You paid for NiCad not Lithium Ion. Failing to see the blame you are trying to put on HF.

I have a DeWalt (is that a name brand?) cordless drill I bought from Lowes.. name brand store.

Less than 6 months in one battery will not hold a charge.

Now I just have to find a way to blame HF.

Lots of garages are full of HF tools (mine sure is) and they work well. I'd rather deal with HF than the Snap On or Matco dealer... top dollar and poor service... if they even talk to you.