Sears' "Ultimate Appliance Promise" Vs. Reality
Reader David writes in to contrast the Sears Ultimate Appliance Promise ("a promise only Sears can make") with reality. He notes that although there's a cute graphic on the "promise" that implies that Sears will deliver every day of the week... he had a hard time getting Sears to deliver no matter what day of the week it was:
Here's the fine print on the Ultimate Appliance Promise:
"If Sears cannot deliver or install on the day following your purchase of an eligible appliance and this failure does not result from an action of yours or a natural disaster, receive a $50 Sears gift card.
Requires purchase before 3:00 pm and excludes special orders and closeouts. Next Day Delivery and Installation are for eligible appliance purchases online in most major markets and in-store in most larger Sears stores and exclude holidays. Next Day Installation also excludes weekends. Ultimate Appliance Promise applies to major appliances, does not require additional purchase."
Here's David's experience:
I purchased a dishwasher before 3pm on a Saturday. The salesman told us we could not get delivery/installation the next day. He then proceeded to give me the runaround when I asked for my $50 gift card (which no doubt will lead to more suffering). He told us that "someone will call us within 24 hours" to set up delivery/installation.David sent us another quick update this morning:Guess what. No call.
On Tuesday morning, 2 and a half days later, my Wife calls to inquire about delivery/installation. She gets disconnected 3 times and speaks to two women, neither of which is pleasant. They claim we don't exist. After some clarification, my Wife is pleased to find out that we do indeed exist and that there was an "incorrect phone number" to blame. The CSR proceeds to try and set up installation for Wednesday (mind you, 4 days after purchase - so much for "next day").
My Wife explains we will not be available on Wednesday and attempts to schedule for this coming Monday. She's told Sears doesn't deliver/install on Monday. Scratch another letter off that fancy graphic. The installation gets scheduled for Saturday. My Wife explains to the CSR that my Son is having surgery out of town on Friday and that we need to know what the window of time will be on Saturday. CSR says she can't do that. All we need to know is the earliest possible time that the installer will arrive so we can be there. This turns into an extended verbal battle. CSR finally reveals that this will be 9am.
After I heard all this, my intent is to cancel the order entirely and follow up with my credit card company to make sure we don't get charged. Something tells me that even if I go to Sears and cancel, someone will end up knocking on my door on Saturday. It's a shame...the Kenmore model we purchased is very highly rated, but Sears' service is abysmal.
Just a follow up...my Wife canceled our order this morning (or at least she thinks she did - only time will tell) at which time she was informed that Sears does not install on Sunday, Monday, AND Tuesday. Somewhat contradictory to their marketing.Canceling this order was a good idea. We're sure that another store will be happy to get your business.
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Comments:
I'm still surprised what an old dinosaur Sears still is. They need a major corporate re-facing campaign (and the same behind the scenes).
If I were you, I'd check to make sure your order is cancelled. I wouldn't be surprised if its delivered in the next few days.
i ran into a similar experience. "next day delivery" turned out to be 2-1/2 weeks later.
i absolutely love my new fridge & dishwasher though. it was worth the wait.
i had no problems getting my whirlpool fridge delivered. since then ive also bought a tv and surround sound system from them (although i took that home with me). maybe its just bad timing? :)
As much as I dislike Best Buy, we did buy a Dishwasher from them and they were able to install it next day. The installer was plesant, most likey due to the fact that I unhooked our old dishwasher before he got there so all he had to do was install the new one.
He even pointed out that our washer hadn't broke and that the person who put in our new garbage disposal (my Dad) forgot to remove the drain plug...
>_<
Oh well...
Kudos for the OP for taking action in such a rapid fashion.
Wait, doesn't the policy say Sears doesn't do next-day delivery on weekends? Why were he asking for the gift card when he bought it on a Saturday?
That Kenmore brand that you have your heart set on is just based on another model by a different manufacturer. I'm sure it's getting to be near common knowledge, but there is no Kenmore factory, it's just a new nameplate on other brands (LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, ect). With a little bit of luck, or some knowledgeable independent appliance store, they should be able to match you up with the original brand of the Kenmore you were looking for.
Happy Hunting!
I worked for Sears in the Washer/Dryer dept.
Next day delivery!? What a scam, they can't even keep track of what they have in the warehouse. If something is bought online for a store pickup it never removes it from inventory.
Delivery is usually within 3 business days. Then delivery will either break your appliance or deliver the wrong one.
If you call your sales person, they can't do anything. You have to call delivery. We will then lose the commission because delivery messed up.
It's a promise only Sears can make. Unfortunately, it's not a promise that Sears can keep.
"Next Day Installation also excludes weekends."
Why did he expect next-day delivery?!
@redhelix:
"Next Day Installation also excludes weekends." So what is this all about? I agree that Sears could schedule their way out of a wet paper bag, but the gift card thing isn't really an issue.
I bought an entire suite of appliances in late December, late in the day.
Lowe's was prepared to deliver them the next morning.
It was too soon for us due to renovation, but they delivered when I needed them to, on time, called ahead to say they could narrow the time from "morning" to "between 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM. Then on the day of delivery, they called again to say they were leaving the warehouse.
They got all the appliances in quickly, did a great job, and were very professional.
Good customer service is not a mystery nor impossible. Sears could learn a thing or two.
I think the excludes weekends means purchases made on a weekend will not have next day delivery. Either way, Sears is going to *& ! and then some.....
Sears:
Next Day Installation 7 days/week*
*for 4 days/week
Reminds me of the sign outside my grocery store:
Open 24 Hours Every Day*
*5 days/week
60% of the time, it works every time.
I'm not affiliated in any way but thought readers would enjoy this guy's similar story with the Sears Appliance "Promise":
They were a mess back in the 80s too. In 1985 I ordered a $200 mattress from them, promised to be delivered in 5 days. Over two weeks went by, I was tired of sleeping on the floor (literally) so I went into the store to cancel. Got my $200 back (in cash since I paid in cash). About two weeks after that, I got a check in the mail for $200. Meh, whatever, I cashed it, I was young and broke, it was too tempting. Then after another month went by they called me to tell me my mattress was in and asked when it could be delivered.
I worked on an assembly line in a freezer factory. The only difference between Amana, Kenmore, Woods, GE, and any other brand freezer you can think of is the design on the molded plastic gasket on the lid.
I'm willing to bet dishwashers are the same.
We bought a dishwasher a year ago from them, no problem with installation.
Then we attempted to buy a stove. Simple? A black electric range, coil burners (I tend to drop pans so didn't want a glass top).
Again and again, the delivery headaches! And the stove itself- nobody was ever sure what was or was not in stock. Or would be in stock ever again.
We cancelled. Went to a local appliance center and had our black stove installed the next day.
Sears reminds me of an old relative in a nursing home who used to be an executive- the current reality is very sad in comparison to What Used To Be.
Yes, the fine print says no weekends but the snazzy next day delivery graphic has S and S on it plus boxes for those days... so it really should say MTWTF.
Where are you guys getting all this bad time at sears stories from. I live in Southern California (duh) and go to the sears at my local mall which has been there longer than I can remember. Although its gone way down hill in the past few years, I had no problem buying and having delivered a new dryer. Took 10 minutes to buy it, which included looking at 3 different models and time to check out, and the installers came 2 days later and dropped it off. Although they were technically late (only by like 10 minutes) they were there, pleasent, and all around it was a good experience.
Sears is starting to make government offices look efficient and friendly.
Sears is well along the "retail death spiral". I would not purchase another Kenmore appliance for precisely this reason. If Sears goes out of business, the parts to repair your appliance may no longer be available.
This is quite a shame, because Sears is the only major appliance vendor that makes decades of exploded parts diagrams available for free and sticks a full parts list in the box of every appliance, so Joe Consumer can fix a great number of problems himself.
Some individual manufacturers do it (Panasonic is one), but Sears makes sure that no Kenmore appliance it sells (and many of the power tools) are without that list.
SirWired
@Toof_75_75: and @Landru:
"Next Day Installation also excludes weekends."
Why did he expect next-day delivery?!
Next Day Installation also excludes weekends." So what is this all about?
Installation ≠ Delivery
Next Day Installation excludes weekends. There is no such exclusion listed for Next Day Delivery.
The entire policy statement is a thick fog of ambiguity and escape clauses:
If Sears cannot...only covers situations where they're prevented from delivering/installing, not situations where they just can't be bothered to.
...following your purchase of an eligible appliance ..."Sorry sir, Sears doesn't consider a dishwasher a "major" appliance. Our triple-wide industrial refrigeration unit, on the other hand..."
...applies to major appliances...
...online in most major markets and in-store in most larger Sears stores...So even if you and Sears agree on the definitions of "major" and "larger", they can still pull out "most" as a trump card.
In fact, they're not promising a single blessed thing.
Folks, it's about the graphic. It clearly shows a letter for EVERY day of the week. The CSR said they don't install on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
Thanks for posting that. If they aren't teaching that in college-level business management classes, they should be.
Sears... Best Buy
Sears... Best Buy
Sears... Best Buy
I'll go to Wal*Mart
Somehow I'm guessing that their use of the term "24/7" doesn't mean they offer delivery 24 hours a day, either -- unless we can expect to arrange a delivery at 2:00 AM (which would come in handy for a night-shifter like myself).
So it's not just that their implied claim of 7-days-a-week delivery is untrue, but so is their implied claim that they offer 24-hour-a-day delivery.
So the whole thing is bunk.
Yay Sears!
I emailed Consumerist about this over the holidays when this same thing happened to my sister. (I didn't get no story!)
Apparently, we didn't pick an 'eligible appliance' (an in-stock dishwasher) and the helpful (!) Sears lady wouldn't clue us in as to where the mystical list of 'eligible' appliances might be available to non-Sears employees.
Gift card? You must be joking.
it states clearly that it excludes weekends. It was purchased on a Saturday, Sunday is a weekend, so you can't get next day and you don't get a gift card. Had it said next business day it would be different, but it doesn't. So sear, while irritating, is right.
I bought a Kenmore Elite refrigerator with a service plan. When I bought it, it was explicitly explained to me that the food was covered in case of failure.
When it failed 2 years later and everything melted, it took them a WEEK to come out to service it (I live in a major metro area) and they then refused to reimburse me for the food. If you read the fine print, they will only cover food if the repair itself causes a failure, but not if there is a failure. I will say that the service person was very professional, on time and a very nice guy.
This is sad, because my parents have owned Kenmore appliances which ran for decades with only regular maintenance and minor repairs. And it used to be when you called Sears for service, they responded very quickly.
I would recommend hhgregg, that is if they are located in your area. I've bought all my appliances from them with not one spot of trouble.
If you make the purchase before 2pm you can get same day delivery (for $20 more) and they deliver 7 days a week. I suppose the only hitch is they do not install on Sundays, but that would only apply if you got a dishwasher or an over-the-range microwave.
Anytime I've needed anything serviced and I have a service plan I just go over their heads, though. The CSRs just give you a hotline number, and If you call GE directly who owns the service plans they schedule service very quickly and its always a well known service company that does the work.
@sirwired: I really wouldn't worry about Sears going out of business or no longer being able to repair or procure parts for your Kenmore appliances. Kenmore appliances are simply Whirlpool products rebranded specifically for Sears. You can just call Whirlpool to get the corresponding Whirlpool model numbers and get parts from there.
Hep me Jeebus. I'm currently experiencing a similar level of hell from Sears. They (meaning the dozen or so different people in different divisions I've spoken with) keep making excuses about why they can't schedule me in because it's a different division from theirs (this is customer service telling me this). I point out their internal issues are of no concern to me. If I don't get the confirmation call from the repair technician (yes, a repair technician who needs to come fix my BRAND NEW DISHWASHER that has NEVER WORKED) in the morning I am definitely getting a refund and buying from Lowe's. So far they have given me good service, good products, fair price.
Not all appliances qualify for next day delivery. You have to make sure the appliance you are selecting qualifies and is in stock for delivery in your area.
I think I should start learning how to menacingly threaten people with lawsuits.
My girlfriend works for the dreaded Sears and says it just varies from store to store in regards to delivery days and whatnot.
As a former Sears employee, I can vouch for the shady Ultimate Promise. The only time our store would deliver next day is if it was an emergency. If you could wait, we were personally instructed to talk you into doing so. Sears is always rather shady. Like free delivery? They don't tell you it's with a rebate, and half the time, the salespeople don't give you the form. I'm glad I'm not there anymore.
When I got my floor-model Kenmore elite (a damn fine deal on it, too), we had just moved that day, and still had the moving truck handy. I had to take the door off the fridge to get it in through the narrow 1959 entryway, but I'm sure glad I handled it myself instead of Sears delivery!
@ APOWERCOSMIC - All you have to do to get a rebate form is visit bcrebates.com. This doesn't have to be supplied by the associate.
@LazloNibble: No, dishwashers are not considered a major appliance. Why? Because you have to be licensed to install them. Sears must subcontract plumbers to install the dishwashers for them.
If your dishwasher is ordered on a Saturday, we can get the machine in the store on Monday no problem, but we have absolutely no control over when the plumber, aka, the installer, will be able to get to the job. At my store (I sell large appliances) we tell the customer they will get a call within 2 business days to set up a time, and if not, to call a 1-800 number.
The incorrect phone number was most likely the idiot customer's fault. Our system is based on your 10 digit phone number. If you give us your cell phone in the store because that is the easiest way to contact you, then give us your landline when you call to check on things, our system doesn't know your landline and cellphone belong to the same person. You privacy freaks would most likely jump down our throats if we did know that.
Now, if you merely wanted that dishwasher dropped off at your house the next day, that could most likely be done as long as where you live is at least a town (not a village, etc).
The installation we promise is for merchandise that anyone can install. This includes ranges, dryers, washers, and refrigerators. And we only hook up to natural gas, not LP because, again, you must be a licensed plumber to do that (legally) and if you are a licensed plumber, you certainly are not working for Sears directly. You will make a better living working for yourself, guarenteed.
Read the fine print on these signs first, if you haven't, then don't complain. Did you ask your salesperson if the dishwasher was included? I bet not. Nobody does.
The gift card, even though you were not entitled to it, can be done in 2 minutes. We are provided with special gift cards that only come in 50$ denominations that are allocated for this guarantee. We one needed to be issued, we do the following
1) grab gift card
2) call a 1-800 activation number
3) input sales check number. Yes, sales check number. The cards cannot be given without the purchase already being made. The card cannot be used on that purchase.
4) choose why next day not available (area not serviced or item not available)
4a) input division of item that cannot be delivered the next day or the zip code
4b) (if item not available) input the stock number of the item
5) input the 16 digit number of the gift card
6) hang up, give customer card, and tell them thanks for the business and sorry for the inconvenience.
The reality is that consumers are idiots. Anyone who works at a sales job knows this. They want everything for free. Free delivery, free service, free shipping, free stainless, free connectors, free detergent. If it is an option, they want it for free.
People think they are special if they spend 500 dollars on a dryer. They think that because they buy two appliances they should get a deal. Sears is not a car dealership. We do not haggle. The prices are as marked, and 9 times out of 10 the prices you see are the best. If they are not, we will price match a competitor (provided they have a store within a 30 mile radius of the store) plus give you 10% of the difference. Yes, if we have a fridge for 1000, and Best Buy has it for 900, we will sell it to you for 890.
Kenmore products are rated highly too, that is why we push them. It is no fluke that Kenmore is always in the top 5 in Consumer Reports. We have #1 or #2 front-loader washer (HE5), the #1, 2, and 4 best buy in dishwashers, the #1 in smooth top ranges, the #1 in micro-hoods. We do good work.
The only legit reason to complain is the 1-800 numbers. Those are honestly horrible. Every salesperson hates them. With a passion.
Other than that, Sears is a great place to buy from, at least in my store. We treat our customers right, and they come back to us. Then again, I work at the #10 (in total sales) store in the _nation_, and maybe that is why we are #10, because we treat our customers well.
And yes, our protection agreements are worth the extra money.
@ClankBoomSteam: Can you read? The Sign says "24/7 worry free service, guarenteed." What that means is you can call 1-800-4-MYHOME 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there will be someone to help you. If you get home at 2am on Sunday and want to do a load of laundry and your washer stops working, you do not have to wait until 9am to call. You call at 2am and someone will answer and either try to help you fix it yourself, or will schedule a service call for you.
@APowerCosmic: It is in teh ad. "Free Delivery*" "*With mail in rebate"
(this site really needs an edit option)
I would have canceled as soon as the salesman gave me the runaround on the gift card.