Sears sure has changed, for the worse!

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Originally Posted by pro70z28

aaaahhhhhh.......the good ol' dayz'........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH6Zm...eature=related

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I bet AJ doesn't use their floor jacks.:LOL::LOL:

This all sort of reminded me of the one Superbowl commercial that was pretty cool. The one where a guy in a new car is transported back in time to a 1950's gas station and the attendants start checking his oil, cleaning his windshield, pumping his gas, etc. He panics and thinks they are car jacking him because today you have to do all that stuff yourself. :LOL:

Someone mentioned Montgomery Ward. To show you how things have changed, in about 1965 I worked there and the Store Manager had this bright idea to stay open and have a sale on Memorial Day. Up until then NO ONE ever stayed open on those holidays, it was just not done. So he ran an ad in the local paper and the next day he had pickets out front carrying signs protesting. There were Mothers, the local VFW, and lots of others. He had to relent and not open that day for fear he would be lynched. Now even Christmas is just another day for a lot of places. :(

Don

Don,
There is a magical word used in Customer Service circles that will help you get to where you want to go (namely the people who make the decisions)
It is "escalate".
When you speak to a CSR tell him you want to "escalate" your complaint.
He/she will then transfer you to the MMFIC (after they catch their breathe).
A friend of mine told me about this when I was having problems with Vonnage, after days of pulling my hair out.
I called, got the usual knucklehead and said the magic word.
Zoom,, next thing I know I'm talking to the Top Dog...

Wow, now there is a voice from the past! How the heck have you been? Haven't heard from you in a long time. :)

I'll have to try that word. I did tell the one rep that I still wanted to talk to the Regional Manager and she told me once the Store Manager had offered me the 30% off of a new one deal that that was the end of the line and the complaint was closed. I insisted to be moved up to the next level, and she said "Sorry Sir, have a nice day and thank you for shopping at Sears!"

Oh yeah, they will be getting a whole lot of my money in the future! :rolleyes::p

I'll try escalate. Don't be a stranger, Tom.


Don

All that stuff is neat, but it sounds like they've perfected giving you the run around. Here's an alternative.

Call again as it sounds like you intend. When they try to shine you on ask for the email or snail mail address of the person who makes the decisions. Their first attempt will be to stonewall you very likely. Just explain that you don't intend to harass that person, that you just want to copy them on your communication with the Attorney General of Florida (consumer affairs division) because this is a serious safety issue on defective merchandise. One of two things will likely happen. If the rep has any sense you'll immediately be bumped to the right person, or you'll have to send that communique to the Attorney General.........and that will REALLY put you on their "put out the fire" radar (to mix metaphors).

I agree that they should make good on the jack.... But to say it is a safety mater I'm a little slow on getting that. I for one would not work under a car with just a jack holding it up. To me it would be more a nuisance than a safety issue. I hope you get a new jack out of it as that is what should happen

Its definitely a safety issue as you have to reach under the car to put in or take out a jack stand

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Originally Posted by cffisher

I agree that they should make good on the jack.... But to say it is a safety mater I'm a little slow on getting that. I for one would not work under a car with just a jack holding it up. To me it would be more a nuisance than a safety issue. I hope you get a new jack out of it as that is what should happen

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It is common practice to raise a car on a floor jack, remove a wheel, say to repair a flat without using a jack stand. I would consider a floor jack that leaks down on its own to be a safety issue, as well as a big nuisance. Sears is wrong.

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Originally Posted by cffisher

I agree that they should make good on the jack.... But to say it is a safety mater I'm a little slow on getting that. I for one would not work under a car with just a jack holding it up. To me it would be more a nuisance than a safety issue. I hope you get a new jack out of it as that is what should happen

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True enough to a point, but both Jerry and Roger make good points as well. Where I'm coming from is we've moved to the point where it's necessary to use the tools at hand to get the attention of whomever it is that can make the most favorable decision. There's an expectation of reasonable performance whenever we buy something. If the product dosen't live up to a reasonable expectation then one or the other party needs to accept the outcome.

My suggestion is designed to make ignoring Pops a bigger problem than the alternative, and certain phrasing is more effective at conveying that.

there only out would be if it was overloaded---

I personally have 2 Napa quick lift jacks that will pump up to the load in only a couple of strokes and then they are 3 1/2 ton units

I personally will never (never say never) put myself under a car with just a jack holding it. I used to but quite a few years ago an acquaintance of mine was in his yard working on a trailer with just a jack under the axle when the jack popped out from under. They figure he was under the trailer for about an hour before the wife came out to call him for dinner. It was too late.:CRY: You would think I would have learned that lesson before that accident. I was changing a front tire on a 55 Studie one afternoon with just a bumper jack, I got the old wheel and tire off and was sitting on the ground with my legs under the car putting the spare on when the jack popped off the bumper. I had just gotten the wheel on and had taken one turn on first the lug nut when it popped off. That was one of my many lucky days.:eek::HMMM::) Any way, never again.:3dSMILE:

Jack.

I agree totally with not using just a jack to hold up a car, that is pure suicide. I either use ramps under the tires or jackstands, or sometimes a combination of both. The thing I did like about this jack from Sears is that it is low enough to go under the 4 inch dropped axles on our hot rods. None of the other jacks we have will. So what we do now is use the Sears to get it high enough to put one of the other jacks under there and use it or both to raise it up.

The secondary problem with this Sears jack is that it is wobbly when up high. I had my Crown Vic up on it one day and it was leaning slightly to one side. I could take the car and push it back and forth a few inches and the jack would lean from one side to the other.

Oh, there is one other problem with it. The rear wheel is actually a roller about 6 inches long. The jack will roll forward and the wheel spins ok, but when you back it under a car the roller locks up and slides. What that does is it prevents the jack from rolling back as the car goes up to keep the swivel plate firmly under the frame or axle. You have to keep watching the plate on the frame to make sure it isn't working it's way off of it.

The jack is just junk, period.

Don

Many years ago (about 30) when I had the shop out in Iowa, I walked in one day I found my hired man under a Caddy with a floor jack under the front cross member & nothing else. :CRY::eek::mad::confused:
He and I had a discussion and he never did that again. As far as I know he's still alive to this very day......by no fault of his own. :whacked:

Bad thing is that a lot of the Snap-on tools are made in China too these days. Might as well use the Harbor Freight stuff.

Wow Don what a hassle. When I was 16 years old I got the Craftsman 100 pc tool set from my Mom, as did all my brothers at the same age. We all bought our first cars, and had to fix them ourselves. I still have that set as my main tool set, most everything still works flawless with the exception of one of my 1/4 drive wrachets and a 3/8 inch drive wratchet, but I have two of each, so, I just don't use the ones that slip.
I remember my first battery was a diehard. We all knew they lasted the longest and everybody seems to go to Sears to buy them. Then Sears got in big trouble thru their service center for over charging for repairs. It seem that since that had happened they have steadily gone down hill to where they are at today. Two power tools I have are a belt sander, which works, but not well, and an old router I used at work which was a POS. Most of my power tools are brand specific to who makes a high end reliable one(Milwakee sawsall), Makita cordless drill, Skill wormdrive circular saw, Delta table saw, etc. But I think what is truely the down fall of a good quality tool is we the consumer. I will go to HF in a minute to save a 100 bucks on a tool I rarely use, but can't get by without. Most people do. As a result, USA made stuff is outsourced to China to compete with stores like HF. I imagine even Snapon has to cheapen their product to get people to buy it. It's sad that integrity and quality no longer go with American companies like Sears.
Don I was wondering if your son bought it with a crdit card. If he did he can get a copy of the reciept from them. It still upsets me that an unsafe tool still under warrenty, and they don't have the common sense to replace or refund it to you. At the very least give you an instore credit for something of equal value. I agree with Bob(I can't believe I'm saying that:LOL:) It is time to Escalate, and it is a safety issue, you know some dumb kid, with a lowrider is going to buy this same jack, crawl under his car and get crushed! It's not acceptable to make a jack that doesn't stay up when used in the proper fashion. I like the attourney general/email idea. It's time to make them squirm!

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Originally Posted by Corvette64

Bad thing is that a lot of the Snap-on tools are made in China too these days. Might as well use the Harbor Freight stuff.

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Snap-On made in China???? Guess I haven't seen that on any of the tools with the Snap-On name on them... Maybe some of the odd ball other stuff in the truck, but the hand tools are still made in the good old USA....

High School buddy of mine works at Snap-On [Tool Box plant]. Still going strong the last time I talked to him.

China has been buying a lot of US property, maybe the bought Wisconsin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

China has been buying a lot of US property, maybe the bought Wisconsin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale:whacked:

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Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale:whacked:

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Hmmmm. I heard they had to throw in DC and the US Senate to get them to buy Wisconsin!!!!:eek:

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Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale:whacked:

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Amen :eek:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hmmmm. I heard they had to throw in DC and the US Senate to get them to buy Wisconsin!!!!:eek:

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YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon:whacked: what and white wash :eek::eek:

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Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon:whacked: what and white wash :eek::eek:

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Thanks for the tip, Pat!!!!! Gonna do some investing in air fresheners, hip boots, and white wash firstest thing Monday!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Thanks for the tip, Pat!!!!! Gonna do some investing in air fresheners, hip boots, and white wash firstest thing Monday!!!!!

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the hip boot stock is hard to get in on and turn a nice buck... for.. so many years . many.. have jump at that deal.:eek: you know i like to pass.. The hot stock deals to friends:D we will get in on the ground floor and watch it go to the moon:whacked:

I have a '98 model year Craftsmen 16hp/42" cut hydrostatic drive lawn tractor. maintained good.. last few years it's really been breaking down bad, and finally it has carb issues that. I'm just not going to deal with.. all 4 tires also leak, and 1 year ago, I put in a new front axle, front wheels were done 2 years ago because the bushings wore out.. could buy a new machine with what is going wrong

Last year I saw an old garden tractor on the side of the road so I stopped and looked at it.. and it was a 1968 Sears Suburban 12 for $250, had a 42" deck and it said runs good. and upon checking the oil and hearing it run ( started within 3 cranks ), bought it pretty much on the spot... sharpened the blades, cut it one mowing, and a spindle bearing became loose and threw the belt.. I got the original manuals with the tractor, and the sears p/n on the bearings don't cross to anything so I would have to remove the bearing to get the numbers and match it up.. just for giggles, I called sears parts direct.. gave them the P/N, and they actually listed them.. so I got 1 ( $20 ), and then matched it up with 2 more ( $5/ each from Napa ) for the other 2 blade spindles... tires are original Sears branded ( not weather checked ), and probably the original 1968 air because they do not leak

Matt those old craftsman tractors have quite a following! People collect them out here.

They do around here too.. people stop and want to buy it when I'm mowing.... somthing that never happened with the '98 craftsmen.. actually my neighbors asked me 1 day when I was going to put a new muffler on it ( rusted out/ $150 for a new 1 ), and to be nice, I did weld a 1/2" elbow onto the remaining head pipe, and threadded on 2 8hp mufflers with a Tee fiting cost $20 plus time.... the Suburban 12 muffler is about $12 to replace, but currently doesn't need it

Don I just got a Harbor Freight email with a low profile jack on sale and they have another one on the web for sale Thursday only, here are the links:
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-l...ack-67022.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...ack-92782.html
the second one has a coupon offer for 129.99 good thru 2/19/11 if you need the coupon I can forward the email to you, just PM me. (not bad for a 4ton aluminum low profile!)
even better here is the ad!
http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wsw...5&keycode=0000

Don, bite the bullet, buy ANOTHER identical jack from Sears. Take the broken jack, swap it in the box, then use that new receipt to return the broken one. You don't get your money back, but at least you get a working jack out of the ordeal. But...who knows how long the new one will work for.

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Originally Posted by Gusaroo

Don, bite the bullet, buy ANOTHER identical jack from Sears. Take the broken jack, swap it in the box, then use that new receipt to return the broken one. You don't get your money back, but at least you get a working jack out of the ordeal. But...who knows how long the new one will work for.

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Ahhhhhhh, I like your thinking. I could take it back with the receipt and say I just didn't like it and I want my money back. If I pay in cash and have the receipt I would get cash back immediately.:D

More than one way to skin a cat! :cool:

Don

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Ahhhhhhh, I like your thinking. I could take it back with the receipt and say I just didn't like it and I want my money back. If I pay in cash and have the receipt I would get cash back immediately.:D

More than one way to skin a cat! :cool:

Don

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As long as "they" don't recognize you as trying to return one earlier!:HMMM:

I went into Sears last week while I was at our local mall. I wanted to pick up an inexpensive welding helmet. I looked all over their tool department finding nothing. I finally found an employee and he claimed they stopped carrying any and all welding supplies a while ago.:mad:

I also recently took back a 1/4 inch rachet that stripped internally for replacement. They reached under the counter and had a whole box of "reconditioned" rachets. You don't even get a new rachet when yours breaks??:mad:

How about a tool so crappy you have to keep a whole box of them under the counter?? I think I will be shopping at Lowes and purchasing Kobalt tools from here on out.:)

Don Jr.

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Originally Posted by Mr Blue

I also recently took back a 1/4 inch rachet that stripped internally for replacement. They reached under the counter and had a whole box of "reconditioned" rachets. You don't even get a new rachet when yours breaks??:mad:.

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Same thing happened to me... That's the end of my business with Sears! :eek: Not that I did a lot with them but I was a loyal customer for a few decades! **):(

Back on the Farm we used there cataloque for toilet paper

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Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Back on the Farm we used there cataloque for toilet paper

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My grandmother would have shot you, besides that thing was too heavy to carry to the outhouse.:D:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I also recently took back a 1/4 inch rachet that stripped internally for replacement. They reached under the counter and had a whole box of "reconditioned" rachets. You don't even get a new rachet when yours breaks??:

Don Jr.[/QUOTE] well snap on will not give you a new rachet .you can get one with a R stamp on it if the chrome falls off is the only way . but for the price of a snapy you could buy 7 sears rachets they work fine you just can not use that cheater bar on them you have :eek: did you pick that up from your dad:3dSMILE: them small rachets they will puke there guts out any bolt past 5/16 less in body metal you use a 3/8.but i had mac s. snap ons . sears and i busted them all on rusty body bolts/nuts and knew i was pushing it . i was snaping off the ends of snap on screw driver at the boat yard putting in Pachanga windsheilds.warranty. you know the two pc windshields as the one pc could blow up in your face i did 3 windsheilds a day .i ask snap on guy .. if his screw drivers were good? well.. they are the best.. drive tips yes no way you are going to snap the end off .. Oh really :3dSMILE: handed 3 with no ends on them.. what hell are you doing with them ?driving screws in by hand no way in hell ... then i said watch this busted the end off the one i was usings and handed one more to fix:3dSMILE:

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Originally Posted by 34_40

As long as "they" don't recognize you as trying to return one earlier!:HMMM:

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I think that might be a problem. I made a "little" fuss, not quite to the point of them calling security on me, but I wasn't exactly quiet either. :o:LOL:

Don

Now that the Chinese are becoming more affluent corporations will be looking for cheaper labor,wait till we see "Made in Haiti" on our tools and parts.That would be scary.

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Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon:whacked: what and white wash :eek::eek:

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Just now got my breath back from laughing so hard at this post :whacked: .
Thanks for that, Pat. :LOL:

Heres a link to one of those giant online places where you can get just about anything including typical car stuff like a car battery.

All this talk about Sears had me feeling somewhat nostalgic for the old days, so I bought a 1959 Sears catalog on Ebay. I thought it would be neat to see some of the old ads from when I was 14 years old and making lists of all the car parts I wanted to order...........but with a dollar a week allowance they might as well have been a million bucks.:(

Here are some pictures I took of some of the items from that catalog. Sorry for the poor picture quality.:o

Don