Think twice about buying a washing machine from Sears

Bought one of these at Sears with a matching dryer. At the five month mark, the transmission failed in the washing machine. Sears replaced the machine with an identical one and within a month of delivery, the transmission failed in the replacement machine.

To Sears credit, they handled the problem very professionally. They replaced the second GE machine with a Maytag of my choosing. They even gave me the option of replacing the GE again if that was what I wanted. Yeah, right... this GE machine is one to stay away from.

Aside from the tranmission problem noted, the machine doesn't allow for much manual control. It is overengineered at the expense of just getting the job done. For instance, if I wanted to let clothes soak by lifting the lid, as I did on our previous Kenmore washer, the GE would drain the tub after a few minutes. Probably some childproof feature but it was annoying. Also, the machine does an elaborate slow down procedure just before it shuts off, which sounds like a Star Trek sound effect. In lieu of the machine not accomplishing the basic task of not failing, these features seem dopey. Finally, the instruction manual is poorly written...

No wonder GE is tanking.

UPDATED 2/14 - while my experiences with the GE machine were bad enough, my overall experience with Sears was surrealistic.  


As mentioned above, I picked out a Maytag washer and dryer. The dryer was delivered but the washer was not.  My wife contacted Sears on October 16 to inquire about a delivery date for the washer.  She was told the washer would be delivered in one or two days.  However, we heard nothing.  On October 25, I went to Sears and asked about the status of the Maytag washer we had ordered. The sales associate could not retrieve any information and made a call to a woman at another Sears facilty who told me "That Maytag model is no longer available." 

I told this woman "OK, I’m in the showroom looking at another Maytag washer that costs $40 more. But this washer doesn't match the dryer you delivered two weeks ago. If you have this model and a matching dryer I’ll take them but you will have to pick up the dryer that you delivered two weeks ago because this Maytag washer and dryer have silver consoles and the first Maytags I ordered are white."

The woman told me "That Maytag washer is no longer available either and if we pick up the dryer that was delivered two weeks ago, we have to charge a 15% restocking fee..."  The restocking fee was $60.

I told the woman that when I bought the Maytag washer and dryer I was not informed that the washer was not available.  Otherwise, I would not have bought them, as I want a matched pair.  I asked what my options were and was told that if I didn’t want to pay the 15% restocking fee, I could pick out a washer “similar to the dryer that was delivered” two weeks ago.  At that point, I told the woman that I wanted Sears to pick up all merchandise and issue a full refund.  She said that was not possible.

At that point, I asked to speak to the woman’s supervisor.  After the supervisor picked up the phone, I requested that I not be charged a restocking fee for the Maytag dryer that had been delivered. The supervisor agreed to this.  Because I had been told that both Maytag washers on the sales floor were not available, there weren’t many choices left.  I picked out a Kenmore 600 washer and dryer that were on display.  I gave the supervisor the numbers of the washer and dryer and she informed me that the washer was, you guessed it, “not available."

The supervisor then informed me that the Kenmore 600 washer had been replaced with a newer version and gave me the model number of the newer version.  The sales associate and I looked in the showroom for the newer washing machine but it was not on display.  The supervisor suggested that I view it on the Sears website. The associate at the store did a computer search but the washer was not on the Sears website either – a search on the model number resulted in auto parts being displayed. 

At this point, with what seemed to be ever-decreasing choices available to me, I agreed to the delivery of the newer washer IF it matched the Kenmore 600 dryer on the sales floor.  I asked the supervisor if they matched.  She assured me that they did.

On October 26, the washer and dryer were delivered.  They did not match.  According to the driver, this was because the Kenmore 600 dryer is a 2008 model and the Kenmore 600 washer is a 2009 model.  He said the 2009 Kenmore 600 dryer is “not available yet”.

When the driver left, I called my local Sears and asked for the manager’s name.  The woman who answered the phone refused to give me his name but said that I could speak to him.  I agreed and was put on hold.  The woman returned to the phone and told me that the manager was in a meeting.  I left my name and phone number and insisted he call me that afternoon.  I reinforced this to her and gave her my name and phone number again.  The manager did not return my call.

The Kenmore 600 washer and dryer were not my first choice to replace the defective GE units; the Maytags were. The Kenmore 600’s were not even my second choice; the higher-end ($40 more) Maytags were.  But if the Kenmore 600’s are the only units that Sears seems to have available in a washer/dryer combo in the $850 - $900 price range, WHY can’t Sears at least send units that match?

I had to make at least four trips to my Sears store to remedy this situation, where I stood for hours on the phone (usually on hold) to associates who take orders, issue shipping dates, thank me for being a loyal customer, and Sears still ct get it right.  The phrase du jour at Sears seems to be “not available”.

Every washer and dryer combination I have purchased since 1984 came from Sears.  However, this customer’s loyalty has reached rock bottom. 

Here is a synopsis of my washer and dryer purchasing experience at Sears:

* I bought a GE washing machine from Sears which failed within four months.

* The replacement GE washing machine failed within two weeks.

* I picked out and ordered a Maytag washer and matching dryer from the showroom floor to replace the defective GE washer and dryer. 

* The Maytag dryer was delivered but the washer I ordered was “no longer available”.  The dryer only matched that particular washer and had to be returned.

* Upon being told that the original Maytag washer I selected was not available, I selected another ($40 more) Maytag washer and dryer that were on display in the showroom.  I was then told on the phone by a woman that this washer was “no longer available” either.

* Upon being told that the second Maytag that I wanted to purchase was not available, I selected a Kenmore washer and dryer that were on display in the showroom.  I was then told by the woman’s supervisor on the phone that this washer was “no longer available” either.

* The Kenmore washer that WAS available and which I agreed to have delivered had to be selected sight unseen because it was not on the showroom floor or the Sears website.

* I was assured that the Kenmore 600 washer to be delivered sight unseen would match the Kenmore 600 dryer that it would be delivered with.  It does not (photos attached).  I was told by the delivery driver that the new version of the Kenmore 600 dryer is “not yet available”. 

I do not hold Sears accountable for the failure of GE washers. However, Sears’ subsequent actions are unacceptable.   A showroom with several washers on display that are “not available”, containing dryers that “are available”, and merchandise that “is available” but not on display materially or virtually, is not right, is poor service, and binds the customer to extremely limited choices.