Home Depot runs more than 2300 stores across the United States that specialize in home improvement. With billions of dollars in annual revenue, sometimes some of those transactions go awry. Recently, Home Depot has been sued because they did not honor an insurance plan they sold, rounded down on their employees time cards, and not providing enough breaks to their workers.
Suing Home Depot can seem like a huge challenge. They are a massive corporation with a lot of legal options. To help balance the scales of justice, you may consider filing a formal complaint and if that does nothing - filing a small claims case against them. Small Claims courts work towards your advantage as lawyers aren't allowed (usually) and your hearing date is usually set 30-60 days after your filing is accepted. This article will cover how you can file a formal complaint and even take Home Depot to small claims court if need be.
What Can I Do to Contact Home Depot and Make a Complaint
If you are a Home Depot customer, you have several options for seeking out a solution to your dispute with the company's services:
- Provide Feedback - If the nature of the issue is minor, you may consider providing your feedback quickly and to a real person via their internal customer support team. You can reach them at 1 (800) 430-3376
- File a Complaint - If you have a more serious question, you can contact Home Depot's Customer Service team. Remember to communicate plainly and calmly your issue. You can reach them by using their website.
- Use Social Media - Social Media can be a powerful tool to grab a large company's attention and have them prioritize solving your issue. You can contact Home Depot on social media in the following places:
- Sue in Small Claims Court - Small Claims court is a fast, cheaper way to sue another person or company for money. Often, lawyers are not allowed (saving you money on representation) and many states let you sue for up to $10,000. A judge will hear out your argument, review your evidence and they can order the other party to compensate you.
How to Take Action in Small Claims
One of the most accessible legal forums is Small Claims Court, where you can sue a company or individual for up to $10,000 in most states without the need for a lawyer. Small Claims Court offers you the opportunity to explain your complaint to a judge who has the power to order the other party to pay you the money that is owed.
In addition, Small Claims Court has additional benefits for the layman seeking legal action:
- Small Claims Court Processes and procedures are generally simpler to follow than other more formal courts
- Small Claims Court Filings are cheaper than filing in other courts
- Lawyers are not usually allowed in Small Claims Courts.
- The process is fast. You can usually expect a hearing within 1-2 months after filing.
You may want to think about the reasons you considered suing Home Depot. In the past, people have sued for the following reasons:
- Personal injuries - Injuries suffered by an individual on account of negligence by Lowe's and its representatives are classified as personal injuries
- Product defects - A customer reserves the right to return products discovered to be defective within the stipulated returns period.
- Delivery Delays - Once the delivery delay time exceeds the time given to you and no reasonable explanation has been put forward, you have every right to complain or go to court.
- Installation Issue - A generally unsatisfactory installation by Lowe’s agents that poses more damage for the customer is sufficient reason to file a lawsuit.
- Warranty Problems - If Lowe's fails to work on a product you have brought in for warranty services or replacement.
How to Sue Home Depot Yourself
It's important to note that the process can vary from state to state. But typically, suing in small claims court involves the following:
- Identify the Company and its Registered Agent: Knowing Lowe's legal name and address will help you contact the right company. You can find this information on the Secretary of State's website where the company is incorporated. Identifying the registered agent will also help identify who you'll have to serve.
- Write and Send a Demand Letter - Many courts ask that you send (and show proof) of a short, one-to-two-page formal request that lets the recipient know that they’ll face legal action if they don’t comply.
- Fill Out the Court Forms - Each court has different forms required to file a case with them. Some states (such as California) have one form that covers the whole state, while others (such as Florida) have different forms depending on the location of the court. Don't forget you'll need to sign these forms and possibly have them notarized as well.
- File the Forms with the Court - You'll need to either access their online portal or head to the courthouse directly to file your completed forms. Often, the court asks you to bring multiple copies so they can distribute the filing appropriately and they always charge some type of filing fee. The price of this fee varies ($25 - 400 depending upon the courthouse) and it can be awarded back to you if you win the case.
- Serve the Defendant - If your case is accepted, most courthouses will ask that you "serve" the other party. This means you are notifying the defendant that a hearing is going to occur and the reason for it.
- Attend your Hearing - After all that is said and done, you'll want to prepare for court and then attend your scheduled hearing where you'll present your case. Hopefully, the judge is empathetic toward your issue, and rules in your favor.
You may notice that even if filing in Small Claims Court is easier, it can take up a lot of your time. That's not to mention the time you may lose repeating a step or two if you accidentally do something wrong.
Whereas, if you use Dispute, you can generate a demand letter and small claims document within minutes from your phone or computer. We will connect you with the right forms from the courthouse you choose.
How to Sue Home Depot Using Dispute
Here’s how you can generate a small claims document with Dispute in a few easy steps:
1. Head to our website to access our software:
2. Click "Get Started" and choose the "Small Claims" service (or another if you'd like to start somewhere else).
3. Enter your case information including your info, the defendant's info, and a summary of the issue.
4. Choose the courthouse where you want to file, answer their form's specific questions, and sign the document. Now you're on your way to preparing and filing a case directly with the court. If you have any questions about our software, please don't hesitate to reach out, and good luck with your case against Home Depot.
