Sears Finally Honors A Home Repair Service Contract

In March, I wrote about the difficulty a friend had getting Sears Home Improvement to honor a Master Service contract she purchased for her home boiler. Recently, Ilene wrote to me via e-mail with an update. Ilene tells it best in her own words:

"May 29, 2011. 10:32 AM
Hi George,

I am so grateful for the efforts you made to get the attention of Sears Home Improvement to give me the service I had paid for and to reimburse me for the bill I had to pay my plumber to restore heat (after 4 days to my home). It really beat suing them in Small Claims Court as I did the year before to get them to pay a $500 bill to my plumber to restore heat in the absence of any service from Sears Home Improvement!)

Stephanie, the woman from the Media Department called me shortly after your call asking her for Sears response to my complaints of no service, despite a Masters Insurance plan that I had purchased. She told me she had looked up the records and admitted, "Sears Home Improvement dropped the ball; you never should have gone for 4 days without heat!!" She asked me what they could do to make it up to me and I told her I certainly believed Sears should reimburse me for the bill I paid to my plumber. She told me to fax it and I received a check in the mail soon thereafter.

Stephanie then called and asked if I was satisfied. I told her I was glad for the reimbursement, but that the installation of the boiler had been faulty. The Installers hadn't skimmed the system as required by the plumbers code and as a result one of the pipes was clogged up and the radiator connected to that pipe had not given any heat since then (2 winters). I thought they should do what was necessary to get that fixed. [Sears] sent an independent contractor to inspect the installation. He spent at least an hour in the basement, so I knew he must have found problems, although he couldn't tell me before he submitted his report to Sears. A week or so later, I was called and told I would receive service and asked to set up an appointment. The contractor came and explained that the entire installation needed to be redone: even the pipes had been pitched in the wrong direction. He spent from about 8:30 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening, completely redoing the installation and creating new piping around the boiler. He also put in a chemical anti-coagulant to clear the clogged radiator pipe.

I have every expectation that this year, my heat will function properly, hopefully eliminating the need to call for service again. But if I do need service, I believe I will receive it, because you with your help, this wheel has squeaked!!

Even to my layman's eye, the new installation is completely different from the old! Now I know why every month since my new "more efficient" boiler was installed, I have received a letter from the gas company saying I am using more heat than any of my neighbors. When I think of the thousands of dollars I paid to insure an efficient boiler, it makes my blood boil to think of the money that I have wasted for the past two years on heat! I even had an energy audit to try and address the problem. Since I am not a plumber, I didn't realize the problem was the faulty installation!! I am sure now that my monthly gas bill will reflect the difference.

Stephanie is supposed to call me on Tuesday to check on how the installation went. She will ask me if I again am completely satisfied now, and I will tell her I am very glad my boiler has finally been installed properly, but I really would like a cash settlement for the money I wasted on gas for two years!! Also, I want to be sure, if I do need service in the future, I will get it, and not be told. "We don't have a contractor in your area" (how ridiculous! I live in Cambridge, Ma., not in Osh Kosh B'Gosh) or be put on hold until I tire of waiting and hang up. (Even now I wish I had kept my old (1920) boiler or had found a different company to buy and install my new one.) It is not that I am ungrateful, but I never should have had to go through all this to get what I paid for!! I am  retired and buying a new boiler was a huge hit to my budget. I was looking for a significant drop in my heating costs which I did not see. On the bright side, I am expecting a lower bill this winter!!

Again, thank you for your efforts. You were a great advocate for me!

Sincerely,
Ilene"

Comments

[Bill G]

George! George! George!

[Jim]

Good job George! You are turning into a consumer advocate.

[George]

Jim:
Thanks for the kinds words. I am very proud of this.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Locksmith NYC]

Bravo to this! Thanks for sharing this great post and good job!

[sabine]

Great, and an added plus that home repair got done! http://constructioncoach.com

[General contractor chicago]

Good Job very inspiring

[seattle home renovation]

I am retired and bought a new boiler has been a huge success for my budget. I'm looking for a significant drop in my heating bills I've seen. On the positive side, I expect a smaller fall this winter!

Good Job indeed.

[Boiler Service Indiana]

Repair Service is what makes us the best in the field of Boiler Repair here in Indiana.