Sears Maintenance Agreements

Sears Maintenance Agreements • Pro • Con --- •Sears Complaints

Sears and other retailers large and small are fond of selling extended warranties and maintenance agreements on appliances, lawn and garden equipment, home electronics and other big-ticket items.

The common view is that these amount to little more than additional profit for the retailer. The complaints we receive from Sears customers tend to support this view but, to be fair, there may be many others who have had a good experience with their Sears maintenance agreement.

Pro and Con

Don't take our word for it. Read the comments of two Sears employes, one current and one former, arguing the pros and cons of maintenance agreements:

• Sears Maintenance Agreements - Con "WW," a former Sears employee, argues that MAs are a waste of money.
• Sears Maintenance Agreements - Pro "Zeener," a veteran Sears employee, argues that MAs are a good buy for some customers.

The Company's Advice

To all authors regarding Sears repair service,

I am sorry to hear about your unsatisfactory experiences with Sears repair service. My name is David and I work for Sears. I would like to assist you in resolving any service issues. Please contact me at searscares@searshc.com and we can find a solution that meets your needs.

Thank you,

David V.
Senior Case Manager

Consumer Comments

And the customers? Well, here's what they think ...

Elizabeth of Hemet, CA February 21, 2006

Our family purchased both a Kenmore HE3 washer and dryer around March of 2003. Within the first three months we began experiencing problems with the latch on the washer. The latch mechanism was replaced. Approximately five months later we had the same problem again. Additionally, around 18 months we began to notice that the floor area was damp around the washer. We tried to find where the moisture was coming from and could not locate the problem. The problem persisted and became worse. At one point we resorted to using a wet dry vac to clean up the water that was leaking out of the washer. When we called the repair center they offered no solution.

We were able to pintpoint the problem...the gasket that would seal the front load door from leaking had tears in it that were unoticable until we took the front of the washer off looking for the leak. When we called Sears about the problem we were informed that it would not be covered under our warranty because it was not a manufacturer defect. We would be required to pay 55.00 for the service call in addition to any parts and labor!

Another part that broke was a small sensor mechanism that senses when the door is open or shut. This caused the door to either not close or it would lock and we would have difficulty getting the laundry out and it would be left sitting damp for an extended period of time. This problem occurred after about 15 months.

We finally purchased a different washer because we did not want to keep getting the run around about the warranty or to sustain more damage to our home (2 story house laundry room upstairs.) The dryer is another story. We noticed the dryer was taking longer each time we used it the last few weeks to dry. Last week (Feb. 12, 2006), the dryer was loaded with clothing and turned on. I was downstairs and noticed an unsual odor, it smelled as if wiring or plastic was on fire. I found the source of the odor to be the dryer.

I had the children get out of the house, and I unplugged the dryer from the wall. The dryer was very hot, I didn't see any flames coming out or any billowing smoke. Only noticed that the dryer was very hot and smelled. We have since ceased to use the dryer, and purchased a new one. Today, 2-21-06, we had a repairman come out and look at the HE3 while he was delivering the new dryer. He discovered that the HE3 dryer had caught on fire, and that was the cause of the excessive heat and the odor.

I was pretty frustrated, as we had planned on getting the old one fixed and leaving it in the garage for playclothes, etc., but the repairs are astronomical. The initial estimate without taking the machine to the shop is 700! We are very disappointed with our experiences with both machines. We purchased top of the line costly appliances with the notion that we were buying name brand dependable merchandise.

Marcia of Sunrise, FL February 20, 2006

On 6/4/05 I signed a contract with a Sears salesperson for a new 3 ton A/C unit.

On 6/14/05 A/C unit was installed by AMS Air. By 6/17/05 the A/C unit stopped working. The project coordinator, John Costlow, was contacted and informed of same. He suggested that the unit be turned off for a while in order to allow the copper tube which is connected to the condenser to thaw--since it was frozen solid--. I was then instructed to restart the unit and leave it running in the on mode vs. auto. I also made the "discovery" that the heat does not work either. I tried numerous times to have this problem resolved with John Costlow from 6/17/05 to present.

This "brand new" A/C unit failed inspection on 7/28/05 with the City of Sunrise. The inspector was appalled at what Sears permitted, the inspector also tried to contact John Costlow and stated that none of his calls/messages were returned. The City of Sunrise has pulled out of inspecting Sears A/C units and I was informed that this is nothing new re: customer complaints against Sears.

I continued to place endless phone calls in which messages were left and ignored repeatedly by John Costlow and AMS Air. I have also expressed my dissatisfaction to the complaint ctr @ 1(800)222-5030 and was recently assigned a caseworker, Christine Crowder 1(888)673-7881 ext 3029, in order to "handle my problem". I was informed that it would be easier to have the unit repaired vs. a refund.

Following a 1/30/06 visit from Marco Jr of AMS Air it was determined that a new heater was needed. I feel that I was sold a defective A/C unit and Sears is forcing me to keep it and settle for less. I do not want parts installed/replaced for a defective A/C unit that I feel was given to me that way.The representatives of Sears that I have been calling has repeatedly given me a run around.

Timothy & Janet of Pahrump, NV February 17, 2006

We bought a Kenmore side by side refrigerator in October of 2004. We were in Oregon from July thru September, so the two of us used the frigerator less than 12 months when our pin bracket ice dispenser went out.

The first repair man said it was such a common problem that Sears had developed a kit for the repair. The repair man who came when we received the part also said it was a common problem and may have been a recall item. We now have it fixed, but it cost us 176.58.

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