CONTACT:
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
Sears Introduces Buyer Protection for Home Appliances
Program Covers Balance of Sears Card* Purchase and The Customer Keeps
the Appliance in the Event of Job Loss
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears, the nation's
leading appliance retailer, is giving consumers one more reason to shop
Sears first for their appliances, with the introduction of the "Sears Buyer
Protection(sm) Program" - the only program of its kind made available among
national major home appliance retailers.
The Sears Buyer Protection Program, available July 6, 2009, through
August 1, 2009, will cover major appliance purchases over $399 when
purchased with your Sears card if the accountholder loses his or her job.
The program even covers the cost of service agreements, installation,
delivery and more if those items were purchased with the appliance.
"The beauty of this program is it's absolutely free with your Sears
card," said Kevin Brown, vice president and chief marketing officer for
home appliances at Sears. "Our customers have told us that even with the
Sears best price guarantee, they have been deferring much-needed appliance
purchases. With Sears' Buyer Protection Program, customers can move forward
with confidence and make a purchase knowing that if something unforeseen
happens with a job, the Sears Buyer Protection Program will credit their
Sears account for that purchase and allow them to keep the appliance,"
Brown said. "This is available for all home appliance brands carried at
Sears, which has the nation's best selection of appliance brands. That
includes LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, G.E. and America's number one appliance
brand--Kenmore."
Sears has been actively listening and responding to consumers' concerns
throughout the economic downturn, by offering an even greater selection of
money-saving, energy-efficient ENERGY STAR(TM)-rated appliances than ever
before and adding the online ENERGY STAR Rebate Center.
How it Works
If a customer purchases a major home appliance over $399 with a
Citibank-issued Sears card and loses his/her full-time job after 60 days
and up to 1 year from the date of the purchase, 1/12th of the purchase
price will be credited to the account each month that the customer is
unemployed. This credit covers the appliance and related accessories,
extended warranties, maintenance agreements, protection and service
agreements, delivery haul-away, installation and sales tax. If the customer
is still unemployed one year after the purchase, they will receive a credit
to their account for the remaining purchase amount. The customer keeps the
appliance and will owe nothing on that purchase. The customer can make
their purchase at a Sears store+ or at sears.com
Requirements
To qualify for the program, the customer has to be employed full time
for at least 60 days after the appliance purchase. If he or she
involuntarily loses their job within a year of making the purchase on their
Citibank issued Sears card then they qualify. To file a claim under The
Sears Buyer Protection Program, customers will need to complete a Benefit
Request Form. To request the benefits or obtain additional information,
they will need to call a toll free number that will be provided at time of
purchase, or go to SearsBuyerProtection.com. In store, the Sears Blue
Appliance Crew will be available to answer questions about the Sears Buyer
Protection Program.
About Sears Home Appliances
Sears is the nation's leading appliance retailer with the largest
selection - over 3600 models. Only Sears sells the top 8 brands, including
Kenmore, the nation's leading appliance brand. Sears always beats the
competition's price, guaranteed, up to 30 days. Sears offers worry-free
1-year service, guaranteed and free help and support on all brands serviced
by Sears 24/7 by phone. Sears provides next day delivery on over 1600
models - that's five times more than any national competitor. In March
2009, Sears launched the online ENERGY STAR Rebate Center - a program to
help educate Americans about the millions of dollars in rebates that are
available for ENERGY STAR-rated products and make it faster to receive
these rebates. Sears has demonstrated its commitment to increasing
America's energy efficiency through its actions over more than 10 years.
Sears sells more ENERGY STAR-rated appliances than any other retailer. In
fact, in 2008, Sears was the first retailer to sell more than 3.1 million
ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances from the nation's top brands, including
Kenmore, the nation's leading appliance brand. In 2008 alone, Kenmore
ENERGY STAR-rated appliances helped save America nearly 700 million
Kilowatt hours, over four billion gallons of water, and over $100 million
dollars.
About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fifth largest broadline
retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in
the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance
retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics
and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include
Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including
such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well
as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday
products, which are offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart. We are the
nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million
service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through
its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.
For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at
http://www.searsholdings.com.
* Must use a Citibank Sears card. Excludes Sears Solutions, Sears Home
Improvement (sm) and Commercial One (R) accounts.
+ Excludes Sears Outlets and The Great Indoors . Not available to
residents that have a billing address or make a purchase in Puerto Rico and
Guam.
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com
CONTACT: Larry Costello of Sears Holdings Corporation,
+1-847-286-9036, Lcoste5@searshc.com; or Regina Pelz-Westergaard
of EuroRSCG, +1-847-286-8984,
Regina.Pelz-Westergaard@eurorscg.com, for Sears Holdings
Corporation
