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Business Profile

Hardware and Tools

Harbor Freight Tools

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Hardware and Tools.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Harbor Freight Tools's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Harbor Freight Tools has 273 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 333 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 81 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/17/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      First I bought two of the one tube led shop lights for *****. They went out after a couple of months. Then I bought two ***** led shop lights. For $54.99 each. They worked great for a couple of months. Then started to flicker and then went totally out. These lights are inferior and dont last at all.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/12/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unresolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This complaint is against Harbor Freight, ************************************************************************************* tel:************.I purchased a portable garage 10ft x 17ft from them on 09/22/23 for which I still have the receipt. I mounted the garage according to instructions, the garage has since collapsed some of the pieces just snapped. I went to the store and was told by customer service that if there is any wind or rain that it should be taken down immediately. This reason is completely absurd because why would anyone purchase a portable garage if you had to take it down at any sign of rain or wind?? Defeats the purpose of purchasing this item! They would not replace the item or refund any of my money. I am beyond upset! I am seeking a replacement or refund.

      Business Response

      Date: 02/04/2024

      Thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools. We were sorry to hear of your recent experience. We apologize; warranty does not extend to acts of nature. The cover needs to be removed in harsh weather, as outlined in owners manual page 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
      Harbor Freight Tools makes every effort to assure that its products meet high quality and durability standards and warrants to the original purchaser that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of 90 days beginning on the date of purchase or order.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          This warranty does not apply to damage due directly or indirectly, to misuse, abuse, negligence or accidents, repairs or alterations outside our facilities, criminal activity, improper installation, normal wear and tear, or to lack of maintenance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 In order to properly address ************************** concerns we ask that he provides us with a picture of the item in question and a copy of his sales receipt. Once we receive this information, we can properly address his concerns.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

      We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for shopping at Harbor Freight Tools.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/12/2024

       
      Complaint: 21094022

      I am rejecting this response because: Product was used and assembled according to instructions and crumbled under a gust of wind. Impossible to attach images, says file is too big ( just 4 images). Tried and tried wont go through even zip file wont go throuhgh. Please provide e-mail address and I will send them directly to business.

      Sincerely,

      *****************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/12/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased **************** Miter saw in 2018 at the store after using the saw for a few times blade guard was useless and became a safety hazard.Harbor freight has issued a recall for the blade guard. I contacted them about recall few times and after waiting for few years I contacted them again today 01/03/2024 and same thing again no replacement part. I have been more than patient with them I have a miter saw that I cant use for my work and they said it is not safe to use.When talking to them today I asked them if they would be willing to replace the miter saw at the store where I bought it and they said No that they were sorry about it but they wouldnt let me do that .***** saw serial number ********* and item number *****

      Business Response

      Date: 01/14/2024

      Good day,

      Thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools concerning the recall on the replacement blade guard for the **************** miter saw.                                                                                                                  
      Please note this recall is for the blade guard replacements that some customers ordered during a specific timeframe. This recall is not for the original blade guard that accompanied the miter saw, nor the miter saw itself.

      If you did not previously purchase a replacement blade guard for your miter saw between August 2019 and December 2022, you do not need to take any action for this recall. A copy of the ** Replacement Blade Guard for Miter Saw Recall notice can be found here: ***************************************************************************************************** who purchased the replacement blade guard during the applicable timeframe were contacted via email and asked to complete a form to receive their replacement kit. If you obtained a replacement blade guard during the affected period, but did not get the email, please reply back with both the phone number and email address you use when shopping in our retail stores so we can proceed. 

      Thank you for being a Harbor Freight Tools customer.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/05/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Harbor freight advertised a 25% off coupon for dec 29 2023 - jan 1 ****. They will not honor this coupon for a valid purchase not listed in its exclusions. The coupon states:Save 25% off any single item with coupon code ********, valid from Friday, 12/29/23 through Monday, 1/1/24. Valid in-store or online only.*Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Valid in-store, online, and on in-stock items only. Coupon must be presented at time of sale. Save 25% off any single item purchased. Coupon cannot be used with any of the following: ***************** memberships, **************************************** Gift Cards, prior purchases, Atlas *****, Central Machinery, CoverPro, Hercules, Predator, compressors, power stations, jacks, miter saws, safes, storage cabinets, carts, chests, or welders. Coupon cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. Other restrictions may apply. Valid 12/29/23 through 1/1/24.However multiple items I was denied it's use. One of them being for a motorcycle lift SKU: *****. This is not listed in the exclusions. They tried to tell me it is a ***** It is not a ***** it is a LIFT table which is entirely different than a ***** The only thing they would honor the coupon on was a junk overpriced ICON 1/4 ratchet that was $24. This company is very deceptive with their advertisements and will not honor what is clearly printed on the advertisements themselves. I feel it high time this company be challenged in court for their deceptive and scam "discounts" and coupons as in multiple instances they made every excuse to not honor them. This is a clear reason why I have stayed away from this company for my shops tool needs. They lie constantly. Who would trust a company like this to honor their lifetime warranty on tools? Not me. They can't even honor their cheesy coupons. I will be filing complaints with the *** as Harbor Freight has violated Section 5 of the The ************************ Act by engaging in deceptive and unfair acts or practices.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/04/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 12/21/23 when I was looking at Harborfreight website, it offered me 10% off my first order if I open a credit card with Harborfreight, I applied for the card approved and given Card X8041 ,then I made an in store (store *****) purchase of $82.87 (**** ******) but at checkout I was not given the 10% off my $82.87 purchase. When I asked the teller, he said your credit card is issued by ************** and you need to contact them for the 10% off first purchase offer. I did contacted the bank via secured email when i logged to my Harborfreight card online, the bank gave me a runaround and replied you need to call Harborfreight for that 10% off first purchase offer.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/02/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 12/25/2023 received a Harbor Freight gift card as a Christmas gift. Card shows no monetary value. On 12/27/2023 went to local Harbor Freight location to ascertain value of card by which to make purchase. Store personnel could not and/or would not assist to provide value of card. Called number provided on gift card and could not receive and assistance. Called Harbor Freight directly and placed on hold for approximately 40 minutes then informed I would receive a call back at my number. There had been no call back. I accessed the Harbor Freight web site to gain information about the card and/or learn the value of the card. No assistance was available.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/18/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      purchased 8 drawer wood tool chest (sku# ******) in late January, 2023, as gift for my son. My son did not drive from ********, *******, as planned in March, 2023. As a result, the packaging remained sealed until December 15, 2023 (never opened and/or contents examined). My son will be arriving for Christmas, December 22, 2023. I opened the packaging (December 15, 2023) and found a bad tool box. The tool box was taken to the store where purchased (Harbor Freight, **************, ******, **.) and was examined by Harbor Freight personnel. I was instructed the box was defective and needed to be replaced because the "glue joints were coming apart making the box unusable and unsafe." Harbor Freight checked inventory and found one in inventory and brought it to me. I presented the proper documentation to verify purchase at this location and was told the purchase date was over 90 days ago for any consideration concerning this item. "Good By"

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/18/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Date of transaction: 12/13/2023 Amount: $680.72 *********** is supposed to be helping me with canceling my order. I no longer wanted it after seeing itll take up to 30 days to process.Falsified documentation was emailed to me to show my order have been cancelled. The date and order number is incorrect on that form. And my order still shows as processing on their website. My bank have not received any return funds for my refund. Order number is ********* Problem was not resolved. I never received an email confirmation for the order being cancelled. I called their number five times on 12/14/2023 just to be told it was cancelled. When I called again around 5pm the agent said she would send me the email. And that is when she took an hour to send me the fake cancellation email.No ads were presented. I was sent a link for a 6 drawer tool box that was supposed to be a Christmas gift for my dad.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/20/2023

      In response to ************************ current complaint, all of us at Harbor Freight Tools would like to extend our apologies for the shipping delays in receiving merchandise that was ordered. In regard to the concerns mentioned, our records show that order ********* has been cancelled. Please note, the funds for the item(s) were not captured. However, when the order was initially ordered the pre-authorization may have appeared as pending.Although details may vary by bank, the pre-authorization should automatically drop once the order is cancelled.                                                                             
      In regard to the order cancelation notice that was emailed to our customer. The order number for this transaction was likely mis-keyed and the incorrect order number was noted which resulted in you receiving this in error. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that please disregard it.                                                                                                                                                    
      We would like to thank our valued customer for being so patient with us and we are sorry that at this time we dont have the inventory for the item(s) ordered. We appreciate their business and hope they will give us another chance in the future. If they need further assistance, please let us know.

      Once again, thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools.
       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/12/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unresolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On Saturday December the ninth I attempted to return some items to this store which I had the receipt for, which were new in the package, unused like many other times when I had items that I didn't need and had the receipt for, and I denied my return. They said it was due to a third party consulting firm that they have hired to help them with loss prevention as if I had done something wrong or nefarious in some way which I said I could prove who I am my bank records can show who my bank card is belonging to I am in no way committing a fraud this is injustice and I bought this stuff under the return policy that I have always known that you had at the store. Is quite an ugly rude way to handle a very reliable very loyal customer That actually keeps most of the things that I buy that will certainly change I'm not gonna shop there anymore I would however like my money back that I am rightfully and justfully due.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/26/2023


      Thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools.

      In response to ******************** concerns, we apologize for any inconvenience cause by our return policy. Our policy is designed to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all customers. If our records show if there is a lot of returns, then on your receipt it will provide **************. This will provide with a date that you can exchange the item.

      Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please let us know if you need further assistance.

      Thank you as well for providing this opportunity to respond.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/11/2024

       
      Complaint: 20987004

      I am rejecting this response because:
      II have not violated any of you're return policy which is championed in your advertising and on you're home webpage site as well. So I assume that this has to be malicious discrimination is the only conclusion that I could be deduced.
      Sincerely,

      ***************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/12/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a generator from harbor freight that was inoperable due to a faulty Co sensor.. when I returned it to the store I was charged a 20% restocking fee which was approximately $220 .. I was not aware of a 20% restocking fee when I purchased it at the time.. I should not have to pay this restocking fee for a defective product.. always refunded I would like to have a refund of my restocking fee of $220.. the receipt States "maybe subject to a restocking fee".. but nowhere on receipt does it have a percentage of purchase... The resolution I seek is to have the money refunded from the restocking fee I appreciate all your help in this matter how's that

      Business Response

      Date: 12/26/2023



      Thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools.

      At Harbor Freight Tools, we have implemented a re-stock fee of 20% (unless being exchanged), on certain items as part of our policy which can be viewed here: ******************************************************************************

      We can understand the frustration however the policy is located on the shelf, below the price tag, on the customer's receipt, and on the website, under "Product Overview."

      The policy states the conditions under which we waive the restocking fee:

      -              Item is unopened and in new condition
      -              Item is exchanged for an upgraded product in the same category
      -              Item is replaced under an **************** Plan
      -              Item is replaced under manufacturer warranty
          

      We have invested millions of dollars in our own test labs and factories, and we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality products and great value to our customers. I will forward your feedback to the appropriate department to provide visibility. Your feedback is truly appreciated as it helps us to continually improve our products and services.                                                                                                                                                        
      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, and we regret that we are unable to waive the restocking fee in this situation. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Thank you for contacting Harbor Freight Tools.       

    Harbor Freight Tools is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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