My town just got a Harbor Freight about a year ago. I refused to go in there, because I knew I would blow way too much money.
Well, I was helping my buddy with his NC Miata one day, and we needed a tool. So off to Harbor Freight we went, and $60 disappeared from my wallet for tools that I didn't know I needed until I saw them at the store.
Dangerous, I tell you.
Wall-e
MegaDork
3/17/17 10:57 a.m.
pinchvalve wrote:
I don't have the receipt for anything, ever.
I get a receipt for everything.
I'm so confused as to who found this technicality and why they were looking for it. Like, "oh, I got a deal, but you could've charged me more, so now I'm suing you". We are way too litigious as a society.
Never really had an issue w/Harbor Fright tools. Well except for one. I bought a cheap dremel from there. That thing didn't have enough power to power itself. Would bog down and stop every time I used it. On the bright side, it came with decent accessories that fit a real dremel brand dremel and it only cost $5 to begin with. Accessories were worth that much to me. So no complaint.
Don't think I would use to much of their stuff to make a living but for occasional garage use, they do the job. Just don't cheap out and get the bottom of the barrel ones. Their mid to higher grade tools is what I buy now.
NickD
SuperDork
3/17/17 11:38 a.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
I've bought lots off of them over the years stated, but I don't feel they have "wronged" me in any way. They can keep the money I spent, as I thought it was a good deal now, as I did then.
If they had caused me injury or harm---- yes, I'd want compensation. They haven't, so I don't feel entitled to any $$.
Another x1000. Hell, I've used the air tools and sockets and other stuff in everyday dealership mechanic work and most of it has held up better than more expensive stuff
My rule is this: If I am going to use a tool all the time, I buy something like Kobalt. But if I need a tool only once or twice? Harbor Freight.
(Note that I am not a mechanic. If I did that for a living, I'd probably have Mac tools or something.)
Harbor Freight? Naw.
Now when someone finally gets around to dinging Kohl's for all the "sale" items the Mrs. has purchased over the years, I might jump in.
patgizz
UltimaDork
3/17/17 11:59 a.m.
Sky_Render wrote:
My rule is this: If I am going to use a tool *all the time*, I buy something like Kobalt. But if I need a tool only once or twice? Harbor Freight.
(Note that I am not a mechanic. If I did that for a living, I'd probably have Mac tools or something.)
Funn thing. I have "better" tools in my garage than i make my living with. I use a HF tile saw and some of their other stuff constantly. The tile saw replaced a 10 year old still working one because my helper steped on the table and screwed it up. They owe me nothing
NickD
SuperDork
3/17/17 12:05 p.m.
Sky_Render wrote:
(Note that I am not a mechanic. If I did that for a living, I'd probably have Mac tools or something.)
If you were a mechanic, you wouldn't make much of a living on Mac Tools. I stopped buying their stuff after my $400 1/2" impact that I took great care of blew up for the 4th time in a year and a half.
Yeah, I could "get" close to one large from this lawsuit. But I feel HF owes me nothing. They have sold me reasonable quality and good value tools that I use every day. Just because some scumbag lawyer found some type of way to gouge HF out of millions, I don't want to be part of it. I know the difference between "sale" and "compare at." I don't care. That flashlight is worth "free" to me, gloves, sockets, impact wrenches, trailer, well pump, compressors, all have been worth at least what I paid for them. I think the $2 knife sharpener is my biggest complaint. I'll spot them the two bucks.
patgizz wrote:
They owe me nothing
^This. I can hardly get through the line at the local HF due to people haggling over price. Try that on the Snap-On truck. Lawyers need to berk off.
(No offense to any honest lawyers intended)
car39
HalfDork
3/17/17 2:21 p.m.
Got the email, refused to participate. I did get $1.83 from Avis on a class action settlement.
One upside is we won't be getting a HF sale flyer in the mail every day for awhile.
They gotta sell a lotta screwdrivers for this screw up- ZING!
tripp
Reader
3/17/17 8:29 p.m.
I think I used enough 20% off coupons to get my fair share already
I just got the OBD/ABS code reader, and it was bona-fide $130 2 weeks ago, and $99.99 last week. It only reads about six things on my truck, but one is RPM and another is timing, so I'm okay.
plance1
SuperDork
3/17/17 8:36 p.m.
Bill Shakespeare was right.
I talked to a lawyer friend and mentioned this. He said if a settlement amount was agreed on then the less people that participate the more the slimy lawyers get. Like a pie, the less people take a piece the more for the people that brought it. If that is the case then I think maybe we all should take the settlement and spend it at HF. That could be keeping money from the slimy lawyers and giving it back to HF. What says the hive?
Opti
HalfDork
3/19/17 12:09 p.m.
HF doesnt owe me anything, i love that place and all of the E36 M3 i got from them has been of decent quality
Brian
MegaDork
3/19/17 12:49 p.m.
If I had all my receipts, and not counting purchases this year, I might get ~$20-30. That would be promptly spent back in the store without hesitation.
My only regret was my big floor jack. I bought a Sunday paper for the HF flyer when I needed a new jack. At first I didn't read the fine print exclusions on the 20% off coupon. When I got back to my car I noticed a coupon for the next jack for $5 less.
There's a lot of incorrect information in this thread. Nobody is getting 20% of their purchases refunded. If you have itemized receipts from HF, you can get either 20% of the "amount saved" shown on the receipt or a store credit for 30% of the "amount saved".
If you have credit card statements, you can get 10% of the purchase amount (or 12% in store credit).
If you have neither, you can get a $10 gift card.
T.J.
UltimaDork
3/20/17 6:53 a.m.
In reply to dorri732:
Or if you have both some receipts and credit card statements, plus a shred of humanity, you will choose to get nothing additional from this lawsuit.
Raze
UltraDork
3/20/17 11:26 a.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
I've bought lots off of them over the years stated, but I don't feel they have "wronged" me in any way. They can keep the money I spent, as I thought it was a good deal now, as I did then.
If they had caused me injury or harm---- yes, I'd want compensation. They haven't, so I don't feel entitled to any $$.
This, in fact considering the number of times I've found it cheaper to buy the HF tool vs working around or injuring myself, I think I owe them buck or two.