Sears = Hell or They're Doing It On Purpose

I'm on hold, again trying to get my washing machine repaired. It is a brand new front loader from Sears, Kenmore brand. It no longer drains or does a spin cycle. So last week after it happened I called the 18004MYHOME line to see if they'd make good on that extended warranty we bought. The salesperson said that they'd honor it despite the distance and where we actually live. Since it was a floor model, we thought it would be a worthwhile investment.

Here's where we stand so far. I called last Monday. I was told a service repair center would call me back in 24 hours. Nope. I called back Tuesday, same story, still no call. I called back Wednesday. They scheduled an appointment for today, this morning. Didn't show up, so I called this morning and a manager was supposed to call me back. No call back. So I called again, this time I was referred to another call center, which routed me to another center, who found someone else for me to talk to, and finally told me that they don't schedule repairs and that they needed to call the nearest repairman and see when he could work us in. The answer: Wednesday, June 15th. When I complained to the call center wench, she had no sympathy or platitudes, just a matter of fact tough doo-doo attitude.

So now we'll be driving somewhere to a laundrymat. Not too cool. Have I mentioned that none of the coin operated laundry places in this area are air conditioned and it is in triple digit temperatures? There are two machines at Rio Grande Village, 20 miles away. There are several in Study Butte, but they are really expensive, $2 or more/load just to wash. I think it is only 75 cents here in the park. There is a beat up old coin machine in the former bathrooms over near the maintenance shop, but it is in constant use and we have several loads built up.

Anyway, oh the joys of Sears! If the appliances weren't generally so reliable and cheap, I'd never shop at Sears, ever. I actually think less of Sears than I do of Wal-mart. I get better customer service from Wal-mart and lower prices. Sears pays their employees slightly more than Wal-mart, with slightly better benefits.