Entry door/handle set install questions

[Susie]

We ordered a new front door a while back (we've been through several iterations of it being wrong), and supposedly it's in now.  We ordered this door:

and this handleset:

which we've already had keyed to match the locks on the garage doors -- i.e., it's a little late now to change plans and just do a knob or lever.

We ordered the door with 3 bore holes, for the deadbolt, the lever/top of handleset, and a 3/8" hole for the bottom of the handleset.  That seemed cool with everybody until the door came in this time (the 2nd time? 3rd time?) with only the top two holes bored (again).  The manufacturer is now saying they don't do the 3rd hole (they "don't do function holes"), and the seller also refuses to bore the 3rd hole, even though they accepted our order for it with 3 holes.  They keep telling us boring that last hole "is easy," and "here's the bit you'll need to do it!"  (If it's so damn easy, you do it, since you took our order for the door bored that way!  And also?  Not buying the bit from you on principle.  But I digress.) 

It looks like nobody's budging.  On one hand, it's a crappy time of year to put a new door on the house, so if there's a little more delay, oh well.  On the other, I really would like this nightmare to end, and just move on with painting and installing whenever it warms up, and just never buy anything from these guys again. 

The door is steel.  Would you accept delivery with 2 holes just to put an end to the pain, and DIY the small hole bore?  Or would you deem that an unacceptable risk?

[hbomdiggity]

We drilled the bottom hole, but our door is wood. It was pretty easy.

[Susie]

Yeah, I've used a doorknob jig to bore a solid wood interior door, but I am concerned about steel.

[munkii]

I wouldn't accept it, I wouldn't drill it. These people need to fix their mistake. If they're not willing to give you what you ordered, are you willing to dispute the charge with your CC company and order elsewhere?

[mrs.jacinthe]

Dec 20, 2013 12:13:04 GMT -5 munkii said:

I wouldn't accept it, I wouldn't drill it. These people need to fix their mistake. If they're not willing to give you what you ordered, are you willing to dispute the charge with your CC company and order elsewhere?

This.

If you REALLY want to just get it over with, I'd tell the store that THEY will be drilling the door as you're not willing to accept responsibility for their mistake, in case anything goes wrong.  If you take that door home, drill it, and something goes wrong, it's your fault, KWIM?  

[Susie]

Dec 20, 2013 12:37:35 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Dec 20, 2013 12:13:04 GMT -5 munkii said:

I wouldn't accept it, I wouldn't drill it. These people need to fix their mistake. If they're not willing to give you what you ordered, are you willing to dispute the charge with your CC company and order elsewhere?

This.

If you REALLY want to just get it over with, I'd tell the store that THEY will be drilling the door as you're not willing to accept responsibility for their mistake, in case anything goes wrong.  If you take that door home, drill it, and something goes wrong, it's your fault, KWIM?  

That was how I felt about it.  I had Calvin tell them that, and apparently they aren't willing to accept the risk of something going wrong with the drilling.  (Seems a bit at odds with their assertions of how easy it is, no?) 

A big part of me wants to just cancel it, and start over in the spring with someone else.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Dec 20, 2013 13:02:32 GMT -5 Susie said:

Dec 20, 2013 12:37:35 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

This.

If you REALLY want to just get it over with, I'd tell the store that THEY will be drilling the door as you're not willing to accept responsibility for their mistake, in case anything goes wrong.  If you take that door home, drill it, and something goes wrong, it's your fault, KWIM?  

That was how I felt about it.  I had Calvin tell them that, and apparently they aren't willing to accept the risk of something going wrong with the drilling.  (Seems a bit at odds with their assertions of how easy it is, no?) 

A big part of me wants to just cancel it, and start over in the spring with someone else.

Seriously?  Did you already pay for it?  

In review of the handleset you have ... could you just not bore the hole and screw the bottom bit into the door instead?  That would be my only alternate option.

[Susie]

Dec 20, 2013 13:09:07 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Dec 20, 2013 13:02:32 GMT -5 Susie said:

That was how I felt about it.  I had Calvin tell them that, and apparently they aren't willing to accept the risk of something going wrong with the drilling.  (Seems a bit at odds with their assertions of how easy it is, no?) 

A big part of me wants to just cancel it, and start over in the spring with someone else.

Seriously?  Did you already pay for it?  

In review of the handleset you have ... could you just not bore the hole and screw the bottom bit into the door instead?  That would be my only alternate option.

We have a deposit down, but if they aren't willing to deliver on what we ordered, how we ordered it, I would be fine with refusing delivery and disputing any credit card charges.

I don't know exactly how the bottom of the handle attaches, so I'd have to look at there are any non-hole alternatives.  I would guess there's pretty much one right way to do it though.

[mlvmd]

I have a steel door and almost that exact same door set and it came with three holes and they installed the set. They are being ridiculous. I will say, it took us three tries to get our door right. The first one had a wonky mail slot so they sent a new door out. The second had a scratch so they sent a third door. It was annoying but I'm glad we pushed until we got exactly what we ordered at the quality we paid for.