Toshiba AmericaToshiba America Inc. Nine month 42 " Plasma HDTV warranty repair fiasco New York New York

I purchased a 42" Plasma HDTV (refurbished) back in September of 2007. It was delivered to me in October. The unit was DOA and I called Toshiba's national customer hotline to start the warranty repair process. They gave me the name and number of the nearest Toshiba authorized repair center - which I contacted and they picked up the unit the next day.

After three weeks without hearing anything, I contacted the local repair center and was told that they had tried to exchange some parts but the unit still wasn't working. In order to fix it, they needed to order a new plasma panel which will take 6-8 weeks to have shipped in.

Six weeks later, I called the local repair center again to find out that the needed plasma panel was on "National Backorder" and the repair center couldn't get the part. They suggested that I, as the consumer, call Toshiba's customer care center to see if I could get the part for them. And, interestingly enough, Toshiba found the part and had it shipped - again with a 6-8 week timeframe.

Once again, I waited. At the end of 8 weeks, I called the local repair shop to find out that they still haven't received the part. So I called the Toshiba customer care line and found out that they had ordered the part from a third party and that, for some reason, the part didn't ship. The Toshiba representative said they would ship another part immediately out of Toshiba's wareouses but couldn't do any better than the 6-8 week shipping time due to the size of the panel.

This time, I waited 10 weeks to call the repair center due to the holidays and to give them a little extra time. Again, no part arrived. And again, I called the Toshiba customer care center. And, again, no part was shipped.

At this point I wanted a new TV. After all, I've waited almost four months already and, as everyone knows, technology diminishes in value quickly and the shipping cost for one of these panels has to be more than the TV's worth at this point. However, Toshiba flatly refused saying that my warranty clearly states that they can switch parts for however long it takes them to fix the problem.

However, the Toshiba representative did offer to take personal charge of this case, monitor it to completion, and to keep me updated. But, again, a plasma panel had to be shipped and 6-8 weeks for shipping, etc.

Moving into April, I receive an update call from Toshiba and the repair facility had received the part but was still having trouble with the unit. Additional parts were required in order to facilitate the repair. About mid-April, I receive an update call from the Toshiba rep that the repair center has not been able to repair the unit and was told to contact their Toshiba technical support hotline for assistance.

Two weeks later, I get an update call that the repair center has been working with the Tech Support group and that the unit is still not working. Again, I reiterate that I wanted a new TV. After all, I have been inconvenienced for nine months. Again, I was turned down.

Finally on June 9th, I receive a call from Toshiba that they are going to send me a refurbished HDTV (same model) as the one that I ordered but I would only get a 3-month warranty and not the 1-year warranty I got with the original unit. That's pretty bad. Not only have I lost the use of my TV for none months but now I lose a significant part of my warranty.

But what really ticked me off was when the customer rep explained that the reason the plasm screen parts never shipped to the repair center (months 2-6) was that the repair center was on Credit Hold with Toshiba. Now, c'mon. If you know your authorized repair center is on Credit Hold and they can't get parts to fix a custoemr's problem and you do nothing to transfer the TV to a repair facility that can get parts - well, then you don't deserve any customers.

That's basically what Toshiba failed to do that caused me nine months of hell! And that's why Toshiba TV's shouldn't be purchased.

They don't care about their customers! They even put them through nine months of hell, not giving a d**n about them, and then screwing them without so much as a 'by your leave.'

So thanks Toshiba. I hope this story makes it all the way to your Board of Directors. And, again, don't buy Toshiba TV's!!!!!!

Christopher
Houston, Texas
U.S.A.

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