Panasonic bad service

[Cheers]

I purchased a brand new $2500.00 Panasonic tv 18 months ago . A few days ago it wouldn't work , just a flashing light but no picture . A quick check on the internet reviled many other folks with similar issues . The tv is only warranted   for 12 months . The dealer said to call Panasonic or go to a local repair shop ( shop was closed for vacation for another week ) . I called Panasonic and got a recording telling me to have a credit card handy as it was going to cost $8.00 to talk with them . The manual that came with the tv is a joke and was probably a cost saving attempt at reducing  paper . .

In my opinion it is a very petty way to treat a customer and I will never buy another Panasonic product again . As for the tv I will have to wait a week as I refuse to give Panasonic $8.00

[Ufatz]

Well!  That is the first time I've heard of a company having the gall to charge you to talk to them!

But the episode is typical of today's concept of "customer service".  And I suspect it is only going to get worse. If you think that is annoying wait until you try to talk to AT&T or Wells Fargo Bank or any one of myriad top name consumer product companies.

And, best of all,  when you do get through finally, you get to talk to a well meaning but inept and robotic "customer service" person in Bangladesh, the Canary Islands or the Republic of Togo.

The most sickening part of it all is that there is not a thing we can do about it.

[RebelSS]

37 minutes ago, Ufatz said:

Well!  That is the first time I've heard of a company having the gall to charge you to talk to them!

But the episode is typical of today's concept of "customer service".  And I suspect it is only going to get worse. If you think that is annoying wait until you try to talk to AT&T or Wells Fargo Bank or any one of myriad top name consumer product companies.

And, best of all,  when you do get through finally, you get to talk to a well meaning but inept and robotic "customer service" person in Bangladesh, the Canary Islands or the Republic of Togo.

The most sickening part of it all is that there is not a thing we can do about it.

AT&T and Wells Fargo??! Those two  stupid clowns?! It took me SIX months to close my acct at AZZ Fargo, after I'd pulled my CD's and checking and savings accts from them. Kept billing me for "maintenance charges"...on an acct that no longer existed. I won't relate what I finally did, but it was in person, and the the Accts Mgr. girl is, I imagine, still having nightmares over it.

Same with AT&T, home of the brain dead idjit. Couldn't get my acct closed, long after I'd left them. Those were both eight years ago, and I have no problems with my present credit union (which I recommend...a CU) or my current phone provider. However, then there's CHARTER.........

[delcecchi]

2500 bucks for a TV in this day and age?  And a Panasonic?  What was it?  I can't even imagine.  (buy at costco, or check into your credit card that you bought it with.  many cards double the warranty.)

[jbell1981]

1 hour ago, delcecchi said:

2500 bucks for a TV in this day and age? 

How about $120,000?

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/07/all-that-stands-between-you-and-samsung-s-monster-105-inch-curved-uhd-tv-is-120-000/index.htm

Heck, even Walmart sells a $25,000 TV 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/LG-77EG9700-77-Class-Curved-4K-Ultra-HD-3D-OLED-Smart-TV-With-WiFi-webOS-2-0/174662202

Over 100 of them on their page are over $2,500.

Edited August 3, 2016 by jbell1981

[Cheers]

5 hours ago, delcecchi said:

2500 bucks for a TV in this day and age?  And a Panasonic?  What was it?  I can't even imagine.  (buy at costco, or check into your credit card that you bought it with.  many cards double the warranty.)

60 inch flat screen smart tv . Could have spent way more than that ! Paid cash .

[delcecchi]

Why on earth would anyone pay cash?  Credit card gives rewards, delays payment, and protects the consumer.

Sorry to say, sounds like you are on your own.  I hope it isn't anything expensive.

[Cheers]

11 hours ago, delcecchi said:

Why on earth would anyone pay cash?  Credit card gives rewards, delays payment, and protects the consumer.

Sorry to say, sounds like you are on your own.  I hope it isn't anything expensive.

Both My Visa and MasterCard don't extend warranty on electronics and best price can be negotiated for cash payment . Irregardless of that., the complaint that I have is. having to pay  to talk to a person regarding there product especially when they do not provide a reasonable  user manual  .

[delcecchi]

What did you want to talk to them about?  Did the other people with this problem find a fix? Is there a troubleshooting process on the page?

Many technology companies have a charge for support after warranty expires.

[RebelSS]

Know what you're saying, Cheers. It's this day and age. I just bought a new big GE microwave to replace 12 yo one. Not ONE thing in the sealed box, except a sheet of paper telling you how to access and download the warranty and all instructions from their home page. Unreal. But then,my new riding lawnmower came with a separate Briggs engine manual, two warranty sheets, a hotline number to call in the USA, and a separate thick mower manual that tells ya how to do everything from putting air into the tires to using the drink holder. In English. With pics. 

[Dotch]

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Recently bought a gas Honda-powered pressure washer and there were actual instructions in plain English along with separate engine operating/maintenance, warranty, how/where to contact them, etc. Easy to assemble and the instructions actually made sense. So far it has been a nice toy to have. This notion that some in corporate high places have that the main thing is to get the product out the door and we'll worry about the problems later will continue to come back to haunt all of us. Price is not the only thing that matters.    

[delcecchi]

I am still wondering what Cheers was going to ask Panasonic on the phone about his TV.   If there is a secret warranty or a recall, that information ought to be findable on the internet.  Anything more, I bet there is a label on the back says "no consumer serviceable parts inside".   

Anyway, one possible solution is to unplug it for a while.   It is possible it went into shutdown mode for some reason. 

Other possibility is something to do with capacitors, possibly in the power supply.  Take a look on youtube.

For example

 

One question is are you comfortable doing this electronics type stuff? 

[Cheers]

I was hoping to get a quick fix suggestion as the blinking light is some sort of code . My guess is that it is the A board or a component thereof . If I buy a board online I can send back my old one for a credit witch tells me they are repairable . If so I am hoping my local repair guy can repair mine. Will wait it out till Monday now . Out of principal I wont pay Panasonic .  

I did unplug for 24 hours and try with no cables attached but no resolve

[delcecchi]

The unplugging thing seemed like a long shot to me, anyway.

Is the blinking continuous, or does it look like some kind of a code?  What is the model? 

Maybe some more specific information is out there.  Power supply or capacitors seem to be most common.

[Duffman]

Same thing happened to my Sony after only two years, after a ton of online research I came to the conclusion that I was SOL.  The best I could've done was pay a technician to come out and tell me that there was nothing he could do. Sony was offering a rebate on a new Sony to try alleviate some of the pain customers had with this issue.

The 55" thing is still under the spare bedroom bed collecting dust.

I put Sony on "The List", and will never buy another product from them.

I went out and bought a couple Samsung's for the house and have not had one issue with them. 

[Cheers]

it is a continuous flash, I believe it indicates a power supply issue

model TC-60AS800U 

2 minutes ago, Duffman said:

Same thing happened to my Sony after only two years, after a ton of online research I came to the conclusion that I was SOL.  The best I could've done was pay a technician to come out and tell me that there was nothing he could do. Sony was offering a rebate on a new Sony to try alleviate some of the pain customers had with this issue.

The 55" thing is still under the spare bedroom bed collecting dust.

I put Sony on "The List", and will never buy another product from them.

I went out and bought a couple Samsung's for the house and have not had one issue with them. 

fortunately the tv is not built in so it is portable and I can bring it to the repair shop . Otherwise it would be even worse $ . Time will tell , keeping my fingers crossed !

[delcecchi]

5 hours ago, Duffman said:

Same thing happened to my Sony after only two years, after a ton of online research I came to the conclusion that I was SOL.  The best I could've done was pay a technician to come out and tell me that there was nothing he could do. Sony was offering a rebate on a new Sony to try alleviate some of the pain customers had with this issue.

The 55" thing is still under the spare bedroom bed collecting dust.

I put Sony on "The List", and will never buy another product from them.

I went out and bought a couple Samsung's for the house and have not had one issue with them. 

Google Samsung no picture....   Everyone it seems has had bad batches of sets.  

[Duffman]

20 minutes ago, delcecchi said:

Google Samsung no picture....   Everyone it seems has had bad batches of sets.  

Please don't jinx me Del.

[delcecchi]

Having worked for a very large computer company that was very concerned about reliability of components, I am very aware of the possubke problems. 

 

Consumer Electronics, with the pressure about cost, is much more susceptible to a bunch of bad parts