A content creator sparked debate after sharing a video on TikTok, revealing her attempt to return an artificial Christmas tree to Home Depot. However, the store then claimed that the tree had already been returned.
On TikTok, a woman who goes by Liz Goldstein (@hilizgoldstein) posted a video alleging that the store returned her Noel tree after she tried to take it back.
The incident occurred when Goldstein and her husband bought a $472 tree from Home Depot.
However, Goldstein realized she had purchased the wrong tree. Subsequently, the couple decided to return it to the store. They presented the company with a printed receipt using the card they used for the purchase and requested to return the Noel tree.
However, Goldstein was informed that she could not return the Noel tree because "the tree was already returned."
Despite her claim that Home Depot found a receipt proving the tree had previously been returned for a refund, the tree was still in their possession.
Goldstein decided to visit the store to fix the problem. The camera of the company showed the footage, which the couple shared with the manager, who then informed her that a store credit refund would not be issued.
Goldstein wants Home Depot’s standard refund policy, as outlined on their website: “Returns for purchases with valid proof of purchase will be refunded to the original form or payment... unless noted in our Exceptions.”
In the video, she explained that she showed both her ID and her partner's ID, but the couple was denied a refund.
As tensions escalated during the incident, she requested access to the security camera footage of the Noel tree's return. However, she was informed that viewing the footage would require police involvement. Subsequently, she decided to call law enforcement.
However, the police are able to solve their problem; Goldstein asserts that she was threatened with arrest. Furthermore, Home Depot reportedly banned her from all their locations for three years. So, she has not yet received a refund.
In an update video, Goldstein mentions that Home Depot has acknowledged her original video, but she has yet to be contacted for a resolution to the issue.
Below the video, numerous users said that there is a possibility that someone can be bribed into a fraudulent process in return for the tree.
One person said: Omg, almost this exact situation happened to my husband and me with cabinet handles. We took the loss, but we will drive the extra mile to Lowe’s now.
A second wrote: If they have a receipt showing the return, did you check if it was refunded to the original card?
A third commented: Don’t they have individual order numbers on the boxes of the trees? That would be on the box and receipt.
Someone else said: Don’t they usually issue the refund to the card it was purchased on?
