Aaron writes:

Dear Consumerist,
I recently purchased a Craftsman snow thrower from sears.com during an online 12-hour 10% off sale. I selected the store pickup option as the website stated that my local Waterford, CT Sears had this model in stock. Well, later in the morning the local department clerk called to inform me that the only available unit of that model snow thrower was a floor model. The clerk told me that this was last years model that had been reduced and he could possibly get me a bigger discount if I agreed to continue with the purchase & take the floor model. Now the clerk tries to apply a larger discount on top of the ten percent I've already received but can't, the computer is telling him that I've already reached my limit on discounts on this sale. Ok, I've received the 10% from the 12-hour sale then another $5 discount for signing up for sears.com emails. Fine, I decide to take the unit anyway as long as the unit is complete, manual, keys, etc...

Cut to later the next morning, Waterford, CT Sears. During my lunch break I leave the office to drive to the store to pick up the machine. I first stop by the Lawn & Garden dept to confirm that the snow thrower does in fact carry all the relevant warranties and is not an 'as-is' purchase. The clerk, different from the one I talked with the previous day, confirmed that the unit is not an 'as-is' sale and the unit carries all associated warranties. Fine, I head up to merchandise pickup. He further confirms that the unit was assembled two weeks ago and everything is upstairs waiting for pickup.

Upstairs, merchandise pickup:
Two associates very promptly bring out the machine, just the machine, and no user manual. I tell the associates that I will not accept the unit without all relevant accessories. They go back into their area and leave me for about ten minutes. This time one associate returns with user manual but he tells me that he can’t find the key to start the machine. I am left waiting for another ten minutes, at least. He comes back with a plan that Ray from Lawn & Garden will “mail me the key” when he gets back from his day off. I tell the associate that this is unacceptable. I will not accept the unit unless it is complete. Take it off the truck and do what you will with it, just refund my money. The associate tells me that it will get “complicated” if I refuse the unit and he heads back to further search for the key; further leaving me hanging for another ten minutes and making me late for an appointment. After another ten minutes he returns with the key from another model Craftsman snow thrower and tells me that the keys are basically universal. He leaves and I take the key & go to the truck to try it in my model. It doesn’t fit.

As it turns out there were two other merchandise pick up associates walking by as I was on the truck trying out the key. They walk over ask if it’s working. I explain that it isn’t. They both look at the machine & notice that the unit is missing a critical piece of equipment that fits onto the electric start socket. The machine will not start with out this piece. I thank them & tell them to remove the snow thrower from my truck. The associate processes the order as a return & I leave extremely unsatisfied.

Now, there's a sign hanging up at merchandise pickup that states if the associates don't have your order out in five minutes then you're entitled to a $5 coupon good on a future purchase. I take this into account when I email sears.com about my experience. The following day the operation manager from Waterford Sears contacts me and apologizes for my inconvenience. She offers me a new in box unit (apparently they found one sitting around) for $499, discounting it $90. I tell her this is untrue, as I paid $526. She puts me on hold & comes back with her final offer of $489. So it's not $90 off, it's $37 off.

$37 off, for my trouble. Thirty-seven dollars. I was lied to by the lawn & garden clerk, waited at merchandise pickup for upwards of forty minutes, drove forty five minutes round trip to borrow a pickup truck to haul the snow thrower, took over an hour off of work. Oh, and my eight month pregnant wife was with me the whole time waiting. I decline her offer & email national customer service to have a regional manager contact me. Nothing, not even a reply.

Thanks for nothing. So long Sears.

(Photo: Getty)

Universal officials in Toronto told Target 8 Investigators that over the life of the five-year plan they believe customers will actually save money. They say you shouldn't judge the plan six months into a five-year contract, even though prices are currently dropping.

Former salesman Al Brogg, who calls the way Universal sells gas "misleading, dishonest, unethical," also thinks that might still happen, and that it might work eventually in customers favor.

But he said, "Today it's not going to save people money. It's actually going to cost them almost 50 percent more."

Universal officials take no responsibility for any lies told by sales people. They say lying violates their code of conduct, however, "it's possible...a couple of sales people went off and did their own thing to increase sales."

It should go without saying, but if you can't compare apples to apples between two bills, don't change to a new supplier. Sadly, most gas bills are hard to read. Here's one attempt to clarify some of the numbers—you should look for a Gas Recovery Cost. You should also do a search for a similar "how to read my gas bill" page on your local gas supplier's website.

(Thanks to Jack!)

"Traveling gas sales people: we 'misled' customers" [WOODTV]
(Photo: tanakawho)

The Houston-based company, Minnesota's largest natural-gas utility, told the Star Tribune that it still considers credit reporting one of several appropriate ways to collect past-due payments. It also considers those collections crucial for keeping rates down for all customers.

But it has chosen not to begin such a program because "we feel it is important to focus our attention on exploring alternatives," the company said in a prepared statement.

(Thanks to Kris!)

"CenterPoint's credit-reporting plan is dropped" [Star Tribune]

RELATED
"Centerpoint suspends program to report deliquent customers" [MPR]

Eligibility is determined with two questions: First, do you live in one of these 16 states?

Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland, Alaska, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana.

It's almost sweet of our communist friends to shove the inequalities and harsh realities of capitalism in our faces with a program that actually helps people pay for an increasingly unwieldy cost of living expense.

For more information, call Citizens Energy at: (877) 563-4645, or fill out their online application.

Individual Households [Citizens Energy]
(Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

Who knew?

Unlike some products on sale near the end of the year because of gift-giving holidays, flooring may be on sale because no one really wants to buy it at this time of the year. "Generally, the slowest time of the year is around Thanksgiving or Christmas and New Year. People generally have guests and are thinking about other things. With business being slow and retailers being motivated to move merchandise, that would be the best time," says Chris Davis, president and chief executive officer of the World Floor Covering Association. "People tend to do their home renovation in the spring. If you're in a place with seasons, for instance, Minnesota, the time to buy would be when you'd least expect it."

Best time to shop [Bankrate]
(Photo:Jay Adan)

A couple of our favorites:

Adventure Medical Kits S.O.L. Survival Pak — Made for wilderness survival in a time of emergency, so pray your friend or family member never employs this gift. The S.O.L. Pak puts several survival items in an ultralight waterproof bag. The 4.6-ounce kit includes a mirror, whistle, matches, tinder, space blanket, bilingual survival and first-aid instructions, fishing kit, duct tape and compass. $25

Big Agnes Mountain booties — Technical slippers are a reality. If you've ever winter camped, you know the pain of cold feet in a tent or snow cave. These PrimaLoft-insulated booties have an ankle drawstring to cinch securely on your feet. They pack down small to become all but unnoticeable in a pack. $40

• gasoline prices - In a surprise to no one, they'll go higher.
• home heating costs - If you use heating oil, you could see a steep increase of over 25%. Homes using natural gas may see an increase of about 10%. Propane households will see a 20% increase, while homes that heat with electricity should expect a relatively small 2.7% bump.
• airfare - Airlines will want to raise prices because jet fuel is already an enormous expense for them—but unless the whole industry plays along, it's a risky thing to do. There's a good chance international fares will go up while domestic fares remain relatively competitive, especially if the economy remains soft.
• shipping - Ah, the hidden cost of online shopping! You can expect retailers to offer discounts or free shipping during the holiday season, but rates may go up after that passes. Higher transportation costs can also trickle down into things like groceries, so prices may go up there as well.

"What $100 Oil Means for Your Wallet" [SmartMoney]
(Photo: Getty)

In actual dollars, this translates to a hit of around $400 more for average families using heating oil or propane, and around $50 more for those using electricity or natural gas.

The National Energy Assistance Director's Association, which released the figures, have called on the Bush administration to "immediately release money from the government's Low Income Home Energy Program, commonly known as LIHEAP, to help poor families pay their heating bills as well as cover past-due high cooling bills from the summer."

We grew up in a poor household, and trust us, one cold winter can wipe out an already tight budget for half the year. As the article states, "During 2005, energy expenses accounted for 20 percent of the income of households that received LIHEAP assistance, compared to only 3 percent for higher income families." If you're the letter-writing type, you might want to contact your representatives and ask that they increase LIHEAP funding.

"Consumers face record winter heating costs" [Reuters]

RELATED
www.supportliheap.org
(Photo: The_Gut)

1. Place the wool item in a sink full of warm water.
2. Soak for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the item and squeeze out excess water.
4. Let dry on a towel.
5. Carefully stretch and pull the item back to its original shape. Voila!

Why are we talking about wool in the summer? Because we recently threw our smelly winter cap in the wash and it came out a kitty-cat chapeau. Bookmark this tip in your brain for the next time you forget to read your wool item's care label. — BEN POPKEN

References: StyleBites, The Gazette

Check your flight status before you go to the airport. From United:

"For customers currently traveling to, from, and through these states affected by the winter storms who would like to make one change to their return trip, rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchases, day or time applications, blackouts and minimum or maximum stay requirements have been waived.

Customers who have not begun travel to, from, and through these states affected by the winter storms may make one change to their travel plans without change fees or advance purchase requirements for the same itinerary. For a new itinerary, they can make one change without change fees. United advises customers to log on to united.com to make a change to their itinerary. Rescheduled travel may be subject to higher fares if it does not meet original rule and booking-code restrictions or is a new itinerary.

United Airlines Offers Advice to Customers Affected by Winter Storms and Issues Travel Waiver (Press Release) [PR Newswire]

Shrink Wrap Your Windows For Winter [Curbly]

So I love this round-up of sled reviews over at Slate by Ulrich Boser:

Imagining a Rocky Balboa-like comeback, I jumped at a chance to test out the latest in sledding technology. When I was a kid, sleds looked pretty much the same as they had in the Middle Ages: a small platform on top of two runners. Today the market is flooded with various makes and models, from simple, plastic saucers to high-end, snowmobilelike sleds complete with steering wheels and brakes. One, called the Airboard, promises Porsche-like handling. It also comes with a Porsche-like price tag: nearly $300.

To determine which sled was most worthy of dubbing Rosebud, I performed a variety of tests. But before I detail the methodology and results, I should note that some sleds work best in certain types of snow. For instance, the 1950s-era, wood and metal Flexible Flyer will speed on icy, hard-packed snow but tends to get stuck in deep, fluffy powder. I only tested sleds that promised to work in all conditions.

Winter's almost over, so if you're going to spend $300 on a sled before loathed spring is here, this would be an excellent consumer's resource. That new Flexible Flyer sucks though — the advantage of the old model was that, with its metal skates, it would also double as an acceptable weapon in a post-apocalyptic zombie holocaust.