I bought many major appliances from Sears. Main issue is with the electric digital Kenmore range and the subsequent service problems: 1) Problem 1: I placed aluminum foil in the oven (as everyone does in every single oven I've ever heard of or anyone else I know has ever heard of). Wrong move for this oven. It caught on fire and started to melting to the ceramic oven bottom piece damaging it. Every time I used it afterwards, it would smoke up a storm and stink to high heaven. The manual says to NOT use the selfclean function after this because it coudl start a fire. So I didn't use that function of course. I later read in the manual the 5 million ways you should not put aluminum foil in this oven. I read my user manuals but who needs to read one regarding basic aluminum foil. So I had to pay almost another $200.00 to get the new oven bottom replacement piece (since it was my fault of course, they said, for putting foil in an oven!) 2) Problem 2: they charge me for the screws that come with the new oven bottom piece because the screws don't come with the piece (of course. why would the actual screws that keep the part in place come with the part!) 3) Problem 3: they say it's easy to fix, just remove the 2 screws currently there, replace the new piece and screw it in with the new screws. Problem is they don't tell you that the screws that came with the original oven bottom part are not normal screws. They're not flatheads, their not philipsheads, it turns out there some kind of squareheads. Naturally everyone I know has squarehead screwdrivers in their toolbox, don't you?! So I couldn't get them out and neither could anyone else I knew. So I couldn't replace the part until I needed to call the service guy for something else. 4) Problem 4: out of the blue, some of the electronic buttons on the display range start turning on by themselves. Hey, no big deal. Why would this be a big deal? I mean just because there's nothing to stop the oven from completely turning on by itself so the oven gets hot, burns down my house, burns down the neighbors' houses and all living things in and around them, I get sued so I'm forced to sue Sears. Guess it's not a big deal after all, right? 5) Problem 5: I call Sears service to have them come out and fix the problem (luckily, they say, I'm just still under the warrantee...gee, lucky me, right?) So I call them, tell them the problem and they say they're scheduling someone to come out. Of course they tell you it's a 4-hour window which, since I'm a consultant, is no big deal. It's only that if I don't work I don't get paid that's the tiny little problem. So I wait around for almost the full 4 hours when the guy arrives, walk to the oven and asks me to show him the problem. It took 2 seconds for me turn the button on and tell him the oven was doing that all by itself and he told me he needed to order some new parts. So I said you mean you don't have the parts with you!? I just scheduled an appointment and waited almost 4 hours only for you to take 4 seconds to verify the problem and tell me I have to kill another 4 hours and lose more pay on another day? He said yes. I had no choice. So he schedules it for another day and I request he come first thing in the morning so I don't miss anymore work (ie. pay). He says they'll put a note in the file to that effect. That 2nd appointment day comes and goes with no one showing up and no phone calls. I called various people at different times and at different levels and got one of a host of excuses: 1) he'll be there at 10 2) he'll be there by 11 3) we don't know when he'll be there 4) the truck broke down 5) he'll be there after 12:30, etc., etc., etc.... I told them he can come at 12:30 all he likes, I just won't be there because I had to go to work! So he could take his sweet time and enjoy the scenic route and get a lovely view of my front door because I wouldn't be there. Their response: well ma'am if you can't be there we'll just have to reschedule! So I get to do this yet another day! Are you still with me?! I asked to speak with supervisors and they either disconnected the call, said they were transferring me and permanently kept me on hold or told me they had no idea who their supervisor was!? Lies, lies and all lies! So they tell me they'll reschedule for the next day and I said it absolutely has to be first thing in the morning because I have to go to work, they didn't show up at all the day before with no calls, no real explanations, etc. and I couldn't afford to do this again. Again they say they'll put the note in the file. The 3rd appointment day comes and almost goes! No one shows up, no one calls. So again I start calling and get the same issues as the prior day. I get to a certain higher level of consumer complaint dept and they promise to resolve the issue but all they could do was have me wait until the service guy arrived (i.e. between 8 and 12) and offer me a $50 gift certificate to Sears! So they think that having me wait around again with no guarantees of them showing up and offering me the privilege of spending more money in their store was going to make me happy?! So I even call up to corporate complaint dept and ultimately got the exact same response. I got hung up on, transferred, kept on hold, told I had to wait that same time of 8-12 or if I left they'd have to reschedule and do it all over again, etc, etc, etc. Their final offer to make it right? That same $50 gift certificate to Sears! They said that was their final offer and they're not authorized to reimburse for lost wages or even credit my Sears card any amount of money at all! (we're talking not even $.25 cents!) Absolutely unbelieval and unprofessional. I've never in all my life had a problem with a major corporation like this, moved the complaint up to higher levels after serious consumer problems, didn't demand anything unreasonable at all and got this kind of "couldn't give a ***" response. by this time they're really apologetic, they ask what they can do to make it right (assuming you're being reasonable in your requests) and resolve it (e.g. credit your account, etc.) I have to tell you I'm still in shock and am shocked that a company like Sears could even still be in business by treating customers this way who've done nothing wrong but sit around waiting for their service to NOT arrive and all they'd do is offer me the privilege of spending another $50 at a Sears store!! Before this service issue problem I actually paid for an extended service warranty on the oven and other major appliances I'd also bought from Sears. Why should I pay for an extended warranty if I can't even get service that I'm already covered for under the regular warranty?! It's a ripoff and this corporation obviously doesn't give a you-know-what and I'm completely shocked that a corporation like this can function this way and is completely okay with it! Can you imagine if you or I ran a company like this? We'd be run into the ground, run out of business, run out of town and sent to jail!
I want to thank all those who responded to my complaint about Sears terrible service. I will follow up on all suggestions.
FYI it is 1-12-11 and my problem has yet to be fixed. Again thanks again
I forgot to give you there Sears home office number were you can get a live person. Tell them what your going to do and give them one more chance to make it right. 847-286-****
Take your complaint to your states attorney general and file a complaint against Sears and name there ceo Eddie Lampert. It wont cost you anything but a little time.Sears hates these kind of complaints and will get you fixed.Next time use your local heat and air services,they will treat you better.
how can i make sears accountable for their faulty equipment they just installed in my home. They installed a new gas furnace that doesn't provide adequate heat. I need help.