Palatine True Value 790 West Euclid Avenue, Palatine, IL 60067

"Has everything you could need and staff is super helpful."

"I will never go back there. Until 5 Aug 23 I had been shopping at Palatine True Value because it is the closest hardware store to my home and their employees emphasize that the store is locally owned, despite a few previous bad experiences with their rental equipment. Their prices aren’t competitive but I looked past that because I felt like I was helping a small business survive in the world of big stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot and Amazon but then Saturday 5 Aug happened. On that day, I asked the store manager if they would make key duplicates of a car key I had, using key blanks I bought on line. The manager said their store policy is to not make key duplicates using customer provided key blanks under any circumstances. It was Saturday and I wanted to get these keys taken care of and my usual key place (Henning Brother on NW Highway) is only open Mon-Fri, so I figured the folks at True Value could help me and if their policy didn’t allow it, my 15 years of loyalty might allow for a waiver in policy if I could make them whole on the revenue. I suggested various possible compromises that could make up for them not getting to sell me the key blank as part of the effort, but options like paying them the profit for a key blank I wasn’t buying and paying for the labor to cut the keys with profit on the labor were all rejected. The store manager stood by his position that the only thing they would do is sell me key duplicates made using their blanks for $75 a copy, and that a waiver to policy was within his authority to grant but he wouldn’t consider granting one under any circumstance. On Monday, 7 Aug 23 the nice locksmiths at Henning Brothers on NW Highway, made the duplicates I needed using the blanks I gave them for $8 total. There are better locally owned hardware stores in Palatine that have a wider inventory of hardware in stock if you want to shop local, like Ace Hardware on NW Highway. Lowe’s on Golf Rd and Home Depot on Dundee have everything and better hours than this place. Amazon is also a viable low price option for most of what this place sells at inflated prices."

"STAY AWAY! We bought a heater on Christmas Eve. The heater doesn’t work. We brought it back with the original packaging and receipt and the manager refused a return or exchange calling it “an emergency purchase” due to the extreme cold. Of COURSE it was an emergency purchase. But it should still work! I love supporting local but at least I know Home Depot will accept a return for a defective product. I’d rather drive farther and pay less and have the peace of mind I can return a faulty product than deal with this."

"Great local hardware store that has always had what I needed. Prices might be *slightly* higher, but this more than offset by super helpful and friendly staff and convenient location. And they are a locally own business and if the last year or so (2020) has taught me anything it has been support your local businesses. So yes. Great local hardware store. Edited to add: 2022. The staff are still super helpful. If need something fast you can go here. However if you want to get the right thing the first time, let the staff help you and get the right thing. Always very helpful."