Bethany Biron/Business Insider Sears said Friday that the "technical difficulties" have been resolved.
- A Sears outage lasting several days caused problems at Sears and Kmart stores this week, the company confirmed to Business Insider.
- The outage, which started Tuesday, prevented shoppers from making returns or picking up online orders in Sears and Kmart stores and left some Kmart stores unable to process non-cash payments. It also disrupted deliveries and service appointments.
- "Our systems experienced some technical difficulties and we have resolved the issue," a Sears spokesperson told Business Insider. "We apologize for any inconvenience our members and customers may have experienced."
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Sears was hit by a widespread outage this week that caused problems with stores, home deliveries, service appointments, and more, the company confirmed to Business Insider.
The outage prevented some shoppers from making returns, picking up online orders, or accessing Shop Your Way loyalty points in Sears and Kmart stores and left some Kmart stores unable to process non-cash payments. It also disrupted deliveries and prevented customers from making service appointments for broken washers, refrigerators, or other problems.
Sears said Friday that the issues, which began Tuesday, have been resolved.
"Our systems experienced some technical difficulties and we have resolved the issue," a Sears spokesperson told Business Insider. "We apologize for any inconvenience our members and customers may have experienced."
Dozens of customers have been complaining on social media about problems related to the outage.
Sears has been responding to customers individually and asking them to contact them again in 24 hours, saying the company would be able to check on deliveries and address other complaints when its "servers are back up and running" following "very serious technical issues."
Sears customer Nicole Jones told Business Insider that the outage left her without a car for a day.
Jones said she dropped off her car Tuesday at a Sears Auto Center in Douglasville, Georgia, for an oil change that she planned to pay for with Sears Shop Your Way loyalty points.
"I get back there two hours later and the system is down," she said. "I can't use my points and I don't have $70 to pay them. No one on the phone was willing to help so my car was there overnight while I scraped up the money to pay."
Others complained on social media that they waited hours for deliveries that never arrived, or spent long periods waiting to speak to a Sears customer service representative.
"Dear @Kmart, went to ur Penn Plaza location last night and had to pay with cash cause ur systems were down," one person wrote Thursday on Twitter. "Today I tried to do a return and couldn't because your 'return systems' were down. This is unacceptable especially in a busy NYC!"
Another person tweeted: "@Sears I have been told for the last 2 days to keep calling back in 24 hours to get a service appointment. Two days and this response still. This is not great service. The @kenmore dryer I received has not work since it was delivered. Please help!"
Here's what others are saying on Twitter:
We do Apologize, that is not the kind of experience we would like our members to have. Please bear with us. We are in the process of resolving very serious technical issues. Please check back with us throughout the day to see if it is up and running.
- Sears (@Sears) June 27, 2019@Sears Sears computer systems down for days????? The company can not access any orders?????? Insane!!!! All you get when you finally get a hold of a person is them telling you the system is down and to call back in 2-4 hours. Same story for days!!!!!
- Sandra (@Sandra68045824) June 27, 2019I was suppose to receive a delivery yesterday between 5 pm -10 pm.They never came. I also can't cancel a repair appointment for Friday.
- kimber (@kimb880) June 27, 2019We do Apologize , that is not the kind of experience we would like our members to have. Please bear with us. We are in the process of resolving very serious technical issues. Please check back with us throughout the day to see if it is up and running!!
- Kmart (@Kmart) June 27, 2019Dear @Kmart, went to ur Penn Plaza location last night and had to pay with cash cause ur systems were down. Today I tried to do a return and couldn't because your "return systems" were down. This is unacceptable especially in a busy NYC! Is corporate over it just like staff?
- Cedric Leiba Jr. (@ceddynyc) June 27, 2019@Sears I purchase a new dryer 5 days ago with a call the same day saying my delivery time is between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm and I will get a 2 hour window provided the day before-NO call the day before and now both the website AND your customer service line are down??? 😠
- ollyoxenfree (@ollyoxenfree6) June 26, 2019Hi Bryant, we apologize we are experiencing technical issues with our website right now. We are working to get it fixed asap! We appreciate your patience.
- Sears (@Sears) June 26, 2019@Sears haven't been to a Sears in years... Recently decided to go pick up a few items and sign up for the membership unfortunately I was told the system was down and the manager cant help. Staff was rude and unhelpful... I certainly won't be going back to Sears for anything
- Pete vass (@Petevass99) June 26, 2019@sears is the biggest scam in the history of retail . They took my money for a ping pong table that was never delivered and then they stopped working responding to calls or emails. Anyone else experience this ?
- Tareq (@Tareq64501751) June 26, 2019We were told by one #Sears rep that the system would be down 5 days. Why can't you reach out to us? You have our info in servers postings.
- Walk4Jc ❤️ (@walk4jc) June 27, 2019Once our servers are back up and running we will be more than happy to take a deeper look into how we can assist you.
- Sears (@Sears) June 27, 2019Hello Cedric, we are very sorry you were not able to return your items due to our systems issue. We sincerely apologize our systems are currently experiencing some technical difficulties and are in the process of resolving. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
- Kmart (@Kmart) June 27, 2019Customer Service just told me the website is down for 5 days. Poor customer service, but at least she knew that part.
- Diana D (@DianaDArtist) June 27, 2019Hi, @Sears: I ordered a dryer from you a couple days, with promised delivery tomorrow. Just heard I won't be getting it until who knows when, because "our system is down worldwide." Part of why I went with you was because you said you could get my dryer to me tomorrow.
- A CALM AND EXTREMELY STABLE GENIUS!!! (@Fleacatt) June 27, 2019@Sears I have been told for the last 2 days to keep calling back in 24 hours to get a service appointment. Two days and this response still. This is not great service. The @kenmore dryer I received has not work since it was delivered. Please help! pic.twitter.com/A8XaEztWFd
- Anthony Bonanno (@nannotwo) June 27, 2019@Sears Will your site be down all day? I have to place an order and have points expiring today.
- Jamie (@charman57) June 27, 2019@Sears I purchase a new dryer 5 days ago with a call the same day saying my delivery time is between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm and I will get a 2 hour window provided the day before-NO call the day before and now both the website AND your customer service line are down??? 😠
- ollyoxenfree (@ollyoxenfree6) June 26, 2019What the hell is happening at @Sears? Every time I call to figure out why my mattress wasn't delivered they say that their system is down and can't tell me anything and to call back in an hour where they'll tell me the system is down again.
- Nathan Starr (@ntstarr) June 27, 2019