Stores, Department - Sears treadmill stopped working

Complaints.com received this e-message on July 22, 2000:

From:

RE: SEARS SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Our treadmill stopped working and since we maintain a service agreement on it with Sears, I phoned them for repair. The repairman came to the house and said it needed a new motor which he would have to order and after it was received at our house, he would return and install it. He scheduled the return visit for the P.M. of July 21. On that morning he phoned me at 7:10 A.M. to say he would be at my house "before noon". I said, "before noon?" and he answered "yes". I said this would be fine. My husband was just then leaving for work so I told him with pleasure that Sears was coming before noon which was great since this would free up my afternoon to do errands. I waited and waited and finally telephoned repair service at approximately 2:00 P.M. (which I feel demonstrates my patience). I was told he had left the area where he was (at 1:39) and I was his next call. She stated her records showed that he was scheduled for between 12 and 2 but I told her about his call saying he'd be here before noon. She said she would have him phone me but I said that instead of having him pull over to do that, since he was headed to my house, I would just wait for him. He did not show up! I phoned again at 2:30 and was told he was in Los Angeles (an area completely away from mine - Pasadena) and I told her my story and she said she'd have him phone me. He did shortly and I told him that he had phoned me at 7:10 A.M. to say he'd be here before noon and he said that HE DID NOT PHONE ME! He stated that he makes his phone calls between 7:30 and 8:00 A.M. and that he was assigned my repair job at 9:00 A.M. I asked him, "who called me?" and he said he didn't know. I remarked to him that both he and the man who had phoned me had accents. He now said that I was his last call of the day and that he would be here at 5:00 P.M. or so. I called Sears Repair Service and got a man in Texas. I started out by asking him to whom this call was initially assigned (the day before) and he gave me the man's last name and technician number. I asked to whom it was reassigned this morning and he said it was NOT reassigned, that the original technician had the call. I asked for the local office that does the actual assigning and he transferred me to them. She confirmed that it was the same person that had the repair call all along, that it had not been reassigned to anyone else. I asked her to cancel the service call which was now scheduled between 5 and 7 (her records showed that time). I told her how he had lied to me about "not having phoned me in the morning" and "that the call had been assigned to him at 9:00". I told her I was frightened to have him come to my house. She cancelled this call and has now scheduled it again for a different repairman to come next Tuesday. As far as them changing the scheduled time for the repair call I reminded her that there is a law which states a business must give a "four hour window" of when the repairman will come and that Sears had broken this law (in addition to the egregious way in which the repairman had treated me). But, just try to prove any of this!!!!! I'm sure there would be lies all around!!!!! So, I'll see what next Tuesday brings. I think it is AWFUL how we consumers are abused so by these companies. I am giving you my e-mail address so that you can pass this complaint onto Sears. Thank you for your wonderful service. Nancy