Craftsman 85 lb. Broadcast Spreader Reviews

Craftsman 85 lb. Broadcast Spreader — 

The sales associate at store # 01051, his name is Rich, has been my savior and yours regarding my latest purchase.  My family and I have been using Craftsman products for the last 30 years, and it seems like the quality level has been going down hill every year.  I have been wanting to purchase item # 24322 for at least a year for my Craftsman tractor.  I was waiting and saving money and finally the item (24322) went on sale for $49.99.  Wonderful or so I thought.  I had to spend one day calling every Sears store to see if the item was in stock, according to the computer and some sales associates there were suppose to be several at every store in my area, there were not.  After several trips to several different Sears locations I was very disappointed.  Why would a Store put something on sale then not stock it, or at least make sure that the inventory is correct before before hard working people take the time out of the day, waste the gas money to get said item, especially if it is on sale!!!  I did make phone calls first to make sure it was suppose to be there, I had sales associates from 3 different stores tell me it was there and when I got there, it was not.  Finally to my dismay, the store #05871 said they had one, I made the sales associate physically put his hands on it because the inventory according to his computer said they had 3 of item #  24322, after he came back from checking apparently they only had one left and I asked him to hold it for me, which he did.  I wish some of your missing inventory found it's way to my garage, at least that would make up for my time and gas money.  I do not even like going to store # 05871 because last year I had an altercation with a sales associate who refused to return a Craftsman hand tool for me, it was so bad I had to speak to the district manager who assured me that nothing like this would ever happen again.  One year later, with countless money spent at your stores, here we are again.  Check your records.  So I finally get item # 24322 home and I am excited, I wasted a whole day and about $50 in gas to find this.  I open it up, now mind you the box is in perfect condition.  I take out all the pieces and get ready to assemble it, the hopper is cracked right down the center.  I was so disappointed.  The crack was in such a odd place the only thing I could figure, and I had my Father look at it and agreed, that this was such poor quality control.  The way this item was cracked could have not been from shipping, someone let this one slide through.  Item # 24322 and serial # 8122, it is now sitting at store # 01051 and should be inspected to see what went wrong.  Now the problem is I have the item, it is wasted and not usable but supposedly brand new, needs to be returned, and no one has one in stock.  So I paid my 49.99 plus sales tax and still do not have my spreader that I have been patiently waiting for.  I now call the customer service # because all stores are closed at this time, and talk to a Donna at ext. 82507 and she states that I can return the item and wait for a new one to come in.  I am sorry but at this point I have literally waited long enough.  She states that she cannot ship a new one to the house because they need to have the old one back.  It is useless and I explained to her that all company's, especially if you purchase over the internet would ship out a new one along with a return authorization # to ship the old one back.  She cannot do that, then stated I would probably have to pay shipping.  Are you kidding?  I just wasted a day and $50 in gas to get this thing because my Father taught me that Craftsman is the best.  Our opinions are slowly changing.  At this point I had to put my wife on the phone so I would not make a fool of myself and start screaming at her.  I do not know what was said nor do I really care.  I went to bed.  The next day.  I called a store that is an hour away from me (the next closest store), I talked to Rich who actually helped me out and did a wonderful job, while the other employee came back from a "bathroom break" and smelled so bad from marijuana and his eyes were so bloodshot, mind you this is 9:30 in the morning.  Now I have wasted 3 more hours of my time and another $20 in my hard earned money in gas just so I could get this item that should be stocked in the first place because it is "Lawn and Garden Season", and let a stoned moron try and play with my 14 month old son.  The least this idiot of yours could of sprayed some cologne and used some eye drops.  Mean while poor Rich is running around manning 2 different departments and taking care of all the customers including me.  At the least Rich deserves a decent staff to work with at store # 01051.  I am so very disappointed.  The $49.99 plus tax spreader has at least cost me another $70 and wasted a whole day and half for me.  At minimum wage in Ohio (which I do not make, I make way more), for a day and a half (which is the time I wasted and could have been making money) 12 hours, is $84.  $84 plus the $70 in gas equals $154, I had to WASTE to fix this problem with item #24322, that should have NEVER happened in the first place.  I am so disappointed, my Grandmother would be rolling over in her grave had she known, Judy DuBiel retired from the  store in Middleburg Heights with a full pension (unheard of today), as a switchboard operator (also unheard of today).  That is how long this family has been shopping at Sears and purchasing Craftsman tools. VERY DISAPPOINTED.Kevin R. Winfield        &Jamie L. Thayer

This is our expirience, quality control is going down hill.

This was e-mailed to customer service dept. and will be written/mailed return reciept to corporate headquarters.