Water Heater - Paper Towel Test (Sears Rant)

[Harry Palmer]

My family was always a strong customer of Sears (my grandparents bought a two story house from them), but I don't shop their very much any more. The tool warranty is worthless and I get better tools at Lowe's and tools of the same quality at Harbor Freight. They recently advised me they were lowering my credit level on their card since I hadn't used the card in a while. Not a big deal for me since I always have trouble finding something to buy. The salespeople are part time workers who know nothing about what they are selling. In some departments (appliances) they work hard for their commissions, but once they sell you the item you can't get any help. I figure the company will be closed before next year. Reminds me, I have a gift certificate to spend which my son gave me last year.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Had a mysterious box show up about 2 weeks ago addressed to the old owner I bought the place from 12yrs ago. Not knowing where the person moved too, and nothing on the address label, I opened it up and read the packing slip. Turns out its from Sears and was a $3-400 replacement 'Control and display board' for a fridge. Call Sears Parts Direct, tell them what happened and give them all the numbers off the packing slip (order, cust, tracking, etc) and they can not find the order..? Anyways, offer to print return label and drop it off with UPS but get told to simply write 'Not at address, Return to Sender' on it so I did...


Yesterday the box shows up at my house again with a new UPS label from Sears with the same old Name and Address as before :duh:

So, I have a replacement control and display board for some kinda fridge if anyone needs one..

 

[Qapla]

What do you expect when you are dealing with K-Mart - it is true, they are not the Sears they used to be - especially after they were bought by K-mart.

 

[tjkubota93]

Had a mysterious box show up about 2 weeks ago addressed to the old owner I bought the place from 12yrs ago. Not knowing where the person moved too, and nothing on the address label, I opened it up and read the packing slip. Turns out its from Sears and was a $3-400 replacement 'Control and display board' for a fridge. Call Sears Parts Direct, tell them what happened and give them all the numbers off the packing slip (order, cust, tracking, etc) and they can not find the order..? Anyways, offer to print return label and drop it off with UPS but get told to simply write 'Not at address, Return to Sender' on it so I did...


Yesterday the box shows up at my house again with a new UPS label from Sears with the same old Name and Address as before :duh:

So, I have a replacement control and display board for some kinda fridge if anyone needs one..

That's really bad. (On sears part)

 

[ultrarunner]

Sears was my one stop... for me the big change is when the catalog went away.

Just yesterday I was checking a $50 sump pump I bought in 1985 through catalog and it has never missed a beat...

Lots of Sears and Craftsman around from 30 and 40 years ago...

 

[newbury]

I've just recently made two purchases from Sears. They had been, up to about 10 years ago, one of my first stops for tools etc. The local store was usually packed on weekends and busy all weekdays.

But I'm sure they are going down hill. In May I bought 4 very nice round point shovels for $5@, today I picked up a pair of 4 ton car jack stands for $24, cheaper than HF. Both times when I went to pick the stuff up at around noon the parking lot was EMPTY. They are hemorrhaging. I need to map out the hardware section for their final fire sales.

 

[farmer2009]

Not surprised so many are having trouble at Sears. I broke the jaw on a 5/16 ratchet wrench. Took back to the store (1 hour away). Was told I had to return the whole set and wait for them to ship in a replacement because that style wasn't stocked anymore. I left went to Lowes and bought a nice set of Kobalt ratchet wrenches.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I've just recently made two purchases from Sears. They had been, up to about 10 years ago, one of my first stops for tools etc. The local store was usually packed on weekends and busy all weekdays.

But I'm sure they are going down hill. In May I bought 4 very nice round point shovels for $5@, today I picked up a pair of 4 ton car jack stands for $24, cheaper than HF. Both times when I went to pick the stuff up at around noon the parking lot was EMPTY. They are hemorrhaging. I need to map out the hardware section for their final fire sales.

I bought a pair of those 4t stands too.. $22 online w/ free shipping.

 

[mark02tj]

I go to Sears once a year - on Black Friday. I always comb the ad for good tool deals and head over. I'm not one of those "get up a 2 a.m. and hit the sales" people - I basically sleep in, have some breakfast and will be at Sears sometime around 8:00 a.m. And everything that I've got marked is still usually in stock.

Like others, I don't know how they're hanging on. When I first started wrenching (37 years ago!) Craftsman tools were top notch and they stood behind them. Now, it seems like they try every little trick to not honor their warranty. I took a ratchet back several years ago and was told their policy had changed on returning stuff. I told him that the policy when I bought THAT RATCHET was that I could take it back to any Sears store for a replacement and they would honor that regardless of their policy at the time. It took a couple of minutes but they finally said to go get a new ratchet off the shelf.

It's probably too late for them to save themselves even if they tried to go back to their old ways, policies and quality.

 

[TractorGuy]

On the up side the last lawn tractor I purchased from them I got at half price. Walked out among the lawn tractors out back and saw a brand new last year model with the gas cap missing, dead battery, and seat switch unattached. I asked the salesman what the deal was with it and he said they were backed up and it was waiting to be fixed so they could sell it. I asked him to see if the manager would discount it as is. It was only a $999 unit and they sold it to me for $499 and threw in a new battery. Came with new warranty which I never needed for anything. Took all of 15 minutes to attach the seat switch and install the new battery and I was off mowing.

Gave it to my daughter after I bought a used Craftsman zero turn. Had to put a new carb on it for her is the only repair ever done other than regular maintenance.

 

[MarkF48]

Many years ago I used to buy tires at Sears and have them mount them. The last time I did that I had checked the car in at the service counter and gave them the keys. I could see the car outside from the waiting area and the tire "mechanic" that got inside to bring it into the tire bay. After about 5 minutes and the car hadn't moved I went outside and asked the "mechanic" what was up and if he had a problem. He replied that the car was a manual transmission with a clutch and he didn't know how to drive one. I ended up driving into the tire bay and out when he was done. Subsequently about a year later when I went to rotate the tires I found he had cross threaded one of the lug nuts and I ended up having to replace the stud. Never went back to Sears for anything after that.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Some of their stuff still seems pretty good but like everyone else, customers don't seem to be available at the local Hot Springs store, parking lot is almost always mostly bare. I don't look for them to be around for much longer which is a shame since I have a whole house full of sears appliances. I think the only time I have been in Sears is to buy parts for my mower. I don't shop there for anything anymore. Lowes Kobalt tools are much better and cheaper than Sears and I have noticed that Craftsman tools are available at several different placed other than Sears now. My local Ace hardware store sells them also.

 

[jerrybob]

Was in a Sears store about 6 months ago about 35 miles away. It was a Friday afternoon. I believe I saw 3 other customers in the entire store. Most departments had at least one employee. Can't believe they could operate that way. Overhead must be killing them. Interesting how things have changed. I had an uncle in Ohio years ago that lived and raised his family in a Sears Kit Home.......they sold a lot of those years ago.

 

[Qapla]

Don't know if they still do - Home Depot used to honor the Craftsman Warranty on hand tools - you just took the bad tool in and they would replace it .... of course, they replaced it with a Husky Brand tool so all future warranties brought you back to Home Depot

 

[ultrarunner]

Many years ago I used to buy tires at Sears and have them mount them. The last time I did that I had checked the car in at the service counter and gave them the keys. I could see the car outside from the waiting area and the tire "mechanic" that got inside to bring it into the tire bay. After about 5 minutes and the car hadn't moved I went outside and asked the "mechanic" what was up and if he had a problem. He replied that the car was a manual transmission with a clutch and he didn't know how to drive one. I ended up driving into the tire bay and out when he was done. Subsequently about a year later when I went to rotate the tires I found he had cross threaded one of the lug nuts and I ended up having to replace the stud. Never went back to Sears for anything after that.

Back in college I had an old Galaxy 500 that needed tires before winter... car had no rust and was very presentable...

Drove it to Sears and left by bus to go to work... took the bus back to Sears after work to pick up my car and nothing had been done.

The service writer said the mechanic performed a 24 point inspection and had a fancy print out for me... I said I was here for tires.

The writer then showed me the estimate for $670 worth of work for new bushings/ball joints.

I said I was not spending $670 in addition to the cost of tires on a $500 car... he said without the work the tires would not be warranted... I said fine and he handed the paper to sign for the work...

I corrected him and said fine... I will buy the tires without warranty and he said he could not do that...

I got in my car on the shop floor and drove out... first and last time for Sears service.

Come to find out that store was one involved with up selling and had to pay a fine...

 

[mjw357]

This is the trend in corporate America I'm afraid. Buy up store chains, wring every penny of profit you can out of them till it's run into the ground, then chop it up and sell it. No pride in any of it.

 

[arpt209]

Like others, I don't know how they're hanging on. When I first started wrenching (37 years ago!) Craftsman tools were top notch and they stood behind them. Now, it seems like they try every little trick to not honor their warranty. I took a ratchet back several years ago and was told their policy had changed on returning stuff. I told him that the policy when I bought THAT RATCHET was that I could take it back to any Sears store for a replacement and they would honor that regardless of their policy at the time. It took a couple of minutes but they finally said to go get a new ratchet off the shelf.

It's probably too late for them to save themselves even if they tried to go back to their old ways, policies and quality.[/QUOTE]



You sound almost as hard to get along with as me. First warranty replacement of Craftsman ratchet done in late '70s or early '80s there were no questions. It was looked at & they grabbed one off the rack, handed it to me & thanked me for coming in. Second one they tried to hand me a bag of parts so I could rebuild it. I handed them the ratchet & said they could if they liked but I'd just take a new one. Last time I was angry before I ended up grabbing a ratchet off the rack, tossing the old one on the counter & walking out.
Funny how the Snap On man was always so pleasant & visited while he was rebuilding my Snap On stuff. He used to come into the shop & ask if he could go through my tool box to check for warranty items before he tried to sell me anything new. He & I have both changed occupations but are still friends 40 years later.

 

[tjkubota93]

Like others, I don't know how they're hanging on. When I first started wrenching (37 years ago!) Craftsman tools were top notch and they stood behind them. Now, it seems like they try every little trick to not honor their warranty. I took a ratchet back several years ago and was told their policy had changed on returning stuff. I told him that the policy when I bought THAT RATCHET was that I could take it back to any Sears store for a replacement and they would honor that regardless of their policy at the time. It took a couple of minutes but they finally said to go get a new ratchet off the shelf.

It's probably too late for them to save themselves even if they tried to go back to their old ways, policies and quality.

You sound almost as hard to get along with as me. First warranty replacement of Craftsman ratchet done in late '70s or early '80s there were no questions. It was looked at & they grabbed one off the rack, handed it to me & thanked me for coming in. Second one they tried to hand me a bag of parts so I could rebuild it. I handed them the ratchet & said they could if they liked but I'd just take a new one. Last time I was angry before I ended up grabbing a ratchet off the rack, tossing the old one on the counter & walking out.
Funny how the Snap On man was always so pleasant & visited while he was rebuilding my Snap On stuff. He used to come into the shop & ask if he could go through my tool box to check for warranty items before he tried to sell me anything new. He & I have both changed occupations but are still friends 40 years later.[/QUOTE]





My snap on man thought his poo sparkled like his tools. Hard to get along with, but the product was good.