gs72

So I have a Sears torque wrench that my dad bought back in the 70s when I built my first engine. The ratchet was stripped out so I decided to take it to Sears to get it repaired. 2 months go by with no word from them so I stopped in to check up on it. They brought it out to me and said that they were still waiting on parts. I came back a month later and got the same story and the guy in the back brought it out to me and showed me they still had it. I was at the mall last weekend and stopped by to check status. They said that they didn't have it and have no record of it. The manager started telling me that without the claim slip that they couldn't even find it. I pointed out to her that somehow the same gentleman that stood before us was able to find it last month without the claim slip and put it in my hands. They mumbled something back and forth and went in the back to look for it again. While they were in the back I went through my wallet an found the claim slip. Well they came back out without my vintage torque wrench and when I showed them the claim slip the managers demeanor quickly changed. She told me that they recently had an inventory and that it most likely got thrown out. I questioned her on why they thought it was ok to throw out my property without calling me first and she said it was because the parts were obsolete. I asked her if she brought her car to my shop and the parts to fix it were obsolete, would it be ok for me to give it to the wrecking yard without notifiying her. Of course she said no. Long story short, my vintage torque wrench is gone and they replaced it with a brand new 80 dollar chinesiem pos with a plastic handle. I am truly not satisfied but at least I got something back. I'm sure it will not hold up like the old one!!!

pogo69

That really sucks a tool like that is practically a family member...but with sears near closing their doors forever i cant say im not surprised

Octania

It's just an old obsolete tool that is broken.

New is always better.

To them...

kitfoxdave

And they wonder why they are closing down... I very seldom go into a sears store, maybe once every 2 or 3 years. Used to go fairly often in the seventies. The quality of everything went out the window as well as customer appreciation.

Octania

Selection of tools is getting smaller. Not-quite Craftsman stuff appeared. Harbor Freight now has similar quality and lifetime guarantee... at lower cost. Where is the Sears advantage anymore ?

I recall even many years ago, the fastest way to spot the *one* tool / socket I needed to replace was to look for empty hooks. After 3-4 visits to get the ONE socket, I took to opening sets to get out the one I needed. If they can't keep 4-5 on the hook to sell/ replace broken ones, too bad.

gs72

Another rub with them is in 2008 my job took a big hit financially. We started falling behind like a lot of Americans and our credit score started to crumble. We had a Sears charge account that was in good standing with a zero balance. We had no intention of taking on any more debt or using the Sears card. We got a letter stating that in light of our current credit status that Sears was closing our account. After we had bought three refrigerators, two sets of washer/dryers and a few vacuums over the years. I already had a problem with them before I took my wrench to them. The thing they gave feels so cheap, it feels like a hobby wrench. I don't think it will hold up at my job. I will probably end up buying a precision torque wrench off of amazon (they make them for snap on) and they are a lot cheaper than snap on.

.Rocket.Man.

Good Luck with that new Torque Wrench, I'm on my 2nd one in less than a month. They're Junk.

jaunty75

I think your problem began right here. You had unrealistic expectations. It's wrong that they threw away your torque wrench, of course, but I think it should not come as a surprise that they aren't able to fix a 40-year-old tool, whether or not it's a Craftsman brand or something else. If parts are no longer available, they're no longer available.

What Sears should have done, in my opinion, is tell you when you first brought it in that it's too old too fix. If it was a Craftsman with a lifetime guarantee, they should have offered to give you a replacement right then and there.


The Sears of today is far different from the Sears of even a few years ago.

Olds442redberet

IMO Sears has gone downhill over the last thirty years. As a result I have switched out most of my Craftsman tools and tool boxes to Snap-On. And I am not a professional, the old craftsman brand worked just fine for what I was doing, but I just can't deal with Sears anymore.

MDchanic

I agree and I disagree.

I disagree that he should not have been surprised, as Sears, Roebuck and Company sold that wrench with a guarantee that they would fix it or replace it with the same thing for the foreseeable lifetime of the buyer, with no proof of purchase, and, as a multi-billion dollar corporation they could reasonably have been expected to honor that guarantee. Wrench parts are not expensive to produce or to store, and making enough of them (and most are probably near-universal throughout the product line) to ensure that they would never run out, at the time that the wrench was originally manufactured, would not have been unreasonable or a hardship, in light of their well-publicized guarantee, which was well known to attract customers.

I agree that it is pretty darned likely that they knew that there were no parts available.
I took a broken ratchet to Sears at least 15 years ago and was told, after a quick glance, that they couldn't fix that one, and did not have an identical replacement, and was offered a similar wrench in trade.
I can't see any excuse for their not having just told him what the deal was at the outset.

- Eric

jaunty75

It was probably some young store clerk who had never been brought such an old tool before, and it didn't occur to him that it might not be so easy to fix.


Having disparaged Sears above, I will say that I have bought some tools from them in recent years, Craftsman brand, mostly wrenches, that have worked just fine. I just don't assume that I'll be able to get them fixed in 2055.

ELY442

[QUOTE=jaunty75;842363]I think your problem began right here. You had unrealistic expectations. It's wrong that they threw away your torque wrench, of course, but I think it should not come as a surprise that they aren't able to fix a 40-year-old tool, whether or not it's a Craftsman brand or something else. If parts are no longer available, they're no longer available.

What Sears should have done, in my opinion, is tell you when you first brought it in that it's too old too fix. If it was a Craftsman with a lifetime guarantee, they should have offered to give you a replacement right then and there.

I had an old vintage Craftsman torque wrench that you lock the settings on the handle. The lock broke and I went to Sears to have it replaced. They took the old one and gave me a similar one without any questions. I guess some Sears stores are good and some are bad.

67442nut

A couple of years ago, I bought a new Craftsman torque wrench, about $80.00.
i was suspicious of its accuracy.
I took it and a Harbor Freight one I had bought recently to a local engine shop that had a digital
torque wrench calibration tool on hand.
The brand new $80.00 Craftsman torque wrench was off by over 20%,
the $20.00 Harbor Freight counter part was dead on.
Sears SHOULD go out of business.
Pathetic.

Koda

Lifetime battery warranties don't work anymore either. My folks and I have outlasted a Montgomery Ward's and a K Mart one. I will still try for a K Mart replacement one more time and probably take the payoff.

Olds442redberet

A more educated buyer will hopefully force those marketing their products to us to either fix their issues or go out of business. And yes, it does still happen.

After hearing about the Harbor Freight torque wrench as it compared to the Sears brand the choice seems quite obvious. Thanks

I quit buying Sears batteries years ago after they got caught up in a scandal selling batteries they knew were bad. I now usually buy Interstate batteries.

IMO: The purpose of threads like this one is to hold friendly discussions / debates about the quality of products and services those in our hobby relay on, And I respect both sides of the argument. Please keep them coming.

Thanks

MDchanic

I think they will.

Sears is on its way out. Like JC Penney and KMart, they're barely holding on by their teeth.

Woolworth's is long gone, and who would have ever expected that 30 years ago?

- Eric

jaunty75

If you still have the battery, you've outlasted Montgomery Ward itself. The company folded in 2000. There is a descendant of the company that was formed in 2004 and that bought the rights to the name and other intellectual property. They're online only, and they specifically said that they are not otherwise connected to the original company and would not honor any obligations, including lifetime warranties, of the original company.

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Montgomer...nline_retailer

Koda

Yes, you are correct. We outlasted the company itself, and they will not honor the paperwork or the battery. I believe we core turn in'ed the battery and kept the paperwork to smirk at. K Mart has declared bankruptcy and will not honor previous commitments. However, it's the same logo on there, so I will go in, be nice, make a stink if I have to, and accept money.

Now the odds of someone younger than the car in question being the original owner is only possible if the car is a DeLorean or you have the same name as your granddad (and yes, I know that means that the warranty is technically void for me, as it was his, not mine, but I'm a bastard, what can I say? )

illumined

The only thing that's surprising is that Sears has managed to outlast Radio Shack (thought perhaps not by that much).

onetogofast

I would burn the building down! But I like my family heirlooms more than some people. Hence my Cutlass!

Diego

Rather than devote so much energy here, you should craft a well-written email to Sears telling them of the story, the proper sequence of events, and your disappointment in the company. Just be plain-spoken and don't let anger get the best of you. This is their moment to provide customer service, so allow them the opportunity.

mrolds69

I used to go to Sears maybe once or twice a month for tool stuff up until about a few years ago. I stopped going because it was too hard to check out. In the old days you just put the item on the counter, gave them the $ and left. Now...you have to play 50 questions...before you can pay. Would you like a credit card? What's your zip code, phone #, address, name, favorite color, etc. I'm like...hey...just take my effin' $, I got a lot of crap to do! Then...they give you the receipt...it's like almost as tall as you are!!! Coupons for 5% off lingerie, 10% off shoes, 20% off belts...a bunch of crap. That's if you are lucky enough to be the only person in line. If there are a few peeps in front of you, each must ALSO play 50 questions. If they talk somebody into a credit card application, you have to wait for that. Cashiers get a kickback on the credit card aps, so they push it to increase their hourly pay. I'll be like...I got REAL money here, just take my effin' $ !!! I stopped going, it's too hard to buy stuff there. The last time I went was a few months ago, because I wanted something (a Lisle tool) I knew they had. I go to check out, they have a new Iphone deal to ring you out, Guy asks the usual questions, he doesn't know how to use this new Iphone thing. Asks me my name like 4 times, just take my effin' $ will you, PLEASE? It must have taken 15 mins to check out. Doubtful I'll ever go back, maybe for a lawn tractor...but not for tools. Most are made in China now, sockets, wrenches, ratchets, etc.

MDchanic

I wonder whether Sears marketing / management seeks out and follows threads like this.

These are all the reasons why I stay out of Sears stores.

- Eric

redoldsman

Lowes has Kobalt tools with a lifetime guarantee. I like the ones I have purchased. I have not tried to return any because I have not broken any.

Raivjudge

I knew Sears was toast the last time I went in there. I was going to buy some heavy stuff and looked for a shopping cart. None to be found. I asked someone who worked there and they said they only have a couple of shopping carts and would give me one when one got freed up. WTF? How does a retail establishment not have shopping carts...Tilt game over...

Olds442redberet

Today's business leaders never look at anything other than the bottom dollar. I actually don't believe they are taught the values of customer service, on hand inventory, store atmosphere, etc. I don't even think they are taught to consider missed sells anymore.
Instead they reduce on hand inventory, reduce on hand staff, sell cheaper quality products, most of which are made overseas by slave labor and they wonder why our economy is in such a mess. Now days they even want us to work the registers ourselves at the check out so they can reduce even more expenses. And these reductions in expense never equate to lower prices. No sir, they always equate to more gross profit for the store.
Oh how I miss the days of the Ma and Pa stores. Oh how I miss the Sears my Grandmother used to take me to when I was young.

Check out the John Oliver rant about the "Olive Garden" on "You tube", It explains it all.

rocketraider

Sears was fine until K-Mart took them over and it was all downhill from there.


The local K-Mart pissed me off so bad in 1990 that to this day I will not go near a K-Mart. The K-Mart business model has carried over to Sears and taken them down the same path- cheaply made merchandise, incompetent help, and a general poor attitude towards customers and customer service.


Can't get youtube to open right now but Sunday night a week ago I went in the local OG around 8:30. Very light business when hostess seated me. 15 minutes later no one had come to take a drink order or anything so I politely got up and left, and gave the general manager an earful on the way out.


Went in last night and it was the normal good service I get at local OG. One of the servers I know pretty well told me two people were terminated over my episode the previous week. Hate to see anyone lose a job, but there are a lot of people waiting tables who have no business doing it- and 15 minutes is about 13 minutes too long to start serving a table.

oldsonharmont

I have a lot of old Craftsman tools as well, and would not accept a Chinese tool for warranty replacement. Instead, try exchanging your 'Made in USA' tools at Grainger where they sell Craftsman Industrial tools which are still USA made.

slantflat

Ah Rocketraider you beat me to it. I read the whole thread and thought, no one has mentioned that Kmart owns Sears. You're exactly right, Sears is just like Kmart now.


I heard that Kobalt tools are made by the same company that makes Craftsman, hence they look similar and have the same warranty. That would be better for me, actually, except the Lowes by me has a very small tool department and never has the specific thing I want.


One of my favorite things to do when I was but a wee one, was to go to the cafeteria inside Kmart for lunch with my Grandmother.

Olds442redberet

I use Ebay to find replacements. I can get old Craftsman and Snap On tools fairly easy and when using a lot of patience I can get them at a fair price as well.

And I am always scanning the local Craigslist for deals on Snap On tools.

Diego

Totally disagree - Sears was hopelessly out of step even before the merger.

BlackGold

I haven't spent one dime at Sears since 1988. That was the year they sold me a bad battery then claimed I was trying to rip them off (by swapping receipts) when I made a warranty claim.

You can buy better tools cheaper elsewhere (such as NAPA) -- and have a lot more assurance the company will be around to service them if needed.

railfan442

Speaking of Sears, I recently had a year old Craftsman lawn mower threw a rod thru the block. They claim it was out of oil before it blew up. I told them the oil poured out after the blow up. They are not going to honor it even though I got a 3 year service agreement. They are trying to get $320 out of me to fix it. They can keep the junk. I can buy a new and better mower with that. No more Craftsman mowers for me, even though I have a 5 year old Craftsman riding mower still doing well.

brown7373

Although I understand the frustration, the replacement warranty is for hand tools and specifically excludes torque wrenches. But they also state that torque wrenches must periodically be recalibrated, and to take them to you local Sears store. I did that a few years back, and NO ONE in the store even knew what recalibration was, let alone how to have it done. That ignorance may have been only at this particular store, but they had my wrench for weeks, then couldn't find it, then gave me a new one too. Agree that their newer tools are crap!