Check out the Kitchens Forum for more stories. Home Depot subcontracts all of this. You probably could have gotten a better price by going directly to the fabricator, since you don't have the HD middleman markup. And it would probably be the same substandard contractor that HD used, but at least you'd have a driect line to complain.

I think you are pretty well stuck for right now, but if I were you, I would not accept anything that wasn't perfect, and I'd probably walk into the HD store and use my best loud, but never shouting and unswervingly polite and not angry, voice to ask things like "I'm still waiting for a good install--this has been a mess, can't you help me?" Go into HD at their busiest time, act dumb be polite, but say everything in a loud voice, you know the one you use when Aunt Mildred doesn't have her hearing aids in.

And go every day, too. May not help, but maybe you'll feel better.

Am so sorry to hear how bad this has been for you. We **lived** in the shoproom behind the garage (bedrooms upstairs were untouched) during a 10 month (should have been 5 month) remodel. I know your pain!

Thank You fairegold. Pretty much figured this out, but needed to make other people aware of their potential problems. We are installing a makeshift sink as I write as the rest of the countertop is installed. So I am ready for the long haul but will see how the dialog from the fabricator goes and then will hit management up big time. Figured nice letters to upper management along with the personal appearance of me at the place of purchase. I was assured that at time of purchase that I had to be 100% satisfied, just was not aware what all I had do to be inconvienced to achieve this satisfaction. Grr. I am not above the old trick of pasting a sign on outside of car and sitting at the entrance. If I can kill one sale I will be a happier camper.

Cheer up! You killed my sale. I am fortunate to have alternatives dealing in Silestone. They do the work in their shop and are only 5 miles from the house, so I feel much more relaxed about the few extra bucks. Thanks for writing.

Living in a remote area is probably your biggest problem, not Home Depot. It's understandable that a remote area is only on the service schedule once a week. I'm sure you understood this from the beginning, as you even had to travel to even get to the Home Depot. I'm sorry you're having problems with your installation, but about 30% of most any type of countertop installs have at least a minor issue and require a return trip to fix. Any type of renovation always takes longer to do and costs more than you think. If you always plan on their being problems and it taking longer than expected, you are pleasantly surprised when it does not. And, if you want prompt service, choose someone more local to you. If you do not have someone local to you, then you are stuck using someone remote, and stuck with the extra time and costs associated with it. IT's one of the bonuses you get for not living in a big city.

I live in a smaller town too and thought about using HD or Lowe's but every time we go in the store there is never anyone in the "bath" department that can help us. Now I think I am very glad we couldn't find anyone.

So sorry for all of your trouble.

The hidden costs in shopping the big box stores are huge! What you "save" in your purchase will often double, if not triple, later on in the form of: poor quality, incorrect information, aggravation, returns, etc. etc. It's not worth it. I've had better luck ordering online. (I gave high consideration to ordering bathroom counter and sink from e-counters.com, but we're making our own counter now.)

We even got a bad bucket of drywall mud from Lowe's recently. Cost dh hours of extra sanding the wall.

You've convinced me. If it makes you feel better, I appreciate you're input and will contact local fabricators to do my install!

Mqmoi: Before you go buying countertops online, best to get the facts. They are out of state middlemen and use the same fabricators as Home Depot uses. How could you get better quality?
Hambone13: Your remote location has contributed to your problem. But, it is not an excuse for your tops being out of square. If you can handle another 6 weeks in the basement, make them recut your stone to fit!
live wire oak: It's more like 50% when using a middleman.
everyone: Google your nearest big city and the words "Silestone" and cross your fingers. St. Louis has a local independent, maybe your town does too?