Sears

Let me get specific on Jan 12 my ex wife left house to go to work at 7AM on the way out of the plat she heard a loud sound on the right front wheel area at that point the car stalled she got the car re-started and continued to the expressway to head to North Kingston RI to work on the way down the battery light came on. When she arrived at work she decided to make some calls on getting a battery for the car. She decided to go to Sears about seeing to replace the battery her boss said to go then and get it resolved. She went to Sears Auto Center in Warwick RI. Through this whole process the car continued to start including when she arrived at Sears. She went in and explained what had happened and that she might need a battery. They took the car in and told her the battery way replaced. She paid in total $169.06 and was on her way back to work. She was no sooner off Sears lot and the battery light was on, she had to get back to work. She called me and asked what she should do. I being a former truck mechanic many years ago told her I would take a ride down to her work and look at the car. When I got there I started the car the light was on as she indicated from when she left the house in the morning and as when she left Sears after the battery install. I proceeded to check with my meter if the battery/alternator was charging. It was not which explained why the light was on. I looked on the belt side of the engine and saw no serpentine belt was on the alternator or any of the pulleys. The belt was no where to be found. The next day she had the car towed to a local repair facility in the area of her work and left it with them for repair. They installed a new belt checked all pulleys and tension pulley all were fine and picked up car the next day. The facility told her there was no sign of the old belt in there which indicated to me that the noise she heard leaving her plat near the house was the belt coming off. I went down to Sears on the Jan 12 after on the day she had it installed and after I looked at it I spoke to Christensen Soccocio and explained that they installed a battery in my opinion they missed something like not checking to see if first the car was charging and second that the car was missing the belt. He told me that the tech that installed the battery was gone for the day at this point I am convinced they didn’t diagnose anything just installed the battery and sent her on her way. He said I would should speak with the Asst. Mgr or Manager and they would be in the next day. The next day I called and asked to speak with Lenny the Asst. Mgr I explained to him what I felt what was going on and that they didn’t check this car out in any way either prior to installing the new battery or for that matter after the battery was installed reminding you there was no belt on the car. He read from his script and was of no help and offered nothing. Later that day I went in to speak to I believe his name was Mike the Auto Center Manger by this point he had been made aware of what had been going on with this issue. I asked him did the car get checked out as far as seeing if the car was charging when it was brought in before installing the battery he was all over the place with his answer well she told us she wanted the battery replaced but I again said did your tech do any checks first on charging etc.well, well I don’t know, we replace d the battery so I said did you check after the install well our policy is to check to see if it was charging. At this point I am more than sure they threw in the battery and checked nothing and sent her way. He indicated to me there was nothing more he could do. In my more than professional opinion someone dropped the ball my ex-wife instead of needing a battery needed a serpentine belt but no one bothered to check this car out properly. If I had known she had this issue I never would of sent her to Sears the word tech should not be used at this place they are nothing more than parts changers. As far as the cost of the battery & install $169.06 was highway robbery for a 2002 Chrysler Sebring a basic car not a loaded optioned out luxury vehicle. I believe she is entitled to some type of credit of at least a $100.00 for this incompetence and inconvience. I will not let this go on her behalf and in research to this issue online I have seen Sears track record at there auto centers isn’t great. In the event you look into this it happened in store # 6483 on 1/12 2016 Reference # IN 6431208 I expect a reply to this and if I don’t get a solution I will take it higher. This is the kind of actions that give good auto tech a bad reputation in the business. I expect a reply.