Sears
Reviews and Complaints

We purchased a Sears Kenmore Elite refrigerator in Summer 2007. 2 days after receiving the refrigerator we realized that the refrigerator was leaking water, and had been doing so since installation. The water pump failed and water caused damage to our basement ceiling and wood floors in the kitchen causing 10K worth of damage. This weekend (remember, refrigerator is only 2.5 years old) we had a fire in the fridge. Fire was caused by the light system overheating and melting the plastic casing. Burning smell was coming from fridge and food around the light casing was extremely hot (butter was melted, plastic containers around light were melting and warped). Flames came out of casing when we tried to remove it, and it was too hot to touch. Luckily we have 2 feet of snow here and were finally able to remove casing and put out in snow to cool without damaging sink/counters. This was truly a fire hazard and should be a recall as we have now googled the issue and apparently this is a widespread issue. Kenmore/LG should recall the lighting system in this fridge.

I was told online sears that the scooter was good for ages 13 and up. After I paid $269 dollars for the scooter and waited for the shipment, I found out in my state you have to be over 16 to use it. My son is 13 so

I returned it to the store and they put threw a credit on my debt card, I ask for store credit because I still needed a present for my son. Was told no it had to go on to the debt card, well after 5 days 4-5 hours on the phone

I still have no credit on my card and no answer as to why being told different things for every one I talk to at your company, now with only a few days to christmas looks like my son goes with out, thank you sears, oh yes and on the return slip it says they would process and release the money immediately, no money lost shipping cost even if I ever get my money back.

Every one I spoke with was deceitful and I will post on ever web site I can how you cheat people and lie. I have posted on several web sites all ready and I am looking to form a class action law suit against you. You have ruined my sons christmas and I plan to make you pay for it so you will think twice before hurting others, with the letters to every news paper in my area. I hope this cost you thousands.

I am shocked to read all the really horrible reviews of Sears Home Repair. I, too, have had such horrible treatment from them, both in fixing a new electronic Kenmore range under warranty and an almost new electronic Kenmore Elite Oasis dryer, not under warranty. I cannot believe how consistently incompetent and rude Sears Home Repair is.

I agree with all the complaints about the schedulers and have also had repairmen not show up after I took the morning off. We also have been laughed at when we asked them to refund our money (just for the part, please) when the appliance did not work any better the day after the repairman was here.

We, also, have been hung up on by "customer service" when I told them the dryer did not work the day after he came out. They said (about backing up their work) that "they dont do that." They come out and cannot figure out why your new (or nearly new) appliance is not working, then decide to replace the most expensive part (computer board) on the appliance, all the while reminding you that you should have bought the extended warranty (for $600) because these things always need $300 repair jobs, and you should expect that.

I am awed by the consistency of their bad business practices.

Unbelieveable employee actions
I have been a loyal sears customer for ages. My wife and I purchase kid’s clothing, shoes, and a lot of retail items, as well as tire purchases through sears. I felt it necessary to send in this complaint because I was appalled by the treatment I received today at the sears in killeen, texas. Being in the military, we get moved around quite often, as was the case this holiday season. We purchased a cargo bag from the sears in arlington, va on 12-11-09 for our move to san antonio, texas (Which is my next duty station), and we left va the next day. The bag stated that it was “water-resistant”, so we loaded it with our luggage of clean clothing and other items. We were on the road for 3 days, experiencing patches of rain showers along the way; we never had any concerns of the items in the cargo bag. We had a scheduled stop along the way to visit relatives in the central texas area. It was not until we arrived at our relative’s home in the killeen area that we realized, to our horror, that everything in the bag was saturated, including items in our suitcases. Everything had to be re-washed, dried and some items were ruined and had to be discarded. We lost $20 worth of laundry charges plus about $75 worth of kid’s clothing that was ruined, not to mention the extra work that was added to our already hectic schedule of having to re-launder 8 loads of clothes. We let the bag dry out with the intention of returning it to the store as soon as was possible, since it did not own up to being “water-resistant” as the box indicated. The problem was that the box was discarded in va because we were packed to capacity and had no intention of ever returning it.

With the hustle and bustle of christmas shopping and visiting relatives, we were not able to address this matter until 12-23-09. When I attempted to return the item in killeen, texas, the associate referred me to the auto center manager, “shelly”. I do not know what the sales associate told shelly; however, when I walked up to the counter where she was, the first thing she immediately told me was, “the only way to return this product, without the box, was to have returned it within 24 hours of purchase, even with a receipt”. This was even before I had a chance to state the reason for returning the item. I had the receipt in my hand; however, she never asked for, or even looked at the receipt. I was never given the opportunity to state the problem. It was clear that she had already made up her mind not to accept the item, offer a credit or listen to the issue, even before giving me the opportunity to talk to her. Note that the cargo bag was, and still looks brand new, as it did when it was purchased, as we allowed it to fully dry before returning it. It has its original bag and paperwork that came with it.

Her explanation was that, “people use these bags and return them after they have reached their destination.” there are three problems with this explanation: (1) based upon this policy, I would have had to return the bag before even starting the trip, before I could have known that there was a problem with the product yet, (2) I am not yet at my destination (3) if my intention was the one she suggested that it was, wouldn’t I have retained the box? Nowhere on the receipt does it state anything about a 24 hour return policy on these items, or items without the box. My intention was to exchange it for a hard, waterproof cargo, which I was prepared to pay the difference for, but “shelly” did not give me the opportunity to be heard. I was summarily refused credit, store credit, or offered the opportunity to exchange this defective product or even upgrade. It was clear that she had made up her mind that she would not take this item back, regardless of the circumstances or the fact that I had a very-recent receipt. Now i’m stuck with a misrepresented/defective bag, which I cannot risk using again, and still in need of replacing the bag for storage in order to continue on to my destination.

In all the years and the countless sears stores that I have shopped at across the nation, I have never been treated as I was at the killeen store. I understand that there are people who lie, steal and cheat retailers; however, I don’t feel that associates should assume that the customer is a crook, refuse to hear their complaint, and treat them as such. It was as if the customer is guilty of dishonesty unless proven innocent. I was being treated as a common criminal, when I am not. I have been a loyal sears customer for years, have no criminal history, and an a-1 credit and fico score. Most of my purchases are purchased by major credit cards and cash.
I cannot believe the way I was treated by that manager, dismissed from the auto center and how I was not given the benefit of doubt, but rather treated as a common thief even with a reciept! Is it a sears policy to question the integrity of all sears customers who are holding a receipt in hand, and summarily dismiss customers before allowing them a chance to explain the circumstances involved in the return? I realize that this is the holiday season and sales associates are busy and frustrated, but listening to the customer should be paramount. My wife and I have a-1 credit and have never had a problem like this before, or been treated like this by any other retailers. We are in shock over this treatment and are questioning our loyalty.

Ltc john h. Davenport
Cell #[protected] our new address will be: 125 burning trail, cibolo, texas 78108, which is a suburb of san antonio. We will not be at our new location until december 29, 2009.

The end of November I received an email saying that "since you reported your sears card lost or stolen, we have cancelled your account and you will be receiving new cards within two weeks."

I IMMEDIATELY called them to tell them NO-ONE had called them to report our cards lost or stolen. They said that they had a "record" of the call and it was too late, to just wait for my new cards in the mail.

I pay my bills online and can no longer access their website due to them shutting off my cards. A phone payment costs over $13 each time..convenient isn't it?

I called this evening and was rudely told that "she called and cancelled the account, referring to my husband, whose name looks like a females name."

I asked for a supervisor, I was informed that there is NOTHING they can do, they WILL NOT issue new cards, and I will have to APPLY for new credit.

After working hard to repair our credit, it will take two hits due to the SEARS CARD SERVICE CENTER, one for cancelling one of our longest credit accounts, and another IF we choose to apply for new credit.

What a Great Company!

I went to buy a tire for my car at Sears. My bill was $210 and my card did not work. Shocked and embarassed and humiliated that I had to ask someone I know for use of their credit card. I called customer service when I got home and spoke to a manager. The manager also said that when they cancelled cards, she told Sears customers should be notified. The card was cancelled because it had not been used in awhile. I buy tires on the card. Then the manager stated, the company doesn't have it in their policy to notify the customer if the card is cancelled. You can check with the Meriden, CT Sears Automotive for proof. My name is Anne G. Fodera, 171 Main St, East Berlin, CT 06023. My phone number is [protected].

I ordered a part for a bandsaw online and within a few minutes realized I ordered the wrong part (same part but in a different size). I immediately called up to cancel the order but was told they could not do it because it was entered into an automated system and I would have to wait for the part to be delivered and I had 90 days to return it. The cost of shipping to deliver and return the part is more than the cost of the part. This is the last time I will ever do business with Sears. I did not order the part I really need and will find another company that sells parts. Sears deserves to go bankrupt with service like this!

I have a service warranty from sears to cover a maytag neptune washing machine. This company does not know how to perform customer sevice on any level! Over the past 5 years we have had service performed on this machine 5 times. The process is maddening. First you have to call sears 4 my home and try to get a live person... This takes up to 20 minutes of trying various answers to a computerized system that is designed to frustrate you to the point you don't want to continue. Then when you finally get a live person they may or may not ask questions about the machine before they will begin to set up an appointment. This usually results in getting an appointment the following week. Sears the night before the scheduled appointment to make sure someone has taken off an entire day from work to wait for the arrival of the serviceman. The company always says that the service man will call before he arrives... Sometimes this actually happens! When the serviceman arrives he has to diagnose the problem, but surprize, surprize he doesn't actuall have any repair parts with him. He has to order the parts. He has them sent to our home. When we get the parts (Usually 5 days) then we have to call sears again to set up another appointment.in 5 hours round trip I could drive to indianapolis and return with the parts. For some reason it takes sears 5 days to accomplish this simple task. This is the same as if we had never called before and still results in another appointment the following week. So by the time a serviceman returns to actually do some work and uses the parts that have arrived, nearly two weeks have elapsed. Oh by the way, this is usually a new service man that has never seen your machine. So even though I have said that I have had service 5 times this actually means that we have wasted 10 days of our time in order to get the service done. This also means that we have been without a working machine 10 weeks. Sears is more worried about arriving at a customer's home and not finding anyone home than they are worried about my time. From the receipts they have left at my home, sears has spent over $1, 500 repairing my $900 machine. Do not buy any appliances from sears without a service agreement, but still expect to be very frustrated.

In Oct. 2004, I bought a Sears 5 h.p. 22" Snowthrower (made by MTD) and found one flat tire in 2006. Sears replaced the tire under warranty. Then in 2009, both tires gone flat. No warranty but to buy two new wheel assemblies (tire w/rim) at $43 each. The Sears rep told me that they sell several of them weekly and that's why they have (13) of them in stock. The new rims are of painted steel instead of the original plastic. Sears knew the plastic rims are problematic but chose not to make a recall until the warranty expires. It is a very deceptive business practice for a big box store like Sears to hide product defects info from its customer.

Please let everyone knows not to buy any snow throwers that use plastic rims. They don't adhere to their rubber tires. When they deflated, you cannot fix them.

bought a snow thrower in 2008
used it twice the week i bought it
placed it in the garage - no fuel
today it had snowed (dec 2009)
filled the snow thrower with gas (clean and fresh)
checked the oil level (fine, proper level 5w30)
wheeled it outside the garage to start it
set the choke and throttle to proper settings
pulled the cord...turns over doesnt start. (tryed several times)
plugged in to use the electric start. again tryed several times...turns over wont start.

called sears warranty
after being on hold for 35 mins i talk to an idiot that barely understands english, from our conversation i am positive he was reading a script. we discuss the basics...gas, oil, choke, throttle. then i am informed that they made a mandatory spark plug change and that is the problem. If it was a mandatory change, why were the customers not notified?(they did get all my info when i bought it) so i play along, (i know this is not the issue) i go to sears and buy another piece of crap (sparkplug)from them (for the last time). i replace the spark plug, and to my amazement ...the exact same problem remains (yes thats sarcasm). so i call the warranty number [protected] to schedule a repair.

placed on hold for 35 mins, i talked with carrie. she was polite, but the fact that she works for sears did not make me any less agitated from being placed on hold for so long. this long wait tells me one of two things.

1. they dont care about the repair warranty once you've paid, they hope you will hang up and not call back.

2. if they truly are that busy, they must be selling so much garbage that the warranty repair people will be in business for a very long time.

regardless of which one it is, i will never buy from sears again nor will i recommend them to anyone. if everyone else does this sears may start to see the light and get their act together.

TO THE GREEDY CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AT SEARS:

there is a light at the end of the tunnel...its an oncoming train.

signed an irritated, agitated, disgruntled customer...its a good thing i dont work for the post office.

I will not rehash the same comments as everyone else regarding the power miser series of water heaters and the pilot light issues. I will however add yet another vote in the " never buy another product from Sears" category.
I've never in my life had such an issue with an appliance. This is not my first nor only complaint with Sears but it is the most problematic for a number of reasons. It pains me to say it since Sears used to be where one went to be sure these types of issues did not arise. I for one will never buy another thing from Sears, ever. It is very sad this company has fallen to such lows...rest in peace Sears...we will miss the company you used to be.

On November 20, 2009, I purchased a A2750 Norditrac Treadmill. After one week of use, I started having problems with it. On December 18th a technician came out and told me that the motor and the control box had to be replaced but since it had been less than 30 days, I might want to check with Sears for a replacement. I took the treamill back to the University Store in Little Rock, AR on 12/19/09 and that store did not have the same treadmill in stock but told me to take it to the Niorth Little Rock store and a replacement would be no problem. We took the unusable treadmill to the North Little Rock store and a salesman named Craig immediately told us that we would have to take it back to the University store for replacement. He did not want to help us. With much reluctance, he decided to see if there was a treadmill like ours in stock. After one was located, he talked with the manager Shaun and agreed to replace the treadmill.
I had to unload the broken and load the new treadmill with not much help from the return department. When asked for help every employee in this store seemed to be annoyed about having to help me with this expensive purchase. I will never shop at this store again.
Hopefully with your awareness of the problem with customer service at this location, another customer may have better service in the future.
Thank you,
Mike Bennett

Hello, I have complaints against the 3 sears stores listed above.. First I went to the sale at Kinston. The sale started at 8:00 am. I was there at 9:30 and was told they didn't have the table I wanted. So we called the Goldsboro store and was told they had 3 but when I got to the store they said they didn't have any. So then I called the Greenville store and was told they had one so I asked them to hold it as I was on my way. Now we've gotten it straight or so I thought, it was to be delivered today 12/17/ 09. I got a phone this morning telling me that they be there today between 1:30 & 3:30. When 3:30 came I called the delivery people and was told that they got a phone call from me to reschedule the delivery for the 24th. I did not call them. So I call the manager at the Greenville store and he tells me that he would investigate it. Time passes and I did not here from him, so I called again and was told that the table was picked up from the store on Tuesday. So I ask where it is, he tells me it is in Raleigh. Ridiculous! . So I go to the Greenville store and given the run around. I told them to forget it I want to put the credit on the Sears card I applied for and got approved for. The table plus delivery and assembled was $ 606.02. So to finish this, Sears lost alot of money, I will not buying anything from Sears again. As soon as the card comes in the mail I am going to cut it up. To make it right the manager should have called delivery and tell that they needed to bring that table asap. I hope you will get them straightened out, so this does not happen to anyone else.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Lorri Bubak
2680 Pine Knoll Drive
Kinston, NC 28504

In September of this year, our landlord decided to replace the picture window on a property we rent. The seals on the old picture window, which was purchased in the early 1990’s had failed, and considering the cost associated with replacing the window panes, as well as possible tax advantages, our landlord thought a new, energy efficient picture window was a good idea.

Having purchased Sears products over the years, and given a special sale on replacement windows, Sears was my landlord’s first choice.

Although the first steps in the transaction took what seemed an inordinate amount of time, it was agreed that the actual installation of the window would take place at 3:30 PM on October 9, 2009. 3:30 PM in the afternoon seemed a bit late in the day to begin a project of this nature, but my landlord and I were assured that would not pose a problem.

At 4:30 PM on October 9, 2009, an unmarked rented truck pulled up in front of my home. I was surprised about this because I was always used to seeing well marked trucks when doing business with Sears in the past.

Out of the truck stepped a younger man and an older man. The younger man who I assumed was heading up the job, spoke very poor English, and the older man spoke almost no English at all. In any event, the younger man said the lateness in the day and threatening weather would not be a problem in terms of the removal of the old window and installation of the new window.

Not wishing to “hover” over tradesman which can distract them from the job at hand, I stepped back and left the two to their work, but did pay attention to the process, which was troubling to say the least.

While the younger of the two brought in some tools, I noticed the older man removing a large, dirty drop cloth from the back of their truck, which he shook out on to the street in front of my home. The next morning, in the light of day, I found a great deal of saw dust, wood chips, miscellaneous debris, and an alarming number of old rusty nails in not only the street, but on the lawn in front of my home, and under the work area. Since neither of the two workmen removed the nails and other debris from the day before, and because there are a number of small children that play in our neighborhood, I promptly swept and raked the area to make sure none of the children would be injured. I also did not want any of the nails to possibly damage my neighbors’ tires on their cars.

Work proceeded on the removal of the old picture window and installation of the new one, and at approximately 6:30 PM I was informed the job was finished. In all candor, I really wasn’t “informed” of anything.

The younger man handed me a bunch of papers that I assumed went with the installation and said “I need sign papers.” He also asked “You know how get to turnpike to go Newark?”

The younger man did not seem too interested in what the papers said, which included a ‘Customer Satisfaction Check List.’ I checked “Yes” for some of the items on check list and “No” to several others, at which point both men got into their truck for the ride home to Newark.

As previously mentioned, the next morning I found the debris and rusty nails, and after cleaning them up, decided to give the new window a good inspection. Regrettably, I discovered the following:

1.) The new screen that comes with the new window was torn.

2.) The two workmen had damaged the exterior trim and siding around where the window was installed.

3.) The caulk used to weatherproof the window was not applied correctly, and would in no time allow water to enter into the framing of the house.

4.) Caulk and paint had been smeared on the interior windows.

5.) The window stickers had not been removed.

6.) Caulk and paint had been smeared on the interior wood trim.

Clearly, the above items are really quite minor in nature, but my concern is that if Sears trained personnel left a job like this, what confidence do I have that the basic installation of the replacement window was carried out in a professional and workman like manner?

The next day, I promptly call the office of Sears Home Improvement Products at [protected] and spoke with Mr. Eric Hummel. I reviewed my list of complaints and concerns and Mr. Hummel said he was very surprised to hear of this as he had never heard of any complaints regarding the quality of workmanship of his two installers. I pressed the issue and Mr. Hummel said he’d have someone call to schedule a time to meet with me and review my complaints about the job.

I did not make a note of the date I spoke with Mr. Hummel but as the days passed by; I once again called and ask to speak with Mr. Hummel. Unfortunately, Mr. Hummel was not available when I called but I was able to speak with a Ms. Agnes James, who, said she’d make sure Mr. Hummel returned my call. I explained to Ms. James that both I and my landlord were becoming not only quite irritated by the way we were being treated, but that this was not our understanding of the way Sears does business. I also asked Ms. James if she would provide me with the e-mail addresses of Mr. Hummel, and his superior, Mr. Linny Hargrove, so I could provide them with my list of exceptions regarding the installation of the new picture window. Ms. James suggested I use the following e-mail addresses to communicate with Messrs Hummel and Hargrove:

Eric.[protected]@searshomerpo.com

Linny.[protected]@searshomepro.com

Ms. James then suggested something that seemed quite revealing about the operation of the Sears Home Improvements Products, and that was I should use the word ‘resume’ under the subject matter, because if I did not, my messages would not go through to Messrs Hummel and Hargrove.

Fortunately, I did not have to send e-mails to Messrs Hummel and Hargrove with the subject matter ‘resume’ or otherwise, because shortly thereafter, I received a telephone call from another gentleman from Sears Home Improvement Products who asked for a date and time to meet with me to review my complaints about the new window.

The gentleman showed up at the appointed date time and was very apologetic for the way my landlord and I had been treated. He also mentioned that two workmen had delivered similar quality of work to number of Sears Home Improvements Products customers, and it was his job to do what ever had to be done to correct their mistakes. The gentleman also pointed out that neither of the two workmen remained in the employ of Sears Home Improvements Products.

The gentleman and his associate immediately set upon correcting the mistakes to the installation, which included not only the items mentioned above, but he also pointed out that one of the tracks in the window was not installed correctly. He also removed the ‘Energy Performance’ sticker from the window, and pointed out that I should retain the sticker as it would be what would be needed for my landlord to apply for an energy tax abatement.

The gentleman and his associate completed their work for day but said that insofar as it had been raining on and off during the day, they would have to return on another day to properly seal the exterior of the window, and finish repairing the interior trim around the window. He also said that I would be hearing from a Sears Technician regarding the torn screen and the defective window track.

Given the gentleman's comments regarding the number of Sears Home Improvements Products customers victimized by poor workmanship on the part of the two that installed our window, and because I felt I was finally in the hands of a ‘Sears Professional’ I decided not to press too hard on the gentleman for a completion date.

However, following over a month of inaction, I called the gentleman to ask when the final repairs would be completed. The gentleman commented that he no longer worked for Sears, and that regrettably, I would have to speak to Mr. Eric Hummel regarding the remaining items.

As I am sure you’ll understand, I was quite aggravated at this point and on December 11, 2009 called [protected] and insisted upon speaking to Mr. Hummel’s superior, Mr. Linny Hargrove. During our discussion, Mr. Hargrove mentioned something about a work order from December 10th which had no meaning to me at the time. Mr. Hargrove also said an another individual in his employ would meet with me at 11:00 AM on Monday, December 14, 2009 to address the remaining issues. Approximately an hour later, Mr. Hargrove called and said that so as not to cramp his representative's schedule on Monday, December 14th, would it be possible to reschedule my meeting to 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 to which I agreed.

Well, the representative from Sears Home Improvement Products, who, was supposed to be at my home at 11:00 AM sharp on Tuesday December 15th never arrived that day, and never called to explain why, and more important, when the window installation begun on October 9th would be completed.

I have already called and left a voice mail message for Mr. Hargrove to call but as yet, I have not heard from Mr. Hargrove.

I have also provided the above narrative to Karin Price Mueller of the Star Ledger at [protected]@starledger.com to see if she might assist my landlord and I with our problem.

In addition, I copied the following individuals from Sears with copies of this report:

Ernest Wilding
President, Sears Home Improvement Products
1024 Florida Central Parkway
Longwood, FL [protected]

Aylwin B. Lewis
CEO & President of Sears Holdings Corporation
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60179
[protected]

Needed a new carburator for my snowblower. The part was $90.25 and weighs no more than a large egg. Sears charges shipping by the amount of the sale, which makes no sense other than to line Sears pockets with more money. So to ship the order was $15.99 and then ~ $8.50 tax on the entire amount. Now to acquire the part I have to pay ~ 25% of the cost of the part. What a deal... They close parts stores (and save money) they have an automated system with few employees (saving money) and then they gouge you on shipping.

This is the thinist of thinist scams. I wouldn't be surprised if they are not sending collected "sales tax" money to the states that don't require collection.

I bought a 27" craftsman snowblower from the oshawa branch of sears canada in november 2008. To ensure that I would have the unit when I needed it I took out a 2 year service plan as well.

The blower functioned perfectly until january13th 2009, almost 2 months after I bought the machine. While clearing my driveway the bolt holding the drive pulleys onto the driveshaft worked loose allowing the pulley to work it's way through the plastic cover. I put a call into the service department the same day. A week later a technician came out to see the machine, borrowed my user manual and ordered the parts needed.

Two weeks later another technician arrived to fix the blower but the bolt that was needed to secure the pulley was incorrect. A new order was sent, again the same technician came, again the bolt was incorrect. Next visit was april, again incorrect bolt. The technician told me he had put in a special order and would call when the part was ready. Well I waited, until october. When I called again and was told that the repair was complete. Again I was told the bolt was out of stock. I was given a date of december 7th for the next visit from the technician but there was no visit. A call to sears revealed that the part would not be ready till december 15th. Again another visit another incorrect bolt.

I have asked for a replacement snowblower but I am being given the runaround. Don't buy sears, go to toro or honda if you want peace of mind.

I purchased a Kenmore refrigerator one year and one month ago and the unit quit working. Sears refused to give me any compensation nor a discount on repairs. I will never purchase anything from them again. A fridge should last more than one year and one month. And, I have shared my story with everyone I know. I want to be compensated!

My name is howard l collins I am trying to clean up some of the past companies that I never received a line of credit from I have about (6) more some names I know others I have never heared of by their business name if I can get some sort of check list then I can view whose is who I am trying to improve my credit report and scores

Here's what happened when I purchased a gas range from Sears on October 4, 2009:

I bought the range (a Kenmore product) during a "Friends and Family" sale. I paid for delivery and installation, and for an extended warranty.

About a week later, I got a call from a woman telling me she wanted to schedule delivery for 2 weeks later. I was upset by the delay, but agreed.

The stove was delivered by a plumber who didn't like the way the gas piping had been installed, so he wouldn't install it. He told us what needed to be fixed and he left us his business card. We spent the next week talking with the gas company, another plumber, and the city in an effort to accommodate what was needed. It turned out the Federal government's rules regarding gas lines is different than state rules, creating grey areas of compliance. We had some additional work done to meet the one requirement we were told was advised, and phoned the installation guy. He scheduled us for a week later. By now my new gas range had been sitting in our garage for nearly a month.

The stove was installed about a week before Thanksgiving. During that week, I noted that several meals I'd baked weren't fully cooked in the time called for in the recipe. I bought an oven thermometer, and set the stove at 350° and waited until the stove "beeped" that it had reached that temperature. I checked the oven thermometer, which had a reading of 325°.

This had happened before with a Kenmore stove, and I'd called repair for well over two years before Sears agreed that the stove was faulty and they replaced it. This time, I decided not to go that route and to return the stove instead (we were within the 90 return period). I went to the store where I'd bought the range, and told them what I wanted to do. The store staff were friendly and upbeat, and helped me choose a different model. I opted for a more expensive range, with features not included in the one I'd bought previously.

When I settled on the range I wanted, one of the sales reps made a phone call while I stood by. When he hung up, he told me someone from delivery would be phoning me within 24-48 hours to arrange for pick-up of the stove I was returning and installation of the new (more expensive) one. I asked him if he wanted me to pay him for the difference between the two and he said "No, they'll take your payment when they call you.

I waited 48 hours and no one phoned. I phoned the local store and was told I needed to call a Central Customer Service number. I called the number, was on hold for 10 minutes or more, and finally someone took the call. I explained the situation and asked what was happening. The woman I spoke with took my phone number and pulled up the file. She said "something isn't right" and I told her I knew that. After about 30 minutes on the phone with her, she asked for my credit card number to pay the difference between the two stoves, which I gave her. She then told me that the phones weren't working so she couldn't schedule delivery or installation yet.

By this time, I was more than upset about the whole mess, and I told this woman all that had happened and that, from my perspective, it's looking more and more dicey to do business with Sears. By the end of our conversation, she'd given me $100 off the more expensive stove, and promised she'd phone me by 7 p.m. that day, which she did. She told me the stove would be delivered on 12/13/2009.

On 12/10/2009, I got an automated call from Sears, confirming the purchase of the new stove, and that there would be an adult over age 18 at our home on Sunday, 12/13/2009. I confirmed the information by pressing a key on my phone. This automated message indicated that the "window" for delivery had not yet been set, and that I'd get a phone call on the evening before delivery indicating the time frame.

On 12/12/2009, I got another automated call from Sears, indicating delivery from between 12:30 and 2:30 on 12/13/2009. I pressed a phone key to confirm.

On 12/13/2009 at 1:00, a delivery truck arrived and told us they had our stove but were unable to install it because they aren't licensed to do that. Given that the stove we were returning had been delivered by someone who could install it, we were stunned to learn that, yet again, the new stove would be placed in our garage while we wait for a plumber to install it.

We phoned customer service (as did the delivery guy) and learned that the installer is closed on Sundays and that we'd have to phone them on Monday.

I now have two gas ranges from Sears: one that's installed but doesn't work right, and another in our garage. And the problem of having it installed has been dumped in our laps rather than Sears handling this entirely.

We've done business with Sears for nearly 30 years and have never run into this degree of complexity or failure of communication. At this point, my husband and I are seriously considering canceling the whole deal. It's looking dicey that Sears will even be in business in 5 years.