K-Mart and the great Christmas layaway debacle

*** Update at bottom of post ***

On November 19, 2012, I did something I've done numerous times before: I went to Kmart.com and started a layaway. This one was for the larger Christmas gifts for my children. We live on a tight budget and layaway helps to ease the burden of holiday shopping.

I chose my items and, like the times before, I chose at which store I wanted to pick up the order. I made my initial down payment and began envisioning the look on my kiddos faces when they got these particular gifts. Over the next few weeks, I made my scheduled payments and counted down the days until Christmas. The debacle that spawned this blog began on the Wednesday night before Christmas.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012
After a long night at work, I pulled up my Kmart.com account to see exactly how much I still owed on said layaway. I was going to swing by the store I'd chosen and pick up the order Friday morning. As I made a mental note to pick up Scotch tape and gift wrap, I also noted that I owed $77 on the order. It was then that I noticed a "Layaway Shipcharge" of $20.04. Ship charge? WTF? So I called the customer service number listed on the website. The company was closed. GRRRR!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012
I took my oldest to school and called the 800-number before I was even out of the car loop. It was 7:30 a.m.

"Yes, ma'am, this is a warehouse order. We'll ship it when you've paid it off. You should receive it the first week of January," the chirpy woman on the phone said.

"What do you mean? I chose a store to pick the order up at. Christmas is Tuesday."

"I don't know, but this is now a ship order. If you need the items before then, you can always go into one of our stores and purchase the items. And we can refund your money on the layaway."

I began panic. "If I had the money to just go into a store and purchase the items, I wouldn't have used layaway!"

I asked it I could pay to have the order shipped to me overnight. No. I asked if I could have a store credit at one of my local stores. Nope. I'd have to wait for my refund ... in five to seven BUSINESS DAYS.

Crying, I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred to a woman named Soni who said she'd help. She wanted to confer with her associates and said she'd call me back. At around 9:20 a.m., Soni did indeed call me back and said that she had forwarded the case to the corporate offices in Illinois to get an expedited refund so I'd have the money by Monday afternoon. That was Christmas eve and I'd have to make a mad dash to the stores before they'd closed, but I could deal with that. Soni promised to call me back in a few hours to let me know the status of the refund.

She did not.

I called the customer service number again at 2:45 p.m. to be told that A.) they had no way to transfer me back to Soni and B.) my refund would take five to seven business days. I held the panic attack at bay and went into work.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2012
I awoke and called the same number (1-800-732-7747) yet again. This time the representative told me the order was still active but I would get a refund ... in five to seven BUSINESS DAYS. She also made sure to tell me that I should "pray to God" to find an answer to my Christmas dilemma. Wha?!? I obviously am a believer. I *am* celebrating Christmas, after all, but I balk at being told to pray for an answer to the problem this woman's company and inept customer service has created.

Irritated beyond belief, I asked for the number to the corporate offices. Se refused to give it to me. I hit the Internet and found a number to the executive office -- (847)286-2500. The woman to which I was connected was curt, telling me the order on her end was still active, that she'd cancel it out, and I'd get a refund ... in five to seven BUSINESS DAYS. I went through the tearful diatribe again -- Christmas was  in three more days and could she please help me. I made sure to tell her that I wasn't looking for anything free. I asked if I could pay for overnight shipping or get a store credit for the amount I'd already paid. Nope, nope, nope.

She did offer to give me $45 off my layaway, making my final payment "only $32."

WHAT?!?!?!?! I don't want the freaking layaway shipment at this point. It does me no good to get it in JANUARY. I just want the money I've put into the layaway so I can go and get the presents for my kids.

She said there was nothing she could do to help me and to have a Merry Christmas.

Luckily, my father stepped in and bought the presents for my kids. He spent his money at Wal-Mart (take that K-Mart!). So now I am not only out the money K-Mart is holding hostage but I also owe my father money. And he really didn't have the money to spend himself, so he still owes the bills he pushed back to help ME out.

Christmas morning comes and goes without a hitch for the children.

Then, everyday, I check the order at Kmart.com. Each time it is STILL active. Each time, I call customer service for help. Each time I am told the order will be cancelled out and I will receive my refund. (Yes, in five to seven business days.)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2012
I began to screen print my account. And as you can see, over a week after I was told by a supervisor that the account had been closed and a refund on the way, the account was in fact STILL ACTIVE and no refund in the works.

I called the executive offices again.

Same BS and no real answers. I asked for the CEO's name and contact and was told I couldn't have that information. I went online and did a little bit of research while I ate lunch.

Kmart is owned by Sears Holdings Corporation. The Board of Directors is as follows:

Sears Holdings also owns:

• Kmart
• Sears
• Lands End
• Craftsman
• Kenmore
• Diehard
• Jaclyn Smith
• Joe Boxer
• Apostrophe
• Covington
• Country Living
• Beverly Drive
• BONGO
• Canyon River Blues
• Casa Christina
• Coexist
• Dream Out Loud
• Everlast
• LYS
• UK Style
• Sofia
• Smart Sense
• Rebecca Bonbon

Did I compile this list for a boycott? Oh, hell yes.

After that, the following Twitter conversation proceeded:

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012
Yep. Still active.

Then I hit Twitter again.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2012
And now I am beyond pissed off.

Royally pissed off.

At this point, I don't think K-Mart ever had any inclination to refund my money. I will probably never see that money again. In the grand scheme of things, $377.95 isn't a lot of money. To a CEO or other executive at Sears Holdings, it's a bottle of wine or a nice dinner. But to me, that is a car payment with a little left over so I can buy stuff to pack for my kids' lunches at school during the week. It's a week's worth of groceries. It is money owed to my father which I can't pay back.

I will never, ever spend another hard-earned penny at a K-Mart. Or a Sears. Or at Lands End. Or on any product owned by Sears Holdings.  My faith in the entire corporation has been thoroughly destroyed.

 

 

 

 

*** UPDATE***

I put the hubs on the horn and had him calling customer service, too.  After being given the run-around as well and even being hung up on several times, he finally reached an agent named Margaret. She was nice and helpful and promised the refund, but I was skeptical.  I balked when being told there was a $10 cancellation fee, but she said it would be waived.

 

We received our refund today, January 3rd. Hooray! Someone from Sears also called my husband and offered him a $50 gift card.  He accepted it. He's going to split it between the kiddos and let them get something they want. I will not be the one taking them to the store though. I still refuse to ever, EVER shop at another Sears Holdings Corp. store.