Sears took my money and kept the dishwasher
Q
I ordered a dishwasher online through Sears.com. Then I found out that my order would take three to four weeks for delivery. So I canceled the order and went to my local Sears store and bought a dishwasher.
I have called the Sears customer-service number four times. Each time I have been told that the company has sent an email regarding my cancellation and to wait a few days for a response. Today, I called once again, and a representative told me she was sending a “high priority” email and that I should have an answer by the end of the week.
This is ridiculous! All I want is my $322 refund. Can you help me?
— Sadie Carr, Clearlake
A
Sears should have given you an estimated delivery time before your purchase so you could have planned accordingly. Letting you know after the fact — and then dragging its feet on a refund — is something only a deeply troubled company would do.
Oh, wait. Sears IS a deeply troubled company. Sales are falling, operating losses are mounting. No wonder the dishwasher delivery will take three to four weeks. And no wonder your refund is MIA.
Your case shows the importance of paying attention to the financial health of the company you’re doing business with. It could affect the customer-service experience, even if you’re getting a good deal. Also, Sears should have confirmed your cancellation immediately, but it didn’t. Unless you have a written cancellation number or some verification, the company still might treat your order as active.
Your refund should have been almost immediate. But bear in mind that it also depends on your credit card. While Sears may have sent the money back to your card, it can take two to three billing cycles for the credit to appear. That’s almost three months.
This isn’t the experience Sears promised. The company aspires to “deliver a ‘wow’ experience to customers and members,” and to “become the world’s greatest retailer,” among other things (https://searsholdings.com/about/culture). It certainly left you saying “wow” — but not in the way it wants you to.
A brief, polite written appeal to one of the Sears executive contacts I publish on my consumer-advocacy site would have helped: http://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/sears/. I notice that most of your communication with the company happened by phone. A phone call can help in certain situations, but for a refund request, you want to keep it in writing.
I contacted the company about your canceled dishwasher order. Sears sent you a check for $322.