It's to bad that you have had such a bad experience with Sears and
Craftsman tools. I have been using them for over 40 years and have
returned tools for replacement on the West Coast, Gulf Coast, and the
Midwest and I have never had a problem with them questioning the guarantee.
I have even had them break apart sets to get a particular wrench that they
didn't have as a separate item. They have also replaced screwdrivers that
were obviously used as prybars and not question the abuse. Perhaps, it has
a lot to do with the attitude that ones goes in with that affects the way
the sales persons react. Just my experience and $.02 worth.
Jim V.
At 01:26 AM 6/23/99 Wednesday -0600, Michael D. Porter wrote:
>
>
>
>Bob Hamilton wrote:
>>
>> Aaron,
>>
>> I personally have no complaints about Craftsman tools - used them
>for years.
>
>One of my complaints is that every time I have walked into a Sears store
>in the last twenty years with a broken Craftsman tool in my hand, I got
>an argument. First, the clerk would tell me it was not warranted (and,
>knowing their routine) would say, "it's not a Sears tool, it's a
>Craftsman tool. It has a lifetime guarantee." Then, they would say,
>"but, it's been abused. We don't warrant abuse." I would say, "how can
>you tell it's abuse?" And the simple-minded clerk would say, "well, it's
>broken. That's abuse."
>
>Those companies who sell tools to tradesman who know tools, companies
>who sell tools to them with a lifetime guarantee, don't try that
>routine. Likely, some Sears branches are better than others with regard
>to returns, but having experienced the same line from three different
>stores in three different geographical locales at three different times,
>I conclude that experience of mine to reflect company policy. I don't
>bother with them any longer with respect to hand tools.
>
>And, yeah, I bought an air compressor from them six years ago, one with
>the oil-less compressor pump built into the rear of the motor, and it
>destroyed itself after forty hours of occasional use, one week after the
>warranty expired. I bought the necessary replacement parts at my own
>expense ($75), repaired the compressor, and it failed again,
>catastophically, ten hours later. A twelve-year-old could look at the
>connecting rod and the cylinder-to-connecting rod geometry, and know it
>was a deficient design.
>
>Screw `em. Sears, frankly, is full of bean counters these days. They
>don't know tools, and can't provide a tool which will last a lifetime
>because they are too busy trimming pennies. And, the price of the
>Craftsman line of tools (presumably guaranteed for life) is no bargain.
>And, don't bother trying to find repair parts for twenty-year-old
>Craftsman tools... they typically don't exist.
>
>Cheers.
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