Problem Solved: Please help me with this Home Depot tile problem

The new tiles in Michelle Odd's home are not what she expected. They're crooked and uneven. She wants Home Depot to fix her tiles. But instead, it's offering a refund -- as long as she signs a non-disclosure statement. Can this Home Depot tile problem be solved?

Q: Home Depot screwed up our tile job twice over 17 months. Six supervisors and managers later, everyone agreed, without exception, it needed to be done again.

Somehow, when it went to corporate, this agreement morphed into only providing a full refund, conditioned on signing a two-page nondisclosure agreement they overnighted to us for signature. We never asked for a refund. Home Depot needs to pay for a true professional to remove this disaster of a kitchen wall and replace it, as they promised us.

We are both disabled veterans and specifically used Home Depot because they supposedly help veterans. It is difficult and time-intensive for me to compose emails. I've had six hand surgeries, and that isn’t even a major medical issue. My voice, however, still works just fine, so phone calls are my preferred method of contact.

This abuse is starting to wear me down. I’m afraid it will end up putting me in the hospital again. Can you help us fix our Home Depot tile problem? -- Michelle Odd, Snohomish, Wash.

A: I'm looking at the pictures of your tiles and all I can say is, "Wow!" I think I could have done a better job. Home Depot should have quickly fixed your tile job. Sending you a non-disclosure agreement and offering a refund was not the correct response.

Companies routinely send out non-disclosures when they want to fix a consumer problem, but don't want anyone else to find out about it. Home Depot was understandably wary that your case might receive some public attention. If it wanted to limit the publicity your tile job got, it probably should have just sent someone over to finish the job.

How could this have happened? Well, Home Depot isn't doing any of this work itself. It hires subcontractors, who complete the tiling on the company's behalf. But Home Depot guarantees the work, so if something goes wrong, you can expect it will step up and do the right thing.

It looks like it tried. My case notes suggest that Home Depot already sent someone out to redo the job, but the results were not satisfactory. Plan "B" was to send you that non-disclosure and offer a refund. That's understandable, but still not what you wanted.

One issue that made progress in your case difficult: All of your contacts with Home Depot were by phone. I understand you had a valid medical reason to avoid typing, but as I've always said, you have to get everything in writing. If you can't type, find someone who can do it for you. When you're talking on the phone, you have no record of your call.

By the way, I list the names, numbers and email addresses of Home Depot's executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. A quick email to one of them might have given you the resolution you wanted.

I reached out to Home Depot on your behalf. A district manager contacted you, sent a new team of contractors to your home, and you now have a beautiful new tile wall.

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Christopher Elliott's latest book is “How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Get help by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help