var json_comments = new Array("
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Nayrlladnar
March 25, 2009 1:05 PM
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Nice to see Craftsman still has a little backbone. Kind of makes me want to buy a socket set or something...

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2 replies
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Heresy_Fnord
March 25, 2009 3:39 PM
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@Nayrlladnar: Sears... Nice to see SEARS has a little backbone. David Figler works at Sears and fixed the issue, not Craftsman. He was however, backing Craftsman's lifetime warranty.

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mawcs
March 25, 2009 5:59 PM
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@Heresy_Fnord: Uh, Craftsman® is a Sears® brand name.

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Heresy_Fnord
March 26, 2009 6:18 PM
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@mawcs: Sears doesn't own Craftsman. KCD IP, LLC does. Also, David Figler is titled as \"Vice President, General Merchandise Manager at Sears Holdings Corp.\" That means that Sears, not Craftsman, stepped in and fixed the problem. It doesn't say David Figler Vice President, General Merchandise Manager at KCD IP, LLC. If it did, then it would be Craftsman that fixed the problem. Craftsman may be a \"Sears® brand name\" but they are owned by separate companies.

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Josh_G
March 25, 2009 1:08 PM
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At least they are \"taking it seriously\"

I wonder though what is going to stop individual workers or store managers from sticking to their own rules when it comes to warranties like this. If you encounter a store with a 3 piece per day limit on exchanges, who do you call that could actually make a difference?

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Jim Greene
March 26, 2009 1:32 AM
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@Josh_G: @DeeJayQueue: The problem is, I dont think most of the morons I deal with it I dont think can read, no matter comply haha.

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oneandone
March 25, 2009 6:22 PM
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@Josh_G: Interestingly, the letter doesn't mention 'taking it seriously' at all, and it seems like they're interessted in sincerely addressing the problem.


You're right, though - they don't outline any steps you can take if the managers or employees are being unilateral in their interpretation of the policy.

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drdom
March 25, 2009 3:57 PM
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@Josh_G: How about sending a polite email to David Figler. He couldn't have been more clear in his memo, and it appears he gets the point.

I am pleasantly surprised that someone at Sear still cares, and took steps to correct the problem. Give credit where it's due.

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DeeJayQueue
March 25, 2009 3:01 PM
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@Josh_G: How about printing this article out, with David Figler's name on it, along with a printout of the website that shows his name and title in the company, so that when some store associate gives you shit, you can whip it out and say \"Well, that's not what the company VP says, douche, now make with the ratchety-ratchety.\"

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bwcbwc
March 28, 2009 12:12 AM
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@DeeJayQueue: And if that fails to convince, take the associate's Name and ID number as well as their manager's, and email them to Dave.

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Geblah187
March 25, 2009 6:42 PM
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@DeeJayQueue: I need to go look for some damaged tools in my toolbox ... I can't WAIT to use the phrase \"now make with the ratchety-ratchety\" XD

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metaled
March 25, 2009 2:31 PM
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@Josh_G: If you encounter a store with a 3 piece per day limit on exchanges, who do you call that could actually make a difference?

***CONSUMERIST***!

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Hank Scorpio
March 25, 2009 2:36 PM
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@metaled:
Bump Ba-da Da-da Da-da. Da-da da-da da da da. Bump Ba-da Da-da Da-da.

Who you gonna call?

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docrice
March 25, 2009 3:27 PM
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@Hank Scorpio: Huey Lewis?


Come on, the songs sound exactly the same!

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trujunglist
March 25, 2009 8:57 PM
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@docrice:

gotta go BACK IN TIIYYYIIIME

sorry, had to do it

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Hank Scorpio
March 25, 2009 4:18 PM
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@docrice:
Just don't say that to Ray Parker Jr!

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Oranges w/ Cheese
March 25, 2009 1:08 PM
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Considering this was distributed to all their stores, I wonder if said associates are feeling a bit guilty right now?

I know that if I did something, and then I read a reprimand, even an indirect one, I always feel really crappy and embarrassed. I hope they realize that the article was about them and change their ways!

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6 replies
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Anonymous
March 27, 2009 2:39 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese:

As a former Sears employee in the tools department, I can guarantee you none of the associates will never hear about this.

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Trick
March 25, 2009 9:51 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese:

This is why you will never work for Sears. You are capable of thinking for yourself.

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parad0x360
March 25, 2009 5:26 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese: No doubt it would make you feel like a total ass if you were pretty sure something you did forced corporate to send out a memo to every single store...

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Shadowman615
March 25, 2009 3:23 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese: My guess is the associates were told by their department managers (or whatever Sears calls them) to do that. I doubt the sales clerks really gave much of rat's ass about whether the tools were returned or not.

But the management has actual number-games to play, quotas to meet, and costs to keep down. So perhaps they got the actual reprimands about it from upper management. But do they feel guilty? Maybe about getting caught.

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brandymb
March 25, 2009 2:43 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese: And ill bet you're older than 19 also. You think a minimum wage sales associate would really CARE??

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billlnv
March 26, 2009 11:23 AM
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@brandymb: My guess would be that the associate is probably mad now because they got in trouble over it, The memo did not clarify if there was still a three piece per day maximum exchange. If I bought a 10 piece set of wreches and all of them broke, could I only exchange 3 per day or would all of them count as 1 since it is a set?

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noone1569
March 25, 2009 1:13 PM
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This is great. Thank you consumerist. It seems as if this is happening a lot more recently. Companies are starting to value the Internet and blogs such as this as a tool for public awareness.

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3 replies
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RecordStoreToughGuy_HasBadassRedJeans
March 25, 2009 3:11 PM
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@noone1569: Srsly. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company story was picked as one of Cracked.com's 8 Awesome Cases of Internet Vigilantism.

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econobiker
March 25, 2009 5:48 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy: That is true that companies have to manage their online reputations now. IE Dell Hell and ComcastMustDie and Cancel AOL petty much sledge hammered it home for the electronic/internet industries... I think that retailers and smoke stack industries are finally getting it now.


BTW- reply to: is working again for me finally!

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robocop is bleeding
March 25, 2009 1:14 PM
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That's good to hear. I'm in the process of fixing up my new house and will definitely stop by Sears to look at their Craftsman tools.

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Rebecca Brown
March 25, 2009 1:16 PM
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Nice. I always buy Craftsman for my dad for Fathers' Day. Now I'll do it happily.

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sleze69
March 25, 2009 1:17 PM
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Craftsman Tools are the Picasso paintings on the sinking Titanic that is Sears. They need to be saved (partnered with Lowe's?) before Sears collapse takes them down.

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2 replies
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metaled
March 25, 2009 2:48 PM
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@sleze69:

Some are, actually well made and worth the money, but some are not worth a cent. tablesaws are a good example, Craftsman contractor tablesaws, that should be rugged and stand up to tough worksite and transport between worksites. I've bought a couple with so many plastic parts, they couldn't stand up to assembly. Plastic cam-clamps snap during assembly. I've owned 3, I should have owned one and it should have lasted years (craftsman tablesaws made in the 1940-1970's are sought after since they still function and are better built than their new ones, a lot of crappy Delta/Craftsman are even built better than current Craftsman)
Their high-priced Cabinet saws look to be much better built, but after my experience with the contractor saws, I just had to go with a different name to invest several thousand dollars.
I will give them another try for their Hand-tools, I always loved their warranty when it was real (my brother swore on Snap-on for the same reason). If they went back to competitive price, quality and warranty, Craftsman alone could save the company! They are what built the company!

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jimconsumer
March 25, 2009 6:26 PM
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@metaled: I tried to buy a Craftsman air compressor once. Total piece of shit. Sales associated lied about it's duty cycle and a number of other things. On the good side, Sears did take it back happily and without complaint.

The only Craftsman anything I'd buy are hand tools. All of my sockets, etc, are Craftsman and I spent a nice premium on them. If it's a solid chunk of metal without moving parts, I buy Craftsman, but nothing else. Definitely none of their power tools.

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Southern
March 25, 2009 1:17 PM
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Now THAT'S the way to address a CSAT problem. Kudos to Sears.

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CaptZ
March 25, 2009 1:20 PM
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Craftsman is the only thing Sears has that is decent. Everything else they carry can be found at a lower cost elsewhere.

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Blueskylaw
March 25, 2009 1:20 PM
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That is probably the most clear, non-BS warranty I have seen so far on this site.

I wonder what made it so hard to understand for the employees?

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3 replies
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edosan
March 25, 2009 5:08 PM
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@Blueskylaw: I imagine because the salespeople get pissed off when people troll garage sales, pick up a ton of Craftsman tools for cheap at garage sales, and bring in a bagful asking for bright shiny new tools.

But that's the warranty. I'd do it if I had time to hit garage sales.

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rob_p
March 25, 2009 3:40 PM
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@Blueskylaw: Probably the shock of it being straightforward and clear and without BS.

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tc4b
March 25, 2009 2:13 PM
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@Blueskylaw: Not hard to understand, the manager most likely wanted to minimize it to sweeten his monthly numbers.

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gtrietsc
March 25, 2009 1:22 PM
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I would be interested to see if Craftsman warranty returns affect a store's monthly numbers. Many chains try to keep returns to a minimum, and may be compared to other units in their area or nationwide - which leads to exactly the sort of problems the original story talked about.

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Dansc29625
March 25, 2009 6:37 PM
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@gtrietsc: Absoloutly, the same way brake pads and batteries are done at auto parts stores.

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Saboth
March 25, 2009 1:25 PM
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I guess they can do at least one thing right. I bought $300 worth of weights online with Sears Monday and got a notice they were ready to pick up. Got there, and they didn't have them in stock, and had no clue how to handle an internet order. It took 3 associates, 1 assistant manager and 1 manager about 50 minutes to figure out how to cancel the order. They said if I want the weights, I'd have to place the order again in-store, wait for them to be shipped to the store, then come back. I said \"despite this hassle, if you match the $25 discount I got for an online order, I'll do it.\" They said no, they won't match the online discount I got through their website. Such paltry customer service. So after a total of 70 minutes of standing in the store, I left empty handed, no sale. And to think I was looking at dishwashers and refrigerators for a purchase later in the year with them...

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5 replies
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metaled
March 25, 2009 2:53 PM
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@Saboth: I used to get that all the time, E-mail confirming delivery for in store pickup, waiting around for 1 plus hours only to be told it was not yet there, probably still on the truck in back....check back in a couple days!
That system Sucks. Confirm E-mails by phone before actually going for a in-store pick-up! It would be a great system, if it worked.

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bwcbwc
March 28, 2009 12:18 AM
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@metaled: As much as I hate to, I have to give credit to BB for their order online/pickup in-store action. Worked right the first time.

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breese524
March 25, 2009 2:51 PM
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@Saboth: My parents had a horrible experience when their refrigerator broke down. They were on vacation but, my little brother who lives at home was there to handle part of the situation.


The repair took almost a week to complete and 3 visits. First visit, the repair person didn't know how to install the part, said it was the wrong one. Second visit, completely wrong part. Third visit, first repair guy again, assured it was the right part but had no clue how to install it since it was the same part as from the first visit.


Since they didn't repair the refrigerator, all the food that was stored in it went bad. So when my parents returned from vacation, they had to spend $500+ to replace all the food. Sears only gave them about $250 for the food.


Sears claimed that they could only cover $250 worth of food. What they missed was that their incompetence cost over $500. There would have been less bad food if the repair person could have fixed the refrigerator on the first visit. Especialy since he had the right part.


I don't know of anyone in my immediate family that will be buying appliances from Sears in the future.

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jimconsumer
March 25, 2009 6:29 PM
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@breese524: I'll never buy another Kenmore appliance. They used to be the best thing in the world, so I bought a fridge from them. Two repairs in the first year and then it required a third, I made them exchange it for a different model, which - knock on wood - still works, but I've lost all faith in their stuff.

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Anonymous
March 25, 2009 2:24 PM
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@Saboth: I've been a fan of Sears for many years. Love the tools and the appliances, but there \"buy online and pick up in store\" sucks. I've done it several times, and more often than not the item was NOT available, even after getting an email confirming it was ready for pickup. I usually just plan on picking up the next day and wait for the inevitable phone call that it is in fact NOT in stock. I am surprised the manager didn't try to work with you on the price. When this happened to me with a floor jack, they manager asked how she could fix it. I said sell me this other model at the previous sale price. She agreed.

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BuddyGuyMontag
March 25, 2009 1:30 PM
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Seriously, I need new tools, and a response like this makes me want to go to Sears instead of Home Depot. People should print out this article and keep it folded in their tool box so if there's a problem in the future, you can take it with you and show it to any employee giving you static.

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doobes
March 25, 2009 1:33 PM
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Unless, of course, the hand tool is a torque wrench. Sears only offers a 1 year warranty on Craftsman Torque Wrenches.

[www.sears.com]

The reviews are not particularly complimentary for this torque wrench.

I guess a torque wrench doesn't qualify as a \"hand tool\"

chris

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CRNewsom
March 25, 2009 1:40 PM
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@doobes: Torque wrenches are \"precision measurement devices\" not hand tools, according to Sears. I will agree with this statement, as a torque wrench can become out of calibration with normal use over it's lifetime.


If you want a lifetime warranty torque wrench, go with a Snap-On or Mac

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DeeJayQueue
March 25, 2009 3:07 PM
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@CRNewsom: I keep reading articles that torque wrenches aren't all that great anyway, because they don't accurately measure the amount of tension between the mating surfaces, which is the important factor to measure, only the tension between the threads of the bolt and the threads of the hole. Given that not all machining techniques are constant, and not all tap jobs are that great, sometimes bolts bind up in their threads, and a torque wrench won't give accurate measurements in that case.

I see these torque tuners for drum heads all the time, and every time I see them I'm reminded of how many times I've changed drum heads even on new drums and how different the tensions were from lug to lug.

I guess in the absence of something better, torque wrenches do ok, but they're nowhere near as accurate as they'd have you believe.

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VA_White
March 25, 2009 1:46 PM
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@CRNewsom: Agreed. Torque wrenches are not forever.

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Snarkysnake
March 25, 2009 1:44 PM
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It's all well and good that this guy wrote this to Consumerist,but did he send a copy of this to the EMPLOYEES of this company ? Doesn't do any good if this is just damage control and some undertrained clerk and his equally clueless manager do the same damn thing a week from now because they had never heard of this uproar.


Not trying to throw brickbats here,but a little communication goes a long way when you have the constant coming and going of employees like Sears has.

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4 replies
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ZManGT
March 25, 2009 1:51 PM
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@Snarkysnake: Did you have trouble comprehending what this line meant?

\"An excerpt from the internal communication to our store associates is below.\"

I'm not trying to be rude, but in my opinion comments like yours are why blogs often timed are ignored. Sears made a mistake, corrected the mistake, informed us about it, and still some people can't be bothered to read less than 2 paragraphs about the incident and still make negative comments.

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Snarkysnake
March 25, 2009 2:01 PM
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@ZManGT: @ZManGT:
\"Did you have trouble comprehending what this line meant?\"

Nope.I just typed faster than I read what I typed.I sloppily did not proffread what I wrote and hit submit.

My point (which is now horribly mangled) is that this policy should be made a part of orientation if they have a handbook,it should occupy a prominent place there.

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ZManGT
March 25, 2009 3:13 PM
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@Snarkysnake: Fair enough. And thanks for taking my comments reasonably. I hereby with draw any harsh criticism towards you :)

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Snarkysnake
March 25, 2009 1:47 PM
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@Snarkysnake:


*left out a word* -\"did he send a copy of this to the EMPLOYEES of this company ? \"


Should read - ...did he send a copy of this to NEW Employees of this company?

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Southern
March 25, 2009 1:47 PM
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@Snarkysnake: An excerpt from the internal communication to our store associates is below.


Yes, he stated that went out as an internal communication to (all?) store associates.


With a \"No BS\" policy clarification like that, I'll continue buying Craftsman.

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CaptZ
March 25, 2009 1:47 PM
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WalMart has secretly been making offers for Craftsman for the last 3 years. Give it another 2 years and Walmart will have them. That is when K-Mart and Sears finally bite the dust.

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3 replies
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barty
March 25, 2009 2:54 PM
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@CaptZ: Lord, let's hope not. I'd much rather see them in the hands of Home Depot or Lowes.

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Landru
March 25, 2009 2:02 PM
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@CaptZ: And then every craftsman tool will be made in China.

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samhell
March 25, 2009 3:44 PM
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@Landru: A lot of Craftsman tools ARE made in China. Most of their hand tools are still made in the USA though the actual contractor has changed.

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plyhard13
March 25, 2009 1:57 PM
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I always feel bad for the one guy who's trying to do the right thing in these pathetic companies. This guy obviously takes pride in his job and the Craftsman brand. Sadly, he's swimming upstream in a river of sh!t!

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balthisar
March 25, 2009 2:29 PM
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@plyhard13: The same could be said about some of the AIG executives who had their bonuses stolen from them. Now, I don't mean the guys on the very top, but the regular management Joes. Not their faults they're swimming upstream.

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shepd
March 25, 2009 2:01 PM
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Honoring this warranty is in Sears best interest, anyway. Think about it: The resale value for your average cheapie hand tool is about zero. The resale value for a hand tool with a real lifetime warranty that the company stands behind? A *lot* closer to the original price.

And that means the original price can be worth more, and that people will want that brand.

This isn't rocket science. It amazes me Sears would have devalued this strategy in the first place!

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Inail
March 25, 2009 2:03 PM
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Sounds great!

Do they also have an online purchase fiasco contact?

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spoco
March 25, 2009 2:11 PM
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It cant be said enough - Craftsman tools are something that makes Sears actually worthwhile. They try to push Kenmore appliances the same way but its simply not the truth.


I'm afraid the tools can't keep the entire chain up and running. I look for them to either:


(a) sell the Craftsman and Kenmore brands to Wal-Mart (yes, appliances at Wal-Mart - watch for it)
or
(b) Craftsman will become its own brand and live through the authorized dealer network.

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JiminyChristmas
March 25, 2009 2:48 PM
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@spoco: c116I buy a lot of tools. Those include Craftsman hand tools, though their power tools I avoid. That said, I would not buy Craftsman tools from Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has a long history of getting suppliers of name brand merchandise to produce a special, i.e.: cheap, product line for them. If you ever want to read an interesting business story, look into Snapper lawnmowers and their refusal to undercut their independent dealers and make a lower-quality product for Wal-Mart.


My point being, I wouldn't trust Wal-Mart to maintain the integrity of the Craftsman brand as Sears has.

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Anonymous
March 25, 2009 2:29 PM
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@spoco: \"(a) sell the Craftsman and Kenmore brands to Wal-Mart (yes, appliances at Wal-Mart - watch for it)\"

Sell the Craftsman name to Walmart, and as someone already noted, it will all be made in China, and will be crap.

If and when Sears fails as a dept. store, it will probably survive as a distributor of Craftsman and Kenmore brands, which will be available at other stores.

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MrGutts
March 25, 2009 2:13 PM
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Interesting I haven't run into any issue with returning my Craftsman tools. But this is always good to see them spell it out.

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balthisar
March 25, 2009 2:31 PM
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I'm really glad to see them clarify this. When I get around to replacing my crappy made-in-Asia-someplace tools, I will most definitely consider Craftsman. I use hand tools so infrequently, though, that the crappy Asian ones seem to do the job. Everything else is a power tool or so low cost as to be disposable.

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razremytuxbuddy
March 25, 2009 2:34 PM
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If only just one cell phone company would follow the Craftsman example of customer service, expressing their warranty in a few words of plain English, and standing behind your product....

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1 replies
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econobiker
March 25, 2009 6:02 PM
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@razremytuxbuddy: Based on personal experience TMobile is as close to that you will get... But then again that is far off from the Craftsman example. (Tmobile still cannot explain what the \"regulatory recovery fee\" covers to me.)

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OULAXER11
March 25, 2009 2:37 PM
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Good to know - I can stop buying tools at Home Depot now!

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SynMonger
March 25, 2009 2:53 PM
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Funny how everyone was saying \"OMG I'll NEVER buy Craftsman! That's what you get for buying from Sears! Boo! Hiss!\", and now it's all fuzzy love. OMG! I'll buy a socket set, oh and can you bear my children Sears?!

How fickle we are...

I own a nice Craftsman socket set, that sees plenty of use. Glad to know I won't run into any trouble if a piece or two stops working like it should.

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Subsound
March 25, 2009 2:56 PM
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Good, this gives me more respect for Craftsman. I wish they would have other partners than Sears but at least I'll know that guarantee is not just fluff.

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Skater009
March 25, 2009 3:03 PM
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Nice ,

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sircrazyj
March 25, 2009 3:04 PM
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This does not change much for me. I have had to many problems returning Craftsman stuff already. I have been mad enough at a store rep I just left some tools and told them they could have them. When the Craftsman tools I have left break I will replace them with something else. Kinda sad still, I have craftsman tools from my grandfather and father. There goes that streak.

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Outrun1986
March 25, 2009 3:06 PM
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I bought a small set of Craftsman tools over Xmas and I plan on getting a lot of use out of it this summer so its good to know if I have a problem with it that they will honor the warranty on it. I would buy Craftsman again as well. Kudos to this guy for sticking up for the company instead of for some manager who is trying to inflate the numbers of their store.

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Anonymous
March 25, 2009 3:23 PM
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I used to work at a Sears Hardware many moons ago...high school job. However, we never had any problem trading out any warrantied Craftsman tools. We were told that, from corporate, we could refuse warranty exchanges on hand tools that we KNEW had been used in an improper manner (such as using a long screwdriver as a pry bar and bending the entire shaft, or something similar). However, I never heard of any of us actually refusing it. Usually, one of the older guys just kind of handed over the new screwdriver and said \"Listen, if you use it as a pry bar, we're not supposed to replace it. Just get a cheap pry bar, or don't tell use you used it as a pry bar next time.\"

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samhell
March 25, 2009 3:25 PM
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The Craftsman tools you buy today are NOT the same Craftsman tools handed down to you from your grandfather. They are mediocre quality at best. A lot of their stuff isn't even made in the USA anymore. The power tools? Forget it, Chinese junk that has a very limited warranty. Read the fine print on the tools... you will see that most things have a limited warranty... It seems only things like screwdrivers and wrenches actually have the warranty, and good luck getting things swapped out. I had a screwdriver tip break off an almost new screwdriver and when I brought it back they dug around in the back and brought me a beat up half stripped piece of crap. I will be honest and say that they were good to my grandfather when he brought in a 40 year old hammer that broke. They pulled a brand new similar one off the shelf and handed it to him.

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pratzert
March 25, 2009 3:37 PM
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WOW ! This is the first Customer Service Oriented thing I have seen Sears do in many, many years !


This guy ought to be in charge of the entire Sears empire.


With his type of thinking, he could bring Sears back from the brink of extinction.


I haven't bought anything from Sears since they started charging the 15% restocking fee on virtually everything they sell. I just bought an entire house of appliances elsewhere because of that policy.


But I \"may\" buy some more craftsman tools now.


It seems like that may be the onyl item they truly guarantee.


They

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Trencher93
March 25, 2009 3:52 PM
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NOW CAN WE GET THEM TO STOCK P#00 and P#000 SCREWDRIVERS? My store has been sold out of their screwdrivers since OCTOBER 2008! They have #1, 0, and 0000 and two empty places. In this age of computerized inventory, how can you be sold out for SIX MONTHS? Can this guy be EECB-ed?

\"I'm grateful that I could learn of it and take steps to prevent a similar mistake in our stores for the next customer.\"

[www.sears.com]

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econobiker
March 25, 2009 6:04 PM
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@Trencher93: Maybe we can start with the warranty and work up to the stocking issues...

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fatcop
March 25, 2009 10:24 PM
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@econobiker: Save yourself the trouble and order them on-line.

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doggscube
March 25, 2009 4:35 PM
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Sears, if you're reading this thread, good job. I should have posted in the original thread: I returned a malfunctioning socket wrench, and the equivalent was out of stock. The manager gave me the upgrade model as an exchange.

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twritersf
March 25, 2009 4:47 PM
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A company's downward spiral begins when it decides to call its employees \"associates.\"

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Anonymous
March 25, 2009 4:54 PM
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Im a manager for the home improvement dept. at a local Sears store and though associates across our company aren't consistently enforcing our craftsman warranties I can speak to the fact that some of us are. I also purchase products with warranties and completely understand the frustrations that many of our customers may have when individuals make a decision to deviate from them. Our customers should never be made to feel that they're being cheated and I apologize on behalf our staff.

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Ben Miner
March 25, 2009 5:05 PM
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It's nice to know I could turn in all my Craftsman tools for a replacement just because they had a little rust on them, but 99% of the time the small amount of rust doesn't impair functionality so I'm not going to bother. Who allows their tools to sit in puddles of water anyway?

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TrueBlue63
March 25, 2009 5:06 PM
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Sounds to me like, corporate has policy that pits stores against regional on who takes the balance sheet hit.

Thing is I bet that corporate doesn't want anyone to take the hit, but the failure to properly train people on the register/terminals, can circumvent that. Then the stores and regions further bollix it up.

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u1itn0w2day
March 25, 2009 5:26 PM
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I wonder if Sears or the company that makes Craftsman has to eat a returned item . I suspect Sears has to eat a portion of it anywahy or processing those returns must be costly .


Alot of tool companies want you to mail tools back on a lifetime guarantee which makes it all but useless since more than likely you're in the middle of a job . I guess that's what they count on - you not bothering . I've bought tools at Auto Zone and Advance: Great Neck and Duralast and that's what the packages used to say .

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Michael Barry
March 25, 2009 5:34 PM
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I actually used to work under Dave Figler at Sears (Have moved onto another industry since then) He means very well, and does believe in the brand. Unfortunately, the company is so deep, execution at the stores often isn't achieved.

Also, Sears accrues every month specifically for the craftsman lifetime warranty exchanges... it doesn't hurt the store's margins at all. It's kind of silly for the store to refuse them for that reason.

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econobiker
March 25, 2009 6:06 PM
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@Michael Barry: In that case someone at Holdings needs to follow Dave's lead and revive the company with straight talk like his...

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Wang_Chung_Tonight
March 25, 2009 5:48 PM
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I'm gonna change my wife's name to Craftsman.

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bluebuilder
March 25, 2009 6:45 PM
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This gives me the confidence to purchase Craftsman tools again. There is a comfort and affection felt when depending on a tool that you know has the full confidence of its manufacturer.

There is so much garbage on the market, and nothing wastes your time like a cheap tool.

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pattymc
March 25, 2009 6:47 PM
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I don' think it matters what they do anymore. My sister wanted to buy a bed they had on sale. The associate said the only way my sister could get the sale price was to take out a Sears credit card and use it. My sister said she wanted to pay with cash. She also pointed out she was the only customer in sight. The associate went up a level to see if she could take the cash and give my sister the sale price. The answer was no. My sister did not buy the bed. There should be Darwin awards for corporations.

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orlo
March 25, 2009 10:17 PM
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@pattymc: It's called going out of business

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RetailGnome
March 25, 2009 8:58 PM
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As an employee this was sent out out to all SGM and ASM's via email this week. Everyone in our store had to sign off on it and it went in their file.

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Lucky225
March 25, 2009 10:08 PM
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This is very refreshing to me. I just bought a 200+ peice tool set from Black and Decker which only has a 2 year warranty, but I did it to spite Sears for not upholding their lifetime warranty. If I still had the box for this purchase I would be returning it and going with Craftsman, I will keep them in mind for the future though.

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RetailGnome
March 26, 2009 12:30 AM
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Patty there are sears card only sales ie additional 10% off or other card holder only sales which occur in mattresses and in jewlery. what she could of done is open or use a card and make a payment on the next transaction. a smart associate would of done this... I know I would and I have in the past to save people money who wanted to pay cash/check

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savdavid
March 26, 2009 2:43 AM
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He will be fired soon

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christoj879
March 26, 2009 4:18 AM
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Can't complain about my local store. Craftsman insists on making hollow fiberglass-bodied rakes and shovels which eventually break every year or two and they always exchange them with no hassle.

I last went in a week ago, and there was a guy in front of me exchanging a ratchet and extension, an associate grabbed the extension while the girl behind the counter gave him a ratchet. He didn't like the way the replacement ratcheted so she gave him a different one, and the other employee gave him the extension. Case closed.

On my end, I noticed that the same design of shovel now bore the Companion name, NOT lifetime warranty, so I grabbed one that had Craftsman stamped onto the shovel head. No issue there.

I worked at Sears and we kept refurbished ratchets (including the super-size hobo-killin' ratchet) behind the counter ready to give to customers. Unfortunately, when I was new, a really old guy denied a bunch of screwdriver exchanges because he said they weren't broken. I was 16 and had no idea to tell him to go F himself and that they were valid. Sad face.

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Chrome
March 26, 2009 6:27 AM
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After reading this, I went to Sears to pickup another Craftsman socket I needed (lost) instead of Lowes for a Kobalt.

My family has used Craftsman for a long time. Glad to see I can keep using them with pride.

Later,
Chrome...

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soke2001
March 27, 2009 10:17 PM
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And that's why Craftsman is ALWAYS my first choice when it comes to buying tools.

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Anonymous
April 28, 2009 7:26 PM
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I am a 59 year old man that has been owning Craftsman tool all my life. Most of my tools large and small have been bought from sears including my Tool Chests and power tools. I have had several items repaired and replaced over the years. I have a monster Craftsman circular saw that is about 3 years old. The bearing next to the blade has gone out and you can't cut a straight line with it because it shakes so badly. I even bought a new blade and it was the same. Because it is Craftsman, I returned it to Sears and they said it could not be covered. If Sears won't stand behind the Saw that I paid good money for, Why should I even think about buying Sears in the future? There are a lot of other people who sell tools that are just as good as Sears. The name Craftsman and lifetime is what sells the tools not Sears.

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Anonymous
June 7, 2009 1:38 AM
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I purchased a craftsman multitool over a leatherman because I have always been satisfied with craftsman products and I would not have to mail it in and wait for a response if i should have a problem. I used the phillups screw driver bit allot and wore it out. sears gladely replaced it a couple of times. Then I broke the regular screw driver bit, and they stated that craftsman quit producing this item and would not be able to stand behind there warranty. Please let me know if this is correct or if I can still get this replaced. Thanks, Mike

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Anonymous
July 24, 2009 4:10 AM
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As a Tool Dept Manager I have to say that I love the fact that we can offer this, but at the same time it does make me wonder, when a guy comes in with a rusty, soil covered ratchet he obviously dug up in his yard and say it doesn't work. Duhhhh!!!A smile, and \"yes Sir, I wonder why, let me get you a replacement\" as you wipe the bugs and beetles off your hand. The smart ones I enjoy helping are the students / teenagers that have plowed the yard sales and bought the old and rusty Craftsman tools for a few cents, believing we will honor our promise. I know what they are doing, and guess what! I change it willingly. I now have a customer for life. Long live the Craftsman Promise.

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mikec041
February 15, 2010 9:44 AM
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Sears/craftsman issue that was suppose to be addressed in the article in March 2009 is still going on No Change Sears/Craftsman is STILL refusing to honor their warranty. I've been trying to get a Craftsman OBD2 scan tool repaired/replaced under warranty since December. Tech support is a company called Innova that doesn't answer emails or return calls. Calling Sears is like talking to a wall. Sears tells you Craftsman is a different company and even refers to them as the manufacturer. Craftsman refers you to Sears because it was purchased from Sears. Sears customer service people refuse to connect you to supervisors telling me that Supervisors DON'T deal directly with customers. Craftsman customer service people put me on hold fro almost 30 minutes before i hung up and called back when i asked for a supervisor. the Craftsman \"supervisor\" who finally answered the call out right lied to me about getting this tool serviced. This is not one or even two employees that I've dealt with it's been about 10 different people between \"Sears\" and \"Craftsman\", it would appear that it's corporate policy to not honor warranties.

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dustinkgj
November 1, 2010 5:31 PM
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Sears won't reply to my email and the manager is always \"busy\" and better yet they have my tools so they can see if the manufacture wants to warranty them and now its been a week since he was supposed to call me but now he's a ghost that I can't get ahold of. What a bunch of b.s. they didn't clarify anything

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Roger Brown
February 10, 2011 1:15 PM
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A few years ago, I bought a top of the line Sears garden hose, \"Unconditionally guaranteed for life.\" I drove over the male end (accidentally, I have better things to do than intentionally ruin my stuff), making it impossible to attach a nozzle to the hose.

I took it back to the garden department annex and was told to take it to the customer service department in the basement of the main building. I dragged the f-g coiled hose through the store, down the stairs and presented it to the clerk who said, \"You drove over it.\"

\"Well, yes, that's true, but the hose is UNCONDITIONALLY guaranteed. If driving over the end were to be excluded, the label should have said 'guaranteed except for damage caused by buyer',\" I replied.

The store's final accommodation (and the reason I haven't been to a Sears store since): a crappy, plastic repair kit I could use to replace the brass fitting I had damaged.

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Long Time Craftsman Tool User
October 7, 2011 8:01 PM
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I have purchased many thousands of dollars of Sears tools all of my long life. The tools have always been a great value and have given great service. Speed up from 1960 to 2011 and something has changed.
I had a 1/2 \" drive torque wrench fail. An internal part broke. Easily fixed by a small cog or pin. I called Sears support and no parts available. I took the torque wrench in to the Palm Desert, Ca store and they wouldn't exchange it. The torque wrenches they had were of much lesser quality, too. I called Sears customer service and they were no help at all.
This can't be their corporate policy, right? I called Sears corporate office and couldn't get past a person who said, basically, you are out of luck.

Maybe now that I have David Figler, VP to contact, Sears will honor the lifetime warranty and also stock the higher quality torque wrenches again.

I will keep you informed.

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hammer
October 29, 2011 5:42 PM
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I had a craftsmen ratchet wrench the quit holding the sockets on. The ball was stuck. Would not release. I keep my tools in good shape. When I went to exchange the ratchet wrench they exchanged it with a used tool. That was ok, at first. Till l realized how much rust it had on it. This is a real downer from the service that I expect from Sears. It was a refurbished unit. It could have at least been cleaned first if it was going to be an exchange unit. I will seriously consider if I will buy tools from Sears anymore

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