DON'T order from sears...

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Ó Flannagáin

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I thought this was a great deal:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...t=Smokers+&+Specialty+Cookers&pid=07113259000

But, soon, I realized Sears sucks bad in customer service.

#1. Everytime I've ordered anything (To an APO address) it has take 7-9 days, no more. Sears chooses to mail items the slowest possible way.... it took 6 weeks.

#2. Under product specs, it says the entire system is steel... nope, its an aluminum pot.

#3 the pot was dented to ****.

#4 The cooker stand was dented, was almost impossible for me to screw all the pieces together.

#5 The screws were missing their nuts, I had to make a trip to the hardware store...

#6 Its not even the same fryer as is in the picture on the website...

#7 FYI, I sent a letter to Sears and I haven't heard back from them, so I felt it necessary to rant.
 
Yeah i'd be annoyed, thats a very sneaky description saying its all steel, i think they are talking about the stand being steel but it certainly impies the whole set-up is steel on the spec sheet.
Did you pay by credit card? maybe you can get the CC company to reclaim the payment (although you could write on the back of a postage stamp what i know about american consumer laws).
Good luck with it.
 
Send it back and get a refund.

If you want, I'll help you buy one of these and get it shipped to your APO.

http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/fryers&start=0&selectedSKU=0267-40037-0626


Or even better, one of these.

0267-02367-0002b.jpg


http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/fryers&start=0&selectedSKU=0267-40037-0627

Just drop me a PM if you are interested. I'd be glad to help!
 
Sears seems to take pride in their inability to do anything right. When they started sinking like a rock back in the '70s, they streamlined, so they could fall faster!
 
seefresh said:
I thought this was a great deal:

#5 The screws were missing their nuts, I had to make a trip to the hardware store...

I bought on of these from the store. There were no nuts, but I didn't need any. The holes were threaded and the nuts tightened down fine. I think they changed the design and forgot to change the instructions.
 
Thanks for the offer Ed, but I really don't feel like waiting. It'll work, and I have a couple brews to do next week. Tired of using multiple pots on my stove for the boil. I sent in a letter to Sears, and I heard back a bit ago... they let me know they forwarded it to upper management. Hopefully I'll get a discount or something.
 
seefresh said:
I thought this was a great deal:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...t=Smokers+&+Specialty+Cookers&pid=07113259000

But, soon, I realized Sears sucks bad in customer service.

#1. Everytime I've ordered anything (To an APO address) it has take 7-9 days, no more. Sears chooses to mail items the slowest possible way.... it took 6 weeks.

#2. Under product specs, it says the entire system is steel... nope, its an aluminum pot.

#3 the pot was dented to ****.

#4 The cooker stand was dented, was almost impossible for me to screw all the pieces together.

#5 The screws were missing their nuts, I had to make a trip to the hardware store...

#6 Its not even the same fryer as is in the picture on the website...

#7 FYI, I sent a letter to Sears and I haven't heard back from them, so I felt it necessary to rant.

Did you leave feedback on the webpage for other customers.
 
I agree that Sears sucks.

Has anyone noticed that the craftsman lifetime guarantee is gone? Yep.

We had a weedwacker bought from them that I had to get corporate involved in to fix. It took a dump after 6 months and they wouldn't honor the 12 month warranty. I threatened BBB and miraculously after keeping the damn thing in their shop for 3 months, it came back fixed. I'll never buy Sears anything again.
 
Sears is being run in a manner to save costs, save costs, save costs. They've cut back as much as possible to maximize cash flow - not even caring that they're hurting their long-term viability (company was in trouble to begin with). Sales remain stagnant, same-store sales generally down, but profits have been way up. In short, the corporate Sears Holding Co. only cares about the Sears retail stores to the extent that they can squeeze every last dollop of cash from them.

I was in the store checking out their tool chests, which I've always drooled over. My old man has had some for years and years and years, he's beat the hell out of them and they still open smoothly and feel solid. The ones I was looking at felt like crap, felt cheap, lightweight duty - the quality clearly wasn't there.

I just don't trust Sears / Craftsman to the same extent these days. I'm wondering if the drop in quality is going to show up in the Kenmore appliances (which were always highly rated).
 
Lost College Brewer said:
yes the craftsmen warrenty is no more. Hey edwort I really like that set send info

These sets are sold by Academy. They have stores all over, but not everywhere. Head over to their site and do a search on fryers. They also have a store locator.

PM me if you need some help.
 
Lost College Brewer said:
yes the craftsmen warrenty is no more. Hey edwort I really like that set send info
Does that go for the Craftsman tools? I periodically break a socket or have a rachet crap out and I always like the flexibility of just taking it back. Infact, I've got a 12 point socket that I cracked with a 30 inch breakover (yep, I know I should have used a 6 point but I couldn't find it) and I need to take it back but heck from now on I guess I'll be buying someother brank.....wish I could afford SnapOn or Matco.
 
I think the lifetime warranty is still around for hand tools...or at least a subset of them. They seem to have gone in two directions with their products. They've cheapened the hell out of the basic Craftsman brand...pretty much everything is complete crap now. What they have done is create a Craftsman Professional brand that it pretty decent. I bought one of their high-end table saws and it really is a quality product. Just my 2 cents.
 
vtfan99 said:
I think the lifetime warranty is still around for hand tools...or at least a subset of them. They seem to have gone in two directions with their products. They've cheapened the hell out of the basic Craftsman brand...pretty much everything is complete crap now. What they have done is create a Craftsman Professional brand that it pretty decent. I bought one of their high-end table saws and it really is a quality product. Just my 2 cents.

I need to buy a table saw - but I can't do a Craftsman Professional model. There IS, however, a $170 Craftman table that I like, seems real solid - but I hesitate because I know that the brand as a whole is starting to suck ass. It's basically, I think, the same saw as with the $99 model but with a more substantial table.

I'm still probably better buying that than the equivalent Ryiobi, right?
 
Huge hijack here--but do you guys have Harbor Freight stores locally? I get ALL of my tools from them now. If one breaks, it is cheaper than heck to jsut replace it. The main power tool brand is Chicago Electric. I always bounce on the ads--sometimes they have prices that you can't beat anywhere else. I haven't had an issue with a Chicago Electric tool yet. My grinder gets big time use and still grinds away. 15 bucks at HF. I've gotten a router, an electric drill, and the grinder. I bought an air tools set last week with a 50% off coupon. Can't beat it, really can't.
 
Yeah like my friend always says:

"They are NOT your father's Sears"

Aint it the truth. :off: We bought a dishwasher that failed 3 times in the first year from them. They kept sending people out, one time it took a full month just to get a technician out. When he did find the problem (actually I found the problem and told him what to do lol, I just needed to have him order the part), he tells us oh it'll be a week to get it and another week to get here to put it in. We were furious.
 
I just don't trust Sears / Craftsman to the same extent these days. I'm wondering if the drop in quality is going to show up in the Kenmore appliances (which were always highly rated).

Yep - it already has. We just got back from a long weekend and our Kenmore (aka Maytag) fridge took a dump. Good thing the warrantee expired about 2 months ago. :confused: Luckily, it was only a fan and the freezer kept working, but we're still out $150 plus the food it ruined. I called Sears and was told they could not get a tech out to my house for over a week (and this is in a small town). They also tried to pitch a fixed price repair to me. The only way to get service is to call the useless 800 number. The human operators there are harder to deal with than the automated system. Where do they find these people? I called a local guy who showed up less than 2 hours after I called him, and he had the part in the following day. He said he sees the fan motors go out all the time in the Kenmore/Maytag fridges.

Our Kenmore front loader washer that we bought with the fridge locked up and held our clothes hostage on about the 5th load after we got it. They said it would be 2 weeks before they could send anyone out. I had to raise Hell with corporate to get them to come out and open the thing so we could get our load of wet clothes out of it. Eventually, they replaced the machine with a better model for free. The drier has yet to break, but makes this loud annoying creaking sound when running. It's 2 pieces of sheet metal rubbing against each other when the unit is running. Really piss poor design.

The ironic thing is that we went to Galesburg, IL last weekend - where all the Maytag and a lot of the Kenmore refrigerators used to be made. Until they shut it down and moved it all to Mexico 4 years ago.

No more Maytag or Kenmore for me - ever - period. Sears has completely gutted their service. You're better off trying to get service at Wal-Mart.
 
the_bird said:
I just don't trust Sears / Craftsman to the same extent these days. I'm wondering if the drop in quality is going to show up in the Kenmore appliances (which were always highly rated).

Kenmore is just a name tag put on for Sears by the Manufacturer which could be anyone. Like the guy that mentioned the Magtag/Kenmore fridge.

My wife got the top of the line Kenmore washer/dryer around 2002 before we got married. What a POS they are. The el cheapo washer and dryer I used had to go to make room for her Kenmore crap. We have had and continue to have all sorts of problems with the Kenmores. While my el cheapo models I had to give away just continue to work flawlessly.
 
Dude said:
Huge hijack here--but do you guys have Harbor Freight stores locally? I get ALL of my tools from them now. If one breaks, it is cheaper than heck to jsut replace it. The main power tool brand is Chicago Electric. I always bounce on the ads--sometimes they have prices that you can't beat anywhere else. I haven't had an issue with a Chicago Electric tool yet. My grinder gets big time use and still grinds away. 15 bucks at HF. I've gotten a router, an electric drill, and the grinder. I bought an air tools set last week with a 50% off coupon. Can't beat it, really can't.


Got an HF here... Guess they are pretty popular they went from a small store to using an old grocery store for their store... Cheaper than AC/DC's Dirty Deeds....
 
vtfan99 said:
I think the lifetime warranty is still around for hand tools...or at least a subset of them.

Yeah-- the hand tool warranty is still there for most of the basic hand tools. It is, however, a case of cavaet emptor because youc an't assume that all the tools are covered-- you gotta check the specific tool's terms.
 
The Craftsman warrinty STILL stands it only applies to there Hand tools, though. I would like to see a company that puts a no questions asked lifetime warrinty on a powertool or ANYTHING that has there name on it comeon now..... They sell plans when you buy power tools, or anything with a motor and it is HIGHLY recommended you purchase that also if you ever buy anything with a motor from the sears tool dept.

As for there Hand tools you cant beat the no questions asked lifetime warrinty, i worked in the tool dept for about 7 months and never once turned any one away with a hand tool still broken. and they tell you if you cant find an exact replacment or get one from the catalog always UPGRADE the tool for them. if they would bring in a bunch screwdrivers of various sizes i would just give them a whole new set.

I agree the company SUCKS, after working there and seeing how they operate. i wouldnt buy ALOT of the (or any sears stuff besides clothes) craftsman motorized stuff, drills, etc. There are other manufactures that make such a better product. But for a homeowner Craftsman hand tools are top notch.

Sears is a compnay and a company that is hear to make money. they lost a ton of $$$$ on Craftsman Frameing Hammers and Tape Measures. I expect it was due to the housing boom hear recently so what did they do? Craftsman Framing hammer no longer can be exchanged. if you have one and break it its either get your money back or take the off brand California Framer. Tape Measures. if you have a Yellow one its a one time exchange for a RED one which has no warrinty on it!
 
I second EdWort's recommendation. Academy has a great selection of turkey fryers and other giant pots and burners. I bought my 30qt fryer w/ burner stand for $50, I believe.
 
I contacted Academy through e-mail yesterday about ordering by phone. They gave me the three closest stores to me that will take an order by phone and ship UPS to your door. I would go but the closest store to me is 2 hours and 45 minutes away. I'll pay in shipping what gas would cost for me to travel that far...minus the headache of the drive.

They have the best prices by far on stainless steel turkey fryers that I have seen...even better than deals I have tried to get on Ebay. They have great prices on lots of cool stuff including coolers/mashtuns.

This was the best price I found for a 10 gallon gott cooler so far:
http://www.cspoutdoors.com/10galwatcool.html
http://www.cspoutdoors.com/10galwatcool.html
 
Just to keep up with my Sears issue real quick, I left a review back when I first made this thread on the website and they decided not to post it where other users could reason... hmm, wonder why (<---sarcastic).
 
ive seen bad reviews of products on there site. not sure if they actually post them all or just screen them. most of them where along the lines of." i bought this pushmower and it takes 5 days to cut my 5 acre lot mower is a POS"
 
are you in the military? i always had a problem getting stuff mailed to me from companys with an FPO addrss while overseas

:rockin:
 
seefresh said:
Hmm, I was pretty respectful. I pretty much put the numbered list I used at the beginning of this thread, but in a very respectable vocabulary.

I'm sure they don't put up EVERY review they get. I'm surprised that I've seen as many bad reviews as I have, but I've also been looking at low-end chest freezers and fridges (read: low-margin) so they may be just trying to push people into "better" models by talking down the low-end stuff. In any case, I don't trust the positive reviews on their site one iota, simply because there's no way to know which reviews they are allowing and which are being rejected. Hell, any product you make will have some people who love it and some who hate it, regardless of whether it's good or bad; Sears could, if they chose, simply cherry-pick whichever reviews they wanted to serve their purpose.
 
so they may be just trying to push people into "better" models by talking down the low-end stuff. In any case, I don't trust the positive reviews on their site one iota,

i dont either i was looking at lawnmowers on there site and was thinking the exact same thing while i was reading the reviews! lol most of them looked bias like the store managers where writing the reviews!
 
blefferd said:
are you in the military? i always had a problem getting stuff mailed to me from companys with an FPO addrss while overseas

:rockin:


Yea, my wife is... APO address. Thing that sucks is I've ordered TONS of stuff from the states and its here within 10 days... they ship priority, which is only a couple dollars more than regular (and I pay for it anyway!) and 4-5 weeks less in delivery time.

They should make it easy to see that it will take 6 weeks to get your item. They are definitely being devious by giving you the cheapest shipping and not letting you know a couple dollars more would get it there quicker.
 
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