Harbor Freight Tools Reviews

Name: Harbor Freight Tools
Rating: 1.64

1.6 Rating 222 Reviews

14 %

of reviewers recommend Harbor Freight Tools

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Metrics

1.6

Based on 222 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier, Own Driver
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 66%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	1.5 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Returns Process	Could Be Better

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"BUYER BEWARE! Be careful buying tools from Harbor Freight. They have initiated a ridiculous return policy for defective tool. I bought a Pop Rivet Gun Air Model. It tells you to fill with Hydraulic Fluid. It took 2 people and a vise to open the casing and 30 minutes. Filled it up and closed it. After hooking up the air, it shot the fluid all over my shirt, pants, & part I was working on along with the floor. Not Good. Then I figured out they shorted me the smaller 1\/8\" tip. So when I went to return it, I was told I could only exchange it for another one. so to check it out, the 27 year old manager tried to open the lower filler cap and could not get the cap off another brand new one. I explained that I had been shorted the smaller 1\/8\" tip. We verified that. I asked what was he going to do about the spraying fluid since the gun was identical. I told him I would need to drive 20 minutes back and if it didn't work, then 20 minutes back again each way. By again, even the bottom could not be opened, especially for me at 65 years old. He just shrugged his shoulders. I said I just wanted my money back sine he couldn't supply me a working one. He told me there is now still a 20% restocking fee, even though it can't be restocked. That's $14 of my hard earned money. He would not overwrite that. So I spent over an hour calling corporate only to have them tell me they were going to continue this foolish practice of stealing my money. Then after refusing and asking for a full refund they said they could only give me a gift card for the 20% to go buy more garbage in the store and maybe have another restock fee. I told them if you go to Costco, Walmart, Amazon, etc, they have no questions asked returns, especially when the item is defective and have no alternative. What I want them to answer is \"ARE THEY REALLY GOING TO RESTOCK THIS ITEM EVEN THOUGH IT DON'T WORK? And then sell more of them to some other sucker. I will be returning to the store 1 more time to cancel my membership and get a refund on that. And hopefully not have a 20% restock on that return? I've have been shopping there since they first opened their first stores in California many many years ago. PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING THINGS FROM HARBOR FREIGHT UNTIL THEY CHANGE THEIR WAYS! I am going to do a charge back for the $14 they stole from me. I will not use that stupid $14 gift card. I'll let Citibank deal with that. Money is tight and I have to work many hours to get that money just for them to steal it. THEY DON'T DESERVE MY BUSINESS OR YOURS.\r\nI have included the receipts for you to see."

Harbor Freight Tools 1 star review on 27th October 2024

Jeff Davis

Harbor Freight Tools 1 star review on 2nd September 2024

Anonymous

Harbor Freight Tools 1 star review on 30th August 2024

Thomas Ray

Harbor Freight Tools 1 star review on 4th August 2024

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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“I think it is unbelievable that as a policy they cannot transfer tools from ine store to the next! Every other retailer in the planet does so with ease! I guess when you are so successful, it orives there is no motivation to make some changes outside if tool products!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“On Friday, July 9, 2022, I purchased the predator 9500 watt inverter generator to use as a home back up power source. On Saturday evening, while wiring a plug and service panel lockout on my house, the power went out. I hadn’t even got the generator unpacked. I unpacked the Predator, got it running, which was very easy to do, and made an emergency connection to my service panel. (Don’t do this if you are not experienced in electrical!). I made sure the service was disconnected from the utility company. I was able to run my central AC, fridge, two freezers, and satellite tv for five hours while we waited for power to be restored. No problem at all! This generator works great as an emergency backup, but is not designed to run everything in a house at once. Only use it to power necessary items. And get the big Predator with an inverter. Delicate electronics are more likely to be damaged if you use a generator without an inverter. Great price for this size inverter generator and purchased just in time! Worked great. It’s new, so I can’t comment on durability. Time will tell. I went back out after two weeks, hit “start” and it was running immediately! Looks like I made a good purchase. Went back and got another one for my sister’s house. Total cost for generator and electrical connections to house ran me about 20 percent of the price I was quoted for a stand by generator. I can crank up a generator and flip two switches when I need it for that kind of savings.”

Harbor Freight Tools 5 star review on 2nd August 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“This company is a joke do not ever buy anything from them. Ever. They are a total joke.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I purchased an off the shelf paint sprayer, never opened it, returned it a week later. They charged me a 10% restocking fee. The return girl said they informed me of this policy at purchase. They did not, I would not have bought it. She would not waive the fee. Very poor business.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I bought a Harbor Freight Titanium Unlimited 200 and on the second use, it feeds wire as soon as the unit comes on. This is not only unacceptable, it's dangerous and I could have been electrocuted. The wire hit me on the pant leg before I realized it was feeding out automatically. I bought this from another person and it was still new in the box. Of course, I can't take it back because it has been past 90 days. The local store left me on hold for over 24 minutes and then got testy when I spoke with them. All this company is concerned about is MONEY. When a person has a budget, they may can afford to buy one, but not a second one. I called corporate to get help solving the problem and it seems the issue causing the problem can't be fixed. They can't even get the parts I need to do a repair. I'm quite frustrated with them. Good luck if you have an issue. I would suggest not doing business with this company period.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“poor.. previously marginally acceptable. Today, I have decided to forego any further patronage as the last straw is some folding wheel chocks.. brand new/never used failed. Piece of junk and the Mt Vernon, WA store refuses any recognition of their products due to purchase date. I even demanded to cancel my ITC membership.. and they can not! Too damn funny - sad - strange for an American Company.. oh but wait a minute.. THESE GUYS ARE NOT AMERICAN BASED.. THEY ARE CHINESE. As I've live in China.. they do not warranty anything less appliances and large items.. but, even that is a battle. See the simularities.. Harbor Freight Tools is yet another example of anti-American principles, workmanship, and pride. AVOID -- BOYCOTT IS NEEDED AS AMERICA CONTINUES TO BE DESTROYED!!”

Harbor Freight Tools 1 star review on 29th May 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I purchased the Insider Track card in December and used it to purchase one item. After that it has never been good for anything I have needed to purchase going forward. They change up the items it is good for every month so the chances of the item you need being valid for a discount are reduced.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I purchased a 10x17 portable car port through them in Oct ‘21. I’m March a RAIN storm took it down. I contacted support and they say they don’t cover damages for EXTREME WEATHER!! Are you kidding me, we are not talking hurricane rain, we talking a NY rain storm! This company is ridiculous and sell cheap stuff. There is absolutely no reason it should hold up in rain when it’s rated HEAVY DUTY! I will NEVER purchase anything from them again and I say use caution when buying from this company as they do not stand behind their ptoducts!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Loyal Predator 3500 inverter generator until recent. I purchased my first Predator a few years back. Great machine, quiet, and did what the reviews said it could do. The bonus I thought is how well Predator design was when doing maintenance (oil change, filter, spark plug, and so on) Easy, quick and well thought out. Very impressed and well thought out. Than I purchased another two 3500's this last year. They changed the design surrounding maintenance. They added a 2in hose to the oil drain area where the previous 3500 simply had a bolt. Unscrew it and the oil drained out the bottom by why of a rubber funnel. I remember the first time I changed the oil I thought is that all there is to this. Got it done in five minutes, note I use the machine frequently so I change the oil frequently. The hose idea doesn't work, barely drips out and makes a hell of a mess. You have to literally tip the machine in order for it to drain at all. Hu? doesn't make sense, also when tipping it it barely comes out. Plus the hose can only go sideways, that's why you have to tip it. isn't long enough to even get over the lip of the cover so you have to tip the machine to get it to come out. Oh, then, for the dipstick, they cheapened it to, tried to screw it back in after the oil change and nearly stripped it. Minutes later and with a few cus words I got it threaded correctly enough to get back one. Eventually I ended up stripping one of them. Note, if this happens lots of luck getting a new dipstick. Went to website for parts, finding that you have to order additional parts in order to get the dipstick. Cost to you around $80.00 for a $5.00 dipstick. Absolutely terrible. My question to Predator is why did you mess with such a good thing. The bolt worked so easy, took me less than five minutes to change oil for this machine and as much as I run it I change the oil frequently. Oh and another funny about this is you put a screw on the door that leads to the oil change. When prior you had a plastic hand screw to open this. Really, ha. I'm afraid to try and do the other maintenance pieces as I'm sure I will unfold further shortcuts and changes made to cheapen up the generator. Ya saved a few bucks and caused headaches for those who run these machines. Now is this all worth it to complain about this when the machine seems to be working ok. It is, because whoever had the bright idea of doing these changes obviously never works on anything mechanical. Guys like and truly appreciate when you have to fix or do maintenance on something that its easy. Ya had that, so sometime, just leave a good thing alone. Oh lastly and what's funny is how when you go out on Youtube to see how to change the oil on this model, there isn't even one that shows it with these changes. I looked because I thought I truly was missing something. Thought I might have missed the obvious. I didn't...”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Could not return a faulty item that I had purchased the two year extended warranty with .when I bought the item only 8 months ago I was told I did not need my receipt just my phone number we'll they lied. I'm sure they don't care if I come back but I have friends and family that will not be back either this is the Northport Alabama store and the manager is a Jerik”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Recently Tried applied to Harbor Freight in Aiken, SC, One of the store managers name Brent asked me what’s my availability I told him everyday except Sunday that’s (6 days to work with) which he responded with that’s not “GOOD ENOUGH” call me back when your availability changes. I believe he violated The Civil Rights Act of 1964”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Customer service is almost non existence On hold for over 20 minutes before I hung up. Called the store and the person told me to bring it in and he would look at the extra parts and maybe could tell me what they are for as there was no information about them in the case.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Harbor Freight billed me for several items that never shipped, and shipped several items I never ordered. All from one particular warehouse. After 11 days of begging harbor freight via email, phone calls and social media, I have yet to be given any response at all. * Two items came up missing from the Dillon, SC docs (I know this because the label was created, which is what happens moments before it is attached to the box an placed on the FedEx outgoing pallet...FedEx never received the box). * The same warehouse neglected to include all the items in a different shipment (different tracking number) * On a third shipment (yet a different tracking number, the same warehouse included several packages of zip ties I never ordered. Harbor Freight refuses to address the issue * I have contacted customer service several times by phone and many times by email over the past 11 days. * I reached out to their social media department via facebook * I called the Dillon, SC warehouse (since your customer service refused to do anything at all) This is a clear cover up, as Harbor Freight has refused to address any of these issues for after 11 days of me continuously trying to get a response via phone, email, facebook. * Air Impact Wrench: Mysteriously disappeared from the shipping dock, and they refuse to fulfill the order, even though they charged me for it. * Air Ratchet: Mysteriously disappeared from the shipping dock, and you refuse to fulfill the order even though they charged me for it. * Duct Tape: missing item supposed to be included with the Air Oil * Zip Ties: Mysteriously arrived from Dillon SC without me ordering at all I have had to open an investigation with FedEx, and have to wait for a billing cycle to open up Fraud / Theft investigations with my Credit Card Company I seriously think they are going out of business, and just don't care about the consequences that other companies avoid like the plague.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“HF online charged me full price for my order, then only shipped half the order. Good luck talking to customer service, I've been on hold 36 min, still no help, how do you run a business like this? Oh well, it's the last time for me!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“They steal my receipt and took my $100 on a return!!! This happened at Harbor Freight Beaufort, SC”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Store in Newton NJ very unpleasant unwelcoming and unhelpful. It must suck to work for such a truly atrocious company. They must pay 50 cents an hour to get such horrible employees and the tools are bad too.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“The Associates at Harbor Freight in Montclair, California have always treated me like a value customer and I appreciate it very much. Thank you Associates”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“I bought a generator from their website in early September. For 2 months they gave me the run around about whether it had been shipped. They charged me and sent me an email saying it had shipped. More calls and long waits on hold, and then finally, just shy of 2 months after I placed the order they called and admitted they’d never shipped it and told me they were giving me a refund. Zero apology from anyone through the whole process. I’ve since spoken to others who’ve had bad experiences with them. I will never consider buying anything from these people again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I ordered several items online on 4/14/20 as of today 6/4/20 I still have not received one of my items.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“The customer service at this POS company is horrible. The employees are the bottom of the barrel. Last time I went in I was in a line that the lady was doing some return that was taking a long time and told to go to another line. I went and that lady was a chatty taking fool. Going on about her kids and not doing her job. I got in another line that just opened up and they did not take the next person but who could run there the fastest. When I got to the front of the line the lady said to get in another line she was closing. I told her to F off and threw the item on the counter and walked out. I will pay more rather than go to HF its full of the lowest quality workers ever.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Harbor Freight Tools is rated 1.6 based on 222 reviews