The $1,600 Disappearing Act: A Cautionary Tale of Lowe’s Store #0702
Location: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Store Manager: “Stephen” | District Manager: “Homer”
The Issue: Fraudulent Sale of Used Goods, Repeated Deception, and Refusal of Refund.
The Summary
I purchased a “new” Bosch dishwasher from Lowe’s. They delivered a used, broken, unboxed unit that leaked greywater onto my floor. After four managers lied about a replacement and then hung up when confronted with recorded proof of their promises, the store refused to process my refund—even after I physically returned the defective unit to the store. As of today, Lowe’s is in possession of both my $1,600 and the defective merchandise.
The Full Timeline of Deception
Phase 1: The “New” Credit Card Trap
On April 29th, I attempted to purchase a Bosch dishwasher using the promised 20% New Account Discount. Due to a glitch between Lowe’s and Synchrony Bank, the order had to be cancelled and replaced three times. Each time, the promised discount “vanished.” Despite a manager’s promise to manually apply the 20%, they only applied 5%, betting I wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t care enough to delay delivery again.
Phase 2: The “Used” Delivery
On delivery day, the unit arrived without a box.
- The Evidence: Protective films and decals were missing.
- The Health Hazard: When tilted for installation, half a gallon of stagnant greywater poured out of the drain line. New dishwashers are factory-tested with fresh water; this was used sewage from a previous installation.
- The Defect: The door mechanism was internally obstructed, vibrating and grinding upon opening.
Phase 3: The Managerial “Vanishing Act”
I immediately went to Store #0702. Two managers confirmed they had 24 units in the DeFuniak Springs warehouse and guaranteed a replacement the next day.
- The Lie: The next morning, the tracking showed a 3-week delay.
- The Gaslighting: When I called the store, a manager claimed they never promised next-day delivery.
- The Hook: When I informed the manager that I had a voice recording of the previous day’s promises, he immediately hung up on me.
Phase 4: Refusal of Refund and Police Threats
Because Lowe’s has a “sneaky” 48-hour return window for major appliances, I didn’t wait for a scheduled pickup. I hauled the broken unit to the store myself.
- Stonewalling: Four different employees refused to let me speak to the Store Manager, Steven.
- Hostility: A fifth manager stopped processing my refund the moment I mentioned seeking legal counsel—a move used to intimidate customers into silence.
- The Result: I was forced to leave the store without my money and without the dishwasher.
Current Status
Lowe’s Store #0702 is currently in possession of my $1,600 and a defective unit they attempted to pass off as new. This isn’t just bad customer service; it is a documented failure of retail integrity.
To Steven, Homer, and the Mooresville Corporate Team: My next step isn’t another phone call. It is a formal complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the BBB.
The Full Story
On Sunday, April 29th, my dishwasher stopped working. That night, I began shopping for a replacement on Lowes.com. After researching the issue with my current unit, I realized that parts alone would cost $350, so I decided to invest in a new one.
After doing a significant amount of homework, I concluded that a mid-range Bosch was the best option. These retail for around $1,500. Since Lowe’s was roughly $50 cheaper than Home Depot, I decided to go with them.
I loaded the dishwasher into my cart and, during checkout, saw a massive banner: “Save 20% When Opening a Lowe’s Credit Card Account.” I usually ignore these offers, but 20% of $1,500 is a substantial saving. Given that I live directly behind Lowe’s—we literally share a fence line—it made sense to accept the outrageous 31% APR for the one-time discount.
I applied, was approved, and checked out. My delivery was scheduled for Monday the 31st. This was much better than the seven-day wait quoted by Home Depot. This is where my love story with Lowe’s ended forever.
The Credit Card Loop
After checking out with the discount, I received an email stating my new card had been declined. I tried again on the website with the same result. I called Synchrony Bank and discovered the issue was on their end: opening an instant account and immediately placing a large charge triggered a security refusal.
Once that was cleared up, I returned to the website. Declined again. This time, I called Lowe’s Customer Service and was told I had to cancel the original order and place a new one for the credit card sync to reset. I followed their instructions.
It worked perfectly, with one exception: the 20% discount was nowhere to be found. As a web developer, I knew exactly what happened—it was a one-time cookie that wouldn’t reappear in a new cart. I decided to check out without the discount and simply call a manager later to adjust the ticket. At this point, I was still scheduled for Monday delivery, which was my ultimate goal.
The Delivery Deception
During checkout, there is a $200 option for installation. I’ve installed dishwashers before—it isn’t rocket science—but I decided to be lazy and pay for the hookup. After all, I’m a web developer, not the most mechanically inclined person.
Monday arrived, and I called the store to discuss the discount and get a delivery window. I was transferred to the Appliance department, where a representative told me my dishwasher wouldn’t even arrive at their store until the 7th—the same day Home Depot would have delivered.
When I asked why the website promised delivery that day, she snapped that it was because I chose professional installation. I pointed out that the delivery date on the site didn’t change regardless of the installation choice and asked, “Can you deliver it today if I remove the installation? I can do it myself.” She abruptly told me no; it would have to be the 7th.
This made no sense, as the website was still advertising next-day delivery for new purchases. When I mentioned this, she remained unmoved. Frustrated, I told her I’d call back after checking other retailers. She retorted, “You can’t; all Lowe’s stores will go off this ticket.”
I called around but couldn’t find a better delivery date. I called Lowe’s back, trying to avoid the previous representative, and asked for a manager. The moment I said “Appliances,” I was sent right back to the lady with the “shining” personality.
After an unusually long hold and being rerouted multiple times, a helpful employee personally walked the phone to a manager. I explained the situation, and he told me I could get it delivered on Tuesday (the following day) and that he could manually apply the 20% discount.
The “Re-boxed” Surprise
To fix it, I had to cancel my order for a second time and re-order. True to his word, it was scheduled for the next day, and a discount was applied—though when I checked later, he had only given me 5% instead of the promised 20%. I decided to eat the $200 difference rather than cancel a third time and delay delivery again.
The dishwasher arrived on Tuesday. I noticed it wasn’t in a box, which struck me as odd, but the delivery team was polite. We slit the plastic wrapping in the kitchen, and it looked fine at first glance, though I noticed the protective film and decals common on new appliances were missing.
The “drought” was over—or so I thought. As I tilted the machine to remove the bottom packaging, half a gallon of stagnant water poured out of the sewage line. I knew then that this was a re-boxed unit. I decided to try and move forward anyway, but when I tested the door, it made a loud, vibrating, internal grinding noise. That was the final straw.
The Managerial Shield
I called the 1-800 number and was told a exchange would take until the 8th. Since I live 75 feet from the store, I walked over to speak to a manager. After waiting 15 minutes, a manager and a “junior” manager arrived. They were immediately defensive, claiming water in the lines was “normal” and that not all units have protective film.
Eventually, they checked their system and claimed they had 24 units in the DeFuniak Springs warehouse. They promised a replacement the next day.
Today, I logged in to find the delivery date had been moved to April 22nd—three weeks away. I called the store, and a manager told me they never promised next-day delivery. This lit me up. I informed him that I had voice-recorded the entire conversation from the day before.
The line went dead. He hung up on me.
The Final Confrontation
I contacted the Lowe’s main switchboard in Mooresville. They offered no help other than confirming the three-week delay. They refused to swap it for a comparable in-stock unit.
I decided to end the madness. I loaded the broken dishwasher into my truck, drove it to the front doors of the Fort Walton Beach store, and dropped it off. I went to the service desk and told them I wouldn’t speak to anyone but the Store Manager, Steven.
I was told he “could not be bothered.” A fifth manager approached me, and when I reiterated that I would only speak to Steven or a lawyer, she stopped typing immediately. She claimed that because I mentioned a lawyer, she could no longer assist me—a blatant lie.
She refused to process my return, refused to let me speak to Steven, and yet they were now in possession of the dishwasher. I had paid $1,600 for a broken machine that they now physically held while refusing a refund.
I’m not proud of it, but I screamed at the top of my lungs: “LET ME SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER!” She threatened to call the police. I told her to go ahead—maybe they could help me get my $1,600 back.
I left shortly after. As of this writing, Lowe’s has my money and the broken, re-boxed dishwasher they tried to pass off as new.
UPDATE: Lowes refunded my money. Never again. I have the same dishwasher coming from Home Depot, I suggest you do the same, unless you want to gamble on not having the same experience I had.