Sears Fraudulent and deceptive advertising of tool bundle Hoffman Estates Illinois
I have been looking for a new tool box and some tools for some time. This past weekend I went to the Sears website and using the search term "combo" found several items within the Tools>Garage & Tool Storage that were quite interesting. In particular I found an item teitled "Craftsman 1169 pc. Tool Set and 26 in. Storage Combo Bundle.
The price was listed as $549.99, just below the price was $6479.91 which was crossed out and below that the words Save $5929.92 thru 12/15/07
Upon selecting the item it took me to screen where all the items wer listed and asked for checkout. When I tried to order the item I kept getting a screen that told me the server was down or there were other problems.
I then went to our local store in Mankato, MN and asked if they had the items in stock; they did not. When I asked them to order the item they also were unable to do so. The clerk called over a department supervisor who was very short with me and said the item must be mispriced. I showed them where there were seeral items on the page that had similar pricing.
Eventually the sales associate (Matt) called someone on a toll-free number and they told him there must be a mistake and there is nothing they can do about it.
I did write to the customer service web address explaining my dilemma and asking that they honor the pricing as outlined in the web site. There has been no response at all from Sears.
Chopper
Mankato, Minnesota
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Chopper
Mankato,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
Reply to Bart
#3Author of original report
Wed, December 12, 2007
I am no so naieve to think tools woud be priced to give them away. I have purchased hundreds of items from Sears over the past 40 years and there are numerous times I have received exceedingly good buys when there were closeouts, damaged, one-of-a-kind, and last stocked item sales.
As exapmle I purchased a complete furnace system for $125 that would have been nearly $2,000 but for the fact it was the last of a line they were discontinuing; the air condidtioner that went with it retailed for over $850 at the time and was just $50 more. During my many years of woodworking I bought several routers for $10 to $15 that retaild for over $100. We purchased a damaged washer/dryer for under $100 when the retail would have been $750 or more.
If you think it is untoward of me to respond to the ad with my past history of really good deals then so be it.
I do not expect something for nothing, but there was no way to determine from the ad (which had 5 different sets priced similarly by the way) that the item was not a supendous deal due to Sears changing from one supplier or style/type of product.
Bart
Springfield,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Clearly the only ripoff here
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, December 10, 2007
would have been you had the purchase actually been made.
Do you REALLY think that they were actually going to sell that for the price you allegedly saw? You're insane to even remotely think so.
Why is no one allowed to make a mistake and it must somehow automatically be a ripoff or bait and switch. Where do people like you get your sense of self-entitlement?
If you don't know the actual fair value price of tools, then maybe you shouldn't be attempting to fix things either. The manuals you would be using also have typos in them so you better just stay away.