Home Depot

Military Discount Information for Home Depot and Lowe’s

August 31, 2015 By Will Lipovsky 4 Comments

The Home Depot Military Discount honors retired and disabled veterans, reservists, active service members and their immediate family members with 10 percent off merchandise. Information about this discount is not always easy to find, so we’ve compiled all you need to know right here:

The Home Depot Military Discount

This 10 percent discount is capped at $500. It used to only apply on major veteran holidays such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Veteran’s Day. Now however, the discount applies every day.

But those who served but do not fall under the monikers of active duty, reservist, disabled veteran or retired veteran must wait for a veteran’s holiday to enjoy the discount.

You can use the military discount when shopping online if you call customer service at 1-800-430-3376 prior to checkout.

Lowe’s Military Discounts

Not to be outdone, Lowe’s now offers a similar 10 percent military discount.

All other military veterans, such as those who served honorably but did not remain in the military long enough to retire, must present a valid Form DD214 or other proof of service to receive the discount.

Lowe’s does not allow you to take the military discount when shopping online.

To receive either the Lowe’s or Home Depot discount, you may be asked to present:

A valid Active Duty or retired military ID card that includes a picture or
A valid Veteran Identification Card (VIC) or
Department of Veterans Affairs card with the words SERVICE CONNECTED under the picture or
A valid retired or active military ID card for spouses or dependents and
A driver’s license or other photo ID

If you have trouble securing the discount, which some Home Depot customers have complained about, ask to speak to a manager. If you have the correct ID, you should not have trouble getting the 10 percent off.

Hackers Took Emails with Credit Card Data in Home Depot Breach

November 7, 2014 By Kara Pendleton 3 Comments

Emails were also stolen in the Home Depot data breach

Back in September, it was announced that like a number of other retailers, Home Depot had been hacked. The intruders stole the credit card and debit card information of 56 million customers. What was not announced until now is that the hackers also took the email addresses of those customers.

The Home Depot breach was even larger than the pre-Christmas breach Target experienced in 2013. In the Target breach, an estimated 40 million customers were affected. Other retailers and businesses have also been hit by hackers. These retailers include Neiman Marcus, Michaels, Staples, P.F.Chang’s, UPS, Sally’s Beauty Supply, Goodwill, and Kmart.

In January 2014, retailers were warned by the FBI to expect more breaches to occur, citing “POS malware” as a significant risk. Hackers got into Home Depot systems using a vendor’s log-on credentials, and then installed malware on hacked self-checkout registers. Although it has been eliminated from the systems since it was detected, it ran undetected for months, and was designed to be able to evade anti-virus software.

What is Home Depot doing about this latest revelation to help customers? According to WLTX, “Home Deport said the e-mail addresses did not contain passwords, payment card information or other sensitive personal information. The company is notifying affected customers and offering credit monitoring, though it said, “In all likelihood this will not impact you.”

What can consumers do to help minimize their own risk for falling victim to future breaches of retailer or other company information? Forbes offers a few tips.

When it comes to plastic, use an actual credit card rather than a debit card. Consumers have more protection with credit cards than they do with debit cards. In addition, a debit card is generally linked to a bank account.
Don’t pay with plastic, at all. This means using Paypal, Apple Pay or cash.
Keep a special email account for shopping-one that is separate from what you use with family and friends. This helps stop hackers from getting further than your “junk” email account.

More retailers are offering alternative payment options to customers, such as using Paypal or Apple Pay. But there are other options, as well. Walgreens accepts a variety of mobile payments from services such as Google Wallet and Softcard, in addition to Apple Pay.

Apple Pay, for example, is also accepted by McDonald’s, Macy’s, Texaco, Chevron, Nike, Office Depot, Toys “R” Us, Whole Foods and Subway.

Another option is to use cash to buy a prepaid credit card for specific shopping or purchases. Many can be reloaded as needed. A perk is that if a hacker steals the information, it is to a card that has a low or zero balance, and no link to a bank account.

(Photo courtesy of Mike Mozart)

President Obama has Credit Card Declined, First Lady Comes to the Rescue

October 17, 2014 By Jenny T. 1 Comment

President Obama claims his credit card was declined in talk about better card security

It isn’t only the average person who has issues with their credit cards from time to time. As President Obama talked about the need for tighter security against credit card data breaches, he mentioned that his credit card ended up being declined last month at a New York restaurant. The apparent reason for it being declined was he didn’t use it enough, and its use ended up being flagged as possible fraud. Fortunately, the First Lady came to the rescue with her credit card, which was accepted for payment for the meal.

On a more serious note, the President talked about the need for better credit transaction security. “There is a need to act, and to move our economy toward stronger, more secure technologies that better secure transactions and safeguard sensitive data,” the White House said in a statement. Over the last year alone, data breaches at some of the country’s largest companies, such as Target and Home Depot, have compromised the financial data of more than a hundred million Americans.

To that end, Obama announced a plan last Friday to tighten payment security for debit cards. “The idea that somebody halfway around the world could run up thousands of dollars in charges in your name just because they stole your number, or because you swiped your card at the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s infuriating,” President Obama said. “For victims, it’s heartbreaking. And as a country, we’ve got to do more to stop it.”

Stronger measures against identity theft now include the chip and pin technology. Britain, in switching to the new system, had already cut down identity fraud in their stores by around 70%.

Unlike old cards that relied on a magnetic stripe and personal identification code or signature, the new cards will have embedded chips as an added security measure. This makes it harder to produce counterfeit cards.

However, upgrades to the retailers, banks, and payment processors have slowed down the transition to the new system. The move only gained traction when news of payment system breaches at Kmart, Target, and Home Depot hit the public. The Payments Security Task Force said that the new technology is expected to go live by the end of 2015, starting with 46% of US stores upgrading to the new payment terminals.

Obama also mentioned a plan to support the upgrade of small businesses to the new system by American Express. Visa also has plans for a program that would educate consumers as well as retailers to the new technologies, to ease growing pains as both consumers and businesses make the transition to more secure payment standards. Another payment processing firm, MasterCard, is also planning to install the new terminals.

With more than a million American financial data at stake, the new security measures, particularly the added layer of protection brought on by the new technologies, are expected to do more than fight back against identity theft. It is, on all fronts, expected to win.

(Photo courtesy of Nick Knupffer)

Home Depot Confirms Hacker Security Data Breach at 2000 Stores

September 9, 2014 By Kal Kurdi Leave a Comment

Home Depot confirms large credit card breach from hackers

In what could essentially mean lost money for millions, Home Depot has just confirmed that their point of sale (POS) or payment systems have indeed been compromised. This massive breach in Home Depot’s data security may certainly impact customers in both Canada and the United States, but just how many is yet to be determined.

Security analysts have speculated that the theft of data which occurred may in fact be worse than the incident which occurred at Target just last year. The largest home improvement chain in the United States has made statements assuring customers that it currently has no evidence to support that their online client information or debit PIN numbers have been compromised.

No specific details have been given as to how many have been affected by this hack. The breach was first noticed about a week ago, by KrebsOnSecurity. They also noted the problem could extend as far back as April, and could impact over 2,000 of Home Depot’s US retail locations.

It is worth noting that last year, when Target was breached, hackers stole an estimated 70 million pieces of customer data and at least 40 million credit card numbers. KrebsOnSecurity reported the hackers attacked Home Depot’s systems using a different version of the same malware which was used to hack into Target last year. This debacle has cost Target upwards of $146 million since the third quarter of 2013. Anyone who has used their credit or debit card at Home Depot should follow the same protective steps as those who lost information to the Target hackers.

Frank Blake, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Home Depot, is quoted in a statement as saying, “We owe it to our customers to alert them that we now have enough evidence to confirm that a breach has indeed occurred. It is important to emphasize that no customers will be responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts.”

Home Depot has stated that their internal information technology security team is closely working with its banking partners and the United States Secret Service in hopes of gathering all the information they can in this investigation.

Home Depot has made some hefty promises in hopes of making up for this serious blunder. They’ve promised free identity-protection services, such as credit monitoring, to all its impacted customers, much like Target did. Home Depot has also said they have plans to roll out a new system that allows the use of chip-and-PIN cards in all of its retail locations in the United States by the end of 2014.

(Photo courtesy of Mike Mozart)

4th of July: Major Retailers That Are Open and Closed for Independence Day 2014

July 1, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 2 Comments

What stores are opened and closed on July 4th

With Independence Day almost upon us, one can’t avoid all the advertising about 4th of July sales on TV and in print. This might lead one to believe all retail stores will be open on the Fourth of July, even though it’s a federal holiday. For those who like to shop, the good news is that most retail outlets do remain open for this holiday, and they often have accompanying sales to try to drive traffic into their stores as well. Still, not all remain open (and many revert to holiday or weekend hours even though July 4 is on a Friday in 2014), so it’s best to contact your local store directly to confirm their hours on this day. Below is a list of some of the larger retailers, and whether they will be open or closed on July 4, 2014.

Walmart Stores

Walmart is open July 4. If you’re in need of buying last-minute fireworks or food and supplies for the barbecue, your local Walmart will be open to sell you what you need at their 4th of July Event. There are a number of Walmart locations which have other businesses within their store (for example, a local bank branch). These independent stores may or may not be open on Independence Day. You should call to confirm if you plan to visit one of these stores.

Target Stores

Target is open July 4. For those who want to do some shopping at Target, all US locations will be open on the Fourth of July for any shopping needs you may have. Be sure to take advantage of the many ways it’s possible to save money at Target if you decide to take advantage of their 4th of July sale.

Costco

Costco is closed July 4. While most retailers remain open for the holiday, Costco is one of the few stores which remains closed to observe Independence Day. July 4 is only one of a total of six days during the year when their doors are closed. If you’re planning to have a holiday barbecue with lots of friends and family and need to stock up in bulk amounts, be sure to go earlier in the week and don’t wait until Friday to do so, since there will no way to buy anything on that day.

BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ’s is open July 4. If you have a local BJ’s near you and want to do some shopping on Friday, their wholesale clubs will be open for the day, but they won’t be open during their normal hours. Instead, they will revert to their typical Sunday hours ,which is 9:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Home Depot

Home Depot is open July 4. With the summer season now upon us, it’s a great time to do summer outdoor projects. All Home Depot stores will be open for business on Independence Day. You can take advantage of the long holiday weekend to get outside and do some of those projects you have been planning. If you do head over to Home Depot for their Red, White and Blue sale, be sure to take advantage of the different ways you can save money.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s is open July 4. All Lowe’s store locations will be open for the holiday on Friday for those who have weekend home projects to do. Most should be operating on their normal business hours, and they have a major 4th of July sale taking place.

Best Buy

Best Buy is open July 4. If you have a local Best Buy in your area, and you’re in need of some electronic gadgetry, their stores will be open every day over the weekend, including Friday. They’ll also be having a 4th of July Day sale so that you can take advantage of some extra savings as well.

Sears

Sears is open July 4. If you find that you’re in need of doing some home shopping, Sears will be having their annual 4th of July Sales and Values event. Their stores will be open for Independence day, but some stores may have special hours, so you may want to call your local Sears to confirm what times your local store will be open.

Macy’s

Macy’s is open July 4. Macy’s stores will be open for the holiday, and they will be having a sale that corresponds as well. You may also want to check out their fireworks show on TV, live from the Brooklyn Bridge.

There are plenty of Fourth of July sale opportunities at retailers this weekend, but it’s important to remember in order to save money, you already needed to plan to purchase those things. If you end up going to the store and buying something you weren’t planning to buy simply because it was a great deal, you aren’t actually saving money. You’re spending it. When you purchase something that isn’t on your needs list, you’re not really getting a deal no matter how good the discount happened to be.

Also, if you do spend part of your weekend shopping for this holiday, consider putting together a small care package for military troops stationed overseas. They would greatly appreciate the gesture, and they’re one of the reasons we’re able to celebrate this holiday.

(Photo courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski)

4th of July: Major Retailers That Are Open and Closed for Independence Day 2017

July 1, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 3 Comments

This article updated for July 4th, 2017.

With Independence Day almost upon us, one can’t avoid all the advertising about 4th of July sales on TV and in print. This might lead one to believe all retail stores will be open on the Fourth of July, even though it’s a federal holiday. For those who like to shop, the good news is that most retail outlets do remain open for this holiday, and they often have accompanying sales to try to drive traffic into their stores as well. Still, not all remain open (and many revert to holiday or weekend hours even though July 4 is on a Tuesday in 2017), so it’s best to contact your local store directly to confirm their hours on this day. Below is a list of some of the larger retailers, and whether they will be open or closed on July 4, 2017.

Walmart Stores

Target Stores

Costco

Costco is closed July 4. While most retailers remain open for the holiday, Costco is one of the few stores which remains closed to observe Independence Day. July 4 is only one of a total of six days during the year when their doors are closed. If you’re planning to have a holiday barbecue and need to stock up in bulk amounts, be sure to go earlier in the week and don’t wait until Tuesday to do so, since there will no way to buy anything on that day in their warehouse locations.

BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ’s is open July 4. If you have a local BJ’s near you and want to do some shopping on Tuesday, their wholesale clubs will be open for the day, but they won’t be open during their normal hours. Instead, they will revert to their typical Sunday hours, which are 9:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Home Depot

Home Depot is open July 4. With the summer season now upon us, it’s a great time to do summer outdoor projects. All Home Depot stores will be open for business on Independence Day. You can take advantage of the long holiday weekend to get outside and do some of those projects you have been planning. If you do head over to Home Depot on the 4th be sure to take advantage of the different ways you can save money.

Lowe’s

Best Buy

Best Buy is open July 4. If you have a local Best Buy in your area, and you’re in need of some electronic gadgetry, their stores will be open every day over the weekend, including Tuesday. They’ll also be having a 4th of July day sale so that you can take advantage of some extra savings as well.

Sears

Macy’s

Don’t Forget The Troops!

(Photo courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski)