Lowe's Military Discount

[thepumpguysc]

I recently rewired my shop.. the electrician took me to Lowes to buy everything.. on account of gouging by contractors.
We get to the check-out & as usual she asks me for my # & before I could utter a word the electrician jumps in w/ HIS #.??
BAM, 10% off a 500.00 bill.. WTH??
I dam sure didn't say anything.. I have/had no idea what just happened.. I figured he had some sort of account or something.??
We get everything loaded up & on the way home I'm looking at the receipt & low & behold it says Military Discount..
I said, I didn't know u were in the service?? He said I wasn't.. that's my Dads phone #.!!!
WTH..! It made me sick & left a real bad taste in my mouth.. I ended up firing him..

 

[RickB]

Sadly that kind of chicanery is what got us to the top of this thread.

 

[Oldoak]

That is precisely why more Veterans ID should be required.

As a Veteran, I shop at both Lowes and Home Depot for specific brand products, depending upon which one carries the product I am after. The Veteran discounts are great but I don't put the discount above the desired brand item I want.

 

[TnAndy]

Notice in local Lowes said they would no longer accept my VA ID as proof after a certain date. (about year/two back) I had to get a "MY Lowes" card and fill out the military section and use that in the future. They never took a phone number before as proof, always had to show VA card, which has photo on it.

Interesting how their policy must vary area to area.

Edit: Nope...seems to be a nationwide policy:

May 1, 2017: “Lowe’s Companies, Inc. announced today it will expand its military discount program by offering 10 percent off personal purchases every day to current and honorably discharged members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The new program uses a MyLowes card for quick identification. It is available both in U.S. stores and on Lowes.com and offers easy online enrollment. The discount is effective immediately.

This is great news as many veterans who served, but did not retire, from the military are now eligible to receive the everyday discount. Previously only retired veterans received the everyday discount.

 

[TnAndy]

I recently rewired my shop.. the electrician took me to Lowes to buy everything.. on account of gouging by contractors.
We get to the check-out & as usual she asks me for my # & before I could utter a word the electrician jumps in w/ HIS #.??
BAM, 10% off a 500.00 bill.. WTH??
I dam sure didn't say anything.. I have/had no idea what just happened.. I figured he had some sort of account or something.??
We get everything loaded up & on the way home I'm looking at the receipt & low & behold it says Military Discount..
I said, I didn't know u were in the service?? He said I wasn't.. that's my Dads phone #.!!!
WTH..! It made me sick & left a real bad taste in my mouth.. I ended up firing him..

And I'm pretty sure the policy is items to be used by the Vet for personal use....not for work done on someone else's project.

Edit: Yep....from the Lowes website: "However, there are a few exceptions for the discount. The Lowes Military Discount is for personal purchases only ......"

 

[AllDodge]

I would agree that only the vet should get the discount, but Lowes does list is for the vet and his/her family. That said, have always thought, if someone listening when I give my number they could use it and don't think anyone would know.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

There are places I buy that offer the 10% military discount but their prices are so,high to start with that is not really a saving. "10% off too much is still too much."

Another poster said they will not ask for a discount. A new place, I always ask and take advantage of it if it is a product I want/need. I don't arbitrarily walk out if they say no unless there is another compelling reason.

Ron

 

[aczlan]

I would agree that only the vet should get the discount, but Lowes does list is for the vet and his/her family. That said, have always thought, if someone listening when I give my number they could use it and don't think anyone would know.

Note that it is for immediate family only which they define as:
"Immediate Family: Spouses and/or dependent children (up to 18 years old)."

Aaron Z

 

[AllDodge]

AT lowes in Campbellsville yesterday and they asked to see my ID. All good

 

[cdaigle430]

Since Lowe's started the all-the-time, all-the-stuff 10% discount that is the only big store I go to. This morning I went to the two closest, chasing floor tile. Couple of things I noticed. Both now have designated veteran parking. A nice gesture I thought. Then inside, it used to be on checkout you just give a phone number and that plugs in the discount. This morning the lady asked for ID as well. She says there was rampant cheating, whereby a veteran would give their phone number to a bunch of other people so they could also get the 10% discount. Asking for ID ensures that you are the actual veteran. I guess that might have been predicted.

Yes I love the new Lowes Veterans perks. It sux that people take advantage of everything when they dont deserve it. I dont mind giving them my ID when asked but most of the time they dont.
I think the military discount at Lowes is better than Home Depot as Home Depot is 10% off up to 50 dollars. As far as I can tell Lowes is 10% off up to no limit?

 

[CobyRupert]

All the vets working at my local Lowes are wearing camouflage vests so you can see who they are.

But if they're camouflaged, how do you see them?

....maybe this is why I can never find anybody at Lowes to ask for help. I always thought they ran away when they see me coming, but they're probably just standing really still right in front of me!

 

[Sigarms]

I don't really care about lowes or any other "military discount" a business offers. I look at service first as long as they aren't bending me over for it.

No different than a VIP card gas stations offers IMO.

As a consumer, we see "military veteran 10% discount" and go WOW!. The business offering the discount doesn't differentiate what the frick (and to whom) they're giving a discount to an why... it just works per the numbers... Heck, even some HVAC manufacturers are offering discounts to former military, LEO, firefighters and teachers.

That said, I'm proud to say that I've been involved with some home builds that have given a house to our military service members at NO CHARGE due to the service of their country, and these people could use it. The irony is this last statement brings up another topic per philosophical debate on who "deserves" anything.

 

[Thall303]

But if they're camouflaged, how do you see them?

....maybe this is why I can never find anybody at Lowes to ask for help. I always thought they ran away when they see me coming, but they're probably just standing really still right in front of me!

At our local Lowe’s, most of the help is too old and slow to get away.....at Home Depot they are younger and faster and you might think no one works there!

 

[Gunny]

The two Lowe's stores I shop at require that you be registered in "My Lowes" as a veteran, they stopped taking IDs as proof of service quite awhile ago.
I had to take a copy of my DD 214 to customer service, took just a few minutes. Now they just scan my card and the discount is figured automatically.

But my guess is that if I loaned my Lowes card to someone else, they would be able to use it as well, since they only time they ask for personal ID is when I'm paying with a credit card.

 

[Oldoak]

Much different at the Lowes in my area. When I go there, it is very rare when passing a store clerk that the don't ask "Can I help you?". Now in my Home Depot store, with few exceptions, they act like they don't even see you.

What I dislike about both stores is that very few checkout registers are open accept for the self checkout ones. Now there is where everyone using a self checkout register should receive some sort of discount, even in the grocery stores.

 

[DHD]

My wife and I were at Home Depot yesterday and only one register with a person was open,
and it was at the opposite end of the store, way down by the lumber section.
We then went to Lowes and at least 3 registers with a person were opened, middle section of the store, much more convenient.

 

[3Ts]

What I dislike about both stores is that very few checkout registers are open accept for the self checkout ones.

Cost of labor has risen to the point of not being able to staff all the registers. Some places are "experimenting" with a Minimum living wage and/or $15/ hour wage. Getting customers to do a self-check-out saves a lot of money and helps keep prices down.

Same thing is happening here with fast food stores. McDonald's here has order kiosks and you don't interact with a person until they bring the food to the table and even that is very minimal. I expect that to change eventually and you'll have to go to the counter to get it.

 

[Sigarms]

Cost of labor has risen to the point of not being able to staff all the registers. Some places are "experimenting" with a Minimum living wage and/or $15/ hour wage. Getting customers to do a self-check-out saves a lot of money and helps keep prices down.

Same thing is happening here with fast food stores. McDonald's here has order kiosks and you don't interact with a person until they bring the food to the table and even that is very minimal. I expect that to change eventually and you'll have to go to the counter to get it.

Went a local True Value hardware store when I was up in Pa trying to get my dads house ready to sell. Closest "big box" store was 25 minutes from me, this local hardware store was 8 minutes max drive.

Went there 3 time when I needed something for my dads house (hose, broom and duct tape). I even needed boxes to pack things up and they let me have the run to their warehouse on the boxes they we're getting rid of.

The reality is large box stores can be beat with not to bad pricing and GREAT service. This one hardware store had it figured out IMO.

Price
Service
Availabilty

Pick two of the above because as a business, you can't offer all 3 and stay in buiness.

For a local place where I can go and people know my name and I can get answers, I'll take service and avialabilty all day long (my local hardware store in NC where I got my mower last fall also had nuts I needed for some of my guns LOL).

 

[downsizingnow48]

I've had the same experience. I generally go to the closest Ace Hardware rather than a more distant Lowe's. The Ace store always has 4-5 staff ready to help. They know what you are talking about and they know exactly where to find what you need. I am always impressed with their support.

 

[PILOON]

Curious, do Lowe's honor vets in Canada?
for that matter what Canadian chains do honor vets.