Home Depot stops doing business with federal government (even cash!)

Saint Louis Today ^ | June 16, 2002

[John Jorsett]

Home Depot Inc., the nation's largest hardware and home-improvement chain, has told its 1,400 stores not to do business with the U.S. government or its representatives.

The Post-Dispatch checked with managers at 38 stores in 11 states. All but two said they had received instructions from Home Depot's corporate headquarters this month not to take government credit cards, purchase orders or even cash if the items are being used by the federal government.

[cmsgop]

Wait, isn't Home Depot involed in that Welfare to Work program?

[A. Morgan]

I just stopped doing business with Home Depot.

[Mo1]

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[KirklandJunction]

On one hand, it isn't unlikely that D.C. would say NO to a field office request for new ceiling fans and chandeliers, thus the local bureaucrat goes to Home Depot and buys the stuff anyway.

On the other hand, I've never had luck finding a Home Depot employee that I could bother with with a question, but maybe feds have enough time (on the clock) to solve that problem.

[Hank Rearden]

Years ago, the feds tried to buy some products made by a company which I co-owned.

Before giving us a purchase order, they sent me a 16-page "qualification" form to fill out - all kinds of bureaucratic gibberish and PC nonsense about how we'd grab our ankles to meet all the government standards to be Good Approved Citizens.

I sent it back after a pass through our shredder, with a note saying, in effect, "You want to buy our stuff, you send a check like everybody else. If not, go pound sand and stuff your forms."

Our product was absolutely unique . . . . they sent a check.

Always, everywhere, at every opportunity - tell Big Stupid Government to jam it.

[monkeywrench]

Foreign owned? Going global? What's up with this? I smell lefties.

[Hildy]

Why do you feel that way? There must be a good reason. I'm sure it's some sort of business decision and not an editorial comment. With all of this credit card fraud going on with Government employees, I can't say I blame them.

[muawiyah]

Some merchants demand the right to photocopy Impact Visa credit cards. GSA prohibits the copying of these cards.

The merchant's motive is to verify the identity of the card user, or to start the ball rolling for a little identity theft.

I have had occasion to get people fired for photocpying such a card. It is highly probable that Home Depot is seeking to avoid this particular problem.

[inkling]

Let's see, the United States is at war. Home Depot's response is to refuse service to uniformed military personnel? How patriotic. Here's one veteran that will be shopping at Lowe's today.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Always, everywhere, at every opportunity - tell Big Stupid Government to jam it.

Ditto. I wish I could stop doing business with them, but they still take more and more of my money at gun point.

[big'ol_freeper]

Home Depot is noted for its "gay friendly" policies and promotions.

[Barbara14]

Good for Home Depot! Im going out right now to buy the Fathers Day gift we've been wanting to get my husband. Its a combo pack of a drill and circular saw with a battery pack for each and a blade for the saw all for only $99.00 bucks!

Oh, and for those of you who care, its all 14.4 volt stuff.

I love Home Depot and if they don't want the strings that come with dealing with the feds, so be it. I wouldn't either if I had a business.

Maybe the feds will realize that the American public is growing tired of their heavy handed behavior.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, HOME DEPOT!

[MissAmericanPie]

Maybe your right, maybe it's too much government paper work, and maybe they are having trouble getting paid. I know that alot, a huge amount of physicians have stopped accepting medicade and medicare patients because of the paper work and lack of payments being honored by the government.

[JBCiejka]

The strange part about it is they won't even take cash. So it is not about credit fraud. The fact that they are so vague in their statements is very odd to me. Not only that, why would they assume they would be a subcontractor to the Federal Government. They buy from almost every type of business in the country, so that would mean everyone else is already a subcontractor. Lowe's must be loving this.

[Boatlawyer]

Bingo. I would imagine the expenses associated with complying with government reporting as a "government contractor" and the associated potential liability and attorney's fee for billing practices to the government, such as "false claims" when weighed any potential profit from the government, led to the business decision not to service this sector.

[NRA2BFree]

Cheers for Home Depot! I wish more companies would tell the government to kiss off. They will get all of my business from now on!

[John Jorsett]

Based on the information toward the bottom, in which HD says it's trying to avoid having to run its business according to government dictates, I'm in the "this is a good thing" camp. If the feds really want something, I'm sure HD will sell it to them for hard cash, as long as whoever is buying it doesn't say it's for the government. "Don't ask, don't tell" at the cash register.

[snopercod]

I frequent both The Home Depot and Loews. I know the EPA is breathing down both their necks regarding paints. Just try and find an oil-based paint at either store.

Also, there was something last year about one or both stores not carrying any products that "destroyed the rain forest" in Brazil. Sigh...

Maybe THD decided to give the customer what he/she wanted and the feds be damned! (probably not)

[glm]

If you don't like the Fed Govt ways of doing business then elect better congress people. I have spent my whole career as a contracting officer for the federal govt. It is the stupid laws that are passed by congress that does this -- if you notice all three items mentioned were laws or exective orders. Believe me, I once had a Senator's aide call me demanding to know why I procured toyota pickup trucks. I had to tell him his boss voted for the trade agreements act of 1979 and if he did not want us to buy japanese products he should not have voted for it.

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws.