Doers get more done — without having to pay for parking.
The Home Depot is debunking rumors that their stores would eventually charge for parking to combat inflation, following an April Fools' joke from Pro Tool Reviews that sparked concern.
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WATCH HEREA Home Depot rep told TODAY.com in an April 4 statement that they weren't aware of the Pro Tool Reviews article before it was posted, and that it is unequivocally false.
"This was an April Fool’s joke that Pro Tool Reviews posted without our knowledge," the rep shared. "We do not charge parking lot fees and don’t plan to."
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The April Fools' prank, posted by Pro Tool Reviews on April 1, told readers that Home Depot would begin charging customers for parking starting next month. The outlet said that the fees will "help offset increasing operational costs and keep prices competitive for shoppers."
The article detailed fake fees, from a $2 fee for two hours in central Florida to up to a $5 full-day parking fee in Los Angeles. It also included incentives for shoppers to bypass a parking fee, like spending over $250 in a single shopping trip and enrolling in a loyalty program if they spent more than $1,000 in a calendar year.
Concerned shoppers who believed the April Fools' Day joke turned to social media, expressing frustration over the alleged fees that Pro Tool Reviews said would go into effect in May 2025.
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"I need $1.49 worth of screws at Home Depot but have to pay $5.00 to park? In this economy?" one concerned customer wrote on X in a post.
"Really? Home Depot?? 2 dollars to park? I’ll just park nextdoor at Lowe’s," said another in an X post.
On April 2, an X user posted the Pro Tool Review article with the hashtag "BoycottHomeDepot," which Home Depot responded to hours later.
"Hi Rocky, this is an April Fools’ post from a tool review website. We do not charge for parking," wrote The Home Depot's official X account in a reply.
The Pro Tool Reviews article currently link out to an "original press release," which directs users to an April Fools' notice, and has an "april fool's" tag at the bottom. The headline and top image also states that it's an April Fools' joke, although it's unclear if and when these disclaimers were added.
Kenny Koehler, the editor-in-chief at Pro Tool Review, told USA TODAY in a story published on April 2 that the high viewership on the April Fools' Day article was "truly humbling."
“As a team, we enjoy good-natured humor and love laughing with other people,” Koehler shared in a statement. “The idea came about as we put ourselves in the shoes of these companies and wondered what might be an over-the-top response to inflation. As we batted around brands and ideas, the idea of charging for parking came up, and that’s how Home Depot came into the story.”
"We hope our friends over at Home Depot were able to laugh as well," he added.
TODAY.com has reached out to Pro Tool Reviews for further comment.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
