohio. The inside has beautiful woodwork, a built in china cabinet, deacon benches, three fireplaces and all wood floors... I purchased the home for $61,000 in the summer and I was pretty happy. Two winters have since gone by and I've redone the dining room, kitchen, bathroom and I'm finishing up the garage and billiards room now... all is going fairly well but there are two things about the house that scare/bother me.

First is the knob and tube wiring, the ratty stuff is spliced here and there all over the house. The idea of it catching fire and burning my fianc e and I alive keeps me up at night. So my first question is about rewiring the house. I'd like to be able to pull all of the wiring out this summer and rewire with modern wire... but since I don't know where everything goes, where everything comes from and what's all connected it'll be pretty tough. Are my concerns about the wiring founded? Should I forget about it, have faith in the old stuff and sleep better at night? Should I forget about rewiring and focus on something else? If I should get rid of it any suggestions on doing so?

The second thing that bothers me is the complete lack of insulation found in between our walls. It gets pretty darn cold in Ohio during the winter and insulation would provide a much desired buffer between the outside and the inside. I know that it's possible to drill holes in our walls and blow insulation into each stud cavity, but the thought of doing this bring me back to my first fear... the wiring. The last thing I want to do is coat that old wiring with blown in insulation that will catch fire and burn as we sleep comfortable upstairs. Is blow in insulation safe to do in a home with knob and tube wiring?

Thanks for any and all questions you might be able to answer,
Thanks.
Chad

Mr. Marco: (Sounding a bit sad for Chad) Knob and Tube wiring scares me also. The house sounds very lovely inside, but it's definitely necessary to replace that. It's going to be a costly thing, and should only be done by a qualified electrician, but yeah I think it's necessary.

I guess I'd recommend finding a qualified electrical contractor that specializes in old homes. There are a lot of tricks.

(Sounding more hopeful) Actually, the uninsulated walls are a good thing, because it makes it easier to fish modern flexible armored cable up and down the walls. There will be damage to walls. It's inevitable. It's going to happen. There are certain areas where it's impossible to get any conduit or armored cable in without causing damage to walls, that's why its very important to hire a contractor that well versed in rewiring older homes. After that is complete, it's perfectly alright to blow in insulation. I definitely wouldn't try to do it first, and then try to rewire. Rewire, then put in the insulation.

The insulation is fiberglass...It doesn't really burn that well.

The Consumerist : So you recommend rewiring first not because fiberglass is going to burn, but because it'll make it harder for someone to eventually fish new wire through?

Mr. Marco: Exactly. And then, the first thing you insulate is the ceilings. Blankets in the attic, heavy duty. 2' insulation in the ceilings. Most of the heat in a house is lost through the ceilings and the top 3' of the wall. That's where the heat goes. Up to the first 5' on the wall, the heat loss is very minimal.

The Consumerist: So right away, he should insulate his attic?

Mr. Marco: Right. But, if he's rewiring the house, now the electrician is going to have to crawl through all that new insulation and pull it out and move it and it is going to make his job harder. So I would recommend find a contractor who is skilled in rewiring old houses, have the knob and tube replaced, and then after that is done and the service is up to date, and all the recepticals are in shielded metal conduit (flexible or pipe) then go in and make sure everything is well-insulated.

The Consumerist: Let's talk about hiring a contractor, because people who read this site, that's a primary concern. Do you have any advice?

Mr. Marco: For 35 years, I was a union electrician. I know that the union made sure that I was trained and skilled in all the things that I was supposed to do. Whereas a non-union contractor, that's not true. They hire their people off the street and try to train them themselves. All union electricians are trained by the union in conjunction with NECA, the national electrical contractor's association, so they're skilled.

So the first thing I would do is I would look for union contractors in my area. I would contact the local electrical union, and see who they recommend. They'll recommend union electrical contractors with skilled people. Especially if you're doing an older home, you want someone who is really good at that. The local union knows the type of work that each contractor does. Obviously, a big contractor is not going to go into an older home and rewire it, but there are a lot of small contractors that do. That's their specialty.

The Consumerist: So would you even bother with the phone book?

Mr. Marco: I think going to to local union and asking for a list of local contractors that do the type of work that they need done would be an excellent start. If you're not satisfied with the list you get, then I would look through the yellow pages. But I would definitely prefer a union contractor, because I know they're trained.

The Consumerist: How many estimates would you get?

Mr. Marco: No less than 2. I like to get 3 estimates on a job. But sometimes, you know, if one is so far below the rest, you have to ask yourself why. And if one person is so far above... why? If I had 3 estimates and they're all over the place... One guy's doing it for free, the other guy wants me to re-mortgage the house, and the other guy is somewhere in between, I go with the in-between guy, but I get one more estimate first.

Also, you know, if I pick a contractor and it looks like he'll do a good job, I ask him the names of some of the other people he's worked for and their phone numbers so I can give them a call and see how he did.

The Consumerist: So, you can ask for references?

Mr. Marco: Exactly.

Joshua has a philosophical question:

Dear Meghann's Dad,
I was at work today and a man came in. He said he had been married 37 years today. I told him congratulations. He got a nasty look on his face and told me it was a 37-year prison sentence. This is not the first time this has happened. A man came in one time and told me never to get married, no matter how pretty the girl was, how much I thought I loved her, or how much money she had. What do you think about marriage? If you could get married again (assuming you are married) would you do it?

Thanks Meghann's Dad!
Joshua
Atlanta, GA

Mr. Marco: Just tell him: I'm the exception that proves the rule. I met my bride back in 1969, we were married in '76 and it's been very good for me.

The Consumerist: Ok, we'll let him know.

Happy 31st Anniversary today to my parents Edgar and Diane! And Happy (sort of) Birthday to my mom, she's got a leap year birthday!

If you have a question for Meghann's Dad, write to us at tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. Please put "Ask Meghann's Dad" in the subject. We'll call Dad while he's at the grocery store and spring your questions on him with no warning. That's how we roll. —MEGHANN MARCO

We know that home improvement can be a daunting subject, but Edgar, also known as Mr. Marco, will be happy to answer any questions you may have. But no, he will not install your ceiling fan for free on his day off. Please, stop asking him.

To submit your question to "Ask Meghann's Dad" please email it to tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. Put "Ask Meghann's Dad" in the subject.

A cautionary tale for anyone with elderly family or friends, inside...

(Photo: rcrowley)

Heather writes:

Dear Consumerist

Longtime reader here with a story about a crime committed in my parents home this past Friday.

My parents have often used Lowes home installment services for little jobs around the house. This time it was a new front door installation, since the first one had warped over time and no longer closed properly. My Mother had gone to the bank that morning and withdrawn their weekly petty cash, gone home, and dispersed it throughout 3 different places in their bedroom. The workmen showed up later with the new door and started installation.

My Mother, being a trusting soul and not thinking about someone possibly rifling through her personal belongings, went next door to feed and care for my Grandfather. This was only a 30 minute trip. When she returned, the workers were done and had left, the new door now installed. This was all between 3 and 4pm

At 5pm, my Father comes home and goes to get his weekly allowance from one of the places they kept cash hidden in the bedroom. Surprisingly, $100 of the money was missing. My Mother then checked all of the cash, and in total $295 was missing from the home. Obviously, these guys had gone thoroughly through my parents things to find this money.

The Police were called, and they were told to call Lowes. That it was Lowes responsibility to press charges. So my mother calls them. And is told that they would have to press charges. Which is pretty difficult, as Lowes will not tell my parents the names of the Sub Contractors who came to her home. Lowes also informed my parents that unless fingerprints could be pulled, that if my parents pressed charges and could not prove guilt, they would be sued for slander.

My Mother has unfortunately given up without a fight. She says she doesn't have the time or strength to fight over such a small amount of money. My Grandmother just passed away, and with all of the red tape they have had to go through, I think they are pretty discouraged.

Basically, I just want to put out the word that Lowes Sub Contracted a team of guys who were willing to sift through someones private home to take money. And now will not take responsibility for it, or even let my parents take the responsibility for themselves. They then said that my parents would be sued if definite proof could not be given. The sad thing is, they succeeded in discouraging my parents into giving up the fight. My Mother says they are just writing it off as a really expensive door. But to me, this means these guys will just go to another house and do the same thing again, and again, and again.

Thanks for the ear, and thanks for a great and informative website.

We wrote back, "That is incredibly messed up. If you're interested we can try and help out. Sounds to us like a Lowes manager just badgering your mother. If corporate found out, he might be singing a different tune."

Heather replied,

My Mother says she did write a letter to the Main office. But I don't know if it will do much good. I do think that it needs to be at least brought to their attention via phone or otherwise. The main concern is that Lowes does not keep sending that particular crew to jobsites to repeat this crime.

Yes, I do think the Manager or whomever she spoke with was just trying to push her off. The whole "Slander" threat was a big tip off. I know that in a Slander case, you have to prove that the defendant did indeed lie. And there is no proof on either side right now. Regardless, since Lowes is the Contractor in this case, I think they are the responsible party.

Basically, they are not going to press charges. Mom is pretty discouraged. And to top it all off, my Grandmother died at the first of the month. And Social Security has been piling on the red tape. At the same time, she is caring for my Grandfather 24/7 who cannot talk clearly or walk on his own. My parents are just chalking it up to a really expensive door. But they feel violated. These guys really had to have gone through the whole room to find this money.

Just getting the word out for people to be cautious is the most important thing to me. Especially to the older crowd, like my parents, who are so trusting of people.

It's unfortunate that Heather's mother won't be pressing charges. That's really the only way to bring these scumbags to justice. Hopefully Lowes corporate will see the light and step up.

In the meantime, warn your elderly friends and family that if they have strangers come over to work on their house to not leave the house while they're working on it.

Yet another story about home-improvement warehouse subcontractors behaving criminally. This industry needs to be reined in. — BEN POPKEN

As Linda alludes to at the end of the newscast, the real problem lies in that Home Depot customers are forced to pay for their services in full, upfront. Typically, contractors don't get full payment until the job is completed to the customer's satisfaction. By denying customers this crucial check and balance, Home Depot encourages sloth and incompetence.

For their part, consumers should avoid agreeing to deals where there is no built-in recourse if the good or service isn't up to par. — BEN POPKEN

Investigators: Shoddy work leaves Home Depot customers feeling nailed [King5] (Thanks to Cherise!)

• Cut experienced sales staff, which often consisted of retired plumbers, electricians, etc
• Replaced with inexperienced, cheaper staff
• Siphoned resources from consumer side to focus on selling to professional builders

While Home Depot has pledged $350 million to improve customer service, long term trends suggest their heart lies elsewhere. Says NYT:

"Home Depot argues that the $200 billion do-it-yourself market is mature. Professional builders represent a $410 billion market."

— BEN POPKEN

At Home Depot, the New Chief Needs to Sell an Old Story to Wall Street [NYT]

Here's how it worked.

Order 75% of their lumber from a larger supplier.
Order 25% of their lumber from a small supplier.

After lumber gets sorted through and the unsaleable pieces are found, Mernards returns them all to the small supplier.

That's right, the crappy boards from both suppliers get returned to the little guy. Kornkob writes,

But wait, one might thing, all the supplier has to do is say 'hey—this board don't have our markings on it' and refuse to refund on those pieces. However, Menards, having chosen source that was hungry for their business, knows that they can strong arm this supplier into eating the extra costs regardless, since the account is very valuable to them. When the supplier balked, Menards simply chose a different source to take advantage of.

Rinse wash repeat for all manner of sourced product.

Business is a mean business. Full letter inside...

Kornkob writes:

— BEN POPKEN

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County deputies said a 78-year-old man upset with the customer service at a local Home Depot left the store and got his gun...

Deputies say Llido got mad when no one would help him, and said he was going home to get a gun and came back with the weapon 20 minutes later."

Cleanup in aisle 5? — BEN POPKEN

Man Upset With Home Depot Brings Gun To Store [WFTV] (Thanks to something_amazing!)

Don, CEO of photo-sharing site SmugMug, blogs,

"About once a month, if I'm very lucky, some contractor from Owens Corning HOMExperts comes over for an hour or two and screws a few things together. They came yesterday, for example, and tried to finish a few projects. Of course, what they ended up accomplishing was zero, and actually managed to damage some stuff..."

Calls to HomeDepot and Owens Corning go unanswered and so Don opened a BBB case...

A commenter on Don's blog post advises calling the Home Depot Atlanta Store Support Center at 770-433-8211, pressing zero, sneaking through the IVR maze, and asking the operator for the President of Home Expo, and, "If all else fails, ask to speak to Big Bob (Bob Nardelli) himself."

While we have a partial inclination to say mean things about people who can afford $130,000 kitchens, Home Depot is the far greater evil. Then again, if you can spend $130 k on a kitchen remodeling, you can go with a higher grade contractor than one offered by Home Depot. Ask a friend with a $130,000 kitchen where he got his work done. — BEN POPKEN

Worst. Service. Ever: Home Depot & HOMExperts [SmugBlog]

But Melissa over at Suburban Bliss knows grout. Or thinks she does. She's pretty sure it isn't the same thing as Silly Putty. Isn't grout supposed to eventually harden? TrafficMaster Stainproof Grout from Home Depot doesn't.

Melissa follows up with a complaint to TrafficMaster:

Yesterday I started my letter writing and complaints with the company and several consumer groups. The company which makes TrafficMaster Stainproof Grout was first to reply. Assuring me that, from what she could tell in my pictures, the product was doing what it should. I guess it should be able to hold my pen in it, in case I want to write something while I'm showering.

She said it never hardens like a cement based product and it says right in the ingredients it's an acrylic copolymer, you silly woman, how could you have missed that? You see, I should have known this wasn't grout but rather a glorified caulk. How silly of me.

The most entertaining post about grout I've ever read.

Don't Buy TrafficMaster Stainproof Grout (Or Traffic Master Stainproof Grout either) [Suburban Bliss] (Thanks, Christy K-H!)

Let's Build Something Together... indeed. Just as long as it's not an inconvenience for one of us.

We're sure the sanctimonious anoraks among you will quickly seize Randy's letter in your sweaty maws and rip it apart, saying he shouldn't get so upset over the haughty attitude of one Lowe's employee over two buckets up paint. No doubt, that Ryan picked up the wrong base paint and so deserves mockery will figure prominently in your screeds. Before you do that, read the entire letter, imagine walking into a store you've given good money, and then being insulted by one of its employees in front of your family for no good reason.

If after that, you feel not a twinge of empathy, by all means, break out your greasy rapiers and rusty hacksaws.

The fact remains, Ryan was dissed, he's pissed, and he's not shopping at Lowes aynmore. His missive, after the jump...

Randy's letter to Lowe's is as follows

"I am writing this tonight because I have put up with my last inconsiderate, unhelpful employee that your store has seen fit to offer me since moving into the area only 4 years ago. It's been a love/hate relationship where for a few moments I can get expert customer service and just when things are looking up I am greeted (or, completely ignored) by someone who would be better off flipping burgers than attempting to answer a home improvement question. Without going into particulars of the past because the past is no longer relevant I will explain the incident that put things over the edge.

Tonight my family ventured into Lowes in search of 2 gallons of Exterior Paint. We walked in the paint aisle and identified the paint base we wanted. Sitting in a wire holder right in front of that paint was a color guide for exterior paint. We identified the color we needed for this very simple project and brought both the paint and the color guide to the paint desk. In year's past I have done this and the paint employee takes the paint, adds the dye, shakes it, checks it, and I'm on my way.

Tonight I watched what appeared to be the only employee in the area hold a completely non-work relevant conversation with another person for 5 minutes while ignoring us. After 5 minutes a new employee happened upon the desk and asked if we were being helped. We answered that we were not and just needed these 2 gallons of paint in this color. This seemed to be a very simple task. Apparently I do not know enough about paint.

Mr. Employee (sorry I didn't get his name) let us know that we did not have to get the base paint, simply tell them the color and they would go get it for us. On the surface that appeared to be a very nice offer, until he immediately tacked on that we should take back the base that we had chosen and then come back to the desk. Without pausing for any response the then changed his mind and said he would take it back and get the right base while at the same time telling us and I quote "although it's a major inconvenience, I will go back and get the right base." Yes. Those words will be etched in my mind until the day I die.

Your employee, through an act of the most sheer stupidity and ignorance I have ever experienced, managed to cost you a customer for life. Over the past year Lowes hung on by a thread and earned my purchase of a vinyl shed along with accompanying wood to construct the base. No small project. In the near future I have planned a complete flooring upgrade as well as paint and some tile work on the walls. Over 2 gallons of paint, your employee has cost you those sales.

It's very unfortunate that I was an inconvenience by going into the aisle and picking out the base I needed then grabbed the color chart that was so intelligently placed by the base that I was buying and brought it up to the counter so the employee would not have to go 35 feet to get it. Of course, I'm still confused about the wrong base as I was unaware that a color could not be put into any base.

I believe in the value of customer service over all else. I praise it when it's needed (as I did when a very exceptional employee saved you a sale on a vinyl shed) and I certainly let everyone know when it's bad. I'm sure everyone I converse with, both in person and on the Internet, will be happy to hear just exactly how inconvenienced Lowes was over two gallons of paint."

We drew our lower lip over our bottom teeth, glanced up and left, took deep breath...

We knew that, we responded, but where in the store are they? The employee looked away from us. Another employee looked over and gave the aisle where the casters could be found. We thanked him and left in that direction.

Yes, a small slight, but we didn't see the point of lip like that. It's terribly confusing for us limp-wristed individuals like ourselves to navigate all that hardware. Maybe the aggravation is a minor sensation, like the difference between satin and silk rubbing against each other, but it certainly rubbed us the wrong way.

Lowe's, you remain an indifferent mystery. It looks good on you.

[photo cred]