Open Letter to Sears

The following is a letter written to Sears based on an experience I had with them. Please note that the content has been changed to make the store and people involved anonymous in this more public venue.

I am writing to you today to express my concerns about the service and attitude I have received from Sears. I went to my local Sears. I was warmly received and worked with a good salesman. He helped me, and seemed knowledgeable. There was, however, a problem with my purchase - due to confusion about relative sizes, the wrong oven was ordered. My range hood, installed at the same time, fit nicely. The contractor took the old oven, the old range hood, and the wrong sized oven away.

So far, so good. However, everything began to unravel. I went back to the store to approve the purchase of the correct oven, which was the same price. I was informed that I would be paying a $40 trip charge due to the fact that the contractor had to go out a second time. I agreed, feeling I was partly responsible (though not wholly) for the wrong sized order.

Before the correct oven had arrived (in fact, it still has not been installed) I heard what I thought was my brand new range hood coming on all by itself. Bemused, I tried to figure out what was the problem. It turns out the contractor did not disconnect the old range hood fan, nor remove it (which I thought was part of the service - at least it says so on my contract). Since that time I have been unable to use my new range hood (needing to switch it off at the circuit breaker to keep the old fan from running loudly and continually). I contacted the contractor who said he would gladly come out and disconnect the old fan (but not remove it) when my new oven came in so they could do both things at once.

Trying to be a helpful customer, I agreed although I now have no oven and no range hood and have not for some weeks. I did, however, call my sales rep back and ask that, since the contractor was going to wait until they were coming out to install the oven to fix my range hood (and by my logic that meant they were going to make the trip to fix my range hood anyway) they shouldn't be charging Sears (who then shouldn't be charging me) for the trip charge of $40. I was told that, because they were going to be taking a big hit for the incorrectly ordered oven, my salesman's manager was unlikely to approve removal of the trip charge.

At this point I felt it only prudent to point out that it really wasn't a trip charge, it was a restocking fee. If I had been originally told it was a restocking fee I might have complained, but I would have seen the honesty and logic about it. Now that it is a trip charge for a trip the contractor had to make anyway in order to fix a problem, I feel more than a little cheated.

In addition is the fact that the contractor has no intention of actually removing the old fan from my old range hood. I can understand the attitude, because it is in a difficult place to reach and it has to be gross, but I paid the installation charge for this, which was supposed to include removing the old equipment.

I have purchased, to date, a vacuum cleaner, lawn mower, two refrigerators, an oven, a range hood, two different washers and three different clothes driers, and a dishwasher from sears, and these are the things I can just think of off my head. I believe I have purchased two televisions, various small appliances such as irons, clothing, and many other items from Sears.

At this point, I do not feel like shopping at Sears again. There are many other places to get my appliances, from Best Buy to Home Depot. I chose Sears because I believed you were the biggest outfit, one I could expect professional, inclusive, helpful installation and service from. I did not check prices, I did not shop around, I simply operated off customer loyalty. At this point I do not know what can be done to change my mind. I should not have had to write this letter at all. I do know I am going to want a new dishwasher soon, another microwave, a big-screen TV, a new lawn mower, and who knows what other things I haven't thought of yet that are going to need replacing. I doubt any of them are going to be purchased at Sears.