Sears Repair Beef

[3girls4me]

I purchased in new over the range panasonic microwave in stainless just befor we moved in to our new house in September of 2009. This was a $650 microwave. The still sell it, here is the link. http://www.sears.ca/product/panasonic-g ... 5-NNP295SF It was not on sale when we bought it. We had the same counter model for years and we were very happy with it. Problems started in Augest of 2010 when the inverter went. It was replaced under warranty. Just after thanksgiving this year, it stops working. I called in and they said it was no longer under warrenty. They say if I take it to the repair faculty they will consider fixing it again. So we take it down, it is in perfect shape, looks brand new still. We take it in, they make us pay a deposit to look at it. Low and behold its the inverter again, but they won't fix it for free because it been over a year since they fixed it before. So It cost us $300 to fix it. So I now have $1000 in a 2 year old microwave. Went to pick it up today and there is a big DENT in the side. I'm sure it will show when we reinstall. I complained when I picked it up and they did nothing. Said there was nothing they could do about it. I said I would call head office. Anyone know who to call at head office and where I can complain. It's bad enought this broke twice in 2 years, but now it has a big dent in it.

[mulock]

I thought "Sears repair beef" meant that Sears repairs beef...as in hamburger.

Sorry to hear about your experience with Sears. I have never bought an appliance from them....I find them overpriced and pushy with the extended warranties.

[marstec]

Sears doesn't advertise the fact that the initial warranty only lasts one year on their appliances. Like mulock said, they really try to push their extended warranty because it is a huge money-maker for them. I wouldn't be too happy with taking back an appliance that was damaged during the repair either...you might have to go further up the chain of command with this one. I'm not sure if this applies to Kenmore brand appliances, but I know it is true for other brands. This is the same case with buying appliances from Home Depot. They are a good price, until something goes wrong and you find out their initial warranty sucks.

Have you tried to call Panasonic directly with your issue? I had a Kitchenaid washer that I purchased from Sears and it was a lemon. Sears wouldn't do anything, but Kitchenaid repaired it free of charge one year out of warranty, and it was a major repair (new transmission).

[cabmonk]

Isn't 1 year pretty standard though, even a long time for warranties these days.

[mstickle]

I bought a washer from Sears and within 2 months, the boot (rubber part between the drum and door) tore. They replaced it, but it was quite a hassle to even find where to call for the warranty and because of the repair person they contracted out to. Almost one year later, the night before we were to go on our 2 week vacation out of the country, the boot developed a hole in it. I decided it would have to wait until we got back from our holidays since it was very late at night when it happened and we were leaving at 6:00 am in the morning. When I got back, I called their warranty department and explained exactly what happened and why I couldn't call right away and of course they told me it was out of warranty. I insisted that the new boot was less than a year old when it was damaged and it should be still covered, even if the rest of the machine wasn't. Then they told me that while I was on holiday, one year since the new boot was put in had passed, and I should have called in sooner. I patiently explained again that it happened late at night, we left very early the next morning and I had no way of even finding their number (It's definitely not an easy number to find) or even calling when out of the country. She insisted that I could have called a Sears store to get the number. I reminded her that this happened in the middle of the night and we left before they are even open in the morning? Just how was I supposed to do call Sears and get a person who could answer my question?
After nearly an hour of being put on hold while she checked something, then came back, repeat, repeat, etc. I finally insisted on talking to her manager. The end result after much back and forth with her as well was that they agreed to cover the cost of the boot only and not the installation.
Then the ordeal with the repairman began. At first, he had a repair order, but it was to be fully at my cost so I have I call Sears back. More hassles and back and forth and someone else denying my claim altogether. Back to square one. Hang up and call back to get someone else. Finally get free replacement part reinstated. Call the repair guy and now he has no order at all and tells me to phone the number they have for the repairmen to call because he is too busy. Are you kidding me? I do, despite being incredibly annoyed at the sheer laziness or cheapness (HIRE SOMEONE to do this crap for you if you are too busy) of this guy because I need my washer. Finally get that straightened out and call him back. He tells me he will call back as soon as he has a chance to look at his orders. a week goes by with no call, so I call him back. He FINALLY says he has the part and will come to repair it the following week. I never did get it because the day he was to arrive, my house was flooded and power and phone were cut off due to safety. Thankfully, the washer was destroyed, so we will get a new one through insurance. Unfortunately, we will be forced to buy through Sears again because they still sell that model of washer (and they are the only ones in the area who do), and it is a matched set. Because it was a stacked set, the dryer was OK. I am soooo disappointed that I will have to continue to deal with them. I originally tried to call LG who make the set for warranty service, but they refused to touch it, telling me that they contracted with Sears to have them do all the warranty work and are not permitted to touch them. Gack!
If I wasn't forced to purchase from them again, I wouldn't, and I will never voluntarily purchase another appliance form them again.
Because the washer is clearly a lemon, I will be buying the extended warranty this time and I dread using it and dealing with the repairman again, but since we have a lemon, we will have to.
Oh, and I will be contacting the repairman shortly to get the part that I'm entitled to.

[marnwa]

Just to let everyone know Sears warranty on their lawnmowers is 2 years. I didn't have a problem at all having my carburator fixed a few months before the 2 years were up on my mower.