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Report: #1195116

Complaint Review: Panasonic - Chesapeake Virginia

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  • Reported By: Kate — Phoenix Arizona
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  • Panasonic 661 Independence Parkway Chesapeake, Virginia USA

Panasonic sold me a broken vacuum, then held vacuum "hostage" and would not refund my money;despicable, uncaring and abusive "customer service" Chesapeake Virginia

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I purchased a Panasonic vacuum in August. When it arrived, I was disheartened to find that the hose was loose and an attachment did not work. I called the 1-800 number on my warranty. After 20 minutes of automated promps, I finally reached a live person. I was given the name of the nearest Panasonic-authorized-repair shop, and told to take the vacuum there. I dropped the vacuum off in early September, and was told to expect to pick it up in a week...maybe two.

After two weeks of no communication from Panasonic or the repair shop, I called and inquired about my vacuum. I was told by John (at the repair shop) that a part was on back order. Panasonic was not giving him any information about when the part might be made available. After three weeks, I called Panasonic. Again, I trudged through 20 minutes of automation before reaching a live cusomer service rep. I explained that my vacuum had been in the repair shop for three weeks now, and I needed to know when it would be fixed. The customer service rep gave me a "case number" and told me that my "case" would be escalated. When I asked what this escalation process entailed, the rep did not know. (Panasonic's call center is in the Caribbean, and the reps there do not have ANY informatin except what is given to them on their call-center-computer. They do not have any phone numbers for Panasonic's corporate offices, or legal department, or field services department. They literally have no information that may help customers.)

A week after my "case" was "escalated", I called Panasonic to inquire about any progress with my vacuum. Again, 20 minutes of automated prompts. The representative with whom I spoke could not find any information about my "case". After holding for 25 minutes to speak with a supervisor, I was told that my "case" had been "escalated". Dumbfounded, I replied that "yes, my 'case' was escalated last week. I am calling to see what progress has been made!". The supervisor was unable to provide me with any new information; only that my "case" had been "escalated". Again I requested a number for corporate or legal or ANY other Panasonic emloyee who might help me. There were no numbers to be given. 

After two months of this maddening process of calling the Panasonic call center, waiting for a person, holding for a supervisor, and being told that there was no new information, I called the repair center that had my vacuum. I told the employee that I was going to come pick up my vacuum. Not 15 minutes after hanging up, I received a call from Karen in the Panasonic Field Services center in Virginia. Finally, someone who could give me some answers! Sadly, this was just the beginning of the next hellacious chapter in my vacuum saga.

Karen told me that I could not retrieve my vacuum, as Panasonic was in the process of refunding me for the broken unit. I was suprised and delighted to hear this new information. "When might I expect this refund check?", I asked. Karen told me that the check was processed on November 25th, and that I should receive it w/i 7 to 10 business days.

On December 10th, my refund check had not yet arrived. I called Karen to inquire of its whereabouts. Karen thought that perhaps a "stop-payment" had been put on the check. Furious, I asked her for the number for Panasonic's legal department. There was no number to be given; instead, Karen transferred me to her supervisor, Steve. Steve opened his dialogue with me by stating that I should really "put this in perspective". He went on to say that my vacuum was "only a $200 unit", and that there are customers who spend "thousands of dollars" on Panasonic products. In other words, my measley little $200 dollar vacuum was not as important as a thousand dollar machine. I asked to speak to Steve's superior. He had a name, but no number. Steve went on to say that I was threatening him by asking to speak to his superior.

Ten minutes after hanging up with Steve and Karen, I received a call from Michael Marino from Panasonic's legal department. I was thrilled---maybe NOW I'd get some answers! Michael began by threatening to report me to some sort of agency (I wasn't able to understand exactly who he said this agency was). He said that I had been harassing Karen and Steve by calling them so often to discuss my case. Because of the absurdity of what he was saying, I thought this was a hoax call, and I hung up. Immediately I called Karen to ask if she knew of a "Michael Marino". Karen hung up on me. I called her back...three times...and each time, Karen hung up on me.

I did a little research via the internet and found that this Michael Marino guy was legit. I called his number (per my caller-ID). No answer. I tried  four more times that day. No answer. I now had NO ONE to help me get my vacuum or refund check. Each time I tried to call Karen, as soon as I told her my name, she hung up on me. Michael-the-lawyer would not return my calls. It was now December 11th. This ordeal was now three months old.

Having no other option, I drove the 45 minutes to the repair shop to retrieve my broken vacuum. At least I'd have that. John, at the repair shop, told me he could not give me the vacuum per Karen's orders. I showed him my receipt and told him that I owned the vacuum; he had no choice but to release it to me. John called Karen. I could here her through the speaker phone. "DO NOT GIVE HER THE VACUUM. DO NOT TALK TO HER. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GIVE HER THE VACUUM BACK!". Poor John was struggling to know what to do. He asked Karen if Panasonic was mailing me a refund check, because, if not, the vacuum was still mine. Karen told him that she could not give him any information on the matter. I gave John Michael-the lawyer's phone number and asked him to give him a call; maybe he knew what was going on. Michael-the-lawyer, for the first time in two days, answered his phone! He told John to keep the vacuum because Panasonic had cut a refund check for me and it was in the mail!

Knowing that Michael-the-lawyer was answering his phone (at least he had just answered John's call), I tried calling him  on my drive home. HE ANSWERED! He was sweet as pie...told me my check would arrive by next week; he'd even  overnight it to me, if he was able to get to it before it went out via US post.  I asked him to please e-mail me a confirmation of that fact that my check was on its way, which he has since done. Again, Michael was very accommodating and informative. However, when I inquired about his earlier threat to report me to some sort of agency, he became agitated and said, "I am not playing that game." I was simply interested to know what agency he had purposed to report me. I guess maybe I had called his bluff. Anyway, it didn't matter; I was finally going to have this horrific Panasonic experience resolved and behind me.

I dropped my vacuum off at a Panasonic-authorized repair shop in early September. Today is December 13th. I have no vacuum and no refund check But I have an e-mail from Michael-the-Panasonic-lawyer, saying that I will receive a refund check by the end of next week. WE WILL SEE......

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 12/12/2014 10:27 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/panasonic/chesapeake-virginia-23320/panasonic-sold-me-a-broken-vacuum-then-held-vacuum-hostage-and-would-not-refund-my-mon-1195116. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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