From other articles I read here on consumer complaints and various other blogs, I can see WHY Sears is rapidly losing customers, since now they charge extra high prices and rip off consumers big-time with their lying Sales Reps. They send to your home. Also note that I read an article yesterday, as to how Sears has all kinds of lawsuits against them for "China Child Labor" practices, even though they tout their Kenmore products, for eg., are "Made In the USA"! All names have been changed in this article for Confidential reasons, but the story is TRUE.
I will now start from the very beginning, so those fortunate enough to find this posting will learn from me and my husband's mistake: NEVER trust a Sales Rep. When he/she tells you, "Even though you filed Bankruptcy, I can get you or ANYONE else Special Financing, regardless."
Sears sent their Sales Rep., "John" to our home last week, as he strings us along, leading us to believe that he was going to get me and my husband maybe a "Bad Credit Loan" so to help us finance our heating pump; back-up furance; etc., as yes, there is financing that's "Special for Bad Credit and people, who had to file Bankruptcy, due to job loss"; but, obviously, not through Sears. Since my husband, "Fred" lost his contract security job at age 79 in early, due to employer deeming him "too old to keep working for them", we lost over 1/2 of our income, while 2 creditors took way more than agreed upon amount through automatic withdrawals from our bank account, leaving us with a MINUS $1,000 (-$1,000) balance, before bank finally contacted us about it. Those "Draft Protections" are a farce, leaving the customer with countless bounce fees, while bank pays the creditors out of a customer's bank account, even when account don't have sufficient funds for a particular transaction.
We had Fairfield Resorts Timeshare Co. (now bought out by Wynham Properties) and New Horizon Debt Consolidation constantly withdrawing funds without our persmission, which is the account my husband's Social Security and Small Pension is autmatically deposited into each month, taking way more than what we agreed upon. It then came down to a point, where it was only MY $9.00/hour income me and him had to live on, so we had no choice but to contact an attorney and file Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in early.
Since our Bankruptcy, our mortgage; etc., is being paid even earlier than we used to pay it, thanks to our bank account no longer being robbed. We closed our account out at bank that cheated us, never disclosing the danger we were in having 2 companies robbing us blind, then all those bounce fees resulting from this. I had to keep borrowing just to pay the mortgage; utilities; etc., since the other account was being robbed by both creditors, leaving us with less than $0.00!
Anyhow, Sears Rep. Quotes us around $7,100 for new heat pump; backup furnace; etc., then gives us so-called 10% Discount, which we bought into. We signed paperwork, TOLD him we had filed Chapter 13 last year, as he insisted, "No problem, you will get the financing, since EVERYONE I put through this does, even with Bankruptcy on their credit." Every time anyone pulls up your credit with your permission, this takes 5 points off your score, which is unfair, since why should anyone be penalized for having their credit pulled, when maybe the consumer didn't like the credit terms offered afterwards, so chose to look into another lender?
What's even more ironic is the fact that Sales Rep. Claims HE filed Bankruptcy a few years ago, so if anything, HE should know that no one gets financing through Sears with a Bankruptcy on his/her record, while Sears charges outrageously high prices, compared to same types of appliances; etc. Their competitors market. We were long-time Sears customers, until lately, as Citibank bought into them, making matters worse, as GE Financing is also involved, so it used to be Sears charged way more reasonable prices with excellent service: Not no more!
I read one consumer complaints article pertaining to Sears with a man and his wife having to deal with an outside heat pump, which froze up, so from what I can see, a BLESSING we didn't get the financing, only to be shafted way worse down the road! Still, what angers me the most is me and Fred are desparately trying to rebuild our credit, as now I am working a full-time "inhouse job", which is rare in my area, as 99% of jobs here are through low-paying temp services, as it took me almost a year to find current job, after duking it out from one temp service to another, just to stay emmployed.
Fred's Social Security and Small Pension are STEADY sources of income, as now it's easier to pay our mortgage; heating costs; etc. Through a debt settlement the Bankruptcy jurisdiction has us under another 4 years, so just when things are coming up, here along comes a lying Sears Sales Rep., John, promising "Special Financing" that don't obviously exist for people, who filed Bankruptcy, as at same token, caring less that this put a 5-point dinge in our already damaged credit score. Making matters worse is since my hubby is over age 65, creditors and banks will deny loans; etc. Because of his age, as they started doing this to my husband, even while he was working and had a credit score around 750 then. Banks can't come out and say this, but they DO discriminate against a person's age BIG-TIME, regardless of how good an elderly person's credit score is, which is why by age 70, you see most retired people having to get a "co-signer" to buy a car; etc., even if they are way up their in credit scores.
We will NEVER have our credit pulled for another 5 years or so, if at all, just concentrating on doing what we been doing: Paying for everything in cash, as we got to keep at least one credit card after Bankruptcy, which we pay consistently "ON TIME" (charging small amounts and quickly paying balance off), even before we filed Chapter 13. We don't dine out, only cooking at home; don't go out anywhere, unless we absolutely have to, due to high gas prices; etc. Our natural gas/electric furnace is costing way more than running electric does, which is why since our bills have tripled since a couple of years ago on natural gas, we are wanting to totally phase out natural gas products from our home, including the furnace, so to replace with totally electric.
We called around to other companies, as so far, the smaller heating and cooling cos. Offer way better discounts and deals than Sears and other larger stores do for installation; etc., so going with that ASAP, wanting to get our heat pump; etc., installed when weather is warmer during Spring. We found deals of 1/2 or more LESS than what Sears Sales Rep. Wanted to charge us, and it won't take nearly as long to pay off, either.
My advice to everyone reading this: If you want your credit further damaged, try buying from Sears, as they charge extra high prices on everything from washers/dryers; ovens; furances; etc., to furniture; clothes; etc., while their Sales Reps. Offer false promises, caring less that you will be denied their "Special Financing", after you had filed Bankruptcy! Go into any one of their stores and you will find their sales prices are still way above what many other competitors charge, while they have Sales Reps. Sent to your home to lie in your face! If this is the type of customer service you want, go for it, because me and Fred are now EX-Sears customers, even when we do keep paying our bills on time, and especially, MY credit keeps rising, as I am younger than he is! I don't forget those companies that "Did me dirty", so once that's done to me, I NEVER go back for any more purchases or dealings with them, regardless of how many discounts and promises they tout. "Once burned, always burned", so there's no trusting Sears now or ever.
Please read the other consumers' comments posted on consumer complaints and see WHY we are running from Sears like heck, discovering there are many other lower-cost companies that can offer much better terms; products; and services at very reasonable costs. People downgrade Walmarts, but they still treat their customers better than Sears does, as Sears is losing business left and right to Walmarts; H.H. Gregg; Home Depot; and many others. Hard to believe that K-Marts teamed up with Sears, as now this makes K-Marts look bad, even though me and Fred still find K-Marts with overall best deals 99% of the time. K-Marts has been closing more stores, moved further away from us, so we have not much choice but to shop at Walmarts, instead, due to high cost of gas to travel.
It sure does pay to shop around, but unfortunately not so nice to be lied to by Sears Sales Rep., so to have 5 points unnecessarily deducted off our credit score! The office "John the Sears Sales Rep." is works out of is in Columbus, OH, while their Credit Dept. Is located in Longwood, FL.
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