TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) 2023: Finally the end?

Post by veteran+ »

ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm
storewanderer wrote: January 3rd, 2023, 5:38 pm
babs wrote: January 3rd, 2023, 11:55 am

Probably because Costco purchased the Sears delivery and install business and rebranded it. Right now Costco online maybe the best deal for appliances. The prices aren't any lower but they include enough extras to make a difference.
I have not heard very positive comments about that delivery and install business since Costco took it over. Based on what I hear, it sounds like it is still run by Sears (horribly).
Costco (Innovel) does not handle all of their deliveries. Some brands, including GE, are delivering direct to the customer. I purchased a GE washer and dryer set through Costco and did not know this. I also purchased an LG refrigerator. The Innovel folks came right on time (maybe a few minutes early) with the fridge and they were fantastic. GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.

Eventually I did get the GE washer and dryer and had problems. GE rescheduled me multiple times on an exchange and never got it done. I called Costco even though it was past the 90 day return policy and it took them a day to get approval for return out of policy but they made GE come out and eat the washer and dryer. I purchased an LG set to replace. Innovel delivered that too, again early to appointment and just a fantastic, detail oriented crew. The delivery was very challenging because they basically only had an inch of leeway through the doorframe. The GE set had failed because they damaged them getting the units through the challenging hallway to my laundry room - apparently they damaged them (possibly dropped them - I wasn't there for that GE delivery unfortunately) as there were machine screws that had been replaced and they were not in correctly which caused the entire machine to shake on the pedestal.

Every single aspect of the Innovel delivery from Costco was great both times they were out.

I noticed that in reviews for GE appliances on Costco.com there are lots of negative comments about how horrible the delivery service was. I don't think those folks know that if you buy a GE appliance from anywhere that GE themselves will deliver and the experience will be horrific. I spoke to multiple supervisors at GE and they literally lied to me, then when I confronted them about the lie they basically just switched to "we can't help you." GE had the model in stock for delivery in 11 days, yet magically they kept saying I would need to wait another month for an exchange due to out of stock. I asked if they are lying to me, or lying to the customer who can place an order right now for delivery in 11 days - because clearly someone is being lied to. I did send a note to the Costco escalation team and told them that they really need to drop GE as a brand as they reflect back poorly on Costco. I think this is why you are hearing their delivery experience is bad - they can't control the 3rd party requirements for brands like GE, but neither can any other retailer.

I purchased a stove from Best Buy, their delivery was good. Purchased a backordered dishwasher and installation from Lowe's. It arrived two weeks earlier than expected and it was a trouble free experience. None of them were particularly great.

I purchased a garage freezer from Home Depot. My God. They are the absolute worst at delivery and policy. Their return policy is same as a new car, once it arrives its yours period. 48 hours to request an exchange and after that they couldn't care less if it explodes like a bomb. Communication was terrible. It arrived late, scratched and dented. They told me if I refused it they were out of stock and I could have to wait two months. I asked how much of a deduction they would make for the scratch and dent which were on the side and not really terrible. They called a supervisor and after going around ten minutes they asked if I would agree to a $75 refund. I accepted and they said all I need to do is call the customer service line for Home Depot and they will refund over the phone. Called Home Depot an hour later and they refused to honor the agreed upon $75 and claimed that they were not called and they were not responsible for a verbal agreement with the delivery crew. Said "they aren't Home Depot so they can't agree to anything on our behalf." Then they tried to offer me $20 instead. I told them that I'm sure they get many customers who are capable of raising hell, but few actually do it and I am the one that will find a way to be on the phone directly with the CEO today if they don't back off the BS and give me the $75 we agreed to. It took nearly two hours on the phone and multiple supervisors and managers before someone would finally agree to the damned $75. I guarantee that they spent at least 3 times that in payroll for the various supervisors and managers who all wanted to rip me off. The final insult was that the person who finally agreed to the refund could not do it over the phone and had to leave it in the system so I had to drive back to the store to get it. I will never buy so much as a bag of nuts from Home Depot again.

Without a doubt Costco's Innovel delivery was far above everyone else in speed, quality, professionalism, and punctuality. And they're the only one that has a fair return policy that will stand behind your purchase. Costco first every time for appliances.
You sound like me when dealing with consumer issues. Love it!!!

Same experience with Home Depot for me. Costco and LG get my votes as well. Best Buy? NOT so much. It depends on the location and whom you are dealing with at corporate.

I will take it to the top as well if the issue is not resolved fairly.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Post by buckguy »

veteran+ wrote: January 5th, 2023, 7:35 am
ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm
storewanderer wrote: January 3rd, 2023, 5:38 pm I have not heard very positive comments about that delivery and install business since Costco took it over. Based on what I hear, it sounds like it is still run by Sears (horribly).
Costco (Innovel) does not handle all of their deliveries. Some brands, including GE, are delivering direct to the customer. I purchased a GE washer and dryer set through Costco and did not know this. I also purchased an LG refrigerator. The Innovel folks came right on time (maybe a few minutes early) with the fridge and they were fantastic. GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.

Eventually I did get the GE washer and dryer and had problems. GE rescheduled me multiple times on an exchange and never got it done. I called Costco even though it was past the 90 day return policy and it took them a day to get approval for return out of policy but they made GE come out and eat the washer and dryer. I purchased an LG set to replace. Innovel delivered that too, again early to appointment and just a fantastic, detail oriented crew. The delivery was very challenging because they basically only had an inch of leeway through the doorframe. The GE set had failed because they damaged them getting the units through the challenging hallway to my laundry room - apparently they damaged them (possibly dropped them - I wasn't there for that GE delivery unfortunately) as there were machine screws that had been replaced and they were not in correctly which caused the entire machine to shake on the pedestal.

Every single aspect of the Innovel delivery from Costco was great both times they were out.

I noticed that in reviews for GE appliances on Costco.com there are lots of negative comments about how horrible the delivery service was. I don't think those folks know that if you buy a GE appliance from anywhere that GE themselves will deliver and the experience will be horrific. I spoke to multiple supervisors at GE and they literally lied to me, then when I confronted them about the lie they basically just switched to "we can't help you." GE had the model in stock for delivery in 11 days, yet magically they kept saying I would need to wait another month for an exchange due to out of stock. I asked if they are lying to me, or lying to the customer who can place an order right now for delivery in 11 days - because clearly someone is being lied to. I did send a note to the Costco escalation team and told them that they really need to drop GE as a brand as they reflect back poorly on Costco. I think this is why you are hearing their delivery experience is bad - they can't control the 3rd party requirements for brands like GE, but neither can any other retailer.

I purchased a stove from Best Buy, their delivery was good. Purchased a backordered dishwasher and installation from Lowe's. It arrived two weeks earlier than expected and it was a trouble free experience. None of them were particularly great.

I purchased a garage freezer from Home Depot. My God. They are the absolute worst at delivery and policy. Their return policy is same as a new car, once it arrives its yours period. 48 hours to request an exchange and after that they couldn't care less if it explodes like a bomb. Communication was terrible. It arrived late, scratched and dented. They told me if I refused it they were out of stock and I could have to wait two months. I asked how much of a deduction they would make for the scratch and dent which were on the side and not really terrible. They called a supervisor and after going around ten minutes they asked if I would agree to a $75 refund. I accepted and they said all I need to do is call the customer service line for Home Depot and they will refund over the phone. Called Home Depot an hour later and they refused to honor the agreed upon $75 and claimed that they were not called and they were not responsible for a verbal agreement with the delivery crew. Said "they aren't Home Depot so they can't agree to anything on our behalf." Then they tried to offer me $20 instead. I told them that I'm sure they get many customers who are capable of raising hell, but few actually do it and I am the one that will find a way to be on the phone directly with the CEO today if they don't back off the BS and give me the $75 we agreed to. It took nearly two hours on the phone and multiple supervisors and managers before someone would finally agree to the damned $75. I guarantee that they spent at least 3 times that in payroll for the various supervisors and managers who all wanted to rip me off. The final insult was that the person who finally agreed to the refund could not do it over the phone and had to leave it in the system so I had to drive back to the store to get it. I will never buy so much as a bag of nuts from Home Depot again.

Without a doubt Costco's Innovel delivery was far above everyone else in speed, quality, professionalism, and punctuality. And they're the only one that has a fair return policy that will stand behind your purchase. Costco first every time for appliances.
You sound like me when dealing with consumer issues. Love it!!!

Same experience with Home Depot for me. Costco and LG get my votes as well. Best Buy? NOT so much. It depends on the location and whom you are dealing with at corporate.

I will take it to the top as well if the issue is not resolved fairly.
Installation contractors vary depending on the item with HD, at least---the good thing is that the contractors often can tell you which stores are more competent for ordering and customer service. My epic HD story didn't involve an appliance but a carpet piece---it took months of being strung along---they had lost the order which I only figured out after they put me in touch with the carpet mill. When the piece was finally in the store, they wanted to charge for delivery. I had a verbal on free delivery and the piece was too big for a car---luckily I had no trouble relating chapter and verse about the purchase history and they finally relented when I spoke to a manager. This was in Atlanta---their HQ city at what was then their flagship store, where customer service was no better than anywhere else.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Post by Super S »

ClownLoach wrote: January 5th, 2023, 12:18 am
mbz321 wrote: January 4th, 2023, 9:55 pm Funny enough, my folks' washing machine broke down a few days ago and isn't easily DIY-Fixable like I try to do to most of their appliances. Washing machines these days seem to get worse the higher in price you climb, so I suggested they get the cheapest one possible, which I found to be a 'Kenmore' top load washer at Costco. (It's just a rebadge of the very basic Amana/Whirlpool unit that every big box carries, but its an old design that really has rave reviews in comparison to more expensive models). At $449 with delivery and all included, it's a steal (I think that sale price ended today though). We'll see how delivery goes. (And hopefully the appliance outlives the still Sears-backed? product Warranty!)
I am curious about the washers and dryers under that Kenmore name and who is really manufacturing them. The refrigerators are being made by LG, at least the better models that have water filters and air filters. They're the exact same part and it even says works with Kenmore models. I found some sellers on Amazon who were selling the Kenmore branded air filters 4 for $9.99 while the LG branded one was $14.99 for one. Figure they cleaned out some liquidation sales, or they shoplifted them. Decided not to go with that. I went with a 3rd party air filter because it basically is the same fabric as a face mask just cut into a square in a plastic box, seems to really not do much at all. I did not consider anything but an authentic LG water filter because I figure if a 3rd party one leaks I'm going to get a destroyed fridge and a flooded house since it is placed in the ceiling compartment of the refrigerator.

So I wonder if Whirlpool is still making Kenmore or if it is all LG now?
I remember at one point Sears had a falling out of sorts with Whirlpool and most Whirlpool branded products disappeared from Sears around the same time. I seem to remember though that there were still some Kenmore-branded appliances that continued to be manufactured by Whirlpool.

LG, as well as the other competing Korean brand Samsung, seem to be very hit-or-miss on their quality. I do have a Samsung phone, but avoid these two companies for appliances.

The one thing Sears historically did right was having offsite warehouses in most towns where they had stores, and often had the appliances in stock. Sometimes you could pick these up yourself if you had a truck. Delivery was handled locally and usually was just a day or two. This is a shortcoming of both Lowe's and Home Depot. While they do sometimes have more basic refrigerators in stock at the stores, the vast majority of what they have is offsite, and often in another town, and there is no customer pick-up option at the warehouse, which is why it can take a week or two for appliances to arrive.

Larger cities such as Portland have large appliance stores such as Standard TV & Appliance, which has a warehouse down the road. I have made the drive and used them several times when I was in immediate need of something, most recently it was a washer and dryer. Even factoring in gas and the rental of an enclosed U-Haul trailer, it was still less money than the big chain stores.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Post by ClownLoach »

Super S wrote: January 5th, 2023, 10:03 am
ClownLoach wrote: January 5th, 2023, 12:18 am
mbz321 wrote: January 4th, 2023, 9:55 pm Funny enough, my folks' washing machine broke down a few days ago and isn't easily DIY-Fixable like I try to do to most of their appliances. Washing machines these days seem to get worse the higher in price you climb, so I suggested they get the cheapest one possible, which I found to be a 'Kenmore' top load washer at Costco. (It's just a rebadge of the very basic Amana/Whirlpool unit that every big box carries, but its an old design that really has rave reviews in comparison to more expensive models). At $449 with delivery and all included, it's a steal (I think that sale price ended today though). We'll see how delivery goes. (And hopefully the appliance outlives the still Sears-backed? product Warranty!)
I am curious about the washers and dryers under that Kenmore name and who is really manufacturing them. The refrigerators are being made by LG, at least the better models that have water filters and air filters. They're the exact same part and it even says works with Kenmore models. I found some sellers on Amazon who were selling the Kenmore branded air filters 4 for $9.99 while the LG branded one was $14.99 for one. Figure they cleaned out some liquidation sales, or they shoplifted them. Decided not to go with that. I went with a 3rd party air filter because it basically is the same fabric as a face mask just cut into a square in a plastic box, seems to really not do much at all. I did not consider anything but an authentic LG water filter because I figure if a 3rd party one leaks I'm going to get a destroyed fridge and a flooded house since it is placed in the ceiling compartment of the refrigerator.

So I wonder if Whirlpool is still making Kenmore or if it is all LG now?
I remember at one point Sears had a falling out of sorts with Whirlpool and most Whirlpool branded products disappeared from Sears around the same time. I seem to remember though that there were still some Kenmore-branded appliances that continued to be manufactured by Whirlpool.

LG, as well as the other competing Korean brand Samsung, seem to be very hit-or-miss on their quality. I do have a Samsung phone, but avoid these two companies for appliances.

The one thing Sears historically did right was having offsite warehouses in most towns where they had stores, and often had the appliances in stock. Sometimes you could pick these up yourself if you had a truck. Delivery was handled locally and usually was just a day or two. This is a shortcoming of both Lowe's and Home Depot. While they do sometimes have more basic refrigerators in stock at the stores, the vast majority of what they have is offsite, and often in another town, and there is no customer pick-up option at the warehouse, which is why it can take a week or two for appliances to arrive.

Larger cities such as Portland have large appliance stores such as Standard TV & Appliance, which has a warehouse down the road. I have made the drive and used them several times when I was in immediate need of something, most recently it was a washer and dryer. Even factoring in gas and the rental of an enclosed U-Haul trailer, it was still less money than the big chain stores.
At least on washers and dryers LG has made it to the top of Consumer Reports ratings, and their refrigerators are near the top as well. I'm very happy with both. Yet I bought a LG TV and returned it within a few days - it was a complete piece of junk. Wouldn't connect to Wi-Fi for streaming at all. The bezel was obviously glued to the screen and light leaked all over so the right side of the screen was washed out. I couldn't believe how bad it was. Got a Samsung even though it cost a few bucks more and it is great.

It's interesting that LG seems to be improving in appliances but Samsung still has a terrible reputation for reliability and service. Yet Samsung seems to make the best TV on the market.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Post by veteran+ »

I think you may have gotten a lemon with that LG TV because my new 77 incher is flawless.

🤷
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

Alpha8472 wrote: January 4th, 2023, 5:29 pm I have had 2 Sears refrigerators and both were terrible. They slowly leaked due to defects and warped my kitchen flooring.
How times have changed (and not for the better)-my parents bought a Sears Coldspot refrigerator at some point in the early to mid '60's and they brought it along when we moved to Pa. towards the end of 1966. We moved back to NY in mid-1980 and that same appliance made the return trip with us and finally ended up giving up the ghost in 1992.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) 2023: Finally the end?

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.
What a contrast to a kitchen range I purchased a few years ago at a local appliance store. They are one of the largest independent appliance and furniture retailers in this part of NYS and I've purchased from them before. Anyways, I buy the item and there was a nominal charge for delivery and it's scheduled for a specific day and time. The day arrives and at some point I get a call from the store saying they had issues with their delivery trucks that morning (it was the end of December and brutally cold so none of them started) and they would be late but they would still be there that day. I was OK with that. They call again after that and say the truck that my stove was on had gotten stuck in snow down a dead end road and they would still be there but it would be very late and at that point they offer me a deal. They said if I still wanted the item today they would deliver it but if I would be willing to reschedule for a few days later they would refund the delivery charge. Everybody wants to save a few dollars here and there so I said sure. THAT'S how you handle an issue. I'll absolutely do business with these people again.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) 2023: Finally the end?

Post by storewanderer »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: January 6th, 2023, 3:23 pm
ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.
What a contrast to a kitchen range I purchased a few years ago at a local appliance store. They are one of the largest independent appliance and furniture retailers in this part of NYS and I've purchased from them before. Anyways, I buy the item and there was a nominal charge for delivery and it's scheduled for a specific day and time. The day arrives and at some point I get a call from the store saying they had issues with their delivery trucks that morning (it was the end of December and brutally cold so none of them started) and they would be late but they would still be there that day. I was OK with that. They call again after that and say the truck that my stove was on had gotten stuck in snow down a dead end road and they would still be there but it would be very late and at that point they offer me a deal. They said if I still wanted the item today they would deliver it but if I would be willing to reschedule for a few days later they would refund the delivery charge. Everybody wants to save a few dollars here and there so I said sure. THAT'S how you handle an issue. I'll absolutely do business with these people again.
That is a real stream of errors though weather issues are weather issues and I am understanding of that (someone with no refrigerator that works may not be so understanding), once they rescheduled how was their service for the install? I'd be satisfied if the reschedule resulted in a seamless delivery experience.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) 2023: Finally the end?

Post by ClownLoach »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: January 6th, 2023, 3:23 pm
ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.
What a contrast to a kitchen range I purchased a few years ago at a local appliance store. They are one of the largest independent appliance and furniture retailers in this part of NYS and I've purchased from them before. Anyways, I buy the item and there was a nominal charge for delivery and it's scheduled for a specific day and time. The day arrives and at some point I get a call from the store saying they had issues with their delivery trucks that morning (it was the end of December and brutally cold so none of them started) and they would be late but they would still be there that day. I was OK with that. They call again after that and say the truck that my stove was on had gotten stuck in snow down a dead end road and they would still be there but it would be very late and at that point they offer me a deal. They said if I still wanted the item today they would deliver it but if I would be willing to reschedule for a few days later they would refund the delivery charge. Everybody wants to save a few dollars here and there so I said sure. THAT'S how you handle an issue. I'll absolutely do business with these people again.
What GE is doing will be the end of mom and pop stores that stand by their brand. GE will not be shipping physical inventory to anyone. They will control all deliveries to their own contracted people. The mom and pop store will look incompetent when GE screws up, but they have no control.
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Re: TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) 2023: Finally the end?

Post by pseudo3d »

ClownLoach wrote: January 22nd, 2023, 11:02 pm
TW-Upstate NY wrote: January 6th, 2023, 3:23 pm
ClownLoach wrote: January 4th, 2023, 3:20 pm GE never showed up at all and rescheduled after I waited 12 hours and multiple phone calls.
What a contrast to a kitchen range I purchased a few years ago at a local appliance store. They are one of the largest independent appliance and furniture retailers in this part of NYS and I've purchased from them before. Anyways, I buy the item and there was a nominal charge for delivery and it's scheduled for a specific day and time. The day arrives and at some point I get a call from the store saying they had issues with their delivery trucks that morning (it was the end of December and brutally cold so none of them started) and they would be late but they would still be there that day. I was OK with that. They call again after that and say the truck that my stove was on had gotten stuck in snow down a dead end road and they would still be there but it would be very late and at that point they offer me a deal. They said if I still wanted the item today they would deliver it but if I would be willing to reschedule for a few days later they would refund the delivery charge. Everybody wants to save a few dollars here and there so I said sure. THAT'S how you handle an issue. I'll absolutely do business with these people again.
What GE is doing will be the end of mom and pop stores that stand by their brand. GE will not be shipping physical inventory to anyone. They will control all deliveries to their own contracted people. The mom and pop store will look incompetent when GE screws up, but they have no control.
Probably a result of the fact that GE no longer owns their appliance division, it's 90% a company out of China and 10% KKR. It has been that way since 2016.
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