Why is it the purchase of a carpet remnant isn’t simple?

I was planning on purchasing two 12x12 indoor/outdoor carpets for us to use in the groom stalls at horse shows.  But when we went to Home Depot to check them out I saw a tag that showed they had a remnant that measured 12x24 at a good price and I though it would be perfect.  When we got home we put the carpet out on the back lawn and I grabbed my knife and sliced open the wrapper and started unrolling it.  Simple to do, of course, just kick the roll every foot or so to encourage it to unroll.  And watch it roll….roll…..roll….. and as it gets towards the end, it’d kinda like wrapping paper….you’re hoping for just a BIT more…..and then it ends and DOH! You think that isn’t going to be enough to cover the package (or in this case the stalls).

It has a center cardboard piece that is the same width as the carpet (12 feet) and I think it barely looks longer than that.  So I laid the cardboard piece on the carpet lengthwise and sure enough, it’s only a bit longer than it is wide.  So I went into the garage and grabbed the tape measure.  Marched back out to the carpet and started measuring…..The carpet was only 18 feet long!   Grrr

I put my fists on my hips and thought about going inside to call Home Depot.  But it’s such a LONG way into the house to the phone….haha… I think that maybe two 12x9 carpets would be fine….. I lay the cardboard piece out at 9 feet to divide the carpet into two equal halves and see what it looks like.  I picture the stall floor and think “it’d work” …. But then I think about the fact that I PAID for a 12x24 piece and darn it, I didn’t want to pay for more than I got!  So I marched (probably did, too) into the house and got the receipt and called Home Depot.  I was put through to the flooring department and a lady answered.  I was ready to yell and get mad but she totally deflated me.  When I told her what happened and asked that I at least get a refund for the part I didn’t get, she responded “why don’t you just bring it back and I’ll exchange it for the right length?”  WHAT?!  A logical, nice answer?!  What’s this world coming to?

So, even though it’s a remnant, she’ll exchange it for the length I need.  She said they have it in stock.  And sure enough, we went back and it was easy-peazy to do the exchange.

I’ve now got two 12x12 carpets for use in the groom stalls.  Yeah!