WTF Samsung?

[RockinZ28]

So I ordered a Samsung PN58C7000 3d plasma in early September that I picked up from a local freight carrier on 9/15/10.

Got home and plugged it in and powered on to ensure no damage had occurred during shipment. Immediately noticed a rather loud buzzing that has plagued Samsung's plasmas for at least the past couple years. My PN50B650 from last year was a non-buzzer, but I was unlucky this time.

So then I start running the break-in slides for plasmas. Yay, I discover that plasmas suffer from dead pixels just like lcds. Figure it's time to call Samsung support because these defects are unacceptable. Open a ticket, Samsung tech scheduled for arrival 9/22.

Last week, 9/22: Tech comes and examines my tv. Claims the buzzing is within spec after turning the volume up to a very loud level 20 on the speaker check in the tv menu and listening. One dead pixel on 50"+ though, is automatically a panel replacement. So that was scheduled for today.

9/29, today: Tech arrives and takes apart my entire tv to swap the panels. Basically the only thing from my tv that was still used were a couple circuit boards and the tv frame. I asked the tech wtf do they make you guys basically replace the entire interior of the tv instead of sending a new one? He said yea it would be better for them to just send a new one instead of having to take it apart and replace everything, but that's their call I guess.

So now he is ready to set the new panel in. I help him get it upstairs and take it out of the box. We attempt to set the new panel into the frame. Uh Oh, Samsung sent a 63" panel in a box labeled 58" lol.

He tells me to immediately call Samsung support and demand a new tv be delivered to me, since this is the 2nd service call and obviously the issue is not going to be resolved today. Explain to support I've had to leave work early the last 2 weeks for the tech appointment, and I'm working 6-7 days a week 8+ hrs a day so I'm not scheduling anymore appointments when this tv is apparently not getting fixed. After being transferred, arguing, and being put on hold numerous times, they finally cave and agree to ship me a brand new tv and take the defective one.

So hopefully the new one is problem free or we'll start all over, /rant

 

[Modelworks]

Unfortunately corporate suits fail to understand the consumers that pay for their salary. I managed a regional service center responsible for warranty service on a number of brands and the policies defy logic. We were required to repair $20 cordless phones that often cost $25 labor + parts to fix. When we asked why not just give the customer a new one the reply was always, "the customer must get back the original item so as to show there was no defect with the product design itself, that it was just a one off failure". When I explained that giving them a new one would accomplish the same thing I was met with "you just don't understand corporate structure and how we like to handle things"

So nothing surprises me about consumer electronics repairs.

When you get the new tv make sure it isn't a refurbished one with the remainder of your warranty period. They love to pull that one. If you get the time write a letter to the Samsung CEO about the experience. I suggested a customer do this with pioneer and they not only gave him a new tv but one that costs almost twice as much. email is pointless, letters in the mail get the attention.

 

[RockinZ28]

Unfortunately corporate suits fail to understand the consumers that pay for their salary. I managed a regional service center responsible for warranty service on a number of brands and the policies defy logic. We were required to repair $20 cordless phones that often cost $25 labor + parts to fix. When we asked why not just give the customer a new one the reply was always, "the customer must get back the original item so as to show there was no defect with the product design itself, that it was just a one off failure". When I explained that giving them a new one would accomplish the same thing I was met with "you just don't understand corporate structure and how we like to handle things"

So nothing surprises me about consumer electronics repairs.

When you get the new tv make sure it isn't a refurbished one with the remainder of your warranty period. They love to pull that one. If you get the time write a letter to the Samsung CEO about the experience. I suggested a customer do this with pioneer and they not only gave him a new tv but one that costs almost twice as much. email is pointless, letters in the mail get the attention.

You know how to tell if it is a refurb or new for certain? I asked the tech if it'd be easy to determine, but he said he didn't know.

I was very specific in my phone call though, asked twice to confirm it would be a brand new tv and not a refurb, and they said yes brand new since my tv is under 90 days. So they had better not pull that bs.

 

[CurseTheSky]

You know how to tell if it is a refurb or new for certain? I asked the tech if it'd be easy to determine, but he said he didn't know.

I was very specific in my phone call though, asked twice to confirm it would be a brand new tv and not a refurb, and they said yes brand new since my tv is under 90 days. So they had better not pull that bs.

I hope the best for your situation, but what they say and what they actually do aren't always the same thing. Unless you get it in writing, they can just act like there's no record of what was agreed upon / the person you talked to isn't in right now / etc.

 

[RockinZ28]

Damn, well I hope that isn't the case. Already played enough games with me trying to fix it.

 

[0roo0roo]

lol tech labor must be something they love..taking apart a tv seems like an economically bizarre thing to do. unless they got a buncha models using the same screen or something and that is equivalent to a quick swap part...

 

[Pacfanweb]

Should have just had them ship you the rest of the 63" and let the tech put THAT together.

 

[Aharami]

hah sounds similar to what Im going thru with Onkyo. Had to return two TX-SR876 AVRs because they came in defective.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2108811

Im can work from home so waiting for Fedex pickup is no problem. But I'd rather drive to their warehouse since it is an hr away from me and I can ensure the heavy AVR wont get damaged in shipping. What baffles me is why Onkyo wont let me just drive the defective AVR to their warehouse and replace it myself. I don't know why they insist on having Fedex pickup and ship it. They must've already spent more than the cost of the receiver in shipping that heavy 60 lbs box 4 times.

 

[RockinZ28]

Just had my new tv delivered. Brand new as far as I can tell, manufactured in October 2010 according to the serial sticker. Brought in retail box with all accessories. Only had to give them my remote and the tv for the exchange.

This one has one dark pixel only visible on red screens, but it's in the top right corner, so I can live with that.

Keeping this one because the buzz is what I would consider normal, audible from a couple feet away with your ear towards the tv while it's muted. Not some 12ft+ away with low volume and still audible like Samsung claimed was freakin normal for my old one.