Sears Merchandise Pickup

I bought an over-​the-​oven microwave from Sears and decided to use the merchandise pickup to save the shipping costs. When I ordered the item, I was informed that I would be able to pick up the item on a Monday. I received an email on Saturday (two days early). I went to Sears on Sunday morning and arrived before the store was open (about ten minutes early). The doors were open so I walked in anyway. As soon as I walked in an employee greeted me and told me someone would help me as soon as the store is open. I went to the kiosk and typed in my info. About one minute later, an employee came out with the microwave and loaded it in my car. I was pulling away from Sears before the store had officially opened! It could not have been easier. Good job Sears!

This review is also just for the pickup center. I went to Sears for just a simple propane tank exchange. I parked directly in front of where the propane tanks are kept to be in and out as quickly as possible, and went into the store and paid for the exchange. It then took over 25 minutes for anyone in the pickup center to acknowledge that I was waiting, and even after I was finally helped it took an additional 10 minutes for the guy to come outside to get the tank. Overall it took me 45 minutes to get my propane tank — completely ridiculous.
Because I had to wait so long they gave me a $ 5 off coupon for my next purchase. Seemed adequate enough — until I realized the coupon expired the next day! Really?!? Needless to say I will not be returning here in the future.

What a fiasco! Let me begin by stating that this review is only for the service that I received at the place where I picked up the patio furniture that I bought online. It does not apply to the furniture itself, which I have yet to assemble, or to the rest of the Sear’s store, which I did not enter. I should also say that I purchased the patio furniture and cover online, using a gift card, and I decided to pick up the items myself, in order to save on shipping.
Sears online had a great sale on outdoor furniture and I had a gift card. Perfect combo. So that I wouldn’t have to spend any of my own $$, I opted for in-​store pickup. I didn’t receive an online confirmation of my order. I did not receive a receipt. My credit card was charged, and I did receive a call when the patio furniture was ready to be picked up. The call did not give a telephone number where I could get measurements for the items, to be sure they’d fit in my car. They only gave a phone number to the pick up center, where I remained on hold until I lost bone density. I gave up and drove out there. You can see where this is going… of the 3 boxes, only one did not fit in my Fit (Honda). It was about 2 inches too long.
Rewind for a moment, though. When I arrived to pick up my package, there was a machine asking me to scan the receipt (remember…I ordered online = no receipt), or the credit card I used to make the purchase (I used 2 combined gift cards). The attendant first argued with me, then huffily asked for my name and telephone number, which he used to (easily, I might add) look up my order number. He came huffing out with my items, and was equally nasty when they didn’t fit into my car. I asked him if I could take the items that did fit and return for the table that same afternoon. He said I could not. (I know this isn’t true, because my coworker ordered the same set and did exactly that just a day after I asked.) I asked him if I could measure them, so I wouldn’t have this problem again, and he LITERALLY showed me with his arms (I’m not even joking), how wide the table was and said, «Got it? When do you plan to come back?» He was absolutely serious. He wanted to know if I now understood how wide the table was! Of course, I asked to measure it with a tape measure and he replied, «I don’t have one,» and stormed off. I was agog and so was my husband. I did not argue with this man. I did not take up more than 5 minutes of his time, and he behaved like I’d been the biggest inconvenience and actually treated me like I was trying to steal someone else’s lawn furniture!
Fast-​forward. I start receiving almost daily calls the following week to let me know that my patio furniture is available for pick up — no order number — and that it will be cancelled if I don’t pick it up by the following weekend (allowing me a total of 14 days for pickup, which in my opinion is too little time to coordinate, especially if you don’t allow me to talk to a live person, but I’ll deal with it). So, I borrow my neighbor’s mini-​van and come to pick it up again, this time, armed with an order number (but still no receipt or confirmation)
Long story longer, again they wanted an argument, but I refused. They told me I needed a store receipt. I countered that I’d purchased online. They said I needed the credit card I’d used to make the purchase. I replied that I’d purchased with multiple gift cards. Did I mention that they helped everyone who walked in after me who did have a receipt or a credit card before they helped me? Not because they knew I had an issue, but because no information came up on their screen after my name… but I waited patiently… for THIRTY MINUTES while plaque collected on my teeth. Finally, Huffypants there asked for my name and number (again…why can we not do this in the beginning?) and immediately got my order; No problems.
So, my over-​arching question here is — WHY do they not just ask you for your name and number in the first place? If people who make online purchases don’t get receipts, can I possibly be the first to show up without one? If people use gift cards online, how can everyone show up with a credit card?
Sears, né’er again shall we meet… and you can’t sit on my fabulous Patty O’Furniture!