poor service support

amazing!!  your issues are also with the red progressive.  Notice that particular vac is not available anymore?  check out my long winded story about support/insurance, how much I've spent and where my vacccum is now (the incinerator).  In fact, if anyone else has had similar issues with this particular machine, please let me know.  If the red progressive is a lemon, Maybe together we can come up with some solutions that will satisfy us all. 

Oh, and as a PS, from what I've learned from experience with this insurance company, if this is the third time you are bringing this machine in, should it break down again (and you have one more year on it) you will be entitled to a new machine.  Stand firm shari!  Insist on a new machine if you are entitled.

One week to send it out for repair.

One week, on average, to receive it back from repair fixed or with a pink - not fixable tag on it.

Bags, belts, some attachments, including a new hose are sold in stores.

With Protection Agreement, parts and labor are free.

The Service Center drop-off location, the store I work for uses, is within 2 miles of the store, in the middle of "down-town".

I will indeed check you post. I wonder if Sears personnel are also following the posts - wishful thinking I suppose. I am planning my third visit to the drop-off station for a problem that got worse while it was in their (service department) care the last time. Anyway, thanks for the moral support. Can I ask what you replaced it with?

What's going wrong with your vac?

See my response to sharik - listed under insurance... just posted it.

Thanks for asking...

ShariW

Wow  this all sounds familiar.  Today I have been 5 weeks without my Kenmore canister vac that I bought (after extensive research and a consumer reports review) 2 years ago from Sears with the protection plan.  I am so frustrated that I could explode.  5 weeks for goodness sake.  I live 80 miles from the nearest Sears store and I don't even know where they sent it to be serviced.  Neither did Sears for some time during this whole mess.  I have spent countless hours on the phone and today I was transferred to 9, count them 9, different people in different departments, had my call dropped 3 times, and never did get to talk to a supervisor or the President of the company whom I asked to visit with when talking to at least 4 of the representatives.  Sears told me that I had no protection plan and that they needed credit card info. from several years ago, etc.  I did indeed have the protection, but it took me 5, count them 5, people and an hour and a half to figure that out.  Weeks later I call to find out when I will have my vacuum back and they can not find which service center it went to.  Finally they find it and the need to order parts?!  Several weeks later here I am wasting my cell minutes being bounced from one representative in one department to another.  Oh, turns out that my vacuum is ready for pick-up at a cost of $50 and they haven't called to tell me that it is ready.  Now I read these posts and I am scared of what I will have waiting for me upon pick up tomorrow.  Maybe Sears should pay for the cell minutes that I used trying to figure out their mess, my time, my gas, and my mental breakdown?

Wow, that is a terrible story. And, I should count myself lucky as I didn't have to prove that I had the warranty. Sharik posted the same experience - having to pull credit card receipts and checks. What can any of us do now I wonder?

Adam O, if you checked the other discussion regarding the problem I was having, did you have any advice?

The red Progressive was replaced by the Intuition. It's not a case of a bad product; it's a case of something better and more innovative taking its place. It wouldn't make sense to have that model AND the Intuition at the same price point.

I appreciate your feedback but need to ask if you have any advice for someone who has never had any problems with Kenmore vacuums (for the last 20 years) who now has to return the red vacuum for a third time in 7 months? I beg to differ that this vacuum doesn't have a problem.

I want to mention one other thing. I have had my vacuum in for the same issues each time. I get it back and there is no change in the power mate performance or it is worse (as with this time). Why shouldn't I expect that it is returned repaired? There appears to be no responsibility on the part of the repair shop - I am simply told to bring it back in. I even asked if I could try another wand as that appears to be the issue. I was told no unless I want to buy it outright. Please advise.

I suggest you speak with someone at the store to help you with this issue, as they may be able to get the job done. They may be able to twist an arm or pull a string. No guarantees, but they're a great resource. Take advantage of them.

Who would I talk to? Would a salesperson have that kind of influence? I take it to a drop-off station to turn it in and that hasn't yielded much success.

I just posted a response, under insurance, that may clear up the loud motor issue.

To Shariw,

I'm sorry to hear about this issue. I've been reading the thread here and I believe we can be of assistance to you. While the model itself was a great model, anything that is manufactured has a possibility of problems. It seems as though we have not been able to get the problems with your vacuum resolved and we need to make sure they do. My name is Brian and I'm part of the Sears Cares Escalations team and we can help. At your convenience, please contact my office via email at searscares@searshc.com so you don't have to continue to be frustrated. In the email, please provide a contact phone number and the phone number the vacuum was purchased under (if different than the contact phone number) and we will call you directly. Also, please provide the screen name (Shariw) used to post here for reference to your issue, and we do look forward to talking to you soon.

Thank you,

Brian J.

Senior Case Manager

Sears Cares

I am glad to see that a Sears rep finally stepped up to handle Shariw's issues.  I have never received good warranty service from Sears on anything but Craftsman non-powered hand tools.  When their products work well it's great, but the service experiences I have had with the company makes me shy away from their electrical or power equipment and tools. 

 Too bad.  They used to be a benchmark for quality.  It will be difficult for them to reverse the mediocre image of the Sears/Kenmore/Craftsman brand and customer support of it.  It goes to show that if you ignore your customers long enough, they will eventually ignore you.  It pains me because I know they can do better.

Steve S.

To Shariw,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to assist with your concern. We do value your business and appreciate you giving us the opportunity to resolve this issue to your satisfaction. If you need any additional assistance from Sears, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SearsCares team at searscares@searshc.com. 

Thank you,

Brian J.

Senior Case Manager

Sears Cares

Thank you. I did indeed get my vacuum back and all of the problems appear to be resolved at this time. I haven't had a chance to contact the representative who helped me but he did a great job and I appreciated his help. Again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Sharon Thompson

I have also had horrible problems with my red Progressive vacuum.  I am relieved to know that I am not the only one.  I am also a 20 yr user of Kenmore vacs and read Consumer Reports.  I have never had problems like this before with a Kenmore vac.  I know the Sears rep said it wasn't an issue with that model and someone else wrote that the model was replaced, but I would like to think that Sears discontinued this model when they realized it was faulty.  My powermate head gets wrapped with hair, etc and burns, the metal buttons on the wand have broken off, the light bulb shorted out the first month and destroys any bulb put in, the handle of the wand has cracked and leaks air, the part that attaches the lid to the tools compartment has broken, the height adjustment bar underneath the powermate has broken off completely, as have other little pieces like the red part that holds the wand straight up when not in use.  The vacuum stills functions, but is covered with duct tape and the above features (light, etc.) don't work.  Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone if your red vac doesn't work well.