Sears screwed some neighbors of ours in Colorado when they suddenly stopped doing catalog sales, right after our neighbors had bought the local Sears catalog store/franchise.
It nearly killed them financially, but somehow they regrouped and managed to get a Coast to Coast franchise. A few years later they were able to build a brand new store. :)
I don't think I've done any business with Sears since then. No opportunity, really - as the big Sears store in Billings closed not long after we moved to Montana :rolleyes:
Many years ago, we had Kenmore gas range with a non-working gas valve in the oven. I asked (at the same aforementioned catalog store, long before those folks bought it) about ordering a new one. It was something like $100 (back about 1982!) and they wanted me to pre-pay for it, but they had no idea when or even
if it would ever be shipped. No thanks :(