Sears

Full review
I am trying to buy a dishwasher from Sears, so far without luck.  Researched the brand and model I wanted, and found it at Sears.  The website said it was available for almost immediate delivery.  Went into my local store on 9/08/09 (I wasn't comfortable making that big a purchase sight unseen) and placed my order.  Delivery was scheduled for 9/25/09, later than I had expected based on the web, but acceptable.  Received a call on 9/22 confirming the delivery.  OK.  Received a second call the morning of 9/24 saying that the machine would not be delivered until 10/2.  No coherant reason why.  Complained up and down the system, no help on the delivery date, but the local manager did take 10% off my bill.  Not happy, but I'll live.  This morning, 9/29, I get a call "confirming" delivery on 9/9 as if that was the original agreement.  Not even a we're sorry, but there's been another delay.  I have spoken to managers in their delivery office, at corporate headquarters and at Bosch (the manufacturer) trying to find out what's going on.  At this point I don't know if I can trust the 10/09 delivery date, and will have to place a second embarrased call to my plumber to reschedule disconnecting the old machine and connecting the new one.  If this third delivery date is changed, Sears will have lost a sale and a customer.

Good news - the dishwasher was delivered on 10/9 as scheduled.  I took the sales slip into Sears and they took an additional 10% off (yes, that's a 2nd 10%), plus Bosch sent me a gift card for $100.  Being a reasonably polite squeaky wheel seems to have paid off. 

The problem was apparently due to delays at Bosch's end.  I would have been far less annoyed and much easier on the associates charged with telling me about the delays if they had been upfront about the problem, rather than just "confirming" new dates with no explanation or apology.  The lack of information and communication between the various departments and entities is really inexcusable in this day and age of computer tracked inventories and high-speed communications.  After all, Sears practically invented mail order, they should have a head start on web-based commerce.