Bionic Wrench and Sear's China Import

[Bus]

Have you read about about this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/business/popular-wrench-fights-a-chinese-rival.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[scottg]

Yeah I heard about it.
 Sears has stolen several things over the years. While overall the company has been merely and ordinarily greedy these past 100 years, once in a while something comes along that is just too tempting, and the manufacturer refuses to make them marked with a Sears brand name, at 50% of the usual wholesale price (the standard practice).
 When this happens they just take it.
 
 They have 99 lawyers on staff and can stall until all novelty and sucker sales have worn down.
Even when they eventually lose, the penalty is a slap on the wrist (about like the levy on the oil companies over gouging us).
  And the original maker has exhausted every penny they ever had in legal fees.

  Oh you made 33 billion dollars? You were very bad boys! We are going to have to fine you, you know. It's going to be a nickel ninety eight IN CASH,
  and you will be hearing from my reelection committee --very very-- shortly!"
 yours Scott 
 

[Lostmind]

ABC news brought it up twice, interviewed the company owner. They are featuring made in USA on their
7 PM newscast.  The company had a large influx of orders at Christmas time as a result.

[Ken W.]

The problem is that everyone will forget this in a week.

[OilyRascal]

The problem is that everyone will forget this in a week.

Not everyone.  I am no longer a customer of modern Craftsman brands, or more broadly Sears and/or Kmart for that matter.  If you knew me well, you'd know vowing off Craftsman wasn't taken lightly.

The REAL SHAME here is the negative light it cast on a long history of quality tools, and the stealing from America.  It just makes me want to divest every stitch of Craftsman I own, and I know that really doesn't make sense in solving the problem.

[amertrac]

I have been buying craftsman tools since 1951. in 2009 I bought my last NEW craftsman tool . now I only buy used.

[Branson]

Utterly and absolutely disgusting!  It's theft, not to mention stealing jobs from the US.

Maybe he should hire Dave Carroll to make a video like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

Carroll made Wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breaks_Guitars

And he published a book about his experiences.  "In May 2012, Carroll published a book, United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media..."

[Scotsman1886]

I am in the same boat with sears. They still try and give the illusion of being American made and to me thats almost worse.

I'm leaning towards used, US made tools to use but I do buy HF tools at times. They make no effort to hide their origins.

[Ietech]

I too am never buying anything from sears again. I purchased a recliner from them for $369 for my 89 yo mother in lawand it was delivered with critical parts missing.  After 2 months and well over 20 hours on the phone with them they backed off and removed all charges.

#2 Purchased an $799  exercise machine for my wife for Christmas and it was not delivered. I talked with them and they said they could deliver three weeks after Christmas. I called my credit card Co an filed a dispute --- They denied funds to sears and the problem was solved. I went and bought another hauled it home for a great surprise for my wife, NEVER again will I buy from sears for ANY reason.

Not to mention Craftsman tools these days Suck Pittsburg Brand from HF are at least equal if not better.  AND much less expensive.

[1930]

I too am never buying anything from sears again. I purchased a recliner from them for $369 for my 89 yo mother in lawand it was delivered with critical parts missing.  After 2 months and well over 20 hours on the phone with them they backed off and removed all charges.

#2 Purchased an $799  exercise machine for my wife for Christmas and it was not delivered. I talked with them and they said they could deliver three weeks after Christmas. I called my credit card Co an filed a dispute --- They denied funds to sears and the problem was solved. I went and bought another hauled it home for a great surprise for my wife, NEVER again will I buy from sears for ANY reason.

Not to mention Craftsman tools these days Suck Pittsburg Brand from HF are at least equal if not better.  AND much less expensive.

Theres a phrase you dont hear often ........... exercise machine for my wife for Christmas.............I think we need to see more of this

[lbgradwell]

Yes, I've seen it, but I am happy to see that others are as disgusted as me regarding Sears.

I am also happy to hear that (at least some) people will refuse to buy from this company any longer. I would like to see Sears go out of business (I won't have to wait long) and have it widely known that it was due to a customer revolt that would serve as a cautionary tale to other domestic companies who would consider similar unethical behaviours...

[OilyRascal]

Sears horror stories?

#1)  2003 - At the time I'm "one handed" because I have literally cut the tips of two of my fingers off.  I'm push mowing the lawn (one handed), and run out of gas mid-way.  That's unusual because I always service before use, and I've always mowed within a tank.  Long story short I have a trail of gasoline throughout my nice, plush as carpet, Kentucky bluegrass.   Grass MUST be mowed twice weekly, so I head to Sears saying I've been looking for an excuse for a rider mower.  I pay some $3800+ for a new rider.  Sears staff loads it into my truck (again, I'm one handed).  It comes out of my truck on the interstate before I get home.  It is a loss.   Sears refused to take responsibility for the loss.  The issue is brought to executive management level within Sears Holdings without resolution.

It was 2010 before I would do business with Sears again.  I "swallowed my pride".

#2) 2012 - Wake up one morning and Sears has a sale on their ball-bearing tool boxes.  I've been wanting one (new box set) and had saved money planning on a US General.  I purchased a new 3-tier Craftsman ball-bearing roller box for my personal use.  I purchased it online via Sears.com and out of local store inventory.  I go to the store to pick it up (again already paid for), and I'm told "not in inventory but we have this much much more expensive one".  No thanks!  "OK it will be days, if not weeks, before it arrives and you'll be called."  I had walked past two assembled products the same as I'd purchased when I walked through the store.  The online sales was from that inventory.  The store manager refused to allow me to leave with the inventory I had purchased, and refused to cooperate in getting a timely replacement or refund.  I was cursed at one point by the store manager.  I had this issue escalated to a "regional sales manager", and the store owner, and still received no resolution.  I was left to resolve the financial issue by disputing the charges via my credit card company.

I explained, in letter form, my issues to executive level management at Sears Holdings and received no resolution in either case.  I can fairly say I've provided the people responsible for my issues the opportunity to resolve them.