Report: Sears
Category: Department & Outlet Stores
Sears Service and Repair Service Agreement not Honored! victimized many consumers Grand Forks, Columbia Mall North Dakota
*UPDATE Ex-Employee responds ..The Maintenance Agreement is a big scam and Sears treats their Employees like trash
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Sears
Fax:
Grand Forks, Columbia Mall, North Dakota, 58201
U.S.A.
Submitted: 4/19/2002 8:27:04 AM
Modified: 10/17/2007 11:11:09 PM
Cory
Niagara, NDMy wife and I purchased a dryer from Sears in February of 2000. The first year they were nice and honored their service agreement, we set up an appointment time. The service person came out and serviced the dryer. The second year they were not as, let's say honest.
Sears's representatives started calling and wanting us to renew our service agreement for another $ 104.00 for two more years. Just as most consumers we have neither the energy, nor the memory we have had in the past. We thought nothing of their calls and told them we had not even finished our first two years yet. They continued to call almost weekly of which they admitted to today. I just got off the phone with them 0938, 19 April 2002; they said they had been trying to reach us since January 2002.
To date we have only received calls for them wanting to extend the service agreement. They said nothing of our dryer needing to be serviced. So, I asked the rep. on the phone about it and she said call 1-800-469-4663 for my area. We called the number and sat on hold for a good 30 minutes. When they finally did answer I was informed that our 'agreement' had run out in February 2002. I told them I had paid for two years of service and I wanted precisely that. The service person said that the agreement had run out.
So I asked to talk with a manager. I again sat with the telephone glued to my ear for another 30 minutes. The manager it turns out is in San Antonio, TX at least 2,000 miles from Grand Forks, North Dakota. If this is what Sears calls personalized service it is even a wonder they are still in business. This manager it turns out will spew all kinds of false truths, if you allow them to go on. The long and short of it went something like this. First of all I was told of a manufactures warranty of only a year. Then I was told my two-year service agreement was only for a year. Though all their calls wanted us to sign up for another two years! 'Another' implies to me that our first agreement was for two years. We looked it up on our paperwork; guess what it says two years. And yes it did run out in February 2002 I don't protest that at all!
What we do protest is they have called us relentlessly for the past 4-5 months wanting us to agree to two more years of worthless service. I call it worthless for the simple fact, as they said we, as the 'consumers' need to make an appointment to have them 'service' our dryer through their 'service agreement'. If they know when it is ending why the heck don't they make that little fact known to us? Is it with the intention of being a big secret or is it their way of making more money for less service. We have to believe they have their bottom line, put before service to their customers. I believe they serve their own greedy interests long before they will serve or service their customers.
My wife and I for instance will never again purchase a 'Service Agreement' with Sears. We have also resigned ourselves to paying off our credit with them and for now on, if ever. Only use cash for purchases from their stores in the future. We further intend to vocalize our displeasure with their less then honest business practices.
Cory & Serena
Niagara, North Dakota
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Updates & Rebuttals:
- I support my company in there quest to offer top notch services at very low prices Clifford [2/4/2004 6:25:22 PM]
- RIGHT DIRECTION RENE [7/24/2004 5:44:19 PM]
- Customer responsibility George [7/25/2004 1:35:57 PM]
- Huge... largest institutional ripoffs in existence Cory [7/26/2004 10:15:14 AM]
- An honest employee speaks... Jerry [12/1/2005 11:00:02 PM]
- Consumers Have the Right Rivers [1/1/2006 4:24:53 PM]
- The Maintenance Agreement is a big scam and Sears treats their Employees like trash Sears Sucks [10/17/2007 9:51:36 PM]
I support my company in there quest to offer top notch services at very low prices
I have worked for the Sears Springfield, IL store #1780 for almost nine months. Am currently serving customers in the electronics/vacuums department. I support my company in there quest to offer top notch services at very low prices, especially when it it comes to repairing televisions.
For example Big Screen Tv protection agreements ( notice i said protection agreement not extended warranty)usually run for about 369 dollars for three years. Now that may seem like a lot of money but take into consideration the kind of work that is performed on tv's of that size not to mention parts.
The key feature that set SEARS apart from the competition is something called preventative maintenance this includes home service for tasks such as but not limited to manual reconvergence (magic focus is a joke, thats like saying a computer can fix it self if that was the case everything electrical would have something magical on it lol, magic fix my car :) Cleaning the CRT Lenses and Projectors glass mirror which if it becomes dusty could and most likely will project dust onto the screen. These services when compared with other companies would cost over 180 dollars...so if you call service once a year for this preventative maintenance the protection agreement would pay for itself. Did i mention this service is done in home also did i mention that bestbuy and circuit city dont even do preventative maintenance and the funniest thing yet is they dont even have their own service center.....how can you sell service with out a service center......hmmmm anyway
I heard a lot of complaint about how long it takes to fix television or get service out to the home. this is an important matter that needs to be explained. first of all people should understand and stop complaining. There is a process that need to go into affect for instance parts have to be ordered...on older tv's could take two weeks. This is not a sears fault this is the manufactures problem. to blame sears just plain dumb.
Now as for the customer, i am very sorry for what has happened to you...i have never heard of this kind of thing for our region of stores. However when it comes down to it, seems like its getting harder and harder to find good people willing to go the extra mile for the customer because in the end thats what its all about...the customer. Store #1780 and its surrounding stores are committed to its customers. Sears as a whole is a great company with a bright future. We will continue to offer great service and support all of are customers.
RIGHT DIRECTION
WHEN ANY CUSTOMER HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEM THEY NEED TO DIRECT THEIR CALL TO THEIR LOCAL SERVICE CENTER. I USED TO WORK FOR SEARS SERVICE IN DEL RIO TEXAS AND ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATION WITH OUR CUSTOMERS DUE TO THE DIRECT COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD WITH THEM AS A LOCAL OR REGIONAL CUSTOMERS
Customer responsibility
First off I'm sorry you were confused on the amount of time your Protecion Agreement was for.
To begin all service contracts cover more than the manufactures warranty. A big portion of which is preventative maintenance checks, and anything due to normal wear and tear. Therefore they overlap the manufactures warranty, because in sense you are paying for a service. IF the two years were added to the one already on the product then that would be an extended warranty. That is not what Sears sells. Unlike competitors Sears will offer to extend this service contract out to allow a customer to have continued service at a low price. That was why they were calling you.
Now the preventative maintenance, that service is at the customer's convienence. Meaning they would have to schedule the appointment themselves and set up the date and time they want not the date and time Sears wants.
Now as far as why they didn't say your product needed service when they called? Quite simple, you are the only person at your home, using your product. You interact with it on a daily basis and you know when it need to be serviced. If your dryer is making a funny noise how am I suppose to know. The customer has some responsibility to make the service aggrement work for them.
Huge... largest institutional ripoffs in existence
Don't say that much about many companies but this probably qualifies as one of the largest institutional ripoffs in existence. Use to be a customer with Sears since 1978 and even worked for Sears for a few years. My Mother worked for Sears for 17 years, so I'm somewhat familiar with their service agreements or what they called MA's for many years.
They would try and sell you an 2 yr or more agreement on a brand new product that had a 1 year warranty. If you chose not to at that time, they'd call you back within 1 or 2 weeks and try again. If that didn't work, several months before the 1 yr warranty ran out they's try again.
Now, if you took the MA's they would overlap by several months. There was suppose to be a routine service check included in the MA. It was up to the customer to call and schedule that routine service. I wonder how many million didn't get serviced because the customer forgot.
I always thought that if they could remember when the MA ran out they ought to remember to schedule a service check.In the old days, they pretty much covered almost everything, but as time went on they covered less and less. Last year I bought a 18' chain saw almost brand new, used maybe once for $75. New like $175, the MA was $50. When I looked over the MA it didn't cover jack.
Three years ago had MA's on 4 different items in the house. After one terrible experience after another concerning; MA coverage,overlap, time, what was and wasn't covered, getting through to them, having them show up on time or at all, work not done or done properly, repeat trips , parts delayed or not available on and on, I canceled everything, got a refund, cut up my Sears card and told them not to contact me again.
An honest employee speaks...
Yes, it's sad to say, but most of what's said here by disgruntled consumers is true. I work at a very succesful Sears owned store(they own other companies, and will often buy up 'independent' appliance dealers in town). Extended warranties(or, *cough*, Master Protection Agreements, as Sears calls them)are obscenely profitable, and that is why they are sold. Depending on what product they cover, the service record of that product, the typical cost of repairs for that product, and the cost of other types of (non-Sears) coverage that may be available to customers, such as home warranties throughn insurance companies, these 'MPAs' may or may not be a rip off. I have often sat with customers, comparing yearly costs of home warranties to MPAs, and sometimes it is a better deal. Not often, but sometimes. The protection offered with an MPA is better than the manufacturer's warranty. On paper, anyway. Problem is, some of the 'benefits' will never be realized by a customer. Like the yearly preventative maintenance check, which is a major selling point. Most people will never call to schedule these(the onus is on the customer), and Sears knows it(that's why they love rebates, too but that's another story). Even if you do call for your yearly appliance checkup, you are likely to be asked if there are any problems with your unit. If you respond in the negative, you may be discouraged from having service come and check your unit, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SERVICE YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. I have also been told by service(when calling on a customer's behalf) that they will 'get back to me', and most times they don't. Know this: all sears owned companies have a quota for warranty sales. Period. The pressure can be intense, especially when profits are running a little thin, like now(12-01-05 as of this writing). Jobs are threatened, people are transferred to non-commission(read: non-paying) departments. It is truly sickening. Store managers will lecture you about how valuable the MPA is to a customer, how you are really doing your customers a favor if you sell them these wonderful agreements. Then, they will buy a whole houseful of appliances from you WITHOUT BUYING A SINGLE WARRANTY. Where is the value now, hmmmmmm? The MPAs run concurrently to(supercede, actually) the manufacturer's waranty, NOT consecutively, as they do offer protections not found otherwise. However, I have heard other employees tell customers that they are purchasing YEARS of ADDITIONAL(i.e., consecutive) coverage. Not true. Sears employees are told they have to get 3 'no's' from a customer before they drop the subject of MPA's. Listen to thier pitch, you will hear the 3 no's. How disrespectful is this. You have 30 days to buy the MPA at the store level. After that, you can buy it from Sears service at a slightly increased price. I have heard some employees tell folks that the price will then DOUBLE. Also not true. When I have attempted to bring these dishonest practices to the attention of my superiors, I have been ignored or accused of'harrassing' the dishonest employees. This lying is tolerated and encouraged. I am proud to say, I sell very few MPAs, and will probably not work for the company too much longer as a result, despite being one of the top sellers in my store(the company I work for is Sears-OWNED, thus the pressure to sell MPAs was no-existent until 2 years ago. It has been steadily ratcheted up since). All I cn say, is that I will leave with a clear conscience. Don't automatically refuse all extended warranties, weigh the pros and cons. If your salesperson is not willing to HONESTLY evaluate these with you, If he seems intent only on forcing you into it, if he ddoesn't offer to call service on your behalf and apply necessary pressure when you request it, DON'T BUY FROM HIM. PERIOD. Also, beware of those who break a HIGH yearly price down into a LOW monthly, weekly, daily, etc. price. In sales, this is called 'reducing it to the ridiculous', and it is nothing more than cheap manipulation. Good luck!
Consumers Have the Right
To start with I apologize for your issues with the Sears sales department trying to renew your service plan. Not all employees at Sears are dirty rotten scoundrels. Guess what, Sears sells you items to make money. Wal-Mart does the same exact thing. Come to think of it all companies offer you a good or service in order to make something known as profit. Yes Protection Agreements produce large amounts of profit. They are normally between 20 and 50 percent of the price of the item you are buying. Depending on the price of the item it may be at the upper end or it may be at the lower end. Have you priced anyone elses service call price? How much is it to come out and give you a diagnostic report? How much was the trip charge to your home? How much is the part going to cost?(Or was it covered under the 'EXTENSIVE' manufacturers DEFECT warranty?)How much is the labor to fix the item?(normally the largest part of all bills)
Do I feel that the prices are a little too high? Yes on some items I do. But not all things remain constant in life. Ask yourself how much a brand new car cost you in 1990. Then look at the same company and style vehicle, has the price increased or decreased??? I sell protection agreements because i feel that on some items it is a worthy investment. I also sell them because it is my job. I get paid to do it. By the way lock you keys in your car and try to get a locksmith to get them out for free and tell me how that goes.
Submitted: 10/17/2007 9:51:36 PM
Modified: 10/17/2007 11:11:09 PM
Sears Sucks
Hamilton, OntarioCanada
The Maintenance Agreement is a big scam and Sears treats their Employees like trash
I worked for Sears In Hamilton, Ontario on Barton Street East selling Maintenance Agreements to customers over the phones. during training, we were all told to 'badger' the customer on the phones over & over again and were told to NEVER take NO for an answer. This, in my eyes, is total HARRASMENT and the company only seeks profit. The 'Officials' that ran this company had a 'propeganda' meeting every morning to push sales over the phones.
One day I got called into a Manager's Office named Debbie Coffee and was HARRASSED by her because I was late for work two times. She proceeded to ask my why I was late, asked me how old I was, and told me that her kids were more responsible then I was. I was livid at this point, and then she had the nerve to tell me that I needed to TRIPLE my sales over the phones in three days or I was to be TERMINATED. Sears should be shut down because they don't care about their employees or customers and only care about PROFIT and SALES.
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