Home Depot's Contractors Instructed to Intentionally Inflate Estimates, Charge For Items Not Installed

KNBC in Los Angeles is investigating a nationwide epidemic of fraud being perpetrated by Home Depot. Is it that bad? Yeah, it’s that bad. From KNBC:

Now, NBC4 has heard from customers in 22 states and from insiders from across the country, who have given NBC4 a paper trail of internal documents, suggesting the company overcharges customers on window and siding installations, kitchen remodels and on roofing jobs.”

KNBC brought in an expert to inspect the work Home Depot had done on one customer’s roof. He found that new flashings costing over $1,000, shown on the customer’s receipt, were never installed. According to KNBC, these aren’t simple mistakes, they’re systematic and intentional.

“I’ve been taught and trained to rip-off customers,” says a former employee for US Home Systems, a nationwide subcontractor that sells refacing jobs for Home Depot. NBC4 spoke with numerous employees of the company.
“You were told to intentionally inflate the estimate,” Grover asked the former employees.

“Correct,” they replied.

If a job came in on budget, the customer was supposed to receive money back. But the insiders showed NBC4 documents proving some customers didn’t get money back.

“How often did customers not get back money they were owed,” Grover asked the insiders.

“A hundred percent of the time,” one insider replied.

“Are you saying thousands of people have been ripped off,” Grover asked.

“Yes,” the insiders replied.

The good news is: Home Depot is offering to make good with ANY customer who contacts them through KNBC. Nationwide. If Home Depot’s contractors have ripped you off, click here to contact KNBC!

Home Depot Investigation – Part 3 [KNBC]
(Photo: MortonFox)

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