ORLANDO, Fla. – When a Central Florida man said he had trouble receiving a $1,500 refund for a washer and dryer after three unsuccessful delivery attempts, he contacted News 6 in hopes of getting results.
“I have never had such a frustrating experience purchasing goods and services,” James Johnson said.
He and his wife needed to replace the washer and dryer in their Lake Nona home, so they visited Lowe’s, where they found the set of appliances on sale.
After charging the washer and dryer purchase to their Lowe’s credit card, the couple scheduled the two items to be delivered to their home by a third-party company that handles shipments for the home improvement store.
When the deliveryman arrived, Johnson discovered the shipment was incomplete.
"He said, 'All I have is a dryer'," Johnson told News 6. "No washer."
Unwilling to accept a partial delivery, Johnson sent the dryer back and scheduled a new delivery date.
"I did not want to take possession of a single unit knowing I had paid for both," he said.
According to Johnson, the delivery company later called to inform him the appliances would be dropped off three days earlier than expected and at a time Johnson and his wife were not available to be home.
Johnson arranged for another family member to be there when the deliverymen returned.
“I got a phone call at work from my stepdaughter who’s panicking,” said Johnson. “She’s like, ‘Your washer and dryer are both here but the guy on the truck says the washer is damaged.’”
For the second time, Johnson refused to accept the items.
He then returned to Lowe’s, where Johnson said he was assured both items would be delivered in good condition the following weekend.
“Saturday rolls around, now they show up with a washer. No dryer,” Johnson said. “I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe they could screw it up three times in a row.”
After purchasing the identical washer and dryer set from Home Depot, which Johnson said was successfully delivered three days later, he returned to Lowe's to obtain a refund for the appliances he had originally purchased there.
“(An assistant manager) said, 'We’ll issue that refund right now. You should see it 24 to 48 hours,” Johnson said.
Johnson checked his Lowe’s credit card balance a few days later and the $1,500 charge was still there.
“No refund. Not a dime,” Johnson said.
Johnson claims he was unable to reach anyone when he called the customer service number found on the Lowe’s website, so he said filed a dispute with the bank that issued his Lowe’s credit card.
When the charge was still not reversed weeks later, Johnson called the credit card company again.
"They told me my washer and dryer had been delivered to the store," said Johnson, who claims he was informed the $1,500 charge would remain on his credit card.
“We watch Channel 6 news every morning. I’m like, we’ve got to give it a try,” said Johnson. “I called News 6.”
News 6 contacted the corporate office for Lowe’s by email. A Lowe’s spokesperson soon replied.
"Our goal is to ensure we’re providing a great experience for every customer. We apologize for the delays that Mr. Johnson experienced, and regret that we weren’t able to resolve this matter sooner," he wrote.
Within 24 hours, Johnson said he received a call from the local Lowe's store apologizing for the delivery issues and offering a full refund.
“Man, they get results,” Johnson said of his experience with News 6. “They absolutely get results. So I’m thrilled.”