Complaint / Review
Sears
Kenmore all my new kenmore appliances breaking down - sears will do nothing

In May of 09 my husband and I purchased an entire suite of Kenmore appliances - range/oven, microwave hood combo, dishwasher and trash compactor. We also own a Frigidaire (e.G. Sears) Affinity washer and dryer which we got about 4 years ago. Everything is breaking. First I had to get the gasket replaced on the washer because it was caked with mold and reeked to high heaven. I had to fight like a tiger for weeks with Frigidaire's overseas call center to get that fixed. Then the trash compactor went out — the large main gear, which is made of plastic, (what idiot suggested plastic gears?) shattered and needed to be replaced. We fixed that ourselves because we thought that maybe it was our fault. Now the dishwasher is going out and from looking at the Sears community website it is a common and known problem. I posted my tale of woe to the Sears website and was immediately contacted by the moderator who referred me to the Searscares escalation unit for resolution. Imagine my shock and disgust when they informed me that because I had not purchased the appliances at a licensed Sears outlet, they couldn't do anything. (We bought the appliances at our local Coast Guard base where my husband has buying privileges.) I told Sears that I was going to contact the Base Commander and not let up until every Coast Guard base in the US stopped selling Kenmore products, and that I was contacting my state atty general's consumer protection unit. Clearly they are a sleazeball outfit who will use any excuse, no matter how pitiful, in order to avoid standing by their product. I am angry that the Coast Guard sells Kenmore because I think of all the young military families here on a tight budget who are probably buying these appliances in reliance on the Kenmore name and then subsequently getting hosed. What's so ironic is that we tore out all the old appliances that were over 25 years old but still worked perfectly. We tore them out and ended up replacing them with cheap crap that hasn't even held up 2 years. I am absolutely disgusted and outraged.