Sears Calls Several Days After Purchase To Upsell Unnecessary Protection Plan With Lies
Sears tried to scare Anthony into buying an unnecessary protection plan several days after he purchased a new plasma tv. The sales rep who called explained that Anthony's new plasma would need to be recharged every five years, which isn't true. According to Consumer Reports: "There is no such thing as recharging a plasma TV with new gas. It is sealed at the factory."
Anthony writes:
I just bought a Plasma TV from Sears. I declined to buy the $300/3 yr protection plan because of the price. Sears called me at home a few days later. The sales lady asked my why I chose a Plasma TV instead of an LCD. I thought this odd, but just answered the truth - there was a deal on this TV. She then told me a personal anecdote about her friend who repairs Plasma TVs who told her that Plasma TV's needed to be recharged every 5 years for a cost of $500 or so. She then tried to sell me the protection plan that would cover this service (the same one I declined before, which would expire before the 5 year recharging date anyway). I declined, ended our call, then got on the internet and discovered rather quickly that this is a myth about plasma tvs that lots of salespeople are propagating.I am certain that there are people buying these protection plans to cover their plasma tv's future "recharging" which they will discover never happens.
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When I worked for Liquidation City a couple years back I was able to lead the St. Louis market in selling service plans during the month of December by implementing a funny policy: honesty. I told the customers the cost of the plan, what it covered, what it wouldn't cover, and what their options were otherwise. If I didn't believe it was a good deal ($75 for three year on a $200 tube? Um, no.) I would do my job and offer it, and then let the issue drop. Since Circuit was running a test that quarter where they covered accidental damage and single-pixel replacement on LCDs, it was easy - and customers loved that I didn't try to BS them and was honest about our service policies. Crap like this will hurt you far more than what you gain from the few suckers that buy in.
Please report this to your state's Attorney General/consumer protection department. If they get a bunch of complaints they may investigate.
What do they fill it with, blinker fluid?
Every time a sales person gives me the hard sell for a "protection plan" I tell them "I didn't know this [product here] was so crappy that I need a protection plan. I change my mind I don't want to by it now. I guess it wasn't as reliable as I thought". And if they keep pushing I'm not afraid to walk away.
It amazes me how many "myths" the sales people come up with to try to sell these "protection plans". "Protection plans" are evil and a waste of money.
Wouldn't this qualify as a scam?
@Casimir Couvillion: I don't have any blinker fluid, but do you think someone would spot me some if I pick up extra elbow grease while I'm at the store?
Sears has been doing this for as long as I can remember. One good trick is to not register your TV, however registering may have other benefits.
You probably don't want to NOT pay for your TV with a credit card for obvious reasons, but if you pay with cash they will have no way of getting your name and phone number to call you to bug you about the plan.
I bought a 140$ CRT TV at Sears many years ago and they kept calling me to ask me to buy the protection plan, it would happen like once a week. I still have that TV in my bedroom and its working perfectly.
Salespeople sometimes do a similar thing with laptop computers, where they insist that almost every laptop's battery goes bad within three years and that the service plan will replace it for free, which would "more than pay for the plan".
Maybe at the markups that *they* sell the batteries it would pay for itself, not to mention the fact that battery failure is far from a foregone conclusion, much less within the first three years of the battery's life.
I think the media that covers consumer issues (other than Consumerist, obviously) needs to be better about getting the word out about what a bad deal these plans usually are.
It's a pretty good policy in general not to buy anything at Sears. Certainly not any major appliances like a washer or dryer or big-screen TV. They're not what they used to be, and haven't been for at least a decade.
@Pink Puppet: If you go to Costco, you can get big vats of elbow grease for cheap. I'll split one with you!
@ken2148: I always ask those clowns why they sold me a crap product if they are so sure its going to break! I'm under the impression that lots of these big box retailers like Worst Buy, Bankrupt City, and others are more in the business of selling warantees than they are selling products. Kind of like those car dealers who are more in the financing business than they are selling cars. Or even like Monster Cable is more in the business of squatting on trademarks than they are selling cables.
At anyrate, I refuse to buy any of those new fangled tvs. My 1995 set is big and works great, and its not going to "burn out pixels." The tv at work just broke and its not even 6 months old. They build crap these days!
I answer calls like that (and every other telemarketing call) with a series of questions:
"How do I spell your name?"
"What was that company name again?"
"Where are you located?"
"No, I didn't ask where the head office of _______ Incorporated is: I asked where you are sitting."
"Are you employed by ______ Incorporated, or by another company?"
"What's the name of that company?"
"Is this the number on my caller ID?" [or "The caller ID seems to be blocked; what number are you calling from?"
When I can't get any more answers, I demand that they Never Call My Number Again... and promise legal action against the companies involved and the telemarketer personally if I ever hear from them again... and "My wife is a lawyer, so I can get you charged with criminal harassment and defiant trespass without spending a dime."
Most of them never call back.
@oldtaku: I wouldn't buy electronics there, but only because there are much cheaper outlets available.
For appliances though they are still the first place I look. I've never had a problem with any Kenmore item.
I even bought my last mattress there.
I just decline the extended service plans and I never hear from them again.
After working in Best Buy's customer service for 2 and half years and seeing ghosting on almost all the plasmas being sent out to service, it is a good idea to get a protection plan on something that you spend so much money on.... but re-filling the gas??? seriously?!?! that's absolutely ludacris and I've never heard such a thing. This lady clearly has no idea what she's talking about.
@oldgraygeek: You know the part about your wife getting them charged isn't true, but hey, if it works....
@Great Mutato: and tools. Despite all the complaining I see on Consumerist about the tool warranty almost every tool I own is Craftsman.
Overall I think Sears gets a little more hate than they deserve.
I work for Sears and this isn't our policy at all. I apologize for the salesperson. Each associate is held accountable for selling the protection plans or not. IT IS NOT our policy to lie or be dishonest please send me an e-mail with details so I can forward this up to that store manager.
@badgeman46: They are basically in the business of selling the warranties. When I worked at Best Buy 5 or 6 years ago (holiday season), they flat out said a sale of a computer isn't good enough. There is no margin since they must keep those prices low. If we didn't sell the plan or accessory, we were frowned upon.
Full-timers also told me stories of the managers basically refusing to sell to someone (or driving the person away) because of pressuring the customer so much to buy those plans and accessories. That is how stores are rated at the box stores.
I knew it wasn't for me when I sold a lady a computer and was able to get her to buy the plan and a ton of accessories because that is what she "needed", even though I knew she only needed a computer to do what she would need it for. It was at that point I didn't go back to work the next day...
@Casimir Couvillion: Forget elbow grease - muffler grease needs to be replaced at the same time you flush your blinker fluid.
My last two experiences with Sears involved some kid in the tire department trying to tell me I needed the rear springs in my car replaced because they were broken. He pointed to the end of the spring up in the wheel well and tried to tell me it was broken off so I needed new springs right now. I left and got tires at Sams.
Experience number two involved trying to get a set of line wrenches so Mr. Bohemian could finish fixing my car. I spent fifteen minutes telling the sales guy no I don't want a credit card repeatedly so I could buy this set of wrenches with cash and get home.
Fark Sears.
@InThrees: Oh, man, I completely forgot all about that. Though I do have one question: with proper greasing, how long do the muffler bearings last, anyway?
@Pink Puppet: They usually last 3 - 4 years. If you can get some common cents, sometimes they're easy to come by.
lol...do they offer to give it a new coat of plaid paint for free, too? or possibly go over its circuitry with a wire stretcher?
There are certain things for which a protection plan is good! Unfortunately most protection plans are not reliable. Far too frequently, it turns out you have been sold an insurance policy for which the retailer is simply an agent, and if they claim that you aren't covered, you have no re-course.
I knew when I needed a cabinet depth fridge, I was getting the plan, because this type of fridge frequently needs repairs, and they are expensive.
But Plasma TV, LCD TV, the plan is usually too expensive versus the replacement cost.
Amazing how much consumers are confronted with this type of shenanigans almost daily.
Just yesterday, I take my car into a Mr. Tire for three things: Rotation, Oil Change and a repair of a tire that won't hold air. -- $50
As I am waiting, the mechanic comes out and reads a lit of things I need to the tune of about $1100. Transmission pan is leaking and the power steering is making lots of noise. I told them, I ain't got $1100. On the way home, I stop at Walmart and pick up a bottle of power steering fluid for $8 and fix the noise and when the weather turns warm, I will replace the transmission pan gasket for under $50.
As far as the plasma goes. I just bought a Panasonic 50" at COSTCO for <$1000. Came with a free 2-year warranty and no one tried to upsell me anything.
@bohemian: New "springs"?! Seriously? I'm guessing the tweed in the automotive department meant "shocks" (which I admit, look a bit like springs, depending on the type that you have on your car).
@Thassodar: Muffler bearings are sure to last longer if you regularly replace your 710 liquid.
Also don't forget to use cold-weather air in your tires during the winter for improved traction.
Bought a 19" LCD tv from Sears for $200. The first extended warranty letter I got in the mail wanted over $100 for the plan.
The best was at BB. Bought Nokia phones for $50 each. Tried to sell us the replacement plans for $50 each. Told them I'd just buy a new phone if it broke.
@badgeman46: Anyone who makes such a huge purchase should at least have basic knowledge of the product, and what factory warranty was available on it. Good job OP for doing your homework instead of being bullied. I'm still very much disturbed by how this saleswoman said the TV would need to be recharged in 5 years, yet the warranty was only for 3. Only individuals lacking common sense would be lured into this scheme.
I agree, Badgeman. I have a 27" Sanyo tube television (not even flat screen) I bought back in 2006 when my 1990 26" General Electric TV finally died. (It had such a beautiful picture on it... I was so upset.) I paid $125 for the Sanyo.
I'm not into High Def, or anything like that. The picture is clear and decent, and I won't cry if it breaks in 2,5, or another 10+ years. The more intricate the technology, the higher the chance of breakage.
Awesome for all of you who want and can afford the flat screens.... myself? Perfectly content with primitive technology.
Useless warranty/protection plans are everywhere. Many people pay $5 a month for that cell phone protection plan for their cell phones, myself included until 2 years ago. The sales people warn, badger, manipulate you- "If you lose your phone, drop it in a mud puddle, anything pretty much... it'll cost you HUNDREDS to replace." I paid $5 a month for 16 months to Verizon, $80 total. When my cell phone broke, the company wanted a $50 deductible just to get the claim started... on a phone that I could buy on Ebay for about $40. I essentially was paying $130 for a phone, almost the full replacement retail value.
I quickly cancelled the protection plan. I refused to give them one more red cent. I got my cell phone used off of ebay for the price of $30 including shipping. It was not worth renewing my contract to get a phone for free.
I'm sure these protection plans are smart for the $400 blackberry phones or whatever they are... not for a phone as basic as my own.
they did this with the tv i bought over Black Friday (twice). thankfully i bought it on AMEX so i just rejected it.
@verucalise: It's funny that you critique the misinformation given by the salesperson, then typed this unqualified statement:
The more intricate the technology, the higher the chance of breakage.
Consumer Reports has said that LCD and Plasma reliability is already higher than old CRT technology ever was.
@kathyl: Have you ever looked at the prices for legitimate OEM laptop batteries? And if you've ever used one regularly on battery power, you know that the max charge starts to fade after 6-12 months.
Indeed. As a technology, LCD TVs are actually much simpler than CRTs. A lot goes into shooting a beam of electrons toward a phosphor screen and deflecting it properly, while with an LCD it's just a matter of twisting the right pixel to the right degree. CRTs also lose a lot of brightness with age and have a much lower quality when aged than plasmas, DLPs or LCDs. I'd rather have one of the newer techs than a CRT any day. They are actually vastly more reliable and better quality, especially with age.
@Ragman: My favorite was from PCMall.com (IIRC)
I was going to buy a $6 (or so) microphone. They seriously tried to sell me a protection plan for $60.
@kathyl: Yeah, I can second InfiniTrent. My laptop's close to two years old and although it still functions wonderfully, the battery will drain within an hour if not plugged in. And batteries run about $100, so I don't plan on buying another one anytime soon.
Still, I'd buy a second computer before I bought a sleazy protection plan.
@ken2148: I guess it would depend on what exactly the details of the "protection" being offered is, because some of them can be a good investment, but they are hard to come by. By far, most plans are "crap" and shouldn't be purchased ever.
@Peter Stork:
It won't hurt in the span of time that the people making the idiotic decisions are in charge. In the meantime, one customer spending a ton of extra money on illusory "services" that don't cost any money is worth several ordinary customers. It's best to exclusively go after the suckers and the people with more money than they know what to do with than to try to please a large portion of your potential customers. At least, as long as the suckers keep coming.
I have a 12 year old 25 inch sanyo I am giving to my daughter still works great. My son just gave me his 37 inch hitachi as he upgraded to a new 50 inch 1080p. Free is the only way I would replace that sanyo out here in the sticks you learn to not be picky about tv quality as the rabbit ears get 3 chanels fuzzy. I guess its a new antenna for me with the digital switch.@verucalise:
Coming from a Liquidation City employee, laptops are sometimes worth it for the plan, look at the most basic 2 year that covers the hard drive(unless u get a SSD) and the battery. Chances of both not operating right within 2 years is pretty good. The battery WILL only hold a good charge for a year or so.. so replacing that battery is a huge +. On tvs it was an offer, counter the customer's response, if still objecting give up.. I hated pressuring people into purchasing something they didnt want. Hence offering monoprice.com to tons of customers for hdmi cables :)
@frodolives35: As a previous poster mentioned, Salespeople are driven hard to add the protection plans because they are big moneymakers (when people buy them and never use them).
It's no surprise they come up with BS lines to sell them since the person most likely to buy is someone who does not know the product well and is therefore likely to buy into whatever bogus "facts" the salesperson is using to try and sell the warranty.
The previous poster was right. The company doesn't give a crap about your product sales, it's the upsells and add-ons that determine whether or not, in their eyes, you're an effective salesperson.
I would not buy a plasma tv. They may be banned soon due to the RF noise they generate. The USA may follow suit.
Plasma screen TVs could be banned under new EU legislation
Large screen Plasma TVs have had a bad reputation among users of the Short Wave radio spectrum because of the high level of RF interference they can generate and many radio users will be pleased to see them go.
@DaddyMagicBritches:
Um, you haven't got the money to keep your car running, but you've got money for a flash TV?
What bit am I missing here?
@Kogenta: The Chinese Best Buy stores tack one case of accidental damage per year as well as one battery replacement in the same interval onto their protection plans so it becomes worth it depending on how much batteries cost and how rough you are with your stuff.
@ajlei: Wow, your laptop doesn't age very gracefully. Mine still gets me a good 6 hours after 2 years. A far cry from the 15 it had (Panasonic, if you're wondering) the first few months, but it still does the job.
@mythago: I doubt most of the people sitting on the other end of the phone are smart enough to know that.
that is B.S. i hope she gets punished in some way