Leroy Merlin - Fraud, Rudeness, Unprofessional Behavior, and a Total Lack of Integrity

Leroy Merlin - Fraud, Rudeness, Unprofessional Behavior, and a Total Lack of Integrity

Here is a video detailing all of the problems I have had getting Leroy Merlin (Loule, Portugal) to honor the 5-year warranties on the €5,000+ awnings we purchased in May 2022 (over 2 years ago

1. We were defrauded by their installation contractor who justified the nearly €800 installation fee by telling me tat the job would take 2-3 days. In actuality, it took him less than 8 hours to install both awnings - an unheard of €100/hour labor charge here in Portugal.

2. One remote control has not worked properly from the very start, but Leroy Merlin refuses to replace the remote even though it is still under warranty. If there is a sudden wind storm we would not be able to close that awning before damage to the awning would occur.

3. The awnings do not close completely, exposing the awnings to inclement weather and possible damage.

4. The tubing that contains the electrical wiring has failed, falling from the brackets meant to retain them.

5. Leroy Merlin never apologized for the extremely rude treatment I received in the store when trying to arrange delivery. A female calling herself ‘manager’ and a female, supposedly in charge of delivery/logistics, by the name of Maria Biato were both extremely rude, condescending, and insulting because I couldn't speak Portuguese, along with many of their other customers. Their behavior was appalling. I know that we are in Portugal and should speak Portuguese when possible, I’m trying, but many expats have told me about how difficult it is for non-Portuguese speakers to navigate the Leroy Merlin website and deal with their employees in the store.

CombatCritic Gives Leroy Merlin 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME ... MORE BOMBS ARE BETTER!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 ... 11 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

YELP WIDGET

ZOMATO WIDGET

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Leroy Merlin - Fraud, Rudeness, Unprofessional Behavior, and a Total Lack of Integrity

Key Words: LEROY MERLIN, LEROY, MERLIN, integrity, unprofessional, rude, Loulé, Portugal, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2024 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Sorry I wasted my money on the IPTV Smarters Expert - 4K App

by Liftoff

I'm really sorry that I paid for the IPTV Smarters Expert - 4K app ...

• Near constant buffering
• Only one Favorites folder is allowed
• No way to sort lists (by release date, etc.)
• Have to type in the full name of the channel/title to locate
• Support is slow and useless

I thought this app was free, but I was billed over $10/year by Apple shortly after trying it and there is no way to cancel or get a refund.

What a huge waste of money!

CombatCritic Gives Liftoff's IPTV Smarters Expert - 4K 1 Bomb Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 ... 11 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

YELP WIDGET

ZOMATO WIDGET

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Sorry I wasted my money on  the IPTV Smarters Expert - 4K App

Key Words: IPTV Smarters Expert - 4K App, IPTV, Smarters, Expert, 4K, App, Apple, App Store, store, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2024 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Loule, Portugal: Yawning At The Unprofessionalism Of This Awning Company

Toldos - EtapaVeloz LDA

N396, Portugal

toldosetapaveloz.com

+351 960 161 417

Prices: €€€€

I was somewhat impressed at first because they came to our home on March 14th, took measurements, and provided a, relatively, on-time quote. They promised that I would have the quote by that evening, but I had to prompt them the following day and it was finally provided 24-hours late. 

This was my prompt with additional questions:

--------------------

- I still have not receive the promised quote. I’d like to make a decision and have the awning(s) installed as soon as possible.

 

I also have some additional questions:

 

- How soon could the awning(s) be installed?

- Will installation be included in the quote/price? VAT?

- What forms of payment do you accept? Credit card?

- How long is the warranty and what does it include? Parts? Labor? How long?

 

Again, thank you and I look forward to receiving your quote soon so I can make a decision.

-------------

Only two of the four questions were answered and I still did not know how soon the awnings could be installed or what form of payment they accepted.

I should have taken my business elsewhere immediately, but I wasted another 10 days, sending questions that were either ignored or partially answered. It seemed as though the writer, who never identified him or herself, did not have the capacity to deal with more than one question at a time.

The final straw came the day before our appointment to go to there business and pick the fabrics, having decided to purchase two awnings for a total of €4182.

The companies website does not list an address, just a Google Maps location that looks like a junkyard. I inquired, for the second time, about their address, sending a photo of the location and asking if this was really the correct location. After all, we did not want to drive 30+ minutes and hope that it was the right place:

This was the response I received ...

-----------

'Yes, it´s photo of google maps is old, but the we warehouse is situated this address. 

I'm sensing a certain distrust on your part in relation to our work, I'm sorry, but feel free to choose whether you want the awnings or not. We thought it best to stop here, our company has been in the Algarve for 12 years and we have several residential and commercial clients.

Anyway, if you think you are going to waste your time, I come to say that your appointment has been cancelled.'

------------

He or she cancelled our appointment for this morning because I asked if the location listed was correct or not!

I wrote back and apologized, stating that there seemed to be a communication problem and telling he/she/they that we had no reservations and wanted to pick the fabric. He/She/They wrote back and confirmed that the appointment for today at 10:00 the next morning had in fact been cancelled, even though we had already made plans to have someone take care of our dog, who has cancer.

That was the last straw! These people neither know how to run a business nor interact with customers, so I told them we would spend our money elsewhere where we would, hopefully, be appreciated and treated with dignity and respect.

CombatCritic Gives Awnings EtapaVeloz LDA 0 Bombs Out of 10 and a spot on my 'WALL OF SHAME' ... More Bombs Are Better!

ZERO Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20/'21/'22 

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

YELP WIDGET

ZOMATO WIDGET

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Loule, Portugal: Yawning At The Unprofessionalism Of This Awning Company

Key Words: Loule, Portugal, awning, unprofessionalism, Toldos - EtapaVeloz LDA

N396, Portugal, toldosetapaveloz.com, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Hilo, Hawaii: Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar & Ripoff Shop

Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar

308 Kamehameha Avenue, Suite 105

Hilo, HI 96720, USA

(808) 315-2919

hawaiian-ukulele.com

Prices: $$$$

When we visited Hilo in February of 2019, my initial impression of Robert Yates and Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar was positive, so I took his advice this past January and ordered a handmade, solid mango baritone ukulele ($599) to be shipped to our home in Portugal ($802.27 including ukulele, bag, tax and shipping). I also wanted a pickup installed so I could eventually perform with the instrument, assuming that the electronic device would be of a similar quality to the ukulele. Having also assumed that for the $99 shipping charge, Robert would ship via Fedex, UPS or DHL, I figured that my new ukulele would arrive post haste.

I waited and waited and waited, but no ukulele had arrived almost a month later. Finally, I got an email from Portuguese Customs in Lisbon telling me that it had been sent through the US Post Office and they wanted another $300 in customs taxes and fees before it could be delivered in the end of March, more than two months after I ordered it. So, in the end, I paid $1,100 for a $600 ukulele. Would it be worth it?

I bought a small amplifier and cord from Amazon while waiting for my uke to arrive, but when I hooked it up to my brand new ukulele, there was nary an electronic sound that came out of it. I took a photo of the pickup and found it online, being sold for just $11, figuring out that it needed a battery that Yates did not bother telling me about. There were no instructions in the shipment and no humidifier, as Robert had promised he would include, so I was on my own. OK, battery installed, cord plugged in, amplifier on and ... all I got was static!

I noticed that the female input for the cord on the ukulele was loose, so I tried to tighten it, but still nothing. I adjusted the small dial on the tiny, cheap, plastic pickup and, still, nothing, so I wrote to Robert for help. 

I told him what the problem was and asked him what he could do to help me, but I was ignored. Here it is a year later and not a word from Robert. The 'nice guy' who took time to educate me in his shop dropped me like a hot potato once I figured out that my new acoustic/electric ukulele was not electric after all. He got his $800, so I was on my own and $1,100 poorer thanks to the crook Yates!

CombatCritic Gives Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar 1 Bomb Out of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF SHAME' ... More Bombs Are Better! 

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20/'21 

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar on Yelp

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Hilo, Hawaii: Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar & Ripoff Shop

Key Words: Hilo, Hawaii, Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar, ripoff, Hawaiian, ukulele, guitar, ripoff, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, destination, product, business, review, Robert Yates, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Etsy.com: Original 'Portugal' Watercolors At Very Affordable Prices

KaravellaAtelier

Original Art by Dora Hathazi Mendes

etsy.com/KaravellaAtelierre

Online Only

Our watercolor of an Obidos villa draped in red bougainvillea arrived as promised, on-time and in perfect condition ... we love it!

Dora, the artist and owner, was wonderful to work with and her prices are very reasonable, considering it is an original piece of artwork. We would not hesitate to buy from her again based on our experience.

CombatCritic Gives KaravellaAtelier 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF FAME' ,,, More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20/'21 

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Etsy.com: Original 'Portugal' Watercolors At Very Affordable Prices

Key Words: Etsy.com, original, 'Portugal' watercolor, affordable, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2021- 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved