Business Profile

Electric Tools

Direct Tools Factory Outlet

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Direct Tools Factory Outlet's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

60 total complaints in the last 3 years.
30 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:06/28/2023
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have called time after time today and sent emails with no response regarding an order issue. I'm continually placed on hold for more than an hour and a half with no one ever coming to the phone. Emails go unanswered and now they have charged me 155 dollars and my order is basically being ignored, as am I.

As i am writing this, and now at the 1 hour mark on hold.
Business Response
Date: 07/05/2023
We have been contact with the customer. Sorry for the frustration. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do moving forward.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/12/2023
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Sells incomplete items; will not replace missing items.

I purchased a lawn mower from DTFO's site. It was advertised as a complete lawn mower, and there was no indication anywhere that the mower may have missing parts. I was sent a lawn mower missing the screw-on bolts required to fix the handle to the mower body. This renders the mower totally unusable.

When I contacted DTFO's customer "service" department, rather than owning this mistake and sending me the parts, I was brusquely told to contact the manufacturer, *****, and beg for the parts.

I replied that I did not buy anything from *****, I bought the mower--advertised as a complete mower-- from DTFO, so DTFO should fix the problem. After many days of back-and-forth and one phone call to their massively overcrowded and loud customer service line, I was randomly sent a new email with a parts list for the mower attached as a .pdf, with a request to tell DTFO what parts were missing.

I did as they asked, knowing that this was another bait-and-switch. Just as expected, they replied saying that the parts weren't available, and to contact ***** and beg for the parts. It's obvious that this was just an attempt to make me shut up and go away; they never had any intention of correcting their error.

DTFO falsely advertises incomplete products as complete and then refuses to correct the mistake, foisting the responsibility onto their customers and a manufacturer that has no interest or obligation to fix DTFO's mistakes.

I want the missing parts. I want them to come from DTFO. I want a salaried employee to waste their own time obtaining and mailing them to me; I have no interest in performing work to correct their error, or spending time on hold with a massive manufacturer like *****.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/12/2023
I've attached a .pdf of my receipt.
Business Response
Date: 07/03/2023
We reached out , but were advised we were too late and didn't want our assistance.
I am sorry we were not able to hit the mark on this transaction, but please let us know if we can help in the future.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/05/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.

The latest response from this business is absurd. If you examine my initial complaint, you will see that DTO sent me a list of parts for the product, asking me to indicate which parts they neglected to send me.

I did as they instructed. They immediately informed me that they did not have those parts on hand (as if they ever did), and once again tried to pass me off to the manufacturer, who is totally outside of this entire transaction. ***** is not responsible for DTO's inventory problems or poor supervision of whoever loads their packages.
This latest communication to the BBB from DTO is likewise disingenuous. They are obfuscating their actual actions; lies of omission are still lies.
DTO called my phone at 7AM, absolutely outside of any concept of business hours or basic common courtesy. They then followed up with this text in an email:

"Good
morning, I gave you a call this morning regarding the issue with the
mower kit that you purchased in April. I just wanted to apologize for
the issue with the mower and let you know
that I have ordered a new mower kit from the manufacturer. The order
should arrive within 7-10 business days. The order confirmation is shown
below:"
First of all, the "phone call" was a typical attempt to avoid putting anything in writing, and the idea that DTO wasn't aware of my address on the West Coast and thus in a different time zone is, continuing a trend, absurd. I am not responsible for a CS rep's inability to read an address.
In my response to these two lame attempts at communication I never, ever refused their solution. I called them out for their incompetence, their totally improper attempt to call me before a reasonable hour, and how their disingenuous, BEYOND late and false attempts at "customer service" only activated AFTER I contacted the BBB to FORCE them to act. They are failures; I told them so. I'm doing my best to leave honest reviews about their brand everywhere I can; I told them so.

They sent no response to this, and passed another lie on to the BBB.

They owe me parts that might cost a single dollar. They've already spent more than that in hours of their CS department's time, just to interact with the BBB.
This is INSANE.

Regards,

***** *****
Business Response
Date: 07/11/2023
*****,
We are sorry if we misunderstood our last interaction and for calling you so early that morning. In your replay email, you seemed to not be interested in our attempt to resolve your issue. It led us to believe that this interaction was concluded. The parts are still unavailable, but we can replace the unit. If these conclusions were incorrect, please et us know and we can get the unit sent out to you. We prefer to communicate through this method at this point. Thank you for your time.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/12/2023
Better Business Bureau,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:06/09/2023
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Reached out to ***** last year as 40v lithium battery had died during warranty period. Was told they were on back order and would be shipped out once restocked. Fast forward several months later I called again and they told me they would ship it. A year later and I have never received the battery. Horrible company that doesn’t stand behind their products. I would like the battery to be sent immediately that I was promised or money to purchase the 40v lithium battery at Home Depot.
Business Response
Date: 06/10/2023
I was able to pull up your order and I am sorry for the frustration. I placed an order for you this morning. You should be receiving an email in a business few days with tracking information. Please let us know if you need anything else.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/01/2023
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
First time customer.
On 5-05-23 I ordered a ****** miter saw stand and had it shipped to dad's house because we were leaving on vacation ( invoice total $162.09) .
On 5-10-23 he received a battery .
Sent emails because we were out out country
Ended up calling 5-16-23 because of no reply. Talked to Larry and was told shipping label would be sent out to return battery and miter stand would be shipped.
Sent battery back when we returned home.
Now it's 5-31-23
Call and talked to Larry again ( no replies to emails ) was told they didn't ship stand because they had to wait for battery return and now the miter stand is OOS.
No mention of battery needing to be returned before they would ship stand.
Told Larry I trusted them with my money to ship me what I ordered, but they can't trust me to return something I never wanted to begin with. He said that's how they do it.
So now I sit here no stand , missing $162.09 and I don't know what the international call cost me
Business Response
Date: 06/05/2023
Sorry for the frustration. It appears the refund went through on 6/1. It can take 3-5 days for it to appears on your account. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/23/2023
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased an 18inch battery/power fan from Direct tools on line, When I got it 5/22/2023 I put in a battery in and it only worked for about 60 seconds. I have tried multiple batteries no change. I sent an email to the customer service and no reply and tried calling the phone numbers listed and no one will answer, I was on hold for greater than an hour. I would like direct tool to replace the inoperative fan with one that works.
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2023
We have been in contact with the customer and worked out a resolution. Please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/06/2023
Better Business Bureau,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** ****
Initial Complaint
Date:05/23/2023
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 2/1/23 made an order to direct tools factory outlet I purchased a ryobi planer order number **********
I never received the item. I called three times and had to wait over 40min on hold for customer service to tell me it was never sent out of the warehouse. Each time they said they would send an email to the warehouse to get it sent out but it was never sent. it’s currently 5/22/23 with nothing to show for.
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2023
We have been on contact. We have a replacement ordered a issued a 50% refund. It can take 3-5 days before seeing this credit on your account. Please let us know if we can help with anything else in the future.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/01/2023
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
We purchased a lawnmower in February 2022. It didn’t stay running from the first time out of the box. We called the store and was told to contact *****, we did and were told we needed a new battery. We got the battery, it did not resolve the issue. We were told to take it for servicing. The first place we took it to (***** sent us) they said they couldn’t service it. We called ***** again, they said go to **** *****. We took it to **** *****, they took it in December of 2022, in March they told us to come get it. We went to pick it up and they told us it was returned, not fixed, they no longer service ***** either. I contacted ***** AGAIN and was told to email the same attached documentation. I followed up 3 times since 3/20/2023 no one has contacted me since. Meanwhile I have a mower that doesn’t work, the service center with **** ***** sent it back dirty and scratched and I’m paying $94 a month to have my lawn mowed. I want a refund. As far as I can see they are in breach of the warranty. I’ve called and emailed several times and have done my due diligence to get this resolved and to work with them.
Business Response
Date: 05/16/2023
Sorry for your frustrations. We have placed and new order. Thank you for communicating with us.
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2023
Sorry to hear about your frustration. We have been in contact and have a new mower heading your way. Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist with in the future.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/14/2023
The mower was received and works! Ok to close this out. Sorry, I must be missing how to respond in the complaint.

Thanks!
Initial Complaint
Date:05/01/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
1 was promised a $29.98 credit for Order **********. Purchased electric Screwdriver for $49.98 and promised a price match of $15.00. Have called 3 times and promised the credit. Also emailed 4 times and only issued an apology and a promise of a credit. Very frustrated with customer support . Call for more info ************.
Business Response
Date: 05/16/2023
Sorry for your frustrations. We have processed the refund in full on May4th. Please let us know if there is anything we can help you with in the future.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/16/2023
Better Business Bureau,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

********* *****
Initial Complaint
Date:04/10/2023
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I bought a $390 pressure washer from them on 3/21/22 and the item was missing multiple parts, unusable without these assembly parts. I called the same day the item was delivered on 3/24/22 from FedEx and the representative asked me to ship it back, upon receiving the return/RMA I would get shipped a new one.

Tracking via FedEx, they received the item on 3/29/22. After a few days, I never heard anything back from them, no call, and no order was sent out, no tracking number, no email, no nothing... so I called to follow up on 3/31/22 and was told I needed to wait 7 business days after they received my RMA item. I was fine with this, so I waited.

4/6/22 I called them for the third time yesterday.. 16 days after the purchase to follow up on my return/replacement and I was told to wait another 7 days. When I asked if it was possible to get a refund, the representative said yes, but they were sending out the item per approval... that I just needed to wait again. I opted to wait but was already frustrated. They hung up on me when I said I would wait.

Today I finally decided to call and just get the refund because I needed the tool for work but found that my number had been blocked or something from reaching customer service to get a refund. I can call everyone else but instantly drops from their 1-877-******** number. I have to reach out via email just this morning, still heard nothing as of today with no way to call them.
Business Response
Date: 04/19/2023
We have been in touch with the customer. We are refunding the unit instead of exchanging. Sorry for the frustration. Please let us know if we can help in the future.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/06/2023
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I placed 2 orders on 3/30/23 that had items for in store pickup. The order numbers are **********-**** and **********-**** I placed the orders very early in the morning on 3/30 around 1 AM EDT. Later that day around 6 PM the order wasn't ready so I called the store and they said they had no record of my order. I emailed support after the call to report my problem.

Friday 3/31 in the afternoon the items still weren't ready so I called the store again. The person told me they had the items in stock but hadn't received my order. They checked and said they had no pickup orders. I called customer service and gave the person my order numbers. She said she would send them in for investigation and to keep an eye on my email.

Monday 4/3 my order still wasn't ready. I realize that the customer service isn't open over the weekend but I still would like my things! I called customer service again. Gave them the order numbers and explained the situation. She said she would escalate the request, the supervisor was off on Friday and to give them until Wednesday.

It's now Thursday 4/6 and still no sign of this being fixed. I placed a mixed order of items being shipped and picked up. The shipped items have been here for several days now yet the pickup orders are just lost in the abyss. I want the items because they were on sale and of course the sale has ended.
Business Response
Date: 04/19/2023
We have been in touch with the customer. We have offered price matching and free shipping once order is able to be placed again.

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Direct Tools Factory Outlet is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.