Hi Mallika, I am sorry for you. Doing dishes for 4 weeks can drive any one crazy. I wisk I lived in LA and knew something about dishwashers. Except for loading them and turning it on I don't know anything about it. I dont even know what happens, and how they are cleaned. I have never had a Bosch dishwasher either. I think I used to have Wasteking. Now I have Kitchenaid. hope some one from Sears reads the blog and can help you. Sorry Mallika. Take care.

Mallika,
I can't believe that you are blogging this topic. Last weekend my wife and I went to Sears for curtains. We recieved a gift certificate. There was little selection, what little they did have on the floor was in bad taste or damaged and there was no one to help you. When I asked the cashier for someone to help us she said there wasn't anyone. No one has worked in the curtains dept. for weeks. No one! The curtains that my wife did buy (to use up the gift certificate) wasn't the right size so when my wife went to return them they gave the money back onto another gift certificate. A GIFT CERT. THAT SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY OWNED. So now some total stranger has more money then they had and my wife has lost her gift. When the cashier relized the mistake she said that there was nothing she could do. She recomended my wife to call VISA. Why, because Visa owns the gift cert. company. Very long story long, after threanening not to leave and will make a seen they gave her another gift cert.
Sears use to be a quality store. Not anymore. Buyers beware!

Adam

Mallika,

IT'S A CON JOB!

I consider buying any form of extended warranty to be a slick con job. Notice, the so-called warranty usually 'covers' the period when the machine/equipment is least likely to break down...when it's new.

But if it does, as in your case, then you will quickly understand the fultility in wasting money on such warranties. As a rule, we no longer bother with extended warranties.

Next time you go to Sears, or any other store, and purchase something, then offered this warranty, watch the look of disappointment in the face of the salsperson when you say no.

It happened to me when I bought my computer. I got a full 5-year extended warranty and when it it broke down a year later, I took it in to the store and that's when the con job was made real clear. Red tapes, red tapes, red tapes ... enough is enough.

To cut to the chase, I paid someone else, other than the store, to fix it. So, stop wasting your money on extended warranties. It's a slick con job.

Regards.

Did you really threaten them with your blog?! Somehow, this post made me laugh - not that I don't sympathize with your plight but just that it's so typical that it came across as a caricature. Anyway, can't you just return the damn thing? It's only been a month after all.

Oh about warranties, just want to second what Ron just said. Never ever buy the extended warranty. Anything you buy already comes with a 3 month manufacturer's warranty. If the piece is defective, whatever problems there are will show up in the first couple of months (it's true, ron). Therefore, the extended warranty is a total con, a scam you must never fall for, no matter how earnestly they try and sell it. It's basically the same deal as the "would you like to supersize this?" line they dish out at the movie theaters. Just trying to see how many extra bucks they can get from you.

Hmnn, Mallika if I had known this, I would have shipped mine to you, it is sitting idle. I have somehow not felt comfortable with dishwashers for indian type vessels. I end up cleaning them again (I'm kinda picky about it being sparkling:)

Never been a sears fan, I kinda like Bay (now Zuckers)more. To me what is shocking more is that Bosch machine broke down! OMG they are supposed to be the best.

Bummer. I've had that kind of thing happen. It sucks. But what can you do? Must be some reason that kind of thing happens...

Reminds me of a neighbor of mine for some reason. I have no idea why. He's about as intelligent as my big toe. And I do judge him. And yet, I know he's as important as I am. Really? Yes. Makes me wince to think about it. He's such a slob!

Scott and I waited 5 months once for the extended warranty service on his big TV. Scott loves his Big TV. He's a guy after all. We were furious. But it didn't effect Best Buy. Best Buy stock is still WAY UP THERE. Go figure.

Love, Kristin

hi mallika,
how about fixing the links to the bios for all the intentblog contributers? i'm a newbie... it would be nice to know who some of these folks are. the links seem to be broken or not functional.
hopefully sears techs don't manage this blog.

Mallika- Sears does suck! I had a similar problem with a fridge recently. I did manage to harass someone long enough though and got it replaced within a couple of days.

Ron- Warranties do suck! I dont bother with them anymore. Complaining persistently usually does the trick for me.

Three years ago I purchased a couch, chair and ottoman for my living room. Returned everything because of a tear in the fabric. I now enjoy sitting on my brand new Italian leather sofa and chair- at no additional cost. The bottom line is that bitching can be time well spent...

Dear Mallika,

My sympathies are with you. It may be a caricature or whatever, but you are doing the right thing. Only when people speak up do these big corporations will change their ways.

I must say America has changed. During my first stint in the US (early 90s), somehow I had a different experience, perhaps I was naive, that's one explanation. But now it feels different. Everywhere you have to be very careful to read the fine print. Many times they won't even honor their commitments, unless you call them a few times. I have experienced it in so many different cases that by now I am convinced it is institutionalized. So it is nothing but corruption in another form. There are some noble exceptions like Costco. They will take back any product you buy from them with no questions asked, sometimes even after several months and even without a receipt. Their quality (usually) and price are unbeatable.

Regards,

Ravi Kulkarni

Dear Mallika, I'm sorry for your problems and frustration and please forgive me... but I'm laughing out loud!!! I don't know if you can see how funny these situations really are. I was reading and reading and then I wanted to tell you that the answer is inside, that my dishwasher has always returned to functioning normally as soon as I could see what it was INSIDE ME that was the problem, and then I thought it's no use, because this thought is so absurd to most people... and then, in your last post, you say it yourself!! Thanks!

Btw, I have a Bosch, too, and I consider it my perfectly reliable personal barometer, lol...

"Can you believe that the customer service people never even called me today! So much for their mandate to call within the hour!"

Hahahaha!! And then some crib about the bad service from overseas call centers! LOL

The more we have automated the customer experience - the more frustrating it has become for an ordinary man... all these CRMs and Online marvels just make me more frustrated! Earlier I used to call a company and I would either get someone to talk to or leave a message... now.. I am routed to 10 different "sub-menus" only to end up in a place that I TOTALLY DONT WANNA BE AT or hear a simple click to end the call!!

And Mallika - you or Gotham dont seem to be on your Dad's PR team... are you? Its funny to read you both and imagine the odds that the Big D is against!! ;-) Thank God at least he has his Universal Consciousness going for him!

Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com

Dear Malika,
I wish to tell you that I have had the same problems wwith the Bosh machine. They are very good in Europe yet I believe the People here do not get the right parts or do not know how to use or put them together,After lots of Complaints Sears toke my machine back and I ended up with a different brand Kitchen Aid and that solved the problem !!if You complain long enought they will send you a new machine just to get rid of You! Good luck
Claudine PS I learn my new patience from all the classs I toke from your Dad! It work for me.

In the Dot.com boom days, there was a website where we could share our opinions about a product/service etc. (something sucks.com etc)

Even try sears.com, there could be some place-holder for the feedback/complaits.

Latest in the blogworld is Sabeer Bhatia's eblogseverywhere venture. His idea will strike a chord.. what he claims (& I'm not very sure) that his toolbar would be available on every website & there a consumer can voice his opinion on service etc. So any customer who visits, say sears.com, will for sure see the feedback by other consumers.

Give a try to the beta version of www.blogseverywhere.com . Hope this helps somehow. If yes, pass on the royalty ($1000) to Sabeer & ME :~)

Hi,
And I thought these thing happened only in India. (Immigration dept. included).
now try doing this: www.blogeverywhere.com
They allow you to leave a blog message on the web sites. So, leave your message on their official site. May be you will be given a complimentary dishwasher...

WORST SEARS STORY

A relative who had been sick for a long time passed away. Soon enough the Sears rep called to verify the payments. I notified that the relative has passed on. He wondered if I would pay the bill instead!

http://www.complaints.com/

Check this site out search on Sears great place to get your complaints heard.

Why dont you simply cook easier things so that you have fewer dishes to clean up (assuming you're one of the desis that cooks fuull aquare meals)? single, nutritional dish meals? Fried rice, chole, veggie upma and poha, mexican pizza?

"... and there are a stack of dishes to clean up in the morning", lol, love your humor!

MS Chopra: This is Sears customer service returning your calls via your....."hey Joe, what did you say a blog was????"

Well, anyhow MS Chopra, we repeatedly tried to call you this evening to set a Friday appointment for your new Sears Bosch Deluxe dishwasher, complete with a free extended warranty, and......

.....well, what's the matter with you lady--don't you answer your phone?

It's not even midnight yet, or did you also happen to buy one of our new Bosch "No Ring" Silent phones and forget to purchase the needed hook-ups with our extended phone service warranty--or maybe you didn't read the instructions correctly: Batteries Not Included!

In any event, we've had our State Prison Call-Service work-release program calling the number you gave us to reach you all night long!

As you may know, our extended warranty service does not, I repeat, does not include having all three of our customer service representatives up all night trying to reach one pissy client---answer your phone woman; for an extra $375 we can ship you a fully guaranteed phone system that does ring--and we can have it to you in three weeks (allow two more weeks for installation technician to show up randomly, between the hours of 6 AM-11 PM)

Our customer service reps have dish duty as well in the morning, and certainly don't appreciate being kept up trying to respond to your flippant demands--Good Night MS Chopra!!!

Actually Mallika--your posts here were a true delight, I feel soooo.....much better about the nutty behavior I plagued the world with almost this entire day--I had to ask for forgiveness from three different galactic systems--so pathetic were my tirades and accusations--and unlike you, none of the anger I inflicted on innocent victims was in any way justified--Sears actually makes me look semi-intelligent again!

By the way, "A Course in Miracles" does not condemn anger as much as it does, however, indicate that we are to become fully aware of our anger, and not deny or pretend we are not pissed when Sears can knock a Chopra off balance--now that is a bad sign for the future of Sears itself!

Do you feel like Sears has served as a instrument of divine learning regarding the Buddha's teaching: You are not punished for your anger; but rather, you are punished by your anger--and furthermore, it seems to me that another famous gent didn't hold back on the smoldering anger at the poor customer service and corrupt and incompetent "lack of response" that some worshippers were getting bad "extended spiritual warranties" at a certain temple in the Holy Land from, one fine spring day!

Good on you Kiddo--I loved hearing that Mallika's letting it rip this day. Spirituality isn't all neat and clean--it's messy down-in-the-mud stuff, like the roots of the lotus blossom that you are becoming.

One idea though, I bet you could get through to a mid-to-high level executive at a high-end company like Bosch--tell one of them your story and ask that they have a rep. call the district manager at Sears, and ask that the rep. suggest Bosch is going to pull their supply deals with Sears distributorships for Bosch's product lines if they ever treat a customer of Bosch products like that again.

I mean, Mallika, if a "nobody" like me can get the CEO of Bank One/JP Morgan Chase to turn an entire Trust Client Services Dept. on it's heels with a one page letter (and the implied threat of 18 inches of legal documents revealing some money laundering)---well, "Hell hath no fury like the scorn of an angry woman!"

You've heard of the "rule of 250"; for every customer you piss off with poor service or product, you risk losing 250 potential future clients just through word-of-mouth.

I bet the Bosch executives know what a blog is, and who a Chopra is--they probably send some of their exec's to your dad's Wellness Center--for stress relief due to excessively pissed off clients receiving piss-poor service, or none at all!

I like seeing the tigress in Mallika--very frankly, it's classy, my dear--because it's your real feelings! As Always--Dave

Dear Mallika,

When i went through your entry it only made me laugh. If frivilous things like this drives you to the edge, you have seious trouble ma'am. To understand why i call this frivilous, you just have to stay for a day or maybe even a hour in a place called Kolkata, which i do.

You should be happy that atleast the people did turn up.

The biggest thing missing in all these people is Accountability and of course the fear of god.

Looks like I'm going to be the lone ranger in support of Sears. It could be that the Sears in Atlanta is run by someone else other than Sears but I've always had stellar service from them.In fact I bought extended warranty on my treadmill and it broke down thrice in the year. The guys came quickly and fixed it, serviced it and replaced any worn out parts annually, and I have never had a problem with them. Not just that, when one of my friends an ex cfo was down and out on his luck , jobless for a couple of years, and at the end of the tether, he walked in to a Sears store after being humiliated by another company, and said to the manager in charge-I need a job really badly, and they took him in and helped him out tremendously.
So there is hope yet-or in the worst case you need to move to Hotlanta Mallika!

dont you think you should attack your dad's 7 spiritual laws first.

Concerning extended warranties.

I never by them......except from Apple.

I have had everything replaced. Battery, processor, hard drive, case, screen and cd/dvd drive. Didn't spend a penny. And in a timely fashion.

So hats off to Apple computers and the warranty is a must.

As far as all those other companies out there? I wouldn't think of buying most of these energy sucking products in the first place.

I'm preparing for a world with out oil.

I hand wash my dishes.

Welcome to the world of customer service... where everyone smiles all the time, and the customer is king!

Mallika, it ain't just Sears, honey. Could have been almost any corporation. I read a great thing recently that was a detailed guide to preparing for a Dell service call.The guide actually said if you are very lucky you will get a trainee, and that person will actually try to help you because he hasn't worked for Dell long enough to know that customer service people are not actually hired to help people. They are hired to get the customer off the phone or transfer the call. I am completely serious about this. Their calls are monitored and how much time they spend with a customer is 99% of what the company cares about, so they can keep their call center phone bills down! You have an issue, but they don't care- they're goal is to get you off the phone and fast to keep their phone bill down. I know this because I myself have doone customer service call center work. I can't tell you how many times I took the hit for actually helping some poor soul because I took one extra minute on the phone to solve their problem. The company I worked for was not impressed with whether I actually helped anybody. They wanted me to end the calls faster.

I myself experienced the customer service breakdown with a company called Panda Antivirus. I needed a password reset on a new account. After six weeks and numerous emails and calls, I simply uninstalled the software. And it's agreat product. I was installing it on friends and clients machines and plugging the company until the day of the big customer service breakdown. A manager emailed me 3 months later (3 months!) but it was way too late. They wanted to give some concession for signing back on with them. I said forget it, why don't you fix the problem so it doesn't happen to others? They couldn't do that. Oh, well... most companies have a password robot that can reset a password in 10 seconds. They were unable to do it for six weeks - we're talking about a technology company here--hahaha.

Ah, yes, customer service does have a higher purpose. It is called assertiveness training. In the old days we called it a cathartic encounter session also. Here's how you get help:

You: "GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR"
CS: I can't do that, ma'am.
You: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. GET ME THE $%^$^%$-ing SUPERVISOR!!!
CS: Ummm...stammmerr..excuse..
You: $^%$%&^$^7&*(##@#@!!!NOW DAMMIT!!!YOU %%%^^^$%%T#$!!!
CS: One moment, I'll get a supervisor....

The reason you say &^&%$###!! is because customer service reps are only allowed to connect you with a supervior if you are using obscenities. I'm not making this up, remember I'm a former call center rep - they will "escalate" the call to a supervisor ONLY if they feel the customer is EXTREMELY upset, and usually foul language and screaming is the indicator they use to measure this. Its in their training manual.

Then you are at the mercy of the supervisor, who will do one of three things: a. go round and round with you for 30 minutes explaining why the company cannot solve your problem. b. try to get you off the phone by offering aconcession such as a $20 gift certificate. c. in EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CASES, actually solve your issue. Of course they know how to solve your issue, but they risk reprimand from the company if they do for spending too much time on the phone with you, or their boss will accuse them of giving away the store.

Sorry, that's the reality of CS. The USA has mastered it. Why do you think there's 9 levels of hold anyway? It's because THEY (the almighty CORPORATION, which holds the fate of their employees by a string) are there to protect their bottom line, not to help you. The reasons call centers are built are 1.to see how low you can keep the phone bill in a place with 1000 24-hr 800-number lines installed and 2. because they have to give the appearance of offering customer support in order to make the initial sale of product, plus their competitors are claiming to offer customer support. Thus their competitors have exactly the same kind of call center they do, usually located across the street, or in some cases, even in the same building in Bangalore or Delhi, or if in America, somewhere in Iowa or Kansas.

Did you notice that when you bought the dishwasher and THEY were taking your money for it, there were no hang-ups? THEY are fabulously efficient in getting your money, but when it comes time for them to deliver some service...well that costs the CORPORATION money and affects profits, so they don't do that.

Helping customers costs the corporation money.

It is really that simple. Ask someone whose worked in a call center - they'll tell you I am not making any of this up.

The deck is truly stacked against the customer, sorry to say. This is the most true of companies that advertise that they have stellar customer service - these are the same companies that have the worst service. Remember this is the age of Enron - and corporate doublespeak rules the day.

Ah, yes, the first world is great!

Look at it this way, guys. Now we know what to gift our respective mothers-in-law.

Yo Sears, make them on!

Hi Mallika,

Sorry to hear about your dirty dishes...When I read your story I remembered my experience with Best Buy (grrr...don't mess with my big TV).

These "service contracts" really are a scam. What Sears or Best Buy sell a service contract, they pay a flat amount to contractors in return for their services. This is usually a pretty good deal for the service guys as most people that buy the service contract never actually have to use them. HOWEVER, if there is a problem like you have, the contractor has already been paid and the price of the parts and service comes out of his pocket. So there is no incentive to take care of your problem and since there are people calling him directly that he can charge a rate etc. and a mark up on the parts, you move to the bottom of the list.

Our experience with service contracts was valuable in that it taught us not to buy service contracts.

So I will end with one important word: Palmolive

Peace,
Scott.

It is 'warranty'. Please reconsider the foibles of the Spair Grace soup man :-)

Dear Mallika....The title seemed a little trivial at the first sight, but as I went thru' a little, My God...I thought this was one of the best Blogs in the recent past happened to Intent. Great responses. I wish I cud've elaborated on Ravi's points, as my experience was the same as his.

I very much agree that things are really annoying...the customer service. India isn't any different nowadays Mallika...I experienced the same Damn problem which you did in the customer service area. It was Shocking to know a company like Satyam Info in India in such a negligent state.

Oh yes, what I've known of you on the net. Very patient, sensible and most Importantly Loving. So, if at all you went into that state, something Damn serious must have happened to warrant that.

Love..Sachin

seersuckers.

I like searsuckers.

Mallika! I love your rebuttal to your father's Course of Miracles motto! Brilliant! Sometimes you just gotta get pissed off! Once you get it figured out let me know what worked. My email has been messing up for the better part of 6 months and today I've spent over 2 hours on the phone with Ma Bell! Bell Sucks! Not getting anywhere with them. I've screamed obscenities, I've threatened and ranted and I think all it got me was flagged as some homicidal maniac!
Good luck and happy washing for now :(
ML

Dear Mallika,
Here is a personal invitation for you and your family to join us at the campsite.

Please, if possible, bring above-mentioned Bosch dishwasher. I can promise you, it will re-ignite the flames at our campfire, and we shall give it a good send-off. It's about time, don't you think!
:)
~ Kate

BURN THE THING!!!

Dear Mallika,
I have had problems with Sears...but nothing compares to what you had. I feel your pain.

Last year during the Christmas holidays, I had a house guest with her two children. Needless to say, Sears gave me an appointment for a week later when the dishwasher broke, only to learn that I needed a new one, so they had to come back. In total, I had no dishwasher for 11 days!

I hope you'll find someone to help you with the dishes. Good luck.
Love,
Donatella

I would be soo pissed off, I would call the CEO of SEARS or whomever you can find on their corporate list!!!

I feel your pain!

Joanie

I think you should call corporate headquarters!!!

Dear Mallika,
It's not only Sears which sucks, the whole corporate world does, when it comes to customer service. At the time of selling their products or services, the sales rep would make all kinds of promises knowing fully well that they would not be fulfilling them. The intention is to cheat and con from the very beginning. The employees in the sales deptt. of companies keep changing frequently and the company never takes responsibility for what they have said to a customer, although they give those sales reps a free hand to promise whatever they like at the time of making a sale. And of course, I think only a dumbo would not know that these extended warranties, Annual Maintenance Contracts are con jobs.
You said in your post that things are better in India, but I think they are just the same. Only recently I had purchased an annual subscription of a leading daily newspaper here called The Hindustan Times. I had also won a prize in the scratch card that came along with it. I had made the payment by cheque and I was told that I would receive the monthly voucher booklet (which is to be given to the newspaper vendor every month)alongwith the prize I had won within 10-12 days. But I had to call them up when I did not receive either the voucher booklet or the prize. Even after registering my complaint, I received no feedback from them. On calling up the sales rep who had sold me the subscription, he said that he had not even submitted my cheque in his office simply because it was from a Delhi Bank. Now, in this computer age, when all the banks are fully computerized, even outstation cheques are cleared within a few days just like any other cheques. It was stupid on his part to have not deposited my cheque for more than a month and not even bothering to call me up in this regard. But the sales rep insisted that I pay him again in cash. This was clearly against the advice written on the subscription form. The form clearly stated NOT to pay the sales rep in cash. I even called up their customer care (so-called) number to check with them whether I should pay the sales rep in cash. But they clearly told me not to do so.

I mean, this is just one example of how callously companies treat their customers. The corporate employees are just concerned with their fat pay packets and go about merrily in eroding their shareholders' wealth. There are several companies out there which are floated simply to pocket the money of the shareholders who were naive enough to invest in them.

Acquiring money at all costs is the new mantra which makes the world go round. Doesn't matter if you have to cheat, con, steal, rob, bluff, beg or even kill for it. Money is the only God.

Cheers!
Navin

I've had my own Sears customer service battles. I blogged about it. I wrote letters. I made phone calls. No one ever gave me their full name or assigned me a case number. I posted to online business review sites and sent a letter of complaint to the Chicago Better Business Bureau. It took me about six months to get it all resolved and I have not bought anything from Sears since.

We have a Bosch dishwasher that had a problem (with the door hinge) after 3 years of working perfectly. Called Bosch directly and they sent out a service technician within the week. Considering it was 3 years old, we had to pay for the service. He said the problem was that it was installed incorrectly the first time, but I paid anyway and was happy that the problem was resolved so quickly. It was not cheap, but at least there was no red tape due to any extended warranty issues.

I would try to call Bosch directly, if time is more important . Maybe you can take Sears to small claims court :)

Ditto, my dad worked for them for almost 20 years and then they screwed him.

i work for the clowns at sears.( well, a small company that is owned by them...it's all the same thing) if you have a lawyer call the store they might help then. also try threatining their clams department, sedgwick, @ 18007270121. i dont exist.

These past few years have been turned around in the world of retail. The problem was the customer was always right. Today retailers have taken back that power and before you judge me I'm not saying that this is right. I've worked in retail for some time and have put up with a lot of shit from cutomers but on the other hand I did my job and went that extra mile to satisfy a customer when they deserve it. The problem today is that companies are hiring idiots who just don't give a flying !@#$! They are just there for the pay. Sears sucks and so does Tim Horton's and many retailers. The best service you will ever find is from an independant business owner because they care about returning customers. Sears makes so much money through retail of merchandise, insurance and more. They don't care that your dish washer is not working, no sweat off their back and tha't the problem. I also think that a big part of the problem is really bad customers who just screw everything up for everyone by trying to scam.

Malika I'm sorry that you had to go through this because I went through somethin even worse. All the bedrooms in my house were repainted and waiting for new carpets. Me and my father took the time to take out the old ones so that Sears could just install the new ones without all that work. Long story short it took a month and 4 days to get the freaking carpet. I was so mad because Noone in the house had a place to sleep because all of our furniture was takien apart and in the hall way ready to be put back when the carpet arrived. We got the whole we will be there on Friday. It is now Monday. Sorry about that we will be there Thursday. This went on for a long time. Finally with so much complaining made we were told that our order was lost and that a rush delivery was going to be made, ya 6 days later. An then it arrived....It was the wrong freaking carpet!!!!!!! We said the hell with it the color matches but we want the differemce back in price because this one was a cheaper one than what was paid in full over a month ago. Do you know what was offered to us? A freaking store credit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry about all the spelling errors. I was so mad while typing that I did not pay attention to my spelling.

Did you send a link to this blog to Sears?
Also consider sending it to the local news/TV stations.
Get as much publicity to the issue as possible.

u know mallika,b4 screaming ur head out,try deep breathing and send reiki waves to ur dishwash,who knows a miracle cud b waiting to happen.that cud b the positve side waiting to blossom under the negative blanket.shall i do so for u?oh no i cant coz ihv completed only 1st degree reiki,cant send from so far.

Mallika,
Has you dishwasher been fixed yet?

You don't happen to live in Ohio do you?

I went to sears to buy 4 new truck tires, no cheap purchase I assure you. I go there at 9:30, probaly 3rd or 4th customer. I pick the tires and the guy tells me it should be ready in an hour and 45 minutes. Great, I work on the road and now I would be back on the road by noon. I asked are you sure, because I can come back tommorrow if it's gonna be longer..no no, 1 3/4 hours, no problem, he call me when it's ready. So, at noon, I CALL THEM, and Mahesh (my salesman) is gone. Oh no, that green truck? They haven't even started that, it'll be another hour and a half. What????? I have to go to work, your guy told me noon!!!! Sorry, one guys at lunch, one guys on the phone with his girlfriend, one guys on a break, blah blah blah. Dammit, if the guy had just been honest, I would have just come back another time when you're not so busy, but now you've screwed up my whole day. They don't care about us, only our money. The guy on the phone absolutley could not haver cared less that they ruined my day, costing me 3 appointments and putting off finishing a job until tommorrow, which puts me back more than a day. DICKS!!! This may seem petty to some, but all they had to do was give me a honest time assesment rather than get in, take there money, tell them anything. For over $700 I expect a little better.

well I had a terrible experience with sears, I always buy my electronics from there and couple months ago I bought a tv and a camcorder the sales person lied to me to make a sale I told him what I wanted and He sells me something completely different, anyways he told me my camcorder would record and play at dvd quality, I took it home tried it out, and it was grainy a 400 dollar camcorder, I was like what, so I took it back the sales man told me that it looked like that because of the lcd screen and that If i converted it to video it would be good quality, so i take it back and try it for a bit convert it and the samething so I take it back again and they tell me to give it to parts and repair service, so I wait another two weeks, and it comes back and they tell me thats how the camcorder is, omg this is terrible quality, IM pissed ive been lied to like always thats how they make their sale oh yea when I got my camcorder back from the repair service place it was scratched up, so I take it back it was passed my 30 days and theyre like we cant take it back, I was like I havent even payed for this camcorder yet why cant you take it back, well they didnt listen sent me back had me run around, so I was lied to and cheated money was not the problem, so I figure all sears associates are idiots and ill do my own research on a prodcut before buying, and if i go there to buy something and get asked can I help you im gonna be like no thanks ure an idiot u cant help me, sears is suppose to be a big company, theyre evil and greedy bastards, who dont know how to do good customer service, the manager was a dumbass i pleaded for him to take that piece of crap back but no, so in conclusion I hate sears and everyone that works there.

i work for one of their crappy side companys called the great indoors. they suck too. management is a joke, the training is substandard and the 10% discount is worthless on anything and offennsive. oh, and not to mention i have gotten paid more working at a gas station, and i'm hourly. i honestly feel sorry for all of your stories and i hope that k-mart/sears/the great indoors gets theirs in the end.

Anonymous @ store 1900

Many people have complained about sear's change in their return policy last year and failing to change the policy stated on the back of their receipts. So if you try to return something after 90 days, even though your receipt indicates "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" with no time limit stated, you will be denied.

This is sad and shows very poor customer service. sears should honor the policy stated on the back of their receipts. Why should the customer be penalized for sears failing to change their documentation in a timely fashion? As a result I will never shop at sears again, will encourage everyone I know to shop elsewhere and will take opportunities like this one to publicize this issue.

Hey sears, wake up!

Many people have complained about sear's change in their return policy last year and failing to change the policy stated on the back of their receipts. So if you try to return something after 90 days, even though your receipt indicates "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" with no time limit stated, you will be denied.

This is sad and shows very poor customer service. sears should honor the policy stated on the back of their receipts. Why should the customer be penalized for sears failing to change their documentation in a timely fashion? As a result I will never shop at sears again, will encourage everyone I know to shop elsewhere and will take opportunities like this one to publicize this issue.

Hey sears, wake up!

I am sorry to hear about your headaches. I am going through a very similiar issue with them. I bought a new dishwasher from Sears in Cary, NC about 2 weeks ago. Their installer did not call when he was supposed to so I called him. Then he showed up late for his appointment. He did not use a tarp and put a 4" scratch on my Brazillian Cherry Hardwoods in my kitchen AND the dishwasher does not work after he installed it. So, he told me no less than 5 times he would call me by the end of the day that same day to let me know when he would have a new dishwasher to swap out. He did not call. I called him at 7 PM and lm. He called the next day and said it would be the next week. TODAY, Sears called me to say the delivery to the dock was delayed and that it would be FRIDAY (3 weeks after I paid $700 for a dishwasher that does not work) before the installer could pick it up. Why are they calling me and not him? In short, they do suck but not as bad as Home Depot which is a whole nother blog.

If I ran my business like that, I would be bankrupt.

JJ

I am not generally the type that will do this sort of thing, but I need to tell you what happened to us.

Our Refrigerator, was purchased new from Sears when we bought the house. (We moved in on October 10 of '03) We noticed on Friday, May 19 that the temperature was going up and it was making a funny noise. So, we took everything out and put it in our basement fridge. (Luckily, we had one in the basement!) I called Sears to schedule them to come look at it. I held for more than 30 minutes to talk with someone. Pretty sure it was the compressor and told them so. I kept asking them if they wanted the fridge model number, but they just kept asking if it was the fridge we bought in December of 04. I kept saying no, we got it new with the house in October of 03. They said they had the info needed. We were scheduled to leave for vacation on Sunday the 21st, returning on the 24th.

So, we took the appointment for the afternoon of the 24th, leaving the north shore early in the a.m. so we could be home for them to come "between 1 and 4". They came at 4:30 with a part for a fridge that we didn't have. The two repairman who came couldn't find the info they needed on their computer, so I got out my MANUAL and showed it to them. They pulled the fridge out and had a look. They said it was the compressor. (Really). They unplugged the fridge and called in to order the part. I listened to the conversation and the part was scheduled to come on Friday and they were supposed to come back on Tuesday morning to repair it. Guess what? The part didn't come on Friday. Didn't come on Saturday. Got a call on Sunday night from Sears, telling me that the part was scheduled to come on TUESDAY and that they couldn't have someone come before Thursday morning. I told the woman that they'd better have me first on the list on Thursday morning and they should be here at 8:00. She assured me they would. The part finally came on Tuesday, and was marked FedEx for Saturday Delivery! Barry, my UPS man husband, noticed that the box was marked for delivery on the 26th by Fed Ex, then they slapped a Saturday Delivery label over it and delivered it on Tuesday.

So, Thursday morning, I waited. We were out of coffee so the wait was even worse. At 9:30, they called me telling me I was third on the list and would 11:00 be ok? I told them it most definitely would not. They said they'd be there in a half hour. Same two yahoos who came the week before. They had the part, and a pad to put under the fridge. They vacuumed behind the fridge and apparently replaced the compressor. Took them at least 15 minutes to get it to the right spot so the doors wouldn't wreck the cabinets. Then, the guy who seemed to be teaching the other one, noticed that the water hose that feeds the icemaker seemed to be loose and tightened it up. Seemed like a good thing to do. Got out the manual again so they could get the temperature set right and all seemed well. They were cleaning up and I finished getting ready to go and followed them out the door at about 11:00. (Imagine if they would have come at 11:00)

When I got home Thursday, with groceries, the fridge was cold and the freezer was freezing. All seemed well. Then Barry got home and looked. He of course noticed some huge scratches on our beautiful hardwood floor that weren't there when he left in the morning. So I got on the phone with the guy who "fixed" the fridge. He told me to call customer relations. He didn't seem to care. After another fifteen minutes of holding for Sears, I got on the phone with someone. They transferred me to the Customer Relations department where the person seemed to be at least a little reasonable. She told me that the Customer Relations department would call me and gave me the number.

This morning, I DIDN'T hear from Customer Relations, (shocked, aren't you?) so I called them. I told the person I finally got on the phone the whole story. She "understood that I was upset" and offered to have someone come and look at the floor next Thursday, between 8 and 12 or between 1 and 5. I really couldn't believe that they expected me to take more time off to be home and wait for them. I said that I would wait until Saturday, next week. Between 8 and 12. Really. I told them I would never purchase another thing at Sears. If we wouldn't have had to purchase from Sears because of the builder, I don't know that we would have before. I URGE GONYEA HOMES TO FIND ANOTHER VENDOR FOR APPLIANCES.

Unfortunately, I have to say, I went to Sears after work because the fridge needed a new water filter. The one in the basement (which we bought at Home Depot) needed a new filter as well and the young man in parts found the right one. It happened to be the same as the one for our sears fridge. I discovered that both were made by Maytag. The guy asked me how my day was going and I told him he really didn't want to know because I was mad at Sears. I gave him the short version. He gave me a third filter for free.

Then, tonight, I was just about home and Barry called, asking me where the camera was. I had it with me and hurried in. The kitchen floor, in front of the fridge was covered with water. Barry photographed it and then we cleaned it up. Nearly a gallon of water was on the floor, where we could reach. The floor is ruined. The water seeped into the floor and, we discovered, through the ceiling in our recently finished basement! I got on the phone, again, with Sears. I told the first person I spoke with to pull my account up and read all entries before I started. She did and then I told her the latest part of the saga. She asked me to hold and got Larry, who is apparently the "Man in Charge" of all of Sears Customer Relations. He said he had no supervisor that I could speak with. He said that I couldn't call the national vice-president in charge of Customer Relations. He basically told me that they could not get anyone out to our home until Thursday. I asked him if they were willing to replace our entire hardwood floor because they were going to wait for all the boards to warp and ruin the rest of the floor too. Were they going to repair the ceiling in our basement? He said that they could do what was necessary. I argued with him for at least ten minutes to try to get them to send someone before next Thursday. He said they couldn't. I did get the name of one person whom I will be calling on Monday.

So, what I am asking you to do is not shop at Sears. Tell everyone you know, send this email to them. I will definitely be telling everyone I know.

DT

Hello All,

If you would like a place to not only complain about Sears but learn what to do to solve the problem you are having with the company please check out

http://scottnwo0.tripod.com/

I feel better after reading all these posts. I just got off the phone with a Sears "customer service" (?????????) person and I am ready to strangle someone (preferably the sears lady on the phone I was talking to). Its my dishwasher brought from Sears ...I am trying to get some one to caome and look at it as it is making awful lot of noise (it is supposed to be this quiet zero noise dishwasher). Ong story short...finally a sears technicican is coming today...somtime between 8:00 a.m and 5:00 p.m !!! Whoever heard of 10 hr time window!!!! Which century are "they" living in.
So its a bautiful saturday...and I am stuck in house waiting for the technician....hopefully he will eventually turn up...possibly at 4:59 p.m :(((

THe funny part is that it reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer tries to get back at some cable guy by making him come to his apartment and wait for the whole day.

I realy really really hope that I get a similar chance to get back at SEars...

SEARS SUCKS.....BIG TIME

I hope its not too late to wholeheartedly agree with you that SEARS is a complete fraud. They base their trademark on some 50 year old perception that people have that "at SEARS, we service what we Sell". Total BS. I have a high end dryer that I bought there that beeps incessantly. In the middle of the night, it just starts beeping randomly...not even a nice pattern. The electronic touchpad is flawed on the thing...will Sears stand behind the bad engineering...no way. They have put up this customer service wall that you couldn't penetrate if you were the president of the United States. Under no circumstances, can a customer talk to someone who knows anything and never, I mean never acknowledge that a product has a defect. Say please and thank you and sorry as many times as possible while keeping the customer from boiling over but get him off the phone as fast as possible so you can be polite and useless to as many customers as possible in one day.
SEARS SUCKS. Honestly, I will never buy another product from them as long as I live...nor will anyone else I can convince.

I made an account just so I can post and say sears does in fact suck.

My mom bought a dishwasher from sears too that BROKE before the warranty ran out. She called them BEFORE the warranty was over to have it replaced but they said they were waiting to get more in.

My mom is VERY busy so she didn't pursue it and just assumed they would let her know when they get them.

Well finally she called and checked up on it, and they said it was to late to get it replaced now b/c her warranty was up. Even though her first call was before the warranty was over.

She ended up having to buy a new one (NOT FROM SEARS OF COURSE).. and this one hasn't torn up yet! (been a year or two)

I was simply amazed at just how bad it’s gotten with Sears. I co-own a business that also has a service component and we could never survive with an attitude like the one currently at Sears. In the last few months I’ve had two service issues with units purchased from the local Sears store and both issues had the same resolution…”You buy, you keepie.” The latest issue is still ongoing and involves our washing machine. We scheduled a service call two weeks ago for the machine because the agitator was slipping badly. The service technician was scheduled to arrive between 8 AM and 5 PM, so we had to remain available the entire day. At about 4:30 PM we get a call from the service department informing us that the technician’s previous service call was taking longer than expected and they would have to reschedule our appointment. The next available date was 10 days later. When we asked why, the representative said that was the next “open” date and that everyone else that was scheduled after our missed appointment was now ahead of us. When the service tech arrived 10 days later, the only person home was my wife. This technician (per my wife’s observation) apparently opened the agitator top and somehow broke the bolt off that secures the agitator to the shaft. My wife did not know this had happened, and neither did I until later. The technician then told my wife she needed new dog agitators and gave her two options. He said he could replace them at an ungodly fee, or she could order the parts and replace them herself. My wife then called me at the office and told me about the options. After hearing the price quote for the technician to install the parts, I wisely chose to do it myself. I ordered the parts the next day. When the parts arrived I began my quest to fix the unit. When I opened the top of the agitator and removed the sealing cap I was viewing the internal workings of the agitator for the first time ever. I spent at least 45 minutes trying to figure out how to remove the agitator without any success. I had no idea at that time the bolt that secured the assembly had been broken off down below the surface of the removable sections. There was nothing remaining in the cavity that would have revealed this. Apparently the broken pieces had been removed by the technician. Completely baffled, I took a picture of the opened assembly, printed it, and took it to the local Sears Repair Center to get some clarification of just what was going on. The clerks at the center opened a manual with photos showing pictured steps on installing the dog agits. Everyone there noticed the picture I took did not show the bolt head that should have been there and is necessary to facilitate removal of the assembly. One fella said “Someone must have broken the bolt off.” I returned home and immediately called the Sears Repair Center to schedule service to fix this problem. The representative said there would be no charge for this return visit. The technician that arrived for this appointment was a different one and immediately noticed that the bolt had been broken off. He asked my wife for the previous write-up she received from the original technician. She explained she never got one. In fact, the original technician never even gave her an invoice or a receipt for the service charge, even though he insisted she write him a check for $60 to cover the visit. The new technician then asked her how the previous one looked. When she told him, he immediately knew who it was and even called him by name. He said “Yeah, that’s the way Keith works. He never fills out any paperwork.” He then called his supervisor to get instructions on just what to do next. After the call the technician told us there was nothing he could do at this time and that the Sears Customer Relations department would be calling us to address this problem. Needless to say, I didn’t get a call from the Customer Relations department and, after a day or so, called the department myself to see what had happen. Of course no one knew anything about it and, after I went through the whole scenario with the representative, they again promised that they would get back with me. Eventually some guy named Todd called me at 5:03 PM on Friday and left a message on my home phone to call him. I tried the number he left and it just rang and rang and rang. I tried it again on Monday during working hours and it just rang and rang and rang. On Tuesday I tried it again and let it ring for at least 25 times before I finally gave up. On Wednesday I called again and some lady finally answered. I asked for Todd and she said she could not see him from her desk but would try to get him. She put me on hold. I must have been on hold for 15 minutes before I had to hang up.
I could go on and on with this, but you get the picture. At present the machine is still not fixed and these people from Sears Service have “not so politely” informed me that they are not going to fix it because they can’t verify if their technician actually broke the bolt. I supposed they asked him and you can guess what he said. We have obviously decided as a family that we will NEVER purchase anything from Sears ever again. And it doesn’t do any good to write letters to Sears National Customer Relations in Hoffman Estates, IL. They’re just as bad! It’s hard to get them to acknowledge that they ever received your letters. It’s all a cynical, heartbreaking game they’re playing with the previously loyal customers that put them where they are today. My prediction is that they are slowly becoming a footnote in the annals of department store history. They can’t last much longer like this.

Sears Sucks!
DEAN I canceled my sear sucking account today and i'm glad. they have been sucking money out of me since 1980 but know more... i had surgery in early may & i had account care on my sear sucking card my min. payment was 13.00 which they only made a payment of 10.14 in june & july but cause my min. was 13.00 they charged me two late fees of 29.00.I talk to sucking sears and account till i turn blue but they would only remove the two late fees but they cut my credit limit in half so i just cut my card in half and canceled my sears sucking card

to SO BEWARE OF SUCKING SEARS AND ACCOUNT CARE.

I feel your pain. Four years ago I purchased a Sears Kenmore Elite in addition to an oven/stove combo which totaled over $7,000 from Sears.
Yesterday, I scheduled an appointment for the refrigerator that is no longer working, which I certainly didn’t expect since Consume Reports had extremely high ratings – the very reason for the purchase. (It's internal temperature is a steady 58 degrees.) I scheduled a service call for 9/13/07 I was told the technician would be at my home between 1pm and 5 pm, and that he would call before arriving. If there was no answer he would not service, and I would have to reschedule. (Which put me in a position to have to speak to solicitors all day.) At 4:00 pm, a Sears representative called to inform me that NO ONE would be showing up to fix the appliance, and that I had to “reschedule”. I was astounded! The next closest appointment was 6 days away on 9/12, and then I have to be available ALL DAY! I was told since SOME of the parts are still under warranty, I am unable to call any other repair service, so I am technically held hostage by Sears. Everything that was in this state of the art refrigerator which we paid a couple of thousand dollars for has now spoiled.

I called to speak with the sales person who received the handsome commission from our purchase and it was no surprise that he was no longer there. I did speak with the Large Appliance Department Manager, Chris Devans, in the Danbury, CT store, who when I pleaded for assistance, told me, “there’s nothing I can do, it’s not my department.” So THAT's the best he can do??? Nice! I informed him that if that was the BEST he could do, that it certainly wasn't good enough, and not ony will this be the end of furture purchases from me, but I will tell the world about this experience and let others decide for themselves if they want to spend their money at an establishment that could care less about customer service. Well guess what, I will NEVER purchase another thing from ANY department in Sears, and I don’t recommend any one else to shop there either as they don’t give two cents about you once you’ve purchased the item.

They may have made money on this sale, but they most definitely LOST any future business from me, my friends, family, and any one else to whom I can relate this story.

I did a Google search for "Sears Sucks" and happened upon this blog!

I have never experienced such incompetence in my life. After purchasing a washer and dryer just the other day, they are picking both up tomorrow. I will never do business with this company again. It is too bad that a company with the brand recognition such as Sears doesn't get it. They have such an opportunity if they take notes from "Dell" about how to properly communicate with customers (and that is what we are right?). Is it too much to ask? I would absolutely love to hear from anyone that has had the "Sears Experience".

Wow... If anyone reads this, please read it well.
Lol, you'll probably stop reading it the minute I tell you I work for Sears. Yes it's true I see it going down a slippery slope, but there are those within Sears who wish it to thrive, and are doing their best to do so.

The biggest problem I see with Sears right now is communication. It has 800 stores with management everywhere. It's disorganized and disarrayed at times. Each part of Sears is a seperate entity onto itself. The Sears card, the retail level, the catalogue level, sears.com, delivery, service and repairs, sears parts shops, etc etc. It's so extensive, you have no idea. They have a immense problem with communication. These branches have a hard time talking to each other. You may call delivery, but they may not call you. You may call customer service but they won't call delivery, etc etc. This leaves room for huge amounts of errors going back and forth. I know, I've experienced it heavily while trying to coordinate complexed sales.

Lol, but the thing is, people only voice themselves when they're angry. When they're happy, they aren't as compelled with wrath as to smite Sears.

As for warranties. The key I will explain to this is, commission. Sears is a commission store. That means that the associate gains a bit of income every time something sells. From a socket set, to a tractor, to an appliance, to lands end clothing, to shoes, and warranties. Sears did this so that associates would better serve the needs of the consumers and do everything in their power to make them happy, since it's their money at stake. However, commission also leaves room for greed, and other such bad intentions. I speculate that's why Bestbuy is not a commission store and why circuit city has canceled their commission. It has it's ups and downs.

Have you gone to Home Depot and noticed how no one really helps you? Or go to Bestbuy and sometimes see the associates answer your questions, but don't stick around if you got others? Not to say bad about them, I'm just making a point about the type of salary their associates are on.

Anyways, at Sears, that is why they want to complete the sale. The warranties, aren't a complete waste of money. You just have to know what they cover and which products you really should get covered.

You see, there are three different kinds of warranties. Master, Repair, and Replacement.

Master is pretty much the Home Protection warranty. Which means that the service guys come to you. That's what Mallika has. Well, in that contract, it covers preventative maintenance. Once a year, she can call Sears out to have a looky at her product to make sure that in the future it does not break. They're going to try to make sure it's fixed well because if it breaks, they'll loose money to have to come back to fix it. With this, it also deters deceitful repairmen who trick you into getting "the works" when all you need is much simpler. I recommend all my customers to use this to the fullest, because things need to be lubricated, checked, and what not. You wouldn't run your car without getting maintenance here or there. The service is pretty much the cost of 1.5 of these trips. Also the service is covered (however long it takes them to get there though >__>). Also if they can't fix it, the repairman will give you a code to give to the sales associate to redeem all the money that the product was worth. All that you paid, plus the tax, or the same exact model again. Up to $1500 though, so on more expansive items, it's best to get the same product, or the new version of it. For example, if you buy a frig, and it was $1500, and service on it was $400. Well, let's say it breaks on the 3rd year and the repairman can't fix it. You just gained another $1500 frig for $400 my friend.

Peace of mind. The reason it's peace of mind is this. If you buy it, but don't end up using the service even once. Well... what are you complaining about? The product held up it's end of the bargain and lasted you as long as it did, with out any hassles. And if you bought it and it breaks...? Well... you have that warranty to fall back on.

Ever notice why consumer reports say that extended warranties are a worst investment? Or how most of the consumers never really regain their profit from it? Well, because they're almost never needed, and the consumers who do make the profit, used it. I hope that wasn't confusing...

I'm about to tell you a kicker too =). You CAN cancel your warranty within the manufacturer's defect warranty you know, and get your FULL money back. And in five states, if they dont' comply wtih that refund within 30 days, well it says RIGHT on the contract, that it will have to pay a 10% extra penalty to YOU. Well, G, Sears can't keep up with it's communications very well... Hmm... I guess some people will probably get that extra 10% won't they? Free money, whoopie. So, what I'm trying to say is, get the warranty at first, if you see it fit. If you end up using the product heavily, I suggest you keep it. If you for some reason, don't use it was much or as heavily as you thought, or it's importance is no longer relevant, whatever the case, you CAN cancel it.

Consumers want all their items to be invincible and last 15 years. Well... that's not always possible my friends. However, a lot of people come into Sears, telling me how the stuff they bought lasts for years and years. And there are others who come in the next day angry because it broke already.

Heehee, if you go on reviews of other stores, you'll find as much gripe about other stores as Sears. Trust me, I've done the research. Like I said, customers dominately voice their anger.

I have to wrap this up, I can go on and on, on why things are the way they are, or solutions to help. However, it's long enough already.
If you have any questions about sears, their warranties, products, sales, delivery, policies, whatever, or how it's being crappy to you, I can probably try to help ya =). I'm mkstragon@hotmail.com. Keep in mind, I'm a 17 year old boy, however, I strive to serve my customer's needs to the best of my ability. I give them the facts, I help them no matter how trivial the problem, and I try to ignore the commission and just help.

I am...
Sears Lawn and Garden, Sporting Goods, Toys, Holiday products, Patio, BBQs, and minor in tools.
Just keep in mind that questions aimed towards anything other, I probably won't be able to answer. However, I know most of Sears's policies pretty well.

Wow... If anyone reads this, please read it well.
Lol, you'll probably stop reading it the minute I tell you I work for Sears. Yes it's true I see it going down a slippery slope, but there are those within Sears who wish it to thrive, and are doing their best to do so.

The biggest problem I see with Sears right now is communication. It has 800 stores with management everywhere. It's disorganized and disarrayed at times. Each part of Sears is a seperate entity onto itself. The Sears card, the retail level, the catalogue level, sears.com, delivery, service and repairs, sears parts shops, etc etc. It's so extensive, you have no idea. They have a immense problem with communication. These branches have a hard time talking to each other. You may call delivery, but they may not call you. You may call customer service but they won't call delivery, etc etc. This leaves room for huge amounts of errors going back and forth. I know, I've experienced it heavily while trying to coordinate complexed sales.

Lol, but the thing is, people only voice themselves when they're angry. When they're happy, they aren't as compelled with wrath as to smite Sears.

As for warranties. The key I will explain to this is, commission. Sears is a commission store. That means that the associate gains a bit of income every time something sells. From a socket set, to a tractor, to an appliance, to lands end clothing, to shoes, and warranties. Sears did this so that associates would better serve the needs of the consumers and do everything in their power to make them happy, since it's their money at stake. However, commission also leaves room for greed, and other such bad intentions. I speculate that's why Bestbuy is not a commission store and why circuit city has canceled their commission. It has it's ups and downs.

Have you gone to Home Depot and noticed how no one really helps you? Or go to Bestbuy and sometimes see the associates answer your questions, but don't stick around if you got others? Not to say bad about them, I'm just making a point about the type of salary their associates are on.

Anyways, at Sears, that is why they want to complete the sale. The warranties, aren't a complete waste of money. You just have to know what they cover and which products you really should get covered.

You see, there are three different kinds of warranties. Master, Repair, and Replacement.

Master is pretty much the Home Protection warranty. Which means that the service guys come to you. That's what Mallika has. Well, in that contract, it covers preventative maintenance. Once a year, she can call Sears out to have a looky at her product to make sure that in the future it does not break. They're going to try to make sure it's fixed well because if it breaks, they'll loose money to have to come back to fix it. With this, it also deters deceitful repairmen who trick you into getting "the works" when all you need is much simpler. I recommend all my customers to use this to the fullest, because things need to be lubricated, checked, and what not. You wouldn't run your car without getting maintenance here or there. The service is pretty much the cost of 1.5 of these trips. Also the service is covered (however long it takes them to get there though >__>). Also if they can't fix it, the repairman will give you a code to give to the sales associate to redeem all the money that the product was worth. All that you paid, plus the tax, or the same exact model again. Up to $1500 though, so on more expansive items, it's best to get the same product, or the new version of it. For example, if you buy a frig, and it was $1500, and service on it was $400. Well, let's say it breaks on the 3rd year and the repairman can't fix it. You just gained another $1500 frig for $400 my friend.

Peace of mind. The reason it's peace of mind is this. If you buy it, but don't end up using the service even once. Well... what are you complaining about? The product held up it's end of the bargain and lasted you as long as it did, with out any hassles. And if you bought it and it breaks...? Well... you have that warranty to fall back on.

Ever notice why consumer reports say that extended warranties are a worst investment? Or how most of the consumers never really regain their profit from it? Well, because they're almost never needed, and the consumers who do make the profit, used it. I hope that wasn't confusing...

I'm about to tell you a kicker too =). You CAN cancel your warranty within the manufacturer's defect warranty you know, and get your FULL money back. And in five states, if they dont' comply wtih that refund within 30 days, well it says RIGHT on the contract, that it will have to pay a 10% extra penalty to YOU. Well, G, Sears can't keep up with it's communications very well... Hmm... I guess some people will probably get that extra 10% won't they? Free money, whoopie. So, what I'm trying to say is, get the warranty at first, if you see it fit. If you end up using the product heavily, I suggest you keep it. If you for some reason, don't use it was much or as heavily as you thought, or it's importance is no longer relevant, whatever the case, you CAN cancel it.

Consumers want all their items to be invincible and last 15 years. Well... that's not always possible my friends. However, a lot of people come into Sears, telling me how the stuff they bought lasts for years and years. And there are others who come in the next day angry because it broke already.

Heehee, if you go on reviews of other stores, you'll find as much gripe about other stores as Sears. Trust me, I've done the research. Like I said, customers dominately voice their anger.

I have to wrap this up, I can go on and on, on why things are the way they are, or solutions to help. However, it's long enough already.
If you have any questions about sears, their warranties, products, sales, delivery, policies, whatever, or how it's being crappy to you, I can probably try to help ya =). I'm mkstragon@hotmail.com. Keep in mind, I'm a 17 year old boy, however, I strive to serve my customer's needs to the best of my ability. I give them the facts, I help them no matter how trivial the problem, and I try to ignore the commission and just help.

I am...
Sears Lawn and Garden, Sporting Goods, Toys, Holiday products, Patio, BBQs, and minor in tools.
Just keep in mind that questions aimed towards anything other, I probably won't be able to answer. However, I know most of Sears's policies pretty well

Well, well, well. Surprise! Sears' latest earnings performance and overall sales numbers indicate a company in rapid decline. Who would have thought? I guess the new management style, sanctioned by Lambert himself, is paying it's rightful dividends. Old adage: "Treat customers like dogs and you may get bitten." Frankly I hope the folks in charge of management fail to take this hint and continue to allow the company to treat customers like door mats. I wonder if they learned these management tactics in Shanghai?

I feel for you. I have worked for The Great Indoors for a fews years in that time I have seen my share of customers get sublevel service. Even if you help a customer your wrong. Had a customer whos frig was 1 week old and it went. The dept mgr replaced it and then the GM killed him and said they should have used service. Use service is 1 week old!!!! The place is a joke, HR never reviews policy when you are hired just puts you in front of some computer to learn. So you hit the floor after a week making love to some computer and when you make a mistake some manager is killing you or even better security wants to make you another stat for there books. They say they want to make a life relationship with the customer and do the right thing but how can they when do these things: First, it was the changing of the return policy to 90 days and a restocking fee of 15%. The reason was to keep 1 millon in the bank each year from bad returns. I guess a customer not being happy means nothing to a compnay that over charges for items. Next, those service contracts for appliances are a joke....Ohh you did not buy one sorry can't help you have to call service. Ohh you do have one.....sorry service cant come out for two weeks so call the store and see if they can help you. Like the store just happeneds to have someone in the building who knows how to replace a compressor in the frig just in time for Xmas. Sears service is a joke $65 just to walk into you house to tell you its broken, then they have to order a part then install then ask for more money then the item is worth band new. Even better they are too lazy to fix it they come to your house and say call the store cause you need a new one. Service always justs puts the blame on the store and frustrates the customer. Even better is the delivery team. You buy something and have it scheduled for one day. The night before they call and say you will get it the next day. The next day you wait all day and then call to find out its not coming and they tell you to call the store for help. Its no wonder Kmart purchased them and the entire Corp is going under and they will be in chapter 11 real soon.

I purchased a Fridge from The Great Indoors and got the experience described by KuntaLeroy above. Over the last 30 years I've purchased 10s of thousands of dollars in appliances, tools, clothing, etc. from Sears. Amazing they would blow that level of customer loyalty over a refrigerator that was obviously poorly manufactured and "under warranty". Going without the fridge was not an option for my family with kids, so I called in a repairman. Turns out he worked for Sears for 10 years. I paid a little more than what it would have cost for sears with the service charge, bloated labor charge, etc. and it was fixed the same day (instead of the 2 week runaround). It is now clear to me they no longer back their products, and are producing inferior products (as confirmed by the repairman). Good luck trying to talk to anyone at Sears who cares.

Obviously I am not alone in having trouble getting Sears to repair appliances under warranty.

I'm beginning to wonder just how bad Sears finances are.

On December 20th I called in to schedule a repair on a malfunctioning dishwasher...and I just got off the phone where I was told Feb 6th would now be the earliest date for repair. That is one and one-half months!

An appointment had been set for last Friday but Thursday at 8 pm Sears called to cancel it because "no technician was available." Originally I was told the dishwasher would be serviced on Monday but I subsequently was informed that in fact I would have to wait until Feb 6th!

You hear that Sears had been "KMarted" since the acquisition by KMart and, apparently, that is becoming true.

I'm probably buying a new washer-dryer later this year and one store that will not get a penny of that business is Sears. Something has gone very wrong with the company!

Hello,
I am a customer service Rep for the sears credit cards.
I have to let all of you know that I am totally sick to my stomach at how Citi treats their customers. I sit there call after call listening to problems that people have with their cards. It makes me sick that the lowest interest rate that I have seen is at a " Low" 18% and the "highest" I have seen is at 33%. Oh how I wish I could lower the interest. How do they expect most to pay of their cards???? No, the big picture is to keep you all there sinking in debt.... being in bondage to your cards.
Those of you that call or cancel your cards because of your interest being so high have every right to be upset!!!
For all that do not know this but Sear was bought out by K-mart... Most do not know this. Sear is not sear but is k-mart with the name Sears. This was told to us in training.
So for those who have noticed that the quaility of service in the sears store a has gone from decent service to almost nothing but the run around, non-caring, bad quaility... that is the reason.
If I were a sears card holder I would cancel it fast!!!! you are dealing with a money grubbing company that does not care about their customers. As a customer service person we are told to talk with you the customer for only 5 minutes tops and try to sell you something to make you go futher in to debt.
Yes, I am searching for another job with a company that care about their customers... I am at the point now that I am agreeing with everybody who complains to me about their sears cards.... I have done everything to try to educate those who are lucky to get to talk to me . I am expecting the manager to fire me any day now, since I tell all and congradulate those who close their cards.

feel free to contact me if you want to know me more about your credit card you have with Sears.
your caring customer service rep

FINALLY A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SAY, "SEARS TRULY SUCKS".

I have had nothing but problems for the past 3 years with sears. I was scheduled a repair on my freezer today and they said they could not contact me because my mailbox was full on my cell phone. The alternate phone was my aunt next door and it was a house phone because my house phone is out of service. Therefore I know the tech lied and did not even call. Also 2 weeks ago I dropped off a sewing machine that they said would go out the next day for repair and found out it did not go out til the end of the next week. Sitting here arguing with them about when I dropped it off, (as I was looking at my repair receipt with the date that I dropped it off) they told me I was wrong that it was not the date it was dropped off. Then they tell me the person who takes care of all of that had to leave early and didn't get to my repair and that was why it was put off til the next week.
Sears needs to get an understanding of customer service and take a class on just what it means.

I have written 3 emails to them and I will never deal with sears for appliances of electronics I will go to best buy for it all. At least when you make an appointment with them they do come out or at least call and not lie about calling when they didn't. I think the Tech was just too lazy to come out on the last service call so he lied and said he could not reach anyone.

Sear no more for me....That is a fact.

Sears does suck indeed! We bought a refrigerator from there about 13 months ago. We had some issues at the time we bought it (involving the delivery, wrong manual being provided, etc) but kept the refrigerator. What a mistake! Just 13 months after buying it, the thing has died. The motor is running, but only lukewarm air is coming out. It is a Kenmore model # 253-65802-508. The customer service we received from Sears was even worse. Because we had had issues with the product while under warranty, we expected them to send someone out at no charge. But they want to charge us $65 just to get someone out to assess the problem. To make matters worse, they cannot give us any definitive answer on what is covered under some mysterious 5 year warranty that covers "functional parts." The whole experience has been horrible. We even contacted the CEO's office and they refused to do anything. So, 13 months after spending almost $600 on a new refrigerator and we will already have to probably buy a new one. We WILL NOT be buying from Sears. They have horrible customer service and horrible products. I would HIGHLY recommend people to STAY AWAY from Sears.

Here is another sears employee trying to let people know that there is still some integrity left with sears. i am a sears repair tech. i know all about the policies and warranties. but one thing everyone seems to have forgotton, there is no such thing as kenmore. sears doesnt make any products. every manufacturer does. the 253 fridge in the prior is actually made by fridgidaire. while we do the repairs under warranty, we still have to get paid. we have to follow guidelines put forth by the manufacturer. the 5 yr warranty on functional parts are only if you purchased a sears master protection agreement. manufactureres only give you a 1 yr on functional parts. in cases of fridges if your lucky, you might get a 5yr on sealed system repairs, while they are now switching to 1 yr sealed system. afunctional part is anything that actually performs a functio. cosmetic parts are cover(unless customer abuses product) for 1 yr. there was a time a customer bought a fridge. picked up and delivered himself, dropped it down the stairs ripping off the static coil, and guess what???? sears replaced it. was it sears fault that the guy was an idiot andbit off more than he can chew???no, but it was replaced anyways. alot of you do have valid concerns, but alot wants something for nothing. if you go to any other appliance store and have a problem, they tell you to call the manufacturer. sometimes even the next day. we cannot cover things even 1 day out of the warranty. that goes with getting something for nothing. you are contacted many times b4 your warranties are up about purchasing somekind of an agreement. there is even a sears smart agreement where you spend 250 B4 we come out. and your covered for 500 dollars in repairs, and if exceeds you can get a 500 dollr voucher towards a new appliance. you wont get the same treatment ANYWHERE else. does sears suck? yeah in some cases it does. but overall they dont suck nearly as much as most other, if not all other appliance stores.

sears does suck they installed a new dishwasher at my house broke the water line and failed to tell us each time it was used it flooded my basement this went on for a week before we knew 20k in damages including the kitchen floor which had water under it and popped the tiles when I contacted sears they said and I quote ... we didnt install it ! hmmm my receipt shows 150.00 charge for installation .. there just sub contractors you have to call them long story short 1 year and an attorney to get the damages paid .. Sears can go screw !!!!

Sears does suck. We spent $2,500 on appliances. We have had 5 service calls on our front loading clothes washer. (Kenmore). Each time they visited they didn't have the part. One time they needed two men because the units are stackable. You'd think they'd know that seeing they have our account handy?? One service man yelled, yes yelled at my wife because there was a sock stuck in the dryer belt and wheel and that's why it wouldn't spin. As though we intentionally put it there?! How it got into that compartment we may never know........ anyway this jerk had some nerve yelling at her as though we inconvenienced him! Now the washer is broken after being fixed last week for the same thing. The water level reaches the max and shuts off just fine. The washer doesn't go to the next cycle and they only fix the control panel... figure it out. It is the water level sensor not telling the controller to progress to the next cycle....no? After this repair I am selling the stackables and buying a Bosche, (spelling). As I understand it they are more reliable and I am also going with a local company with their own service men. Their extended warrentee protection plan is also cheaper, $90 for five years. Good by SEARS. You suck,your service sucks and your salesmen lie also. I am in total agreement with the original post on this one...Thanks, I needed to vent also. T.

The Sears in Waco, TX along with its manager really suck! My brand new Kenmore washing machine went out 3 and a half months ago and I'm still waiting on the part. A service man finally came out a few weeks ago just to tell me it was broke. Duh! The dumb ass manager at our local store said the machine went out because I wash too much (I wash twice a week.) I wish Sears would do us all a favor and close its doors and do it while the manager has his head in the doorway. I hate Sears with a passion! It along with all of its managers and CEO suck BIG time!