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Sears Is Officially Too Incompetent To Even Take Your Money

consumerist.com — Gregg wants us to know that Sears has just hung up on one of the last people in America who hasn't totally given up on them. He's spent quite a lot of time lately trying to give them $1500 for a lawn tractor, but they just couldn't figure out how to complete the transaction.

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  • Cancerkitty, on 06/24/2008, -1/+151Circling the drain.
    • sleze, on 06/24/2008, -8/+17Economic Darwinism. Sears has been dieing for years.
      • applemachome, on 06/24/2008, -4/+20Dying. Not die-ing. Theres a check spelling button there for a reason.
        • musicbear, on 06/24/2008, -6/+4Also this is a consumerist article. I bet half of it is not exactly true.
    • PabloMac, on 06/24/2008, -0/+15I had a similar issue with Sears not wanting to honor their price-match guarantee. I recently bought a TV at Sears, then a few weeks later found the same model for $500 less at a competitor. The Sears clerk offered to refund $200, and getting them to acknowledge and finally kick out the full $500 refund took longer than my original sales visit.

      Sears is riding on the great customer service they offered decades ago, but I agree they seem to be circling the drain (great analogy, by the way).
    • musicbear, on 06/24/2008, -8/+7This is from the consumerist. I would take 75% of the story with a grain of salt. Anyone who has worked in retail or in customer service knows that these stories are often highly exaggerated (which the consumerist loves) and that it's rarely the whole story. The storyteller often leaves out the part where he pulls some shenanigans that get him disqualified from the service he needs.
    • Hangly, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7Oh how the mighty have fallen. Sears was the Amazon.com of the 19th century.
    • gomerspile, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Had a very similar experience. Ordered a Gas Stove online. They actually called to confirm a delivery date. I took the day off work. No call no show no explanation.... No sale.. Lowes delivered next day same price. I actually filed a complaint with BBB..something ive never ever done before. Later Douchebags!
    • Y0tsuya, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10Yep, this is the type of service you'd expect from people sitting around waiting to be laid off.
    • greenlight2001, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10Here's the problem:
      I worked in the Lawn and Garden department at two difference Sears for over 6 years (high school and college). I worked part time, about 20 hours a week mostly on the weekends. Even with those limited hours I was pulling in over $25,000 a year (per tax) because I was paid commission on each sale I had. I followed up on leads, catered to the customer and develpoed relationships with them to the point where I had people come in years after a sale asking for me by name to buy ANOTHER tractor/lawnmower/etc from me. So this guy wants to buy a tractor. If I sold him that tractor, I'd make anywhere from $40-$120 depending on the model he ordered. You can be damn sure that I'd track the progress of his order and make sure he's happy because if he cancels I lose that money out of my next paycheck. The system was set up so that the associate CARED about the sale and did what needed to be done to finalize a sale. Now, however, from what I hear they have gone from commission sales to hourly rate. Who do you think is gonna care more about a sale, someone making $25 a hour (on average) built upon by each sale, or someone making $7 an hour where sales doesn't influence their paycheck? This is their problem. None of their associates care about the store or sales anymore.

      Also, know that the sale associate gets paid per credit app the push through. That's why they push them so hard.
    • NgrHader, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1before the round even began....both The Home Depot and Sears use the same financier (Citi)
    • worldcrafter, on 06/25/2008, -1/+0sears can suck a fat cack, i had a crapsman torque wrench that broke in 7 months, i get it replaced and the person who gave me the replacement said that the 1 year warranty would be renewed for this torque wrench. fast forward 6 months from there, my second torque wrench fails. I try to return it, and the sears rep there at the time says that the warranty is only good for a year after the purchase date, getting a new torque wrench does not reset the date. i'm never buying anything from these fags ever again
      • supaklaw, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I ordered a Kenmore AC a week before NY heatwave... took 6 days to process, less than 3 hrs to deliver from Jersey. So no AC during whole heatwave. Shows up... refurb, and temp control broken. I have to have UPS pick it up, it took another 14 days for pickup processing. They clearly are waiting to go bankrupt, obviously this is a wage slave environment so the cust. service sucks. Damn you Bob Vila!
    • dabura, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2pfft....heard of Walmart? They're selling tractors for $99.99, comes with a free Mexican
  • chadwalters23, on 06/24/2008, -2/+141Sears & Nobuck
    • blackinthmiddle, on 06/24/2008, -0/+15They're making money.

      The reason why they don't give a ***** is because the vast majority of their money is made due to credit card interest, not on the mark up from selling products. So when they kept saying, "Your Amex card is declined", they probably wanted him to say, "Oh, let me try my Sears card instead." Since he didn't, they had little interest in him.

      The last time I dared step in there was to buy a portable table saw. I didn't know where the tool department was and tried making eye contact with a girl who was folding clothes. When she looked up and saw me, she quickly looked away. I went up to her anyway and said, "Excuse me, do you know where the tool department is?" You should have seen the pained look on her face! She spoke almost no English and was pointing in every direction when I finally asked someone else.

      When I got to the tool department, the saw I was interested in was on display, but appeared to be in a few pieces. Not being able to put it together, I tracked someone down (took about ten minutes) and he said, "Oh, it's easy." After about five minutes, he finally gave up. I promptly walked out, went to home depot and bought the saw which I believed to be better anyway, even though it was slightly more expensive.
    • dafunkmonster, on 06/24/2008, -2/+20Having worked at Sears, all management cares about is credit applications. They base their entire business model off of loss prevention and credit. It's a failed business model. I hope they crash and burn. Those ***** paid me minimum wage for 40 hours, after I proved that I had worked 80 hours. I submitted those hours three times, and each time they got "lost".

      So, ***** them. I hope they collectively choke to death on a dick.
    • greenlight2001, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4Here's the problem:
      I worked in the Lawn and Garden department at two difference Sears for over 6 years (high school and college). I worked part time, about 20 hours a week mostly on the weekends. Even with those limited hours I was pulling in over $25,000 a year (per tax) because I was paid commission on each sale I had. I followed up on leads, catered to the customer and develpoed relationships with them to the point where I had people come in years after a sale asking for me by name to buy ANOTHER tractor/lawnmower/etc from me. So this guy wants to buy a tractor. If I sold him that tractor, I'd make anywhere from $40-$120 depending on the model he ordered. You can be damn sure that I'd track the progress of his order and make sure he's happy because if he cancels I lose that money out of my next paycheck. The system was set up so that the associate CARED about the sale and did what needed to be done to finalize a sale. Now, however, from what I hear they have gone from commission sales to hourly rate. Who do you think is gonna care more about a sale, someone making $25 a hour (on average) built upon by each sale, or someone making $7 an hour where sales doesn't influence their paycheck? This is their problem. None of their associates care about the store or sales anymore.

      Also, know that the sale associate gets paid per credit app the push through. That's why they push them so hard.
  • chrissku, on 06/24/2008, -5/+77Sears sucks.
    • mrswirl, on 06/24/2008, -6/+1Sears sucks, Crash. Boy I once worked there. Sold Lady Kenmores. Nasty. Nasty business.
    • iceooo3, on 06/24/2008, -4/+6Sears sucks.
    • wannapiece, on 06/25/2008, -16/+2I've stolen so much ***** from Sears
      • FadieZ, on 06/25/2008, -4/+11You hear that applause?

        Me either.
      • sleepwalkers, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10Then you suck, too.
      • lamiaconfitor, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9You are not fighting the power, you are a douche bag.
    • hillkiwi, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5Agreed. I've bought a couple expensive leather jackets from them and both began falling apart in the first month.

      I'm given gift cards for them every year but between their over-priced sub-walmart quality merchandise and crappy service I just throw them in the garbage.
    • Dasliberdan, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Classic example of why it pays to buy local! You will pay more to buy a tractor from a mom and pop shop but in the end the headache and the extra $$ you need to factor in for your own time will leave more cash in your jeans.

      Home Depot, Lowes and especially Wal-Mart are all the bloody same.
  • galvo, on 06/24/2008, -16/+11And I was about to go apply for a Sears card..
    • Snakedal337, on 06/24/2008, -2/+28Don't, you might as well sign your name onto instant bankruptcy. The interest rates on those cards should be illegal.
      • mooseontheloose, on 06/24/2008, -5/+4If you're spending so much at Sears that using their credit card will put you into bankruptcy instantly, you have bigger problems to worry about it.
    • TheRealMisterd, on 06/24/2008, -11/+715+ years ago I had a sears card.
      I had it for almost a year, had a balance and was paying more than the minimum
      I had *never* missed a payment.
      I was going to buy a TV but my limit was too low ($500)
      So I called the credit card department to ask them to raise it just enough.
      I went through their questions and even admitted that I was between jobs.
      Next thing I new they had canceled my card.
      • xL0Sx, on 06/24/2008, -7/+28So you think you have a sob story? The real question you should be asking yourself is why on earth you're buying a TV you obviously can't afford when you are between jobs?

        This is the true problem behind the whole system.
      • hartley, on 06/24/2008, -1/+25They did you a favor. Be glad they canceled it.
    • MelvinSchlubman, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I closed my Sears account yesterday. I haven't had a problem with Sears, I just don't want scads of store cards when I use a debit card or VISA 99.9% of the time. I hadn't used the Sears card in about 6 years, but they're still sorry to see customers give them up. I wonder if they're one of the companies that lose $ on their main business and only make a profit on credit ops.
  • barstegry, on 06/24/2008, -3/+14Experience the softer side of Sears...
    • tomlasusa, on 06/24/2008, -2/+4You mean the Sucky Side, don't you?
  • DuffyDirect, on 06/24/2008, -3/+95I think the last time I went to sears That Sega Genesis add-on thing (8x or 32x or something like that) still had demo kiosks.
    • galvo, on 06/24/2008, -1/+110I love how you capitalize "That" but not "Sears". Dugg.
    • nakile, on 06/24/2008, -2/+12When did you last go to Sears? I'm *hoping* it was 1995...
      • KMartSheriff, on 06/24/2008, -13/+4When did he last go? He just said when "That Sega Genesis add-on thing (32x) had demo kiosks". That should give you a good idea.
        • Drugx2, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1seriously? ***** your stupid, theres a reason your dugg down
    • wedges, on 06/24/2008, -0/+69i like that you pretended not to know it was 32x.
      • DuffyDirect, on 06/25/2008, -2/+8i had a pc jr. and played sierra games when i was a kid... no console until nintendo 64 (although we did have a coleco adam that I never really used)
    • deathyepl, on 06/24/2008, -7/+3They take so darned long to take down their displays, so that could've been week.
      • bigteebo, on 06/24/2008, -4/+8"so that could have been LAST week."

        Does anyone know how to correct their mistakes anymore?
        • CuntryBoner, on 06/24/2008, -8/+15Why should they when at least one of you asshat grammar-nazi types will just troll up and do it for them?
    • peestandingup, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6Last I went there (no joke) was with my mom to get He-Man slime for my new Slim Pit.
    • AzureRise, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I remember that, and they had the Lion King game on the kiosk.
  • Xihix, on 06/24/2008, -46/+64Sears and Kmart (same company) are idiots. Seriously, back in November to December last year, Kmart was running a 20% off just about everything, and at the same time, this gift card deal where you'd get an extra $10 for every $50 gift card you'd get. Through a series of scamming and visiting every Kmart within the 50 mile range of Atlanta, me and my brother were able to score like eight or so 80 gb PS3's for $300 each, which we sold for great profit. Good times.
    • rrbest, on 06/24/2008, -1/+31where's the scam? And couldn't you have done this all at one location?
    • briansearles, on 06/24/2008, -1/+20Scalper.

      ... damn I wish I was in on that.
    • pockiez, on 06/24/2008, -0/+8You must have gotten to the KMarts before me, because I went searching for those coupons after reading about it on the internet and none were to be found.
      • KMartSheriff, on 06/24/2008, -0/+17There are none. I would know.
        • iDiggIt42, on 06/25/2008, -1/+16...how is it that you guys always have the most appropriate usernames...
        • TonyLocNE, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10***** weird...
    • intekra, on 06/24/2008, -0/+109I like how you edited your comment from 1 60Gb PS3 to 8 80gb PS3s...
      • DrCyclops, on 06/24/2008, -0/+23Glad I'm not the only person who saw that.
        • computerusr, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9This was a very important comment, because it reaffirmed the fact that what intekra said was true. Intekra certainly could have been lying, especially since his comment was posted 20 minutes after Xihix first comment was posted. However, you squashed any doubt. Excellent comment, DrCyclops.
      • Xihix, on 06/24/2008, -18/+12I'll admit I changed the gb size, since we mostly got a few 60's, though I wanted to say 80 since we did get at least three and I wanted to feel important... But I never said one PS3.
        • blackhappy, on 06/24/2008, -4/+20"at least three" again your full of ***** for not knowing how many you picked up. Either admit you a lying sack of ***** or just shut the hell up.
        • Xihix, on 06/24/2008, -11/+7No *****, we had five 60gb and three 80gb. I said "at least three", as in, "well, at least we were able to get three".
        • computerusr, on 06/25/2008, -4/+3But you won't admit you changed the number of items?
        • btattersall, on 06/25/2008, -0/+16HONESTY IS PARAMOUNT TO THE INTERNETS
        • orangekid13, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4you're all just jealous... because he has THREE PS3's :P
      • chadwalters23, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Whoa. dude 'fessed up and clarified. Some slack should be allowed, apparently a simple matter of brevity in post.
    • blackhappy, on 06/24/2008, -2/+38"eight or so"? This guy is full of ***** if he doesn't even know how many he bought.
    • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -2/+8If you've ever seen the margins... They might have still made $ off of you. From working their, I've seen tv's that we sold for $4,000(on "sale") that cost us $2,200. That's a smack in the face.
      • kevro, on 06/24/2008, -0/+13you don't get those margins on consoles
        • xkorbin, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1anybody who actually deals electronics knows TVs aren't the place to make money and cut margins; everyone sells below MSRP... margins are in cables and mounts /peripherals.
      • Nok1, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1*there
    • tendonut, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7I hope you flipped those PS3's really quick. I think they were only going for extreme amounts for the first 3-4 weeks after launch. After that, all those people who expected to make a quick profit were actually losing money while reselling them because people were figuring out at the time, the PS3 was all hype but no content.

      I know quite a few people who camped out to buy PS3s on launch and laughed at those who camped for a Wii instead. I guess the joke is on them. Say what you want about the Wii, but those things, a year and a half after launch, are still going for 2 to 3 times MSRP on eBay.
    • dwninjungleland, on 06/24/2008, -0/+13I have Eight. PS3's.
    • mct17, on 06/25/2008, -5/+0That's pretty sick. REally? eight PS3? I'm sure you've never felt the pain of losing a business.
    • planetmops, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0That's why these companies are losing money and your proud?
  • koreaski, on 06/24/2008, -2/+18the leaders of JC Penny's are giddy at this news.
  • Dipster, on 06/24/2008, -2/+130"Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart..."
  • TTURabble, on 06/24/2008, -4/+63I haven't stepped into a sears in 10 years.
    • twishart, on 06/24/2008, -6/+15Only queers drink beers while riding steers.
      • VgRasta, on 06/24/2008, -1/+4Only steers drink beers while riding queers.
        • scy1192, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Beers only steer queers while riding drinks.
        • unloud, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Steer clear of queers riding beards while only drinking fear.
    • chromevinyl, on 06/24/2008, -0/+10Those gears he hears are Tears for Fears.
      • VgRasta, on 06/24/2008, -3/+1Those Fears he Tears are gears for hears.
    • FaceCage, on 06/24/2008, -1/+7Them cashiers ain't sellin' nothin' but fog and mirrors.

    • FlyingSpaghetti, on 06/24/2008, -0/+26I haven't stepped out of a Sears in 10 years. Help!
    • PhillAholic, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7I go to sears all the time. I walk right through it on the way in and out of the mall.
    • harsesus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1i have, but hey.. its the quickest route to the movie theater at my local mall with decent parking, AHA
    • rkzda, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3I go there for shoes occasionally, and a plain colored T-Shirts because all the others places are out, or everything has graphics on them.
  • flaran, on 06/24/2008, -2/+12Wow. You sometimes think that these big companies would realize as they die what their faults were. Apparently not.
  • scoobydiesel, on 06/24/2008, -5/+11i work at kmart...meh
    • rrbest, on 06/24/2008, -0/+19I'm sorry for your loss.
    • lancert, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7I used to be a vendor who delivered to K-Mart. What a horrible place.
    • KMartSheriff, on 06/24/2008, -0/+8Indeed, it's a terrible job, but somebody has to do it.
      • bnitro, on 06/24/2008, -0/+6Yep I work there too, cry for me
        • Mard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4I worked there, I liked my store! #3701, they do quite a lot of business though. Every other Kmart I have been to was uhh... dead.
        • Disease, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Nah.
    • rkzda, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I work for Wal-Mart, If I had worked at my local K-Mart Before it went out of business, I'd have been bored out of my mind. There was so little business.
    • angeloloria, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2i work there too, and it's no wonder they are failing
    • digitronix, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1i didn't know they sold meth at k-mart
  • n8f8, on 06/24/2008, -34/+31WRONG: AMEX Sucks.
    • Chassit, on 06/24/2008, -10/+11You got that right.
    • Tomchei, on 06/24/2008, -2/+41Hows that?

      They're the first credit card company that actually will stick up for you.
      Have your stuff stolen, no problem, here's a refund.
      Did they charge you insurance on that car rental, here's the refund.
      You didn't make that purchase, here's the refund with correspondence on the paper trail for you.
      • DMCer, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0Actually, the last one is a legal requirement, and applies to all card issuers. You're only liable for the first $50 in unauthorized charges on a lost or stolen credit card; even if it's maxed-out with purchases made by the thief before you report it as lost.
        • Tomchei, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I've had my cards stolen twice, once by my own forgetfulness, the other, I still don' t know how they got my information.
          Anyway, I've never had a paper trail form Discovercard or Visa, only AMEX.
          Both Discover and Visa, I've only noticed the balance for the immediate credit, vendor credit, and retraction and I've had to call for verification.
          Amex sends you a nice bullet point itinerary of what they did and what they found, even the police report in the other state where they found the guy.
        • DMCer, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1What you're talking about has nothing to do with Visa, since they don't actually lend you the money. It's the bank that handles the follow-up. I don't really care about a "bullet point" itinerary when I can just log on and see it for myself after they cancel the card. The most important thing to me is that my card is accepted everywhere. Thanks to the greediness of AMEX, they're shunned by tons of retailers.
    • digitallysick, on 06/24/2008, -2/+11Why? please explain
    • LetsGoHokies, on 06/24/2008, -2/+16I have never had anything but excellent customer service with all my Amex cards.
    • WorldLeader, on 06/24/2008, -2/+10Just because it isn't as widely accepted as MC/Visa doesn't make it a bad card to have. I actually really like my American Express card since it has never given me problems and the customer service is good.
      • millertime588, on 06/24/2008, -1/+11It's not accepted as much because they take a much bigger chunk of each sale.
        • rkzda, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Which is why they can offer so much on certain cards if you have good credit and and you are a relatively big spender. I am Pre-Approved for all but one of their cards I believe, but I won't be getting one because I do not spend enough to warrant paying their annual fee. I know they have one or two with no annual fee, but the "free" services offered is considerably less and I already have a rewards card.
        • DMCer, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Consumers are using the phrase "pre-approved" now? I thought everyone knew that was *****.
    • crapmatic, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Well there's the American Express "American Express" card (pay in full), and there's the American Express "Optima" card (make payments). My understanding is that these are two different animals across the board.
      • Tomchei, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1The only difference is the spending limits.
    • lamiaconfitor, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5Cant they both suck.
  • nevetssav, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1I'm wondering if they were going to take a loss on that tractor sale or something, because that's just insane. I'd have walked in and watched the guy place the order. Put AMEX on the damn phone if I had to.
    • blackinthmiddle, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7Nah, the issue is that Sears makes the vast majority of it's money from credit card interest. Of course, they only get that interest if you use the sears card. It's the reason they kept telling him that the Amex card was the problem. If he had said, "Oh, I'll just use my sears card", I bet you they would have had no problem whatsoever.
    • djbon2112, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I agree. Reading this thing, I just kept thinking "why didn't he go into the store?" It's a lot easier to ignore someone one the phone than someone who's in person (I know since I'm usually on the other side of that desk, at Home Depot!)
  • PocchieTheMan, on 06/24/2008, -1/+21They can keep their Kenmore crap.
    • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -0/+6Actually, Kenmore is made by many other market leaders such as Panasonic, LG, GE, & every other "Good" brand out there. They just put their name on it and made a healthy profit. Its the American way, ask Bill Gates.
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2Well, any lack of quality is due to it being made in China, where quality is unknown. They were good when they were still made in the US.
      • MasterPain, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4But China has the best lead paints.
  • caponumen, on 06/24/2008, -2/+76LOL, Kmart is so under staffed here, you could just back up to the front door, load up and no one would probably notice or give a *****.
    • KMartSheriff, on 06/24/2008, -0/+82I would.
      • theeddyadams, on 06/24/2008, -1/+50I expected your account to be younger than this story. I was wrong.
      • kutateli, on 06/25/2008, -1/+23holy *****.
      • Tikisam, on 06/25/2008, -3/+12classic! lol
      • terracottapai, on 06/25/2008, -5/+2Alright, which one of you assholes out there is gonna screenshot this thread and submit it?
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      • xkorbin, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9It's people like you and JesusHimself that are always there at the right time and I do not know how.
        • AzureRise, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Jesus and the KMartSheriff are everywhere.
  • username484767, on 06/24/2008, -10/+1old but good
  • jbird32275, on 06/24/2008, -0/+182Good thing they bought Kmart (or Kmart bought them, whatever). That's just what a sinking ship needs - AN ANCHOR!
    • fiveprime, on 06/24/2008, -1/+21Somehow Kmart bought Sears.

      Kmart filed for bankruptcy and did away with their old stock. Then they issued new stock. And then they bought Sears. I have yet to figure out how they were allowed to do this...

      I only know because I had a friend who's mother worked at the Kmart corporate HQ in Troy, MI at the time all of this was happening. She lost most of her retirement savings when Kmart filed for bankruptcy - which sucked.
      • blackinthmiddle, on 06/24/2008, -0/+11Never put more than 16% of your retirement money in company stock. My wife's good friend works for Merck and I told her that once. She thought I was crazy. "What could ever happen to Merck?" I'm sure the Enron guys were saying the same thing. After Merck's Vioxx issue, she headed my advice!
        • lamiaconfitor, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1In a companies' stock... hoping you are referring to your employers stock. It is much more intelligent to invest in a diverse portfolio, and keep tabs on ROI, then to just leave 84% in a Roth, or mutual fund.
    • Schmapdi, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5This has always boggled my mind as well, how can one failing company buy another failing company and expect the situation to improve any? I wonder the same thing now when I read that Circuit City and Blockbuster Video are going to merge or whatever.
    • greenlight2001, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5Here's the problem:
      I worked in the Lawn and Garden department at two difference Sears for over 6 years (high school and college). I worked part time, about 20 hours a week mostly on the weekends. Even with those limited hours I was pulling in over $25,000 a year (per tax) because I was paid commission on each sale I had. I followed up on leads, catered to the customer and develpoed relationships with them to the point where I had people come in years after a sale asking for me by name to buy ANOTHER tractor/lawnmower/etc from me. So this guy wants to buy a tractor. If I sold him that tractor, I'd make anywhere from $40-$120 depending on the model he ordered. You can be damn sure that I'd track the progress of his order and make sure he's happy because if he cancels I lose that money out of my next paycheck. The system was set up so that the associate CARED about the sale and did what needed to be done to finalize a sale. Now, however, from what I hear they have gone from commission sales to hourly rate. Who do you think is gonna care more about a sale, someone making $25 a hour (on average) built upon by each sale, or someone making $7 an hour where sales doesn't influence their paycheck? This is their problem. None of their associates care about the store or sales anymore.

      Also, know that the sale associate gets paid per credit app the push through. That's why they push them so hard.
      • Mard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Actually they push the credit cards because a) Kmart implies that not doing so is illegal (discrimination), b) Kmart implies that you'll be fired if you don't ask. I don't know anybody who ever made money from the CC apps, you had to have like 5 APPROVED apps in a month or you got nothing, and it was only $2 an app. Worthless. The service plans are like $0.25 commission or whatever, so I rarely asked customers if they wanted those, either.
        • greenlight2001, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I would make $50-100 extra a month (at $2 each) in apps back when I worked at sears. Not very hard to do, I just made sure people knew exactly what they were signing on for when they got one.
      • richardhenry, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4Why are you posting this over and over and over and over?
  • TremorX, on 06/24/2008, -3/+23Right now they're actually making their salaried managers to work 14 hour days, 6 days a week to "clean and reorganize" their stores. They're not allowed to hire outside contractors if they need to do things like, say, replace carpet or paint, either. A lot of managers have walked out, and so far they're grossly over budget on the whole thing. It's like the company is ran by people who actively want to sabotage the business.

    The word is that they're about to get bought by Wal-Mart. So, if you have Sears stock, SELL, SELL, SELL.
    • Nicksname1, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Do you have a source for any of this? Is this just one store?
      • TremorX, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2Someone who works there. This is as national initiative. Obviously they're not going to admit to much of this publicly right now.
      • tnvwboy, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5Nothing against TremorX but if you are taking stock advice from Digg ... do I really need to finish the sentence? Of course it doesn't take inside info to see that the company is rotting.
      • Snakedal337, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5He's right, I work at kmart and our managers are working their asses off. But corporate allowing HR very very few hours (I'm was full time last year, im lucky to get 8 hours a week this year) so we usually have 4 or 5 employees in the whole store. That means we can't get anything done in terms of clean up and the battle rages on. Our corporate overlords are killing the stores, no one else.
    • rrbest, on 06/24/2008, -1/+1And if you don't have sears stock, SHORT, SHORT, SHORT
    • mustafya, on 06/24/2008, -1/+4Wal-Mart has too good of a business sense to buy Sears.
      • sinrtb, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Kmart and Sears still have many brick and mortar stores walmart just see it as a real estate deal.
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1That would only make the target larger for unions.
    • nsummy, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4You must not know much about the stock market. Whenever a company is bought their stock surges
    • dupswapdrop, on 06/24/2008, -2/+1Did kmart sell them?
    • trying2hide, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2KWalears?
    • NyaraSha, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I can confirm this (the cleaning part, not the Walmart part) - I am one of the people Sears hired to clean up... and some of my coworkers *have* recarpeted and repainted rooms. I clean all day, which to me could be done by any of the associates there when they are not otherwise occupied. But hey, it got me a part time summer job - hard to come by these days - so I'm definitely not complaining at this point.
  • BinaryDelt, on 06/24/2008, -1/+18Most of my experiences with customer service lines make me lose faith in humanity. I think we've all been where this guy is.
  • SpectralSounds, on 06/24/2008, -8/+8Didn't he say he drives past 3 home depots to get to Sears? Wouldn't they gave him a receipt if he went in and had the tractor ordered? Why then, wouldn't he just go to Sears instead of using the phone?

    I call *****.
    • koreaski, on 06/24/2008, -4/+2he's wasting gas and adding to Sears carbon footprint.

      cause he loved Sears.
    • JJCDAD, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2I agree. Total *****. You're placing an order online, but expect them to CALL YOU if there is a problem? How about an email. He made it clear that there was a Sears store within driving distance. There was no good reason for him to order online in the first place.
      • unreg, on 06/24/2008, -1/+7He was to busy putting his $18,000 roof on his AMEX.

        This guy seems absolutely clueless. Go to store. Order mower. Confirm order. Pick up order.

        How ***** tough is life?

        • DrCyclops, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4Not to mention the sales people are still on commission at Sears. Back when I worked there taking a phone order on a $1200 tractor would not be considered a good use of your time on the floor. It'd earn you probably 1.5% in commission and take at least twice as long as an in store sale. And while you'd be ***** around with a phone order for some shut-in too lazy to drive to the store, or explaining why Sears can only take Sears cards over the phone, someone else would be selling a tractor that cost twice as much to a walk-in.
      • blorguehad, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4Why couldn't he just buy one at the store and take it home same day?
      • lonelily, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2A lot of companies separate their stores from the website. I worked for a large pet store chain that often had lower prices on the site than in the store. The store would price match from the site, but quite a few of the products were online only. Give the guy a break, perhaps this was the same way. He did say at one time the store he called told him they didn't deal with sears.com problems
        • lisaawesome, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1I always think it's funny when there are different prices on the website and in the store and in another one of the store int he same town. I'm lookin at you Wal-Mart. When I worked there we did price matching to competitors but not to our own website or other stores. FYI a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market will charge you from 10-30 cents more on most items than a Supercenter.
  • leerayIG88, on 06/24/2008, -23/+4I like Walmart
    • twishart, on 06/24/2008, -1/+13Digging you down, as per Digg protocol...
    • papastout, on 06/24/2008, -0/+8Adhering to the Digg code of Conduct
    • praisethelard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Section 9, Article 35.
    • planetmops, on 06/25/2008, -0/+0WalMart is a huge corporation that buys most of it's stuff from China! You like that too? It means less jobs for Americans and less quality in the goods we buy.
  • beersnob, on 06/24/2008, -0/+16I don't like Sears or Home Depot, but if he had stopped at one of the 3 Home Depots that he passed to get to Sears, he would have already had his new tractor broken in by now!
    • intangible, on 06/24/2008, -1/+21And if he'd stopped at Wal-Mart, he could already have a new broken lawn-tractor by now.
      • asskicker32, on 06/24/2008, -4/+2And if he'd stopped by Target, he could already have tractored his new broken-in lawn by now.
    • blackinthmiddle, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Home Depot is pretty good where I live. Most of the departments are staffed with people who actually work in those areas and are just doing Home Depot for extra money. And they're actually available to talk to. The few times I've gone to sears, the place looks like a ghost town, especially in areas where expertise is needed. Good luck actually finding someone who knows the difference between a two stroke and a four stroke engine at sears!
      • lisaawesome, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2I wish our Home Depot was like that. We have a Lowe's that is just as bad. They do have some very knowledgeable employees but the stores here are horribly understaffed so it'll be difficult to find the person with the know how.
    • Fallout911, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2I worked at Home Despot and their ***** sucks.
  • austenw, on 06/24/2008, -3/+84Damn $15,000 for a set of airline tickets and $18,100 for a new roof. And now he's buying a lawn mower. Spread the wealth please?
    • centran, on 06/24/2008, -0/+8maybe it is a company credit card? I would hope so with 15k plane tickets.... otherwise. yes, spread the wealth!
      • rockefeller2, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5I was thinking the same thing, but he said "set of tickets" maybe it was for the family. But still, even if he has 5 family members, that's $3000 each.
    • PabloMac, on 06/24/2008, -4/+8Forward that request to Obama.
    • mwalker05, on 06/24/2008, -1/+7i dont get why he is so bent on getting that extra $300 off his tractor when he grossly overpaid for his roofing job and airline tickets. unless they were replacing literally the entire roof, rafters and all, and he was buying 12 round the world first class tickets.
    • Syujinkou, on 06/24/2008, -4/+6by spending all that money he IS spreading the wealth
    • j3ff86, on 06/24/2008, -5/+3You could buy a plane and learn to fly it for less than $15,000!
    • kineticarl, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2get your own.
    • yomamaphat, on 06/25/2008, -0/+418K is a pretty impressive roofing job.
      • azimir, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Given that he's searching for a tractor to mow 3 acres, I'd assume the roofing job included the house, barn, and outbuildings. Seeing as to how a moderate home can run $10k (depending upon material choices and roof complexity), adding in a barn and other buildings could easily top $18k.

        Yes, it would be a pretty impressive roofing job.
  • bigsteve, on 06/24/2008, -5/+44Summary: This guy has same problem over and over with ***** retail outfit. Appears to be the same problem too, seems like they're having some sort of problem with AMEX. Faceless huge corporation with non-caring phone service reps #1 blames faceless huge corporation with non-caring phone service reps #2. Why on earth didn't he get burnt once and then just take his business somewhere else? Home Depot matches advertised sale prices.

    There’s an old…saying in Tennessee…I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says Fool me once…… Shame on……Shame on you….…Fool me…Can’t get fooled again.
    • seventhc, on 06/24/2008, -16/+2I thought it was
      "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!
      • blackinthmiddle, on 06/24/2008, -1/+13He's referencing Bush, man! C'mon!!!
      • itsthebrod, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3You're right, that IS it... Now if only the president of the United States could repeat it like you, we'd be in business.
        • seventhc, on 06/24/2008, -4/+3Sorry, but I just can't quote bush.
          I just don't see the purpose in that.
        • bigsteve, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1@seventhc: Because it's hilarious and he's a chimp?
    • intangible, on 06/24/2008, -4/+16Your comment deserves a digg up, but then you quoted Bush... now I don't know what to do.
      • bigsteve, on 06/25/2008, -0/+11Did you think I quoted him because I respect him? I mean, I used -such- a flattering quote.
        • intangible, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1A quote of him reminds us all that the greedy belligerent nincompoop is still in power. *sigh*
    • davewelsh79, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5I bet it had nothing to do with Amex. I bet Sears didn't want to ever honor the $1200 price and so just canceled his order on the back end without telling him.
      • bigsteve, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I've never had a problem with either AMEX or Sears, but having an equally large problem as this gentleman with either of them wouldn't totally surprise me. Sears' dopey POS system flagging his AMEX card, Sears not wanting to honor the card, AMEX thinking fraud was happening and not bothering / failing to call, a customer service agent lying on the phone saying "no, I don't see any charge attempts here... must be Sears' fault...." to get him off the phone...

        Yea, none of these goofy things from either party would surprise me.
    • ExSlashdotter, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2i think he quoted teh_pwnerer too. not sure.
  • cubicledrone, on 06/24/2008, -1/+5As with all problems related to the *****-encrusted cubicle workplace, this can be attributed to middle management who instituted the policies that make it impossible for their company to do business at all.

    If something is wrong in the workplace, it is management's fault. Period.
  • DownIsTheNewUp, on 06/24/2008, -8/+2Sears also caused the death of Adam Walsh.
    • dnields, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Then why haven't I seen them on America's Most Wanted?
      • DownIsTheNewUp, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3John Walsh actually sued them but they countersued.
        • lolinyerface, on 06/24/2008, -0/+10Then he should have triple double dog sued them.
    • itsthebrod, on 06/24/2008, -1/+4Nevermind the mother who left a 6-year-old alone to go look at lamps.
    • jiggy0, on 06/24/2008, -0/+11I don't get the joke.
  • noahhoward, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2Dominion Virginia Power is the same way the amount of hoops I now have to jump through for their incompetency is just a slap in the face, then you realise there is no alternative.
    • leazarus, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1have fun with that rate increase we've got coming, also.
  • zomglolcats, on 06/24/2008, -5/+30Sears is retarded. I ordered a combo DVD/VCR player because my wife has a lot of VHS tapes she doesn't plan on replacing anytime soon. Well, reluctantly I ordered from Sears as they had a good deal. Well, I get an email saying my order was declined until I contact them to confirm my credit card info (wtf?). So I call them, and they inform me that they had to do that because they've had problems with my apartment complex before. I said I had just moved into my apartment less than a month ago, and they said "well, it wasn't necessarily your apartment, just the complex itself."

    Absolutely ridiculous. Instead of just charging my credit card to *gasp* see if the order went through FIRST, they decide to not even bother to charge my credit card at all until I call to confirm my order, because someone in my apartment complex at one time or another had a problem with Sears. Absolutely retarded.
    • harlowsmonkeys, on 06/24/2008, -0/+16You are a little confused over what they meant, I'm afraid. I believe they meant that they had problems with fraudulent orders from your apartment complex. E.g., someone using stolen credit cards had the goods delivered to an address at your apartment complex, or something like that.

      Hence, they aren't taking orders shipped to that complex without checking first to make sure the order is legit.
      • zomglolcats, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Could be, but when I called the guy on the phone never really specified. Just that they had problems with my apartment complex, never told me what exactly those problems were.

        At any rate, Sears sucks.
  • revjustin2, on 06/24/2008, -8/+14I feel this guy's pain, but this is not like he kept trying to hand them envelopes of money and they were saying "No, no!". He kept putting conditions on things. For example, he first asks them to decrease the wait for delivery. Next, he asks for them to give him the sale price rather than the listed price. I am not saying that Sears didn't f-up. They did, but he wasn't making things any easier for himself. If he wanted a tractor, he should have gone to the store anyway. Buying big things like this online from anywhere is an act of faith, IMHO.
    • solid12345, on 06/24/2008, -4/+4He is probably some middle-aged upper management yuppie who after living in condos all his life has decided to go out there and get a house and some land, but never having mowed the lawn in his whole life and accustomed to having people kiss his ass, instead of going down to Lowes and loading it up himself in a pickup, has to have it custom delivered on a giant cargo plane to fuel his ego.
      • wellyuk, on 06/24/2008, -5/+4Oh shut the ***** up. Who the person is plays no part in this story. He ordered $1300 of tractor online. It should have been delivered without the difficulty he experienced. Whether it was $1300 of tractor or $13 of CD or DVD makes absolutely no difference, Sears are the ones at fault here and are obviously incapable of running an online business.
    • wellyuk, on 06/24/2008, -2/+10First he DIDN'T ask them to decrease the wait for delivery. First he was told that "it would take 3 WEEKS for delivery. (Do you know how much it costs to pay someone to mow 3 acres?) Reluctantly, and accepting the situation in good humor, I agreed."

      Secondly, he asked them to deliver it in less than 3 weeks as he'd already waited 3 weeks.

      Thirdly, he asked them to honour the price he'd originally paid, which is quite a reasonable request, particularly when they STILL hadn't delivered his tractor.

      Reading... obviously not one of your strong points. In this day and age of the internet tubes, it's not unreasonably to purchase a tractor for $1300 and expect it to be delivered, surely.
      • cheeselord, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2 First he DIDN'T ask them to decrease the wait for delivery.

        Secondly, he asked them to deliver it in less than 3 weeks

        I see what you did there...
        • wellyuk, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1All you need to do is read the story. It's not difficult.
      • revjustin2, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Man, your last statement was just kind of mean.

        All I was saying was that the situation was not as cut and dried as one might think and that while Sears did indeed ***** things up, the claim that they wouldn't take his money is a little strong. They wouldn't take his money in exchange for a deal they they (stupidly) were not willing to make. Again, for the sake of clarity, I will state that Sears was still in the wrong here on many counts and I am not defending them, but from their warped perspective, they really had no reason to give this man a tractor at a reduced price. I am sure that if he wanted to pay the non-sale price he would have increased his chances of getting a tractor from Sears.com.

        Or he could have driven to the actual store, gotten a reciept and arranged delivery with them there and saved himself a whole lotta trouble. In this day and age of the internet tubes, it may not be unreasonable to purchase a tractor (online) for whatever price and have it delivered, but to keep banging your head against a wall in order to do it is kind of questionable. Why the hell did he keep trying to deal with Sears.com when they didn't even take his money? I personally would have told them to ***** off and taken my cash (or AMEX card in this case) down to Home Depot.

        I also acknowledge that he didn't INITIALLY ask for a decrease in delivery time, but he did ask for it the second time when he called to see where his tractor was.



        • wellyuk, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3I feel really bad now for criticising your reading abilities. :( Sorry bro.
  • jsdratm, on 06/24/2008, -0/+23Sears is now owned by K-Mart and I think both of them have weird systems. One time I ordered some stuff online and got a duplicate shipment with the exact same items a week after the first one. I wasn't charged for 2x the amount, so it was a freebie lol. Then they actually sent me a $25 gift card because they though my shipment was late. WTF? Oh well, I guess this guy can't complain and neither can I.
    • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Actually, K-mart came in with the financial buyout, but the company is called Sears Holdings Corp, and they are run by the mostly the Sears people.
    • PabloMac, on 06/24/2008, -1/+4You returned the duplicate item, right?
    • Demener, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5The word freebie would indicate 'no'.
    • trying2hide, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Maybe Martha Stewart is in charge of customer service?
    • Vocifer, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I'm so reporting you.
    • coltraning, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1better watch out for the KMartSheriff!
  • twishart, on 06/24/2008, -10/+3I'm starting to wonder if it's just becoming fashionable to complain about a company to see if you can get free stuff.

    Oh wait, I mean ***** sears.
  • nardville, on 06/24/2008, -0/+8I would have given up at Round Two.
    • lancert, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2I wouldn't have started round one...
    • FlyingSpaghetti, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4I would have gone the entire 12 rounds.
      • Seaton, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2You spin me right round baby right round...like a record...
  • Suzilla, on 06/24/2008, -0/+49I'm old enough to remember when Sears would take anything back, without a receipt, no questions asked. Their customer service was really extraordinary. Sure, some people took advantage of this and would, say, buy a pair of shoes or a suit for an occasion of some sort, or a tool for a particular job, use it, then return it for a full refund. Overall, however, people tended to be honorable enough that this didn't happen often enough to hurt their bottom line and it earned them a loyal following, like this guy buying the tractor, and me, for two. (Their lifetime guarantee on all craftsman tools wasn't such a bad deal either.

    Sooner or later it had to happen: management came along that saw they could increase the bottom line by decreasing their efforts to garner and retain customer goodwill -- the lifeblood of any business. And another American institution is sucked dry for its cash and the corpse is tossed out for the rest of us to pick over the bones.

    So it goes ...
    • bpoteat, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5In 3 weeks:
      $15,500 for airline tickets
      $18,100 for a roof.
      $1500 for a lawnmower.
      Damn, that guy is a charging fool.
      • solid12345, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2***** if he has money like that to throw around like nothing I honestly don't have any sympathy for the guy even if he was being screwed.
    • ExSlashdotter, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3I was going to say that too: "if nobody here has set foot in a sears in 10 years, then where do you buy your tools?"
      • AndreiOttawa, on 06/24/2008, -1/+6Since when Sears is the only store that sell tools?
      • bpoteat, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Um, any of the dozen stores that sell tools, some of the nothing but tools?
    • rockefeller2, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3I like this:
      "And another American institution is sucked dry for its cash and the corpse is tossed out for the rest of us to pick over the bones."
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5Thank the Reagan era for encouraging that kind of psychotic behavior.
    • D3PyroGS, on 06/24/2008, -0/+41. Put a tractor on sale.
      2. Don't sell it.
      3. ?????
      4. Profit!!!
    • utahnkid, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I'm glad Dillards is still like that. You can bring back a year old pair of shoes and they'll replace them. They know that keeping the customers happy keeps the customers.
  • hokie47, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5Sears online sucks big time. No real time inventory updates. I could set up something better in a hour using Zen Cart.
    • beforeIforget, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Sears.com runs IBM WebSphere Commerce Server to the best of my knowledge. Doesn't surprise me. My best guess is this site cost millions to develop.
    • manova, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Which is really sad. They had a great catalog company for so many years and then they couldn't figure out how to convert that to online sales, which is basically a catalog. They could have been Amazon, but instead, they are a sinking ship.
    • Wingnut233, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2No real time online inventory updates? Hell, I work at a Canadian Sears, and we don't even have real time IN-STORE inventory! The inventory system lags somewhere between 24 - 48 hrs, to the point where most big ticket areas (electronics, hardware) rely on a pen and paper tally instead of the inventory system.
      • hokie47, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1That is really sad. Supply chain management is a must now days.
  • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -3/+9If you had any idea what the support structure they have to deal with, its appalling that they can make it work as well as they do. Trust me, A LOT goes on behind the scenes at SHC. I worked at Sears for about 5 years, and it was a ***** place to work, but amazing on the IT level to be able to make such old, outdated systems work as well as they do. They deserve props on that level. What other company as old as them delivers at a real store, online, or with thousands of "Dealer stores" that all have different computer systems? Nobody. Amazon dosen't do brick & mortar stores. Wallmart and Target don't have near the IT integration. Go ahead and rip on big retail. They make it work way more often than not. They've sold something to you haven't they?
    • Pixelpaws, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Apparently, in this case, they didn't actually sell this guy anything. All that any customer expects, in the end, is to buy what they want at the price and terms that have been advertised. Sears completely failed to do that even after they were given repeated chances to get it right.
      • utahnkid, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Did you hear that go over your head?
    • thehuntedpossum, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I actually work at Target and they do have a killer IT support system that blows away anything any other big box retailer has. I bet a Sears employee couldn't look on his PDA and see the EXACT location (on the sales floor, and in the backroom) in other stores of any item.

      I can't really give kudos to a company that can't update its software.
      • jmarkgraf, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Software written for 8088s can't be updated. You'd have to buy millions of dollars worth of equipment, and there goes your bottom line. I can see why you work at target. Also, the sears SNCs do many things like that, but it's easier for Sears to find product locations using a terminal.
  • screamingjoker, on 06/24/2008, -4/+3There is no Kenmore, it's produced by Panasonic and branded as Kenmore
    • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5In some cases. Microwaves are now made by Gold Star, Most of the lawn and garden equipment it made by some D & G company, A lot of refridge/wash/dryers are made by LG and GE. It changes all the time, to the lowest bidder I might add.
  • screamingjoker, on 06/24/2008, -8/+1There is no Kenmore, it is produced by Panasonic and Branded Kenmore
  • IphtashuFitz, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7The ONLY good thing about Sears these days is their lifetime warranty on Craftsman hand tools. If a Craftsman ratchet wrench breaks, just walk into the store and they'll replace it no questions asked. Other than that, they can DIAF as far as I'm concerned...
    • miriv365, on 06/24/2008, -0/+21So if they DIAF and go bankrupt..doesn't that just leave you with a broken ratchet wrench?
  • Br3ach, on 06/24/2008, -1/+6I think this is the part where they take Ol Yeller out back and shoot it. Sears is just about done Im thinking
  • Olfster, on 06/24/2008, -0/+6I had the very same type of situation with Montgomery Wards six months before they went belly up. I wanted to buy a lawn tractor and they just could not get it done. I went back three times because the tractor I wanted was not available anywhere else. It took three times before a competent person was able complete the sale and set up delivery. I also went to several stores in an attempt to purchase. It is a true sign they are about to croak. Real shame. Funny though Sears moved into the Montgomery Ward's old store building. Ironic.
  • Flavor, on 06/24/2008, -0/+11I went to buy a set Craftsman tool cabinets the other day ... and I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. Two of the cabinets on display had the "Craftsman" badge falling off - hanging by one plastic rivet. "Whats the rest of construction like then" I thought. They can say goodbye to 2K of my money as well.
    • NSResponder, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7Craftsman isn't what it used to be. I buy Snap-On now.

      -jcr
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -1/+3It was most likely made in China. That's not something that would readily happen to their US built equipment.
      • Flavor, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Then everything except their top of the line equipment must be crap, because it was their second best that was falling apart on the show floor.

        The top of the line stuff looks good (stainless steel), but now I'm checking competitors - I already have one Snap-on box, the Craftsman boxes were to use at the office for storage.
    • Mard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3The Craftsman tool chests are absolute *****. You're very lucky you didn't get stuck with one.
  • jetblackz4, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4I too was a Sears shopper but over the recent years the place has gone to crap. How it still exists, I do not know, it is on borrowed time which inevitably will expire. When consumers have choices like Target , Walamart, Meijers, Home Depot and so on ....
    Why would anyone need to go to Sears, they are no longer relevant. I am sure when they announce their closing they will point the finger everywhere else but themselves.
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1The difference is that Sears doesn't spend the world just to bust a union. Also, stores close on pure profitability, not in an attempt to frustrate unions.
  • Shaman760, on 06/24/2008, -3/+6Problem was, everytime he called to place the order, "OW! MY BALLS!" was on in the TV department.
  • TDragon, on 06/24/2008, -1/+6I gave up on Sears a long time a go, and so have my parents (who used to be die-hard's like Gregg). They are over-priced and overrated. Their business practices and model are clearly flawed, which is why they are failing. Just another retail corporation to add list of dying breeds: K-Mart, JC Penny, Kohl's, etc.
    • thehuntedpossum, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4JC Penny's has been bringing in a profit every year for as long as it's been doing business. I don't think it's dying anytime soon, too many old ladies shopping there.
      • TDragon, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Yeah, but that's the point. The elderly are one of the major target audiences that still fully support these businesses (minus all the miscellaneous die-hard individuals like Gregg) because the names have been around for a while. Its common knowledge (from the retail perspective) that the elderly generally only buy items that they know and trust (older, established brands), versus anything that is new and unknown.

        JC Penny – Established in 1902, and was restructured in 1971 as the brand that we know today.
        Sears – Established in 1886, first retail store was opened in 1925.

        Yes, these businesses are making profits, but they are still struggling with directing the amount of traffic to their stores that newer, larger retail chains drive in.

        Take JC Penny and Target as examples:

        In 2007, their revenue was:
        -JC Penny: $18.781 billion
        -Target: $63.367 Billion
  • nightvision2000, on 06/24/2008, -6/+3Unless it's fathers day and you're buying a pair of Wrangler Jeans or tools there's no reason to be in Sears! LOL! And if your father is hip he won't be wearing Wrangler.
  • ricksite, on 06/24/2008, -2/+7I live pretty close to a Sears store and I needed some clamps so I figure I would go there as opposed to running across town to the home improvement stores. Their inventory was crap and I couldn't find two clamps of the same model in the size range I wanted(6-12"). Like most people, I like to buy my clamps in pairs. Needless to say I should have just driven across town in the first place as that is what I ended up doing. Sears used to be the place to go to get appliances and tools but now they are the place to go if you are looking for disappointment.
    • rockefeller2, on 06/24/2008, -1/+1Hmmm.....I'm looking for some dissapointment today. I could reflect on some of the failures in my life.......Nah, I'll go to Sears.
  • sstidman, on 06/24/2008, -1/+32I'm ashamed to admit it, but I used to work for Sears while I was in college. I liked working there because I worked mostly in the back, didn't have to deal with any customers, got to wear jeans to work, and even though I didn't work very hard, they thought I was a great employee. That is mostly because everyone else there sucked so incredibly bad. I would watch employees walk into the store at the beginning of their shift, clock-in, go home and then return to the store at the end of their shift to clock out. Noone ever got in trouble for that. I walked into the back one time and saw some pillows and blankets moving at the top of a tall shelving unit....it was some guy getting up from the nap he was taking while he was supposed to be working. On two separate occasions, I walked in on women getting dressed in an office that was open to everyone (one was a co-worker, the other was my boss). Nobody gave a ***** about anything. I don't understand how that company is still in business.
    • tomlasusa, on 06/24/2008, -0/+12Unfortunately the art of customer service and respect for the customer is long, long dead. In college I worked in a drugstore where the boxboys would head down to the store rooms, pull underarm deoderant off the shelf, use it, then cap it and put it back to be brought upstairs.

      Two days ago I went to Lowe's in my neighborhood and asked the very apathetic young girl if they had something in stock. She responded with annoyance they didn't. I walked past her, turned the corner and sure enough there was what I was looking for.

      It would be great if you could complain to a manager, but they give about as much of a damn as the workers do.
      • lisaawesome, on 06/24/2008, -3/+2I'm going to admit that when I worked at Wal-Mart I once used and then put back on the shelf some deodorant. I'm going to consider it product testing and not being a horrible employee. It really comes down to the store managers. If they don't care, their employees won't care and have no incentive to. You have a few naturally hard workers who then go effing berserk after months or years of doing everything!
        • MasterPain, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5Nasty ***** at least put it with damages goods.
    • crapmatic, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1I take it that was one of the tiny Sears stores... the kind that only has paint and weed eaters.
    • utahnkid, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I don't see anything truly unique about that experience. I've heard that story but with Sears replaced by any other store you can think of countless times.
    • RedViper1999, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Yeah I used to work at Sears during college too. And it was amazing I thought I was a slacker of an employee but they thought I was great. I was even employee of the month. However it was all down hill after a bit when I refused to try and press credit cards onto everyone who shopped there. Its criminal to push 23% interest rate cards onto people. The one thing that I was at least able to do was get some credit forms in Spanish so they weren't completely getting screwed when they signed their future's away.
  • noclss2000, on 06/24/2008, -1/+5Sears has been going down the crapper for years. My wife(fiancee at the time) worked there for about 5 years through high school and college and she always had some crazy stories about how corporate was changing things to save a few dollars like no longer giving employees paper check stubs. They always seemed to change their floorplan once a week to try to attact more customers, but when you've already lost them all, it's a little late.

    The merger between KMart and Sears did nothing more than cause a slight hesitation before the inevitable happens with both companies.
  • jmarkgraf, on 06/24/2008, -1/+31Sears is slowly sinking because these days people want lower prices, not higher quality. Sears used to bank on quality and customer service. Lower the prices to rock bottom and you have to sacrifice both. (& it becomes a ***** place to work) From working at Sears, I've heard "What a rip off," or "That's too much for a drill" WAY more often than "Do you have a professional version of this," or any other variation on quality. People want old school qualiy, at Wal-Mart prices. Ain't gonna happen. Sears will slowly fail because it isn't walmart or kmart.
    • NSResponder, on 06/24/2008, -8/+3"Sears used to bank on quality and customer service. "

      When was this? The 1890's?

      -jcr
    • nomelitas, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7jcr:
      No, the mid-late 1980's. That's when things started to go downhill, fast.

      As for China*Mart, quality left in the 1990's when they pulled a Benedict Arnold on the nation.

      Now is there a way to avoid China(and regions similar) and not have exhorbitant prices?
      • NSResponder, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2If you think that sears' quality was acceptable in the 1980s, then you have really low standards.

        -jcr
    • utahnkid, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Was there really a time when people would consistently go out of their way to pay more for something? I kind of figured people were always looking for the lowest price.
    • cheeselord, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I hear ya... I'm tired of nasty ***** coming into my unnamed home improvement retailer complaining how their cheap ***** is broken. The ones that actually want to spend $300 on a chain saw that lasts a lifetime are few and far between.
    • Twister594, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2But it IS Kmart.
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