7 On Your Side helps straighten out unraveling mess

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- What would you do if you bought a new carpet, had it installed throughout your house, and it began to unravel? That's what happened to an East Bay couple and they turned to 7 On Your Side for help.

This was very perplexing because the same carpet ran through the entire house. So the same problem ran through the whole house too. Six months after they bought it, the unraveling began.

Sherwin and Claire Schwartz of Walnut Creek loved their carpet when it was first installed, but now they're not so happy.

"There were little loops that were coming out," Claire said.

"Instead of everything being tight like a berber, there were some shaggy loops around that just wasn't supposed to be there," Sherwin said.

Claire showed us how strands of woven yarn keep coming loose, sticking straight up from the carpet. She counted several loops that popped out in the den, the hall, the dining room. The couple pushed the loops back in, but more came out.

The couple says the rug began unraveling about six months after they bought it.

"It wasn't supposed to happen that way and I was extremely disappointed," Sherwin said.

They bought the carpet at Home Depot and it came with a 10 year warranty. Claire says Home Depot sent the installer to check it out, but no one fixed the problem. Finally Home Depot sent an inspector.

"And they said yes, that the carpeting did not look right and that something should be done. And they were going to try and do it," Claire said.

However, months later they were still watching the unraveling rug. Claire kept calling Home Depot, but she couldn't get a response.

Finally the couple contacted 7 On Your Side. We told Home Depot about the carpet and within hours, a Home Depot manager was at their door.

"She came before five o'clock the same day and said, 'Oh, this is not right. Home depot has to make this right for you,'" Claire said.

And it did. The company offered all new carpet.

"I said, 'Wow, the power of 7 On Your Side and consumer advocacy,'" Claire said.

Home Depot said, "We're very sorry for the difficulty Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz had with their carpet, but happy to have resolved this with a replacement. We truly hope they'll enjoy the new flooring."

Now a new carpet covers their floors and boy, are they happy.

We'd like to really thank Home Depot for stepping up so quickly and replacing carpet for the whole house. The Schwartzes are truly pleased with Home Depot's immediate action and their new flooring.