After 17 years of wear and tear on the ugly blue/grey carpet installed when we purchased our home, we had NEW CARPET installed yesterday.

So many times we've had extra money in which I've tagged "carpet money" but was used for other emergencies.  Finally, when our local Home Depot had a sale on the type of carpet we wanted PLUS an additional 20 percent off labor and product, we couldn't resist.  Oh, and their 12 month/ no interest payment on their credit card made it manageable, too.  

We ordered carpet and removed our old stuff and took it to the dump.   My husband diligently began painting the upstairs rooms and ceilings.  He even painting the bare floors with KILZ to cover toddler and pet piddle stains.  We laid down small area rugs and waited, and waited, and waited some more for HD to call to say our carpet was in and schedule installation. 

To make a long story short, our capet was delivered last week incorrectly cut 3 feet short for the hallway and 3 inches short for my daugther's room.  Installation was halted.  The upstairs was covered in blue pad with nice SHARP tack strips all over the place.  We only went upstairs with shoes on to retrieve clothing from the closets or dressers packed into the bathrooms. 

We slept downstairs in the family and living rooms.  It was cozy, but felt like camping inside.  My daugther slept on a twin bed in the living room right next to the piano.  "I always wanted a piano in my room," she was heard saying one day.  Ha!

Homeschooling around the mess was interesting to say the least.  We bugged out and went to Panerra's to do schoolwork one day just for a break. 

Back to the waiting game for the NEW carpet to be ordered, and delivered........ in the meantime, we were asking HD what kind of discount we could expect due to this inconvenience of their mistake?   At first the answer was, "we don't offer discounts for errors."  What?  Excuse me?  Oh, and on top of that your carpet won't be installed until NEXT Tuesday.  What?  Excuse me?  Two weeks after their one-day installation is interrupted due to their error? 

We're not folks who are sue-happy or looking for ways to benefit from others mistakes, but this was clearly the time to get someone's attention and claim some of that "Customer Service" HD brags about. 

Finally, after many phone calls, and hours on-hold we spoke with the Corporate office, and the local assitant store manager.  The local guys initial response was defense, but after hearing our story, he was contrite and apologetic.  The corporate office dialed the local store and engaged us in a three-way conversation with the woman we'd been dealing with all along.  Not much help, as it just made her more defensive, too.  

We were put in the middle of the installers who claimed this kind of error happens all the time, and the local store who denied this claim and tried to blame the installers.  Talk about unprofessional attitudes?  I was appalled they didn't make this bad situation better by showing they wanted to make things right. 

Yesterday the carpet was magically available along with two very professional installers.  The job took less than 4 hours, and we began moving furniture back in place.  Ahhhhhhh........ it was wonderful sleeping in my own bed in my own bedroom last night. 

Today, I'll be writing a letter detailing the time line of this comedy of errors.  Actually, it wasn't funny at all, and very stressful.  I would expect some compensation from this upheaval, but foremost I won't ever do business with Home Depot again.