Sears, my oh my

[J.A.F.E.]

Not to rant on Sears, but I definately have a love/hate relationship with them. Friday I was in the store digging through the bin of loose sockets like usual just to see whats in there but mostly they aren't discounted. Something caught my eye and as I zoomed in the drive hole looked like it had been used on an impact gun! Were talking a 1/2 drive deep 6pt 18mm socket thats been hammered on pretty good and the hex end clearly showed abuse as well. Tagged at full price. Take that home and try to return it - I'm sure they'll believe it was bought that way.

There were a few more in the bin that looked pretty grim too. I guess the lesson is buyer be very aware when shopping at Sears.

Got to admit though it's a good way to offset some of those warranty claims.

 

[Danglerb]

People abuse all the big retailers with post holiday returns, somehow I guess they don't think its stealing.

 

[nissan_crawler]

That's what you get when you have a pimply-faced 16 year old with 10 rings stuck in various parts of his face accepting "new" returns.

I don't think it's on purpose, they just don't have a clue.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

That's what you get when you have a pimply-faced 16 year old with 10 rings stuck in various parts of his face accepting "new" returns.

I don't think it's on purpose, they just don't have a clue.

Likely you're right. But maybe that in itself says a lot.

 

[Joe B.]

Friday I was in the store digging through the bin of loose sockets...

Your Sears store has the sockets in a bin? I have always just seen them on pegboard. I big bucket of sockets would be different.

 

[davestlouis]

At my local store not only are they on pegboard, they're locked up and you have to flag down one of the geriatric guys who work there and try like hell to point him to the right item after he fumbles through his keys and opens the glass. Sale items on endcaps are the only items not under lock and key. It seems a little odd to me, the store is in a fairly affluent area, but I guess they must have had a problem with small items walking off.

 

[kythri]

My local store has them on peg-hooks, but they're accessible to the general public.

The Sears 25 miles north, everything is locked up.

 

[davestlouis]

It offends me that they lock that stuff up...the last time I stole anything I was about 9 years old and once my dad got done with me, I understood the error of my ways and never stole another thing again!

 

[vette-kid]

OUr sears has them on a pegboard open to the public as well. Being a mostly military town I guess they dont have too much of a problem with theft. I will be looking at them more closely from now on though.

On a side note, the last time I went to exchange some things, the girl told me to just keep the old ones too...no idea what she though I might do with 6 broken phillips bits But at least they're not going in a bin somewhere to be resold

 

[Stuey]

All but one of my local Sears has all mechanics's tools either locked up on their pegs or behind a locked case. That's why I <3 Sears Essentials.

 

[Vulturej]

The 2 Sears stores by me all the tools are accessible, but the HF store has all the Pittsburg Pro tools locked up. LMAO

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

On a side note, the last time I went to exchange some things, the girl told me to just keep the old ones too...no idea what she though I might do with 6 broken phillips bits But at least they're not going in a bin somewhere to be resold

When work bought a used tool chest, in it were several Torx bits, missing the bits (also Craftsman). I've often wondered (never had the need at work), about using other bits in them, and using them for low torque situations.

 

[vette-kid]

When work bought a used tool chest, in it were several Torx bits, missing the bits (also Craftsman). I've often wondered (never had the need at work), about using other bits in them, and using them for low torque situations.

These were loose bits...for one of those interchangeable magnetic screwdriver thingies (Im sure those bits have a different name)

 

[Bolster]

People abuse all the big retailers with post holiday returns, somehow I guess they don't think its stealing.

I agree. Everybody always blames Sears, when much of the fault can be laid at the feet of Sears customers.

 

[iknownothing]

I just returned a 30mm 12pt socket to Sears on Thursday. It turned out I needed a deep socket so I never used it. The guy behind the counter inspected the socket for about a minute. I thought he was going to pull out a magnifying glass! I guess he takes a little more pride in his work...

 

[beardking]

It offends me that they lock that stuff up...the last time I stole anything I was about 9 years old and once my dad got done with me, I understood the error of my ways and never stole another thing again!

The thing is, you are the exception to the rule. These days people barely realize they have kids (unless they are trying to figure out how to get MP3's on their Ipod ), let alone hold them accountable for the things that they do wrong. If a kid steals things these days, the parents just blame the company because they made the item to available and tempting.


(do I sound a little bitter??)

 

[Paladin]

At my local store not only are they on pegboard, they're locked up and you have to flag down one of the geriatric guys who work there and try like hell to point him to the right item after he fumbles through his keys and opens the glass. Sale items on endcaps are the only items not under lock and key. It seems a little odd to me, the store is in a fairly affluent area, but I guess they must have had a problem with small items walking off.

That's how the Sears on US 95 in Las Vegas is. It's the only Sears store where I couldn't so much as touch the sockets without an associate unlocking the cage. BUT, this is in N.Las Vegas, so I'm CERTAIN that theft was a factor...

 

[Scooterfish]

BUT, this is in N.Las Vegas, so I'm CERTAIN that theft was a factor...

Now I know why "Cops" on TV is always filming in N. Las Vegas

 

[Danglerb]

Orange CA Sears has sockets on a peg board, but also has a drawer full of junk at the bottom that "sort of" pulls out. Its not really for customers, but isn't locked up. Most of the ratchet wrenches are though.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

Your Sears store has the sockets in a bin? I have always just seen them on pegboard. I big bucket of sockets would be different.

They have loose sockets without the plastic pegboard tag in the bin. Sockets with the tags are hanging.

 

[kythri]

Oh, THAT bin?

My store has those lining the bottom of the pegboard walls. That's overstock, though - not supposed to have customers rooting around in there.

 

[porschedude996TT]

That's what you get when you have a pimply-faced 16 year old with 10 rings stuck in various parts of his face accepting "new" returns.

I don't think it's on purpose, they just don't have a clue.

Both the HD and Sears by me are staffed with Amoeba. It is sad that our population lacks so much common sense. I think the IQ of this world is decreasing and somehow these same people that are going to fund my Social Security Benefits. If this is a cross section of what is to come, we are doomed.

Amoeba Definition:
The amoeba is a tiny, one-celled organism. You need a microscope to see most amoebas - the largest are only about 1 mm across. Amoebas live in fresh water (like puddle and ponds), in salt water, in wet soil, and in animals (including people). There are many different types of amoebas. The name amoeba comes from the Greek word amoibe, which means change. (Amoeba is sometimes spelled ameba.)
Anatomy: An amoeba consists of a single blobby cell surrounded by a porous cell membrane. The amoeba "breathes" using this membrane - oxygen gas from the water passes in to the amoeba through the cell membrane and carbon dioxide gas leaves through it. A complex, jelly-like series of folded membranes called cytoplasm fills most of the cell. A large, disk-shaped nucleus within the amoeba controls the growth and reproduction of the amoeba.

Diet: Amoebas eat algae, bacteria, plant cells, and microscopic protozoa and metazoa - some amoebas are parasites. They eat by surrounding tiny particles of food with pseudopods, forming a bubble-like food vacuole. The food vacuole digests the food. Wastes and excess water are transported outside the cell by contractile vacuoles.

Locomotion: Amoebas move by changing the shape of their body, forming pseudopods (temporary foot-like structures). The word pseudopod means "false foot."

Reproduction: Amoebas reproduce asexually by binary fission. A parent cell divides (the nucleus also divides in a process called fission) and produces two smaller copies of itself.

Classification: Eukaryota (organisms with nucleated cells), Kingdom Protista (flagellates, amoebae, algae, and parasitic protists), Phylum Protozoa (single-celled organisms), Class Sarcodina (having pseudopods).

 

[Stuey]

Sears staff are not amoeba. They're more like pennies. When they're all over the place, it's annoying. But when you really need one, you can never find any! Actually, there are a few great associates at the store near me, but I still can never find them when I'm ready to pay. If I wait more than 15 mins, I give up and head to the registers at the front of the store.

 

[kythri]

My local Sears tool department used to have an AWESOME associate, Bob. Middle-aged guy, knew what he was talking about, knew where everything was, and more importantly, knew what you were talking about when you come in asking for some off-the-wall deal described as a doohickey.

Then Bob got "promoted" to the store room, because it pays more, and, naturally, he applied.

I think that, right there, describes a whole lot of the problem with Sears.

 

[mkdive]

The 2 Sears stores by me all the tools are accessible, but the HF store has all the Pittsburg Pro tools locked up. LMAO

X2 on HF. The one on Harbor BLVD is like that.

My local sears has everything open & unlocked...but the tool dept is in the lower lever (basement). So I guess its harder for people to shoplift...they have to use escalators and walk across the entire store to get to the closest exit.

 

[mkdive]

Sears staff are not amoeba. They're more like pennies. When they're all over the place, it's annoying. But when you really need one, you can never find any!

SO TRUE!! BTW that made me laugh pretty good. Thanks, its a Monday morning and I needed that.

 

[ZRX61]

It's generally been my experience that the security measures used for for tool displays tends to vary dependant upon the ethnicity of the local population...

 

[Danglerb]

My guess is that the security varies by how much gets stolen. Security reduces sales and increases costs, nobody does it for personal amusement.

 

[OldSchoolSS]

Yeah, most of the people at my sears store are pretty useless. There is one blonde girl that's pretty nice to look at. I figured she was in highschool, but in the last year that she's been there she has gained about 15 lbs. So she must be a freshman in college. Haha.

Still looks pretty damn good though.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

There are several Sears near me.

Glendale has everything accessible except the Klein/electrical.

North Hollywood has the sockets, ratchets/extensions and some of the torque wrenches as well as the Klein and electrical in locked cases.

Northridge/Porter Ranch has sockets locked and this is a very upscale neighborhood and the tools are in the basement.

Pasadena has everything accessible.

Woodland Hills has everything accessible.

Desert Doc and I went to Las Vegas (not a gambling trip or related to the other industry the state is known for) and the store there had everything in locked cases - but it had the biggest selection I've ever seen in a Sears store.

 

[ovilla]

My local Sears out in the burbs (Bolingbrook, IL) has all the sockets, wrenches, and numerous other tools locked behind glass. The guys that work there are great though and are quick to open up anything you need and will even help you order stuff from their kiosk (which I learned automatically gives you free shipping to your home - no matter how much you order as long as you order from the store kiosk). Anyway, the Fox Valley Mall (Aurora, IL), which is a HUGE mall in itself has a Sears where absolutely nothing is locked up. They have every single socket, wrench, ratchet, etc. out on pegboards. Don't even come there with any questions though as all of their folks are simply sales people and just know how to work the register.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

All the stores except Pasadena have at least one person who is very knowledgeable. North Hollywood has three although their hours have been cut back since Christmas .

I actually like Sears although I do have a love/hate attitude. I like CMan tools (except the ratchets). The dislike comes more from the managemant end which I had percieved for many years. In many ways these trends that are endemic in a larger sense and perhaps that's one reason there's not much brand loyalty anymore.

I'm still surprised they are putting beatup sockets for sale though. Since the thread began I went back and showed one of the good associates what I found. He just kind of shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes and said he knew they were there but couldn't get rid of them. I drew my own conclusions about that and let you draw yours.