TV Repair Run-Around

Last February 2009, Myrna Bonet bought a 42 inch flat screen Vizio tv from a Bronx electronics store called "Super Best Buy". The purchase included a one year warranty, so Myrna thought she was covered, until the tv started acting up in November.

She says, "The tv was going on and off, so I called the lady and she told me to turn it off and press the reset button. I did that, then I waited a while, but the tv kept turning on and off."

Myrna says on November 11th, she brought the tv back to "Super Best Buy" to be repaired. They told her the repair would take one month.

After a month had passed, she began to call the store to get an update, but everytime she called, she got different answers. Once they told her the tv had been sent to California. Another time they said they were working on it, but waiting for a part. Most of the time they just took a message and told her someone would get back to her, but that never happened.

Nervous that the one year warranty was about to expire and she'd never see her tv again, Myrna called Help Me Howard.

Howard and Myrna paid a visit to "Super Best Buy" to get an update on her tv. Myrna says an employee there named Musa had originally sold her the flatscreen.

Unfortunately, Musa was nowhere to be found, so they spoke with JR. He agreed to check up on the status of Myrna's tv. A few minutes later he reported that Myrna's tv was now in the warehouse, the parts had just come in and it would be ready by next week.

Howard even got them to supply Myrna with a "loaner tv" in the interim, until her tv was ready. Myrna had been unable to get that on her own prior to Howard's visit. So Myrna left "Super Best Buy " with a 32 inch "loaner" tv and late tonight Myrna told Howard, she got a call from "Super Best Buy"telling her that her tv was now ready to be returned to her this week.

It's a good idea to get a warranty on big ticket items like big-screen TV's and computers. You don't want to risk having to make a repair that costs almost as much as the item itself. But it's also important to consider the lifespan of the product. An iPod, for example, is only expected to last four to five years.

Most electronic products come with a one-year manufacturer's warranty, which usually gives you the protection you need to avoid getting a lemon at the time of purchase. Also be sure to read the warranty carefully to make sure WHO is responsible for repairing your item.

Sometimes it's the store, sometimes it's the manufacturer and sometimes it's a third party, which can become more of a nuisance than its worth, if you have to pay to ship your item back and forth. So make sure you know the details of your warranty before hand.

If you feel you are getting the run-around, you can go higher by contacting the corporate office. Visit the company's main website and look for corporate contact information. Another way to be heard is contacting your city or state's Department of Consumer Affairs and file a report.

If you paid with a credit card, it can't hurt to contact your credit card company, "if it's been less then a year since the purchase". Some credit cards go the extra mile protecting their customer's purchases with buyer's insurance. But check with your card first, before hand just to be sure.

Produced By Monique Singhroy