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NBC10 Boston Responds: Kitchen Concerns

After weeks of trying to remedy the situation, Beth Reardon reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds for help.

Beth Reardon had been dealing with kitchen issues at her rental home in Maine.

“Initially they were having issues with the dishwasher and called Sears to come out,” explained Reardon. “They did a repair, and after they left, when they tried using the dishwasher again, it was less functional than when they came out to do the repair.”

Reardon says they paid $380 for the repair, but says Sears told her tenant they would have to charge her again to come back and take another look at the machine. That’s when the oven broke.

“The range was obviously a separate incident, and the glass in the front panel of the oven blew out without any warning,” said Reardon. “There was no damage to the range; it wasn’t hot; it wasn’t in use; it just imploded.”

The two Sears purchased appliances were no longer under warranty, but Reardon felt the broken oven glass indicated a defect in the range, and she reached out to Sears.

“They weren’t going to cover it number one, and if they were going to come out, they were going to charge the trip fee and then the repair would be on top of that, and potentially the repair would be as much as replacing the oven,” said Reardon.

Reardon says she talked to Sears Customer Service, talked to a supervisor, and eventually reached out to Sears Corporate about what she considered to be a defective appliance, but says she didn’t hear back.

“I was looking for a fix, and I was looking for them to stand by the appliances that again from my experience had a good reputation, and just do the right thing for clients who have stood by you through many kitchens over the years,” said Reardon.

After weeks of trying to remedy the situation, Reardon reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds for help. We put her in contact with a Sears representative who facilitated a fix.

“Sears responded immediately, and then we did a little back and forth, but in terms of the resolution that came within two weeks,” said Reardon.

Sears says oven glass breakage beyond the first year is most likely due to damage caused to the glass during use. Sears also says that the oven’s safety glass broke as designed, into small pieces with rounded edges to help prevent injury.

The company tells us: “Our member services team reviewed Ms. Reardon’s situation with her oven and dishwasher. As a courtesy, we have offered to refund a substantial portion of the repair costs …to… repair the range, since her range is outside the warranty period. The dishwasher has already been repaired. We hope she remains a loyal Sears customer.”

“I was really surprised to get such a quick response and it was handled seamlessly,” said Reardon.

Sears offers up some oven door recommendations to prevent breakage:

- Do not close the oven door until all the oven racks are fully in place.

- Do not hit the glass with pots, pans, or any other object.

- Scratching, hitting, jarring or stressing the glass may weaken its structure causing an increased risk of breakage at a later time.

If you’re struggling to get a resolution to any kind of consumer conundrum, and you’ve hit a wall, our NBC10 Boston Responds unit is here to help. We’re the only local station committed to trying to resolve these problems for you.

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