Toshiba Problem advice requested (1 Viewer)

[John-Miles]

Ok to give a full picture of what has happened i have to start back 3 1/2 years ago, i bought a 36" HD Toshiba tv (36HFX71 if memory serves) i had the tv less than a month when i turned it on one day and everythign was blue. I turned the tv off then on again and it was fine (all inputs had been blue) so i went and bought the extended warranty for the tv (the store allowed this up to 90 days after purchase) January 2005 came around and the problem occurred again, so i sent the tv in to be looked at and iw as told that the green picture tube was shot.

Toshiba no longer made those tubes, so my extended warranty kicked in and they gave me a brand new 44NHM84 44 inch widescreen DLP, i shelled out 300 for another extended warranty on this unit (the first had paid off so i figured it cant hurt right)

October/November 2005 i had been having intermittent problems turning the tv on. I would hit the power buttona nd the tv would begin to power on (usually takes 5-10 seconds ive never timed it so im not sure) and halfway through the power on phase it would buzz and power down. typically these incidents would be isolated but one day it took me an hour to power the tv on.

So i send the tv in for repairs, almost a month later i get my tv back. the power on problem is still intermittent.

End of December 2005 I notice that there is a bar on the right hand side of the screen where the picture is much dimmer, progressively this gets worse and worse as the bar expands across my screen. I send my tv in for rapiars again January 26th 2005, im told by the repair shop (authorized toshiba service depot) that they ahve seent he problem before and its easy to fix just takes a bit of time as the tv ahs to be taken apart. about a week and a half later im told that no they ahd to order a new light engine which would not ship till march 15th.

at this point i contacted toshiba canada and told them of the issues ive had, essentially they told me they would look into it and that it would not actually take till March 15th to get the part.

I still ahvent been able to get any information on when i will have my tv back, ive missed the superbowl and most of the olympics, and im pretty upset at this point.

If anyone has any advice on what avenues i can persue it would be greatly appreciated, its killing me not having a tv right now, im assuming ive just gotten unlucky in having 2 bad tv's but the customer service so far ahsent been very good and my patience is running out and id like some other solution than jsut ssitting on my hands looking at the spot where my tv used to be.

 

[John-Miles]

Well I think ive talked to virtually everyone I can at toshiba from service managers to customer service managers, the only response from any of them i have gotten is sorry this happened, but your just going to have to wait another month or so till we get your tv fixed. aparently 3 months of repairs int he first year of owning a tv isn't unusual enough for them to go out of their way to do anything about it.

So i guess to anyone thinking about a toshiba I would seriously recommend against getting one, their customer service while polite is completly ineffectual they wont actually do anything above and beyond to take care of problems, and from all i have been able to ascertain their quality control is horrible. for me to have had two high definiont tvs crap out on me like this is either really bad luck or a sign of poor quality control.

If anyone does know somewhere else i could take my complaints for resolution however I would love to hear from you because i still dont like the idea of sitting on my hands for another month or so.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

You would probably do better to contact an authorized Toshiba service facility in you area. I had a loose blue tube on my 50" Tosh HD-RPTV and instead of going through Toshiba, I called my local service center. They came out in a day, did a temp fix and returned in a week with the new part and soldered it in, right in my living room. No shipping the set, no hassles and they did not charge me a dime because it was within the warranty. Here are some authorized service centers around Calgary:

SOUTHLAND CROSSING T.V. LTD.
#6 - 5708 - 1ST S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2W9
tel:403-255-9647
fax:403-259-4034

ROMAN & REID T.V. SERVICE
#5-215-36 AVENUE N.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2E 2L4
tel:403-249-5571

 

[John-Miles]

Thanks for the advice Jeff, but ive tried that, currently my TV is at Roman and Reid (maybe i should ahve tried southland crossing) but yeah Roman and Reid has had my tv for a month now and they are even less useful than toshiba. at least toshiba listens to me and is polite these guys act like im a telemarketer when i call to see what the status on my tv is.

 

[John-Miles]

Update:

after a month and a half with my tv in the shop I was told on wednesday that the light engine would arrive Thursday (yesterday) and i should have my tv back by monday.

I was told once i get my tv back to call toshiba then and see what can be done to resolve th eissue of my not having a tv for almost 3 months of the first year i have owned this tv, and the indication i ahve gotten is tha tthey would extend my warranty, however i already have a 2 year excended 3rd party warranty.

Does anyone ahve any advice on what would be reasonable to push for in this circumstance?