General Electric Company Service Protection Plus-Federal Warranty Service Corporation Fraudulent Extended Warranty-GE gives run around for 5 months! Norfolk Virginia

We purchased a 37" Sharp Aquos LCD TV in Nov. 2005 for $3500.00 from Appliances Plus in Vineland, NJ. They offered a 5 year extended warranty which would kick in after the 1 year mfg. warranty ran out. We thought it would be wise since it is such an expensive item. We did not know that the extended warranty was not from the mfg. of the TV.

The audio went out in late June 2007. We called the number on extended warranty for in home service. Sharp's authorized service providers (Master's Touch in Northfield, NJ) came out with a new board twice and twice it didn't fix the problem. They took it to their shop where it sat for 3 months. Repeated calls to them were either never returned or we were brushed off with "we are waiting for parts".

In October we actually went to their shop to get some answers. Surprised to see us, they had no answers. The tech actually said that it was a problem because he was used to dealing with items that were purchased from Circuit City and since we purchased from a different store, that was a problem! What??!!!He then said he was recommending that we get a replacement set because the parts that Sharp sent actually made the TV worse...not repairable.

Since then I have made 15 calls to GE's warranty company and have gotten so many excuses that I'd be writing a book here. I have all the calls documented. They are trying to tell me that it is Sharp's responsibility to replace the TV because they are claiming that the TV was defective at time of purchase. Calls to Sharp say that their warrany has run out but they will replace it at a prorated price. If we pay $700 we can get a new TV. But we paid $500 for a warranty just in case this happened.

GE's warranty does have a lemon policy which states that if they cannot repair the TV on 3 separate occassions within a year that they will replace it. But they will not honor this and every time I call I get a different excuse and no solution. There is NO ONE there to talk to who will help. I think they are trained to give the run around. I really think that is their policy.

I spoke to a lawyer who told me to sue all of them in small claims court. There are so many different addresses for this place that I don't know where to send the court papers. And, they are all PO boxes so I can't get a confirmation signature when I send certified return receipt.

I don't even know what else to do from here. I feel like a beaten down dog with this whole situation. It is going into 6 months of dealing with this!
Can anyone help me?

Colleen
Northfield, New Jersey
U.S.A.