World of Washers

Sears remains one of the top sellers of major appliances in the nation. This is despite the fact that their prices tend to be somewhat high, many of their salespeople are incompetent boobs (but then again, you can get that anywhere), and you may not know what you are getting when you buy Kenmore. But the worst aspect of purchasing a major appliance from Sears comes when the thing needs service.

It's becoming cliche, but the fact remains "they don't make 'em like they used to". That is especially true in major appliances. With a few exceptions, gone are the days when you could buy a washing machine and expect it to last twenty years. This stuff just breaks.

If you bought a Kenmore-brand appliance from Sears, and you need a service call during the warranty period, then it sucks especially bad for you since you will be dealing with A&E Factory Service. This is also true if you purchased a Whirlpool-brand appliance, although there are many Whirlpool-authorized servicers out there, enabling you to bypass A&E Factory Service.

So what's so bad about A&E?

Here's a link for you. A&E is notorious for doing shoddy work and treating customers like crap, in addition to drastically over-charging for their "services".

There is a great thread over at GardenWeb filled with many people offering their experiences (some good, mostly bad) in dealing with A&E Factory Service. If you are considering making a purchase from Sears, I would strongly suggest you read through this thread.

My advice is to avoid buying from Sears at all. But if you must, at least be aware of what you may be getting into.