Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a lawn rake made by Emsco through homedepot.com. The item description states the rake has a 48" hardwood handle; however, the rake actually has a flimsy, hollow, plastic handle. Home Depot called Emsco & put Kelly B****** - a Customer Support worker on a 3-way call with me to address the problem. Kelly asked me to send photos -which I did. She then replied, telling me that the handle is hardwood. It is not! The handle is very lightweight, molded, hollow, plastic, which bends & transmits light through it --hardwood doesn't do that! I spent $20.13 on the rake. When I asked for a resolution, my request went unanswered. I simply want a 48" hardwood handle with the foam comfort grip (I paid an extra $5 for that) to be sent to me.

  Business response

  06/08/2022

  I have reviewed the case with Kelly B****** who took the original call. Attached are screenshots of the emails noting the exchange.  Mr. **** claimed the handle was plastic and Kelly responded that it is a painted wooden handle.  Mr. **** emphatically stated it is hollow plastic and asked for a replacement handle or a refund.

  I have personally checked our inventory for these rakes and can confirm that they are painted wooden handles.  The wood is a painted composite, primarily pine species.  This causes it to be lightweight which could lead to misidentification of the material.  While it is extremely unlikely that a plastic handle would have been slipped into this batch of rakes, we can certainly look at that and replace the item in that case.  Mr. **** will first need to initiate an exchange or refund with Home Depot as they are the original entity that initiated the transaction.  Should they indicate that an exchange or refund is no longer viable, we can initiate either option from our facility. 

  We apologize for any inconveniences during this experience and will do what we can to ensure a satisfactory resolution.  Please let us know next steps.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  06/08/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I am an educated, intelligent person, and the company's claim that the handle is made of a composite pine wood material is absolutely false.   The handle is too lightweight & bendable to be any type of solid wood or composite material.   When one taps the handle with fingernails, there is an obvious plastic feel and hollow sound.  And when I place a very bright light on the opposite side of the handle, light transmits through it!  Light doesn't transmit through solid wood/composite.  In addition, even if this handle were to be made of a composite comprised mostly of pine wood -the item's description on the HD website states it is a hardwood handle; pine is not a hardwood.  I've spoken with HD multiple times, and they passed the buck by putting me in direct contact with Emsco.   There are score lines deliberately etched into both ends of the handle to give the impression that the handle is wood.  The bottom line is that someone is trying to pull one over on someone -either Emsco is, or if they order the handle from another supplier, then their supplier is.  But this is absolutely, positively, not a wood or wood-composite handle.  It is hollow, molded plastic.  The resolution I want is a 48" hardwood handle with foam comfort grip, per the description of the item I paid for.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

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