So Mad at Sears I could spit fire

[TN Hockey Mom]

I've been paying over $300 per year since 2003 for a "Master Protection Agreement" from Sears. We've never used it until today. I called them last week because my dryer was making a noise, my ice maker will only shoot out crushed ice, the words are coming off of the front of my washer & dryer and I have a broken shelf in the refrigerator. I explained everything to the rep on the phone and she scheduled a repair visit per my "agreement."

The technician comes today and fixes the ice maker and does something to the dryer (not sure exactly what). However, he can't do anything about the words rubbing off the washer & dryer and he can't do anything about the broken refrigerator shelf. He called in to explain the problems and was told not to fix them because they are considered cosmetic. I politely explained to him that I didn't consider it cosmetic when it effects the function of the appliance.

I have no idea what setting I'm putting the washer or dryer on when doing laundry. I obviously can't put anything on the shelf in the refrigerator because it's broken. I would think cosmetic would only apply to scratches or dents.

The technician was really nice about it. In fact, he told me he had argued with them over the phone about it and suggested I do the same.

I called Sears while the tech was still at my house and was told the same thing. They said they would gladly schedule another appointment for a technician to come evaluate it. I told them I still had a technician at my house who agreed with me! I was then told the only other option was to call Monday and speak to a surpervisor. I told her I had other options as well....I will be calling Monday to speak with a supervisor, I will save my $300 per year from now on, and I will be letting a few thousand people know of my experience with their so called "Master Protection Agreement."

$300 per year x 7 years could have been a new washer and possibly a new dryer.

Would you consider not knowing what setting you're doing your laundry on and/or not being able to use a shelf in your refrigerator to be cosmetic problems???? Again, I think this would be a function problem.

Sorry so long but I had to vent!

Long story short....don't waste your money on a "Master Protection Agreement" from Sears!!!

 

[ChristmasElf]

$300 a year seems really high for a Protection Agreement.

As far as the refrigerator shelf, Sears has stores that carry all kinds of parts for appliances. You will need the make and model number of the part you need (you might want to take the broken shelf in with you to compare) and for most parts, they have them right in stock for you to take with you.

As far as the washer goes, I guess I would just mark the settings I use the most with a permanent sharpie marker or that dynomaker tape maker thingie you can buy at Staples or Office Depots.

 

[msmayor]

Words 'rubbing off' is indeed a cosmetic problem. The washer still works...its still functional.

Same with the fridge. It still works...its still keeps fold properly cold. It functions as it is intended. You don't need shelves to keep food cold.

Realize that these type of agreements are to assist in the event of a REPAIR of the functionality of the appliance.

If you didn't have the agreement, would you call a repairman to fix the words on your washer? No...you could probably call the manufacturer, explain the problem and see if they can send you a new decal.

Would you call a repairman to replace a broken shelf? No, you just look on the internet and order a new one.

 

[beck0321]

I agree about the lettering. I mean what do they want you to take a sharpie to it or something?!
$300/yr is a lot though! The few times I've had to have someone come out to fix the washer or dryer, it never cost me more than $300 (actually each time was about $300). And what are the chances of that happening more than once a year really? (Although, not sure of the terms of your agreement, like if they would replace it or something that would be different).
I have heard the Sears thing is a rip off, but I have never purchased it or had to deal with them about that before. I do purchase my appliances from Sears though.

 

[beck0321]

Words 'rubbing off' is indeed a cosmetic problem. The washer still works...its still functional.

Same with the fridge. It still works...its still keeps fold properly cold. It functions as it is intended. You don't need shelves to keep food cold.

Realize that these type of agreements are to assist in the event of a REPAIR of the functionality of the appliance.

If you didn't have the agreement, would you call a repairman to fix the words on your washer? No...you could probably call the manufacturer, explain the problem and see if they can send you a new decal.

Would you call a repairman to replace a broken shelf? No, you just look on the internet and order a new one.

This is a good point! OP, maybe you should call the manufacturer of the dryer and ask if they could send you something like that. They probably would I would think. As for the fridge shelf, I wouldn't imagine that could cost TOO much if you do have to pay to replace it.
I think I would have to drop that protection agreement thing though, because it seems they have taken you to the cleaners in that regard!

 

[laurie31]

Regardless of whether they decide to replace your words and shelf, I would stop paying them $300/year. For $2100, you could buy a really nice HE washer and dryer set. If you wanted to go towerds the lower end, you could get a washer, dryer, refrigerator, and a dishwasher for that much money!

 

[everylastbreath]

I stop getting those "protection plans" a long time ago, it's never worth it, in a couple of years you have paid for the appliance, so I figured if the appliance lasts a reasonable amount of time, I will just replace it. Also had a really bad experience w/Sears (a few actually) where I paid for the protection plan, never used it (it was on a microwave, when they first came out and were super expensive) after about 5/7 years of paying for it, I finally call because the microwave isn't working, well don't you know it, the repairman comes and sure enough They Don't MAKE parts for this model anymore, well I figure they should then replace the microwave, NOPE, they refund my last year of "protection plan"!!!!! Now, who knows how many years the thing was unfixable, but they give me one year back! Since then I never bought another service contract!

Save your money, buy a new appliance...

 

[RitaZ.]

I don't like Sears; never have.

My neighbor cancelled their protection plan two months ago when her refrigerator (2 years old) quit working. She came home to find water all over the kitchen floor. When she called Sears, they told her that the earliest appointment was a week from that day. She asked them how she was supposed to store their food until the appointment. They understood her plight, but couldn't do anything to help her. She cancelled her plan with them and called a local company that came out right away to fix the problem.

Refrigerator parts can be costly to replace. I purchased a new crisper drawer (one we had was cracked) that cost me $68. I have purchased parts from Repair Clinic and they were great to do business with. The first drawer arrived cracked and they sent me another one right away. I hope Sears comes through for you. If not, give Repairclinic a try.

 

[beaucoup]

$300 every year sounds much to high. WOW! Usually its $300 PERIOD. Once.
When buying those plans, you really need to weigh the cost of the item against the cost of just buying a new one.
I would never have bought a plan for $300 for every year.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I would have to agree that words coming off and shelving would indeed by cosmetic. Both appliances still function properly. Is it inconvenient? Definitely! If you want those things "fixed", you will have to try elsewhere. I refuse to buy protection plans for most appliances. I certainly wouldn't spend $300 a year for one.

 

[mamacatnv]

First off, I think your expectations are way too high and honestly IMO you have no grounds to be "so mad you could spit" anything. Sears repaired your appliances so that they work and you didn't pay anything for the service call, they did their job and upheld their end of the bargain. If you scratched your car or broke a window would you expect it to be covered under a service contract? This is in essence the same thing.

I also am assuming that the $300 a year is for most/all the major appliances in your home. In my neck of the woods Sears charges $125 just to come to the house, then the added cost of parts etc. however we never buy the extended warranties, Consumer Reports is our purchasing bible and they only recommend them for small hand held ie likely to get dropped electronics not major appliances.

Of course the technician is going to agree with you, you obviously are quite upset with this, what good would it do him to get into an argument with you? That would just make matters worse.

Take a deep breath, cancel your master protection plan and go buy a Sharpie.

 

[bicker]

Long story short....don't waste your money on a "Master Protection Agreement" from Sears!!!

More generally, don't waste your money on any extended warranty or protection plan like this, whatsoever - ever. The companies that offer these things are in business to make money, which only happens if they charge you more than the cost of providing you coverage. The only time you want insurance like this is when you cannot possibly afford to fix what goes wrong from your own savings.

The terms and conditions set forth are designed to make the service offering profitable. If the terms and conditions were such that offering that coverage would not be profitable, then they wouldn't have offered you the coverage.


A few specific notes...

I've been paying over $300 per year since 2003

Note that all that matters is the "per year" part of that. This kind of thing is not like an annuity - coverage does not improve the longer you're paying for coverage. A lot of folks mistakenly think that it does.

However, he can't do anything about the words rubbing off the washer & dryer and he can't do anything about the broken refrigerator shelf. He called in to explain the problems and was told not to fix them because they are considered cosmetic.

Words rubbing off sounds cosmetic, even though it is the controller. Just pull out a permanent marker and go over what's wearing out yourself. You won't get any mileage pushing that issue.

The broken shelf may or may not be depending on how objectively serviceable the shelf is. The terms and conditions probably outline qualifications in that regard, probably using terms like "reasonable and customary wear" (etc.) constituting cosmetic or otherwise uncovered concerns. Regardless, it isn't unusual or inappropriate for the underwriter to reject such claims if they cannot be proven as functional. Remember: The repair tech is generally not authorized to impose his own perspective in that regard, over that of the underwriters. You'll have to convince the underwriters that you're right and they're wrong, subject to the terms and conditions for handling disputes, as set forth in your protection agreement.

They said they would gladly schedule another appointment for a technician to come evaluate it. I told them I still had a technician at my house who agreed with me!

I suspect that this other technician is someone who works for the company, rather than a contractor. Something along those lines. Just a guess.

 

[cm8]

First off, I think your expectations are way too high and honestly IMO you have no grounds to be "so mad you could spit" anything. Sears repaired your appliances so that they work and you didn't pay anything for the service call, they did their job and upheld their end of the bargain. If you scratched your car or broke a window would you expect it to be covered under a service contract? This is in essence the same thing.

I also am assuming that the $300 a year is for most/all the major appliances in your home. In my neck of the woods Sears charges $125 just to come to the house, then the added cost of parts etc. however we never buy the extended warranties, Consumer Reports is our purchasing bible and they only recommend them for small hand held ie likely to get dropped electronics not major appliances.

Of course the technician is going to agree with you, you obviously are quite upset with this, what good would it do him to get into an argument with you? That would just make matters worse.

Take a deep breath, cancel your master protection plan and go buy a Sharpie.

 

[Robinrs]

Everytime I hear the words "extended warranties" I think of Clark Howard. He HATES them! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA4BAjEOIzA

 

[disneyfans95]

Heard many things.. But issues with the lettering coming off is really out there!

sorry OP but Sears did fine by you..

 

[bgirldeb]

300.00 per tear us outrageous in my opinion. As far as the cosmetic items, you should be able to find replacement parts on the Internet cheaper than they cost at Sears. I had to replace a few things in the refrigerator in our townhome at the end of our less. Most plxes just need the model number of the appliance to determine what is compatible.

 

[canopynut66]

I've been paying over $300 per year since 2003 for a "Master Protection Agreement" from Sears. We've never used it until today. I called them last week because my dryer was making a noise, my ice maker will only shoot out crushed ice, the words are coming off of the front of my washer & dryer and I have a broken shelf in the refrigerator. I explained everything to the rep on the phone and she scheduled a repair visit per my "agreement."

The technician comes today and fixes the ice maker and does something to the dryer (not sure exactly what). However, he can't do anything about the words rubbing off the washer & dryer and he can't do anything about the broken refrigerator shelf. He called in to explain the problems and was told not to fix them because they are considered cosmetic. I politely explained to him that I didn't consider it cosmetic when it effects the function of the appliance.

I have no idea what setting I'm putting the washer or dryer on when doing laundry. I obviously can't put anything on the shelf in the refrigerator because it's broken. I would think cosmetic would only apply to scratches or dents.

The technician was really nice about it. In fact, he told me he had argued with them over the phone about it and suggested I do the same.

I called Sears while the tech was still at my house and was told the same thing. They said they would gladly schedule another appointment for a technician to come evaluate it. I told them I still had a technician at my house who agreed with me! I was then told the only other option was to call Monday and speak to a surpervisor. I told her I had other options as well....I will be calling Monday to speak with a supervisor, I will save my $300 per year from now on, and I will be letting a few thousand people know of my experience with their so called "Master Protection Agreement."

$300 per year x 7 years could have been a new washer and possibly a new dryer.

Would you consider not knowing what setting you're doing your laundry on and/or not being able to use a shelf in your refrigerator to be cosmetic problems???? Again, I think this would be a function problem.

Sorry so long but I had to vent!

Long story short....don't waste your money on a "Master Protection Agreement" from Sears!!!

Have not done the extra warranty's for years as they get so picky about them but if something does go wrong it is a hefty $75 for tech to even come out and take a look
last I had them and tech ask him to check the oven also and he said would be another $75 to do that . Had to stop going to sears however when I had a twin comforter that I had washed (tag said washable) and it shrank terrible, so took it back and Sears was going to "arrest" me as I had cut the tag off that says "can only be removed by consumer"I tried to explain this to sales clerk and she said No she would have to call security and then explained to him and he understood. I was so humiliated that was my LAST business of any kind with Sears The money manager on TV tells us NOT to buy these warranty's also.

 

[Elmo9607]

I can see no fathomable reason why an extended warranty needs to cost $300 A YEAR!!

 

[sparklynails23]

I would agree that the words on the washer are cosmetic, but the shelf in the fridge is functional. The purpose of a fridge is to store your food and keep it cold. The shelves are integral to storing your food. If they were not, fridges would come without shelves.

 

[simba20]

We just purchased our first home. We have a side by side fridge in which one of the door shelves/bins had a hole in the bottom (not intended) and cracked.

Whipped out the phone book and called a local appliance parts store. $24 later, new shelf in the fridge. I would have alos gotten new racks for the oven (previous owners must have BBQd a heard of cattle int he oven and never cleaned the racks) but the appliance parts place wanted $68/rack. I'll just tsick with my ugly racks for now.

I agree with others that any "protection plan" or extended warranty should cost $300 period. Not per year.

It's your battle...you're already out $2100. For me, if the washer/dryer worked fine I'd go online and find a picture of the models of W/D that I have and use my label maker to make some labels.