Bryan writes:
About 18 months ago I purchased a new HDTV from Best Buy and also purchased the extended service plan (stupid I know, but this was before I started reading Consumerist). I purchased this specific TV because the light source was supposed to last for 5 years and even came with a 5yr warranty. Well, as it turns out the light didn't last nearly 5 years. It conked out after 6 months. I thought maybe it was just a bad part so I spent about a month in the Geek Squad repair cycle and had it replaced. The TV worked great for about another 6 months, when the light source died again. I again went through the Geek Squad repair maze and about a month later the TV was fixed. This time the light source broke within 1 week of the repair. Ok, I was irritated before but now I am getting mad. Luckily this time I was on vacation and the TV was repaired before I got back home. Another 6 months later and the light source broke for the 4th time.
I decided to contact Best Buy and request a replacement under their "no lemon" clause of the extended warranty. After all I have had 4 failures of the TV and that is what it takes under the policy to get replaced. To my dismay, but not unexpected, a Best Buy CSR left a message on my cell phone denying my claim. He said the light source was not a qualified part under the policy. The next day I called Best Buy to investigate the denial. The CSR I spoke to repeated that the light source was not a qualified repair. Knowing I would not get anywhere I immediately asked to speak with a supervisor. I very much thought my call would get disconnected right then but to my surprise a supervisor was on the line in less than a minute. I went back and forth with him for about 10 minutes about the policy and why it should qualify. Needless to say he would not budge from the "not qualified" line so I ended our conversation.
This is when I decided to take The Consumerist's advise and write an EECB to Best Buy. Less than 24 hours later I was contacted by the Executive Relations Specialist. She said that she would be looking into my issue and would contact me soon. To my complete shock and amazement the Executive Relations Specialist contacted me less than a week later and said that my replacement had been approved. She supplied me with an exchange number to take to any Best Buy to get a new TV. I can even use the original purchase price as credit towards a different TV.
Below are the email that I sent to the Best Buy Executives and their responses. Thanks Consumerist!
Bryan sent one of the better EECBs we've ever read. It's clear, direct, and earns the reader's sympathy. He wrote:
I would like to begin by thanking you for taking the time to read my letter and for taking the necessary steps necessary to resolve my situation. Please know that I am not taking writing to you directly lightly. I have tried to resolve my issue through both Geek Squad and Best Buy customer service on many occasions. Being unable to resolve my issue through normal channels I feel that I have no other option but appeal to you directly.
I have been a loyal Best Buy customer for many years and am a Preferred Silver member of your Reward Zone program. I have been very pleased with the level of customer service that I have received from your stores, until now. My story begins when I bought a 56" Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV on January 3, 2008 along with the Performance Service Plan #XXXXXXXXX (a copy of the receipt is attached). I selected this specific television because both Best Buy and Panasonic claimed that the LiFi light source in the television had an expected life of 20,000 hours and "lasts so long you may never need to change it."
Sadly, over the year and a half that I have owned the TV is has fallen vastly short of living up to its claims. Only six months after purchasing the TV the LiFi light source on went out and needed to be replaced. Approximately six months after that the LiFi light source failed again requiring another replacement. This time the LiFi light source only lasted a single week before it went out again and needed another replacement. Just recently, the LiFi blight source failed again and requires another replacement. This is the fourth time in a year and a half that the LiFi light source has failed and needed replacement (receipts for all repairs are attached). During the last service call the Geek Squad technician conducted a performance test on the TV to verify that no other components were causing the problems. He established, and verified with Panasonic, that there were no other problems with the TV causing the LiFi light source to fail.
At this point I contacted Best Buy customer service to fail a claim under the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP for a replacement TV. The representative who took my claim was very helpful and told me a confirmation number would be sent in 3-5 business days that can be used to obtain a replacement. However, instead of a confirmation number a representative named "Brian" called me on 7/3/09 to inform me that my claim had been denied.
On 7/7/09 I contacted Best Buy customer service again to inquire as to why my claim had been denied. I first spoke with "Chava" who informed me that a technician had determined that the TV was repairable and therefore not eligible for replacement. Upon hearing this I asked to be transferred to a manager for further clarification. I then spoke with "Matt" who I spoke with for 20 minutes regarding my situation. During our conversation Matt gave several contradictory excuses for why my TV was not eligible for a "No Lemon" replacement. Below I will discuss each of Matt's arguments separately.
1) Matt: If the technician determines the TV to be repairable then it does not have to be replaced.
a. Under the PSP is specifically states "After three qualified (3) service repairs have been completed on an individual product and that individual product requires a fourth qualified (4th) repair, as determined by us, we will replace it with a product of comparable performance of like kind and quality not to exceed the original purchase amount." The PSP does not give the option to continue repairing the TV after the 4th repair. It only gives the option for replacement.
2) Matt in response to above: The LiFi light source is not a qualified repair as it is a "consumable part" because it is a "bulb."
a. The LiFi light source is not a consumable part as defined by the PSP. It does not have electrodes that deteriorate with time like a traditional projection bulb. It is designed to not be consumable and last the life of the TV.
b. The LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" in other parts of the PSP, and therefore should not qualify as such under the "No Lemon" policy.
i. The PSP states that it will only "One (1) bulb replacement for DLP, Projection LCD TVs and Home Theater Projectors of your original bulb during the term of this plan" will be approved."
ii. However, the LiFi light source has already been approved for replacement under the PSP three times. This shows that the LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" under the PSP.
Needless to say, Matt was not able to resolve my issue with the perpetually broken TV which is why I am writing to you. Over the past year and a half that I have owned the TV it has been broken and inoperable approximately 20% of the time. In order to get the TV repaired I have taken 4 full days off of work to be available for the Geek Squad service technician. These constant repairs have cost me a great deal of lost income and entertainment time; time and money that should never have been lost if the TV was not a "Lemon."
The bottom line is that the TV is not living up to the claims made by Best Buy and Panasonic when I purchased it. The LiFi light source in the TV has failed four times in the past year and each time needed to be replaced. I purchased the additional Performance Service Plan to protect me from this exact situation but am now being denied my rights under the agreement.
I ask that you please look into my situation and rectify the egregious error. I am not asking for anything more then what is rightfully owed to me under the PSP; a replacement of the faulty TV through the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP. I would even be willing to accept a refund of the original purchase price of the TV in the form of a Best Buy gift card so I can purchase a replacement myself.
Again, I thank you for taking the time to read my letter and address the issues that are raised within it. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or email address.
An executive resolution specialist responded with a promise to look into his case:
Good morning Bryan,
I wanted to reach out to you surrounding the email you had sent to a few of our executives and leadership yesterday afternoon. Please allow me to address your concerns on their behalf.
I am truly sorry to hear about the number of times the LiFi light has had to be replaced within your Panasonic LiFi Projection TV in the last
18 months or so. I can understand your disappointment and I regret the inconvenience these issues must have caused. Normally, projection lights are considered bulbs/lamps which although may be covered under your Plan, does not count toward No Lemon.
However I would like to take the opportunity to partner with the local leadership to see what resolution we may be able to offer. I will reach back in touch with you again soon.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns in the mean time.
Respectfully,
Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist
She quickly followed up with an offer to replace the defective television:
Hello Bryan,
I wanted to reach back out to you. I received an email late yesterday advising me that we were able to approve your TV for exchange. Your confirmation number is xxxxxxx.
You may go to the store immediately to have the exchange performed.
Please be sure to bring your confirmation number and receipt if possible. If you no longer have a copy of the receipt then you can refer to your Customer Service Pin which will allow the store to locate the transaction. The pin is xxxxxxxxxx.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist
Learn how to launch your own EECB by reading this post.
(Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane)
]]>also, " I will reach back in touch with you again soon.
"
o_O I'm starting to understand why the consumerist posts in the manner it does. Its feeding the lowest common denominator.
What I'm saying is that the person that does eventually do his/her or job shouldn't be chastised. Which is exactly what consumerist is doing. Consumerist keeps that attitude up and the EECB will end up being as useful as a phone call to a call center. Consumerist has already seen this once, they attacked a company because it took a tweet to their tweet helpline before something got fixed. So that tweetfeed got ignored by the company.
Why would any company already successful despite its lack of customer service continue to put effort behind a resource thats just going to get slammed whether it pleases the customer or not.
Consumerist is ruining the effect of the EECB.
]]>I don't know anything about this "LiFi" light source though. If they brag it up so much, saying that you may never have to change it, then there had better be some magic secret sauce that keeps that light working no matter what. And if it fails, and the customer can't use his TV 20% of the time, plus he has to take work off to get it fix and wait around for a month at a time, then I'd say it would be a better world if he could get at least 20% of his money back... plus the extra money he paid for the PSP.
Ironic that you can pay a lot of money for a nice, expensive TV, pay additional money to insure your purchase, and still not be able to use what you bought so much of the time, and only have things made "right" when you take drastic measures like e-mailing all of the store's company executives.
]]>So I think yes, wellfleet is a manager.
]]>@econobiker: Besides, as Skaperen said above, your average bulb should last 20,000 hours. That the TV burned through four of these things in such a short time is indicative of a problem with the television.
]]>@OminousG: So it's your opinion that we should kiss BB's ass because they were essentially pestered into doing what they should have done from the start, because not doing so would possibly dissuade them from doing it again in the future? And this is your opinion irrespective of the fact that we wouldn't have to go this route if they were doing their jobs effectively at the retail level from the start?
So you're just arguing for the sake of it then, right?
]]>It took a few calls to corporate to finally have the repair guy return the broken tv to my house he couldnt figure out how to fix and let me exchange it for a new one in store.
]]>@wellfleet: It's good to know there's still some people working at BB that give a shit.
Are you a manager? Cuz I can't see a sales employee having that kind of sway.
]]>I would like to point out (except for the minor spelling mistake) that this is how EECB should be written. Good job Bryan!
]]>@Megalomania: @wvFrugan: @katstermonster:
The wording also undermines the effect of the EECB. If the company is going to rake over the coals even after the big wigs stepped in, whats the point of them even stepping in, in the first place.
If consumerist continues with the negative tone on EECBs, you can damn well bet consumers will lose that avenue as well.
While I strongly believe in service plans, and I bought them on my plasma, my Mac, my phone, camera, etc., I believe our fulfillment when it comes to televisions has cost us millions in lost loyalty and reputation. It is our number one fail. I have helped customers who had to go without a TV for 2 months and had to argue with mind-numbing idiots to the point that we just take care of people in the store outside the warranty company altogether.
Another poster on here said it best: nobody should be congratulated for responding to an EECB. The customer should have never had to forced to jump through hoops to get his TV replaced. Someone should have used their breinz and said "hey, we keep replacing these bulbs that are supposed to last 20K hours, maybe something else is bad".
When we fix the PSP fulfillment side of our business, I strongly believe we will begin to earn back our lapsed customers. I feel embarrassed and ashamed every time I hear from a customer who had been without a working TV for 40 days. All the employees I manage feel the same.
]]>@FDCPAGuy: Any bulb that requires a Geek Squad tech to replace is not a consumable.
]]>@Bush2008: It would have been stupid had he just accepted the warranty folks statement and been p-o'ed at Best Buy for the rest of his natural life.
]]>@Megalomania: Exactly. An EECB only comes about because the company has already failed in a pretty big way. He did have to force them. It was his last resort. Thus, the wording.
]]>The one that Panasonic should be sued for is made in Japan and has soldered-on contacts.
The one that Panasonic makes in Germany for the European market has screw on contacts. You have to mod the cartridge slightly.
In my case, Panasonic replaced 4 within 2 years.
I bought the German made bulb and it has been in there for 4 years....and going !!!!!!!
I wanted to reach back out to you.
]]>As to Best Buy - due to all their evil practices published on Consumerist, I NEVER buy there. Hello Newegg!
]]>@FDCPAGuy: \
Just an FYI, I purchased a laptop from Best Buy in 2005 (ducks shoe thrown at him) and bought the warranty and the warranty covers 1 replacement laptop battery a year, I called every year and they drop shipped a new battery to my house no questions asked, they didnt even want the old one back. This paid for the warranty in the second year.
]]>@OminousG:
"Why ruin the effect of an EECB with wording like "forcing" and "finally"?"
You dullard, what do you think it is? A "final" last resort to "finallY" get the business to do the right thing themselves without being forced by a court, chargeback, etc. No business deserves praise for a positive result because of an EECB, an EECB means that the business did a major SUCK and failed to correct the problem through consumer channels.
]]>In any case, since our original tv was very expensive we got a quite reasonable allowance for a new one, which is an LCD panel, which at this point is all I can recommend people do... RP-TV is really not worth it anymore.
]]>The bulb should have lasted 20,000 hours. That's well over two years even if the TV is left on 24x7. One bulb dying early is a lemon bulb. It was replaced and things should be good now? No. The problem isn't that bulbs are burning out. The problem is that something is wrong with the TV causing bulbs to burn out early, or something is wrong with all the replacements Best Buy has. Just because the tech could not find the cause doesn't mean there isn't one. Hopefully the problem is not present in the replacement Bryan gets.
]]>I found it rather ironic that he claimed it was "stupid" to buy an exteneded warranty, but it got him a completely new TV.
Is it still stupid? ;)
]]>I agree - why stoop to the lowest common denominator like the rest of the press?
"Successful EECB helps consumer get defective TV replaced when in store employees wouldn't help" would be just as good.
]]>@dohtem:
For a lamp like this, its always a DLP. Those lamps are huge power drains, and cost several hundred dollars to replace. The lamp for my Infocus is $500.
They also extremely fragile, and if the PSU inside the TV starts to go, it will blow the lamp before anything else. A $50 PSU taking about a $500. Got to love DLPs!
I particularly liked this typo (?):
"Just recently, the LiFi blight source failed again and requires another replacement."
]]>First off the tone of this posting isn't helping anyone Consumerist. BestBuy could have ignored the guy and you would have posted with the same evilness.
Why ruin the effect of an EECB with wording like "forcing" and "finally"?
Secondly, when the lamp keeps popping thats usually a bad PSU. For future reference for future customers.
]]>But good for Matt! I hope he nets a much better TV!
P.S. Sounds like he had a DLP. Can someone confirm or deny?
]]>"At this point I contacted Best Buy customer service to fail a claim under the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP for a replacement TV"
Lol. Ironic word choice.
"I wanted to reach out to you surrounding the email you had sent to"
I'm not sure but I think Nichol is coming on to you..
]]>so i guess EECB is the future if companies don't ramp up their first-line customer service
//me cringes when he has to buy a high price item in the future
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