Home Depot Hides Delivery Costs in Item Prices
A recent investigation has uncovered a pricing practice at Home Depot that misleads customers about the true cost of their purchases. When customers select 'Free Delivery' on the Home Depot website, the price of the item increases, but the delivery line still shows 'Free.' This means that the customer is actually paying more for the item than they would if they had chosen in-store pickup or paid for delivery separately.
This practice has been documented by multiple customers and is consistent with a $2 million California settlement reached in 2024. Home Depot agreed to apply the lowest posted price and appoint price-accuracy managers, but it denied wrongdoing. The company's interface quietly notes that the change reflects 'local pricing,' which is simply a way of saying that the cost is being disguised as part of the item's price.
Regulators have already taken notice of Home Depot's pricing practices, and several class-action lawsuits have been filed against the company. One lawsuit alleges that the website used inflated 'original' prices to manufacture the illusion of discounts, while another claims that checkout prices ran 10-40% higher than advertised shelf prices.
Customers who are finalizing bulky Home Depot orders should be aware of this practice and take steps to protect themselves. This includes screenshotting the item price under pickup and delivery and comparing totals before confirming. If checkout exceeds the advertised price, customers can request the lowest posted price, which is now required by law in California.