Samsung LCD - Sears warranty protection

[sammy4041]

Ok,

Heres the deal. I have a Samsung LCD 40 inch Model LNS4041.

About a week ago it started to take about 5 minutes to turn on. It just kept going through the power up cycle. I called sears and they are going to send out a tech since there is still about 5 months left on the 3 year warranty. My appointment in on July 21st.

In the past few days it has become much worse. 25 minutes for the TV to come on and many Picture and sounds issues. I am not a technical person, but if I had to describe the problem it looks like the TV is fried

I guess my question is for those who have dealt with warranty work through sears. What do you think. I have it pegged to 3 choices.

A. I will go out to my truck and get the board you need and get that taken for you.

B. This TV is burnt up and sears will replace it with a similar model.

C. I am going to come up with every reason under the sun not to help you.

I pray to god it is not C.


What do you guys think.

 

[bhelms]

My experience is with other appliances (I rarely buy electronics from Sears but I do buy a bunch of other stuff!) and in years past, nothing recent. I could be wrong on this, but I believe Sears has gotten out of the repair business completely - cored it all out to others. That's not necessarily a bad thing if true. Or maybe that's just with my local store. They don't service anything at the store any longer, and you have to order parts by phone or on-line (which actually works quite well, tho' it's expensive).

I'm guessing a hybrid of B. The tech (a private contactor hired by Sears, authorized Samsung repair place) will probably simply fool around with it for a while, determine he doesn't have what is needed with him, then load it up to take back to the shop. After some delay the shop will determine the set can't be economically repaired and suggest that Sears settle with you. I don't know what your 3-year warranty does for you, but there is a replacement clause in there somewhere. Yours might be pro-rated, or it might be a 100% replacement with a "comparable" (as determined by them) set. But given the technology advances you'll probably come out ahead. (In fact, if this were me and I had the 100% guarantee I'd actually hope for the replacement!)

I'm probably wrong and you'll get A instead, but I really believe that's a long shot. You might get A with a repeat visit to install at a future date what he didn't have with him on the first visit...

If you don't want to wait so long, find out who Sears is sending and/or who they recommend for warranty work then take the unit there yourself. A 40" set isn't too bad to handle with some help.

 

[sammy4041]

My experience is with other appliances (I rarely buy electronics from Sears but I do buy a bunch of other stuff!) and in years past, nothing recent. I could be wrong on this, but I believe Sears has gotten out of the repair business completely - cored it all out to others. That's not necessarily a bad thing if true. Or maybe that's just with my local store. They don't service anything at the store any longer, and you have to order parts by phone or on-line (which actually works quite well, tho' it's expensive).

I'm guessing a hybrid of B. The tech (a private contactor hired by Sears, authorized Samsung repair place) will probably simply fool around with it for a while, determine he doesn't have what is needed with him, then load it up to take back to the shop. After some delay the shop will determine the set can't be economically repaired and suggest that Sears settle with you. I don't know what your 3-year warranty does for you, but there is a replacement clause in there somewhere. Yours might be pro-rated, or it might be a 100% replacement with a "comparable" (as determined by them) set. But given the technology advances you'll probably come out ahead. (In fact, if this were me and I had the 100% guarantee I'd actually hope for the replacement!)

I'm probably wrong and you'll get A instead, but I really believe that's a long shot. You might get A with a repeat visit to install at a future date what he didn't have with him on the first visit...

If you don't want to wait so long, find out who Sears is sending and/or who they recommend for warranty work then take the unit there yourself. A 40" set isn't too bad to handle with some help.

Thanks for the help.

 

[bhelms]

Let us know what actually transpires, and good luck with it...!

 

[navychop]

If it's like with their appliance warranties, they'll take good care of you.

 

[sammy4041]

If it's like with their appliance warranties, they'll take good care of you.

Thanks for all your help guys, I just have a bad feeling about it.

I will let you all know what happens

 

[sammy4041]

Let us know what actually transpires, and good luck with it...!

Well the contracted service person came out about 1 month after the call was made. He concluded it was the power board, which is what I thought it was, and ordered the new part. He will return August 17th to put in the new part.


Maybe I am way out of the times, but I think 2 months for a routine service call and routine fix is totally unacceptable.

 

[lakebum431]

2 months is absurd. I would be on the phone every single day until it is fixed. Make them so tired of hearing from you that they want to get it fixed ASAP as well.

 

[sammy4041]

2 months is absurd. I would be on the phone every single day until it is fixed. Make them so tired of hearing from you that they want to get it fixed ASAP as well.

I agree with you and I usually take that approach. It is such a red tape filled system though. You never get to talk to anyone. It is always front end tech support. Then the people that are fixing it are all contracted out so they could care less what you think.

They cover there butts somewhat by throwing a free rental until your tv is fixed. I am not falling into that trap. I am freaked out about dropping my own tv, I dont want to accidentily ruin a rental.

Oh well,

Maybe I will try to be a pest today. I have the day off.

 

[sammy4041]

Well the TV was fixed after about 2 months of BS. 3 weeks later "Today" a new problem has arose. No picture but there is sound. This is yet another problem that thousands have had with samsungs. It is still unter the protection plan, but should I start demanding a new TV. This is terrible. The tech I talked to today is already saying nothing is avialable till the end of the September and I have to work all the days that are available.

Any thoughts on how I should deal with this.

 

[jayn_j]

Well the TV was fixed after about 2 months of BS. 3 weeks later "Today" a new problem has arose. No picture but there is sound. This is yet another problem that thousands have had with samsungs. It is still unter the protection plan, but should I start demanding a new TV. This is terrible. The tech I talked to today is already saying nothing is avialable till the end of the September and I have to work all the days that are available.

Any thoughts on how I should deal with this.

I think I would consider dropping down a level of support and get approval to take it to a service center for repair. I'vee got a feeling you aren't going to get much support for a replacement from Sears. Save everything and start to deal directly with Samsung support on the reliability issues.

Of course, being in Eau Claire, the nearest approved service center is probably in Minneapolis. Long drive, but at least you get to pick the day.

 

[bhelms]

One possible additional approach. Will probably be tough with a 3 y.o. set, but won't cost you anything so it's worth a try. I base this suggestion on my own experience with Sears which spans nearly 40 years and has almost always turned out favorably. Even tho' there is a large turnover of employees at my local store, they still recognize me as a long-term customer who has spent thousands in that same store over the years. And they are willing to reach more than 50% of the way to keep me as a customer!

Ask politely for a new set from the store where you purchased this current one. Speak directly to the store manager, preferrably in mid-week in the afternoon. Explain everything you have done to remedy the situation and you still don't have satisfaction. Then ask for the new set, preferrably not a Samsung, as "just compensation" for all your hassles. No threats, just a polite conversation. I would expect at worst case they would agree to a significant discount on a new model of a different brand.

Might be worth a try. If that fails, then I agree with jayn_j - cut out the middle man!

 

[jayn_j]

Good point. I agree.

 

[Stargazer]

I know someone that got a warranty on their television from Sears and they had to keep coming back to fix the same problem. Even going to the Attorney General's office did not fix the problem (they are a joke anyways and a waste of tax payer's money). There is still a problem with the television set where there are a few yellow spots that show up all the time on the tv screen and they refuse to fix it for them. They did offer to refund what they paid for the warranty. They simply don't want to pay for a replacement tv or to fix it the right way. They put used parts in the tv from what I am told.

 

[jayn_j]

I have always considered the AG and the BBB as last resorts. First, as you say, they seldom have good outcomes. Second, and more importantly, if you get them involved, you have burned your bridges against any possibility of handling it in a friendly manner.

Retailers will consider either action an act of aggression and you are suddenly facing formal procedures instead of looking for solutions that satisfy both parties.

Sometimes it is the only recourse though.

 

[Stargazer]

I have had to take some very stern agression to get results before. It is a shame that you have to get that way sometimes to get anything done but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I went right into a Sears store with a mower demanding a refund and was not nice about it after we got extended warranty and the dang thing quit running right the second time I used it. They said they fixed it and I got it back and it never got fixed after a total of 3 hours of travelling going there and back dropping it off and picking it up and waiting weeks to get it back. I told them I wanted a refund for my wasted time in gas and all since they didn't fix it. To beat all there was a Sears MUCH closer that it could have been dropped off at and they never told us. I did get a refund for the mower even though five months had passed (we bought the mower in winter) since we first bought it. I told them that it says on the back of the receipt that satisfaction guaranteed or your money back so they had to refund the money. It did not say that I had to do it in three months but after I returned that item it now says that it must be returned in three months.