So Mad at Sears I could spit fire

[C.Ann]

That's an enormous amount of money per year!!! Just exactly what was supposed to be covered for that amount?

Sorry you're not happy with this extended warranty, but I think it's one of those "live and learn" situations that we all go through from time to time..

 

[tvguy]

We didn't step into a Sears store for 20 years. My wife went to buy clothing for our honeymoon back in 1982, got the checkstand, and found out they had stopped taking VISA and Mastercard. This was the year they introduced the DISCOVERY card, so they were pushing that or the Sears card. She walked out.
However, in the last few years, since the economy plunged, we have had to replace all our kitchen appliances. Sears is the only store around here that has anything in stock. Best Buy said they could get me the refrigerator I wanted, in 2 WEEKS, they don't stock anything anymore, they order it direct from the manufacturer.
As a matter of fact, my new Kenmore refrigerator was delivered on Tuesday. On sale, it was $200 less expensive than a comparable model at Best Buy.

. What the OP is talking about is a master plan, and listed 3 appliance, I suspect more may be covered. Around here $100 per appliance, per year of coverage is pretty normal. I hate service plans, but have purchased them on occassion, including on my new fridge. It's made by LG which has apparently turned their quality around from the days when the marketed their stuff as GOLDSTAR, but I didn't want to risk it. And I realize, I likely won't get 27 years from this refrigerator like I did from the Montgomery Wards one it replaces.

 

[CruisinEars]

I agree with the others about Sears and their terrible service and to cancel the service plan. We have vowed never to purchase appliances from them. However, I disagree with the others about extended warranties. After some very costly problems with appliances we now always purchase the extended warranty for high dollar items.

I keep having appliances go out about a year from purchase right after the manufacturer warranty expires. We had a $1500 tv start to die at 14 months from purchase and the repair was going to be $2100. The warranty was expired and we figured we were S.O.L. We did find out that the credit card we used offered an additional year of protection and they gave us $1000, still out $500 and it was a manufacturer issue not a case of "abuse" by us. Most of the warranties are only about $150 for a $1500-$2000 item so it is totally worth the extra insurance.

 

[GeorgeG]

I'm reminded of the time (many years ago) when my father was buying a new appliance at Sears. The saleman was really pushing the extra protection plan on him. Dad asked him if the appliance was junk and not going to last long. The conversation went back and forth until the salesman threw in the protection plan just to get my father to stop asking why the appliance was going to break down in a year or two. In the old days appliances lasted a long time.

 

[msmayor]

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.

While they make STORING the food easier, they are not required to keep food cold.

Its like saying an automatic ice maker is integral to making ice. Its not, because you can easily make ice without a built-in ice maker.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

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

I was about to say the same thing, dont get them! The reason they are so intent on selling them is because they are the ones coming out ahead.

 

[Sosai X]

Sears can get weird, when it comes to their warranties and service agreements. I worked at the Sears in Littleton, CO, in the summer of 1997. One evening a man wheels a Curtis Mathes console TV into the store, and demands his replacement television. If you aren't familiar with it, Curtis Mathes was a manufacturer of TV's and electronics, sold mostly at one of those ColorTyme "rent to own" type stores back in the 1970's. I said, "sorry, sir, this television was not purchased at Sears, so I can't help you." He began getting irate, saying that Sears said he would get a new TV if his died, and his tv was dead, so he wanted his new TV. I got my manager, and he agreed with me that the TV was not Sears' responsibility. The man began yelling, and using some rather blue profanity, saying that he had been paying for the Sears insurance for years, and that he wanted his new TV. Eventually, through many confusing phone calls, we discovered that the customer had moved to Denver from NYC around 1980 or so. We also found that whilst living in NYC, he had purchased a plan through Sears, in NYC, that covered not only Sears appliances, but all appliances in his home, no matter the brand or manufacturer. And to add even more confusion, the plan he purchased was only offered in a few small regions. So, with the blessing of Sears' corporate managers, that customer walked out the door with a new 27" Sony TV, to replace his 1979 Curtis Mathes console television.

 

[barkley]

i too think sears repair services (even on the standard warranty that comes with a new purchase) has gone down hill.

that said-not all warranty plans are a rip-off or a waste of money.

we have a whole home warranty plan through american home shield (ahs) that runs us about $500 per year with a $50 per claim service deductable. our plan covers our appliances as well as our electrical, plumbing (and water heater), heating/a.c., spa, well pump and a variety of other things. we've had their coverage on all 3 of the homes we have owned, and they have been responsive to our needs and excellent service wise.

i know some people think that $500 a year is excessive and the money might be better set aside and just used "in case" there's a needed repair or replacement issue, but in our experience even one moderate repair can run a few hundred dollars, and a major repair can be equal to multiple years of what we have paid in premiums (and this was before we moved ruraly such that repair folks charge us a higher travel charge).

our first home was over 30 years old when we purchased it-in addition to some appliance repairs we had ahs out when our central air conked out. the unit was ancient and noone made the needed parts anymore-not a problem, when the tech figured out the issue the company authorized a custom piece to be made. the repair would have run us several thousand, replacement would have been much more (and if they can't repair, they do replace). with our current home we've had them out on a plumbing, a heating, and an electrical issue, in all cases b/c plumbing, heat and electrical are considered high priority repairs we had repairmen HERE the next day (and the costs of repairs exceeded 2 year's premiums).


if a person is interested in this type of coverage, it's a company to consider looking at.

 

[bicker]

However, even then, you get nothing more than what you pay for. If you pay more, then you'll get better coverage. That's clear. However, either way, the underwriters are still charging you more than what it would cost to just pay for the repairs you want yourself; that's the only reason they would offer the coverage. While different providers have different terms and conditions vis a vis their price, it is a marginal difference and doesn't really get to the point of value. The best value is still going to be paying for each repair independently.

 

[bgirldeb]

I'm reminded of the time (many years ago) when my father was buying a new appliance at Sears. The saleman was really pushing the extra protection plan on him. Dad asked him if the appliance was junk and not going to last long. The conversation went back and forth until the salesman threw in the protection plan just to get my father to stop asking why the appliance was going to break down in a year or two. In the old days appliances lasted a long time.

That's great!

 

[ameraumi]

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.

We had that happen to us as well. I had a part on my freezer that melted, causing the whole unit to not work. It was still within the 1 yr warranty and when I called I was told it would be a week. At the time I was running a home daycare and there was no way in he!! I could wait a week for my fridge to be fixed. I understand that they farm out the work but come on, you cannot be that busy to put someone off a week. I was very hateful at that point and would not accept that until I got a better day. The best they could do was 2 days out, which was still not great.

I will NEVER buy another appliance from Sears after that. I have had great service with other stores and they get someone by the next day to look at my item.

 

[tlbwriter]

While they make STORING the food easier, they are not required to keep food cold.

The sole purpose of the refrigerator is not to make food cold. It is also intended to STORE that cold food. Shelves and drawers are an integral part of the refrigerator's function.

 

[msmayor]

The sole purpose of the refrigerator is not to make food cold. It is also intended to STORE that cold food. Shelves and drawers are an integral part of the refrigerator's function.

Call it a difference of opinion then. You don't need shelves to keep food cold. Yes, shelves and drawers make it easier to keep things organized...but they are not a requirement for the appliance to operate as intended.

 

[tlbwriter]

Call it a difference of opinion then. You don't need shelves to keep food cold. Yes, shelves and drawers make it easier to keep things organized...but they are not a requirement for the appliance to operate as intended.

So if your new refrigerator was delivered with a missing shelf, you wouldn't complain?

 

[bicker]

The sole purpose of the refrigerator is not to make food cold. It is also intended to STORE that cold food. Shelves and drawers are an integral part of the refrigerator's function.

Only one of us, here, has seen the shelves in question and so we really can't say that the damage to the shelves is so severe that it substantially degrades the functionality of the refrigerator itself. Beyond that, the OP made it clear that they were offered the opportunity to discuss the issue further, so the reasonable process for administering the coverage has not fully played-out yet. The plan, I bet, does not say, "Whatever the customer says goes." It's an agreement, a balance, where both sides have discretion, and in the end, if, after the reasonable process for addressing a disagreement plays-out, they cannot come to agreement, then there are still reasonable means to follow to seek satisfaction. Again, there is no guarantee of immediate gratification.

And given how I see people sharing techniques for abusing product and service providers, I think we're going to see a lot more push-back in the years to come. So many people are so quick to exploit that it is ruining all manner of customer service for the rest of us.

So if your new refrigerator was . . .

What makes you think the coverage guarantees that the devices will be "like new"? As I alluded to earlier, generally such protection plans factor in the impact of normal wear-and-tear.

I think we really need to know just how old the refrigerator is, see for ourselves what the actual extent of the damage to the shelf is, and see what the service provider is willing to do in the end before we condemn the service provider.

 

[scrapquitler]

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.

After having your washer and dryer for that long you don't know the list of settings on the machine and that you turn the knob to 3 OClock for Permanent Pree and 5Oclock for Gentle Cycle, or whatever? In that case, I'd get out a sharpie and the instruction manual and write the settings on the part where they rubbed off. I do think that this is cosmetic.

The shelf in the fridge, no, its not cosmetic, that should be replaced. If Sears won't do it, contact the manufacturer. I think these warantees are for MECHANICAL type things. A broken shelf is something most likely that some member of your family caused, not a manufacturing defect.

Generally speaking, extended warantees are a ripoff.

 

[bicker]

Typically, the Master Protection Agreement covers more than the manufactuturer warranty. I got the impression fwir that the appliance is beyond the manufacturer's warranty period.

One more note about the Master Protection Agreement and similar agreements: It would be very interesting to know how many people who buy such agreements actually read the terms and conditions prior to purchase, or ever, barring a dispute. Heck, the agreement is available online, but the terms and conditions are referred to but not available anywhere online. Buying such an agreement that way is just asking for trouble. And I think the reason why the terms and conditions aren't available online is probably because they make it clear that the agreement isn't the panacea that the marketing glossy makes it sound like.

 

[msmayor]

So if your new refrigerator was delivered with a missing shelf, you wouldn't complain?

A "missing" shelf is a completely different issue. If a shelf that was supposed to be there, that I had already paid for, was missing from the get-go...then of course I would call and complain and expect that it be provided.

But one that had broken from normal use? No...I would not expect that to be replaced. I would go out and buy a new one if it was that important.

The issue here is what is covered under a SERVICE plan...a plan designed to cover the OPERATION of the refrigerator, not a completely comprehensive replace-anything-and-everything-that-breaks plan. A compressor is required to the operation of a refrigerator. A shelf is not.

 

[tlbwriter]

What makes you think the coverage guarantees that the devices will be "like new"? As I alluded to earlier, generally such protection plans factor in the impact of normal wear-and-tear.

I didn't say her fridge should be "like new." But she's been paying a LOT of money for a service plan. I don't think it's wrong to expect non-functioning features to be repaired under that plan. She said the shelf is broken to the point that she cannot use it, so this is not cosmetic damage, it is functionality. Is it POSSIBLE to use the fridge without that shelf? Yes. Is the fridge AS FUNCTIONAL without that shelf? No.

But this is why I never, ever buy extended warranties.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

I didn't say her fridge should be "like new." But she's been paying a LOT of money for a service plan. I don't think it's wrong to expect non-functioning features to be repaired under that plan. She said the shelf is broken to the point that she cannot use it, so this is not cosmetic damage, it is functionality. Is it POSSIBLE to use the fridge without that shelf? Yes. Is the fridge AS FUNCTIONAL without that shelf? No.

But shelves usually don't just break on their own. The odds are good that the shelf was either overloaded or that something was dropped on it.

I dropped a jar of peanut butter on top of my glass cooktop, causing it to crack. Sears refused to pay for the repair, but I couldn't fault them since it was my own negligence that caused the damage. If it had cracked while I was just heating something on the burner, that would have been a different story.