Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[js_hawkins]

My husband and I have been trying to get an issue resolved regarding the brand new (not refurbished) 59" Samsung Plasma TV we purchased.

We owned the TV for barely a month when the internal screen cracked (looks like a spider web).  We took the TV back to Best Buy, where we were told that the crack was indeed internal and was caused by the TV overheating and expanding.  We were told that our best option would be to take the TV back home and contact Geek Squad and they would come to our house and see how to repair the TV.  We were told by the salesman not to purchase the Geek Squad protection when we purchased our television, rather to pay to have it calibrated.  The TV did not even make it to the date we had set for the calibration, which is supposed to be next week some time.

We contacted Geek Squad, per Best Buy's request, and were told that we needed to contact the manufacturer, which was done the same day.  Within a couple of days, we were asked to send Samsung pictures of the TV and they would get back to us.  They got back to us yesterday and told us that it was determined through the pictures that there was physical damage to the TV.  How this can be determined by pictures is beyond me.  When I asked the Samsung representative if they could send someone to physically look at the TV, they replied that they could not do so and that we were responsible for paying to have the TV repaired and that someone would contact us.

One, I am not happy that we were talked into buying the calibration rather than purchasing the extra protection through Geek Squad.  What good is the calibration going to do if you cannot even view the TV without looking through a white bar across the bottom of the TV and a black bar running vertically up the TV?

Second, how is it possible to determine through photographs that a TV has been damaged physically?  Nobody was in the room at the time the TV cracked.

I need to know what is going to be done to resolve this issue.  Samsung is not setting a good manufacturer-consumer relationship.  Additionally, I have researched online and found many consumers have had the same issue with their TV's and have gotten the same response - physical damage.  I hope that Samsung or Best Buy will step up and do the right thing by either refunding the money or fixing the TV. 

If anybody else reading this post has had the same problem, please advise as to steps taken/outcome.

[Mbrguy Emerging Expert]

If find it curious that a sales associate had to talk you out of  buying a Black Tie plan, that seems counter productive.

Regardless of the purchase or not, Geek Squad Black Tie would not cover this either so the lack of purchasing of the protection plan is not a factor here.

[ncoclub]

You kind of answered your own dilemma here..I quote from your post "I have researched online and found many consumers have had the same issue with their TV's and have gotten the same response - physical damage." This research should have done BEFORE you made your purchase decision, not after. I agree with you about the picture issue though..you must have taken GREAT photos for them to determine the level of damage just from them!! 

[Mariel-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hello js_hawkins-

Allan from our Social Media team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern. Thank you for your continued patience!

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi js-hawkins,

It is completely understandable that you would be upset after being advised that the repair or replacement of this TV would be at cost to you. I truly am sorry that this has been your experience with Samsung, and I can see why you would be concerned that this diagnosis was based upon photographs alone.

I do have to point out if you had purchased a service plan instead of the calibration service it would not have made a difference since damage is not covered by our service plans. I can also say that in almost all cases a manufacturer will not cover any damage under their warranty

Ultimately it would be up to Samsung to provide you any possible resolution in this matter, but I would like to see if there is anything we can offer. I am sending you a private message to gather some private information. To check your messages you should log into the forum, and then click on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for posting,

[Jimmienomam]

This would fall onto Samsung denying service. They are notorious for not stepping up an fixing glaring mistakes. Samsung denied the service and not BBY.

Notice the many lawsuits against Samsung for selling defective products and then not fixing them. One just recently processed for their TVs in 2008-2009.

My advice, relentlessly pursue Samsung. Teaming up with other forum members on AVSforums and highdefjunkies and make Samsung listen, because if not they will dodge any responsibility to fix their faulty TV. Yes Samsung IS that bad with warranty repairs.