Reader Mike asks:
We purchased 2 46′ Magnavox hdtv’s on Dec 9th, 2007. At the time of purchase, Sears was offering a 0% interest for 24 months.
We have been being billed for interest for the past few months and I have been unable to resolve this.
The department manager “max” said it was an error entering the promotion in and he would take care of it. Nothing was done however. I talked with the executive customer support people this morning, so we’ll see.
Any suggestions? I am a teacher, and my wife stays at home with our kids. These tv’s were Christmas presents for our parents, and I cannot afford the interest that is being unfairly charged.
Ordinarily, we’d suggest that you try to escalate your complaint with an EECB (executive email carpet bomb), but since it’s Sears we’re talking about here there’s probably no point. We suggest that you gather all of your paperwork together and file a small claims lawsuit against Sears for the interest that you’ve been wrongly charged. We believe that this will get the fastest response. It sounds scary, but suing big corporations in small claims court can be fun and easy.
If small claims court isn’t your thing, or you feel it isn’t worth the (modest) court costs, you can also report them to the BBB and your state’s attorney general. Sometimes that does get Sears’ attention. Not often, but sometimes.
Anyone else have any suggestions? We’d love to hear about tactics that work with Sears, if you know any.
More From Consumerist
-
You Really Don’t Need To Pay $70 For LPG Conversion Kit Delivery From Sears (Or Anyone)
-
Sears Loses A Nexus 7 Sale, Misses The Point
-
Sears Will Do Just About Anything To Not Fix My Cracked Boiler
-
No, Sears, That’s Okay, We Didn’t Really Need A Working Refrigerator
-
Sears/Kmart Shop Your Way Rewards Program Not Very Rewarding
I have had no issues with Sears in the past. I have bought tools there in the past and have had cracked sockets replaced with no questions asked. I just paid off my Sears Citibank Mastercard 6 months ago and closed the account. I am currently paying off all my credit cards and on my way out of debt. This was the first account I paid off, because I did not want to deal with any issues I have heard of.
There are some nice things about Sears. My wife went to buy a treadmill there last week. They were helpful and explained what models had what features and recommended the lower cost model, because it offered the features she wanted. I had set aside an amount of money in our checking account for this purchase. We both knew what we could afford.
Then my wife saw the 0% interest and opened up a new Sears Citibank Mastercard of her own. Now I just have to convince her to pay off the the card and close it now. I know we are not in a position to “possibly” have extra interest payments we don’t need. We can afford a new purchase, we can afford the interest, but that does not mean we should have to pay interest on 0%.
The offers for 0% interest have become a huge “don’t get this” flag for all my purchases. I know there are ways to use it to your advantage, but to me it’s not worth the headaches, and fine print, involved.
Oh yeah. In the HDTV situation, I would review the receipt and credit agreement. Try to find out if there are any minimum payments, or listed interest that may be refunded. Then go to the store and get it corrected. I am always one for making sure I am wrong before telling others they are.
Small claims court? Buh! Ya gotta make a federal case out of it just to get their attention.
“At the time of purchase, Sears was offering a 0% interest for 24 months.”
OK, dig up the advertising copy that backs up that statement. Your local library should have a copy of the newspaper from that time frame, look under periodicals.
Then bring it to the attention of your state’s Atty. General’s office for false advertising.
Since you used a credit card (a Sears card), the odds are that transaction was processed in a different state for approval. That could be construed by a slick talking lawyer as Inter-State Wire Fraud, a *Federal* offense.
Are they mailing you paper bills through the USPS that demand these interest payments? Ahh, there’s Mail Fraud, there’s another *Federal* offense.
Why goto small claims court when you can make a federal case out of it?
Take the ad copy, the sales receipt and the mailed bill to your city’s main post office and ask to speak to the resident Inspector there and inform him that you wish to open an investigation into mail fraud against Sears since they are demanding interest payments they are not legally entitled to. They are defrauding you through the mail.
Postal Inspectors are federal agents, they have jurisdiction in all 50 states, and territories, they carry badges and guns and have the authority to arrest people.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall, witnessing that Sears store manager mouth off to a Postal Inspector…..
Stop shopping at Sears already, people!
Wow…. that was quick… I have had 2 phonecalls from Sears this morning.. We will see if it gets fixed…
Thank you Consumerist (and readers!!!)
As far as all the people that bash me for purchasing things for my parents, there are 3 brothers and 2 sisters that all contributed the money to buy these tv’s, On my teachers salary, there is no way in the world I could ever afford this. They all send me money each month to pay the bill. I hate asking them for more for something that is not their fault. I cannot afford the difference. I am on a tight budget (It is worth it however, to have my wife stay home and raise our kids)
I will keep everyone updated with the result of this.
Thanks again!
-Mike
@A.W.E.S.O.M.-O: Who the hell finances a $30,000 car at 100%? In any event, 2 big screen televisions aren’t even comparable to something that is arguably a necessity.
Were I to refine my comment, I would state that only morons finance ‘wants’ without having the cash to pay for them.
BTW: I’m a 26 year old father of three. I still managed to put $7,000 down on a vehicle, with 3% interest rate and a $19,000 balance remaining (with $11,000 in savings).
The only way I can be in that kind of a position is by not financing crap at every turn.
My Mom would kick my ass to Ohio if I bought her a big screen tv and couldn’t even afford the fricken interest let alone the payment.
Take the receipt back to them and tell them re-ring it, or else tell moms and pops to pack em up and ship em back.