Keep them or ship them back?

[mtwaterguy]

Purchased a little more than $200 of Craftsman sockets and wrenches from Sears on their last sale. This is how they arrived today. Inside a 26x18x14 box with no packing material. When I called to complain, I told the cust service rep I'd just send them back. What do you think? Since they're only tools should I reconsider and keep them?

[/IMG]

 

[ImportTuner]

If there was no damage to your tools, keep them .. remember, these are tools, not man jewelry ..

addendum ... can't see the pics either ..

 

[swgray]

I can't see a picture, but thats how a lot of the sets are in the store. In a plastic bag, in a box. You bought them to use, right?

 

[Uncle Buck]

The image didn't show for me, but let me guess, all either rattling around loose in a box, or tossed in clear plastic bags rattling around loose against each other right?

Sears has packaged them this way for decades, unless you have plating coming off, or other such issues I say just use them and be done with it.

 

[back2class]

Unless some got lost who cares??

 

[PowderKeg]

How badly beat up are they? Don't know that I'd send them back unless there's damage, but at least fire off a bunch of nasty emails to Sears corporate complaining about the shoddy shipping treatment, and advising them that your hard earned money will go to competitors capable of proper packing and shipping in the future!

 

[Merkava_4]

That goes to show you the pride (or lack thereof) that Craftsman takes in their tools.

 

[Paladin]

That goes to show you the pride (or lack thereof) that Craftsman takes in their tools.

X2! Are the tools ok? Yeah, I'm sure they are, but that just shows the guy who packed those sockets couldn't give a damn about your tools. Pretty pathetic.

 

[swgray]

I can see the picture now. At least they taped all the flaps well and nothing was lost. Think of how many loose fill peanuts that could have fit in that box.

Go ahead, use you tools, though.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Guys that is how Sears has shipped their tools for decades, this is not something new. No damage = no harm= no foul.

 

[Islands62]

wtf?! Don't they have any smaller boxes? I guess as long as its complete, I wouldn't grumble too much. If something is damaged x-change it at the store.

I just got my Macbook Pro today, I'm glad Apple ships with a bit more care.

 

[nate379]

Snap On ships their **** just like that as well.

 

[skeletonizer]

Snap On ships their **** just like that as well.

Yeah but the cardboard box they use is precision cut to tolerances that the craftsman box could never match. Not to mention the care with which the tape is put on the box. If you ever have a problem with that box though it will be a chore chasing down that truck to get it replaced. Even if you do catch the truck, good luck convincing the guy to help you out.

 

[Joelfke]

Snap On ships their **** just like that as well.

they probrably figure theyre not shipping eggs, so packaging stuffer is useless and only costs them money, although if i were craftsman i would have used a smaller box then so the sockets arent running around through shipping

remember, the whole US is in a bad economy, not just us special gearheads

but i agree, WTF you paid your hard earned cash for those tools, it should be shipped right

 

[nate379]

The last stuff I bought had nasty greasy finger prints all over the tools. Spend $500 for a set of wrenches and they can't even wipe the prints off?

Yeah.. I once drank the kool aid, but no more. If I find a good deal on their stuff or it's a speciality tool only they carry I go with Snap On. Otherwise it's Matco or Craftsman.

 

[Jay H 237]

I've ordered alot of stuff from the Craftsman catalog the past 2 years and that's how it's showed up too. The boxes sounded like a giant cat toy with all the stuff rattling around in it. Each order I got normally had a catalog thrown in too.

 

[FNFS2000]

I'd only return them if you changed your mind and wanted some quality tools. Otherwise if they are all there who cares.

 

[PowderKeg]

I've ordered alot of stuff from the Craftsman catalog the past 2 years and that's how it's showed up too. The boxes sounded like a giant cat toy with all the stuff rattling around in it. Each order I got normally had a catalog thrown in too.

How much of the catalog was left after getting shredded by the tools banging around?

I don't recall ever receiving a Sears order like that - all in recent history were packed in peanuts in appropriately sized boxes. No catalogs though.

I'd still fire off some nasty-grams with that pic attached - no excuse for using that size of box for that small an order, no packing material at all.

 

[garfunkle24]

I'd only return them if you changed your mind and wanted some quality tools. Otherwise if they are all there who cares.

Elitism by the book. Again.

To the OP: I would just keep them and let Sears know what you think. Maybe they'll send some kind of goodwill gesture to ensure your future purchases. Wouldn't hold my breath though.

 

[dps]

.. remember, these are tools, not man jewelry ..

..

I personally disagree. There is no reason that tools, especially chrome pieces, can't be tools AND jewelry.

So you'd have to decide if it matters. If they're gonna slide across a concrete floor anyway, who cares? If you do care, then you probably have to go to a store and look through them all, trading out for the best ones.

There's a big difference in my stuff between what came packed individually and what got tossed together. It's too bad, because they all start out nicely polished and it's easy to keep them that way.

 

[GT89mustang]

Is it really that big of a deal? Sure the could have been packed better, but in the end they are just sockets.

 

[Fedwrench]

I'm surprised they shipped your tools that way. I regularly order tools from Sears whenever there's a great sale. They just sent me 26 and 28mm wrenchs in the same size box filled with light green foam peanuts. Maybe they ran out filling my box.
At any rate, what's important is that all of your tools ordered are accounted for. I wouldn't send them back as the tools will probably get scratched more the first time you really use them than they got in transit. You should call and complain about the absence of packing material. At least we know now that Sears hires the same quality dedicated people in their catalog distribution centers as the ones working in the store's tool department.

 

[charlie_nj]

I bought a bunch of loose sockets during that recent 50% off sale. Most of the stuff I picked up at the store, but the stuff I had shipped all were packed with packing peanuts. At those prices though, it wouldn't have mattered to me how they were packaged, they aren't gonna break by rattling around in a box. If you need them, keep them. If any were damaged, exchange them at the store.

 

[FNFS2000]

Love the picture though, kinda looks like the dog pee'd and its running all over

 

[davestlouis]

The title of this thread reminds me of that "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer" song, there is a reference to the gifts, whether they should keep them or send them back.

 

[GT89mustang]

Actually if it makes you feel any better, thats basically the same way the open stock sockets and stuff comes in off the truck to the store.

 

[billymade]

X2!!!!!! I have unloaded tools at my store for 7 years off the truck; they come that way and my coworkers have been amazed at how big some of the boxes were, for what was shipped! We had some big boxes with only one item in them! There must be something about how the fulfillment employees put the items in the boxes and then someone down the line is too lazy to put them in a smaller box? This was a conundrum that we in the tool dept. were puzzled about and could never figure out. It is not done well, is wasteful and kind of bizarre, imho. I will say this happened over and over, again! Go figure! I wouldn't worry about the sockets, use 'em and more on... it is strange to get packages like that though! The sockets that you see at the store; were shipped to the store, the same way. I've gotten tons of them at the store packed this way!

 

[GT89mustang]

X2!!!!!! I have unloaded tools at my store for 7 years off the truck; they come that way and my coworkers have been amazed at how big some of the boxes were, for what was shipped! We had some big boxes with only one item in them! There must be something about how the fulfillment employees put the items in the boxes and then someone down the line is too lazy to put them in a smaller box? This was a conundrum that we in the tool dept. were puzzled about and could never figure out. It is not done well, is wasteful and kind of bizarre, imho. I will say this happened over and over, again! Go figure! I wouldn't worry about the sockets, use 'em and more on... it is strange to get packages like that though! The sockets that you see at the store; were shipped to the store, the same way. I've gotten tons of them at the store packed this way!

I know, we have never been able to figure that out either, except maybe they are from different parts of the wharehouse or they just come in that way and are shipped out again. Seems like a total waste either way.

 

[mag99]

Looks like most ebay packages I recieve! Apparently, there is a shortage of packing materials in the US. Maybe they need a stimulus check or bailout money for some peanuts!

On a side note, my buddy did recieve a pair of aluminum heads that were packed exactly the same way! Box WAY TOO BIG, no packing at all, one head was hanging out of the box, cardboard was wore out from them tumbling around NOT GOOD!

I would think sockets would survive, though....

 

[mtwaterguy]

I have not seen anything that's damaged yet. The top only had a single piece of tape on one end and since the box was so big, I guess the weight of the contents broke the seal. I found 4 flex sockets that had no tags. Don't know if they were shipped that way or if they fell out or were removed. Of course there was no paper work of any kind inside the box so I don't know what they shipped. Since I purchased over 70 separate items it'll take a while to make sure I received everything I ordered. I'm mostly irritated that they didn't even care enough about their product to ship it correctly.

 

[The Muffin Man]

With a box that big, packing peanuts would probably have not helped at all.

 

[voidifused]

That goes to show you the pride (or lack thereof) that Craftsman takes in their tools.

I don't think that is shows lack of pride of there tools, more so that they show the need to pay some kid 6.00$ an hour to pack there out going orders who could care less about it and how it gets there and more about how many more Rings/Pins they can get in there face.

 

[wrenchr]

Snap On ships their **** just like that as well.

No they use crumpled paper and they put the stuff in bags!!

 

[Merkava_4]

No they use crumpled paper and they put the stuff in bags!!

That's the way my GearWrench extensions were sent!!

 

[Uncle Buck]

I'd only return them if you changed your mind and wanted some quality tools. Otherwise if they are all there who cares.

What a dumb *** baiting comment. (it was worth taking the bait to tell him it was a dumb *** comment to me!)

 

[dps]

What a dumb *** baiting comment. (it was worth taking the bait to tell him it was a dumb *** comment to me!)

I'd already taken one of the baiting comments; thanks for taking this one!

 

[Major Ramifications]

I wonder about some of you guy's ****** orientation. Did this site turn queer while I was busy working? This thread is second in gayness only to the one about waxing tool boxes.

Tools are a commodity that are meant to be used. GIT-R-DONE!

 

[The Muffin Man]

Tools are a commodity that are meant to be used. GIT-R-DONE!

My car is meant for driving... Should I stop waxing that as well?

 

[olds394]

Just got a large socket order from Sears myself. The packing could improve it's true. (in bags, no peanuts, big *** box ) Still the best quality I can get dollar for dollar. IMO

 

[chavist93]

I got my order a couple days ago. It was 39 total items, mostly flex sockets. It was in the same exact box as the OP. I wish I had took pictures because I had to get a bowl and dip out two 13 gallon trash bags full of peanuts to get to my sockets at the bottom. Yes, two 13 gallon bags full and there was still a little left in the box. Consider yourself lucky because I'd rather had no packing material than to have to deal with this massive amount of peanuts.