MUSKEGON, Mich. – A sailor who served with the U.S. Navy during the Persian Gulf War got a shock over the weekend when he went through check out at The Home Depot.
Ted Hosko, who served in the military for 14 years, says he had been receiving a military discount for the past 10 months. But after the clerk took a closer look at his veterans I.D. card, she told him he should never have been receiving the discount because he was not eligible.
The policy for military discounts at The Home Depot and Lowes are the same. Anyone who served the U.S. military is eligible on Memorial, Labor and Veterans Day, but the discount offered year round is only for active duty, retired military or those injured or disabled from service.
“I don’t think they explained it right,” Hosko said. “Because they were giving me the discount since September, and I got all the receipts and it says military discount.”
The confusion is likely coming during check out and has to do with inspection of his veterans card. Some may just glance at it, but upon closer inspection, it would show that he doesn’t meet the guidelines for the year round military discount.
FOX 17 reached out to Home Depot and they responded with this statement.
"We apologize for any confusion regarding our two-tiered policy. We match our competitor's policy, offering a 10 percent discount to all veterans and active-duty military on major patriotic holidays, including Memorial Day. We’re also one of only a few retailers that provides an everyday discount to active-duty, as well as retired and service-connected disabled service members, and their spouses.”
Hosko says he understands the policy now but says he would have rather been told he couldn’t get the discount months ago when he first tried getting it.
