Sears Strikes Out Again.........

[sweensdv]

I just now received an email from Sears telling me that a part I had ordered from them for my lawn tractor had shipped. That was nice of them and I appreciated the heads up. However, their email telling me that the part had shipped arrived 2½ hours after UPS delivered the part! Oh, and the shipping cost was 40% higher than the cost of the part.

[cwsmith]

I used to go to Sears first, for any part that I thought they could supply. But they have been a bit disappointing in the past year or so.

I needed a belt set for my BT last year and after some checking and comparison, and even a couple of phone calls to Sears for clarification I placed my order to them.

They were the cheapest, had them in stock, and their shipping time was quicker...... NOT!

Two weeks later I still didn't have the belts, I called and they said they had them on back order. I attempted to cancel, and they told me that I couldn't, because apparently it isn't something they stock and "my order" was referred to the supplier, which in turn was processing it, and therefore was beyond the control of Sears... which apparently does nothing but handle the paperwork and the bill.

I placed an order to another supplier and got that within three days, but was also told that the "belts" were ordered individually, something that Sears told me was a "set". So, when my Sears order finally arrived a full week after that I found it to be only a single belt. The shipping for that was also higher than originally stated.

After several phone calls, I was able to get my shipping cost refunded, but was stuck with the bill on a very late arrival of a single belt. My fault I suppose about the interpretation of "1", but that is why I called them originally for clarification.

In any case, "Sears", as a parts supplier, has lost a bit of luster in my book.

CWS

[Pappy]

For the most part i have found them to be higher than other places I could find on most parts. And that doesn't count the shipping.

[T...K21]

So where do you suggest to order replacement belts?

[Cochese]

I have a similar experience re email with Papa Johns. Always telling me they received the order and when to expect it to be ready after I went and picked it up.

[Kristofor]

Not a particular fan, but the advantage of Sears parts for me is that they are open at least some of the time when I'm off work.

Most of the other local parts places (reasonably) seem to cater to tradesmen who would be able to swing by during the day, but that doesn't work for me as my "fixing stuff" windows tend to be at night or on the weekend...

Weekend access to a $25 part that may be available elsewhere (during a weekday) for $20, but which avoids paying $250 for a visit from the repairman still feels like a good deal.

[Skaning]

Lets face it, the day that K mart bought Sears, whatever reputation Sears still had was in jeopardy and some nine or 10 years later its almost all gone.

[greenacres2]

Back in January when Sears had the close-out deal on Kreg screws, i ordered some screws, hinges and a few drill bits (at like $0.30 each). Order went through fine, then 4 days later i got an e-mail thanking me for cancelling. Since i hadn't cancelled, i replied and was told that they cancelled all of the items since they were out of stock. Okay, i can see that the computer didn't keep up with demand. Then, each Wednesday since the middle of March, we've gotten 7 recorded messages on our answering machine to say that the order was ready to pick up. The first time, i was headed that way anyway so i stopped--yep, the computer says they're at the store--nope, they're not. Since then, i just make a call. Stopped in last week, and the inventory manager is amazed that the calls are still coming--stuff is long sold-out!!

Bizarre way to run a business.

earl

[sweensdv]

Kristofor, you're fortunate if your local Sears still carries parts. We used to have a Sears Service Center here that carried a very good parts inventory but it closed years ago. Ever since then most any part has to be ordered and shipped to my house as they won't send parts to the local Sears store. My lawn tractor is the last Sears product that I own that I still need parts for. When it dies I will finally be totally Sears product free and will never have to darken their door again.

[Eagan]

I remember reading that the Sears CEO told stockholders that you wouldn't recognize Sears in 10 years.

I have to believe that he's right. One boarded up closed building looks a lot like another.

I'm guessing that he wants to be an internet only store, much like Wards. (Hey! They ARE still in business) http://www.wards.com/?source=c001&co...FQTrKgodIiI8YQ

[Denco]

Well, speaking of closed up Sears stores, the Sears in my town closed their doors this month. The sad thing is.......yesterday, my wife just got a gift card from her sister for her birthday from.....you guessed it......SEARS.

My wife laughed. She said she could use it at K-Mart.

[cwsmith]

My FIL (bless him), was the hardware dept manager at the local Sears store. Man, that guy knew tools inside and out. My wife often remarked about me liking her father so much that it was the reason I married her.

He was, in his time, an almost constant annual award winner with a dept that outsold most of the larger cities in the region and for a couple of years he had the best selling hardware dept this side of Chicago.

But that was a time when he pressed product knowledge on all his people, would spend many "days-off" going to a customer's home to show them how to use the tools they bought from him. On a few occasions he'd even invite me along.

I recall him lamenting, fairly close to retirement, how he couldn't wait to leave because Sears had so changed it's policy and management structure. I think he mentioned their "21st Century" marketing, in which they stopped empathizing product knowledge and training for the sales people, in favor of putting more information on the packaging. That's about the time they changed the color scheme and started crowding the higher shelving and also did away with loose hardware stock.

After Jack retired, he wouldn't even visit the store, as I think it broke his heart to see everything in such disarray and all too often empty bins and product locations.

Today you walk into either of the two Sears stores that I know and it's pretty pathetic, as no one has a clue as to what they are selling. They're nice enough and know where the stuff is located, but they have to refer you to the writing on the package for any questions about it.

CWS

[Brian G]

So where do you suggest to order replacement belts?

I have had excellent success with ordering BT3100 and WDS1600 (drum sander) replacement parts from M and D Mower.

A direct link to the part search for Ryobi replacements is:

http://www.m-and-d.com/ryobi_tools.html?id=I8MkMKGR

One thing I've learned about their system is that if a part number has a hyphen in it (e.g., 662329-001 for the belts), drop the hyphen in the search box and make it all one number.

As I recall they have a minimum but reasonable shipping charge, and if your order is less than the shipping charge you'll be prompted with something like, "Is there anything else you might need?" Then it's a good time to order little things like a spare arbor nut, spare pivot pins for the SMT fence, or an arbor washer.

[LCHIEN]

speaking of sears sillies,
today I went by the store to pick up an item, it was not on sale. I said do you match the web pricing, its 10% off there. THey said no, that's a online only special. I said I can order it online get the sale price and and get free store delivery and pickup but I'd have to make another trip. THey said just order it we have a web browser here and you can pcik it up now. Well, that did work but it was a lot more trouble as I had to get on their browser and enter my name and address and credit card and pay - and then wait a few seconds for it to show up on their printer. I already had the item in my hand. Why didn't they just match the online price???

[cwsmith]

Years ago (maybe a couple decades), Sears decided that "catalog" and "store" was two separate entities to their business. I quite imagine that "catalog" is now "internet", but still a totally separate operation from a sales and accounting point of view. And YES, it is a hassle and frankly a very stupid one from a customer's point of view... and one very much agree upon by most Sears employees.

The thing that turned me off from shopping at Sears was that they are so stifled in thier procedures. Years ago I went in to buy a lawn shed. I'd looked at the display model several times and when the "sale" sign went up, we decided it would now fit the budget. I went to the store, money in hand and inquired about it, only to be met with this, "Oh, it's NOT that ONE!... the sale is on model 12345, like I was suppose to know the difference! I pointed out that the sign was on the display and was left with a very terse "Tough".

I then went to the local building company and there was a similar display, same markings, just a different color. I opened the display door and there inside was a "sale" sign. On inquiry to the lumber desk, the guy didn't know what I was talking about, but had me follow him out to the display that I was referring to... and upon showing him, the guy said the sale ended the week before. "Okay", I said, "So what is it now?" "Well you found the sign, so that's YOUR price", plain and simple. I told the guy that it was okay, but he insisted.

And that is the difference between just being in business, as Sears is still managing, and wanting to be in business as most local establishments strive to be. Today, Sears is failing on so many levels and yet it can't manage to get out of its own way. Sort of like a dinosour, with a huge body and a brain that is so small that it doesn't know it just lost a piece of it's tail.

With rare exception, I don't go there,

CWS