KMart,com's service is MUCH worse now that Sears is in charge.
Written: May 14 '10 (Updated May 14 '10)
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I thought Sears.com was bad but Sears owned KMart.com is just as bad now. I can't believe how badly the site has plummeted in the last couple of years. I shun the site now because, although prices can be good and shipping can be low or even free, I get the distinct feeling that the people fulfilling orders have no clue what on earth they are doing.
What KMart Online Store sells
The site is a mini KMart store. It sells nearly everything that the brick and mortar store sells but has less variety in each category. You can purchase clothing, electronics, housewares, jewelry, toys, appliances and more on the site.
Navigation, Shipping, and Returns
KMart's site is attractive in its red and white theme colors. Navigating is easy because the categories are down the side of the page and there is a search box. You can also hone down the categories into many subcategories and find what you are looking for or just browse.
Photos are generally high quality and descriptions are adequate. However, there are some annoying aspects to the site. For one, items from both Kmart and Sears are sold on the site and that could mess up some promotions that are Kmart only. That's the way it is at Sears.com as well. I don't like it. More annoying is that every time you put something into your cart, you are taken to the cart page. This means, if you are browsing an area, you have to navigate back to where you were. I would much prefer that the item go into my cart and keep me where I am. I can opt to see my cart when I want, not every time I add an item.
Shipping charges are shown every time you add an item to your cart so there is no guesswork although some promotions require a certain dollar amount to be spent before you get free shipping and sometimes, although you have the right amount in the cart, the shipping charges don't change to reflect that. Usually that is because you have the right dollar amount but some of the items are from Sears and they don't count toward the promotion. Very confusing.
Shipping starts at $6.95 and I have no idea how high it goes. It is based mostly on weight and they do not have a shipping rate chart. You have to just see what your shipping is for each item.
KMart Online Store accepts major credit cards, Sears credit cards, paypal, ebillme, and gift cards as methods of payment. You will pay sales tax if you have a KMart store in your state which just about everyone does.
Checking out is simple and you will get a confirmation email right after. Then the fun begins.
Returns are accepted at KMart stores as well as through the website. Shipping charges are non-refundable. I have no idea what KMart does with a Sears item that is returned to a brick and mortar store as I have not returned anything that way. You have to pay for return shipping to the site unless the item is defective.
My Experiences
I have shopped at KMart's Online Store many, many times. In the past, I had relatively easy transactions and shipping was quick. Sears acquired Kmart not all that long ago and I have noticed a huge difference in the online experience and it isn't for the better.
Promotions aren't as good, shipping charges are higher, and Sears takes over the customer service which is NOT a good thing because they stink on their own website so they bring their stinkage to KMart's.
I ordered several items a while back and I got a few of them and then nothing. I waited for a couple of weeks, then wrote asking where my stuff was. A Sears rep write me back (although I wrote to Kmart's customer service) saying that they were looking for the items in the stores and there was a delay. There was no time line as to when I would receive the missing items.
I waited a while longer then again wrote asking for some idea of when to expect the items. I was told I could wait indefinitely or cancel my order. I canceled my order.
But that didn't end things. They continued to send me emails about the fact that my items were not in stock and they didn't know when they would be. I got an email TODAY saying my order had shipped out and giving me tracking numbers. That order was placed in January and parts of it (The parts that the recent email said were shipped) had come to me months ago. I wrote them telling them of this and they just said the letter was a glitch.
Meanwhile, I made another order in February. It took me forever because the site was slow and acting wonky. My cart was cleared several times while I was shopping and I was going crazy but the prices on the items I was buying were good. I finally was able to place the order but, unsurprisingly, I later found out most of the stuff I ordered was out of stock. They were running a promo where, if I spend over $50.00 in intimates, I would get free shipping. After spending ages choosing what I wanted, my cart being cleared several times, and finally finishing the order, I now was not getting most of what I ordered. AND because they were out of stock and didn't tell me, they charged me the full shipping cost!
I had a back and forth with Sears customer service which is like talking to people from Mars at times and ended up canceling the whole order. But getting the stuff anyway. And being charged for it and charged for shipping.
I am amazed at how crazy this site is. If an item is in stock and all goes well, the site is fine but if you run into any sort of back order or out of stock issues, they have no clue how to properly deal with the situation. I get so frustrated because it isn't rocket science to run a website considering that Sears and Kmart have been around for ages and used to have pretty good service. Now? Ugh.
Conclusion
I am often tempted to place an order at KMart Online Store but, like Sears.com and now, Target.com, (not owned by Sears) customer service is just too awful to tempt fate. I am disappointed with KMart.com and probably won't shop there again unless there is a mammoth sale and even then, I won't assume I will get my whole order properly and without glitches and issues. 2 stars.
Recommended:
No
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About the Author
Member: Patty Therre
Location: Upstate NY
Reviews written: 2049
Trusted by: 416 members
About Me: Get cash back at loads of online stores and $5 to sign up at Extrabux!
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