Got to love Sears

[Dave Lehnert]

First off I have to say I like Sears. We have a Sears hardware store close to the house and it is a great place to pick things up. I am not mad or anything just have to smile.

I have been looking to pick up a Craftsman power screwdriver so I get an e-mail that say "All Craftsman power tools on sale" Here is the ad with exclusions.

All Craftsman Power Tools, Tool Storage and Mechanic's Tool Sets on sale thru 07/05/2008. Excludes Great Price items, and closeouts.

Now the item I am looking at is not a closeout or great price item but yet it is not on sale. And so neither is a lot of tools. So I shoot off an e-mail asking what is the deal. I get one e-mail back that say in short "Hey! Your right, Not sure why the price is wrong" Said to buy it anyway and they will adjust the price for me. So I send an e-mail back "what is the sale price" They reply "39.99" ???? that is the regular price. So I shoot off another e-mail. Reply-Not everything is on sale. I send them the ad in bold above. They reply back- Sorry you misunderstood that not everything is on sale.

What am I misunderstanding???????

[Billy Chambless]

If you're misunderstanding anything, it's that Sears ain't what it used it be.

[Pat Germain]

[RANT] I also like Sears. I have a pretty large collection of mechanic's tools and almost all of them are Craftsman. I've been collection them for twenty years and I'm quite happy with my mechanic's tools.

Lately, Sears is making it hard for me to support them. In addition to dubious ads like mentioned above, they're making the same mistake as Radio Shack and other long-time retailers. They're abandoning their traditional customers and trying to sell the same things everyone else is selling.

When K-Mart purchased Sears, my local K-Mart store put in a "Craftsman/Kenmore" section. "Sa-weet!" I thought. I won't have to drive to the stupid mall to buy and exchange Craftsman stuff. Wrong. I got around to visiting that new section. It's mostly flat screen TVs. There's also a limited selection of appliances and some lower end air compressors. The hand tool selection was bare-bones; sets only, as I recall.

Why is Sears focusing so hard on televisions? Sure, some folks may buy one and put it on their Sears charge card. Other than that, every other retailer is offering the same hardware at the same price. That market is saturated. So why bother?

If Sears would quit putting the accountants in charge, they'd find somebody in the company who would fill those K-Mart Craftsman stores with every hand tool they sell, every portable power tool they sell, and a parts window. Surely, somebody at Sears has to know if people realize they can drive just down the street and get parts and support for Sears hardware, they're much more likely to buy at Sears.

As usual, it seems the Sears accountants assume everyone is a dolt who just throws out anything that stops working. I understand there's probably not much profit in running a parts and support window. What doesn't show up on the spreadsheet is that window will sell a lot of tools and appliances and more than pay for itself! [/RANT]

[John Keeton]

Here is my sears story, and the basis for my self-imposed boycott on Sears. In this home, and in our previous, we purchased all Kenmore appliances. After 2 years, the hinges on our kitchen range just plan wore out. Please keep in mind that there are only 2 of us, and we were eating out 2-3 times a week, so overuse wasn't an issue! This seemed a simple repair, so I got on the website, ordered some hinges, but with some hesitancy as it was difficult to tell if I was getting 2 hinges, or 2 pairs. Not to worry, the website stated clearly that returns would be gladly taken at any Sears Service center.

As feared, I received 2 pairs. Installed the one pair, and took the other pair to the local Sears Repair Center. They refused to take them back, telling me that it was a mail order item. I said, sure it is, it's in the original box, and the website said I could return them here. With a good deal of arrogance he told me again, NO!

My response was that we had furnished 2 homes with all new appliances, and had purchased several other tools, clothing and other items over the years. But if this was their new policy on customer service he could rest assured I would never step foot in a Sears store again, and would tell everyone that gave me an opportunity. He said that wasn't his concern. I replied that he just made the choice much easier.

Haven't missed them a bit! And, I won't look back. It certainly is not the same Sears of bygone years!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Funny thing....I asked about the buyout at my local Sears and was informed Sears bought Walmart?

I used to be Sears best advertisement and customer. During the 8 years I was in the USN, I bought everything at Sears. The sign over the door said "Satisfaction Guaranteed". I even worked for Sears on the loading docks of their Meridian, MS store. I bought my first Steel belted radials in the early 70's Roadhandlers IIRC...made by Michelan. I bought furniture, tvs, clothes at Sears. There was a Sears store everywhere the USN sent me.

I don't go there much anymore.

I'm going to look for the sign over the door the next time I go.

It's certainly changed.

[Steven Wilson]

Dave, it's Sears and Craftsman power tools serve up the same level of quality as their advertisements. They did you favor.

[Wade Lippman]

Don't ask me; I haven't even looked at an ad since they jerked me around on the drill press last year.
The only two tools I have bought there (a cms and a grinder) were both POS.

[jerry nazard]

I cannot [rant] think of one reason [rant] that I would ever again want a Sears tool. Even if the tool was OK, it has NO WARRANTY if used commercially. Even if the tool was OK and had a warranty, you still have to deal with Sears.

End of rant. Thanks, I needed that....

[Matt Meiser]

As I was walking into our local Sears store this past week to exchange a ratchet, I noticed that the Satisfaction Guaranteed sign over the door was gone.

[Robert McGowen]

Saw a deal on HTC mobile bases in the Deals forum. HTC was selling them direct and you had to call them to order. The ad on their website said "original model designs that cannot be sold through our retooled current product line." For $20 each and $9.95 total shipping for 3 of them, I figured it was a deal. Amazon is selling the same model for around $50 each. I received them today and they are all brand new, ready to go units. The kicker is that they are all labeled "Craftsman" and still in the Crafstman boxes. I guess they can sell them for $50+ if they call them HTC bases, but can only sell them for $20 if they call them Craftsman bases. Gotta tell you something........

[Bill Wyko]

Is it Black & Decker? Because they will say that's NOT craftsman. I went through that with them before.

[Bruce Page]

I have bought a lot of Sears products in the past including my first tablesaw, sanders (lots of them) routers, appliances, etc.
My current Sears philosophy, which I’ve had for several years, is simple, I don’t buy anything from them that in any way uses electricity to function.

[Don Morris]

Sounds like a letter to the Better Business Bureau with a complaint that Sears is guilty of false advertising with a copy to Sears might get their attention.

[Dave Lehnert]

Sounds like a letter to the Better Business Bureau with a complaint that Sears is guilty of false advertising with a copy to Sears might get their attention.

No! I don't believe in banging my head on the table and cry like a child to get what I want from a store. I just quietly walk away and give my money to a place that earns it. IE-Lee valley or Hartville tool.

Like I said before- I am not mad or anything. It is what it is and thats all.

[Billy Chambless]

It just occurred to me that remembering when Sears was a good place to buy tools is a sign of advancing age.