CHICAGO (WLS) — When a much-needed appliance breaks in your home, you may count on a warranty service to step in and make things right.
But some frustrated customers say that’s not what’s happening with Sears Home Services, a warranty company run by the legacy brand Sears.
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They claim repair requests are dragging on for weeks, appointments are canceled at the last minute, and they’re left without the appliances.
Sears Home Services claims they attend to every customer as swiftly as possible, yet the Better Business Bureau notes there have been numerous complaints in a similar vein.
Algonquin resident Mahmoud Khalili says he’s been his cooking without an oven for almost a year and a half.
“I feel very frustrated,” Khalili said.
He pays Sears Home Services $57 a month for his warranty coverage, but he says he’s been getting the runaround.
“I said to her, ‘I’m not sure how you would react if this occurred to you or your family.’ Then the lady on the phone responded, ‘Sorry’ and added, ‘There’s nothing we can do at the moment; we’ll have to escalate your case to upper management,'” Khalili said.
Khalili mentioned that his oven stopped working in June 2024. Initially, he was informed that Sears would replace the part. Next, the part failed to function. Then, they began searching for another part. Eventually, they assured him a payout.
“They told me, ‘In a couple days, you’re going to get the check.’ Which, I didn’t get the check,” Kahlili said.
You can hear his frustration on a call he recorded with a customer service rep in August of this year.
“They told me they are going to send another person to get it fixed. I just keep calling for 13 months, get the same promise!” Kahlili said.
So, he called the ABC7 I-Team for help. After our involvement, Sears Home Services issued a check for almost $1,600, the “full replacement value.”
They apologized for the delay, saying, “We regret the difficulty Mr. Khalili encountered when he was seeking to get his range repaired.”
The company mentioned that a repair was carried out in December 2024, which proved ineffective. They emphasized that their “top priority is ensuring customer satisfaction.”
William Raimondi, a Rosemont resident, also subscribed to a monthly warranty for his combo microwave and oven but was left without both appliances for almost four months.
“They were scheduled to come out, but they canceled repeatedly,” Raimondi explained. “I got frustrated because we would stay home all day, anticipating their arrival, only for them to call and cancel.”
He and his niece say Sears Home Services techs were scheduled to inspect the broken appliance but canceled at least a dozen times.
“Day after day, we sat here and waited and waited and waited,” Raimondi said.
When a technician did show, Raimondi said, “He says, ‘We cannot fix this. We don’t have the parts because the unit is too old. What I’m going to suggest the company is going to reimburse you to go and buy a new one.'”
He finally got a check, after four months, for $2,928.
“I was surprised that they sent it,” Raimondi said.
Sears Home Services said, “We regret the difficulty Mr. Raimondi encountered… We acknowledge there were several times he was rescheduled, and from a customer standpoint, it would feel worse.” The company also said, “We sincerely apologize Mr. Raimondi did not receive the level of service we strive to provide.”
Better Business Bureau President Steve Bernas says it’s common for warranty companies to relay on third-party repair workers.
“Usually, the delay we’re seeing is when Sears hires that third party independent contractors to assist them and basically those contractors are not controlled by Sears so they can cancel or reschedule any given time,” Bernas said. “These complaints with Sears Home Services are in the hundreds as well and they are resolved when brought to their attention by the BBB, some take weeks, some take months”
Sears Home Services points out that it has “an A+ rating with BBB because we work hard to satisfy customers.” The company says, “Parts availability can cause delays, and the unfortunate need to reschedule an appointment.”
Kahlili says he’s excited to get his warranty money, so he doesn’t have any more calls like this one.
“You guys keep promising somebody going to call me or take care of this action. It didn’t happen for 13 months, same story,” Kahlili said in that call.
No matter which company you go with, is it worth buying a warranty on your appliances?
Experts say you should carefully figure out the cost of the warranty versus the cost of replacing it with a new appliance. Research any warranty company and read the fine print to make sure you are fully covered on most types of repairs.
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