SEATTLE - There's much debate over whether service agreements, also called extended warranties, are worth the money.

If a customer buys one, they certainly expect someone to show up when they need repairs done.

A lot of customers in Western Washington say that's not happening with one of America's biggest names – Sears.

Both Joanne Knutson of La Conner and Elizabeth Van Dyke of Sequim say they can't get Sears to honor the service agreements they bought to cover repairs for items they purchased.

For Knutson it's air-conditioning.

"By now, I'm done with Sears I'll tell you," Knutson said. "I'll never buy anything from them again."

For Van Dyke it's dehumidifiers.

"Nothing has been done," Van Dyke said. "Well a lot of my time's been invested in it."

These homeowners say they bought the service agreements for protection. But when the products malfunctioned all they got were headaches and disappointments. They spent hours waiting for technicians who failed to show up for scheduled appointments, and when they called the customer service hotline for help:

"Came back to the phone and said, we don't have a technician in that area," said Knutson. "She said, I can refer you to the YELLOW PAGES."

"The last I heard a subcontractor, a non Sears certified technician would come, call me the next day. That was six weeks ago," Van Dyke said.

They're not alone. We reviewed dozens of complaints made to the KING 5 Investigators and the state Attorney General's Office, including these:

From Puyallup: "I have asked for a full refund of my service agreement money since it is an absolutely worthless investment."

From Seattle: "I have been without hot water for a week. Unacceptable given that I have a service maintenance agreement."

From Port Orchard: "I am frustrated and disgusted from the lack of customer service..."

Service agreements aren't cheap, and Sears may be among the most expensive in the industry.

In 2006, the online publication Warranty Week shopped almost 40 stores for a plasma TV combined with a three-year extended warranty. Sears had the highest price.

Doug Walsh is consumer protection chief for the state Attorney General's Office. He says retailers push service agreements hard for one reason. 

"Service contracts are enormously profitable they bring a lot of money in," he said.

Elizabeth Van Dyke paid an extra $179 for her service agreement for the dehumidifiers.

KING

Joanne Knutson paid $400 to give her central air unit five years of protection. But she says it was worthless when her air conditioner went out.

"I'd like Sears to give me my $400 back because they obviously aren't gonna fix it," said Knutson.

Former salesman Bill Fuller sold Knutson that service agreement and says he's shocked at how she and other customers of his have been treated.

"She told me that she wasn't getting the service and quite frankly, I couldn't believe it, because she has a service agreement... she paid for it," Fuller said. "If they can't, should just give her her money back."

After the KING 5 Investigators contacted Sears on their behalf, both Knutson and Van Dyke are getting their money back. But Sears wouldn't do an interview with us, instead calling the problems "isolated incidents."

The company does acknowledge there was a problem servicing customers and say they've hired new contractors to address it.