Pony vs Husky Spring Clamps @ Home Depot

I have a number of Pony Brand spring clamps in a couple of sizes. My wife recently wanted some more of the 6" size for various projects. I located them on-line at a number of sources. When I stopped laughing at the price one national industrial supplier wanted ($12 / each, plus $12 shipping!), I found them on Home Depot's website for a very reasonable price. The captions and pix definitely show the Pony Brand, with the orange tips and handle cushions. They also show ~30 in stock at my 'local' (50 mile roundtrip over a mountain road) HD. When I went there, they only have Husky Brand. The SKU HD uses for the Husky Brand is the same as the on-line SKU for the Pony Brand. The nitwits at HD repeatedly told me they are absolutely the same, but it is easy to see that the Husky Brand has a lower spring rate, a different shape to the jaws, and comparatively ragged metal work, thus making them inferior to the Pony Brand units. I believe this is false advertising on the part of HD, and believe that HD should be taken to task over this kind of deliberate misrepresentation. I would appreciate other inputs. Thx, Jerry
 

Look and see if your State Attorney General has a Web Site for such complaints. If so file one.

Dusty
 
You could file a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Also write a letter or e-mail to Pony explaining what HD is doing, then send a copy of the letter to HD explaining the actions you have taken.
 
BBB doesn't do much. There just a complaint line. You could complain to HD or even consumer protection but I think the worst that would happen is the SKU gets changed and HD apologizes for a mix up.
 
True. That's the problem with these huge corporate entities. They can do wrong, say "oops", then go on about their business with little or no repercussions.
 
I've noticed that HD has been slowly phasing out name brands in its stores and replacing them with house brands: Husky, Ridgid, Behr, HDX. They can do this because they've pretty much wiped out the independent hardware stores. Where you used to be able to go to HD and get a good deal on name brand stuff, now you have little choice but to go there and buy whatever they want to sell you at whatever price they want to pay.

Of course HD's time will come soon, as it has for so many "big box" stores. Online retailers like Amazon have HD very worried.
 
All 3 of the big box home improvement stores have 6", 2" opening clamps for 99, cents, all look the same just different colored plastic on handles and tips. China made, but I have had good luck with them. Just bought a couple dozen recently.
 
The spring clamps that I bought at Harbor Freight are better than most clamps that I've tried in the box stores.

I don't have any Pony spring clamps, but I do have a couple of their band (strap) clamps that are better than the other 2 brands that I have.
 
Not sure why that is. Can you go to Ama-zone and pick up a couple dozen clamps? Who's gonna be left to sell to the guy who needs it RIGHT NOW when all the on-line sales shut down everybody else??
 
(quoted from post at 08:27:25 04/20/13) Not sure why that is. Can you go to Ama-zone and pick up a couple dozen clamps? Who's gonna be left to sell to the guy who needs it RIGHT NOW when all the on-line sales shut down everybody else??

Depends on where you live. That sort of item has not been available in quantities of more than 2 or 3 for quite a few years where I live. Actually for more years than what on-line shopping has existed. Amazon has come to the rescue for me many, many times.
 
If it is a true bait and switch then it is illegal. By the time you took them to court you could have driven anywhere to buy the ones you want. Could still file a bait and switch complaint somewhere.
 
That's why you should give some business to your local hardware store, even if their prices are higher.

As for Amazon, "pony clamps" gets 214 hits, most with 2-day shipping available. So, if your choice is to get something in two days versus not getting it at all, I think most folks would opt for the former.
 

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