This Sears refrigerator can't be repaired. Do I still have to pay $677?

We had a Sears technician come to our home recently to look at our GE refrigerator. At that time, he said we needed a new heater, sensor, and thermostat. We paid $677 for the parts.

The technician returned a week later and completed the repair. He told us if we had any further issues within 30 days of the repair, we would get a full refund of the cost of the parts.

Less than a week later, the fridge was already failing again. The technician returned and agreed that the new parts did not fix the issue. He assured us we would get a full refund.

It's been a month and I still don't have my money. Please help me get our $677 back.

Michelle Hughes, Aurora, Ill.

You shouldn't have to pay for a repair that didn't work. It's unclear what type of warranty Sears offered you on its repair since the technician never sent you the paperwork. But on its site, Sears says it offers an unambiguous guarantee: "If we can't fix it, we'll replace it."

Your technician promised to send you the information later, but as I review what happened to you, I think you shouldn't have let him leave without giving you something in writing. It doesn't make sense for Sears to charge you for something that doesn't work, but I would not assume anything.

Your case brings up the issue of implied warranty. Even if there were no guarantee at all, there's a legal principle of an implied warranty. I discuss it in more detail in my ultimate guide to getting a repair, replacement or refund for your broken appliance. I think Sears had offered you an implied warranty by promising you that if you had any further issues, the company would either repair your refrigerator or replace it.

A brief, polite email to Sears might have moved your case in the right direction. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Sears customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

Now, some of you reading this may think that you should have waited longer for your refund. I disagree. At a bare minimum, Sears should have contacted you in writing and given you a timeline for a refund. But it didn't. To me, that suggests the company might be trying to sweep your case under the rug -- in other words, it wants to keep your $677 and leave you with a broken refrigerator. That would not be an ideal situation.

I contacted Sears on your behalf. It reviewed your case and offered you a full refund for your parts and labor, as initially agreed.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/

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