Akai USA Company would not return my calls to address an issue with a faulty Television Woodland Hills California

My issue is with a rear projection TV (Viore Ipt46DLP30) that I purchased in 2006 from the Future Shop. In mid 2007 the TV stopped functioning and when I had a technician assess the issue they concluded that the TV's engine was bad. The result was to purchase a new engine at $1700.00. We purchased the TV for 1300.00. This TV was just over a year old (warranty was for a year), and it was not our main TV; we watched it once a week in the winter and maybe once a month in the summer. You can see how I would have an issue with this.

I have contacted the US Akai service line (1-800-726-4405) on 5 occaisions since to try and rectify the situation. Each time I got the sense that I was being brushed off and given the run-around, because the representatives kept saying someone from the head office would contact me, but I had waited 4 months to hear from someone and no one had called.

The most recent call I placed January 5, 2008. A service representative (Rashand) said that there was no one at that location who could help me and that he has forwarded the issue to the corporate office for an 'out of warranty exchange'. I explained to him that that is what Malcolm had told me in November of 2007 when I called and I explained that no-one has called me back yet to rectify this problem. I asked him for a name and number of someone I could talk to at the corporate office. He said he was not allowed to give out that information, I asked for a supervisor, and he said there was no one here that could help me and the only thing I could do was wait for someone to call me from the head office.

I looked up the head office number on the internet and was able to find 3 phone numbers from a previous customer who had the same issue as my wife and I had. The phone numbers included the Service Manager for the corporate office and the Manager of the Exchange department.

I contacted David (Service Manager) and left 2 messages in January 2008. It is March now and he has not returned my call. I have recently left 3 messages (March 2008) with Sonya from the Exchange department, and she has not returned my calls. When I tried to press zero on the phone to talk to someone I was lost in a voice service loop, and could not reach a representative in person to assist me.

My wife and I purchased this TV as a Christmas gift for each other, and we saved for a year for this luxory item. The representative at the Future Shop tried to sell us an extended warranty in case something like this happened. Sadly, we decided not too because our previous televisions have lasted us 20 years, and we recognized Akai as a trusted brand name.

Ken
Newmarket, Ontario
Canada