[John 070]

I don't know if this is Groundhog Day or what. I took the free Channellocks and jewelers screwdrivers to get rid of the $30 in points. It seemed like it was mission accomplished, because it only had 2 cents left when I was done (earned by the free order?), and I had to pay $1.49 for the order. I decided to check it after lunch (I couldn't resist), and now 10,000 points were added, worth $10, expiring 8/4! Do you think the FBI or someone is messing with me, seeing if I will take free stuff or not? This is utterly ridiculous....

[iEuropa]

Originally Posted by John 070

I don't know if this is Groundhog Day or what. I took the free Channellocks and jewelers screwdrivers to get rid of the $30 in points. It seemed like it was mission accomplished, because it only had 2 cents left when I was done (earned by the free order?), and I had to pay $1.49 for the order. I decided to check it after lunch (I couldn't resist), and now 10,000 points were added, worth $10, expiring 8/4! Do you think the FBI or someone is messing with me, seeing if I will take free stuff or not? This is utterly ridiculous....

I much have to check out Sears if they're GIVING away tools haha. I was in the one in my mall last week to get a right angle tool for getting kidney grilles out. I was the only one in the store. Hell I was the only one in the mall!

[nholmes]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Back in my armored Cav days if you went stateside on leave, you had to bring back all the busted 15/16ths sockets and get them exchanged at Sears for new ones. Lifetime Warranty on Craftsman sockets. The 15/16ths were what we used to change track pads on the tanks and PCs. We'd bust them like crazy.

So now we know why they're going out of business?

[upstatedoc]

Heading over to Sears to get a refrigerator filter. Do they have office chairs?

Edit: no office furniture in the store, and they certainly didn't give me any break on those goddamn refrigerator filters

[dzvero]

Last time I ordered a set of sockets from Sears online for like $30 on sale, got free delivery cuz some type of membership. Paid with gift card I had . Decided I dont want them and returned them in store. After the refund I ended up with $10 more in my account . The person told me the price is different thats why Im getting more money....

[John 070]

old post, but I recently got a slow cooker for $5.69 including 7% sales tax. Walmart carries the exact same item for $26. My buddy said all kidding aside, this is why Sears is unsustainable. Seriously, Walmart knows what they're doing, as does amazon, so the $5.69 was obtained by it being on sale for $9.99, and I had a get $5 off when you spend $5. No lie.

Yesterday I heard they had the names Craftsman, Kenmore, and DieHard up for sale.

I wouldn't shed a tear for Macy's, but seriously, too bad Sears is going down. Not everything is better at amazon--prices are high. What they offer to me is fast delivery, but prices are pretty bad imho.

[Fundguy1]

Amazon and others are killing sears etc. Sears has craftsman tools which helps but the rest is falling apart. It used to be a great place when I was a kid in the 70s. All downhill since then.

[David70]

Sears is very close to bankruptcy. Still closing stores, just sold Craftsman to Stanley for what may be $1 billion, still has Diehard and Kenmore to sell, already sold off LL Bean and Sears Canadian operations. While on the surface it looked like a really bad investment when it was purchased, I believe the hedge fund that bought it over 10 years ago had the plan of slowly letting it die and selling off all of the brands and properties and profiting nicely.

Sometimes an investor will look at a doomed business and invest anyway based on all of their assets, run it until it drops, sell off the assets and walk away. I think Buffett originally invested in sock plants not because he wanted sock plants but instead realized the assets were worth more what the business would cost him.

[omasou]

What's really sad is Sears was Amazon.com way before the Internet existed.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Amazon and others are killing sears etc. Sears has craftsman tools which helps but the rest is falling apart. It used to be a great place when I was a kid in the 70s. All downhill since then.

Sears just sold Craftsman for $900m.

[Bluewater328iT]

I used Sears all the time until they installed two Carrier furnaces and humidifiers with a 7 year warranty. First issue was they sent inexperienced people in for the installation, but seem to get them in OK. Then, after servicing both units for 2 years, they claimed I bought one service contract. I argued with them about why anyone would do that, but they held their ground.

So for a couple of years I had them service one unit one year and the other unit the next. Then they decided the warranty applied to the downstairs unit, which is not what I would have chosen since that unit is only used about 4 months a year. That is when I had to start using an independent to service the other unit and discovered the humidifiers were installed incorrectly and never worked at all. They needed a complete reinstall of the wiring to get them to work, which Sears denied was needed and if it was, the installation was out of warranty anyway.

I put up with Sears until the 7 years expired and have not bought anywhere near what I used to buy with them, maybe a battery and a few tools and zero home improvements. When they threw away their good customer service, that is when they starting going out of business.

[gtron]

I'll be watching Sears closely as it's almost time for more tools and appliances. Imagine the deals if they file. :shockface:

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Sears just sold Craftsman for $900m.

Oh joy. Its black and decker now.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Amazon and others are killing sears etc. Sears has craftsman tools which helps but the rest is falling apart. It used to be a great place when I was a kid in the 70s. All downhill since then.

When I first got my house in 2002, you bet I rushed down to Sears and picked up a Kenmore Elite fridge, which was really a Maytag. It didn't work believe it or not upon delivery--but I remember this. I drove right down to Sears to straighten it out, and a nice clerk said you didn't have to come down here in person, you could have just called. We'll get this exchanged, will you be available tomorrow from 8-12? And they did.

Now flash forward 2 years to 2004--got a brand new stove and dishwasher from that orange colored home center store. The stove was dented upon delivery on a Sat. afternoon. Went to the store on Sun. morning, nobody could help me, said to talk to the manager on Monday. Then, on Monday, the manager told me you should have refused delivery, there is nothing we can do. Call Maytag. Not joking. I give this example to contrast the customer service Sears offered, vs. that orange home center store. By the way, I called the CEO in Atlanta (obviously that jerk who ruined Chrysler as well, and got 57 mil. when he was fired from this orange place), and someone in his office said no worries we'll get this straightened out. They gave me 20% off both items (stupid I insisted nothing is wrong with the dishwasher but I'll take the extra $160) and had Maytag come out and change the panels.

To this very day--order something from Sears, get an email in about 25 min. the item is ready for pickup, show up, and it's in your hands in < 4 min. or so. Then, add the stupid discounts that keep coming in through email. I really don't want them to disappear...

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Oh joy. Its black and decker now.

Yeah I can't afford to have all Snap On but I have all their ratchets (multiple 1/2, 3/8, 1/4). I use Craftsman sockets which even made in China are fine. CDI torque wrench. S*K sae full polish wrenches, Craftsman full polish China made metrics....

Craftsman has not been made in USA since 2010...I have a mechanics tool set that probably cost me $40 back in 2004 (the tag is on it I could check), and it is my goto for many things around the house....it says MADE IN USA all over the labels on the plastic case....

If they did turn around, I'd be all for it...

[UPSROD]

Obviously I am probably screwed on the Craftsman lifetime warrantee on the tools, I also have Sears Elite appliances and a water softener and garage door opener with no future parts available.

[MightyMouseTech]

Have you been in a Sears recently? They should have closed up shop years ago.

[Axius]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Have you been in a Sears recently? They should have closed up shop years ago.

Have you stepped inside a Kmart? They closed those shops a long time ago, the people that still work or shop there are just in denial.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Axius

Have you stepped inside a Kmart? They closed those shops a long time ago, the people that still work or shop there are just in denial.

Well, no actually, K-Mart (and Target for that matter) no longer exists in Canada.

[Axius]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Well, no actually, K-Mart (and Target for that matter) no longer exists in Canada.

It is literally a time capsule. From the decaying tile floors to the decaying entities known as customers. Pretty sure I witnessed two heart attacks, and three old ladies asking where they were or how they got there.

[davis449]

I have never had an issue with Sears. I bought a washer and dryer from them about 5 or 6 years ago. Killer deal on Maytag washer and awesome Kenmore (LG) dryer. My GF puts them to work like you wouldn't believe and they run perfect. I never have an issue with their Cust. Svc.

Got a large Craftsman toolbox for Christmas (like, it came on a pallet) my GF ordered online through a 3rd party from Sears on special. I go down to Sears (the one here in the city that old as fuck), punch in the order # on a computer, a timer starts on the monitor with my name next to it in the waiting area, and 2 mins. later a guy comes out the door with it on a hand truck. NEVER seen that kind of efficiency ANYWHERE I've bought large items.

Sears' largest problem has been well documented. They didn't adapt to the times and failed to focus their offerings where they had the most strength. Even when things were looking dire back in the 00's, I believe, they could've turned things around by ditching all the other B.S they sell (clothing, etc.) and becoming just a hardware\appliance store. Hell, I think they could've even kept the electronics and worked to, by now, be a direct competitor to Best Buy.

Oh yeah, and as another poster said: Black & Decker, great...

[David70]

Originally Posted by davis449

Oh yeah, and as another poster said: Black & Decker, great...

Stanley Black and Decker brands -

DeWalt
Guoqiang (GQ) Tools (China)
Porter-Cable
Oldham Saw Company
Black & Decker
Stanley Hand Tools
Craftsman

I don't see anything wrong with Craftsman being part of this group, seems to fit in well. Probably none of this is the best made but all of it is acceptable for 95% of the population.