Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[Jeffs386]

I purchased a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 back in 2006 with a 4 year PSP(really 3 year) for a grand total of $5,300.00(yes I still have the receipt )it was the most expensive tv in the entire store

At the time I was told by the salesman that I would be entitled to 1 free replacement lamp with the purchase of the PIP....just call when your ready and they will send one out,no problem!

well last week after nearly 4 years and 8000 hrs the lamp starts to fail so I call in for my "free" replacement lamp and guess what?

the goofball sqad wants me to take my 60" tv in for "diagnosis" to prove I need a new lamp.....they sent someone out here to look at my tv and the guy says it looks ok and I don't need a new lamp

ummmm  my brightness setting is maxed you idiot and the picture is flickering like a falshbulb

to make a long story short I ended up buying the new lamp myself and my tv is back to looking great........no thanks to Best Buy

I'm only 45 years old and I swear Best Buy will never get another dime from me.........

I feel like I was flat out lied to but thats ok I learned from the experience

the moral of the story is DO NOT BUY A PSP FROM BEST BUY its as worthless as the paper its written on

as a matter of fact           DON'T BUY ANYTHING  FROM BEST BUY

[mstng87gt Trusted Contributor]

I do.  From what I understand Bulb replacement only is considered when the bulb is completely out.  If it is still comes on it would not qualify for a replacement.  When I did a search for warranty info that is what came up.

[Ryan-BBY Community Connector]

Hello Jeffs386,

I am disappointed to read that our service technician was unwilling to replace the bulb on Sony TV.  I understand how frustrating it would be to be told that you could just call in at anytime for a replacement bulb on your TV.  I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Our technician would have to determine that the picture on your TV did not meet manufacturer’s specifications and at that time a bulb would be ordered.  I wish that would have been explained to you at the time of purchase.  From what you stated, it sounds like you already replaced the bulb at your own cost.  We will replace your original bulb if our technician determines that it needs replacement before the end of your service plan timeframe.  If you would like to put in the original bulb and get a second opinion from another one of our technicians, please do not hesitate to call (800) Geek Squad.

I really appreciate your understanding and if you need any further assistance, please let me know.

[Jeffs386]

the bulb completely blew 2 days after the tech looked at the tv and said it was fine(even though the screen was flickering and the brightness setting was maxed out when he was here)

I was lucky enough to find a local supplier for a replacement and did go ahead and purchase  it there because I didn't need the hassle of taking another day off work,or lugging a 60" rear projection tv into a repair shop,the other ridicules option I was given was to video the tv as the screen flickered and send it to someone(I was never told who)unfortunately I do not own a video camera and really don't have the time or desire to do this,I just wanted to be able to watch the  tv without interuption

I was never told that the lamp had to be completely out to get the replacement as this makes no sense to me,if the engine in your car starts to knock or sputter or has very little power should you have to wait until it completely dies before getting it serviced

[mstng87gt Trusted Contributor]

Its funny you would use that scenario as yes with my Chevy car that is under warranty, that is what I had to go through when the car broke a rod.  The car first started out with no boost (it came supercharged) and then had a bad miss and they would not do anything.  Eventually it started knocking and stalling out so they only replaced the rod that was broken and I advised them it did more damage, that the crank and bearings  as well as the rest of the rods and pistions should be replaced and they would not do it.  The next day I was back with a blown engine. This time they replaced the crank and 2 rods and bearings but nothing else.

The fickering would have been quite obvious that there was a problem with the bulb and I agree with that it should have been replaced.  Like I said I did a search for warranties and any info about them as I was looking to purchase a DLP TV and that is what I came up with.  Best Buy's warranty doesn't really state if they cover it when you have to start maxing out the brightness but that it is up to the tech as you described. 

The Mods on the forum are very helpful so I would recommend working with them.

[Jeffs386]

oops I think I called the geek squad the goofball squad my mistake

but the guy who came out was indeed a total idiot proven by the fact that he argued with me that the XBR1 could accept a 1080P signal

the same guy did a optical block replacement for a neighbor of mine and left the cap on the lense then couldn't figure out why the screen was  blurry