Why Craftsman is dying...or is dead
- Thread starter SC-AW11
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Strouty
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greasegorilla
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I hope al qaeda breaks into his house, finds his stash of craftsman tools, and then uses them to provide him with a slow and painful death and dismemberment and then posts the video on the internet.
craftsman should not warranty cosmetic defects (unless it could cause injury, like when chrome chips off of wrenches). That was completely ridiculous - nothing wrong with the majority of those tools - IF NOT ALL THOSE TOOLS - they were just a little "used." Probably due to people like that abusing an amazing warranty is the reason they had to start going to chinese manufacturing.
87Pomona
Well-known member
X2...
I saw a guy like that a few weeks ago at the local sears store. He had a 5gal bucket of stuff to warranty. Straight up said he paid $20 for all of it in front of a lot of people. Majority of the items were in great condition, just dirty. He seemed a little off in the head. I watched as he found the replacement items pointing out to the clerk spots of dirt and rust, just like the idiot in the video.
I personally think they should start a limit or something on the exchange program. Peoples abuse of the program is going to ruin it for everyone else.
No wonder sears had to move production to china.
I have always wondered what they do with the tools people turn in? I bet more than 80% of them are still very usable.
Sounds like this guy doesn't even use the tools. He says they will sit in a box untouched for when TSHTF. ***** on so many accounts.
I personally think they should start a limit or something on the exchange program. Peoples abuse of the program is going to ruin it for everyone else.
No wonder sears had to move production to china.
I have always wondered what they do with the tools people turn in? I bet more than 80% of them are still very usable.
Sounds like this guy doesn't even use the tools. He says they will sit in a box untouched for when TSHTF. ***** on so many accounts.
Conductor562
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What a ********
volvo92906
Well-known member
Im not a huge fan of Crapsman, but I do completely agree that is ********.
Chadwilliam1
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why did he even make a video and take the camera in the store? That just ruins the warranty for the rest of us.
RatchetMan
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This is disgusting. Sears needs to start requiring an original receipt in order to warranty. I know many of you will argue with that but no company can survive when people knowingly try to screw it over. Besides, why does a dirty screwdriver need to be exchanged? This is just a form of fraud.
Brownsfan
Well-known member
I guess I just never thought of doing what the guy in the video did. I have many old used craftsman tools that have given me my money's worth and I buy a new screwdriver when it gets worn or the handle gets un-pretty. If it breaks sure I will warranty it but for just cosmetic issues never. I hope sears sees this and does something. Then maybe they could be saved. But I am afraid It is too little too late
mikefromme
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What a complete and total ***.
The Boss
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.....and he'll put them away and never use them!
What a dink!
What a dink!
sberry
Banned
Didnt look at the vid but I have some I hadnt considered warranty,they were so abused, rusted etc that they owe me nothing. I am not sure this will be the downfal of Sears, personally I think the problem is fundamental strategy and that boat has already sailed.
mrstrictlygm
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Unbelievable, talk about warranty abuse.
montanafordman
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Wow. That guy is a *****. I respect a no hassle warranty and thats what I would expect with a lifetime warrantied tool, but that is rediculous. I have exchanged some crappy craftsman screwdrivers because the phillips head wore out (in hardly any time at all, which is why I ended up with better ones) but dispite the lifetime warranty I'm not going to try and warranty a slotted screwdriver I was using as a prybar or chisel. Use a little common sense. And rust or cosmetic issues? Hardly affects function of the tool, and if you're concerned use better care when storing and using them! Hardly a warranty issue. I wish the store clerks had some backbone to stand up to that kind of **** as long as they have the sense to warranty a legitimate claim.
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Please, no receipt!!
What Sears needs to do is simply change the warranty to "defects in materials or workmanship" from "customer satisfaction".
Store clerks have no reason to deny this. The backbone needs to come from Sears corp. by changing the terms of the warranty. How can a clerk argue about "customer satisfaction"???
P.S. I'm sure Sears has an army of lawyers and bean counters who have all concluded it would be better financially to "dumb down" the tool quality then to "dumb down" the warranty. I don't see how they could even change the warranty that was in place when a tool was originally produced/purchased.
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shocksandstrutz
Well-known member
sad day that this turd thought he was so cool he needed to post a video......lots of people take advantage of the forever warranty....this guy just took it past the line......i love craftsman tools, i wouldnt have the tools i have without their price / sales / warranty and i hope they stay around china or us
expatriated
Well-known member
I'm not a craftsman fan, and I think I've only exchanged one thing there ever and it was legit--a 10mm wrench that was like 8mm.
But from Sears' management's perspective, they determine their pricing. My background is accounting and I'm sure that they have teams of cost accountants estimating the cost of returns by people. Then they factor that into the shelf price.
So, whether someone finds a tool on the street and returns it, or whether you inherit it from your grandfather and return it or whether one of you guys bought it online cheaply and returns it or whether another purchaser pays full retail and returns it, the bottom line is the same for Sears, no?
Does the guy paying full retail have more of a right to return something than a guy paying clearance prices online?
Sears keeps records of the returns (if not at the store, when they are all shipped back, ultimately a report is made somewhere). If Sears finds the returns to be excessive to the point where they start to lose some of their profit margin, the only real effect to a massive amount of returns is that the price would have to be raised to compensate for a rate of return larger than they have estimated.
Sears is NOT allowing a generous return policy because they are patriotic, think it's the right thing to do, etc. They are a business and they are making sure they aren't getting hurt in their profit margins.
Again, I'm not really supporting this guy--I think his logic is flawed anyway. He's saving tools for the end of the world and the ones he turned in were probably of higher quality to start with. My point is simply from an exercise in following the money, I'm not sure I see how this behavior hurts Sears?
But from Sears' management's perspective, they determine their pricing. My background is accounting and I'm sure that they have teams of cost accountants estimating the cost of returns by people. Then they factor that into the shelf price.
So, whether someone finds a tool on the street and returns it, or whether you inherit it from your grandfather and return it or whether one of you guys bought it online cheaply and returns it or whether another purchaser pays full retail and returns it, the bottom line is the same for Sears, no?
Does the guy paying full retail have more of a right to return something than a guy paying clearance prices online?
Sears keeps records of the returns (if not at the store, when they are all shipped back, ultimately a report is made somewhere). If Sears finds the returns to be excessive to the point where they start to lose some of their profit margin, the only real effect to a massive amount of returns is that the price would have to be raised to compensate for a rate of return larger than they have estimated.
Sears is NOT allowing a generous return policy because they are patriotic, think it's the right thing to do, etc. They are a business and they are making sure they aren't getting hurt in their profit margins.
Again, I'm not really supporting this guy--I think his logic is flawed anyway. He's saving tools for the end of the world and the ones he turned in were probably of higher quality to start with. My point is simply from an exercise in following the money, I'm not sure I see how this behavior hurts Sears?
ganymede
Well-known member
" See that little speck right there? I don't like that. "
You are a speck buddy. In a world of men you are a useless little speck.
You are a speck buddy. In a world of men you are a useless little speck.
gsmornot
Well-known member
The joke is on him. He is now or will be soon turning in US made tools for Chinese made versions.
thesilverone
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scum of the earth
RedFordTruck
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What an *******. I watched 40 seconds of it and hes gonna warranty a screwdriver because it has a little bit of paint on the handle. And the already new screwdriver because it has a little speck on the handle. And those wrenches look brand new.
People like this are why America in general is headed in the wrong direction.
People like this are why America in general is headed in the wrong direction.
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alex71
Well-known member
This. People abusing the warranty has nothing to do with Sears' financial problems or tools being offshored. This is questionable behavior, but not what is killing sears. I would bet that sears loses 100 times more to people shoplifting tools and employee theft from the back room than this kind of stuff. It is all shrinkage and all accounted for in the price.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Original receipt.. Yes, it should be required... The lifetime warranty should only apply to the original purchaser... Someboby buys a bucket of abused, worn and busted tools at an auction sale; and suddenly; Sears owes them a bucket of new tools??
rickhigginshtbr
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this is nothing, i ran a sears hardware for nearly 3 years, people would bring in buckets worth. We tried to limit it as much as possible, but, the warranty is what it is. Can't argue anything but down right rust, which falls into abuse if you really wanted to piss the guy off. Once had a guy in his 60's try to "take me outside" to fight over a set of 4" corner clamps that he wanted the 12" big guys as an even exchange for.
But, sears sells the barrels off for scrap, and by the time you fill up a 55 gallon drum of tools, good luck moving it by hand. All of my =V= and -V- ratchets that I have were me buying a new one and swapping it for the "warranty claimed" one, which still worked, just dirty and needed grease.
But, sears sells the barrels off for scrap, and by the time you fill up a 55 gallon drum of tools, good luck moving it by hand. All of my =V= and -V- ratchets that I have were me buying a new one and swapping it for the "warranty claimed" one, which still worked, just dirty and needed grease.
I would guess that the satisfaction based warrantee on Craftsman tools makes Sears way more money than it costs them to actually replace tools. Most people I work with are not tool people at all. But whenever they buy tools they always make it a point to buy Craftsman branded tools because they know if they ever have any trouble with them Sears will give them new tools. And of course, they never really use their tools anyway, not even changing their own engine oil on their cars because it's too much bother and so cheap at the dealer. Maybe they take apart a computer chassis or something. With that sort of use, they never have any trouble with their tools and never replace them under warrantee. I would imagine that most people these days are like this and the Craftsman warrantee is an absolute cash cow for Sears. They would be absolutely foolish to change it one bit.
kythri
Well-known member
Can't argue rust with Craftsman, per Sears VP. Further, there's no abuse clause in the warranty.
Not defending idiotic warranty returns of functional tools, but the interpretation of the warranty really isn't open, especially when clarified by Sears Corporate.
expatriated
Well-known member
I guess it all depends on Sears' opinion, right? Maybe they are good with this type of behavior because they think it brings them more business in the long run. And maybe they're right.
I know the owner of ESEE knives. They have an unconditional, lifetime, fully-transferable warranty. If you take your knife, cut it in half with a blow torch and send it back, telling them exactly what you did, they'll send you a new one. If you buy a broken one and send it back, they'll send you a new one. That is there position and believe me, he sells WAAAAYYY more knives with this policy than limiting the warranty.
Maybe it's the same for Sears?
I know the owner of ESEE knives. They have an unconditional, lifetime, fully-transferable warranty. If you take your knife, cut it in half with a blow torch and send it back, telling them exactly what you did, they'll send you a new one. If you buy a broken one and send it back, they'll send you a new one. That is there position and believe me, he sells WAAAAYYY more knives with this policy than limiting the warranty.
Maybe it's the same for Sears?
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
the video didn't work for me either, but I figure he will take the tools back to the swap meet and sell them as new being they now all have their new tags on them.. Rich
Have you ever noticed how many new craftsman tools there is at swap meets...
Have you ever noticed how many new craftsman tools there is at swap meets...