No wonder Sears is going bye bye
 

Sears is circling the drain and here is a great example of why.

Early last week I ordered a new drill and impact wrench online for store pickup. When I ordered, it said ready for pickup that day. I place the order, using the leftover of a gift card ($8.33) and my credit card.

After about 2 hours of not receiving the pickup email, I did an online chat with them asking what was up. I was informed that even though it said pickup for that day, there was a delay and it wouldn't be until April 7 (9 days later). I said that was a joke so the person said if I could pickup at a different store, it could be ready that day. He said he would cancel the original order and everything would be fine. Well of course, he didnt cancel the order. I pickup up the new order and waited about 2 days to see if the original order cancelled. When It didn't, I chatted again and asked why. They said sorry and would cancel it.

A day later, it still did not say cancelled online and about the time I looked, I get an email stating they need 72 hours to look into the order. No way to reply to the email, I just waited. Finally, today, I get this email...now tell me, is this some sort of new English I'm not aware of???


"Thank you for your order with sears.com!

In regard to Order ######,you have not been charged for credit card and processing refund through shop your way $8.33.you will get the update for gift card.

This gift card should be viewable by your financial institution within in 3 to 5 business days and shop your way 24 to 48 hours. If you have any questions, please contact your financial institution after that period to verify receipt of the credit to your account. Please note, your financial institution may have processing guidelines for posting credits that may impact the time it takes for the credit to be reflected in your balance.

Thank you,
Susan G"

I assume the gift card screwed them up somehow, but I cant figure out what the hell they are talking about regarding the 8.33 and my financial institution?? Also, there is no pending credit on my credit card, and every other time I get a refund, it posts immediately as pending and usually refunds a day or two later. I have a feeling I'll be chatting again.

Liquidate those gift cards ASAP boys!

As a matter of fact, I was in a local Sears yesterday to buy a clamp. There were lots of empty shelves. The employees were fairly upbeat about the situation.

The last time I went in to a Sears was to get a replacement for a socket that broke. It was something real exotic like a 1/2 inch deep socket. They did not even have one. The clerk tried to convince me to leave it there and come back the next day to talk to the manager, yea right. I took my socket with me and kept in in my car for about a year and finally was close to another store and did get it swapped. Lifetime warranty with no easy replacements is about useless.

RIP Sears, I will miss you. Like Montgomery Ward, they had a great tool department back in the day as well.

I don't think Sears computer systems for inventory, purchasing, ordering, etc., have been updated since 1982. Many of these kinds of problems are due to programmers taking shortcuts 40 years ago on systems with limited hardware and capacity. These problems should be solved by now.

Back in the late 90's my dad sent me to Best Buy to buy a specific computer cable he needed right that moment. I bought what I though was the correct cable. While there, I also used a gift card to purchase a CD. So I used a $5 gift card to purchase a $10 CD and a $40 cable, and paid cash for the balance. I brought the cable home and my dad immediately explained that I had the wrong one. He sent me back to the store to return it and to go to a different retailer to buy the right one. I tried to return the cable I had purchased just minutes earlier. It was explained to me that they would put the ENTIRE refund on a new gift card. I explained this was not acceptable--I had to go to a different store to buy the right cable. Besides, it was fundamentally unfair to turn a $5 gift card into a $40 gift card. The belligerent clerk told me there was nothing he could do. I asked to talk to the store manager, he told me that he was the store manager. I said that he needed to correct this oversight in his system. He told me to leave the store or he would call the police.

Chris, you should have gone to another department and asked to speak to the general manager.

I have several gift cards burning a hole in my pocket, I don't like the added thickness to my wallet.

I miss sears and radio shack

Yes, 2 of my "go to" stores in my youth. We still have a Sears but there is not much reason to go there.:(

BYE BYE Sears. Looks like online only soon. I miss Granny's house where I could wipe my ass in the outdoor WC with the old catalog. Won't be able do THAT any more since a paper catalog is NLA.

we still have Radio Shacks around here...not as many as there once was...but some.