Polaroid Corporation Polaroid's Terrible Customer Service Waltham Massachusetts

In November of 2006 my father purchased a Polaroid LCD television, model TLA-04011C. On October 10, 2007 the television quit working. My father called the customer service number in your literature since the television was still under warranty. A technician was sent to his home on October 15, 2007. My father was informed that the television needed a new control box assembly and that it would have to be ordered from Polaroid, and that he would be sent back to install the part.

The part, number PCE909-KS0-GF37AXAH was sent on October 16th, and arrived at my fathers home on October 17th. My father called, as he had been instructed, to inform Polaroid that the part had arrived. He was told a technician would be there to install it within 24 to 48 hours from the next business day, which was the next day, October 18, 2007.

Expecting the technician to come no later than October, 19th, my father waited patiently until October 22nd before again calling the customer service number. He was told the same thing again. He waited until October 24th before calling again and receiving the same answer. Calls on October 25th, 26th, 29th, and 30th yielded the same message and result, specifically nothing. On October 31st he called again and became so frustrated with the customer service representative that he had a mild heart attack after hanging up.

At this point I became involved. I called the customer service number that same day and told them what had happened. The customer service representative was very polite and promised to bring the situation to the attention of his manager. Another call on November 1st, and a demand to speak to a manager, got me nowhere; despite assurances from the manager that the situation would now have corporate attention.

After one last call on November 2nd yielded no results, we returned the television to Wal-Mart, where it had been purchased. The Wal-Mart electronics manager also called Polaroid and got no results. He was informed that every time the customer called they were automatically moved tot the end of the queue for that day. We decided that either we were being lied to, or that Polaroids system was the most obtuse one that could possibly be devised. The Wal-Mart manager agreed to refund the purchase price at that time, and we bought a Sharp LCD television for only $150 dollars more. The picture is better, the remote easier to use, and it was much easier to set up. My father is thrilled with the new television.

I think Polaroid's customer service is appalling, and it is abhorrent that they delayed and deferred their service to the point that it caused an old man to have a heart attack. It is unconscionable that even after being informed their inaction had caused a heart attack that Polaroid still did nothing.

V
Farmington, Missouri
U.S.A.