Many shoppers visit Harbor Freight for their discounted products and generous warranties.
Some of these shoppers have shared their stories on social media, from buyers getting car products for a 40% discount to others swapping out tools for free after 10 years of use.
However, not everyone has such a rosy experience at the store, as recently revealed in a TikTok video with over 3.1 million views from user Steve (@magicmansteve1).
What went wrong at this Harbor Freight?
Steve said he was building some light towers and required generators. And so, he decided to visit Harbor Freight, where he had a coupon that allowed him to get 25% off anything in the store.
However, upon going to the store, he was told that they didn’t have the item he needed in stock, despite the store’s website telling him they had it on the floor. Instead, the employee told him to go to another location.
Frustrated, Steve went to a different part of the store and asked a separate employee about the item.
“He goes, ‘Yeah, yeah, we got it, no problem,’” Steve recalls. “And he says, ‘Just pull your car up, go pay.’”
Consequently, Steve returned to the first employee to pay. There’s just one problem.
“He doesn’t give me the 25% off,” Steve states. “And he goes, ‘I put the coupon in.’ I said, ‘No, you didn’t. You didn’t even look at the coupon. I told you I had a coupon, but you didn’t even look at it.”
The employee then told him that he couldn’t use the coupon because he didn’t have a scanner, to which Steve countered that it was simply a code and that no scanner was required. Finally, the employee put in the code, after which 25% of the cost was removed.
“It’s frustrating, because it’s either spite—you know, he’s looking at me, and what did I say that could have pissed him off?” Steve says. He later asks, “Is it stupidity? Is it a bad computer system? Is it somebody who’s angry at me because I challenged him by saying, ‘Well, next time I know I’ll go check in the back.’ You know?”
“Who knows why, but the point of the matter is, if this was my store, I would have just lost a $400 sale, right?” he continues.
He’s not alone
On the subreddit r/HarborFreight, several users have shared similar stories to the TikToker.
One user complained that their 25% off coupon was not honored in-store, while another alleged that they had a coupon for 30% off that was not honored.
In response, users were generally confused about how such a thing could occur and advised the users to escalate their issues to management.
That said, many users shared their own success stories using the coupons, so this issue may depend on the specific location.
@magicmansteve1 #harborfreight @Harbor Freight #sales #bademployee #badbusiness #losingmoney #coach #business
♬ original sound – Magicmansteve
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their opinions about what could have led to the TikToker’s issue.
“It’s someone who isn’t good at and didn’t want to do customer service,” suggested a user.
“Manager trying not to lose money on a sale is what that is,” offered another.
“They don’t pay enough to care about what you want,” stated a third.
“I’ve never had this problem at Harbor freight,” wrote a further user. “Everyone there is always been extra nice and helps me every chance they get.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Steve and Harbor Freight via email.
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