Reader Feedback Requested: Lowe's and Home Depot

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You've probably heard the saying that says that unhappy customers tell ten people, but happy customers don't tell anyone, or at least heard something similar.  I get lots of comments about the Lowe's and Home Depot military discount and veteran discount policies, and most of them are from customers who are either unhappy with the way the policy is constructed, or unhappy with the way a particular store is interpreting or misinterpreting the policy.

For those of you who are unhappy with the way the policy is constructed, I'm sorry.  No one is forcing these companies to offer a military discount or a veteran discount and they are free to construct the policy in any way that they choose.  They have basically deferred the decision to the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans of Affairs (VA):  if you have a military ID or a VA ID that identifies you as a disabled veteran, you are eligible for the everyday military discount.  If you do not meet the DoD qualifications for a military ID, or you do not meet the VA qualifications for an ID that identifies you as a disabled veteran, then you are not eligible for the everyday military discount.  If you are veteran who does not qualify for the everyday military discount, then you are eligible for the veteran's discount on selected patriotic holiday weekends.

Now, onto my question for you:  If you are eligible for the everyday military discount, by virtue of being a military ID holder or having a VA ID card that identifies you as a disabled veteran, what sort of experiences are you having in these two stores?  Most of the comments that I receive state that customers are having trouble getting the discount.  What sort of things have happened to you when asking for this discount?

I am looking for a well-rounded set of answers here, so please reply with your experiences in the comments regardless of whether they are positive or negative.   I know that I'm opening up a can of worms here, and I'm a little afraid of what I'm going to hear, but it will help all readers know what to expect if they choose to ask for these discounts.  Thanks in advance for your input.

For more information on this topic, you can see these related posts:

Home Depot: Still Giving the Military Discount Year-Round, and the Veteran’s Discount 4 Weekends A Year
Lowe’s Official Answer on Military Discounts
Home Depot Military Discount
Home Depot Military Discount: Official, Updated Information
Lowe’s Military Discount Now Available All Year Long

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