Sears
Reviews and Complaints

sears has very strict policy about putting any returned item back on the shelf I have seen millions of what looks like brand new product in the dumpster however at that pay rate there may be a lack of product care, .

We purchased Kenmore Frontload Washer 417.[protected] in 2001. In 2016, after 15 years of solid service, I finally had to disassemble the unit as it stopped draining. 3 to 4 month prior to this the washer started to get really loud during final spin cycle, I suspected faulty ball bearing and didn't bother opening it up - it's in the garage, where we don't care if it's loud.

I opened it up and found the following:
1. Inner ball bearing failed and had hard time spinning, explains noise. Replaced both bearings + seal for $23.
2. One of the shocks broke at the top, so effectively only one was operational. Replaced with Electrolux equivalent for $19
3. Drain pump is fine, the pump and attached hoses had about a dozen coins and a key inside, jamming the whole thing. I tested resistance, input voltage and drain operation after cleaning it up - all good.
3. Surprisingly, spider arm is allright, there's some build up and relatively minor signs of corrosion. Not sure how to explain it, given everything I've read so far. The washer is used constantly, it's a single family house, but we have roommates/tenants, which makes it one of the most heavily used appliances in the house. We have water softener, rarely use bleach and buy either HE or organic detergent (again, not sure if this makes any difference). I suspect quality of the seal and ball bearing/seal assembly may have an effect on how long the washer lasts.
5. There are 3 screws sticking out of stainless steel tub rubbing against plastic outer tub assembly. This is a stupid design/spec flaw, take a metal saw and cut those off half length. A few people reported those screws cut into plastic over time and washer starts to leak.

I expect 5-10 more years out of it, after that I may need to replace rusting service panel and the spider arm, which I'm hoping to be able to 3D print by then :-). In general, I prefer to hold on to an older unit, rather than buying a new one, where all controls are on a single logic board with fancy LCD display, which can cost you $300-$500 to replace if if goes bust. Also, need to mention we also 417.xxx gas dryer with the washer. With the exception of two ignition valves, there's absolutely nothing there to break... I clear lint and replace the valves every 3-4 years, if needed. This you have to do in any case to avoid house fires and maintain drying efficiency. Hope this helps.

I'm feeling a bit lucky that my Frigidaire Gallery front load washer lasted 14 -15 years, repaired it a couple times. However at $341 dollars for the spider arm and inner drum, there was no way I was going to pay for the part - I did notice in the UK that the spider arm was sold separately - however the US parts person couldn't be certain it would fit and there wasn't a follow-up post. SPEAKING of FOLLOW- UP posts - I was hoping to one here from 16th of Sep, 2009 by tmdelisle ON their efforts to resolve this issue, if anyone has had any success please post.

Problem #1
First problem I fixed was broken connection at the motor connector at bottom rear of machine. The connector is rigidly attached to plastic tub but the cable is not strain reliefed, so it eventually breaks at the juntion between the wire and the individual contacts. In my case the wire was touching the contact so it starts turning. This motion causes it to open and the drum turns back. I noticed a spark at the wire/contact connection while troubleshooting the machiune and was able to fix connectioin.
Problem #2
The stainless steel tub can be moved a couple of inches up, down and/or sideways. After reading the comments I believe the spider assembly is broken. If I could get a new spider assembly I would repair it, but afgter reading several comments about this design on the web, I doubt I can buy one without it being a part of the tub assy.
Looks like it is time to go back to a new top loading washer. (Not Sears, GE or Frigidaire)
Charlie Parent

Purchased ours in 2003. Started knocking today, 2011. Took it apart. Corroded spider. Stupid design. Will never buy another Kenmore again.

Why is it they have not been forced to fix this problem by an consumer group if it has been going on for so long? Also Mine is now shot after 5 and a half years. We bought it in 2005 and the 5 year extended warranty ran out in October of 2010. Are they afraid to fix it so that the machines will last like a Maytag?

In scrapping this washer, the glass from the door is a nice salad bowl and the stainless steel inner tub makes a really cool fire pit!

I am just another person with the same problem, the spider assy corrosion. No help from any parts store or from Frigidaire regarding the problem. Just wanted to add that almost all of these units were made by Electrolux so when you look for a replacement washer make sure it is not one that they had anything to do with.

Same thing happened to me. My kenmore m# 417.xx washer lasted 6 years then spider broke. Sears was no help, never again buying sears. I have front and rear tubs as well as bearings for this model washer if interested. weber.keith@sbcglobal.net

This is what happen to my Kenmore 417.[protected] front loading washer:

1) After 6 years of working fine, it started knocking and moving around but still worked. Then it got really ear hurting noisy.

2) I opened it up and found the 2 shocks broken, and a 4" x 6" chunk of the rear plastic tub broken out. I replaced the shocks ($27) and epoxied the tub pieces back in place. The inner SS tub moves up and down if you try to move it by hand

3) It runs now, but still noisy and won't do the final spin with a full load. It quiets down when it does do a high speed spin.

This is why it happened:

1) The spider bracket to the SS inner tub corroded and broke (maybe just one arm at a time).

2) The SS inner drum is still being turned by the remains of the spider hub causing it to bash around inside the outer plastic tub. The 2 round shocks broke at the top mounting rings due to the weird out of balance motion of the tub. The inner drum then moved around more and enough to hit an injection molding process high point on the inside back of the tub, busting out that section.

3) The installation of new shocks (of a different design) makes the tub to shake less, so it seems to runs better. It still turns noisily at low speed because the SS inner drum has the weight of the clothes in it as it scraps on the bottom inside of the outer plastic drum. At high speed, the clothes are pressed to all sides, so the SS inner drum is balanced enough to "float" due to centrifugal forces.

Future happenings:
1) If I keep using it, the outer plastic tub will fail due too the friction with the SS inner tub, the rear bearing will fail, or the motor/electronics will fail due the increased load.

2) Proper repairs means a new replacement inner/outer tub assembly, which is too expensive to justify the cost.

3) So, I will shop for a new washer! :)

Summary:
This spider bracket failure can explain most of problems with all the postings, since the SS inner drum is allowed slowly to go out of balance stressing all component of the washer and the corrosion debris also get in the pump and clothes.

Some of these front load machines have aluminium (Al) spiders connecting the spin drum to the drive pulley.
Aluminium is corroded by, amongst other things, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) otherwise known as ‘bleach’, Sodium carbonate, Sodium percarbonate, (these later two I found listed on the contents of a popular laundry aid), sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) (this one is sometimes used as a stabiliser in ‘bleach’ but I did not find it listed on the two containers of ‘bleach’ I found in our house).

To demonstrate what ‘bleach’ can do to aluminium just find a piece of scrap aluminium, without any coating, or remove the coating and let it sit in air for a couple of days to develop the naturally occurring oxide coating, then put one drop of ‘bleach’, straight from the bottle, onto the aluminium and leave it overnight. The following morning you should have a nice little pile of corrosion products on your aluminium. This is what can happen to aluminium components in your washer, albeit at a much slower rate because the ‘bleach’ is diluted.

To check if any of your laundry products are harmful to aluminium perform an Internet search for the material safety data sheet for the chemical concerned (e.g. Sodium Hydroxide Material Safety data Sheet).

I know these spiders are fitted to some ‘Kenmore’ (manufactured by Frigidaire) machines, some Frigidaire machines sold under their own name, and some GE machines. Very likely there are many others. Additionally any aluminium component in the water area is susceptible to corrosion.

This information has been passed to Sears and Frigidaire.
Sears advise that the information ‘will be passed to the appropriate departments’ but have refused to pass any further information on to us.
Frigidaire have assured us that they use only the best quality materials and that they will pass on the information to their design engineers, the very people who would have specified aluminium in the first place. Hardly re-assuring.

My wife and I have two Sears 'Kenmore' washing machines built by Frigidaire.
I recently had to tear down the old one (8 years old) because of bearing failure. Nothing to fantastic there, those bearings take one heck of a pounding. In addition to the failed bearings and failed 'spider shaft' seal, likely caused by the bearing failure, the brass sleeve on which the lips of the seal run was scored, by the spring in the seal, rendering it unserviceable.
What I also found on dismantling the machine was a build up of a deposit, resembling powdered detergent that had got damp and 'clumped' adhering, quite strongly, to the spider (a shaft [of steel], and aluminium hub with three spokes) which attaches to the stainless steel inner drum and the driving pulley. This ‘deposit’ would not flush away, as powdered detergent, being soluble in water, would have. I took my pressure washer to ours but still did not get it completely clean. Whereupon I discovered that the aluminium portion of the spider was quite heavily corroded towards the centre with almost no corrosion towards the outer third of the spokes.

At first I thought this was galvanic corrosion caused by the steel of the shaft and the aluminium of the hub. There is quite an informative paper on Galvanic Corrosion, use ‘Yahoo’ and search for ‘UN1001 Reactor Chemistry and Corrosion’ and open the link that gives ‘un1001_Galvanic Corrosion’, the authors are Lister and Cook. The ‘deposit’ though had me puzzled until I researched corrosion of aluminium and discovered that it is normally corroded when immersed in an aqueous solution with a pH value below about 4.0 or above about 8.0 (nitric acid is apparently an exception). Common household bleach (sodium hypochlorite NaOCl) is a strong alkali. I placed a drop of bleach, straight from the bottle, on an undamaged section of a spoke from my spider and a drop of vinegar (acid), which my wife favours, on another arm and left them overnight. The following morning there was nothing left of the vinegar and no signs of damage to the spider. Where the bleach had been was a small pile of a whitish powder, which resembled the ‘deposit’ and was also, for the portion immediately adjacent to the spider, quite difficult to remove.

Numerous detergents are alkaline, they have to be or they would not work, also alkaline are numerous other laundry aids. Reference to the ‘contents’ labels on the containers and the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on the Internet will give more insight. In addition to ‘bleach’ I have found sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate in laundry products in our house. Sodium hydroxide, which is sometimes used to stabilize ‘bleach’, is also strongly alkaline, and corrosive to aluminium, it was not listed however on the two ‘brands’ of bleach I found in our house.

For some time prior to the bearing failure my wife had been complaining of a ‘moldy mildewey smell’ coming from the washer and leaving an odour on our laundry, particularly the towels. After I rebuilt the washer, new drum and spider, they are not available separately, together with new bearings and seal, it ran a lot quieter, no surprise, but here is the kicker, according to my wife ‘no smell’. Conclusion, the only thing different is no ‘deposit’. Now does the ‘deposit’ itself cause the ‘smell’ or does it collect undesirable compounds that cause the offensive aromas? I don’t know but it is certainly ‘food for thought’ particularly when I found two references on the Internet to people stripping their washers down and getting ride of ‘deposits’ which cured their ‘smell’. The odours, I fear, will return unless the owners alter their laundry habits.

To see what corrosion of aluminium can do perform an Internet search “Why Kenmore Front Loading Washers Fail” and watch the short video. I do not agree with the comment that it is galvanic corrosion between the spider and the stainless steel drum, should this have been the case one would have expected the spider to be corroded adjacent to its connection to the drum. Neither do I believe the deposit the gentleman showed to be caked detergent for the reason stated above (mine would not flush away).

I PURCHASED A SENTRY WIRELESS HEADPHONES AND TRANSMITTER 4 DAYS AGO. WHEN I OPENED THE BOX A CABLE WAS MISSING AS WELL AS THE MANUAL. I CALLED SEARS AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NO MORE SO I COULD BRING IT BACK FOR A REFUND. I SAID I WANT ITEM AND WANT IT FIXED WITH MISSING PART. THEY SAID I COULD HAVE IT REPLACED IF I PAID THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLEARIANCE PRICE I PAID AND THE ORIGIONAL PRICE. I TURNED DOWN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY TRIED TO SELL ME. IT COMES WITH A 90 DAY WARRANTY WHICH IS WORTHLESS UNLESS I PAY MORE.

Purchased Sear gas range, microwave, refrigerator, washer & dryer in 2012. Also purchase the 3 year extended warranty. what a waste of time and money. Today was the first time I called on my 1.5 year old Kenmore refrigerator that was leaking water inside and it appeared to be from the freezer. Had to put pots inside to catch all the water. When I called I was told that the first appt was September 3, 2013, 3 weeks away. Since I lived in a "rural" area, they only made calls twice a month. I am not in a rural area because I live in Emerald Isle, NC - 20 minutes from Jacksonville or Morehead City. I would have never purchased all my appliances if I knew about this lengthy service time. I was told this was not an emergency. Would never ever buy a Sear product again. I just got my Sears Card which I will cut into pieces and return to Sears. I think customer service has really gone to the dogs!
Brenda Benson bbenson@ec.rr.com Emerald Isle, NC

I purchased a Kenmore Front load washer and dryer on 2/07 with the extra warranty...have continued to purchase the Protection Agreement since.. The washer has of been "broken" on at least 6 times since the purchase. This last time was on July 15, 2013. I then called the number on the PA for service...they said a repairman would contact with in 24 hours...NOT...so I contacted them daily noting the name and time of each contact...on my phone call on July 26th did "Jenny" take 45 minutes to get it scheduled. The repairman called me the morning of July 27th a SATURDAY! and is coming Tuesday...when I asked when the work order was dated he said on the 26th...that is 10 days after my first phone call! This is not rocket science...its customer care!

From my experience, only people who get the unfortunate "bad apples" tend to go on sites like this and complain. For every one complaint here, there is probably 100 service calls that were performed without error, resulting in a very happy customer. Those customers don't think to go onto sites like this and "complain" about how good their service was. They, most likely, are happy that they got what they thought they were paying for, and just go about their lives. So before you go saying the absolute "never buy this", think that you might be cheating some people out of something useful to them by advising them to make a choice based off of your relatively small experience. Most of the claims of "don't do this" or "don't do that" are full of logical fallacies that I just can't find convincing.

For no shows, maybe technicians just straight up quit. Perhaps they get sick. Perhaps they get injured. From what I can see, Sears doesn't have the best method of notifying people when technicians won't be making their appointments, and sometimes it's actually the technician's fault. For example, lets say the technician took an extra 1.5 hours on 3 repairs in one day to go above and beyond for a customer to get their item repaired, but had a completely booked day at the beginning. That means that technician just spent 4.5 hours that he didn't have for the day. That technician is clearly not going to be able to make all of his appointments that day, and some will need to be rescheduled. Who knows what the reason is, but it is not logically sound to take something a technician does and then blame it on the company who hired him/her (instead of blaming him or her). Perhaps there's a good reason for your delay. No matter what you paid for your warranty, you are in line with hundreds of other folks looking to take advantage of it. They deserve excellent service just like you do, and sometimes that means some people get delays. This problem falls under the "you just can't please everyone" philosophy.

As for coverage, there are two types of agreement: Repair protection (sold on tools and water heaters as of 2013) and Master protection (sold on appliances, electronics, and mostly everything else). Repair agreements have a replacement limit of $1, 500, and that is right in the terms. Master agreements replace with a unit that is comparable, and never offer something that is "less" featured than you had before. This means your dollar amount can change. If you spent $5, 000 on a plasma television, obviously you won't need $5, 000 to replace that now as a better set only costs $1, 000. If you spent $1, 600 on a fridge and bought it during a heavy sale (usually getting you around 30%-50% in discounts), this is a different story. Appliances do not change in technology as dramatically as electronics do, and as such their costs remain relatively the same from year to year. Thus, a $3, 200 refrigerator (which you paid $1, 600 for due to the sale) might actually result in you getting somewhere between $2, 000 and $3, 000 for a replacement credit (if it needs replacing). This means that on Appliances (and on almost all non-electronic category products), you will be getting a guaranteed upgrade, both in dollars and in features. If you had a $3, 000 credit during the sale in which you bought the other fridge for $1, 600, you could buy the top-of-the-line fridge with your credit when you might have only bought a medium level product before. Definitely an upgrade. (The post by "Wayne" on Jan 6th, 2012 is a perfect example of this).

As for those mentioning deductibles...I have NEVER been charged a deductible. Not for a diagnostic. Not for a repair. Not for a drop off. Never. I've even called technicians out for things I thought were problems which turned out to be a "I pushed the wrong button and locked out my fridge controls" issue, or my kid "pushed some buttons and put my fridge in Demo Mode" issue, and I've still been handed my receipt showing the charges I would NOT have to pay for. Sure enough, the Master agreement covers Tech Support, which Customer Instructs fall into I guess. Perhaps some people get charged, and some people don't. From reading these posts, it looks like almost none of you have been charged for service calls that didn't end up provoking an actual repair (looking at the post about the popping fridge). Other plans and service agreements would charge you EVERY time you had a tech out there for the FULL service cost if they deemed it did not need repair. Sears didn't charge you. So it might stink that they didn't do anything to fix the problem, but at least you didn't have to pay for it. Think about how horrible it would be if you paid for the plan and then had to pay for those calls, too? That's what Warranties, Inc does (Best Buy's "Performance Plan").

For those of you folks who absolutely hate your Sears service plans, CANCEL THEM! You have the power to do so. And as stated in the terms and conditions, you have LEGAL RIGHTS to that service. If a TECHNICIAN did not give you what you have legal rights to have, then go up the ladder and complain. I doubt Sears trains their technicians to skimp you on service. It's safe to assume that, for a company that has been around so long, the small people who live within it probably train their even smaller workers to do an honest days work. It's the workers who choose to be lazy from time to time. Especially when not being watched (like technicians...). My advice for those situations of bad technicians is to go straight into a store, ask for a manager, and tell them your story. They will probably try and schedule you another appointment, but I assure you, if that one falls through (which I doubt it will), the store associates will get more and more involved with taking care of you. They don't stop til the problem is solved (contrary to the belief that they want you to just "drop" your appliance and not pursue service). This has been my experience. I've seen them give free air conditioners away simply because service wasn't doing what they were supposed to do in terms of their old one (granted this took a store manager, I think, but it still happened).

As far as cancelling goes, they give you 100% full refund period, after which is pro-rated. Your 100% refund period is the old term of your manufacturer's warranty. AKA: If you had a 1 year manufacturer's warranty, you have a 1 year FULL REFUND cancellation period where they will keep NOTHING. After that period, yes, it is pro-rated. But only on TIME, NOT on service. if you've had 8 repairs on your appliance and on the 9th repair they've finally fixed it, and they didn't give you a replacement like you were supposed to get, take action! If you're that upset about it, refund the rest of your term. Take your $1, 000's of dollars in repair expenses, call it a good investment, and refund the rest.

From my experience, when you deal with a company as big as Sears Repair Services (it's one of the biggest repair organizations in the nation), mistakes happen. Mistakes happen with every organization, in fact, but they are inflated when you look at bigger organizations because they handle more traffic. Some parts get back-ordered (from the manufacturer) due to sudden and unexpected need. Some parts aren't ordered in advance due to employee oversight. And yes, some judgements on abuse or non-abuse are misjudged (or valid, just rare).

I can tell you 100's of problems with service (and service contracts) through all the different retailers out there if I wanted to do the research, but I won't go there. I am going to tell you why I continue to shop at Sears and buy Sears products. Sears has something that I've yet to find at most retailers out there (if any).

This something is People. People I can go see on any day that will help me with a problem. Some people don't want to (commission based employee structure), but if they don't, their managers will. If my problem is that outrageous and causes me a headache or seems unfair, they will help. They will make the calls, send the emails, and even make on-the-spot adjustments or corrections if it seems fair enough. The bottom line is they will take care of me (and have before). I've shopped at many Sears STORES, and this trait is one that I often find. No matter the store, no matter the location, there is always at least one manager in that store that will sit down and take the time to get me a resolution. Whether it's a repair no-show, a late delivery, a rude delivery-man, a rude repair-man, a bunch of failed repairs, or even just a huge delay in service, they will hear me out and take care of me if they can.

Other retailers don't (usually) do this. I could stand at their "customer service" desk for hours, and I'll go through every associate in the store. The only thing I've ever accomplished is getting to hear 500 reasons why I need to call the number on the piece of paper they are pointing at, and how they can't help me. I did have one product that was exchanged, even though it was 2 days past the return policy. But when I tried to have a sound system repaired that shorted out, I was required to drive 50 miles to some repair shop that was "in the network" to drop it off. Little did I know that this place was going to charge me for all of the service, including diagnostics, take 8 weeks to complete this service, and then tell me to contact the warranty company for reimbursement. I've never had THIS type of negative experience through Sears--only other warranty companies. If one must pick the lesser of two evils, I pick Sears. The people I talk to would never send me on such a wild run-around to get something so simple repaired. I suspect the most complicated thing I would ever have to do is bring the system with me to the store and drop it off for repair or replacement (if it wasn't home service-applicable).

They own their own service, so they have some power in this matter. Other retailers don't. Other retailers contract the service out, which means the retailer themselves has very little power what-so-ever in making things happen. The contracted service company is out for profit, the same for any company, and there is no human I could walk up to talk to that might shift them out of "profit mode" a little bit and into "customer service" mode. Whether my receipt is faded or the technician simply broke my product further, all I'll ever get is an automated phone call system and some person, in India, who gives me long-recited responses to any concern I might have (vs the personalized response that says "I care").

Now granted I'm sure that, just from knowing the system a little bit, there will come a day when the people I see can't refute what the people above them have stated, which might just be that I'm out of luck. But for all the times that this has not happened, I'll say I've still been treated pretty good.

We were scheduled for repair for our dryer through an extended warranty. It had been a little over a week, and that seemed reasonable. The Sears repairman did not show up on the day of service, even if we called that day and were told he would be here. I called to find out why we had a no-show, and was told that "the labor laws in your state will not allow our service technicians to work more than 10 hours of overtime." They then proceeded to say they would call to schedule a service, at least two weeks later. I have yet to receive a phone call. What a worthless product. Now, I'm wondering if we'll see a repairman in a couple of weeks, or if we'll get another no-show on that day too!

We have all of our T.V.s and Appliances insured with Sears and have yet to have a problem with them. Over the years we have received a new refrigerator (because parts were no longer available for the old one) and recently a new stove because the seal on the oven door couldn't be replaced. The fridge was a side by side with ice and water in the door to replace an older top and bottom model. The stove was actually a $2, 000.00 credit which we used towards a dual oven convection model with 4 burners and a heating element.

All in all we're very pleased with their service. At least 3 of our T.V.'s have been repaired in the last 2 years alone.

I have problems too don't shop at sear no more I had a problem with an oven under warranty instead of fixing it they refunded my warranty!

$1300.00 Kenmore Elite gas grill bought in 2007. I called about the main burners (tubes) splitting out and there is one huge flame, not individual flames at what use to be individual flames ( out each little hole on burner tube) I explained they were lifetime warrantied since they were made of Stainless Steel. They told me I had to pay Sear Service over $100.00 to come out and verify they were bad before they would replace them. I explained that the cost of the replacement parts were around $22.00 each and there were 5 of them. I said the warranty didn't make since that it was obvious the tubes were defective and it was crazy that I had to pay $100.00 for inspection when the parts would only cost me $110.00. SEARS IS A RIP OFF! I have a house full of SEARS PRODUCTS and I will never BUY FROM SEARS again! A friend bought a Ducane grill, paid about $500.00 for it. Since he has owned it, anytime there has been a problem, he calls the manufacturer and they have taken care of him. They have been polite and curtious, unlike the evil people that represent SEARS. Since when did you have to pay a company to recieve warranty on a product they sell?

I am currnetly 67 minutes into my phone call with Sears about our "free of charge" warranty that is going to cost us $129 to start. This is the 4th transfer I have been put on hold for...I will NEVER, EVER AGAIN, purchase something from Sears. This has been the most frustrating, difficult customer service experience I have EVER dealt with. I have gotten put off, transferred, told 3 different warranty expiration dates by all three people. I'm sorry I didn't realize that "free of charge" actually meant, costs me money! Apparently my college degree is totally worthless, I guess I can't even read!

Albeit belatedly, like the others who have written before, I too have discovered the "Master Protection Agreement" is not worth the paper it's written on, nor the $159 you pay for it. After being given the run around for the past two weeks regarding a covered repair, I am now being told it will cost me $277. The attitude of the representatives clearly show this is systemic--hardly isolated or an aberration. The reasons they offer change with each representative I've spoken to. Here's my advice, BEFORE you purchase an extended warranty, just to see for yourself, contact the Sears reps at 1-800-4-MY-HOME, tell them you wish to avail yourselve of the MPA, then see what happens. For my part, I have no intentions of letting this go. Sears should be held accountable. I'll see them in Small Claims Court, if for noe other purpose than to establish a record. In addition, I intend to file a complaint with the State Attorney General's Office, so they can track such complaints, as well as the Better Business Bureau. Yes, this is all worth the $159 I paid, and the feeling of being railroaded.

I HAVE A KENMORE ELITE DRYER..MODEL# [protected]...WHICH WILL NOT RUN...YOU CAN HOLD IN THE START BUTTON AND IT WILL RUN UNTIL YOU RELEASE THE BUTTON...I HAD A SERVICE PERSON LOOK AT IT AND SAID IT WAS THE CURCUIT BOARD AND TO REPLACE IT WOULD COST $250.00...I ALSO HAVE REVIEWED MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE KENMORE ELITE DRYER...I HAVE PURCHASED MANY ITEMS WITH SEARS AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST PURCHASE...WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THIS I WOULD THINK SEARS WOULD RECALL THIS OR AT LEAST GIVE SOME KIND OF DISCOUNT ON THE REPAIR SINCE THIS IS TURNING INTO SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE.

When you ordered the part, did you inquire as to what the warranty would be?

You are all right. Sears stinks. I think I will follow the lead and sue in small
claims court.

Cindy Madison
Mine were installed a few years ago and not only do they leak at the bottom when
they were installed but sometimes in extremely cold weather ice forms on the
bottom.

Sears installed 13 windows in my house 3 don't lock and 10 windows they installed windows 3 inches smaller than opening then put boards around. They look horrid and very unprofessional.

I am years behind the curve on this one, but I too bought a Calypso washer and dryer in October of 2002. I paid over $2000 cash for both and thought this was going to be the coolest thing since sliced bread. Instead it's been Lemonville since the beginning. Everything mentioned in this thread is something I've experienced. The machine has twisted up and shredded clothing, has made holes in other items. It leaves things smelling of mildew, especially towels. It sometimes makes the clothes dirtier AFTER having washed them! It's especially noticeable when I wash things like white sheets and they come out with holes and streaks of dirt. And yes, what in the world is with the grease stains? I too went through several pumps and I blamed myself for what was going on thinking I wasn't stain treating well enough or perhaps something really dirty had somehow snuck into the washer when I wasn't looking (like a garbage can full of mechanics rags?). I wish I had done more research earlier and had participated in the class action lawsuit. Did anyone ever get any satisfaction from Sears? Does anyone know who to contact? I'd be happy with the $500 voucher, but fear since I haven't taken action sooner my window of opportunity may have long since past. Please e-mail me if you have any encouraging news. Thanks! Christine

Abolutely agree, this washer is a LEMON! Doesn't clean clths, smells bad, breaks down! I have the warranty and they are giving me a 500.00 voucher to put towards a new one! Bought it in 2003, nothing but trouble! Why won't they replace it? I paid $1, 000 for it! I bought brown wash cloths so you couldn't see the brown spots that were left! I'll take the $500.00 if that's all they will do! I know they aren't going to replace it. The girl said that if I was part of the recall group, they would send a tech guy out to replace all THE PARTS of the machine that were deemed faulty. I said, "Take it out of here, I don't want it!"

I agree with everything that has been said about Sears and the Calypso Washer and Dryer. I purchased my washer and Dryer in 2003 for around ($2, 500.00) Since that time I've had the Repair man at my home twice for both the washer and dryer. I tried to find an outside source to do the repairs and have only been able to find a company to repair the dryer (Best Appliance Center) In Rialto, Calif. [protected]. "Sears" should be ashamed of themselves. I remember when "QUALITY" and "SEARS" were synonymous, (Sears, the first place you always thought of when purchasing an appliance). The Repairman from Sears just left my home [protected]) and (yes, my extended warranty has expired) he says my washer can be repaired for $718.36. The Circuit Board is shot, along with the U-joint and Pump. The parts have to be ordered and it will take about ten (10) days before the washer is up and running, I only get a 90 day warranty on the parts. Should I have problems after the 90 days, (well, you know the rest) The Repairman offered some advice in my search for a new washer. Stay away from Oasis, GE and Maytag. He says Kenmore is a safe bet. Yea right! He also mentioned a lawsuit against Sears because of the Calypso Washer and Dryer. Oh well live and learn. "Sears" has made enough money over the years to now be able to come to the rescue of every comsumer having problems in this area. It is "not" the consumers fault that Sears sold us defective equipment and now fails to stand behind their product. For selfish reasons should Sears decide not to do the right thing, then !SEARS YOU SUCK! Is it to late to take part in the Lawsuit?

Wow! I have had sears come out to fix my washer many times. I told them that water was coming from the bottom of the washer. The repairer told me that he found bra underwire in the machine and that I was using the wrong detergent (I use Tide he, I thought that is what i was to use) he put it back together and told me he fixed it. Now it does not work and when i called a repair guy (not sears this time, because my ext. warranty was over) and he found rust so bad that he could not put a new motor in the machine. It has been since Oct l, 2008 and it is now Nov 19, 2008, and the repair guy can't find parts to this machine. Guess who will have to buy a new washer. Now I'm worried about the dryer going out. I don't have that kind of money. Reality check-sears don't care!

does any one know if i am to late for the class action suit regaurding the calypso bought in 2001 help ...

I can't believe this. My washing machine goes into Cl whenever it starts the spin cycle. My clothes always smells like mildew and many brand new clothes have been ruined by "grease marks" all over them. I thought that it was my overloading or not getting the clothes out fast enough but after reading these several comments, I have found that this maching stinks. And that 1 comment was right. You pay so much for this thinking it is going to be the best thing in the world but nothing but problems. We have had the machine for about 5 or 6 years and the repair guy was out several times in the beginning. We had bought a display model because it saved us a couple hundred dollars so we bought the extended warranty. Of course, as luck would have it, it expired. Now we have to buy another washing maching. And heaven forbid that we don't buy a set. The dryer has to match the washer. Does anyone know of which brand is a good one?

Signed,
Finding a new set

I purchased a Caypso washer/dryer in 2003. In Nov/06 I started to have trouble with the signal LD & SL. The repair lady acts as if I am making this machine malfunction. She has been at my house about 7 times to retrieve what ever has made it's way under the wash plate. I can not wash scatter rugs, underwire bras, or anything bulky. I have waited 3 weeks now for Sears to get to my house to repair the stupid thing this time. Sears should buy all of these machines back from these consumers and let them get machines that are worth something. I am tired of having to go to the laundry mat! I paid them good money for these machines and they should make good on it! And yes I have noticed my laundry smells like mildew as well, thought it was my imagination. Perhaps I will go to Lowes to purchase my home appliances from now on.

I purchased my Calypso in 2003. This machine is constantly breaking.. Don't know how many repairs before 2007, Last year in October, November and twice in December had to call repair. Dec 28th my clothes went under the wash plate.

The part finally arrived 1/26 and they repaired it 1/29. They never cleaned it out so I had to run a wash with no clothes. Then I washed a white quilt and it came out with black marks on it. So now I am doing another cycle with no clothes.

I can 't believe the repair men would not run the cycle and clean the machine. Made another repair call and they will be out 1/31.

Had 4 pumps and motor put in. Sears is trying to say I only had 1, I threw away 2 pumps that the repairman left. They told me I can't wash throw rugs or anything with lint. Have you ever bought new towels? When you put them in the dryer...lint on the lint filter. What good is the wash machine, if I can't wash normal laundry?

Sears web site says 3 repairs in one year and they will replace machine, but talk to someone at the store or on the phone they tell you 4 repairs.. I even had one person tell
me it had to be 4 of the same part in one year. What is there scam.

Thankfully I purchased a maintenance contract which is due for renewal in March.

I did not know there was a class action suit. I am working with the Better Business Bureau.

Does anyone know i f there are any other class actions suits that I could be included in?

I have had the Calypso for 3 years. Replace the U-Joint (once), the motor (twice), the wash plate 3 times. So far since the last motor was replaced, it is working perfect for 8 months now!

You do need to take care when using the machine to not use to much detergent, which is good cause I save money that way and everything is still very clean. Have the warranty until 10/08 then will see what to do. May spend another $260 on another 3 year warranty since a new machine will cost me more.

One-Thousand dollars for a POS. Only 4 years old, started smelling like mildew and tonight it quit completely. Doesn't drain water, doesn't wash, and I suspect it is the motor controller. Will not buy another Sears appliance and neither will our kids.

I am in the same situation and will filing a complaint to Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs. Thanks for sharing, thought I was the only one suffering

To whom it may concern:

My wife & I bought a Whirlpool ET25DMXDW01 model in 1998. We have always bought Sears appliances.

We had the the usual maintenance service over the years and we have paid for Sears extended service ( on and off) for several years.

We also have other Sears appliances (washer & dryer etc.).

We have been very happy with the Whirlpool refrigerator and we still use it and is in very good condition.

Almost 10 months ago, the handle for the bottom right drawer (crisper pan) broke and we requested Sears to replace it inorder for us to use the set drawer for fruits and vegetables as we are not able to make usage of that drawer.

Today, I have accumulated several pages of transactions with Sears Home Central to no avail.

We have had the longest run around one could possibly imagine.

We have had several technicians come out to write out the same order several times.

We have dealt with many service reps at Sears Home Center and they have always told us that the problem would and should be fixed and if the replacement would not be available the policy requires them to replace it with a new refrigerator. After many months, my wife handed this file over to me.

Once again, I began my request from the bottom and all the way to the executive line (as they told me).

Finally, they had acknowledged that the replacement was no longer available and forwarded me to another division.

Tel: [protected] (very difficult line to talk to someone...) After many hours of waiting on the tel. I have spoken with Ms. Chris and Ms. Marilyn... again to no avail.

Last I spoke with Ms. Marilyn advised me that the part was no longer available and that Sears was not interested in replacing the refrigerator which totally contradicts my extended service with them.

What am I to do? Can you help us?

Sincerely,

Arlene & Sabi Kent

We bought a dishwasher last year after waiting 10 years to be able to afford and install one. It hasn't worked properly since install and now erroring out part way through the cycle. Called Sears for repair on the service plan we paid hundreds of $ for, had to wait a week for first available appt. Technician cancelled day of service, had to wait another week, I called to confirm that he was coming, never showed. Lied about saying no one was home when he came and when I called the next day to complain to our local store the call record had been CHANGED to read that WE cancelled the service call. Of course the next available appointment is another week away - 3 weeks and counting. Foolishly purchased a refrigerator in June.. We had them check before making the purchase to confirm it was in stock and they assured us it was, though it would still be 1".5 weeks before delivery. You guessed it - cancelled the day before. Big surprise - not really in stock, sales tactic. Had to wait another week;. Really bad taste in my mouth. Really sorry I gave them thousands of dollars of our hard-earned money. Never again.

Delivery customer service reps. can't understand most of the time - can't speak English well. Appliance was delivered broken, had to reschedule delivery for next day. Gave Sears my cell phone to call so I can make sure I'm home for the delivery. They called wrong phone number and thus I missed the delivery etc. Sears doesn't understand that people have to take time off from work when appliances are delivered! I spent 40 minutes on the phone to someone who couldn't speak English well trying to get a supervisor. Finally I agree to have the supervisor call me even though I know they won't! If you can, try and buy your appliances somewhere else. Saving a few dollars is not worth going through Sears!

We bought top of the line Sears products in January 2006, Washer, Dryer, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Technicians don't know what they are doing so I stopped calling. Waiting to buy a better brand.

They came out to fix washer at least 4 times in the first year. I wrote and called the CEO and they chose not to respond to me.

Don't buy Sears products, I will never make that mistake again.

We bought all top of the line Kenmore Elite~ all Garbage!

My $850.00 dishwasher got stuck between cycles. I called Sears repair and he used a Star Wars light show toy to analyze the problem. He said, "don't try to use the dishwasher, it needs a new "board" This will cost another $429.00 in addition to the $65.00 show up fee.

I was mad. I found out from a Home Depot Appliance salesman that all it was was that it was stuck in a cycle. "Just run the whole cycle through again and it ill clear itself."
It did and It runs like new.

Now to get my money back. That is impossible. SEARS repair knew that the machine was fine, and that is why he told me not to use it till he gets back with the part. Also found out that on the more expansive machines the major parts are waranteed for life.

DON"T Call Sears repair.

Like so many others have written, the freezer works but the refrigerator side doesn't cool. Called customer service (I have an extended service agreement), earliest a tech could get out to me was three weeks ( why rush, they got my money for the service contract - I'm a hostage) ...on the tech the tech ewas to show ..of course not...Customer Service was sorry for the inconvenience...refused to let me speak with a supervisor..but happily rescheduled me for 10 days later...that's right - no show again. Anyone who buys annything from Sears no longer has a right to complain, the internet is loaded with the same stories of abuse ...its your money =- be a fool and buy from Sears or be a wise person and go anywhere else.

Almost two years ago we renovated our kitchen, and replaced all the appliances with Kenmore Elite products, including their top-line dishwasher and refrigerator.

In that time period, the dishwasher has broken twice, and the refrigerator twice. Both have 4-year Master Care plans.

In the past, we've been happy with the timeliness of the immediacy and quality of the warranty service, though the disconnect between the parts shippers and the appointment makers is really annoying, as other reviews have noticed.

However, our refrigerator broke TWO MONTHS AGO on Dec. 1, 2006, and a repairman visited on Dec. 5, 2006. Since then, the parts have been backordered. And every few weeks, the ship date keeps on extending. It is now Feb. 6, 2007, and Sears STILL has not shipped the parts. I don't trust their shipping estimate, since they keep on revising it.

To Sears' credit, they have authorized rental reimbursement for another refrigerator. However, how many people have room in their kitchen for a spare refrigerator? Where would we put it? This is not like a car repair where you can drive a rental car while the other is in the shop -- in that case you don't have an extra car to park.

At what point does this constitute "unable to repair" which in the warranty would merit replacement? Ironically, if this really was a car, many states' lemon laws (the part about honoring the warranty) would merit replacement or reimbursement by now.

TWO MONTHS and waiting.

I dismissed this person's answer. Anyone who wants to be taken seriously should not write in text style gibberish. "do u ever write checks" or "if not thats reason 2". That's just horrendous English and god awful poor grammar. It's offensive.

the reason they dont know why is the companies that every retailer use do not discuss your private information with employees of the store ... there are a million reasons a check can be declined 1st is do u ever write checks for large amounts? if not thats one reason 2nd have you ever written a check at seras before? if not thats reason 2 and the 3rd wich is the biggest was it over $500 dollars that is what is known as a floor limit and in most cases requires further approval and if that approval cannot be obtained ie a credit union on a weekend etc then your check will be declined there are a millino more reasons but those are the top 3 (: have a nice day sears does not refuse your check certigy check verification did *

my husband bought me a kenmore vacuum cleaner for christmas and it blows the dirt right out the back of it . I am very disappointed with it and i would not recommend any body purchasing one of these vacuum cleaners kenmore upright serial # [protected]. please be aware of this item.

Subject: Kenmore Vacuum cleaner model C50XCRF1W017'NA
Ser. No. Y54506528/NA
Purchased 17 Jan 2006 Store 0001192 Muskegon, MI $329. 64

My first dealings with Sears was when I was fourteen years old in 1939 and with the help of my Stepmother purchased through the catalog a two piece, double breasted wool suit at a cost of fourteen dollars. At the time this was an investment of one hundred forty hours of pushing an old reel type lawn mower back and forth across neighborhood yards.

I have remained a faithful customer of Sears for nearly seven decades and at present have in my household four Kenmore major appliances, plus a microwave oven and, regrettably, the above mentioned vacuum cleaner.

Shortly after purchasing the sweeper, power to the floor attachment was intermittently lost. When pushed ahead it worked fine, but on retrieval power was lost between the handle and the wand. To me this appeared to be a design or engineering problem and it was returned to the repair department on 29 Nov 2006, but on the way I first stopped in at sales where, with the help of a a like display model, I was able to demonstrate to the sales person what the problem was. It was agreed that my diagnostics were correct and said I would have to return only the wand, which I did. Later I was told that I would have to bring in the rest of the sweeper, which I did on 11 Dec.

After repairs? and at home the problem remained the same and unfortunately I was not able to immediately return it to repair services due to a near catastrophic medical problem. Finally on 4 April, with the help of a neighbor kid, I got the sweeper into the trunk of my car and, against the wishes of family members and my doctor, returned it again to the repair drop-off site, only to learn that what I thought to be a six months warranty on parts and labor had shrunk to half that and I had missed the deadline by only a few days. I was so distraught I had to walk away, abandoning my sweeper. After making a couple urgently needed purchases I returned and retrieved it.

I agree that I should have perhaps read the warranty more closely, but at the time about all the reading I could manage was doctor bills and drug dosage instructions, but please listen to the reason for my feeling that I am a victim of circumstances.

When I first took my sweeper in for repair I explained to the fellow the reason I was returning it exactly as I have related above. Through his obvious mastery of the English language he astutely condensed this to "lose contact when moved down." I can imagine a repairman moving it down along the floor, with a frown on his face and scratching his head. After repairs the unit evidently passed the rigorous testing regimen and was returned to the owner where the true test was performed by an octogenarian housewife, and failed miserably.

Any suggestions you can make toward resolving my dilemma would be greatly appreciated.

Charles E. Armstrong
17467 148th Ave.
Spring Lake, MI 49456
familysleuth AT chartermi.com

p.s. After composing the above letter I chose to think this over for a while before clicking on send. At the first of the week, with the help of the same neighbor kid, I retrieved the sweeper from the trunk of my car where it had been cowering since I returned with it from the store. I decided to play around with it a little, which strengthened my belief that the problem is in design and/or engineering. With a little magic I was able to make some covert repairs and, although they may be only temporary, the sweeper now works fine. Perhaps your repair staff and I went to different schools.

Sears is suffering from a comfortable ride which they forget is the result of faithful consumers.

It doesn't surprise me that Sears would not honor their warranty on our vacuum cleaner [one of those Progressive Models with the pull behind canisters]. The vacuum is a piece of junk and won't work properly for a number of reasons... it seems to degenerate and it's well within the warranty period... hence the warranty should be honored. See you later Sears. Add to the list someone who won't be shopping at your store for consumer goods. I've already excluded you from my commercial sales for my construction company.