Warranty Issues, How Long Should It Take? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Weight]

I purchased a receiver from Brand X a little over 3 years ago. One of the selling points to me for Brand X was there 3 year warranty. This receiver functioned flawlessly for a little over two and a half years, and then it started to develop a problem. It was intermittent at first, but then became completely inoperable for this one function.

I looked at Brand X’s website and found the nearest repair center to my house. I took my receiver (still under warranty for the next 45 days) in for repair. I dropped it off, and two weeks later picked it up. I brought it home and installed it in my rack. When I turned it on, the problem still existed. So I called the repair center and explained that the problem still existed. I took the receiver back to the repair center and called a few days later to follow up with the technician. He explained that there was a problem with his soldering but he had corrected it and it worked.

This time at the repair center I insisted that I test my unit before leaving, and it appeared to work fine. At home that night I installed it in the rack, hooked it up, put it in standby mode, and then went to bed. The next morning I turned it on and my problem was back!
I called and spoke to the technician at the repair center about the problem. He didn’t believe me, and asked me to trouble shoot it and call him back later in the day. I was a little take back by this, but knew I didn’t have the time to take it into him that day. I did ask him to come to my home to see the problem and he declined.

I spent the better part of the day working with the unit and isolated what I thought was causing the problem. I decided it wasn’t worth taking it into the local repair center, as they hadn’t fixed the problem after having the unit twice. The next day I called the service department at Brand X and explained the whole thing to them. They felt that the local tech didn’t know what he was doing, and the unit could get fixed at their regional repair facility. They sent me out a new box, packing materials, and pre-paid freight to the regional center.

Off the receiver went with a note detailing the problem, and my limited diagnostics of it. A couple of phone calls to them and a few weeks later and my unit was back home. This time I decided to test the unit complete before putting in my rack. So I tested it for two days while it sat on the counter. It appeared as if the problem was fixed, so into the rack it went. I programmed it, and it ran fine for 8 days. Then the problem appeared again. Intermittently at first, and then completely there and wouldn’t go away.

At this point I’m very disappointed and concerned as my warranty just expired. I called Brand X’s service department and was treated very rudely. The CSR told me he’d have to look into my problem and get back to me. When I asked him how long that would take, he told me up to two weeks, as their job was to answer the phone, not look up customer’s problems. When I asked for his supervisor, he said they were unavailable. After feeling like I’d been given the shaft, I called Brand X’s main number and asked for the customer relation’s manager. He wasn’t in so I left a message detailing my problem. He called back and spoke with me about it (a much more pleasant conversation than the last one with the CSR). He said he would look into it and someone would call me back later that day.
That afternoon I received a call from the regional repair center. Brand X had called them and they wanted to take care of the problem. I went over it with them in detail. They shipped me out a new box, packing materials, and pre-paid freight. Off the receiver went again. I called them after they’d had my unit for a few days to find out the status. Unfortunately they hadn’t looked at it yet. Then a few days later I called again. Their technician had witnessed the problem but was still diagnosing it, and they said they call me back on Monday. Well no phone calls on Monday, so I called on Tuesday. Their CSR wasn’t available so I left a message. Unfortunately I never heard from him that week.

Now my unit has been out of commission for over 2 months, has been to Brand X’s repair centers four times, and the problem still exists. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable, I’ve tried working with Brand X and their repair centers, but I feel they have an obligation to me as their customer.

Do you feel it’s unreasonable for me to start demanding that they replace my unit? If so, how long should I wait for them to repair it correctly? Based on all of the above I will probably never by a Brand X product again.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Jerome Grate]

What's the total amount of time the dealer has it in their possession? Sounds to me that unfortunately time was wasted with the local guy, and it's not entirely unreasonable for the dealer you mailed it too keeping it for a vew weeks. Is there any reason why you won't mention the name of the unit?

 

[Chu Gai]

I'd be asking for a new unit. Your post seems very legit and you've excercised enormous patience. Now tell us, which company is giving you the shaft? Don't worry about it, we've heard stories from all the manufacturers...Sony, JVC, Denon, HK, NAD...everyone's got a horror story.

 

[Jeff Weight]

The unit in question is an Integra DTR 7.1. I didn't want to post the brand because I feel it's irrelevant. If I were reading this from one of you, I wouldn't care if it was Denon, Harman Kardon, Marantz, Pioneer, Onkyo, Sony, or Yamaha. What matters to me is that who'm ever the manufacture, they stand behind their product.

As far as the problem goes, to me it is irrelevant too. But since you asked I will tell you. The remote sensor inside the receiver has stopped working. It doesn't receive any signal from the remote control. The remote control (a universal) furnished with the unit has been tested and is fine. The remote sensor has been replaced twice now, but the problem still exhists. Once the unit is on for an extended period of time, it over heats somthing with the remote and the unit stops responding to the remote. Now that this has happened several times the unit doesn't respond at all even after allowing it to cool and resetting the unit.

As for the warranty, to me it doesn't matter if the unit is one week old or 2 years and 50 weeks old. A warranty is a warranty. It failed under warranty and should be fixed or replaced. How many times must is fail under warranty for the same problem before it is replaced?

 

[Jerome Grate]

Since the remote sensor has gone twice, then I would certainly at this point of the game ask for a new receiver. To an extent you are right and should ask for a new unit but depending on whether the unit is still being manufactured, you may get the model that matches the unit closest. That can a step up or ste lower. If it's a step lower, remind them about the aggravation and lack of usuage for the amount of time you stated to convince them to send the model above that.

 

[Jeff Weight]

I called the regional repair center today. They want to replace the remote sensor again and test it. This is getting very old

I called Integra Customer Relations and they are out of the office until tomorrow. My unit has been in the shop on and off for 3 months, a total of 4 visits, and 3 remote sensor. To say I'm a little upset is an understatement. I believe this will be my 1st and last Onkyo/Integra product.

 

[Jerome Grate]

I would insist on it. Request to send them the documents that proves that your unit has been looked at now 4 times and it's entirely unreasonble for them to expect you to be with out this unit for so long, especially under warranty.

 

[Jason GT]

I'm not entirely familiar with that Integra but does it have an external IR in (for multiroom or rack-hidden applications)?

Perhaps it may be possible to use an external IR extender box with signal sent to the AVR.

 

[Jeff Weight]

In the last 3 days I've called the service center once, who advised they were replacing the remote sensor for the 3rd time. I've also called Integra 3 times and left messages.

Today I finally reached a live person at Integra. I spoke with Diane Peterson who said she is not taking care of me and transferred me to Ed Sanjek who is the administrator of parts & service. He stated that the service center has replaced the remote senor again and the unit is working. It has been shipped back to me. I told him that I had no faith in a new remote sensor as the previous two units had failed in less than 10 days and I felt the problem was bigger than a remote sensor. He said I should wait and test the unit and call him if I have any problems. He offered no compensation in the form of extending my warranty.

Now I'm completely pissed off. Im going to call Mike Leithauser back tomorrow and give him an ear full. I've been nice long enough. If my receiver has a problem when I get it back it better get replaced by Integra or I will be forced to take legal action.

 

[Jeff Weight]

My receiver arrived late yesterday via UPS from the regional service center.

Wanting to know if the problem was truely fixed, I unpacked it and plugged it in.

Guess what??? It was DOA. It would even power up.

Everyone at Onkyo/Integra will be hearing from me on Monday. This problem is so out of control, that it's starting to be comical.

 

[Jeff Weight]

WARRANTY UPDATE!

I just got off the phone with Ed Sanjek at Onkyo/Integra. I explained that the unit now does not power up and was DOA.

He agreed that Onkyo/Integra would replace my unit with the current model! He will be issuing a RA # today along with a UPS call tag to pickup my unit.

Hopefully this is the end and everything goes as planned from here. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Finally, service done right, great job on your diligence, and thanks for sharing.

 

[DanaA]

My blood pressure was rising as I followed this thread. Great news that they're replacing the unit though. Still, as far as I'm concerned, it should have never gotten this far.

 

[Jeff Weight]

DanaA, I couldn't agree more. This has been a glorious pain in the A$$.