Sears price match fiasco - seriously?

[geologist]

I went to Sears to pick up a top box that was on sale. The Sears representative tries pulling up the item, but can't find it on the computers. However, they have the exact same box in a different color. A little more searching revealed both boxes independently on both Sears and Kmart's website as being locally available. The original listing clearly mentions that the box is available in red and black.

Sure, the box was on sale, but they didn't have that particular color of the box in the listing itself in the show room, and wouldn't check in the back. On top of this, they refused to price match the exact same box on the basis of color difference alone, even though the listing mentioned both colors.

Needless to say tomorrow won't be a good day for someone now that I've talked to corporate.

 

[B17E1943]

Needless to say tomorrow won't be a good day for someone now that I've talked to corporate.

I worked at the parts counter for a few years at Sears. Customers used to threaten to call "CHICAGO"all the time when their little ******* were twisted up cuz their damn TV or lawnmower or something equally idiotic was broken.

Cracked me up; it took all my self-control to keep from telling them to go right the **** ahead. Like we were supposed to cower in fear at the mention of the word "CHICAGO".

 

[TommyD]

I have had such a hassle with my local Sears that I rarely do business with them. I used to ONLY buy Crapsman tools but they too seem to be cheaply built. Am I wrong?

 

[4x4gearhead]

Am I wrong?

No, a lot of people still try to stand behind some of the **** they make but god damnit, the quality on this stuff has been on the downhill for years. Quality and Craftsman are a thing of the past.

 

[rj-oz]

You all should experience the sh1t I have just been through, 3 orders-all cancelled, Aussie $ agin $US at high-not on Sears w/site tho--gone the other way it seems--Sears have increased international prices by at least 30%, you local guys are lucky

 

[GoBlue]

Lucky? Are their no sources for overpriced imported tools in Au?

 

[rj-oz]

what i am talking about is Sears have supplied me with defective products and I am attempting to replace them, especially the modular sets-they seem to offload all the opened sets that have been interfered with, I got this 16mm long wrench that looked like it missed the final coating, and as I am attempting to assemble an entire US made toolkit for one of my sons whoe's tools got pinched, I reckon I have good reason to ***** about the slackers employed by Sears, don't stir me any more mister, you have no reason to do so

 

[expfcwintergreen]

I worked at the parts counter for a few years at Sears. Customers used to threaten to call "CHICAGO"all the time when their little ******* were twisted up cuz their damn TV or lawnmower or something equally idiotic was broken.

Cracked me up; it took all my self-control to keep from telling them to go right the **** ahead. Like we were supposed to cower in fear at the mention of the word "CHICAGO".

============

Sears better be scared because some of the decisions they are making, the screw-ups on their website, and the attitudes of some of their employees are shrinking their place in the world considerably.

 

[CISO1969]

I think their prices on tools, unless on sale--a serious sale--arent the best. For the money they want, I'm better off with Allen, Armstrong, SK , and the US made stock of Williams , Proto, and Kobalt-which are dwindling quickly from NOS and odd lot sales and distributers like Cripe and others..

I rarely buy anything at Sears unless seriously discounted or from the outlet etc.

Cripe distributing, Ebay and fellow board members here have become my "go to" for quality tools.

Having said all that I own a crapload of Craftsman LOL

 

[kythri]

If the website shows that it's in-stock in the store, is there a reason you're not purchasing it online and then just picking it up?

 

[rj-oz]

============

Sears better be scared because some of the decisions they are making, the screw-ups on their website, and the attitudes of some of their employees are shrinking their place in the world considerably.

yep, gone already, mind you though, the locals employed are innocent, all they want or expect is a livable wage, all our Gal's are the same

 

[lowbucktruck]

The customer service you receive at a Sears store is really hit-or-miss, IMHO. I think the location of the store plays a factor; if the Sears is in a mall in a good area, seems like the salespeople are more helpful and professional. I do tend to ask the sales person trying to help me if they have worked in hardware/tools first, before letting them help me. Saves a lot of my time.

I have had good service experience at our local Sears appliance outlet in our rural area; the guys working there have always been helpful.

 

[FXDawg]

Yea I just went through a fun time with Sears.com. They advertised "30% off mechanics tool set and Storage $100 & up" I was buying an international tool cab and top. I couldn't get the discount in the cart. Every time i spoke to someone I got different "reasons" for the screw up.

My argument was you advertised it, there are no exclusions you have to honor it. I ended up going to the better business bureau and filing a complaint. After about 2 weeks of aggravation, I got the discount in the form of a credit back to my CC account after purchasing at full price.

You just need to keep calling and complaining until you get someone that agrees with you. Especially if you KNOW you're right!

Of course expected delivery is one month after the order date. So, I have yet to recieve my boxes...

 

[Hootbro]

T......................
I have had good service experience at our local Sears appliance outlet in our rural area; the guys working there have always been helpful.

Those appliance outlet and hardware stores are franchised owned operations. Their customer service tends to be better because of the threat of losing the franchise if they do not. A corporate owned big box Sears could give a **** less many times if they meet your expectations.

 

[monster1]

I have had such a hassle with my local Sears that I rarely do business with them. I used to ONLY buy Crapsman tools but they too seem to be cheaply built. Am I wrong?

CAREFUL!! In some parts, a statement like that can get you labeled a troll!

 

[ndoran]

not just tools. I purchased a point zero down filled jacket through the catalogue - a replacement for a jacket that had given ten years of faithfull service. I picked up the new jacket and when I tried it on at home one of the press studs fell off. It was too short to go through the layers of material. i took it straight back to the store: did i get an apology? not a chance. The assistant on the catalogue counter told me to take the jacket to a repair shop and get them to fix it at my expense. I asked her if she was having a laugh? but she was serious she wanted me to take a never worn jacket that still had the labels on it to a tailor's shop and get it repaired at my expense and pay full price for it - over $200 by the way. There was quite the crowd by now. So I returned the jacket complete with an argument where I refused to pay a "handling charge" because I would not accept faulty goods.

I was not angry when I left the store I was furious.

 

[ZRX61]

The only things I've bought at Sears for years has been during 50% off sales, including 7 different sets of GW's.. but after the warranty fiasco with GW I stopped buying their tools. Also picked up some torque wrenches that will going to a local aircraft plant to be calibrated at some point soon.

 

[TommyD]

Me...a troll??

I bought a powerwasher from Sears, fully ASSembled by their ASSembly techs, just add gas and oil and I'm GTG. I'm powerwashing for about 3 hours and the motor (a Briggs and Stratton) starts making funny noises and quits....WTF??!! I load it in my truck and take it back and say there is a problem. The ASSistant MANager asks if the gasoline tank is empty, I say no. She says she can't take it in without the tank being empty so I ask about going down to the Service Center and emptying it there...she says "NO". Something about fumes in the building or some such nonsense..it's got maybe a quart of gas in it. The Sears store is in a Mall and the hardware pick up/drop off is right off the main entrance and it was a BUSY day for Sears, many people waiting to pick up their purchases... I'm getting ramped now, I say WTF, IT'S A SERVICE CENTER, THEY WORK ON CARS DOWN THERE! She says no I can't empty the gas tank in their store. I say fine I'm going to empty it out front in your bushes...she waddles over to the counter, get's on the phone and starts punching numbers..I ASSume if for the local LEO's. My wife is tugging at my arm saying I think we should leave but I'm not done yet. I yell back that I'll be back, with an EMPTY gas tank, don't you worry! I get home and dump the whole thing out the bed of my pick up sloshing gas on the gravel drive, load it back up and I'm back to Sears.

I get there and the ASSistant MANager is no where to be seen, the new guy taking it in doesn't even bother to ask if the tank is empty, he tags it and takes my info and takes it out back.

I get a call a few days later from the Sears repair center saying it's unrepairable (DUH!) and come down and pick out another pressure washer. They is a display and there are two identical models but one, with the Honda motor, for $30 more....I paid for the Honda motor and have NOT stepped foot in that Sears since.

As a side note, that was the second Briggs engine I had blow up on me in about 10 years..

 

[briggsguy17]

The problem is, as evidenced by these tales of horror, is the fact that people keep giving them a chance, even after horrible service. In this day of cyber shopping why would anyone put up with bad service and keep going back??

 

[plung]

Buy it online for store pickup. No need to see any sales guy as you will come to the pickup section in the back of the store. You can also return items there you bought online.

 

[american lockpicker]

The problem is, as evidenced by these tales of horror, is the fact that people keep giving them a chance, even after horrible service. In this day of cyber shopping why would anyone put up with bad service and keep going back??

Yeah service is bad at times but I go there as it supports my local economy. Also you don't have to pay shipping and you get a product instantly when you go there.

 

[B17E1943]

Believe me, I'm not sticking up for Sears.

Pay people **** wages and give them 3-cent raises a couple years running ... and if they are dumb enough to stay there imagine the lack of caring they will have.

Sears was a damn good company to work for at one time, according to some of the lifers I used to work with. But thanks to the morons at the top over the last 20 or so years, it's pretty bad now.

Sears deserves everything it has coming. It's a shame.

 

[geologist]

I understand like-for-like, but two mechanically identical boxes - one clearanced out but still showing up, the other is identical in every except for color. The listing for the clearanced one clearly shows it comes in both colors, even the kid working there said that the product numbers "weren't like appliances" i.e. some boxes likely share the same serial.

No sale.

Then, the lady has the gaul to try and sell me a full priced ball-bearing tool box like the one I was looking at. All this was a few days after I had bought a top chest that had been marked down by about 90%.

I've been a fan of Sears for years. I've actively tried to defend it when others said it was ****, mentioning my "honey hole" where I always get good service. Apparently, that ship has sailed.

Ended the day with:

"So you'll price match a sweater, regardless of color, but not a tool box?"

"Yes"

"No wonder there are so many store closings."

 

[iroc409]

I bought both my top and bottom boxes on sale from Sears. The top one was a return/defect I got for less than half price. The defect was one tab of the name plate was broken.

The bottom was on one of those 50% off sales. The sales lady absolutely would not let me have the black one to match my top box, she said only the red one was on sale. Maybe she was on commission?

Anyway, no bother I bought the red one.

 

[geologist]

I bought both my top and bottom boxes on sale from Sears. The top one was a return/defect I got for less than half price. The defect was one tab of the name plate was broken.

The bottom was on one of those 50% off sales. The sales lady absolutely would not let me have the black one to match my top box, she said only the red one was on sale. Maybe she was on commission?

Anyway, no bother I bought the red one.

I told her I would take any color. I wanted black, but red or gray would have worked fine. They had a red one, which is actually cheaper than black most of the time, but wouldn't match their own clearance that included the red color.

 

[SINISTER]

The problem with such a big company is no one falls responsible, therefor nobody cares about anything but their paycheck. Employees should cower in fear when someone mentions a corporate headquarters it would get these lazy a$$ associates off their butts to do something important and maybe learn or thing or two so they can fix it next time. But no, sears employees (not far off from any other retail chains) have zero responsibility so why the heck should they do anything. The managers their are even worse they are more worried about the store being clean and stocked well that they dont even know what its like to care about a customers needs.

 

[FXDawg]

The problem with such a big company is no one falls responsible, therefor nobody cares about anything but their paycheck. Employees should cower in fear when someone mentions a corporate headquarters it would get these lazy a$$ associates off their butts to do something important and maybe learn or thing or two so they can fix it next time. But no, sears employees (not far off from any other retail chains) have zero responsibility so why the heck should they do anything. The managers their are even worse they are more worried about the store being clean and stocked well that they dont even know what its like to care about a customers needs.

Yes, not to mention that they make up excuses off the top of their head. There is no way in hell they are right in not giving you the box as advertised! BBB baby, you'll get your box as advertised!

 

[kythri]

The problem is, as evidenced by these tales of horror, is the fact that people keep giving them a chance, even after horrible service. In this day of cyber shopping why would anyone put up with bad service and keep going back??

Because many of us don't get bad service.

My Sears rules.

 

[Lawson4450]

I ordered a power saw from them that was on sale but when i payed it came up at a different price so I showed them the email on my phone the price advertised and they just did a return and I payed the new price. I was surprised it was that easy.

 

[dudutzu905]

Buy it online for store pickup. No need to see any sales guy as you will come to the pickup section in the back of the store. You can also return items there you bought online.

except you buy online and then drive to the store only to have the grumpy guy at the merchandise pick-up tell you that they don't have it in stock after you just drove 20 minutes and while on the website was showing 3 in stock
then go in the actual store and find 3 of them on the shelf, take one go back to him just to get a mean look, like you did something wrong after doing his damn job! WTF!?

and I had trouble with returning stuff that I bought online, almost always they can't find the transaction and then it takes half hour(if you're lucky) for them to call corporate and have them figure it out for them
now I'm thinking twice before entering the Sears store

 

[ybnormal70]

I went to my local Sears to purchase this:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03483928000P?prdNo=6&blockNo=6&blockType=G6

It was $24 online, but $45 in store. They said they could not price match it, that it had to be ordered online.

I then went outside, ordered it on my phone, waited 5 minutes and walked in to pickup the same one I had in my hand for almost half the price. Why they make you jump threw hoops to get your items is beyond me.

I've had to do this several times at my local Sears and it is really starting to get old.

L8r,

Kevin

 

[lowbucktruck]

Those appliance outlet and hardware stores are franchised owned operations. Their customer service tends to be better because of the threat of losing the franchise if they do not. A corporate owned big box Sears could give a **** less many times if they meet your expectations.

Yep... right, franchise-owned Sears. Thanks for pointing that out. And since they have a vested-interest in repeat business, I keep coming back.

 

[darkzero]

The Sears I go to is in the mall. Went to buy a two piece tool box in black, I knew that it was not in stock, that Sears only carries red tool boxes in stock, all other colors have to be ordered. Price online was different than the in store price. I printed the page, cashier could not overide the price but willingly called his manage who happily overided the price. I also had a $10 off coupon which the system would not apply to the tool box cause it was not showing in stock. The manager adjusted the price so that I got a $9.99 discount. I couldn'5 be happier with the service I got. No arguing necessary for me. 5 days later my tool box came in, got a call, & picked it up.

 

[SMKS]

I went to Sears to pick up a top box that was on sale.

I understand like-for-like, but two mechanically identical boxes - one clearanced out but still showing up, the other is identical in every except for color.

I told her I would take any color. I wanted black, but red or gray would have worked fine. They had a red one, which is actually cheaper than black most of the time, but wouldn't match their own clearance that included the red color.

Hmm... the plot thickens. Perhaps this wasn't a problem with Sears customer service...

In the first post you said the box was on "sale." Then you say it is on clearance. Which is it?

I'm not a Sears defender, but I don't know any retailer that will match a clearance price. I know you're claiming there was another identical box that wasn't on clearance, but that's a moot point.

Perhaps they were discontinuing only one color of the box. Should you be able to get the non-clearanced box for the clearance price? I would say no.

At first I thought you were in the right. But now that I see you were trying to get a non-clearance item for clearance price, I think you might be in the wrong.

I know GJ loves bashing Sears. Heck, I've even done some myself. But I don't know if the OP has a legitimate reason to bash/rant in this thread.

 

[geologist]

The Sears in question had a series of boxes that were store displays being cleared out because those boxes were no longer being made. It also had a number of boxes on sale for a pretty incredible discount. One of those boxes was listed via Sears website. I bought a clearanced top box, and on the way to Sears (to pick it up) I decided to go ahead and purchase a ball-bearing box as well that was marked down significantly as well. When I arrived, they were showing stock online, but the photo was of a black box. The listing clearly said black / red available (since removed). When I got there, they didn't have the black, but they had the red version (no big deal). I went to buy it, and the lady went to check the sale via their computer terminal. She clearly saw that it mentioned black and red. Half an hour later, she decided that she wasn't going to match it because the photo differed from the box they had (the color of the box was black in the photo, even though the listing stated it was available in black or red) and thus refused to grant the sale.

 

[FXDawg]

...Half an hour later, she decided that she wasn't going to match it because the photo differed from the box they had (the color of the box was black in the photo, even though the listing stated it was available in black or red) and thus refused to grant the sale.

The written word always takes precedence over a photo...She obviously made a decision based on something other than what is right and legal. (she pulled it out of her A$$)

That is a big pet peeve of mine...if you don't know, say you don't know and go find out! Don't just make it up on the fly!!

 

[daveblank]

When you look at the ad, what was the item number? Sears uses different item numbers for different colors. It's possible they just had a bad description.

 

[TommyD]

Believe me, I'm not sticking up for Sears.

Pay people **** wages and give them 3-cent raises a couple years running ... and if they are dumb enough to stay there imagine the lack of caring they will have.

Sears was a damn good company to work for at one time, according to some of the lifers I used to work with. But thanks to the morons at the top over the last 20 or so years, it's pretty bad now.

Sears deserves everything it has coming. It's a shame.

As a small child I was so impressed with the Sears and Roebuck in downtown New Haven, what a store. It was so big, at least 2 floors. Whole campsites set up...
Pre K Mart....
Pre Toughskins.....
Ted Williams endorsed products......
Sears catalog......
GOOD products.....


It's so sad to see all this negative. I bet Mr. Sears is spinning in his grave....

 

[clark_nicholas]

I sent Craftsman a email stating how i think that they are destroying an American Icon and that many people feel the same way. They emailed back stating "sorry you feel that way" What BS I know that My one email is not going to change anything but they could at least made me feel like it could.

 

[TommyD]

I'm the same way....my wife says I have no problem letting people know what I think. If they take it to heart and try to do something about it, good for them. If they don't, well I know they just don't care. Plenty of places I can spend my money at...