last week i made some calls to craftsman/sears. i called and was transferred or given a different number to call at least 6 times. no one could help. they kept telling me it only had a 90 day warranty and there was nothing they could do. the last person i talked to told me to go to my local store and see if they could help. they told me since it was a catalogue exclusive they couldn't help. i dug out the instruction manual for it and noticed in the bottom corner fine print it says 2 year warranty and a 90 day warranty for calibration. i called again and told them about this and asked if i could just send it back and they can send me a new one as it is hard for me to get to sears during the day. they said no, i had to go through the local store.
i got off work early today and had a chance to stop by my local store. they were very friendly as they usually are. they called the sears customer service and apparently a new one is being shipped to me. i received a conformation number so we'll see what happens. they didn't even ask for the old one but i suggested they take it and give me a receipt for it. again, i wasn't after anything free, i just wanted a working torque wrench that i paid for.
i think after this, i am done dealing with sears online/catalogue exclusive stuff. every time has been a major ordeal. i have spent A TON of money on tools and machinery over the last year from internet orders and have had nothing but great service from everyone but sears. maybe i have just been spoiled from companies like enco with great customer service.