Sears - your experience?

[Max]

Hi, Folks.

Just want to know what your thoughts on Sears are? I have two complaints and I want to know if we're just unlucky or if they treat everyone the same.

1. last year we bought a new Kenmore fridge. They took away our old unit and installed the new one. The new one was busted but we didn't find that out until after 12 hours by which time the freezer should be 0. It never got anywhere near that. Called Sears and they said they could do nothing for 9 days. That was their soonest appointment for a repair. My wife said she didn't want a repair, she wanted a new one and we got one about a week later. Pretty pathetic that they expect a family to go without refrigeration.

2. a couple of years ago we got a new Knemore Elite dishwasher. After about a year the rinse aid dispenser cap came lose, fell off and was melted beyond usefulness on the heater element. I bought a new one for about $30 which included shipping. Less than a year later the same thing has happened again. We're not idiots and we know how to use a dishwasher. Once I could put down to human error - maybe - but not twice. Now I have to pay another $30 to get a new one. I contacted customer support by e-mail and they saif they could do nothing. No surprise there. Sears customer support seems to do all they can not to be supportive. I'm going up to the store we bought the appliance from to see what they say face to face.

I'm thinking that I am never going to buy from Sears again for a major appliance unless I'm convinced that everywhere else is just a bad. So, is it just me? Is it just Sears? Does anyone have a recommendation of where to go for major appliances? Are the mom and pop shops more expensive but better quality of service?

Cheers, Max

[leodlion]

I've bought large and small appliances from Sears and they are just fine. Once ina while you get a lemon from just about anybody. I think your experience is just that.
I have a frige bought from Best Buy that never work right. There is a class action suit against this Amana frige because of a faulty freezer section. I have problems with a previous frige also. So, it happens to everybody.

[Max]

I've bought large and small appliances from Sears and they are just fine. Once ina while you get a lemon from just about anybody. I think your experience is just that.
I have a frige bought from Best Buy that never work right. There is a class action suit against this Amana frige because of a faulty freezer section. I have problems with a previous frige also. So, it happens to everybody.

OK, I accept that we've just had bad luck and that not all the appliances are bad but it's their customer service I'm really mad about. I spoke to everyone that I could, I went up as high as they would let me and yet nobody could say anything other than, "I'm sorry" when I asked them, "What am I supposed to do without a fridge for 9 days?!?!". One lady gave me two suggestions:
1. buy some dry ice,
2. use a neighbours fridge.

Both sterling suggestions.

After that episode it annoys me even more that I need to shell out for more spare parts through no fault of my own and again customer service can do nothing about it. What purpose does that department even serve? It's certainly not to offer service to customers.

[mrcaptainbob]

Fridge issue..

The next step may be to approach the BBB. Make sure you have all documents as to when you called, and whom you spoke with. THe more info the better. BBB requires an opportunity be given to the store to make good. Sounds like you did that, several times. I'd pursue it in this direction. Possibly a letter to BBB and a CC to Sears Customer Support. (An attention getter.)

[Max]

The next step may be to approach the BBB. Make sure you have all documents as to when you called, and whom you spoke with. THe more info the better. BBB requires an opportunity be given to the store to make good. Sounds like you did that, several times. I'd pursue it in this direction. Possibly a letter to BBB and a CC to Sears Customer Support. (An attention getter.)

That's not a bad idea, Captain.

My wife asked me this morning, "where is the rinse aid cap?". I hadn't removed it. Found it in the bottom of the dishwasher. Next time I buy one I am going to drill a hole in it and attach it to the door with a piece of fishing line or something so that if it does fall out at least it won't be ruined.

A friend told me a good way to get free spare parts is to simply go shopping and look at the floor models.

[HayZee518]

sears products can be a pain in the ------ . their products are manufactured by other companies and they slap their sears logo on them. replacement parts come from the original manufacturer not sears.
oft time the after market replacement parts are BETTER than sears and last a lot longer.