Harbor Freight 20% Restocking Fees on EVERYTHING?

=============================
Be Part of the Den!
=============================
▶Become a Channel Member for as little as $1/month!

=============================
Connect on Social Media!
=============================

=============================
🛠Products We Use & Recommend
=============================

=============================
Other Info
=============================
📭Mailing Address? Montana:
1106 W. Park Street
Suite 20 # 142
Livingston MT
59047

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

[denoftools]

The key points to remember is that even if the item is subject to a restocking fee one will not be charged if...
1. The item is still new in the box.
2. The item is being exchanged under warranty.
3. You are upgrading to a higher priced item.

[BKD]

Maybe it's the end of the Harbor Freight Tool Rental Program... Jerks like that ruin things for everyone.

[ScottHenion]

I never did the "fake rental" on HF stuff. I have bought a coil nailer, did my roof and sold on CL the next week. So, I did get well below the rental price and allowed me to take my time doing the roof rather than worrying about the growing rental fee.
That is a good way of getting a tool cheap for one job. You get off cheap and so does the next guy.

[dipsticklicker]

I wouldn't blame them. Its a tool store, not a rental store. People ruined everything for the rest of us.

[michaelmiller]

The customer in front of me at HF was buying a pump style liquid fertilizer sprayer and the employee told him that you can't return this if you put any chemical in it, unless the item was defective. Which fertilizers are. It made perfect sense the way the employee explained it. I think this is very fair.

[generalleoff]

The "buy" a new TV for the Superbowl problem :)

[mparchive]

A year ago we had a big power failure. I was in HF buying an extension cord for my generator, while a couple was ‘returning’ a generator they ‘decided not to keep’. And they were doing it with no shame or embarrassment. I asked a clerk later about that and he said it was very frequent occurrence. They have to set them out to drain until they are safe to have inside.

[robm]

Back in the 80's my mom worked at a Sears store. While working in the tool dept people would return old tools they bought at garage sales to get new tools. After a while she worked in the children's department. People would come in during the week and buy the fancy dresses for their kids. On Monday the cloths would start to come back after the church activities.

[wildbillc]

I'm glad they implemented a restocking fee....people were using HF as a tool rental store, that's why the fees came about, HF got tired of people using stuff for a weekend project and returning it to get a full refund...as if they never bought or used the item.

[jamesu]

The manager at my local Harbor Freight calls it a DUI. Done Using It!

[lccdan]

I worked for Sears Auto in the 2010s and the most abused return item was the car topper storage container that you strap to the top of your car to hold luggage, People would buy them, use them for their trip and return them plastered with bugs. Sears always took them back.

[nickkavanagh]

Haha, I was in line behind someone returning that exact rotary drill, . obviously on the 'rental' program. Thing was taped together with about 7 layers of heavy, heavy duty duct tape. It had been used hard and put up wet, but there we all were, watching him return it (trying to return two, actually), , and walking out with a brand new on, and an assurance he could return the second when the store got more. The only time I've ever 'rented' at tool in a similar fashion was when I did the 'rent a tool' program at AutoZone on a brake caliper tool, and never brought it back, but that isn't quite the same, since that program is designed to work that way. Pay up front, get it back when you return it, or like the tool and keep it.

[mrdpwr]

Even if you return something new in the box unused that is on this list, by default the register will charge you the 20% restocking fee. I went to return such an item unopened, and they had to have a manager come over and remove the restocking fee as it was unused.

[dynadork]

Last summer I bought one of the small aluminum ultra-low profile Daytona jacks. It didn't work for the use case I wanted so I returned it... opened and "used" only insofar as a test fitment under the vehicle. Because I was ITC and didn't have any returns on my account they waived the restock fee without me even asking. I think it's pretty clear that it's discretionary whether they charge you the fee or not. Don't abuse it, you won't lose it.

[RenegadesGarage]

The Den of Tools... Yeah I bought a set of Icon wrenches and when I opened them they were used. They still had grease on them. Harbor Freight or the customer returning them didn't even bother to wipe them off. I didn't return them it was just grease I wiped them off before putting them in my toolbox. I can't believe people actually do that.

[JimmyMakingitwork]

Talking to a Walmart employee recently who told me that when items are returned, they go in the trash as a loss and can't be resold. She said CFL tourists buy strollers, cribs, child swings and return them after a week, sometimes 100 items in one week at peak season. All thrown away so someone didn't have to bring one on vacation.
I'd assume eventually they'll implement a policy that's similar to HF.

People have become so self centered and narcissistic all they consider is what they want regardless.

[RonRichards-vf]

If they are transparent and up front about it, I have no problem with it. In the retail business, we used to call people who return stuff all the time "refunders." They are margin killers and make prices higher.

[dirkgross]

I just bought the 2000W inverter last week on sale, and at checkout they told me upfront about the 20% restocking fee because of "rentals", and that the fee didn't apply if it was unopened. I have no problem with that, and they were very clear about it at purchase.

[Toolaholic]

Happened to a friend of my dad's when returning a defective generator they bought it from them that took a crap using it. Said there was a restocking fee on it although they did put oil and gas in it. The manager ended up taking care of it contacting Harbor Freight which it was taken off. I did buy an Icon metric ratcheting wrench set that was a return, the 13mm was the only one used in the set and the pieces holding the wrenches in were gone

[gilbertfagley]

I work for one of the big bodx home improvement centers and i see contractors doing the free rentals all the time. If you plan to rent something, then rent its!!!! Don't reck it for everyone else.