Mike sent us two stories of back-to-back merchandise fiascos with orders he placed on Sears.com for in-store pickup. What’s worse, the problems can’t just be blamed on a lone rotten employee, or attributed to bad luck—several Sears stores were involved. Our verdict: there’s something seriously messed up with the Sears fulfillment chain, and it’s not worth your time or energy to bother with it. But you knew that already, right?
Thought you might be interested in some horrible sears.com in store pickup experiences. The first one was simple yet annoying so I didn’t go into much detail.
- Sep 11- Order a TV thats %5 off due to one day sale, in store pickup within 10 days
- Sep 22 – Call customer service. Told it’ll be in the werehouse that day and I’ll receive an email tommorrow
- Sep 23 – No email
- Sep 24 – Call CS again. Told sometime next week. While on the phone, I get an email saying the 29th. At some point in the day I get a call saying it won’t be coming in.
- Sep 25 – I call up CS again and they tell me to call the store and ask to transfer the salescheck to another store. I do that, and they cancel my order instead. I call up CS again and they tell me to order from another store and they SHOULD be able to adjust the price to the sale price. I order from a further away store that showed it as immediately available. I get a fairly quick email telling me that the item is in stock and I head otwards the store. I get a phone call telling me that they don’t have the TV and won’t be getting it in.
I give up on Sears and buy a TV from Costco instead.The TV situation was annoying but didn’t really turn me off to Sears. [Seriously? -Ed.] So I make the mistake of trying again.
Oct 2- I order a heart pendant necklace for my girlfriend’s birthday for in store pickup, at a different Sears than the 2 above. I get an email saying it’s ready for pickup. I go to the store and attempt to pick it up.
Apparently they have a 5 minute guarantee for them to bring out your order after you sign into their kiosk, but they avoid that by “completing” your order before they even see you. Guy finally comes out, takes my paper print out of the order and disappears. Then he comes back and gives me a sticker (which I saved) and tells me I have to go to the jewelery department to pick it up. I go there and am first told that I’m supposed to pick it up at merchandise pickup but eventually told they don’t have the item in stock.
Back to merchandise pickup. No one is there. Wait 10 minutes and still no one, so another call to customer service. I explain the deal and multiple times ask them if this item is showing as picked up. I’m assured it isn’t. Customer service apologizes and tells me that this is rare and it never happens and that sometimes lines get crossed and you have to wait a day even after getting the email. They offer to ship it, but not for free, and it definitely wouldn’t arrive by when I needed it even if they could. So I tell them to cancel it and I’ll place another order myself.
Oct 3- I called CS again to verify that I would receive a refund and the order wasn’t showing as picked up, and was assured that was the case. I wasn’t really concerned since there were about a half dozen other Sears that claimed immediate availability on this item. So I attempt to order from other stores. I get numerous email cancellations.
I got this for one order.
Dear Sears.com Customer, In order to provide the best customer experience, when you place a Sears.com order for Store Pick Up, we do a final verification step with the local store you selected for pick up to:
- Ensure the accuracy of the inventory information we have received from the store, and
- Physically confirm the availability of the item(s) that you ordered prior to you going to the store.
Unfortunately, we checked with your local store at SEARS STORES and discovered that one or more of the item(s) in your ORDER #xxxxxxx/ SALESCHECK #xxxxxxxwere not in stock.
As a result, we have cancelled this order, and no charges pertaining to this order will be reflected on your credit card.
I got this for three orders.
Dear Michael, Thank you for shopping at Sears.com. Unfortunately, due to the demand for the item(s) that you ordered, we were unable to process your order due to being out of stock. Consequently, we have cancelled your order for the item(s) listed below.
At some point I decided to just place the rest of the orders all together and not just wait to be canceled. So I eventually wound up with 2 orders that weren’t canceled yet. I eventually received ready for pickup emails from both orders. I then get a call from the Middletown NJ store. A woman from the jewelery department asking me to describe what I ordered because all she has is an item number. She couldn’t find the item, but said she would keep looking and call me back. She actually did call me back and was able to locate the item.
Oct 8 – I let the other order sit for about a week before I canceled. I was concerned about a refund from that getting mixed up with my original order that hadn’t been refunded yet. Out of morbid curiosity I called the store inquiring about the still open order and of course, they didn’t have it in stock and didn’t bother calling me. I canceled that order and received a refund 2 days later.
Oct 11- I email Sears.com customer service inquiring about my original refund and stating that I’ll be disputing the charge if I don’t get a response by Oct 14.
Oct 14- No response to email, so I dispute.
Oct 15- It’s still bugging me and I want to triple check that the original order was not showing as picked up, so I called CS again. I found out that it is indeed showing that I picked the order up. The CS person says she can’t do anything if that’s the case and I have to go to the store. I ask for it to be escalated and talk to who I presume is the supervisor. I firmly state that I refuse to goto the store again and she calls the store. After a longggg wait she puts me on a three way phone conversation we get the refund processed. I get the smiplest of apologies…
There were a few more customer service calls in between everything, but thats the majority of the problems. I’m just really happy to actually have all my money back.
(Photo: robinsonsmay)
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Has this guy ever heard the expression “Once Bitten…Twice Shy?” Sears is a disaster these days. I would have to be in dire straits to buy anything from them.
There are plenty of places to buy overpriced items with poor service!
I have to say that in my experience that Sears.com has only been able to produce the item without any problems 1 out of 3 times. You might ask why I would go through the torture of using Sears.com. It is because I ended up buying about 13 of the $50 gift cards that are good towards the purchase of a new stove installed by Sears. It turns out that Sears.com does not know the difference between a normal gift card and the $50 apology for not installing anti-tip devices on your stove that a class-action lawsuit managed to dig up for me. I ended up spending only about $100 for a $600 worth of these cards and bought a microwave and a new dish washer. But of these orders ended up with processing issues, but I can’t complain about spending so little, well maybe a little.
The microwave turned out to be cheaper in store, so the clerk canceled the order and I got a refund on the difference. The dishwasher delivery/install was first delayed and then a joke. I ended up removing my old dishwasher and then installing the new one. But since I also got back $60 from a Sears.com rep for my trouble and then $120 as rebate, the dishwasher paid for itself!
I still see these cards for sale on eBay. If everyone knew that you could order stuff online and get full value for ANYTHING, I wouldn’t have the better kitchen that I have today.
I hate Sears. I can’t stress that enough.
Sears murdered my first car. Long story short — my 92 Taurus broke down in a less than nice city, so I desperately had it towed to the first garage open after 4 PM so I could get back on the road and away from the Murder Capital of the USA.
When I brought it in, it was leaking break fluid and smoking. When they first tried to give it back to me, the break line was DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. When I pointed this out, they said “No it was like that when you brought it in.” I replied, “Um, I was driving in pot-hole filled Camden. If that was dragging, I’d have lost my breaks before I got here.”
They got the manager. He said he’d fix it personally.
HE ZIP TIED IT TO THE AXEL!
Desperate to get out of town and back to the nice, safe suburbs before dark, I took it. Big F’ing mistake. The next day, when I went to drive the car to my local mechanic, there was a loud thunk and then all the lights came on. The ABS was out. I had the car towed to the mechanic, where I got the bad news.
THEY HADN’T SECURED THE BREAKS AND ONE FELL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING!
The car, which had a few other leaks I knew needed fixing (oil pan, transmission seal, little things that I was saving up $500 to fix) was now worthless. In fact, it’d cost four times its value to fix. So I sold it to a scrap yard for $200 and financed a new car.
Meanwhile, I tried repeatedly to call Sears for an explanation and refund of the $500 I’d paid them for the shitty job they did destroying my car. I escalated and escalated for three months. Someone would get back to me, they said.
A year later, I’m still waiting for that call.
Add this to how they screwed me with a credit card when I was 18 (don’t get me started) and how they’ve never honored their warranties, and I say good f’ing riddance to Sears, may it rot, burn, and otherwise be destroyed in Hell.
@joellevand: That almost sounds criminal. Get a lawyer.
@Dobernala: I called a few. Problem is, I have no documentation that everything else was fine in a 15 year old car that was, admittedly, having minor problems. Without some paperwork saying “Car was essentially fine except for minor problems x, y, and z” it’s my word against theirs.
*brake. (error throughout)
Sorry, I’m tired.
@joellevand:
Damn dude.
If that had happened to me, I would have walked into the store and literally KILLED those people. Preferably with a part from my ruined car.
@kabuk1: I just told everyone I know what happened, and any time someone mentions Sears or Sears automotive, I tell this story. Very specifically, it was the Sears Auto in Moorestown, NJ. Eh hem.
I bought a dorm fridge from them online, went to the store quite a distance away (borrowing my RA’s car), and they didn’t have it in stock. However, since they had the guarantee, I asked for what other product could they offer me in its place, since I could not afford to return. I was able to get a fridge that was 25% more expensive than the one I had reserved, for the same price. Did not know the problem was so widespread. They still have guarantees right?
Sears.com also seems to be totally unable to communicate with brick-and-mortar stores, as I discovered when I ordered a mattress and box spring from Sears.com a few months ago.
Some low-rise boxsprings need to be ordered in pairs for king beds, so if you order just one, the sears.com fulfillment system appears to have a series of grand mal seizures that stop delivery completely, without a warning or notification.
I managed to enlist the help of a local Sears manager to get on the phone and correct the problem with the Sears.com fulfillment staff, but it even took her nearly six hours on the phone to do it.
Never, ever again.
Your loss, Sears.
Totally in agreement here. I looked up a Craftsman Compressor online and went to nearest store for pickup. They never stocked the item. Wrong store they told me. I drove to another one and they didn’t have the item on display (Craftsman Hardware Store) but they did have some in back. And at website price. Clerk had no idea they had these as he had to look up the SKU on their web computer. Bassackwards.
At this point a good shopping experience at Sears would be more newsworthy.
I’ll be over here, holding my breath. =)
@InThrees:
@InThrees: Well, I recently had one. I ordered a washer and dryer from Sears.com. I was reluctant because of all the negative comments I had read (here and other places) about Sears’ service. But, the price made me take the risk and, in my case, all went smoothly. I arranged delivery online and the installers arrived when they said they would with the correct items. I even applied for the rebate online.
Seriously, the SEARS letters on the outside of the store that glow went out so that it spelled out SARS, right when all the SARs stories were spreading in the news. Great times… don’t shop there, though.
I have had only positive experiences with Sears in-store pickup every time I’ve used them. Once my item took *6 minutes* rather than the 5 they promise, and they quickly gave me a $5 gift card. Pretty cool.
Had a similar issue with a vacuum cleaner purchase online and pickup. Took forever to get the return processed.
I used to work at Sears. I can tell all of you just to go buy in store, in person. Less headaches, although there is no guarantee their inventory is correct. Their inventory and warehousing system is haphazard at best.
Good luck.
I sent in my Sears Online experience to Consumerist before but it never got posted. We bought a TV through the store pickup option a few years ago. Two days later I received an email from Sears:
“Dear Customer,
Your order has been canceled.
Thank you for shopping Sears.”
@ManiacDan: Maybe they were trying to do you a favor?
@Kounji: What’s funny is that they may have. Turns out the TV I had decided on was plagued by a known issue where the fuse for the tube was too small, it would blow out after about 200 times turning the TV on. Philips knows about the issue, but refuses to admit that it’s a defect. I ended up cutting a hole in the casing so I could reach in and replace the fuse without taking the TV apart. Soon after I bought a Sony and added Philips to my “do not buy” list.
The only thing I buy from Sears.com are parts for old appliances. I have yet to find another store that has their inventory. They even have assembly diagrams on their site.
One of the “morning deals” is from Sears.com
Might want to delete that.
Sears was real decent in the railway freight only days when legions of folks processed manual invoices. Time moved slower and people lived shorter lives back then…
I recently scored a used copy of 1970s era reprint of the 1908 Sears catalog and it reads like a modern walk through of Wal-Mart/ Home Depot/ Lowes/ Tractor Supply/ Walgreens today with the breadth of products for sale. Everything anyone stuck on an un-electrified farm miles from town could have wanted shipped to them for pickup at the local rail depot during the once a month trip to town in horse and wagon…
Sad…
Remember Sears of old no longer exists. When K-mart took over Sears the wanted to keep Sears good name to bring up the sales and respectability. Instead they dragged Sears down to a level lower then a S S Kresge store.
Sears canceled its ads on Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect” after the brave terrorist nonsense, resulting in the cancellation of this show that celebrated political dialogue and freewheeling free speech.
I haven’t given my business to Sears or Federal Express since.
Never forget!
I had a bad experience too and they still haven’t credited me back my money. They oversell merchandise collect your money and then hold it for well over 3 weeks. It should be criminal and probably is. Someone is making some money off keeping my money. I’ll never buy from sears again. effing crooks.
Funny, I’ve always had a good experience with Sears. That being said, I also haven’t bought anything from them in a number of years. This might explain my positive view of their business practices.
I don’t remember ever having a bad experience buying anything at Sears, beyond the occasional pushy salesman. I’ve bought several major appliances from them over the past 2 years. They’ve all been delivered when promised. Maintenance hasn’t been any problem to get scheduled. On the other hand, I learned my lesson about buying major electronics from Circuit City…
My husband saw a 65 inch plasma TV that he really liked at another store, but I did some research, and Sears had the better price due an additional 10% off deal, plus there was free shipping, or so they said. I attempted to order the TV online, but it rejected my Sears Mastercard, which had an expiration date of the following year. So I called the store’s TV department and told them that I was having trouble. The lady there said that I could order the TV with her over the phone. I gave her most of my info., but when she entered the card number it had been cancelled since I had gone too long without using it, even though it didn’t expire until next year. She said I would have to get a new card. I was concerned that I might miss out on the extra percentage off while waiting for my card to arrive, so she suggested coming into the store. She said I would get a temporary card and could use it to purchase the TV, and that they had one on display there. So I drove 33 miles to the store, and guess what? NO TV ON DISPLAY!!! I called my husband who said to order it anyway, and it took about an hour to place the order! First they had to approve me for another Sears card. Then you are supposed to be able to use that temporary card to make a purchase, but she didn’t know how to do it. It took two calls and the help of another guy to even place the order. Then she said the shipping was going to be $10, which to me is not FREE shipping. She still couldn’t get the transaction right, so the only way it was going to work was for me to pick up the 150 pound TV at the store. So I agreed to that just to get it ordered and to get out of the store! The lady was nice and all, but no one seemed to really know what they were doing! Then to top it off, my husband and son decided that they want a different TV! Aaaarrrrgghh!