It also doesn't apply to any torque wrenches.

I'd say Snap-On, but damn are they expensive (probably worth it though...) I've personally never had a problem with exchanging a Sears tool, but I usually break them in more obvious ways as well. And if they're not a little bit rusty or grimy, they're obviously not being used...

As soon as I saw the word Sears on this post I started sympathizing. Sears sucks.

Although, since it is true that they do not replace rusted products - it's no surprise that they didn't.

However, it is possible that the fact that the toolbox leaked could override that rule, since a defective item that they DO replace caused the rust to occur.

Unfortunately, his problem is most likely with Sears and not Craftsman. Is there any place that sells Craftsman and isn't a Sears customer-death-trap?

This is a very unfortunate story. I favor Craftsman tools entirely because of the exchange policy; there are better-quality tools out there (Snap-On, Matco) but it isn't as easy to get them replaced. You don't even have to have the receipt.

I once brought in a Craftsman rotary tool (basically a cheap Dremel) which I'd have for several years, and had simply burnt out because of wear. I'm almost certain that the associate could have chosen not to replace it, because all electric motors will burn out with enough use. Instead, he gave me a new one on the spot. The $50 that Sears spent giving me a new tool was more than made up by the fact that I have subsequently bought several hundred dollars worth of Craftsman tools because I trusted the "no-questions-asked" return policy.

Craftsman tools are good quality, but they aren't the best. If I lost my faith in their return policy, I would be more inclined to buy premium tools like Snap-On, because they are generally going to hold up longer. The return policy alone is what keeps me buying Craftsman.

I used to work as as a hardware associate at Sears and if someone brought in a Craftsman product we replaced it, no questions asked, as did ever other person in the department. The only exception was torque wrenches and power tools. I was never told not to exchange rusted products either.

Isn't it richly ironic that he's a *tool* associate? Clearly he's taking his job description to heart.

So the last good thing about Sears is now ruined, by some tool.

He wasn't replacing a torque wrench and he wasn't replacing the rusted items simply because they were rusty.

I had that kind of experience with a "Tool Associate" once. I bought a pliers set that included a diagonal cutter (wire cutter). The hinge on the cutter was sticky, so that when you cut something, you would then have to push the tool back open to cut the next thing. This is not how they are supposed to work.

I went to Sears and was asked by the irritable young man at the counter, "Do they cut wire?" Well, yes, but that's not the problem. "If they cut wire they're not defective." It took me about ten minutes of arguing, during which I pointed out the "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back" over the door, to get him to exchange the tool, which he did extremely reluctantly. I think he finally decided it was easier to replace it than stand there and argue.

At that point I started considering Husky tools at Home Depot as an alternative to Craftsman. Now that KMart owns Sears and the Craftsman tools are not usually USA-made any more, I stopped buying them altogether and shop for tools elsewhere.

Now that I've thought about it, the OP should definitely bring his Craftsman tool box back and tell them that it leaks, and he wants a replacement. Push it as far as possible

Well, a big question is, what is the wording in the warranty regarding tools that appear to have been misused/mishandled? Im definitely not saying the author mishandled, but Im curious as to what the associate should do if there evidence the tools have been mishandled.

I used to work at a Sears Hardware, and multiple times I had someone come in with a box full of over a hundred sockets with nothing wrong with them except they were covered in rust. My managers said we had to replace them. (this was 3-4 years ago.)

@Chris Walters: I'm merely making a statement, Sears does not cover any torque wrenches under it's warranty. I'm not saying this applies to Brian. I'm saying, if you are in the market for a torque wrench, don't buy a Craftsman.

I think this shows the biggest problem with retail today. Any store that works on a system where the only motivation an employee has is to sell (especially with buy-ups and add-ons) is fundamentally broken. The Tool Associate probably either gets nothing from exchanging broken tools or worse, too many will look negatively on his review. I guess as a general rule (with a few exceptions) the bigger a company gets, the more important the bottom line gets, at the cost of customer satisfaction.

Sears could be such a unique department store (how many others sell appliances and tools like they do). They just seem determined to put themselves out of business though.

"What should I do with the 9 sockets which are rounded and of no use to me?"

Shine the damaged ones up, put them one by one in a bench vise for your next project, and if the socket gets further damaged on the inside or cracks for some reason, return the various pieces over the course of two months to several different stores saying "it broke". End of story.

Your problem was trying to bulk return the items which made it seem you had recovered the sockets either from a sunken barge, or a burnt down pawn shop, or the trunk of junkard bound '84 Chevette, and just wanted nice shiny ones...

I found a Craftsman flat head screw driver in the debris surrounding an old garage I cleaned up. It had its handle drilled for a rope and the tool was sharped to create a blade plus it was very rusty. [This was an old school gang weapon modification profile - the rope (usually shoe string) would keep it on your hand during a fight and the cops couldn't charge you with a concealed knife.] I cleaned it up and then somehow the sharpened tool end got broken while I was using it on a project. Took it in and got a equivalent style brand new one with no flack from Sears.

I'd be pissed off too if my job title was "tool associate". Everyone needs SOME dignity.

I would not take this entry-level sales associate's position as the word of Sears. A lot of these people work off pure numbers because that's all that is seen by a store or district manager. Your email will help Sears upper management see that this guy is misrepresenting his effectiveness as a Tool Associate by refusing fair warranty claims.

I imagine this is a case of the individual service being poor and does not speak of the Sears company. I have had nothing but good experiences in regards to Craftsman tools. While I wouldn't buy anything else there (maybe appliances?), my local tool department has taken care of me.

@valueofaloonie: I was thinking they transposed the title... maybe it should be "Associate Tool" instead. ;)

@HarcourtArmstrong: oh yeah? They replaced mine =)

@philmin: Look at the tool. If it's rounded off and the rust is on the rounded areas, the rounding happened before the rust. If the rounded areas are shiny and clean. Then the rounding happened after the rust.

I remember working at Sears when I was in high school. I could see both sides of this issue.

I remember specific people who would come in from time to time with 5 gallon buckets full of defective craftsman "handtools". It was obvious they would go to garage sales and look for craftsman tools and would come in to try and get all of them replaced (most were good tools, just rusty). They were coming in, getting new parts and going out and selling them at Vicon Village and Trader's Villiage (large flea markets in D/FW area). They would fight to try and get perfectly good (yet slightly to extremely rusty)tools replaced.

I also remember the guy who thought flat head screwdrivers were prybars or punch tools. They were floored when we wouldn't replace abused tools.

I would also think that, on the flip side, that you give the customer the benifit of the doubt. Unless that person is someone you see multiple time replacing the large quantities of the same tool, honor the warranty! Doing any less is just going to make Sears lose what little customers they have left!

@heybtbm: I think they should make associates refer to themselves as "Captain Tool."

As a sears employee rust is not covered under any circumstance. It is a grey area when it comes to broken and rusty. Generally speaking I will not replace something that is broken and shows lots of rust. Rust is an oxidation process which will weaken the metal which would cause it to break. I will however exchange something that is rusty if there are circumstances which would cause it to happen other then abuse. IE leaking toolbox.
To: dwasifar I would say 99% of the handtools are still made in the US by one of two companies. Danaher Group and Western Forge. WF makes punches screwdrivers and pliers etc. Danaher makes anything mechanics tool ie sockets wrenches etc.

And to everyone who shops at sears please if you have an issue ask to speak to a manager. They can usually satisfy you

I used to work at a Sears in the tool department and I would have replaced everything in that box provided we had it in stock. It really does depend on the Sears associate though.

@reidnez: I'm pretty sure Snap-on does have a no questions asked, no receipt exchange policy. It is more difficult to return tools since they don't have any fixed location retail outlets, but if you know where their trucks generally stop, it's not too big of a problem. Also, Snap-on tools are a LOT less likely to break than Craftsman (I'm pretty sure that they're magic, actually), but even used they usually cost several times as much as a comparable Craftsman tool.

Craftsman is the *ONLY* reason I used to go to sears, until recently. That brand got me in the door and into the basement of mosts sears. I am an avid woodworker and like a lot of sears PRO tools (not all the new plastic stuff.), I used to enjoy going in and talking tools with the staff. Real knowledgable, old time employees. Now most stores are staffed by kids that don't know the first thing about tools (or how to operate the cash register), the last scrollsaw I purchased, I had to argue the point it was a saw and not a sewing machine (from the picture I brought in).
But what gets me is their "price match guarantee". I brought in an ad for a craftsman beltsander, they would not match it, even though the policy was posted a few feet away. All types of excuses, but mostly that they don't do that on tools. The policy is posted IN TOOLS! The ringer is that the ad was for an OSH store, owned by SEARS! Not even a competitor's price, but their own brand and stores! They belittle PRO tool users, act like we are idiots and react like we are disrupting their lives by trying to buy tools.
I buy blades, bits and sandpaper weekly, if not daily. I won't set foot in sears stores anymore and won't order online since they don't list the items that are available in-store or I end up getting e-mails that the item is out of stock. Hey SEARs, check the credit cards of DIYers, your changes are REALLY hurting your stores! I have never felt more UNWELCOME in any store as much as I do Craftsman/Sears!

Next he told me that he wouldn't replace the sockets because it was "obvious" that I "didn't take care of them"

Who cares. I've used some screwdrivers more often as a crowbar than anything else. Sears also gladly accepted my returns of bent and chipped flatheads.

In cases like this, I would ask the tool associate what time his shift is over. When he says 4 PM, say great... I'll be back at 5.

@RetailGnome: Not replacing a broken socket under warranty because it's rusted is ridiculous, and I'd be a little surprised if ANYONE at Sears 10 or 15 years ago would have refused because of this. Sockets are thick enough to where rust pretty much never compromises the integrity of the socket. I was fairly certain that Sears would only refuse replacement of a tool if it was obviously destroyed in an intentional way - eg, I took a torch to a 6" 3/8" extension to bend it because I needed a bent extension. I was well aware at the time that I could not take this back to Sears when I was done with it.

I don't know much about Craftsman, but does he have to go through SEARS? Is there a number he can call to speak to a Craftsman rep about the issue?

Odds are good that tool chest was never meant to be waterproof in the first place.

I used to think (last week) that all the old department stores would be hurting as much as Sears. Not Macy's, apparently. There were TONS of salespeople at the local Macy's ready to help us find a gift on a friend's wedding registry.

I guess Sears' is just the Circuit City of traditional department stores.

I've heard that Kobalt tools from Lowes are just rebranded Snap-on. Kobalt has a similar lifetime warranty policy. I've only gotten one Kobalt tool, but it seems nice...

Anyone try returning a broken Kobalt?

@RetailGnome: Why don't you just replace the dang tools, man. Seriously, unless it is blatantly obvious that they're trying to pull one over on you (i.e. duffel bag full of rusty tools with someone else's initials on them), just make the customer happy. The lost margin on replaced tools is nothing compared to the satisfaction of a returning customer.

I worked at Sears for 6 years, from hardware to appliances to Parts and Service store manager. The problem with Sears is the lack of culture. Every associate is different, no one follows a guideline, and there is a huge lack of customer [focused] service. I got tired of working with people that didn't care about making customers happy. I know it sounds corny, but as a store manager, that's what I believed made my store better.

@heybtbm: Isn't a tool associate the person who cleans a male porn-star's genetalia after every scene?

I have had the same problem with them too, it usually seems to be one person in the tool department on some sort of power trip or someone covering it who has no idea of what the warranty covers, I have been asked for my receipt occaisionally and have to explain the concept of 'lifetime' and where else could I have purchased this tool?? It has long been a running joke between the males in the family when one is abusing a tool (cheater bar on ratchet, or linking togther combination wrenches for leverage) to make mention of the Craftsman origin of the tools. I once went in to replace a large screwdriver and my brother had to ask the tool associate where the prybars were when he was getting my new tool, silly rabbit I needed a ball joint splitter.

the last time I set foot in a Sears was to replace the Craftsman sledgehammer (16lb, wooden handle). The handle cracked and the hammer fell off - while I was splitting logs, as the hammer fell off...flew is really more accurate, it nearly took out my knee.

So my mom and I drove up to Sears to replace it, since it was Craftsman and they have a lifetime warranty. We get up to the tool counter with both pieces of the sledgehammer and say we'd like it replaced.

My mom nearly flipped her lid when the guy said he wouldn't replace it since it's not a hand tool and the warranty only covers hand tools and that I should have been more careful. She was already upset that the thing nearly took out my knee, so this twerp just pushed her over the edge.

She yelled at him 'no wonder no one shops in your sh*tty stores, it's because of retards like you!' and a few other remarks not fit to repeat ;)

We drove 20 minutes up the road to a Home Depot (not much better, I know, but given the circumstances it's the next best thing) and explained to someone there our ordeal and after having a good laugh at the pure lunacy of a sledgehammer not being a hand tool he sold us a sledgehammer that was one solid piece with a plastic handle. He said if the handle ever tears or starts to slide off, bring it back (just be sure to hang on to the receipt) and they'll replace it.

We don't buy a whole lot of tools, but when we need them we just go to Lowe's or Home Depot. Sears has been circling the drain for so long, I'm surprised they're staying in business in the middle of this current crisis.

These warranty problems are the whole reason I don't buy Sears tools. If I can go down to Harbor Freight and grab a cheap PoS tool that costs 1/4 as much and doesn't have the warranty, compared to the full price and it's not likely to be honored...I'll go with the harbor freight tool.

@reidnez: this is what makes me sad about so many companies today. the whole purpose of the replacement policy is to generate repeat business; generational business like the OP's. sure, there's a cost to the service, but consider it marketing - & cheap marketing at that. every time someone comes into a store to return a tool, there's an opportunity to sell them something else.

did they stop teaching this stuff in business school? when did it all stop being about dollars & sense & start being about dollars & cents? am i the only one that thinks this is pretty rudimentary stuff?

What part of Life-Time, no-questions-asked does the employee not understand?

Kobalt is NOT re-branded Snap On. They are generally worse quality than Craftsman. I'm pretty sure they're mostly Chinese made.

umm... buy some CLR, soak rusty tools for 10 minute intervals, rinse when desired amount of rust is gone, go return them.

My family is full of mechanics, and most switched to Snap-On from Craftsman like 10 years ago. But yeah, they should honor their warranty.

@mac-phisto: This has been happening more and more since Excel came out. It gives the bean counters altogether too much power.

This almost sounds like a local store policy . It also sounds like a lack of training being that the employees aren't told the difference between rust and damage/defects from use . If the points are not pointy on a socket how will it grip ? One could say they rusted because they were defective as well although I doubt that will go very far .

And that three tools per day rule . I can see three of the same thing but 3 tools period : that's a little harsh ( By the way was this in writing anywhere ? )

I would wipe them down real quick with oil then take them to a different Sears and see what happens .

I worked at a sears years ago, and the ONLY craftsman tools I didn't accept were melted ALMOST beyond recognition by a fire (not covered), instead I made up a price sheet for replacement of all the hand tools, and power tools, to take o the guys insurance company. About a week later here comes the customer with an almost 10k sale, and came straight to me, even though he had to wait a bit for me to get back from lunch, huge commission. Customer service goes a LONG way, sadly sears no longer entices service on most employees by offering commission (a few areas do) and those that do run on commission are so desperate for the sale that they will do ANYTHING to make it happen (sears stores are so empty now due to crummy service driving people to go elsewhere.)

I have never, ever had problems like that replacing craftsman tools. I have even warrantied "custom" tools, like wrenches that I deliberately cut in half to make clearance on a specific project. Heck, I even warrantied some really, really old craftsman tools that I bought at a garage sale, the sole reason being that they scared me (I don't take kindly to busted knuckles).

@RetailGnome: Please post which store you work at, so that I can avoid it and instead go to one where "customer" and "service" actually go together.

"Generally speaking I will not replace something that is broken and shows lots of rust."

I'm sorry you are ignorant of the Sears Warranty. Let me remind you what it is:

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CRAFTSMAN® mechanics tools and CRAFTSMAN® hand tools have a Lifetime Warranty… they are guaranteed forever …unconditionally, no questions asked. If one should ever fail to give you complete satisfaction, Sears will replace it, free of charge.

Replacement:
A proof of purchase is not necessary to replace a tool. All that is necessary is that the "Craftsman" name is stamped on the tool. A 5 digit number located on the tool is required.
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Source: [www.sears.ca]

Sears? Yeah, they're doing well.

One by my house has a McDonald's right in the store!