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Posted by David Sherman [72.47.9.228] on Monday, December 27, 2010 at 01:38:24 :
In Reply to: Returning Craftsman Tools rachets at Sears posted by Kevin in Ohio [64.24.49.145] on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 22:14:42 :
I took one back probably 20 years ago and got the runaround. It had stripped out and had not been abused at all (no hammer or cheater bar marks on the handle, etc). He opened up a drawer of sundry loose tools and offered me an allegedly rebuilt one. They were all cheaper versions, and besides, when I bought mine, the guarantee said they'd replace it if it broke, which I take to mean replace it with the same or better model. After working up the chain of command a bit, I got them to give me a new one of the good model, but they weren't happy about it.
Other Sears experiences around the same time included a young female tool department clerk who insisted that a tap wrench wasn't guaranteed because it wasn't a "hand tool". I asked her what she considered a hand tool. She said screwdrivers, pliers, things like that.
I asked her where the motor was on my tap wrench. The manager agreed to replace it. I painted my house with Sears paint, guaranteed to cover in one coat or they'd give you enough to do a second coat. I painted their white paint over my old white paint, and I could see the old white paint through it. I went back and asked for another 20 gallons of paint so I could put a second coat on my house. The manager asked me what brand of brush I used and then showed me some fine print in the guarantee that said it was only valid if you use a Sears paint brush! After much discussion he agreed to give me 10 gallons of paint, but then said they didn't have that much and I should go to a different Sears store.
I got the paint, but between that, the tap wrench, and the ratchet, I never bought anything at Sears again. Old pre-1970 Craftsman tools are worth buying, but the stuff they sell these days is no better than Harbor Freight at a higher price.
By the way, REI also lost me permanently as a customer when they refused to replace the zipper on a tent I'd bought with a "lifetime guarantee". They told me "we don't have a lifetime guarantee any more", as if that was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. It had the guarantee when I bought it, just like the wrench. I suppose you could sue them, but why? If they don't want my business, someone else will.
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