“I’ve always heard that the ones from big box stores aren’t as high quality as those from a plumbing store.” This has been disproven many times over. While big box stores may choose to stock lower quality items in general, matching part numbers will be exactly the same. So if you order an item through Home Depot it will be the same quality as it would be from anywhere else. In fact, there is a good chance that recertified faucets were originally purchased at, then returned to, Lowes or Home Depot. They are likely the biggest source of returns for Delta because of their direct to homeowner sales strategy.

Yes, my understanding is that a lot of products sold at discount retailers (Nordstrom Rack, DSW, etc) are made especially for the retailer, and sometimes lower quality or design. I used to be an avid Nordstrom Rack shopper about 15-20 years ago, but then they started swapping out their goods with lower quality versions rather than items that didn't sell at the regular Nordstrom store. I usually find the same items on Zappos that I do on other retailers, so I think they usually sell the same non-discounted items. Amazon can be hit or miss and I'm always skeptical if the price looks especially good.

I came across a BlueStar 30" RNB gas range at a local appliance shop. It's a floor model that is hooked up to the gas line, so customers can try it out. A sales manager said that he could give me a 15% discount if I were to buy it. Is 15% a decent discount? Thanks!

This is just a user-generated discussion forum with no connection to retail operations.