Attempted a warranty exchange on a 15" Craftsman flat file today only to discover Sears no longer sells individual Craftsman flat files and their kits do not contain the large one I had. All they could offer was a puny 10" Nicholson which retails for $7.50. Of course it has no warranty. To make matters worse, you would think I was applying for a house loan. Had to wait 5 minutes for manager approval and then give them my driver's license. ****, no wonder they will soon be extinct.
Sears Going Down Fast
- Thread starter artbuc
- Start date
Wrench Junkie
Member
That's terrible! On the same note, I just got word that the person that owns the Sears in our town has put it up for sale, inventory and all. I guess it's a great deal if they find anyone that has a glaring desire to go bankrupt! Probably the only way they're gna move that inventory since I never see more than 2 cars there anymore.
wvrailroader
Well-known member
I wonder how many independently owned stores there are. I have a Sears Hardware near me. They carry Craftsman, paint, hardware and major appliances. From your post, I see they can sell the business or try to. I wonder if they have the right to liquidate the stock, instead. I just read that a K Mart toy supplier will no longer ship. It won't be long now.
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Yeah, my local Sears Hardware is like a ghost town. I try to support it but they always seem to be out of what I need and they have virtually no one on the floor who knows anything about anything. Every time I come home I ask my wife the same question: "why do I keep wasting my time going to Sears?" Old habits die hard.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Files are consumables basically so I'd be happy with the replacement no matter what size it is.
On that note, I have files that are decades old and still do the job fine.
On that note, I have files that are decades old and still do the job fine.
nh_yota
Well-known member
I almost purchased a Craftsman 1/2" cordless impact on clearance yesterday but then I thought about warranty coverage.
I hand file my tractor mower blades and after a few years I can tell it takes a lot more effort and elbow grease to get the job done. I realize files are consumables but Sears specifically covers them under lifetime replacement as opposed to other items which are specifically excluded because they are consumables.
woody 73
Well-known member
Forgive an old geezer I thought I was reading somewhere (forget where) that if sears dies fast the deal might not be good with Stanley and the sale might not go through any truth to that or is that just a rumor???
woody 73
Well-known member
Interesting post about just where you might find craftsman tools in the future:
http://www.consumerreports.org/craftsman/sale-of-sears-craftsman-brand/
http://www.consumerreports.org/craftsman/sale-of-sears-craftsman-brand/
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
The deal might be void basically because Craftsman did not fully disclose all related information.
Don't count on any warranty for the moment, files, sockets, etc., because you just never know. Ace sells them but I'm sure they only do it because they are getting a large chunk of profits on their end.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
One articles on the subject -
March 22, 2017
Sears' $900M sale of Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker 'voidable'?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ings-stanley-black-decker-craftsman/99484390/
Thanks for answering that question. I will be keeping an eye on the one near me.
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B.S.A. (ret.)
Well-known member
Here in Central CT, we're down to just one Sears store within a 30 minute drive of my house (there used to be four plus a couple of Sears Hardware stores - they folded first). When the formerly largest one closed in West Hartford this past January there were no deals to be had in spite of all the hoopla and hype about 40 - 60% off (and more!). Prices after the "discount" were still more that old sale prices. Sears was great in their heyday, but what exists now is just a shadow of its former self. Pity, I will miss them. Many fond memories of shopping there growing up and as a younger man. To every thing, there is a season...
I recently needed to reach a torx screw down a blind hole that was too small for my bit driver to get into. The Snap-on man didn't have the T-handles on his truck so rather than wait I pass both a Harbor Freight and a Sears on the way home from work. I really didn't want the HF, and figured Craftsman was a better choice.
This Sears is in a mall but used to have a pretty decent tool section. In fact just this past Christmas I was surprised to see just how packed with inventory the tool section was what with all the store closings going on everywhere else.
Last week when I was in there they had things spread out on the shelves and walls in a way to make it not look like they had as much empty space as they really do. I couldn't help but think.. yeah Sear really is circling the drain.
It will be interesting to see what Stanley decides to do about honoring the warranty on the 100+ years worth of tools that have been sold.
This Sears is in a mall but used to have a pretty decent tool section. In fact just this past Christmas I was surprised to see just how packed with inventory the tool section was what with all the store closings going on everywhere else.
Last week when I was in there they had things spread out on the shelves and walls in a way to make it not look like they had as much empty space as they really do. I couldn't help but think.. yeah Sear really is circling the drain.
It will be interesting to see what Stanley decides to do about honoring the warranty on the 100+ years worth of tools that have been sold.
Sears customer service been going down hill for last several years. Craftsman brand been around for 90 years now, but last couple years has given the brand a bad rep. Ace does carry some of their tools and will replace with China version. I guess having a non-broke China is better then a broke USA tool. Unless things change, I will replace the broken ones with SK.
Cope
Well-known member
We had a nice Sears Hardware around the corner from my house. It folded 10 or 12 years ago. Sears stated that our neighborhood was 40 years old with no new growth. What they either forgot or didn't know was that as the older people moved out or died they were replaced with younger people who wanted or needed hardware and tools.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Sears, please, please, please just die will you!!! I cant' take any more threads about Sears dying. I just want it DEAD.
californiaHank
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2015
- Messages
- 487
Sears is a company in serious financial trouble, and probably won't survive much longer.
I dunno what the current figures are, but in 2016, Sears still had 178,000 employees.
That's a lot of people who are, or probably will be soon, looking for new jobs in an environment where retail jobs are disappearing everywhere.
That's one reason why people are still following the Sears' decline with interest.
It's probably also the reason the guy in the tool department didn't go of his way to apologize for not stocking the exact freebie file replacement the OP wanted.
I dunno what the current figures are, but in 2016, Sears still had 178,000 employees.
That's a lot of people who are, or probably will be soon, looking for new jobs in an environment where retail jobs are disappearing everywhere.
That's one reason why people are still following the Sears' decline with interest.
It's probably also the reason the guy in the tool department didn't go of his way to apologize for not stocking the exact freebie file replacement the OP wanted.
Mikeske
Well-known member
I am sad to see Sears going the way they are. In retrospect I really do not want Sears to die. I am a Sears kid, what that means is when my dad retired from the Air Force in 1964 he moved us back to Iowa and became a Sears manager. Everything he bought had to have a Sears name on it. The TV, the fridge, the washer dryer set, stove, and all the cloths we wore were Sears. Our lawn mowers were always Sears Craftsman lawn mowers and riding tractors. Tools yup my 16th birthday had I received a small Craftsman set with the small Craftsman tool box. The only thing that we did not buy from Sears was the family car.
I seen it coming for years and no I never worked at Sears, I ended up going into the Air Force and stayed in it for 13 years and then in the Reserve for a addition 13 years after I accepted a job offer from Boeing. I recently retired from Boeing and after I was first married 40 years ago we bought at Sears a lot but they had changed and after my father died 1984 I could see the quality of the merchandise start to get cheaper and yet prices went up. We moved on to other brands because of that and being pestered all the time for a extended warranty that we did not need.
I am a realist and know that maybe not this year but very soon Sears will be going the way of Montgomery Ward and other retailers that fail to stay up with the times.
I seen it coming for years and no I never worked at Sears, I ended up going into the Air Force and stayed in it for 13 years and then in the Reserve for a addition 13 years after I accepted a job offer from Boeing. I recently retired from Boeing and after I was first married 40 years ago we bought at Sears a lot but they had changed and after my father died 1984 I could see the quality of the merchandise start to get cheaper and yet prices went up. We moved on to other brands because of that and being pestered all the time for a extended warranty that we did not need.
I am a realist and know that maybe not this year but very soon Sears will be going the way of Montgomery Ward and other retailers that fail to stay up with the times.
anndel
Well-known member
Sears, meh take it or leave it. They had their 15 minutes of fame during it's hey day but they didn't roll with the times and pushed online sales. They could have been bigger than Amazon. We have 2 Sears - Windward Mall in Kaneohe and the other at Pearlridge Center. I walk in there several times and they were crowded. There was even a line at the cash register in the tool department. People are still buying Craftsman.
Who are more likely to go to Home Depot or Lowes or just outright contract it out.
Store revenues do not lie. If they are falling like a rock, well the store is doomed.
Dimitri
finn
Well-known member
Too bad you aren't a little older. You could have been riding around in an Allstate, which was a rebadged Henry J, and sold by Sears in the 50s.
ScottsGT
Well-known member
Anyone else see the link on Drudge Report this morning? CEO is blaming bad press for their downfall. 
sumbich is drunk if he thinks its the press killing Sears. I say it's the mirror.
sumbich is drunk if he thinks its the press killing Sears. I say it's the mirror.Tennessee Cattleman
Well-known member
Sears has nobody to blame but themselves, especially the tool department. It's hard to sell lower quality, overpriced import tools on a name and warranty alone. I always hated to be pestered to get a Sears credit card. Many years ago a salesman started again for the second time after I had already said no on the card about how great the Sears card was, I pushed the item toward him on the counter and said, "You just keep this until you find someone that wants a Sears card and sell it to them" and walked out.
I'm on vacation and stopped at the Merritt Island, FL Sears yesterday. It's well hidden behind some overgrown trees at the end of a dingy mall. No signs out front indicating it's existence. Just happened to locate it on Google Maps because I wanted to stop somewhere that sold tools after spending an hour in Ulta with my girlfriend.. Fair is fair, right? 3 or 4 cars in the parking lot, nobody in the store except one employee, less than impressive selection.
At home in Ohio, I have my pick 5 Sears locations and all of them are terrible. The Towne Mall location in Middletown (between Cinci & Dayton) is the worst. You can walk in on most days and probably walk out with a shopping cart of stuff and nobody would be there to stop you. The Tri-County Mall location has terrible customer service, low inventory and stuff scattered about the tool department. Before Christmas last year, I stopped in to warranty a 1/4" ratchet and the employee tried sending me to merchandise pick-up. I'm only 32, but remember going to Sears with my Dad and the place was run by older men who knew what they were doing. Today, it's all high school kids who just give you a dumb look when asked a basic question.
Never thought I'd step foot into a Harbor Freight unless it was for zip ties and WD-40, but their tools have come a long way and are looking better and better than anything Craftsman is churning out of Asia.
Eddie Lampert blames "bad press", I blame him for not running an efficient company that listens to its consumer.
At home in Ohio, I have my pick 5 Sears locations and all of them are terrible. The Towne Mall location in Middletown (between Cinci & Dayton) is the worst. You can walk in on most days and probably walk out with a shopping cart of stuff and nobody would be there to stop you. The Tri-County Mall location has terrible customer service, low inventory and stuff scattered about the tool department. Before Christmas last year, I stopped in to warranty a 1/4" ratchet and the employee tried sending me to merchandise pick-up. I'm only 32, but remember going to Sears with my Dad and the place was run by older men who knew what they were doing. Today, it's all high school kids who just give you a dumb look when asked a basic question.
Never thought I'd step foot into a Harbor Freight unless it was for zip ties and WD-40, but their tools have come a long way and are looking better and better than anything Craftsman is churning out of Asia.
Eddie Lampert blames "bad press", I blame him for not running an efficient company that listens to its consumer.
I remember the Henry J. I don't rememember the Allstate. Sears owned Allstate auto insurance and used the brand on batteries and all things automotive, chargers, tools, etc. I should not be surprised. Sears sold houses in kit form and pack animals if you wanted to go prospecting. I am going to research that car.
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Just checked Rockauto. They list it. 1952 and 1953, 4 or 6 cylinder.
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ScottsGT
Well-known member
anndel
Well-known member
I remember Sears sold some awesome bikes, comparable to the Schwinn Sting Ray. CEO Lambert F****d up Sears.
subarub4
Well-known member
Last time I went to Sears was in Milford that's connected to the mall.. it was pretty dead in the store :-/ it's a shame
mefast
Well-known member
I'm not surprised. This sort of thing has been happening in Canada for quite some time. A ways back Eaton's closed up shop and Hudson's Bay restructured themselves as only selling clothing and beauty products. A few years back, Target got the great idea that they would buy over Zellers and set up shop. Now they're gone from here too. Best Buy bought over Future Shop, then closed those stores. Circuit City bought Radio Shack and turned it into The Source. Not sure if they're still around anymore either. The Sears at the big mall in the city nearby is gone only to be replaced by a few restaurants and a Sportchek. Even Rona is owned by Lowes now. We'll see how that ends up. Seems like all of the mainstay retail stores have changed names and closed up. The only tool oriented places that seem like they are somehow doing well are TSC and Canadian Tire.
Luckily a lot of the mom and pop type shops still seem to be around and that's where I aim to spend my money if possible. It's nice walking into a store where the people recognize you and are actually interested in the projects that you're working on. Heck, last summer I even got asked by the owner if I wanted to join in with some of their beer league sports.
I'm done with the big retailers unless I need something at a really strange hour or they have it on sale.
Luckily a lot of the mom and pop type shops still seem to be around and that's where I aim to spend my money if possible. It's nice walking into a store where the people recognize you and are actually interested in the projects that you're working on. Heck, last summer I even got asked by the owner if I wanted to join in with some of their beer league sports.
I'm done with the big retailers unless I need something at a really strange hour or they have it on sale.
Coach James
Well-known member
Nope, Sears was screwed up long before Lampert took over. Sears downfall began in the early 70's. Lampert took over a sinking ship.
Coach
jake00
Well-known member
My local one came down fast, last wall came down today.... it'll be a upscale grocery store next year
warweapon762
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 323
I've tried to return a broken Craftsman torque wrench at two different Sears Hometown stores and both flat out refused to honor the warranties.
After they closed down the big Sears store in my area last year its been a real pain trying to get warranty stuff taken care of. Now they won't accept them at all because corporate told them that they were trying to liquidate existing inventory.
It's a load of ****.
After they closed down the big Sears store in my area last year its been a real pain trying to get warranty stuff taken care of. Now they won't accept them at all because corporate told them that they were trying to liquidate existing inventory.
It's a load of ****.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
There was also an Allstate motorcycle.