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Ace Hardware Corporation Complaint - Local Store Returns and Exchanges - returns and exchanges
Complaint
GRINNELL, IOWA -- Is it Ace's policy not allow returns or exchanges from one Ace Hardware to another? I shopped at an Ace in Illinois on a trip and bought an inexpensive remote control that did not work. I tried to return or exchange it at my home Ace Hardware (Paul's Ace Hardware in Grinnell, Iowa) and was told they could do nothing and I had to go back to Illinois. Just to add to my frustrations, I had made an earlier purchase during a special on compact fluorescent light bulbs. The stock person helped me and when I specifically said I did not know how many of each wattage I needed, he had said I can always bring them back to exchange. I tried to do the exchange at the same time as this other return and was told that they could not do an exchange between wattages even though both were for the same price during the sale. To make it worse, I was planning on doing a simple exchange (same item) for one of the bulbs that did not work, and they had none in the store and had no idea if/when more would be in. In effect, they were not stocking the most popular GE CFL bulb. I was patient and considerate the whole time, and the employee that would have processed these returns and exchanges was the owner's wife, so I do not think the issue had anything to do with employee knowledge. If each store can be this unique in their practices, I will have to stop shopping Ace as I have no way of knowing how each store operates, and this loose affiliation of individual stores gives no benefit to customers. I have been successful at staying away from the DIY superstores, but maybe I will have to change that.
Comments:
Posted by moneybags on 2007-12-08:
Today, most Ace Hardware stores are franchised. One owner does not recognize a purchase made at another owners store.
Posted by UrFriendlyPirate on 2007-12-08:
Wow, good to know, I'll keep that in mind for future purchases.
Posted by killerklown on 2007-12-08:
As far as I know, Ace is a franchise and is owned by different people. It would make sense that they don't allow returns from one Ace to another.
Posted by FredH on 2007-12-10:
Thanks, moneybags and killerklown. I'll be shopping at the big stores from now on, but it's a shame.
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