Complaint Review: SEARS HOME IMPROVEMENT

promised a  On 3/19/11 I hired Sears Home Improvement for new kitchen cabinets and countertops for over $20,000. They 100%Satisfaction Guarantee. I went with Sears specifically because I could finance the job and I was told I would have a project coordinator/liaison to handle all the elements of the job. We scheduled the job for the end of June so the cabinets could be ordered and so that I could be at my home to oversee the remodel. I was told the job would take 8 days.

The problems I encountered were beyond numerous..the original salesman never left me his contact number, didnt return phone calls, sold me half a kitchen, lied about the time frame for completion, and then quit. Contractors received incorrect & inaccurate paperwork, I didnt hear from anyone for weeks, the financing promotion wasnt ever applied to my bill. Salespeople didnt return emails or calls, specifically refused to take and handle calls, and were rude and unprofessional. Most if not all dumped my problems onto someone else. There were lies told, omissions made, and false promises given. The original contract violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. All the cabinetry wasnt ordered, there were missing fillers, mismatched cabinet drawers, pieces that didnt fit, parts that were piecemealed together, no molding, the floor was ripped apart and left incomplete, the quartz backsplash was made incorrectly, the counter seam broke, the hot water dispenser was broken, the rounded shelving unit was chopped off at the top and squared, the hole for the electric to come down through was way off center, the wrong caulk was used so it all cracked, products were misrepresented, caulking of seams was left undone, and the sink is all scratched inside.

Besides being the most unprofessional humans I have ever encountered, because of Sears I am left with a shelving unit I did NOT authorize to be altered which Sears tell me now they dont have the ability to fix like it was sold to me. I have a scratched up cheap sink installed, a huge hole in my floor left unfinished as well as rigged piecemeal floor in front of my cabinet. As well as the caulking that looks like toothpaste all around my peninsula and caulking that was never even completed as part of finishing the original job. Top that off with 15 weeks of incompetent unprofessional Home
Improvement representatives. Sears Home Improvement is refusing to fix THEIR mistakes. They are being more than unreasonable as I have been ripped off already. I do not think they will even be able to complete the punch list items without ruining something else in the process.

Steve LeChance quit, Jeff Hazelton and Bob Iandoli never returned my calls, Jennifer Dean was no liaison whatsoever, Joe Faccone came into my house and insulted me, the plumber never called back, Marvic never returned my calls, Jennifer LeCompte and Ken Tranoris refused to take my calls or answer emails, Ken lied about offering financial compensation, Jennifer LeCompte offered a utility closet and new floor due to the damage sustained then rescinded her offer without letting me know, Jennifer LeCompte and Patty Norton threatened to send me to collections. Jennifer LeCompte also submitted fraudulent paperwork saying I signed off on the total job being complete so I was billed the remainder of the kitchen on my credit card on 8/19/11, BUT the work is not complete and no form shows otherwise. I signed a paper on the 2nd day of the job that contractors installed the incomplete order of the cabinets that were sent down; so they could get paid for the job, SO THEY SAID.  That was the 2nd day of the work being started, even before the plumber & counters were made or installed. I re-opened the dispute for the kitchen. I have the NEW JERSEY HOME IMPROVEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT ADDENDUM that I was told me not to sign until the entire job is complete. It is still not signed. Sears never even requested the municipally-required inspection after Sears' work on the kitchen.

I contacted almost everyone in Sears Quality Services, Blue Ribbon Services, Client Care Services, and Dispute Services to no avail. I have contacted the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General-Division of Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau. I have also written the President & CEO, the Senior Management team, and the entire Board of Directors whom failed to respond in any manner. On a side note, they refuse to apply my Sears Shop Your Way Rewards points from home improvement. I also purchased all new Sears appliances and 3 of the 4 appliances came damaged and then three of the replacements came damaged as well!!
 
Contrary to the continual lies that I have been told, the pantry and the utility cabinet are NOT $$4000.00 items. I contacted American Cabinetry, Medallion Cabinetry, and various retail stores that sell these pieces. While Sears has once again been deceitful, I have found out for myself these items cost only a fraction of that actual price. The pantry that they sent down to me because the original salesman screwed up the order is not $4000.00. Actually, it can be purchased for $969.00. So all many times as they threw it my face they were actually misleading me again.  Moreover, the utility closet that Jennifer LeCompte said herself that I was missing (and offered verbally & in emails) and that would complete my kitchen due to the salesman oversight, that is not $4000.00 either. It can be purchased for mere $688.00. So it seems once again, that not only wasnt Sears being truthful, but they obviously over-inflate their prices to bilk their customers unknowingly. Rachel Cheek even had the audacity to ask me if I wanted to pay half for one; thus bilking me for more money.

I have fully documented my entire experience with the multitude of inconsistencies, errors and delays. I have been down a labyrinth of calls that went nowhere. I signed a contact with Sears in good faith, but Sears has not acted honestly, in good faith, or fair in this process. Sears is responsible; Sears made misrepresentations by and through their contract, their sales consultant, project manager and the company they subcontracted out the job. Sears promulgated a false sense of security saying "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back", and you dont pay until the job is complete and you are 100% satisfied when you use your Sears Financial Credit Card; that no payment is due until installation is complete, and every Kitchen Remodeling Project from Sears Includes exclusive products and quality installation and a project coordinator to stay with you every step of the way. I didnt and dont have any of that.

The Sears Holdings Corporation Corporate Governance statesSears values honesty, integrity and adherence to the highest ethical standards for all officers. That associates have a duty to do the right thing under all circumstancesto comply with laws and regulations, and to use good judgment in situations where rules may not clearly define the appropriate course of action. Moreover, to exemplify the highest standards of ethical business conduct..Including ensuring that the Code of Conduct is communicated to those associates, contractors, and vendors working for or with the manager.that each associate is responsible for maintaining professionalism when communicating with each other and the public. Interesting that no one complied with this.

I was never asked, informed or consulted. I have been misled, misinformed and mistreated. My consumer rights have been completely violated. Moreover, I have been disrespected, treated horrendously and unprofessionally by many Sears employees. This has been dragged out for 15 weeks. My summer was ruined; my daughters summer was ruined. I have been my own coordinator, my own phone call maker, my own liaison, and my own advocate. Thats what I hired Sears for! Sears failed tremendously, they did not hold up their end of the contract from the beginning, and I will never be 100%satisfied with this kitchen. The time I have wasted I can never get back. What they have done is just plain wrong, legally and morally. The amount of stress, anger, frustration and sadness are irrevocable.  Now, I need someone of authority to bring this matter to the quickest, most professional, and most fair and satisfactory resolution immediately.

I dont believe Rachel Cheek has a full grasp on the exact events that transpired. When I spoke to Rachel Cheek on 9/26 she told me the reason Jennifer LeCompte rescinded her offer for the floor & utility cabinet was because she said,.Jennifer said, that I said that Ken Tranoris had offered the floor & utility cabinet, and when she spoke to Ken Tranoris, he said that I hadnt. That conversation never could have occurred.  The only thing Ken ever mentioned to me was financial compensation after the entire was done. The conversation never went further than that with Ken, ever. Only my Blue Ribbon case worker and I ever discussed that.

Again, it was Jennifer LeCompte who suggested the utility closet & the floor replacement on the one and only telephone call we ever had which was 8/10. We spoke for almost 2 hours. We discussed in length and in great detail the problems from the beginning and how things were mishandled by a variety of people and how it had even gotten to this point.  She told me she should have been the one handling my case to begin with. We also discussed briefly a financial
adjustment to the balance of the bill, as per Ken Tranoris suggestion to me. But the main point of the conversation was when Jennifer LeCompte specifically said that he more she looked at the kitchen pictures, she definitely  agreed that there was asymmetry in my kitchen and suggested that a utility closet be installed on the right side of my kitchen, to complete the kitchen out and look comparable to the pantry door on the other side; gaining some symmetry. Again, never knowing that was an option I was pleased to see some sort of possible resolution available. Then she sent down a contractor to measure, told me she ordered it, and I waited. It was never ordered.

Because so many people are involved in this, stories are becoming distorted and people are now back peddling to cover their mistakes. Moreover, with all these people involved, no one can fully grasp the magnitude of the situation 15+ weeks later. However, as Jennifer LeComptes subsequent emails show, she did offer both items and we agreed upon them verbally as well. As a representative on behalf of Sears, I believed she had the authority to do what she offered. Funny
because now she says I dont need either items, but if I didnt, why would she ever offer them to being with? Food for thought

I have tried in vain to deal with Rachel Cheek in regards to my BBB complain but regardless of the fully documented experience I have, she has taken their word, when they are clearly lying. It is quite disheartening that a company such as Sears is unwilling to negotiate fairly and compromise for their own representatives mistakes and errors.  Sears promotes their guarantee of satisfaction; however that is completely false advertising. At this point they have made it impossible to continue any further. I have been more than willing to reach a settlement, however the staunch position Sears has taken is not only reprehensible but legally, ethically, and morally wrong. Legally, the originally contract violated the Consumer Fraud Act from day one. Morally, Sears has failed to negotiate and mediate this problem fairly or impartially. An objective and unbiased mediation is obviously impossible. Ethically, it is a disgrace that no one seems to have read the Corporate Governance statement much less follow any of what has been set forth for all Sears officers and associates. In vain, I have fully supported my claim, I have tracked names, numbers, documents, dates and times, but it seems as though the truth isnt enough for their company.

Sadly, this is the SHORT version.