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Frustration is a terrible thing

[Today’s run: 3.5 miles]

I found myself shouting at a person on the phone today.  I don’t like it when that happens.  My dear wife says it was warranted.  I don’t think so.

We have had a Sears Home Warranty for just over a year.  I was wondering at the time we started this whether it would turn out to be a good idea.  The answer is coming in and it is a resounding no.

In mid September we called in on some trouble with our dishwasher.  They came out, we paid our “deductible” and they went away until the parts arrived.  They came back and installed the parts,  fixed the problems.

Then our laundry washer went out in early October (on the Day of Things Breaking) and we got a different guy to come out this time.  He said the washer was a total loss.  He said they should buy us a new one.  But they don’t want to buy us a new one, they want to give us partial credit towards a new one.  (They even offered to help us buy one from their subsidiary which “ta da” sells appliances.)

We’ve been wrangling around for two weeks about their evil attempts to dodge the contract based on technicalities  (is a “basket” also a “tub”?).  They have a nice little clause in the contract that if you quit in the middle of your annual term they will ask for all of their money back.. all of the money that you never saw because they gave it to their contracted repairmen to make overpriced repairs on your appliances.

Kids, let this be a lesson to you.  Never, never, never, never sign up for a home appliance warranty with Sears Home Warranty or with the actual company who administers this scam: Cross Country Home Services.  You’ll be sorry.

So, speaking to the “please cancel our contract” person today, she was telling me we owe them 300-some-odd dollars while I think I’m already being generous, giving in to their weaseling out of the washer they owe us.  Which they are.  Weaseling out that is.  I shouted.  I shouted a lot.  I told her she works for an evil company.  She should have some self respect and find a better job.  She shouldn’t have to listen to me shout.  I asked, she said, No, there are no supervisors available. (the only thing she said that I was 100% sure was a lie.)  We are supposed to receive a “supervisors call back” tomorrow.  We’ve gotten a supervisor call back before regarding the washer they owe us but are not going to give us.  The supervisor was slightly more helpful in that case but ultimately another dead end.

At this point we would be happy to forego the new washer they owe us and just be rid of them.  But they are now fussing about what I suspect is the dishwasher money, I think.  We didn’t get far enough to get that straightened out…even though we made the claim during our “last year” period.. but the actual repair, after their delay, was done during the “this year” period.  Right now I don’t know how this is going to turn out.

Don’t do it.  You’ll be sorry.

Back to frustration:  I don’t like anger and confrontation, particularly on my own behalf.  I can see some purpose in it when it is advocating for someone else.  Angry me is not someone I like being around.

3 replies on “Frustration is a terrible thing”

I feel for you. The Sears name means nothing these days.
We have an insurance “policy” for our portion of the home sewer line in case of failure. Thankfully haven’t had to test it…yet.

My comparatively minor frustration this week involves the power company and a neighbor’s dead weed tree. You know the kind of tree that started out as a weed with a dozen shoots and was allowed to grow to thirty feet and die.
We went out to the car Sunday morning and two of the shoots were resting on the alley main power line. By the time we returned from church a contractor for MidAmerican was in the alley preparing to cut those down. Someone called about it while we were gone.
They had them cut down in about fifteen minutes. The contractor placed all of it in our yard…not in the yard of the tree owning neighbor.
Since the remains never got picked up or run through the mulched, I called MidAm yesterday to see what the deal was.
The guy was nice, but his answer was completely unsatisfactory. Their only responsibility when it comes to emergency tree removal is to get the limbs off the line. If their contractor randomly decides to place the residue on our property in error it’s our responsibility to take care of it. His advice, “I guess you should talk to your neighbor and see if they want the wood.”
I was steaming, but told the guy it wasn’t his fault they have an irresponsible policy and hire irresponsible contractors.
Mike said this probably deserves a letter.
Also, the neighbor next door to the tree owner (tree is across the alley from us), called the city to complain about a chunk of it that came down in his yard. Not sure anything will be done there. It’s my understanding if a tree on the property line naturally gets into our yard we are responsible. I don’t have a problem with that. My issue is with the deliberate placing of the tree refuse on property it was never even close to.
Can’t wait to move to the country where our problems will be entirely of our own making – haha!

A happy result would be that you list “free wood” on Craigslist and it all disappears.

I’m betting anyone in customer service tells their kids every day: “stay in school.” It’s a low end crappy job but bills gotta be paid. In this case there were supervisors but they truthfully were not “available” cuz that’s management policy. The same management that measures everything they do and rates them on it, tells them when they can take a break, tells them they have to stay late or can’t take time off to see their kid in the school musical…

I agree about warranties – don’t bother. They decide who works on your stuff _and_ their role is to deny claims, bottom line. But I do think the depreciated value of the appliance makes sense vs. new price in full. If you are ahead or near break even on the dishwasher then complete the year, write a letter to your state AG and the BBB and move on.

If it’s any consolation, I think home appliances are cheap when comparing to the alternative, in this case laundromat or tub and wash board or beating laundry with rocks down at the river.

BTW if you do get a new washer, we have a Bosch front loader and love it. It takes an hour to do a load but does a fantastic job. It came with the place. The spin dry mode goes a bazillion RPM.

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