Today I brought most of my screwdrivers, torx and nut drivers in for warranty exchange. I use my tools allot and have never had any issues with calming the warranty until today. I went to the section and matched all of the part numbers then took them to the counter, The counter helper was new and was not sure how to do a large exchange, so he asked a lady to help him, She looked at the pile of tools and informed me that she could not exchange most of them because they were not "broken" I informed her that all of them had issues like wear and I was not "completely satisfied" with them and I would like an exchange. I was told that sears could not exchange tools because " I could not take care of them" Wow!!

I then asked to speak to the store manager and was informed that the manager was off and that she was the assistant manager. I noticed her name tag did not say "manager" it looked like a normal name tag. When she saw us looking at her name tag she turned it around so we could not see it.

When did sears stop the craftsman warranty? I thought this memo was the "rules" for exchange.

Subject: Craftsman Hand Tool Lifetime Warranty
There have been several news articles and emails regarding customers being denied Craftsman Hand Tool exchanges for reasons that are not part of the warranty. We’ve had specific complaints of denied exchanges based on:
- Tools having rust on them
- A 3 Piece per day limit on exchanges
These are NOT valid reasons for denying our customers their right to exchange their Craftsman Tools under the Lifetime Warranty.
The warranty states: “If for any reason your Craftsman hand tool ever fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it to any Sears store or other Craftsman outlet in the United States for free repair or replacement. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.”
Our Craftsman Hand Tool Lifetime Warranty is one of the most important competitive advantages we have in the market. It is crucial that we ensure all of our sales associates are trained to understand all the hand tools that are covered under this warranty.

 

There is no reason your tools should have been denied being exchanged. I would return to the store tomorrow and ask to speak right away to the store manager. Tell him what happened and ask for your tools to be exchanged. It's pretty clear the "assistant manager" didn't know what she was talking about.

 

it has been several years, but I never had an issue returning screwdrivers etc because of wear. they gladly exchanged them. which is why almost all my tools are craftsman. I know for a fact that they changed the policy on the tape measures and they will not accept them anymore. it would not surprise me to learn they have changed policy on hand tools. if i were you i would send off an e-mail to corporate to see the official policy. if at the very minimum to let that particular store know they are violating corporate policy.

 

I too noticed that its getting harder to exchange tools at Sears. I have a lot of them and I was once told that I couldnt do an exchange beacuse they are not for commercial use, I went in with my uniform on from my shop to exchange a ratchet.

They told me it broke becuase I used it too much due to me being a full time technition, I was baffled and left the store. I dont buy Craftsman anymore becuase of that, and 2 beacuse when you exchange a ratchet you no longer get a new 1 you get a reman.

I will just stick with Snap On or MAC

Sarge

 

I've been buying Kobalt at Lowes and I really like them and they are made at the same plant that makes Snap On, never had a problem returning them.The only reason I started buying them that Lowes was only 3 miles away

 

You mean they make other tools other than Snap-On?

 

The only craftsman tool I have ever had to have warrantied was a 1/2" - 3/8" adaptor that I twisted the 3/8" part off . Its no wonder that Sears is slowly going out of business if they give away free tools when they wear out. Looks like they are realizing the errors of their ways.

 

While I agree that Snap-On makes amazing stuff, some of it is just ridiculously priced. No way in Hell I'll be paying 300+ dollars for a set of 7 allen sockets when I can buy the same thing with lifetime warranty WITH a magnetic tray at Northern Tool down the street for 40 dollars. Also, most things like service kits (ball joint, axle nut, wheel bearing, etc.) I wouldn't even touch from Snap-On because they are 1/5th the price at Harbor Freight. Also, my Snap-On dealer I have now never cuts me a deal on anything. I recently traded my 7 year old Snap-On ball-peen hammer set (5 hammers) in on a set of new Mac anti-vibe ball-peen hammers (5 hammers) because the Mac dealer did it for 40 bucks. Best part of the deal is that the Mac ones are much better! I have Craftsman, Northern, and Harbor Freight stuff at home because its cheap and doesn't get used very often.

 

I have a few Craftsman tools and have never had an issue getting replacements.

MAC tools just sent me rebuild kits for two SpinFlex ratchets I bought in 1995. I went to the website and e-mailed customer service, they answered the next day and I got the kits 3days later. They didn't even charge shipping. Of course the ratchets were expensive as heck When I bought them...

 

i had a 1/2" ratchet that i had to exchange the "new" 1 said made in China.
i have changed to snap-on, s&k

 

i would call the 800 number and rant before going back. i been down this road and also try to spend my money at other places

 

I posted on the craftsman facebook page and recived a reply even though it is the 4th. They are going to call me in the morning,

I am almost 100% craftsman because of the warranty. this is the 1st time I have ever had a problem.

It just pissed me off that she told me that I needed to take better care of my tools.



I have noticed that the older US tools are of better quality.

 

I never really had alot of tools because I was never in the need mechanically, other than your standard flair. Now since buying my 6.0 I have had to use some of these the last couple of years. Im gonna go out on a limb and brag on some cheap tools I have. My wife and I were in walmart one day and there was this suitcase type case with sockets, hammer, tape measure, small cresent, etc. saying it was a Home Use tool kit and was like maybe 20 bucks. My wife said hey theres me a set of tools of my own. Well next to it was the same thing in a black case but was mainly sockets and some allen wrenches and smaller torx wrenches for the same price being sold as an Automotive Tool kit. So I said hey Ill buy that since its cheap and has a decent case. Im here to tell you I have removed 4 injectors, done an egr stealth delete, done 2 stc fitting, dummy plug and standpipe replacements (mine and my paw in laws truck) and this 20 dollar tool set with the exception of various extentions of my dads has done the work. I now keep the set in my truck and plan to buy another to keep in my wifes Excursion. Now Im not saying I would rely on them for a day to day basis but for the price and how theyve held up under use so far Im impressed.

 

I started to give up on the Craftsman tools when I started school for my
A&P certifications. They tend to be larger and not fit well in cramped places.
Also Snap-On recently (if I recall right) had there patent expire on the wrenches
and there is a company called URREA that is making some very good wrenches.
I think that they are In SAN ANTONIO,TEXAS and beat the socks off any thing
from China and are also up there with the Snap-on ones.
Urrea Professional Tools-Home


Sean

 

I hope you got the (asst manager) name if she was one. You can contact sears regional office and let them know the problem. Who knows may get an extra screwdriver out of the deal.