The only high definition TV I have burnt out June 30th. I figured I would take it to Sears granted the store was really close to my house (nearly within walking distance). I have always taken my equipment to Sears and never had a problem with the repair center until now. I put the TV in the original box, and had to put the stand and remote in a separate box (happened to have a 10x8 shipping label with my address on it) to ensure the metal rods don't scratch up the TV after it is shipped. I took my Akai 37 inch TV into the repair center to get repaired July 3rd (at 1PM). I informed the employee to put a little bit of popcorn into the box since I did not have all 4 pieces of styrofoam that came with the TV (wanted to ensure it was safe when sent to repair center in Torrance). We were told that in 1 week the TV would be ready to be picked up.
A week goes by, no one calls my phone number I left for sears. I figured I would drop in and check on the status as trying to call that department makes you hold on for 1min 34 seconds before hanging up on you, with no voice mail. I arrive on July 10th at 3:10PM approximately one week after dropping off the TV. I walk in to the repair center as an employee walks out to help a customer and get a glimpse of my TV sitting 5 feet from the double doors. I wait patiently until it is my turn to be serviced for the repair pick up. An employee brings the TV out and informs me it could not be repaired as it was over 27 inches it was an Akai.
I figured no big deal I can take it somewhere else, until I found out something very interesting. I ask the employee where the second box is, he then replies and informs me there isn't a second box with the TV. I inform the employee the box was brought in by me & without that box the TV itself was useless. Sal Martinez began to discuss an option such as a refund for the diagnostic fee, in which I informed him the box was shipped to the repair center and not diagnosed (refund & cost were no longer part of the conversation after that it was established the box's packaging tape wasn't broken). One of the employees in the back says "I saw that box a few hours ago." I was informed by Sal Martinez the box would be found within 24 hours, and given a torn piece of a paper that said Sal Martinez and given a number which did not have a voice mail nor was ever picked up. I went home, opened the box to come to a horrifying conclusion, when they shipped the box they had not added any popcorn to the box almost ensuring damage during shipment (you never know how the postal service will handle your box). There is a 35% chance the TV cannot be repaired even with the stand and the remote if it has been dropped without the popcorn the employee told me he would add (I will update this complaint with his name when I go in tomorrow).
The next day I return after calling that number 3 times having it hang up on me at exactly 1 min 34 seconds, and was told by Sal Martinez to come back in 24 hours. 24 hours later I return, still no response, only this time Sal Martinez isn't there and a African American manager within the repair center (who I believe is doing his job better then anyone I spoke with in the store) who told me he would email Sal Martinez & I would receive either a email or a call within 24 hours (I left him my cell phone number). 72 hours passes... I call Sears and ask to speak with a manager at the Ventura store. No one picks up, so I call again and ask to speak with any manager currently available. It rings... And similar to the number Sal Martinez gave me, it hangs up after 6-8 rings. I call again the next day and ask to be forwarded to the complaint department.instead of the complaint department I am sent to the very same place I had just called (477-3200 press 0). So I figured I'd just go back in the store since I found out pressing 0 doesn't take you to a operator in the store. 24 hours later I go in to the store to speak with a manager. When I show up at sears I have a manager paged to the front where customer service is, so I could speak with him regarding my problem.
A manager named Jeff Woodlow (not sure if last name is spelled correctly, but he is a assistant store manager) greets himself and I bring him up to speed. Jeff informs me after I explain what happened that Sal Martinez was not at the repair center the day of the loss & there was not a second box when the TV was brought in. I inform Jeff that I bought it in personally & personally spoke with Sal Martinez as well as had his name written down BY HIM with a phone number which turned out to be useless. Jeff again assures me (I don't know how he believes he was assuring me) there was not a second box with that TV. I inform him again I had brought the box in with my tv and the shipping label was only on the box they happened to lose. Jeff gives me his business card and informs me to send him an email with the contents of the box. I go home and immediately within 45 minutes of receiving the business card send him an e-mail with the contents of the box as well as the shipping address information that was attached to the side of the box (in a plastic case so I knew one of the employees had to rip it off in order for them to ship it or cover it with their shipping label). Another 72 hours passes by (Date: July 21st 2008) so I call sears again, ask to speak to Jeff Woodlow, I was informed he was not there. I send him another email to ensure it went through (sometimes checking sent mail just isn't enough).
72 hours passes by, its now July 24th, nearly 2 weeks after I had picked up the TV. I was beginning to get mad granted the Olympics would be on TV soon and I did not want to miss it. During this 2 week period my xbox 360 and wii were unable to be used & my morale was beginning to drop at work. I no longer had the entertainment I spent so much money to be able to enjoy. I figured it was time to escalate the problem to a complaint department even though the first time I tried it was smacked down by a incompetent employee.
It is now July 26th, I finally get to a "Executive Complaint Department" who supposedly reports directly to corporate. I greet the representative, Marina and bring her up to speed with what has happened so far. She informs me she will call the store and see what the deal is. I inform her she was better off saving her breath since there IS NOT a voice mail for any of the managers in the store. She attempts to call the managers and within 5 minutes quickly realizes I was right. Marina informs me she has sent a notification to the store and to corporate which supposedly charges the store $175 (I dont know about you, but emails last time I checked were free so I figured this notice was just to make me feel better which it did for all of about... 5 minutes).
24 hours passes, no call, another 24, and another 24. At this point I'm beginning to feel a dark cloud pass over me and feel I'm beginning to fight for my sanity, and go to the store and inform jeff if I am not contacted within 72 hours I would call the police (I know its a civil manner but I wanted to see just how far Sears was willing to take it). Jeff tells me he did not receive an email, which infuriates and makes me tell Jeff I was tired of this [Exploitive deleted] and shouldn't have to go through this. I told Jeff all his employees needed to do was look at the manufacturer & the model number to quickly inform me the TV could not be repaired. I told Jeff to grab a piece of paper and write down the contents of the box. I inform him the 2 short black rods screw into a longer black rod which creates a U shape, which screws into the plastic base which then the TV is placed onto that U shape and locks in. Jeff writes down the information and I tell him not to forget about the remote (July 29th).
That was the last time I contacted Sears, it is now August 11th. I have come to the conclusion Sears is no longer interested in reimbursing me for the stand and remote which I just found out is going to cost $300. $76 for the remote, $224 for the stand since it is a spare part almost no one ever needs so they needed to refurbish a stand just for my TV. I post here as I feel I should not have to speak with a lawyer, and the channels you would normally stay away from I feel I need to utilize in order to possibly resolve this issue. I have been through way to much these past 5 weeks with Sears hanging over my head just out of reach & my work morale falling as each day passes, and I believe at this point Sears needs to give me a TV of equal value, size, features as at this point this is my last attempt at allowing this to be a civil manner. Escalating this issue at this point would involve the consumers union as another owner of this TV (it was split between 2 others) is a member of that organization and believes if she needs to escalate it, the problem won't just be resolved.
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