Hometown located at Outer ring road, Bangalore is really an eye catcher. I have visited it almost five times and realized that their service is more hype than reality. This is a nice place to buy your stuff only if you do not require their support to set it up.
They are not justifying to the advertisement they shown on the service they offered. I had two bitter experiences of shopping experience over there.
Whenever the salary day approaches my wife become wiser and brings out some brighter ideas to improve the home appearance. This time, it was replacing our existing gas stove with a hob or stove with more than three(3) burners. So we visited home town and selected a hob which costs around 12000. On inquiry on installation charges, salesman offered to install at the charge of Rs 400. Fortunately, I asked them whether this include the charge for cutting the kitchen granite slab. To my surprise, they told that they don’t provide assistance in cutting the slab, this is only installation charge. Then what is that installation charge which they mentioned as Rs 400/-? It is for connecting a gas cylinder to the stove. fortunatly I didn’t fall into that trap.
Then we decided to go for a normal stove with 4 burners and selected one which costs around Rs6000/-. It had scratches on its body and they did not have another one in the same model. So we asked for home delivery of the same model when they get fresh stock. But they declined to deliver it to home as the amount is less than Rs10000/-. After wasting around 1 hour without any productive result I came out. While walking towards Marthahali I noticed Prestige showroom and bought a good gas stove with 4 burners at the cost of 4000 which they delivered home and even offered to take away my old stove with a token amount. The home delivery and drilling a-hole on the granite slab came at cost of Rs 275/-
Second incident was when we decided to install a chimney. Again after choosing the right one we contacted the installation team. This time too, their installation does not include drilling the wall to bring out the electric chimney exhaust. I do not understand what do they mean by installation. What I concluded is that the term’installation’ for "Home Town" is to sell the item and take it out from the cover and make some easy money.
Anyway, I decided not to visit hometown anymore. I am surprised how authorities permitted them to operate such a huge shop without enough parking place. Most of their underground parking is converted to unofficial warehouse and workshops. Many times, you need to go to private paid parking or roadside to congest the roads, which is already clogged.
(