Bought a self-cleaning gas range model 665,72002 six years ago. It worked for about a year then the oven wouldn't light or it would display a power failure code (PF) after being on. The tech said it was a "known defect" and replaced the display panel free of charge. Seemed to be okay. Then I was cooking a roast one day-it preheated just fine. About 2 hrs. in I checked it and the oven was stone cold-no PF display this time-it said it was on and at the temp I had set it for. Over the past six years I have had Sears back to fix it several times. Each time they come up with a different diagnosis and replace or adjust something different and proclaim it fixed. Indeed, it will light 20 times in a row-until they leave! I called another local appliance repair company in my area and they said it could only be diagnosed by replacing parts until it was resolved-it's basically just a really poor design. We agreed that would be throwing good money after bad. The problem is intermittent. It can work and then not work for two days and then magically decide to work again. I can't entertain and rarely cook anything that has to be baked. I have endured rude treatment by Sears representatives and no-shows by techs who won't answer the calls and pages by the dispatchers and eat up my vacation leave from work. At one point I reluctantly bought an extended warranty because I knew it was a lemon and would require more repairs-although it felt like extortion. Sure enough, about a month later it did it again. I called and the guy on the phone acknowledged that he could see I had bought the warranty on that date but because it wasn't "showing up" on some field on his computer because it apparently hadn't been inputed correctly or completely yet, I would have to pay for the service call. I had to point out that regardless, the call would be free because their own policy states that if I call back within 90 days from the repair for the same problem, there is no charge. As there is no resolution in sight, I will be shopping for a new stove soon although I can't afford it. I really expected that my stove would last much longer that 18 months!

Sears is doing with their appliances what they did in California with their auto service a few years ago. When that scam was uncovered their auto service business went downhill. They would tell customers they needed parts replaced in their cars, when they didn't need them. I had a service technician come to my home to service my washer. She told me I needed a part that was no longer available. And it would be better for me to buy a new washer. When I checked their parts department they said it was available, so I ordered the part. On the day it was due to be delivered I called to verify shipment and was told it was no longer available. After many back and forth conversations with Sears promising to return phone calls, which never happened. I had to always call them back because they know nothing about keeping their word. Come to find out when checking my manuals and calling other companies, I didn't need a part at all, my washer belt slipped off. I have been a Sears customer since the 1960's. I have bought my last from Sears. I will be calling other repair people to do my repairs. I will be buying my appliances at Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy. With the unnecessary stress from the attitudes of their customer service people and the scamming of trying to make me buy a new washer from them, for me its bye, bye Sears. If everybody would stop buying from them they will soon go out of business. Maybe then they will wish they would have done the right thing by their customers, but it will be too late. When people try to take you for granted you need to show them that they're not the only store with appliances. Stop shopping at Sears, you can do better somewhere else. Look for other technicians to repair your appliances you don't have to call Sears. There are plenty of other technicians that repair all products.

I was shopping at Sears and saw a box with a hardwood floor cleaner inside. My daughter just bought a home and had asked for something to clean her hardwood floors. I obtained a salesperson and asked about the product. None were on display. He said it was not a vacuum. It dispensed a liquid on the floor and wiped it with a pad. Since I was buying the product for someone else I asked the salesperson if I could return it and he said yes. My daughter did not like the product and I brought the product back to Sears and was charged a restocking fee. No one ever disclosed the restocking fee when I asked if I could return the product nor were there any signs posted saying that Sears charges a restocking fee. I called the store manager the next day (he was not in that evening) and my phone call was unreturned. I called the Sears Home Office and they said they do not reimburse restocking fees. The only time that a customer finds out about the restocking fee is on the receipt which is AFTER the product is purchased and it is too late. They lost a 20 year customer.

I ordered a riding lawnmower part on 5/3/07 from Sears with an estimated delivery date of 5/7 via phone (800) 469-4663. I was told it was available, and clarified that it was not on back-order. When it did not arrive on 5/8 I called Sears and was told it was on backorder, and when I mentioned that I specifically asked about that when I ordered the part, I was told that system must not have been updated; they apologized for any inconvenience, and they did not know when it would come available. I immediately found a local service man who ordered the part at 4:30pm and had it in the following day, from Greenville, SC, for 2.5 times the cost of Sears (I think it was worth it). I immediately called Sears back that afternoon to cancel order; was told it was canceled and would see my full refund soon including shipping, as the part had not been shipped. On 5/11, I received a call saying order could not be canceled as it had already been shipped. In order to get full refund, I requested how to proceed once the part arrived. Rep did not know when it would arrive the manufacturer had not provided a tracking number. I was instructed to simply watch for the package for the next 5-7 business days and refuse it when it arrived. I explained that I could not sit at my house and wait for UPS driver to come whenever. I was then told I should accept the package and then ship it at my cost back to Sears, who did not believe they could compensate me for postage; however I should purchase delivery confirmation as proof of delivery. So, I posted note on door, and called back everyday to try and get tracking #. I finally got the tracking # on 5/17, from Sears, the day package arrived, this is when I learned that the part had not been shipped until 5/16 from Greenville, SC, presumably the same placed that shipped the other part I received 8 days earlier. The tracking # (provided by driver and matched Sears tracking #) showed delivery back to company in Dallas, TX on 5/22. I called Sears on 5/23 and was told the company did not have part (Sears rep – Kendra in customer relations – parts department). When I told rep I had tracking number that showed part had been delivered she said they did not have it, and this why I should have accepted the part and shipped it back with delivery confirmation, at my cost, because my tracking # was not proof. After disagreeing with her for 5 minutes she finally agreed to look up tracking #, agreed that the part had been delivered, and must not have been processed. However, because I refused package instead of reshipping it myself, my refund would not show up until the next billing cycle. When I told her that I merely did as I was instructed by another cust rep, she stated that I should not have been told such, and there was nothing more she could do. I explained I used to work with Sears in Maryville, TN and when we had a customer that was upset we got a manager to satisfy the customer, then I was put on hold and transferred to the repair center (not a manager). That person transferred me to Kenny in Mobile, AL, who is a customer service rep “with manager authority.” I told him situation, and that I was displeased. I explained that I received too many mixed messages, I had been told things that were not honored, I was not told things that came back to frustrate later, and I wanted Sears to show that they care for their customers. I should get a full refund, after over 5 hours on the phone, and after at least a month since I originally canceled the order. For my trouble, I asked Kenny to authorize a free oil change ($22 value), as I use Sears for batteries, tires, oil changes, little auto stuff, etc which they could look up in records. Kenny responded, "I cannot do anything more for you sir. I have already refunded your shipping." Wasn't that supposed to happen anyway? I canceled order on 5/8, (8 days before shipping). Sears never should have paid for shipping; they had plenty of time to not ship item. Why can't someone pick up a phone and cancel the order manually.

Dear Mr. Aylwin Lewis,

I would like to share my recent experience with your once reputable company. None of it good. It regards not just product quality, but customer service and repair problems (mostly customer service). Also, it isn't necessarily geared towards one particular store, but the entire Sears Corporation and your overall business practices.

I purchased a Kenmore gas oven range from the Sears Outlet store in San Leandro, Ca on 1/31/05 along with an extended warranty which is due to expire 1/31/08. The purchase price of the oven was $899.00 and the warranty was $179.00. The oven price was discounted from approximately $1300 at the Outlet due to cosmetic reasons only. Or at least that's what was claimed. Once the oven was installed, I noticed that there were burn marks inside and crumbs left over from someone else's use of the oven (I was told the oven was not used—furthermore, why would someone accept the range when it was cosmetically damaged, use it, then decide they didn't want to range due to the cosmetic damage—all very suspicious). Well, not one to make waves, I was just excited to have a nice stainless steel range and didn't want to go through the hassle of asking for an exchange. Especially since, at that time, I was busy dealing with incompetent contractors remodeling my kitchen. The oven became an afterthought.

Unfortunately, it's been much to my own detriment that I did not immediately make waves regarding this gas oven range. Shortly after installation, the gas oven would not ignite. The stove worked, the broiler kind of worked, and the warming drawer worked. However, even though the ignition to the oven wouldn't work initially, after repeated efforts I was able to get it started. I did call for service. They scheduled an appointment with me for April 6th, giving me a four hour time frame in which they would arrive.

The repairman worked on the oven for about an hour before deeming it fixed. The next day, the same problem started. The oven would only ignite sometimes. If it wouldn't ignite, I would have to turn on the broiler to get the oven really hot. Then, after about an hour, the oven might ignite. I called again for another appointment. I had to schedule during a work day and had to put up with a four hour time period in which they would show up. The repairman who arrived said the particular oven I had was very problematic for other customers, in which they experienced the same problem. I explained to him that I could sometimes get it to ignite, but more often than not, it wouldn’t go on.

He managed to fix it and everything was fine for approximately a year. And then the same problem started occurring again. The oven would only ignite sometimes. I called for my third service repair. The repairman came out, worked on the oven, and then deemed it fixed. The very next day, the oven wouldn't work again. I then called and requested the oven be replaced. The customer service rep refused and said they would have to send out another repairman. I scheduled another appointment with them. Same situation. The repairman came out, worked on it, said he fixed it and then a day later the oven wouldn't ignite.

After being denied again after requesting the oven be replaced, I then made another appointment for Saturday, March 30th in which I was given the time frame of the hours between 8 am and 12 pm. They called Friday evening to confirm, but stated they could only show up between the hours of 1 pm and 5 pm. I said that wouldn't work and we rescheduled for Wednesday, April 4th between in which someone was to show up between the hours of 8 am and 12 pm. By 12:15 on the scheduled day no one had arrived or called. I called the customer service line and they said they were running behind schedule. At 1:30 pm the repairman showed up. I had to wait for over five hours for him to show. He spent an hour and a half working on the oven before he deemed it repaired.

The very next day the oven would not ignite. At all. And now, for the very first time, the broiler does not work. I called the customer service line to request a replacement. The woman I spoke with said she could not process my request and I would have to call the warranty department. I asked for the phone number, which she provided. I called the next morning and the number turned out to be a fake phone number. I had to call customer service again, which entails a nightmare of a time trying to get through the automated answering system to speak to an actual human being. I was disconnected multiple times. I finally got through to someone who also said they could not process my request and had to transfer me to someone else. I had to give them all of my information again and explain that I had had a total of FIVE repairmen try and fix the oven to no avail. Not to mention the massive amounts of ruined dinners I've had to deal with because of a defective oven. I also had to spend upwards of thirty hours of my time waiting for repairmen to come. She then started to pretend that she couldn't hear me. It was obvious we had a good connection. After a couple of minutes of this she then realized I wasn't buying it, but still said I was having problems with my phone. I wasn't. She was very amused with her "wit." I was not.

This very disrespectful customer service rep then transferred me to someone else. I explained everything all over again and said that I wanted a new oven range. She said no, my warranty didn’t cover it, but they could send out another repairman. I said fine, but I wasn't going to sit around and wait for another five hours waiting for someone to show up on my Saturday. She said I had no choice. I explained to her that I was a long time Sears customer and had purchased two dryers, two washing machines, two refrigerators and this oven over the course of fours years and they could accommodate me if they wanted. We went back and forth over this and then she HUNG UP ON ME.

I've really had it with your company. Your products are terrible and your customer service is even worse. I just want the oven range replaced. I will pay the difference for an upgrade. My newest refrigerator (that I purchased along with the oven) had to be serviced twice within the first month I purchased it. The brand new Kenmore Elite dryer didn't even work the day they installed it. A repairman had to come out the next day to fix it. It was supposed to be brand new! Now both the Kenmore Elite dryer and washer, which I have not had for a full year, are having operational problems. It's simply gotten beyond absurd and something must be done.

There is a bigger picture here than just the fine print of my warranty. I have found it impossible to contact someone within your company that has a true concern for your customers and can approach the problems I'm facing with a humanistic perspective. Instead, I've been ignored, mocked, and hung up on.

I want to reiterate that I have spent well over thirty hours of my time waiting for your repairmen to service a product I've had continual problems with from the time of purchase. A product I was told was NEW, but was clearly used. I have had countless meals ruined. I didn't have a working oven over Thanksgiving, the Christmas holidays, or when I held a dinner party. I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars at your store and have been a long time customer. When I purchased my first home in 2002, I purchased a washer, dryer, and refrigerator from Sears—all Kenmore products. I also purchased a Kenmore vacuum cleaner, Craftsman lawnmower, power tools, a patio set, and countless gardening equipment. When I purchased my second home two years later, I once again purchased the Kenmore gas range, a Kenmore refrigerator, and Kenmore Elite Oasis washer and dryer. But since 2005, I've had nothing but problems with your products and your employees.

Kenmore oven range: Oven does not ignite. Serviced five times and still not working.
Kenmore refrigerator: Serviced twice due to freezer problems.
Kenmore Elite Oasis dryer: Serviced once. It actually did not work the day it was delivered and installed!!
Kenmore upright vacuum cleaner: Broken after only two years. Had to replace it with a brand NOT related to Kenmore or Sears.

I'm appalled over the treatment I received the other day when I called and asked for the oven range to be replaced. I'm sick and tired of being treated like it's my job to accommodate you. I'm the customer. I'm one of the people out there who has contributed to your profits. It's time to give a little and accommodate me for once. I've been reduced to tears stemming from the frustration of dealing with your shoddy products and despicable so-called customer service. I have filed a compliant with the California Department of Consumer Affairs. I'm also posting this letter on multiple boards on the Internet, and I'm including other posts from people with similar experiences along with this letter. Maybe you should start listening.