Craftsman tool warranty - out of stock

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Messages
29,553
Location
Near the beach in Delaware
Sears just published new guidelines for out of stock warranty replacements. They will not order a replacement by calling the Craftsman phone number nor break open a set. You will be given a gift certificate and you can then order the replacement yourself.
 
That sucks. How will they determine exactly how much it will cost (including shipping) to order the replacement tool off the website?
 
Hello, The question, "How will they determine exactly how much it will cost (including shipping) to order the replacement tool off the website?, can be answered by going on the website; hopefully a streamlined, in-house version (yeah, right).

It doesn't have to be bad though my hopes wouldn't be too high either.

One thing to keep in mind is that the "cabinet" of Sears replacement tools was becoming a forgotten child. They often didn't have what I broke.

Maybe this system can work. Maybe they want you to order through the website and will do a good job. Kira
 
Ace Hardware carries Craftsman tools, what is their guidelines on this?

I would go that route, soon their stores will outnumber all the closing Sears branded stores(Sears, Hometown, essentials,etc)

I also like Ace Hardware free ship to store....and the people working there are actually helpful. Also there is Ace Rewards program, and they don't try to sell you an extended warranty.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
Ace Hardware carries Craftsman tools, what is their guidelines on this?

I would go that route, soon their stores will outnumber all the closing Sears branded stores(Sears, Hometown, essentials,etc)

I also like Ace Hardware free ship to store....and the people working there are actually helpful. Also there is Ace Rewards program, and they don't try to sell you an extended warranty.



I actually just noticed this recently, and it looked like my Ace had some older stock Made in USA stuff that isn't now made in USA.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
Hello, The question, "How will they determine exactly how much it will cost (including shipping) to order the replacement tool off the website?, can be answered by going on the website; hopefully a streamlined, in-house version (yeah, right).


Yes, I thought of this as well. But here's the issue, to properly determine the exact shipping cost they'll need at least your zip code. At that point it would be almost no additional work to actually order the replacement item.

I'm still not a Sears hater, at least not completely. But they sure do botch a lot of things and I don't see this going the way it's supposed to.

I would rather they start cracking down on warranty abuse, instead of putting this step in the way of completing transactions. I can only assume this is aimed at reducing warranty costs by creating another step that some people won't complete.

Do we know if these refunds will include the shipping charges? If they don't include that, and only include the price of the item itself on the gift card, then this is complete garbage.
 
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
Ace Hardware carries Craftsman tools, what is their guidelines on this?


Whether or not they follow this policy, there have been a good number of posts on Garage Journal saying some Ace locations won't warranty Craftsman tools without a receipt or otherwise aren't as easy as one would expect.
 
Another reason I buy my tools at Harbor Freight now. Sears Craftsman used to be THE tool for the pedestrain mechanic. Not anymore. They HAD a pedigree of good tools backed by a lifetime warranty. They had gotten pretty chinsy lately and this takes the cake. You can buy an equal quality tool at HF for less money, and they will replace anything. Bye bye Sears. This was you final lifeline.
 
Craftsman and Sears to me look like bankruptcy is in their near future. I buy tools from Amazon.com (S&K, Apex), Home Depot (Crescent, Channel lock, USA made Stanley, Empire, Husky) since they're so easy to exchange. Husky from Home Depot is Made in USA, Mexico or China but so are Craftsman and are easy to obtain warranty exchanges even without a receipt.
 
All sears stuff is from china, its on par with Harbor freight with nicer packaging, maybe a grade higher, not by much.

Sears is loosing their A$$ financially, they could be out of business in a few years.
 
Start buying your tools at the local parts store and stop the Sears madness.Its only a matter of time before Sears goes bust,and your warranty is worthless.Gear Wrench,Performance Tool,Lisle,and others all offer a lifetime warranty.Who needs Sears afterall?
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Sears just published new guidelines for out of stock warranty replacements. They will not order a replacement by calling the Craftsman phone number nor break open a set. You will be given a gift certificate and you can then order the replacement yourself.


This is a real shame. Craftsman was at one time a real alternative for young mechanics with limited funds and you could really work with them.
Now it seems they are not even an alternative to big box store rubbish never mind professional tools.
 
Not to hijack the thread but a related issue...Our Sears opens at 10 AM most days. Across the street is a Tractor Supply that opens at 7 AM. They sell all manner of tools there and at 8AM there is often a line at the register of folks buying tools, mowers, etc. I asked the Sears store manager why they don't open their hardware area earlier and the answer was "It is against store policy." Apparently it is against store policy to make more money and help the customer.

So no more Craftsman stuff for me. It is easier and more convenient to deal with Tractor Supply, Ace, Lowes, etc that are open when I need them to be.
 
Got that right.

I FOUND a HD Husky ratchet on the side of the road. Looked like it fell off a truck. Ratchet mechanism missing.

Stopped the car, picked it up, found out Husky was HD tool, took it in and had a replacement ratchet. Not bad for 5 minutes work
smile.gif


Originally Posted By: anndel
Craftsman and Sears to me look like bankruptcy is in their near future. I buy tools from Amazon.com (S&K, Apex), Home Depot (Crescent, Channel lock, USA made Stanley, Empire, Husky) since they're so easy to exchange. Husky from Home Depot is Made in USA, Mexico or China but so are Craftsman and are easy to obtain warranty exchanges even without a receipt.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: Donald
Sears just published new guidelines for out of stock warranty replacements. They will not order a replacement by calling the Craftsman phone number nor break open a set. You will be given a gift certificate and you can then order the replacement yourself.


This is a real shame. Craftsman was at one time a real alternative for young mechanics with limited funds and you could really work with them.
Now it seems they are not even an alternative to big box store rubbish never mind professional tools.


They took a quantum leap backwards years ago. It was once an iconic company. Now its treading water trying to stay alive, but its pretty safe to say they did it to themselves.
 
Sears is a huge company with a lot going for it. The issue is while it takes in a lot of revenue, it does not make a lot of profit. It also has an extensive warehousing system and parts and repair.

I am not sure they know what kind of store they want to be. They try to reduce costs by having cheaper products like Craftsman tools made in China. Are they trying to sell tools a little less quality than Snap-On or compete with HF?

The issue is people expect more from a Craftsman tool than a HF tool.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
This is a real shame. Craftsman was at one time a real alternative for young mechanics with limited funds and you could really work with them.
Now it seems they are not even an alternative to big box store rubbish never mind professional tools.

I have a 70+ pieces set made in USA Craftsman ratchets and sockets I bought late 70's early 80's for a very reasonable price of around $100-150. They are much better in quality than the newer ratchets and sockets I saw at Sears few months ago.
 
If you break the ratchet and come in for a replacement, you will be given a rebuilt made in China. They probably do not have rebuild kits for the one you have.

We probably give out 3 or 4 rebuilt ratchets a day along with a few sockets and screwdrivers.

The garden hose is something to consider buying. If it breaks, you cut off the ends and bring them in for a new hose.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top