After writing up yesterday’s deal post about a Craftsman ball bearing rolling storage cart, I turned my attention to my Craftsman 6-drawer Griplatch storage chest. The bottom draw makes a horrible metal-on-metal noise when it opens and closes.
I disassembled the drawer a few times and futz around trying to correct the problem. I don’t think the drawer slide is worn, but it’s definitely damaged. Coming to the conclusion I couldn’t fix it myself, I tried searching for replacement slide. I wasn’t finding anything via the Sears parts finder, so I emailed Craftsman.com’s customer service.
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The top drawer makes a similar rubbing sound, but it’s not as loud and the drawer slides smoothly nevertheless. The bottom drawer, not so smooth.
I have dealt with Sears.com customer service before, and really hoped that Craftsman.com’s emails were directed to associates more knowledgeable about tools.
My email, while not a literary work of art, said:
Hello, I have a Craftsman 6-drawer 16″; Griplatch ball bearing storage chest, model 95487 , and one of the drawer slides has become defective. When opening the drawer, the slide sticks and jams and makes an awful noise halfway.
I have disassembled the drawer and slide and cannot find a cause for the issue.
This was a heavy duty ball bearing chest that I believe I purchased in mid-2010.
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I wish to obtain a replacement drawer slide (right side), or pair of drawer slides so that I can replace myself, so that I can once again have a fully functioning Craftsman ball bearing storage product.
I could not find the part via Sears’ part finder, and am hoping I can get a replacement slide or pair of slides as a warranty replacement.
If a replacement slide cannot be provided at no cost as a warranty part, then can you direct me to where I can purchase a replacement?
Their response:
Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for contacting sears.com regarding your warranty question.
We would like to assist you with your warranty question, please direct all inquiries to 1-800-827-6655. If you are needing repair, please contact us at 1-800-4MY-HOME and we will be happy to assist your service needs.
Thank you for allowing Sears to assist you today.
This is an automated response. If the information above did not properly address your question or concern, please reply back with your original information.
Sears Customer Care
I replied to the email saying I preferred for an email response. I then went back to the contact form, pushed the browser back, and submitted the email with different topics, such as “product information” and “other” rather than “warranty information.”
I have spent time on the phone with Sears customer service in the past, and it’s something I would avoid doing again if possible.
A few hours later I received another message. It’s a bit long, so you’ll have to click the button below to show the full email.
Thank you for contacting Sears. It will be our pleasure to assist you with your tool chest.
We regret that you are experiencing problems with your tool chest. There may be a number of possible causes for the symptoms you describe.
Sears offers a great website where you can ask expert technical questions, search for answers from other homeowners, find product manuals and trouble shooting guides. All of this and other great advice and ideas can be found at www.managemyhome.com!
If you determine that you do need replacement parts for your tool chest, please visit us at http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action or call us at 1-800-4MYHOME.
If you are unable to resolve the issue, you may arrange a service appointment by contacting Sears Home Services at 1-800 4MY HOME or schedule service online at http://www.sears.com/shc/s/nb_
10153_12605_NB_HomeServices? adCell=AF We would also like to introduce CLICK TO CHAT, on our SearsPartsDirect.com website! Here, we have chat representatives available and ready to assist you with your part ordering needs.
Simply, click on the Get Help section on our SearsPartsDirect.com website and select, CLICK TO CHAT, where one of our chat specialists will be happy to place this order, along with any other part or product needs you may have.
As a reminder, refrigerator water filters are recommended to be replaced every 6 months. Please keep this in mind when you are placing an order for replacement parts.
At Sears PartsDirect, we strive to provide the best service with the highest regards to your satisfaction. Your perspective is very important and we would like to know how well we are doing. Please take a moment to complete the survey that follows this e-mail. To complete the survey refer to case ID #####.
We at Sears PartsDirect want to make sure that all of your needs are met. Please feel free to contact us via chat with our live online representatives, email us at [email protected]
sears.com or call us at 1-800-4MY-HOME (1-800-469-4663). We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Sears!
*Facepalm*
Yes, I know there are a number of things that could be wrong with the product. It seems to be internal damage of some kind that could not be remedied, and a replacement was needed.
When I first searched for a part on Sears’ parts site, I used the model number taken from my 2010 order confirmation, 00995487000. I chopped off the 0’s and extra 9 to get 95487.
After getting frustrated with the lack of help from Craftsman.com and Sears customer service, I hunted around and found a the sticker on the inside of the top drawer. Model 706.954870. Bingo! It also says 69343, which I suppose could be a serial number.
Part number M15864 matches the M15864-D printed on the side of the drawer slide. Perfect.
$15.94 + 8.99 shipping + 1.75 tax = $26.68 total. Ouch. That’s just for one right-side made-in-Taiwan 14″ or 16″ full extension drawer slide. Maybe I should have ordered a left slide for the top drawer while I was at it.
So help me if I get sent a non-GripLatch drawer slide.
Lesson learned: Email Craftsman with a warranty request and they’ll tell you to call. Reply to that email or send another email with different “topic” selection, and you’ll receive a reply with a link to the parts website complete with a tracking link so the associate gets credit for the sale.
There was also a bunch of unnecessary fluff about replacing my water filter and Sears’ community site where I can find “great advice and ideas.”
Emailing them was a waste of everyone’s time.
What I did wrong: While Sears’ customer service emails were about as least helpful as could be, the last paragraph in their second email made me realize I was wrong to contact Craftsman or Sears – I should have contacted the parts team directly.
I had not contacted the parts department at first because I hoped a Craftsman or Sears associate would be able to process the replacement at no charge as part of the chest’s warranty. I believe the warranty period for the heavy duty chest is 3 years, maybe 5.
Past experiences with Sears’ phone customer service makes me reluctant to call them unless I really have to. Besides that, I prefer how email leaves a paper trail for future reference.
Every tool chest and cabinet comes with a service parts list, but I misplaced all of mine.
In the end, I found the correct model number, which is apparently completely different from the product number, and was able to get the part I needed without assistance.
If I didn’t find the model number, I suppose Sears’ parts department would have been able to direct me to the label’s location.
I kind of get the feeling that I was expecting too much with my email, and that it’s almost as if I wanted someone at Craftsman or Sears to hold my hand throughout the part-finding and replacement process. But that doesn’t change how it looks like all Sears’ customer service representatives read from my emails were the words tool chest.
I imagine the process went something like this:
- Sears customer service associate opens new email
- They scan and see the words “tool chest”
- They pull up standard canned warranty email and scroll to “We regret that you are experiencing problems with your [Product]
- Replace [Product] with “tool chest”
- A associate-specific tracking link is added to the parts finder website link
- *Send*
Granted my email was a bit long and imperfect, but I know deep down that there’s nothing that could have been said differently that would have changed the responses I received.
Despite all this, I’m heavily considering ordering the ball bearing rolling cabinet discussed in yesterday’s deal.
Next week: How to Replace Drawer Slides on Your Craftsman Ball Bearing Tool Chest. It’s actually quite easy, as I disassembled and reassembled all the parts when trying to locate and remedy the frictiony drawer slide.
mnoswad1
looking forward to next weeks followup. Thanks for the heads up about the location of the real model number.
Gist of the story as I see it is that…..warrantees mean nothing. Oh and keep the manuals for your tools.
Stuart
I wouldn’t say that warranties mean nothing. This might have been considered a wear item, and if I were convinced that this ought to be a warranty replacement I would have escalated my communications.
Allen
We all need to do more of this when things go amiss. The Internet can be used to keep a company’s feet to the fire so to speak, thereby improving products for us all. I had to deal with Makita regarding parts for a 30 year old palm sander, the gal I communicated with directed me to a third party that could supply my parts.
And yes, I spent nearly $20 fixing a 30 year old sander. It’s a really good sander.
Wayne
Having spent 10 years with sears in the home improvement department, this is not an uncommon scenario. A couple of things I would do for my customers. first, give them a phone number for a local service center center. They are usually much more knowledgeable and willing to help. Second, I would tell the to come see me with any issues they may have because we have te ability to “satisfy the customer”. For example, As a manager, a $15.00 I would have ordered (and did many times)through my store account no questions asked. You may give your local store a shot. Good luck
Stuart
Thanks for the insight, I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I really didn’t think of doing that at all. These days I am so accustomed to having things resolved online that I didn’t even think to check with my local store.
Theron
What I glean from your experience confirms my own experience. In today’s disposable society Sears, among other companies, deliberately make it difficult to obtain good customer service in hopes of steering you toward another purchase. The 3-5 yr warranty suggests that the product will be dependable that long and not much longer. I’m assuming the cost of your toolbox was around $50 if it’s the same one I bought many years ago when I still went to Sears. You spend 50% of it’s value repairing one slide, when you already have other slides not working perfectly. You could scrap that box for about 2 to 3 dollars and put that towards another one – Dewalt and Kobalt seem to have better quality boxes and customer service. Craftsman in my mind today = harbor freight quality at premium name price. Have you felt their quality of boxes at the store lately? Half the displays are usually broken. 25 years ago you could have walked that box into a sears store and walked out with a new one no hassles because the boxes had lifetime warranties then. I still have my grandpa’s boxes from the 40’s ad 50’s. Under the Craftsman logo is stamped LIFETIME. Which used to mean something – today the legal definition lifetime in most lifetime warranties if you read the fine print is 25 years.
Stuart
The chest in question is a 26″ wide 6-drawer unit, which I picked up for around $230 on sale/clearance. It’s not exactly supposed to be a disposable product, even today.
Mark
Stuart, if you need parts for Craftsman tool boxes try StanleyBlack&Decker, 305 Curry Drive, Sedalia Missouri 65301
Phone# 800-833-8851
I just ordered new drawer slides for my older Craftsman Ball Bearing roller chest.
Stuart
Thank you! I got this sorted out 10 years ago, but that info is good to keep in mind.
Seth
First, toolboxes such as these are no $50 disposable items – try $300, which is relatively affordable in the world of medium-duty storage. To spend $25 repairing such an item after years of service is not too terrible, though of course we would all like for everything we own to last forever without repair.
Secondly, Kobalt has – in the past – used Waterloo as their tool chest OEM. I believe Danaher has selected a different chinese OEM today for what is on store shelves, but at one point Kobalt toolboxes were the exact same as Craftsman toolboxes but with different paint. There will obviously be a difference in quality if you compare a $1000 kobalt box to a $300 craftsman box, but the same difference exists if you look at a $1000 craftsman vs a $300 kobalt.
Third, what leads anyone (even you, Stuart) to think that a 5-year warranty is claimable sight-unseen over the internet? I realize that companies don’t make it easy to claim warranties, but have some realistic expectations. I just had to exchange a garden hose I got from a regional home improvement chain that claimed to have a 7-year warranty. When I showed up with the hose itself, I was told in no uncertain terms that nothing could be done – even though I had only bought it three months prior. I had to go home to find the receipt and the original hose label showing the 7-year warranty, and then go back to the store and have a manager approve the exchange. For a $10 hose.
Basically, there are two kinds of warranties – ones tied to the item and ones tied to the purchase. Craftsman’s hand tool warranty is the former, so all you have to do is show up with the item and readable label and it is taken care of. Everything else – I’ve found – requires a dated proof of purchase, model and serial number, and assumes the owner will transport the item to an authorized warranty provider. This type shouldn’t be out of the norm for anyone because it is how EVERY warranty has been handled for twenty-someodd years. If you aren’t prepared to keep sales receipts and model/serial, then you really shouldn’t expect to claim any warranty.
Stuart
I never thought for a moment that they would send me replacement parts without proof of purchase. I sort of expected for someone to get back to me with request for receipt, invoice, dated photograph, or other proof of purchase.
There is no way I was going to pay for a service call for something like this, and I doubt they would have paid for return shipping of a damaged/defective drawer slide.
At $15/pop, they’re definitely making money on the drawer slides.
This experience did impress me about Sears’ Parts Department, although I’m not too thrilled I had to pay close to $27 for what’s probably an $8 or $9 part.
Theron
Well shut my mouth…I didn’t think it was that kind of chest from your description. I have one of those big rolling toolboxes from Craftsman from the early 90’s. It was around $500 then. The top part of it sounds like what you have. I would fix it too, if one of the slides broke. I also have the three drawer metal chest that I bought in the early 2000’s for $50. It was crap from the beginning, none of the drawers ever opened smoothly. When I went to exchange it, they were all like that, and I couldn’t find my receipt for a refund.
Robert Brenner
For the record I have a DeWalt rolling toolbox. We’ve had it for less than 10 years. Recently two of the five drawers refuse to stay in the closed position. It would appear, after talking to four different people from Lowe’s store, warranty department, and service Department that product service is the same no matter what company yous are dealing with .
Needless to say I’m extremely disappointed.
Paul
I have been helping customers understand Sears and how to get repairs, parts, warranty repairs and protection plan information for a few years now over at movingsnow and todaysmower. Getting your parts or repairs is fairly simple, but not always easy.
Sears has changed since Wayne has worked there. Each part of Sears is now it’s own profit center. The Full-line stores, Sears.com, Sears Hometown Stores, Sears Repair Services, Searspartsdirect.com, etc, are now all required to make their own profits . Walking into your local Sears store and demanding they give you a new slide for your toolbox will not get you very far anymore.
In Stuart’s case is the drawer slide defective (covered) or was it abused (not covered)? Did he leave it out in the metal shed and it’s all rusted up, did he put 250 lbs in the 50 lb rated drawer? Did the garage catch on fire and he now wants a new one because it had an unlimited warranty?
In Stuart’s defense the Craftsman boxes have had different warranties for the different levels (quality) Boxes in the $100 range had a 1 year warranty. $250-400, 2 year, $400 to $600 heavy duty boxes 5 years. The short lived $3000-5000 boxes had a lifetime warranty.
Here are some other helpful tips my readers and I have learned.
-Keep your receipt for ANY item not labeled as “lifetime” warranty on the package. Take the receipt and staple it to the manual. I have a file in the garage for tool manuals and my wife has a file in the house for appliances. Privacy polices are becoming more and more restrictive and cashiers can’t always research your purchases from 5 years ago.
-Join the free Shop Your Way Rewards program (yes give them your email) and you will have a permanent record through the SYWR program of all your purchases from Sears and Kmart. Get a Gmail account. You can store electronic copies of your receipts there permanently.
-If want you to buy something at the best price go to Sears.com.
-If you need help making your purchase the sales consultants in the Full-Line Stores (FLS) are your best help (The Blue Crew)
-If you need parts Searspartsdirect.com is the best place to go. YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR MODEL NUMBER TO GET THE RIGHT PART. The Blue Crew at the FLS stores can also help you find and order the right part. Again, YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR MODEL NUMBER TO GET THE RIGHT PART. Unfortunately, you will pay shipping on all parts. (If you go over to todaysmower.com, click on the searspartsdirect banner and use the coupon code you can get a 10% discount. Stuart, you can remove this if you want)
If you need repairs or warranty repairs Sears Repair Services is the group within Sears you will work with. If it is a large item like a lawn tractor or frig call 1-800-4MY-HOME and they will send a tech to your home. If it is a smaller item like a toolbox, pressure washer or microwave bring it to your nearest Sears. That store will send it to the nearest repair center.
A tech from Sears Repair Services makes the decision whether the item is under the defects warranty. The tech orders the part and replaces the part. If you did not buy the optional Protection Plan, Sears will ask for an upfront diagnostic fee. Most of the time the fee is refunded if the repair is actually a defect and covered under the warranty. If the repair is not a warranty replacement the tech will get in touch with you and tell you the cost.
-With your model number you can get a manual at managemylife.com for just about anything you ever bought at Sears.
I do like the fact that I can still get many parts for items 5, 10, 20 and even 30 years old.
I hope this helps a little.
Stuart
Definitely some great advice there, thanks for sharing!
Ken
Sears sells nothing but junk when it comes to tools or tool storage units.
Jack
Can you direct me to next week’s follow up: How to Replace Drawer Slides on Your Craftsman Ball Bearing Tool Chest?
Penny Russell
Would also like the directions. My local store was so rude when I asked for help. I’m a woman and they watched me struggle trying to get the toolbox in the double doors. (5 drawer top, black style ) Said he couldn’t do anything nor knew anyone who could help me. Then watched me drag it back out the doors, not offering to help.
Is this what Sears craftsman has become?
Won’t buy anything there again,will go to Lowe’s.
Toolfreak
Stuart
Backburnered for now, but I hope to get it done soon.
Robert
I hate to say it, but America has been sold out. Made in the USA use to mean it was the best quality and service. Today most of that is all but gone and the country has been brainwashed into accepting this. Greed has sent most of our manufacturing over seas and the flooding of illegal immigrants has diluted American pride to the tune that American pride is racist. It sounds crazy but it is the truth. America has been sold out and may never be the same unless we start to stop electing hustlers and pimps into government.
Kermit Raab
I have been unable to get parts for craftsman industrial series. I’m needing a m13365 and m13366 ballbearing slides. So far they tell me not available even from Lowe’s which took over craftsmen. Very disappointed. Hope someone can tell me how to find a compatible parts.
Patrick
If you ever tracked these down I am in need of two sets myself. Thanks in advance.
Mike
Am looking for sliders part # M10421-U
New or used if anyone knows of any.
george colee
Contact Waterloo tool boxes directly with the part number off the slides they helped me with my Craftsman box that was made by them. 800 833-4405
Mark
Waterloo is in Sedalia Missouri it is now Stanley Black&Decker there address is 305 Curry Drive and there customer service number is 800-833-8851 hope this helps anyone looking for toolbox parts. Great people very helpful also