Sears

The following is what we have had to deal with, we shall see how it turns out:

We have had a furnace purchased from Sears on or about February 2003. Sears gave the first estimate and confirmed that they would in no way be the low man when it came to pricing but they are a nationally known name, they only deal with quality products and that they stand behind their goods and services. Their quote was $8, 000. Another company quoted $3500 for a furnace of equal size . We went with Sears and they subcontracted to another company and because we had no heat. We had no issues with the system for about 2 years. We started having issues of the heater only blowing heat in the summer, so we would call out a tech, spending all day (appointments are only from 800am - 500pm evidentially and only on Mondays in our area). The system operated with no issues again until fall when it got cold and would only blow AC. Again another call and another wasted vacation day from work. This has gone on for approximately 4 years. I finally filed a BBB complaint in the winter of 2006. Since thet 2006 complaint we have still had to waste 2 days a year, sometimes 3 or 4 when they call and tell you at 200 pm or so that they are rescheduling you because of having 1 technician in our area and there was an emergency etc and you have lost a day of vacation for something that you paid so much for. We once again called the Sears repair desk on the 19th or October to report that the furnace was only blowing AC, after being told that they could not send anyone out for 2 weeks I escalated it to the Customer Advocate Department and explained we have NO HEAT, they assured us it was put on emergency and we would have someone sent out on Monday the 20th. My wife stayed home and was called at approximately 900am to be told they were rescheduling her. She called me and I called the Customer Advocate Department back and had someone forcibly sent to my house later in the day. The technician said that there was a circuit board that was blown or damaged and he would order a replacement, he ordered it and he told us that the "only Mondays" was not necessarily true, that they do calls on Saturdays, etc if needed. The board was sent to our house and we called to make an appointment and had to once again get to the Customer Advocate Department before they could make someone show up on Saturday to install the board. The repairman shows up at 1100am when the appointment was for 800 - 830 am and opens the box of the board noting that the shipping box was fine but the actual box for the board was crushed. He attempted to install the board for several minutes and then told me that the board was damaged and that they would have to order another one. Finally, Tuesday, the board arrives and we called to make an appointment. After several transfers and over an hour on the phone the Customer Advocate Department desk got us scheduled for today, October 30, 2008 and the repairman showed up to tell my wife (who lost another day of work) that the part was the wrong one. He said we would have to wait for the part and make another appointment. I have since talked to no less that 8 people getting transferred from the Customer Advocate, to the OneSource department (?), to the national service center, and the TSR (?) group, and more, each time explaining I have a family with NO HEAT, it is now about 45 - 50 degrees in my house and their heating system is still NOT working, I have had to deal with inept service men and broken parts shipped, etc. They claim that contrary to what I was told by the salesman that the warranty does not cover then loaning any types of heating until they can get this repaired and that although it seems to be an ongoing issue they are not liable to replace it unless specified by a repairman. As I stated earlier I just want heat before my family gets sick, our pipes freeze (eventually) or we have a house fire trying to heat with kerosene heaters. Last night the tempurature was 31 degrees. Today is the 31st of October it has been 2 weeks with no heat.

Today 31st of Oct the part arrivved by UPS and it was the same INCORRECT part as was verified yesterday by the tech. Once I recieved the box and checked the packing slip that said it was the correct part number 1087953, the part inside was in another box which was part 1087952. The exact same part as was decided as NOT the correct part yesterday by a tech. I have called the customer advocate and talked to several people all moring and until 3:12 this afternoon being bounced around and told by Beverly and Alecia that I would be called back and neither did. Alecia on both calls was VERY rude, tried talking over me and was eating on the phone. The only thing she recited over and over is that teh tech will have to call the manager when he gets here tomorrow. I have taken tha side panel off and taken pictures of the board and the label on that board, it is the 1087953 board. I kept asking what a tech, with the wrong part, that has been verified by 2 techs and myself was going to accomplish by calling his manager and all Alecia did was recite the same thins and tell me she didnt know what I was supposed to do about heat and getting the correct part. When I started asking her name and confirming that she and Betty (the supposed manager that told her to tell me this) were the only two by that name so I can forward this complaint she became very disrespectful, " HMM huh, yeah yeah, whatever". I am at my wits end at this point. I have no heat and no customer service that gives a rats ###. How hard is it to look at a number on a box that you get the wrong parts twice in a row. I will not be taking any more days off from work nor will my wife because of their supposed "We dont do your area except on Mondays". I want a tech here after MY work hours 4:30 or after to fix this piece of junk or they can remove the whole thing and give me my money back on the whole lot. I will NEVER purchase from Sears, KMart or any holding company partner again and will be making sure all friends and relatives are told also. It should never be this bad.

Yesterday the 31st of October 2008, was another day spent on the phone, losing another vacation day at work, all day getting nothing accomplished with Sears and dealing with a rude employee, Alesha (SP). I was essentially told to wait for the repairman who would have to call his manager, for what purpose I dont know. Today is November 1st 2008. After Chris showed up at 315pm he called the manager, then the parts warehouse and then webnt out to finish the conversation in the van. He went to the heat pump outside and installed the part that tweo other techs said were wrong, saying it wqas a replacement part that wasnt ever listed as a replacement but that he has gotten the correct wiring information and it currently was working, I turned the heat on and it did indeed bl;ow heat out. I then questioned him about the problem we have had for 4 years of having to call out a tech every 6 months or so to have it "fixed" because it would not switch from cool to heat or heat to cool when the seasons changed. I asked why it happened and what they were doing. He said that they were probably just switching the wires because there was a failsafe and they would make it work "for now". I asked why they did not just fix the damn thing and be done with it. He said he did not know but that it was all fixed. After he left I let turned the unit off and let it sit for about an hour and a half andf then tried the AC and all I get is HOT AIR, again. I turned it off and left it off for longer this time and tried again and I got more heat. At this point I am done with their repairs. They are making it work long enough for the warrant to run out and not replacing it. I am NOT staying home for more all day waits and no show or reschedules, I am NOT losing more vacation days from work, I will NOT bend my schedule around their repairmen and scheduling desk. I want the only rememdy for this situation to be know to Sears as FULL replacement of the unit, not a rebuilt piece of crap, and renewal of the warranty on that NEW replacement.

I work for the Department of Defense and travel extensively. I cannot handle these issues from Korea or Honduras while my family freezes or has to continually deal with the liars and half assed people they send out.

My next steps are the Pennsylvania Stae Attorneys General Office and contracting a person attorney for a civil case.

I will be also forwarding printed copies (several) to all Sears board members I can find informion on.