Seeking Suckers for Sears Sales Scams

 The image above was borrowed from
http://www.brandautopsy.com/2007/03/would_you_miss__2.html

Mr. Eddie Lambert

3333 Beverly Road, Mail Stop RR

Hoffman Estates , Illinois 60179

Case Number 3053753

Dear Mr. Lambert

I am writing to you because Sears sold me something that they did not have to sell (a fraudulent activity), and then lied about it.

Dec 5, 2014 I used your online interface to purchase a water heater along with an extended warrantee and installation. Six days later, December 11 - 7PM, I called Sears to find out why I had received neither call nor email about my "delivery and installation window" - only to be told they there were no installers in NYC, and that someone had called me earlier in the afternoon to let me know that my installation (though not the purchase of the Water Heater) order had been canceled. My phone shows no incoming calls, and certainly no messages. Needless to say I was not happy. What followed was the worst customer service I have ever encountered, and believe me when I say that I've run up against some real stand-outs. What follows here are the Sears Employee ID numbers of the people I spoke with (over a two hour period) trying to get this resolved 065272-Raul, 260928-Susie, 252609-Jonathan, and 251705-Emilio. There was another Sears rep who I first spoke with whose name and number I did not get - she put me on hold and never returned. After 15 minutes I hung up, called back and began to collect ID's. I was ultimately informed by Emilio, who represented himself as the installation manager for the entire region, that he had no one to whom he reported, that he was the final word on the matter. After an endless looping conversation he finally told me that Sears now only wanted to cancel the entire order and refund my money (in 3 to 5 business days) and that Sears was "no longer interested in my business." I know that all of my conversations with your employees were recorded. While I certainly do not come off sounding like the perfect customer, I do think you should listen to all of them.

Dec. 12 - NOON - My order still shows as "active" on the Sears site. At this point no money has been refunded. Ten minutes after my hellish time with Sears last night I called a local guy who has agreed to come out with a Water Heater and install it in basically the time window that Sears never provided (though it's costing me extra for the fast service and a water heater considerably more expensive than the one I was purchasing from Sears). My tenants have been impatiently doing without hot water for a week based on my agreement with Sears, and I had already arranged to take day off from work to assure that I would be available for the installation.

Same Day - 12:15 PM While I await the local installer, I've called a Sears customer service number 847-286-2500 to file an "Executive Complaint," (as suggested by an online source: Consumeriest.com). I'm at this moment - on hold again with a woman named Michelle-410417, who is actually making an effort to understand what I went through last night. She also found that the order had not been yet been canceled - they still intended to deliver a Water Heater to my door! She assures me that she is taking care of that even as we speak. I'm on hold again. She just came back on the call to let me know that her manager is, at this moment, pulling the phone records of my conversation with Emilio.

Sears needs new hold music!

1:08 PM I am now speaking with James-400533, the manager of Customer Solutions. He is making sure that the money I paid to Sears is indeed being refunded. At this time it is not yet showing on PayPal. James has offered me a $100 compensation gift card, and I have expressed to him that that amount is simply not enough. He let me know that $100 was the limit of compensation that he could offer, however he also informed me that I could escalate this to the corporate division, which I am doing with this correspondence. I figure at this point I am out a minimum of $500 because of what has gone on over the last week. I have stated all of my reasons above. James is arranging for the $100 gift card to be sent to me via email, and has expressed that that gift card is being given only as acknowledgement for my taking the time to let the corporate division know about what has happened - not as part of the direct compensation I am seeking.

2:00 PM - My local installer is here and has informed me that the work is going to cost an extra $75 because he has to solder something! It used to be that Sears was the company that protected me from unscrupulous plumbers and such. It's becoming increasingly difficult to see the difference. I am now requesting that Sears compensate my losses in the amount of $575.00.

Sincerely,

Letter Ends Here

Additional Info:

Dec 15 - 6:30 Called the number that James gave me. 1 800 479 6351 hit option #6 and asked for him because I still do not have the money that Sears owes me from the canceled order. I spoke with Maria (didn't get here company ID) who, when I asked to be transferred to a supervisor since Jim was nowhere to be found, just palmed me off onto another rep, Chris-410635 who in the fine example set by those who came before him - was as ineffectual as the rest of those set with the task of telling people why they should be loyal Sears shoppers even in the face of customer service that is out of touch with today's internet connected, blog savvy, world.

Jan 8 2015 - I received a call from Megan, in response to the letter above, who works in a division of the Sears Monstrosity ironically called "Sears Blue Ribbon Service" - basically she stonewalled me in the same way that those before her did. She informed me that that Sears does not and would not pay for the expenses I incurred through their inept and fraudulent sales techniques.

Jan 10 2015 - I let them know that I would be posting all of this online and anywhere else I deemed appropriate. They let me know that they didn't give a damn. Ah well, another giant corporation that has forgotten the reality that we the consumers are not fond of being taken advantage of.

The current Sears marketing taglines are  "Life. Well spent." and "Work hard, shop smarter." I'm suggesting that they make use of this new one "Thought You Were Getting a Good Deal, Right?"

To this date I still do not have that $100 gift card.  And on and on...

Same Day 4:43 PM - to clarify my last statement (written this morning) - I take that last line back - though I will not remove it:) coincidentally I  received that illusive gift card via email. According to my mail it was sent by Sears yesterday - two days short of a month after they offered it to me. Gosh thanks Sears! 

My advice - shop locally. Maybe pay a little more to the guy who will look you in the eye.) 

Peace!

Evaluation: 
You need to ask? Really?