screwed on a tv- any ideas?

[enstg8er]

a friend of mine purchased a toshiba 30"hdtv from amazon.com and received it on nov 20th. the set didn't work. contact to amazon they say they won't do anything, call toshiba. toshiba had a service company pick up the tv for repair a couple of days later. he still has no tv. the service company cannot be reached. toshiba says they cannot contact the service company but stand behind them and he must wait for however long it takes to return the set. the credit card company accepted a protest on the charges and may stop payment, but that's no certainty.

in summation- pay for a tv that's defective. nearly two later, still no tv. amazon refuses to do anything. toshiba sends the set to a repair ouitfit that no one can contact. the credit company hasn't decided if they will stop payment.

any ideas on how to resolve this situation??

thanks

[bazooka]

I must get my head out of the gutter.

[northcat_8]

Was the TV new or used?

It doesn't really matter, he's just screwed.

[BJ_M]

f**d from the get go ....

[badger_fruit]

wow, i had a 28" w/s tv go bang - it took them nearly 2 months to fix ....

i wouldnt buy anything like that from amazon, yes, I know its too late now, but i'd get it from an authorised dealer and with a warranty (plus extended wrnty just in case)


good luck!!

[Capmaster]

I have to admit that I had different images when I first read the topic title My reaction was ....kyul! 8)

BTW, ....<in best Chandler Bing voice> BJ_M .....could that avatar BE more disturbing?

[enstg8er]

tv was purchased new.

and yes, the topic heading was worded to attract people to take a look.

[Cobra]

Is it not Amazon's responsibility? In the UK, I believe that it is usually up to the retailer who sold you the item to deal with any returns/replacements and repairs if required.

Never mind. I just know never to buy anything expensive from Amazon now. Thanks for the heads-up.

Cobra

[Roundabout]

You need to contact the Bureau of Electronic Repair or its equivalent in your state, to do something about this. Having the product out for repair for this length of time is unacceptable. Here's some info about warranty law from the Nolo website:

Making Promises to Fix Products

Express warranties are statements and promises that a manufacturer or retailer makes about a product or about a commitment to remedy defects and malfunctions in the product. If the statements are untrue or if the stated commitments are not honored, the manufacturer or retailer may be legally liable to the buyer for breach of warranty.


Express warranties take a variety of forms, from advertising claims to a printed certificate that accompanies the product and specifically guarantees it. Express warranties can be made either orally or in writing.

Written warranties

A statement doesn’t have to be called a warranty or guarantee to be legally treated as such. And warranties needn’t be part of a formal written contract. Statements made in product literature distributed by the manufacturer or retail store, in advertisements or orally by salespeople can constitute binding warranties.


If a sales contract or order form contains a description of the goods, that constitutes an express warranty by the seller that the goods will be as described. So if the product is described as an Ear Play Model 400 stereo receiver and it turns out to be a different brand or model, the seller has breached an express warranty.


Written warranties on consumer products are covered by state laws and a federal law, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. That law is designed to make it easier for consumers to understand and deal with warranties. It doesn’t replace state warranty laws but does add certain requirements.


The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers consumer products normally used for personal, family or household purposes. It doesn’t require a manufacturer or seller to give any written warranty at all. But if a written warranty is given, it must comply with the statute and with rules of the Federal Trade Commission.


For a product costing the consumer $15 or more, the written warranty must be in simple, understandable language. Also, the seller must make the terms of the warranty available to the buyer before the sale occurs. There are four ways you can comply with this requirement:


Clearly and conspicuously display the warranty “in close conjunction to” the warranted product.
Keep copies of warranties in readily available loose-leaf binders in each department of your store.
Display packages so that the warranty is clearly visible to customers at the point of sale.
Place a notice containing the warranty near the product in a way that clearly tells prospective buyers the product to which the warranty applies.

If a product costs $10 or more, the written warranty must state either that it’s a full warranty or limited warranty. Naturally, a consumer who sees the words “full warranty” believes that he or she is getting a large measure of protection. To qualify as a full warranty, a written warranty must include at least the following coverage:


A defective product will be repaired or replaced for free (including removal and installation, if necessary) during the warranty period.
The product will be repaired within a reasonable time.
The consumer won’t have to do anything unreasonable to get warranty service (such as return a heavy product to a store or service center).
The warranty is good for anyone who owns the product during the warranty period.
If the product hasn’t been repaired after a reasonable number of tries, the customer gets a replacement or a refund.
The customer doesn’t have to return a warranty card for the warranty to be valid.
Implied warranties can’t be disclaimed or denied or limited to any specific length of time.

Any written warranty that doesn’t qualify as a full warranty must be labeled as a limited warranty. You can restrict the duration of implied warranties, as long as the restrictions are not unconscionable (that is, shockingly unfair). Restrictions must be stated clearly, and the implied warranties must last for a reasonable time.


The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act doesn’t supersede state laws that give consumers even greater rights and laws that permit people to recover damages for injuries caused by defective products, despite a disclaimer of liability. For example, in California the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act contains more stringent warranty provisions than the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Among other things, the California statute provides that a manufacturer who provides a written warranty (full or limited) must maintain service and repair facilities in California reasonably close to all areas where its products are sold. The manufacturer can delegate repair and service facilities to retailers or independent repair shops. Repairs must be completed within 30 days, except in unusual circumstances.

[thecoalman]

any ideas on how to resolve this situation??

thanks

Write a letter, include all the information and send copies to Amazon, the manufacturer, and the service place (if you can find out who it is) and the BBB... Make sure they all know a copy went to the BBB.

You would not believe the service and amount of free shit my GF gets by writing a letter when she is displeased. It's truly amazing.

[pyrate83]

It has to be a very heated letter though...but it DOES seem to always work. I got a free$1,400 computer from HP after bitching at them for two weeks about how their customer service sucks and completely wasted my time after the hard drive failed on not one but four of the same computers that they kept sending me. Once I finally got to speak to a supervisor she took care of everything, and I mean everything.

[Ripper2860]

1. Make sure "the Wiggles" or "Teletubbies" aren't on.

-- and --

2. The kitchen table isn't too bad, if it's sturdy and can withstand the vigorous activity!!

I must get my head out of the gutter.

Yeah, me too !!

Tried to let it go, but ...

Nah -- I just couldn't do it !!

[enstg8er]

thanks for the help.

[Dr. DOS]

1. Make sure "the Wiggles" or "Teletubbies" aren't on.

Ya mean Henry the octopus doesn't do anything for you?

Regarding the toasted TV... got a friend that's a lawyer.. have them write the letter for you on company letterhead... that' always helps.

Note to self ... don't buy electronics mail order from Amazon...

[zzyzzx]

I bought my TV from Amazon.com and I actually recommend them. But it was a 20" TV. What's Amazon's return policy in a big screen TV?

[bazooka]

1. Make sure "the Wiggles" or "Teletubbies" aren't on.

Ya mean Henry the octopus doesn't do anything for you?

Maybe he likes wags the dog.

[Ripper2860]

thanks for the help.

Come on -- You've been here since 3/2004!! Now you can't tell me after being here that long and with a name like enstg8er you really didn't expect a response like mine.

You've gotten pretty good advice so far, but All I can add is to escalate up via the MFG. Somewhere there is someone in charge of managing the service partner relationships and ensuring satisfaction.

[smearbrick1]

It has to be a very heated letter though...but it DOES seem to always work. I got a free$1,400 computer from HP after bitching at them for two weeks about how their customer service sucks and completely wasted my time after the hard drive failed on not one but four of the same computers that they kept sending me. Once I finally got to speak to a supervisor she took care of everything, and I mean everything.

Now... when you say "everything", how much "everything" do you actually mean?

[AlecWest]

any ideas on how to resolve this situation??

thanks

Call this guy's radio show:

http://troubleshooter.com

I've heard him. If he takes on "the case," something will happen. I've heard him get real nasty and enlisting staff people, lawyers, and journalists to hound some companies into a resolution. But if you do call him, you better have receipts handy and any other documentation related to service.

[Doramius]

You can also call the BBB regarding Toshiba. They'll react immediately.

[zzyzzx]

You can also call the BBB regarding Toshiba. They'll react immediately.

I was thinking of commenting that when I was an electronics technician many many years ago, Toshiba was one of the brand names that left an impression on me. One that says "Don't buy Toshiba".

[enstg8er]

Come on -- You've been here since 3/2004!! Now you can't tell me after being here that long and with a name like enstg8er you really didn't expect a response like mine.

.
no problem. not only did i expect, but i elicited by wording the topic that way. people could have fun and i might find some help. "thanks" was for everyone who responded whether for fun or for help....

[enstg8er]

What's Amazon's return policy in a big screen TV?

from the listing-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002UT248/qid=/br=1-/ref=br_lf_e_//103-...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Because this product comes with an in-home warranty, returns will not be accepted after delivery. See details.

from the link-

Because this product comes with an in-home warranty, returns will not be accepted after delivery. Upon its delivery, please inspect your television carefully for damage while the shipper's agent is still present. If you find any damage, refuse delivery, and you will receive a refund. Your signature on our carrier's delivery receipt acknowledges that you understand our return policy. After the release form has been signed, returns of televisions with 27-inch and larger screens will not be accepted.

Should something go wrong with your TV while it is under warranty, a technician from the product manufacturer will come to your home and make the repairs. It's that easy!

from the first paragraph- DO NOT sign the delivery receipt until you have set up the tv and all connections to insure everything works. this may be impractical and inconvenient for the delivery company, but it does give a modicum of protection.

from the second paragraph- a technician from the product manufacturer will come to your home and make the repairs
translates to a tv repairman that the manufacturer can't contact takes your tv away.
It's that easy!

[zzyzzx]

from the first paragraph- DO NOT sign the delivery receipt until you have set up the tv and all connections to insure everything works. this may be impractical and inconvenient for the delivery company, but it does give a modicum of protection.

Does anyone really expect the delivery company to stay that long?

[zzyzzx]

Mental note: Don't buy any TV's 27" or larger through the mail.

Also, seems liek you should make them fix it in your home, unless you really want them to cart it away:

Should something go wrong with your TV while it is under warranty, a technician from the product manufacturer will come to your home and make the repairs

[Doramius]

Boy am I ready for a next generation of high quality projectors to come out for unbelievable low prices.