Valle Vista Ace Home Center

I have been fixing up an old tattered dollhouse for my daughters and they have gone above and beyond to help me get everything I need to vamp up my project. Love how helpful as all the staff is!! Thank you

I've been shopping here ever since it opened as an Ace Hardware over 10 years ago. I always prefer supporting local businesses as much as I can. Even if the prices are a little higher. But what happened to me today has lost my business forever.



Two days ago I purchased a soldering iron from this store. My old one crapped out. This new one never heated up enough to melt the solder. It was defective. I thought I was doing something wrong so I researched it online and all the reviews said the same thing, that this particular soldering iron is a bad product and they more often don't work than do. So today when I had some time I went in to either return it for store credit or get my money back. I didn't really care either way because I still needed a soldering iron.



When I came in for the return they called in a manager. Young kid in his 20s. He proceeded to look at the item, I had all the packaging, and receipt. Then he told me they don't do returns on tools. I asked him "even if its defective?". He told me he could exchange it for the same one. Which is when I told him about all the reviews. Then he told me "well that's your fault". At this point I was getting a little upset that he was blaming me for a defective item. I sad "My fault?! If anything its your fault for selling an item that never works." His only response to that was, "no." I asked him what his position was, he said "co-owner". So I asked him, "do you want me to shop here?" To which he said, "If you're going to act like this no."



Little side note: I work retail, and this is NEVER something you say to a customer no matter what the circumstances. EVER.



So when I said that I just gave up and said "okay, I'm going to report you to the Better Business Bureau and you just lost my business." To which his reply was "Thats fine."



So I walked off heated, got in my car. Took a minute for myself, calmed down and went back in. The kid was gone. But there was now a older gentlemen whose name tag read Assistant Store Manager. So he asked if he could help me. And I said, "Yes I'd like to resolve this." And he laughed and said "Look he already gave you an answer, you should just leave." And while trying not to get upset again I just stood firm and said, "Look I'm not going anywhere, I just want to be taken care of." So I believe he paged him back, but he sort of walked away. While I was standing there waiting there were two guys in line checking out and I said, "Hey just so you know they won't take returns on tools even if they're defective." They started asking me about it and I told them what the item was and what was wrong with it. One of them muttered, "that's BS". When the Assistant Manager saw me talking to these guys he came back over and told me I need to leave. I asked him if it was because I was informing their customers of their own return policy. He backed me out of the door and pointed to a sign that said something about shoplifters and cops. He was telling me that they've called the cops and that they're going to come arrest me. I was furious now, and even though I didn't yell I was very loudly telling him, "I'm NOT a shoplifter! You guys are robbing ME!". He then shut the door to the store.



This is the worst experience I've ever had at any retail store in my entire life. I shop there all the time, and even though I'm not the biggest purchaser ever, my dad is a carpenter who has spent thousands and thousands of dollars. He will no longer be shopping there now either. And anyone I can tell about this I will.



All over a $20 soldering iron.