Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/30/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 purchase: 06-02-2025.
  I paid ********* Ace Hardware $428.93 for an *** chainsaw with battery and charger.
  Incredibly Ace Hardware has no policy to refund a product that is un-satisfactory if they don't want to.
  I am VERY dissatisfied with this chainsaw, however, even though I have my receipt and sought a refund just a couple weeks later, the store owner basically told me to get lost. The chainsaw was completely cleaned up and re-boxed perfectly for re-sale back on the store-shelf. By the way, it took me a while to get around to trying to return the chainsaw because my only first cousin **** himself and our family was grieving. I called Ace Hardware headquarters but they said all Ace Hardware stores are independently-owned and they don't have to refund anything so too bad. I tried to dispute the chainsaw with my credit card company but the Ace Hardware store owner lied to them saying that I had not returned to the store for over a month.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/30/2025

  Customer arrived at the store to return an *** chainsaw that he had purchased and used.  My manager called me to make me aware of the situation and I told him that I was not far from the store but first check to make sure the chain was on correctly and to go out back and try it out to see if it there was something simple that needed attention that we could assist with.  This brand is awesome and we have had very few issues with any of their products and zero issues or complaints with their chainsaws.  I was 5 minutes away so when I arrived my store manager had just finished cutting some limbs and called the customer to the back to tell him that it appeared to be working fine.  I asked the customer what was happening when he used it and he responded "it will not chip" which I have never heard that terminology in reference to a chainsaw but I said let's walk over here to some limbs and try it out so we can see if there is a problem.  As we walked toward the trees on the back of the property I explained that if there is a problem with the saw it has a 5yr warranty thru the manufacturer and that we would assist with getting it repaired or replaced.  He responded "If you are not going to give me a refund there is no since in doing this, I cleaned it up so you could put it back on your shelf and resell it."  I told him that I could not put a used saw back on my shelf to resell and if in-fact there is something wrong with it which he stated there was, that I certainly could not put it back on my shelf and resell it used and broken.  I then said don't you want me to check it out?  He said "go ahead."  I cut a pine tree that was about 4"-5" diameter in front of him 3 different times and he observed that the saw worked as it should.  He then said the chain would not tighten, I showed him the knob on the side of the saw that tightens and loosens the chain and explained that it was adjusted correctly.  He then said "I try to shop local but I might as well go to *******."  I said, Sir, I don't know what you expect me to do, the saw works fine and if it didn't we would certainly assist in getting you a replacement or this one repaired but that would be a decision from ***.  He took the saw and walked away while saying "This doesn't help my situation, it will not cut the tree at my house."  I then said "Listen, I go overboard to help and take care of my customers, I am willing to go to your home and if it doesn't cut the tree in your yard that you are referencing, I will buy it back."  He had no interest in that and walked away.  He then called ACE Corporate to try and have them force me to give a refund.  He then disputed the credit card charges and I had to take time to respond to his credit card company.  When none of that worked he has now filed a complaint with the BBB????  At the end of the day if the saw had never been used we would have gladly accepted it back and issued a refund.  We do that everyday for customers but not for used power tools regardless of how well someone cleaned it to go back on the shelf.  I am not sure what happened that created the buyer remorse but I can't be held responsible due to someone changing their mind after buying and using a product.  I certainly can't resell it in my store.  I know he is reading this and I don't think he would have been happy if the saw he bought had been used and put back on the shelf as new.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need anymore info.  

  Sincerely,

  **** *******, Owner

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2025

  
  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because: The store owner owns a >hardware< store that sells >chainsaws< but doesn't know what "chip" means in reference to what a chainsaw is supposed to do when cutting wood??? That should be an indicator of what level of intelligence is running this business. All this chainsaw does is dust. He probably doesn't understand what that means, either.
  "I cut a pine tree that was about 4"-5" diameter in front of him 3 different times and he observed that the saw worked as it should." That is a lie - the store owner cut a one-inch sapling behind his store. I told him the chainsaw took about 10 minutes to cut through an approximately 10-inch branch when I tried to use it at my home.
  The store owner doesn't understand that just because I hate the function of the chainsaw doesn't mean some other customer will hate it, too, so I cleaned up the chainsaw and re-boxed it in re-sellable condition.
  And as a matter of fact, the chainsaw appeared to be a return since there was oil-residue in the oil-reservoir when I un-boxed the chainsaw.
  It is true that the store owner tried to get me to reveal where I live, which in this day and age is crazy to reveal your home address to someone who is adversarial. Does anyone really think the store owner would allow me to go to his home and cut with the chainsaw there?!
  How exactly does someone make a decision and change their mind about a product without trying it out? Even car dealerships will take a car back if the customer absolutely hates it under the ***** ***. And this chainsaw is definitely a lemon, horribly engineered.
  I have tried out MANY different products from ********* ****** **** *****, etc, etc, which turned out to be horribly unsatisfactory and the stores accepted my return. Now that I know what thieves Ace Hardware owners are, not only will I never return to any, but neither will about 30 Brothers, friends, associates, family, etc, who I have informed of this pitiful situation. They are all shocked that the store owner has not accepted my return with my receipt in less than 30 days.
  The really crazy thing is by not accepting my return, the store owner has cost himself WAY more than $430 in sales from a lot of people as time moves forward - guaranteed!

  
  

  Regards,

  
  

  ***** ****

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2025

  If the customer thought for one moment the saw was used previously that would have been his first complaint and reason to return it.  We do not sell "used products" and we do not allow power tools to be "tried out" and then "returned."  I don't have a "rental" or "loaner" program available.  If the item is defective we will either exchange it, refund it or help the customer with the manufactures warranty process.  When the customer entered the store he told my manager that the chainsaw would not cut a tree at his home.  He later told me the same thing yet he "cleaned it up so we could put it back on the shelf to sell to someone else?"  The story does not even make sense.  I personally cut a 4"-5" tree in front of him 3-4 times to show him that it worked.  He didn't even want to take the time for me to check it out because he knew there was nothing wrong with the chainsaw.  If there is a problem with it, my offer still stands, we will help him with the manufacture warranty to have it replaced.  That isn't what he wants because he knows the saw works as it should.  We return products and go above and beyond for our customers multiple times a day.  However, we can't take back used power tools that work as they should just because a customer had a change of heart after purchasing.  If he had never been used, never had bar/chain oil poured into it, never used to cut wood, we would not be having this conversation and we would have gladly accepted the return and offered a refund.  To show up and say it did not work and that he had cleaned it up so we could put it back on the shelf to sell to someone else does not make any sense.  He has said multiple times that it would not cut his tree after watching me cut with no issues, I am the store owner and go to peoples homes on regular bases delivering grills etc...  I simply offered to go see for myself it there was a tree that it would not cut.  We all know that tree does not exist.  However, if it would not cut his tree why in the world would he expect me to put it back on the shelf to sell to someone else?  The entire situation is due to him either buying something with the plan of using and returning or he purchased and then had buyers remorse.  I'm sorry this happened but once it is used I can't take it back and that is why we checked it out to make sure it was not defective.  If it were, we would have and still will help him with a replacement or warranty repair. 

  ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/07/2025

  
  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because: THE OWNER IS LYING ABOUT THE SAPLING'S DIAMETER AND ALSO LIED TO MY CREDIT-CARD COMPANY ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME HAD PASSED AND I CAN PROVE IT WITH MY RECEIPT AND PHONE-CALL LOG. NOT EVEN WORTH MY TIME WITH ANOTHER PARAGRAPH BUT IT'S FUNNY THAT HE'S WASTING SO MUCH TIME. I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH READING HIS LAST REPLY SINCE HE'S SO FULL OF IT. AS EXPECTED, OTHERS ARE GETTING BACK TO ME WITH HORROR STORIES ABOUT ACE AND/OR TELLING ME THEY ARE GLAD I TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS SO THEY WILL NEVER RISK THEIR MONEY AT AN ACE, EITHER. ENJOY SITTING ON MY $430 WHILE ALL THESE PEOPLE GO ELSEWHERE.