Very interesting to how they changed their policy so quickly. This makes you wonder if they made their return policies anemic, knowing that if people began to notice they could take action, otherwise they would just keep the policies weak.

This still leaves the question of who will go to the customer’s home and attempt this repair. Were will they acquire the parts, and who will pay for the service call?

Service centers that have been bitten once by a manufacturer are leary to take a second chance.

No one I know services Vizio.

Just thought I’d post my Vizio experience. I bought the 50″ plasma from Costco, got it home, hooked it up and thought “Yeah, it’s OK for the price” I noticed a fair amount of hookups in the back, but there is no way specified to user upgrade the firmware as I can on my Phillips LCD. Fast forward a week and the TV starts to randomly turn off. I call tech support/cust service and am given a case number, asked to call back if it happens again as they really don’t know what else to tell me.
Another week goes by and the problem continues sporadically and I call back and eventually am told that someone will call me to come out to the house and fix the problem.
Another week goes by and no call. So for the past 2 days I have called them and finally get an answer that the service who supports them has the parts and the tech should be calling by wednesday. I also notice that they (Vizio) now how a level 1 (my rep couldn’t maneuver the software) and a foreigner for level 2 support.
So I found my Costco reciept, as the TV is 32 days old, and am now considering that the price versus the hassle may not be worth it in the long run being the problems I’ve had in the first month. Maybe the new Pioneer or Panasonic!

Where’s my post?!
I had a post detailing my experience with my 50″ Vizio Plasma and how after 2 weeks it started to turn off on its own…
I guess it wasn’t relevant…even though this article is about Vizio..

Shaun,

You post is up. I am sorry, but I must hold all posts for review prior to appearing under comments do to a very high amount of robotic spam attempting to flood my comments section. I am trying to find a system that will effectively filter out the spam. Thanks for your comment it is appreciated.

The HD Guru

no problems….I didn’t see the on hold for moderation info until after I posted the second comment…by that time I couldn’t remove it..pls remove it if you can…sorry
In regards to the Vizio..I talked to a tech who actually told me that Vizios have all kinds of problems. So I’ve decided that back to Costco it goes. Now, if we could just get the Guru to review/compare the new Pioneer with the brilliant Panny before I have to decide on what will replace the Vizio.
Again, sorry for the second post
Shaun

I recently purchased a new 32″ Element tv made by Poloroid. It has a decent picture for the price and was wondering how the 2 models would compare. Also aside from that was looking to purchase a tv for movie and video game use and was wondering what platform would be best for a 50″ size. Any recomendations would be helpful.

Why anybody would want to buy an “off-brand” when one could purchase for instance a Sharp AQUOS LC-52D62U 52″ LCD TV for $1899.00 and no tax from an advertiser right on Guru’s website.Also,far less for smaller screens from proven manufacturers.

As a servicer & retailer of Name Brand LCD’s, Plasma’s, & Micro-Display set, I strongly recommend finding a local independent retailer (that is price competitive with the big box stores) that will take care of the product after the sell. Also the major manufacturers have certain authorized online retailers (that is going to have a price that is compairable to the big box stores) that are safe to buy from ( as far as warranties are concerned), but there are many that are not that some manufacters will not honor a manufacturers warranty if a product is purchased from an online retailer that is not authorized.
Consider a HDTV purchase a major investment & buy a product that will provide you service availability after the sell.
You guys do a great job of providing information. Keep it up!!!

Gary:
This was the only place I could find on the hdguru website to contact you. I need help. I am buying my son a flat screen TV for his dorm room at college and therefore do not want to make a big investment, i.e. I’d like to keep the price around $750.00 give or take. We’ve looked at Vizio (Costco) and Insignia (Best Buy). I’m leaning toward the Insignia because they have a floor model 37″ LCD flat screen which I can get for just under $700.00 (new would be $799.00) but the appealing thing to me is an extended 4-year warranty for around $100.00 which would include service at his dorm room. The warranty covers all parts and labor for 4 years. Any feedback or advice you can provide would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much.
The HD Guru suggests you investigate the terms of the extended warranty prior to purchase. Request a written version, the HD Guru has found some salespersons that will say just about anything to sell the extended warranty. What you need to know

How do you get it serviced, on-site or carry in?

If on-site what is the time frame to get an appointment.

If carry- in what is the minimum and maximum turn around time.

If on-site how what is the minimum and maximum time for the repair shop to return the TV repaired?

Do you need to pay shipping to the factory in warranty if it is determined that the set is repairable locally?

How much is the shipping?

Last, what will the do if it is not able to repair the set during the (extended) warranty period, What do you get. Is it refurbished set aka a “used” version someone else owned that had problems and was repaired? Or a refund based on the depreciated value of the set? Or a refund based on the purchase price without the cost of the warranty, or including the cost of the warranty?

An extended warranty is really an insurance policy and like other forms of insurance it is usually filled with exemptions when the insurance company does not need to pay up. It is your obligation to read the policy prior to buying it. If the store will not provide a copy for you to read before purchase, don’t walk, run away, because I can tell you based on my long experience working in CE retail management, you will most likely get a raw deal

Bottom line, the HD Guru recommends  name brand ( such as the ones listed the HD Guru article) not a no-name such as Westinghouse, Polaroid, Insignia etc. Why, the name brand TVs often have better pictures, and have a vast parts, service and support network standing behind the product.

We are entering the beginning of the 2007 TV selling season and set makers are providing dealers close out pricing on the 2006 models. Watch the ads, you can find a really good deal from now till year end. Good luck.

The HD Guru

I had the same problems with my Vizio, I took it back and got an Olevia. I would suggest for all the
people having problems with Vizio to take a look at Olevia television sets, they are comparable in price and do not seem to have the same problems. They are high quality sets – If you can take your Vizio back still, Check out Olevia!

i work at a “big box retailer” and first of all the information provided about ‘no-name’ tv’s is accurate. however, the hd guru’s quote “the HD Guru has found some salespersons that will say just about anything to sell the extended warranty” is entirely false. WE (Circuit City and Best Buy) ARE NOT PAID COMMISSION!!!! i could care less if you get the extended warranty on the 32inch Vizio you just bought as far as my personal interests are concerened, however it is a piece of junk and the warranty we offer will cover a million times more than Vizios will, including in home service and new replacement. shop at big box retailers (CC)as they will be there long after Vizio, olevia, polaroid, element and your ma and pop store to take care of you. p.s. dont check out olevia

My 50 inch Vizio lasted almost a 1 1/2 years and went out with a bang last week. The repair shop was useless and not interested in fixing it. Sam’s Club Service Agreement ($200) people were non responsive. Luckily the Sam’s Club in my area took the TV back for a refund. Thankfully the Sam’s Clubs support and takes care of their customers. I wouldn’t recommend a Vizio to anyone. My next purchase will likely be the Panasonic 50 inch offered by Sam’s or Costco.

My Vizio just died as well, Bought in January 2006, and I have no clue who will fix this. Should I just give up? I bought at Sam’s without the extended warranty- do I have a shot at a refund, like Glenn above? This kinda sucks. Bad enough this thing cost double what it does today, and I have tube TV’s from 1980 that run great.

I may sound like a broken record, but I also bought a 50″ Plasma Vizio from Costco in June of 2006 and it croaked with a bang in December of 2007. What a rip off. Somebody should sue these purveyors of crap.

my vizio 42 plasma just started not having a picture when turning on the set.. audio without video.. is that what happened your sets?? and was it not economically viable to fix it??

yeah, the bang with your 50 in vizio is related to the y-sustain going bad. It its definitely fixable if you can find a reliable service center who is willing to go into the unit and service it. However, most of the time, the servicer will not because they see vizio and run, with good rationale. Ive fixed quite a few.

What about this bit in the warranty that is on the webpage right now?

“ON-SITE REPAIR

On-Site Repair is performed on displays purchased as new which are 30 inches and larger.

If it is determined, after discussion with VIZIO Technical Support and within the terms and conditions of the VIZIO Limited Product Warranty, that an on-site repair is qualified, the customer will be provided with an on-site repair (OSR) authorization number. Proof of purchase is required to confirm the product is within the one-year limited warranty period.”

On-site repair service is requested through VIZIO’s third-party service provider. After VIZIO provides the customer with the on-site repair (OSR) authorization number, the third-party service provider will contact the customer and will schedule the repair at the customer’s location. The total approximate time for the repair process, which includes the repair diagnosis, dispatching the technician, shipping the replacement part(s), and arranging the appointment with the customer, is completed within approximately 3-5 business days, pending availability of these factors.

If it is determined the product can not be repaired, the customer will be required to ship the unit to VIZIO’s service center, per the terms and conditions of the VIZIO Limited Product Warranty.”

That says 30 or larger is an in home repair and when i bought my L32HDTV10a about 2 years back thats what the warranty was then as well.

No more Vizio for me….bought a p42 around 4 yrs ago – floor model from Sam’s. One yr later, set would turn on momentarilly, then shut back off. Returned this set to Sam’s(they were nice about it, and replaced)with another P42. My second P42 lasted for 3 years, then did the exact same thing. Vizio mentioned this Y board, or video card as mentioned above….repair is more than value of TV…..save yourself the aggravation, and some money. No more Vizio for me, EVER !!!

repair shouldnt be more than the value of the tv. if you have a knowledgeable tech, parts and labor should be 300-400 bucks

My Costco P50 Vizio TV lasted 26 months, then CRACK!, the video died. I have been trying to get Vizio’s service provider (Indusys Technology Inc.) to respond Since December 26, 2007. They took my credit card info then nothing. Does anyone know which board is most likely to be bad from this symptom? It lokks like I have to try to fix it myself.

Just bought a Vizio 50 plasma last Friday at Walmart, the tv is beautiful in looks, but as of now and not even a week later, the thing turns on and then shuts down. Thought it was the cable box and returned 3 of them. Can’t be the cable, has to be the darn tv. I am mad as hllllll and taking it back as soon as possible to walmart, no more of

these tvs ever. Renee msbbeabear@cs.com

People… let’s get one thing straight here… VIZIO IS CRAP! There, I said it, and hopefully loud enough for everyone to fully understand. You bought the Koren new kid on the block for what seems like a good deal… and then you’re bit big time. You pretty much rationalized the purchase of your Vizio based upon the PRICE savings first… then everything else took a backseat. Take a GOOD comparative look at these TV’s… they are horrible in comparison to a lot of the other brands out there. *oh, but it’s so big… and it’s $400 less…* SMACK! WAKE THE HLLL UP!! These TV’s are just another inferior product being spoon fed to our (US) insatiable appetite for big screen TVs.

And just WHEN did TV’s cost as much as these become “disposable”? Like the guy earlier said… “I’ve got tube sets that are still around…”. The amount of money people are shelling out for these sets are insane and it’s the largest fat margin maker TV mfrs have see in a long time. You don’t shell out 1300 bucks for a tv for it to crap out like these have, no way. I bough a 53″ Sony Projection TV back in 96 that lasted me 12 years before it took a dive. I paid grand for that unit. Was I pissed? Yes, of course… but it ran it’s course and served me well for 12 years. You on the other hand are shelling out insane amounts of money for these sets that won’t make it a solid 2 years and then you’ll have hlll to pay when it comes to repairing them.

Samsung, Panasonic, Phillips, Sony… they all have a better track record than Vizio. Well… I’ve said enough.

Correction to my previous post… in regards to the price I paid for my 53″: I paid 2 grand for my set back then (not a grand).

Just clarifying.

We, too, bought a Vizio 42 flat screen, 12/06 and one month off warranty, the screen goes black. No response from emails to Vizio tech support. Has anyone had any luck returning these to Costco, even after their 90 day refund time period? Any suggestions?

Hi i have 3 VIZIO PLASMAs P42HDTV10A and they have lasted only 6 months since I bought them.THIS IS A PIECE OF CRAP!!! all that amount of money throwed away to the garbage.. Some tech´s say there is an eeprom problem, others say the main board, I am very upset with VIZIO CRAPPY PLASMAS.
Question for Vizio ¿IS THAT THE WAY TO STEAL THE CUSTOMERS MONEY 4 MAKING DISPOSABlE, TV´S?? OR WHAT ELSE??
WHO AGREES WITH ME?? HA??
Never EVER!!! buy Vizio Crap Again!!!! ($3,500 dollars for 6 months?? How´s that???
And i have sold 2 of my rear projection tv´s 60inch Mitsubishi´s that they´ve lasted 10 years without any problem.

The only thing I know; They are selling crappy plasmas and LCD tv´s to all of us for stealing our money ant making us to buy more of them, What a crappy -era technology!! Good Luck

Well, I just wanted to say thanks!!! I’m doing a little research on the Vizio brand and WOW am I glad I did!!! I really don’t have the $$ to throw away. Still researching for the longest lasting, and best quality tv. Thanks again!

btw, this service your getting isnt even from qualified trained technicians. they are farmed out on a website. http://www.onforce.com anyone can sign up and do the work.

geez i wish i had known about the vizio, mine won’t turn on!! I’m pissed, I think i lost the costco receipt, don’t know if they’ll take it back…grrr

my Vizio P50HDM 50 Inch plasma I bought in Dec. 2005, just crapped out. 27 months and broke. Got sound, no picture. Call Vizio, said they would send out a repair man in 10 business days, for the low cost to repair of $895. What !!!? I said what if he can’t fix it, they would only charge me $285, to tell me its broke. WTF. Is ther any way I can get this fixed out side of Vizio ? please email me, bhjr1969@yahoo.com

Ok people Im very sorry to see many of you making the horrific mistake of buying thse low end TV’s. If noone noticed yet Vizio and Olevia tv’s are about a worthless as a bag of frozen peas to trying to treat herpes. I work at Best Buy and recently purchased my 1080p 60 inch Sony TV after months of research. I can assure you that unless you purchase a Sony,Samsung,toshiba,pioneer,LG, etc. that you will be buying a toilet. The only off brands I would even consider would be a Westinghouse or a Insignia plasma. The Westinghouse TV’s do have a whiteish appearance to the picture when compared to a brand name set, and the insignia plasmas are manufactured by LG for Best Buy so they are decent TV’s but since they are technically last years LG model plasma the insignia sets do not have whitewash. Whitewash is a feature that helps prevent burn-in images on the screen. If you wont be gaming or leaving still frames on your TV for long periods of time then dont worry about whitewash not being a added feature. I didnt care about the depth of my new TV so I purchased a Sony SXRD set which is about 12-14 inches deep and produces a picture just as good as any other 1080p set out the but for 1/4 the price. A similar 60 inch 1080p plasma from pioneer wouldve set me back roughly $6,000. I picked my set up for around $1500 because Sony stopped making the SXRD sets around febuary because everyone now wants the new “slim” tv’s. I can also attest like one of the other “big box” posters above that we at Best Buy dont get squat for selling the extended warranties. Not a single employee at our stores is on commission and the service plans do work out in customers favor pretty much everytime. I consistantly see those old refridgerator sized rear projection Tv’s being picked up by our delivery team because the TV is unrepairable and the customer gets a new equivalent television delivered at no charge. I have seen countless TV’s get swapped as well from a lack of available parts for a customers defective product. Another nice thing is that if your TV is serviced 3 times and breaks again Best Buy calls the TV a lemon and gets you into a new TV. All of the new TV technologies are still technially unproven wether it be a plasma, lcd, or DLP so buying a extended warranty is definatly a good choice since the best buy plan is for 4 years and in many cases is renewable with a simple phone call. The only thing to keep in mind with most extended warranties is that they guarantee the product not the price. If you buy a 50 inch plasma today at $3499 and in 2 years your set fails and the Best Buy store near you is giving you a replacement but the newer replacement version of the TV now costs $2799 dont expect a refund of the price difference. The service plans guarantee you a replacement of a similar product and since pricing rises/falls depending on competition and production, etc. dont harrass the Best Buy or CC over the difference in price since they gave you a newer better product for not a penny more. We see people all the time wether it be a GPS or TV set haggling over how much they paid. Prices drop and your extended warranty company doesnt warranty the price just the replacement of a equal or sometime better product. If my set dies and Best Buy gives me a newer more feature packed product that costs less on paper than my original TV honestly who cares since I’m making out no matter how much the new set costs off the shelf.

well… thank you all! after reading all these posts, i have now decided to stay away from vizio. big screen at small price seemed too good to be true anyway. guess i will wait and put aside a few hundred extra and buy from the big names.

Vizio is junk. I bpought a 37 IN HD LCD and now it won’t turn on. Vizio said it is the power board and would cost $895 to fix it. I can buy it new for $800 but I won’t make that mistake again. My advice….Don’t buy a Vizio!!!!!

I have a VIZIO PLASM P42HDTV10A for about a year and it just died visually. offer to fix by visio $765 those bastards!!! is anyone there a lawyer ??? file some class action etc.???

We purchased our first plasma which happened to be a vizio and 8 months later it would turn off on its own so we took it back to Costco this is before they changed their returned policy on all electronics. So they took it back and gave us a second set. So a year and a half went by and now something else is wrong with our second set the audio works without pictures . PLEASE DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY AND TIME ON THIS CRAP!

My Vizio P42HDTV10A died (no picture)after 18 months of servie, contacted Vizio and I told it will cost a flat fee of 1000 dollars for repairs. I was told that Vizio will contact a tech and provide replaceent parts. Where any of the parts were used or not. Now I got a 42 inch paper weight. Never never again will I buy Vizio.

50 inch VIZIO died after 18months. Simply would not power up at all!!!! Called in since it was not under warranty to set up a call knowing I would pay for it. They called back a few hours later and already had a quote ready and had the parts ready to order. THEY know there is defect in the TV. 650.00 to repair and no guarantees. PIECE of CRAP.

I bought a 42 inch LCD Vizio on Sept 26, 2007. The first one broke then they sent me a refurbished one and now it broke. They delvivered the third one to me today and out of the box it did not work. I called Vizio and they said they would replace this one. I told them I wanted my money back but they said they couldn’t give it back I would have to return to the store I bought the Vizio from. I called the store and they said it has been over 90 days so the store would not give me a refund. I told Vizio that I am probably going to take legal action since is my 3rd tv in less than 10 months. I want my money back instead of a replacement. I believe I could win a small claims judgement against Vizio. I would just hate the hassel of suing them. Any suggestions?

My Vizio is busted also, went down after 13 mos. & that was it!! Does anyone know how to start a class action suit? We really do need to get one going. There are way tooo many Vizio’s going into landfills, and way too much money going out of consumer’s wallet’s. I’ll keep checking back to this forum just in case someone smarter than I can get the suit going.

Hello fellow posters. I see alot of complaints but no one bothers to reference their serial numbers so that their cases can be researched. I realize most people don’t want to post their name for some reason but I don’t see any case numbers or other relevant information that would indicate you even called in to make them aware of your complaint. If you are reaching out to an open forum to complain then use it wisely and you might get some help… There are other forums that are monitored by manufactures where the poster has to provide enough info in order to be helped.. There is no sense sitting here venting about it so start providing info so you can be helped instead of wasting time with all of the crazy posts – some of which are completely false. Every company has a 1 year warranty for a reason. If you expect unlimited coverage then you really need to wake up… There are ESP’s out there to purchase and I know people that actually spent the money to purchase one found it to be a great investment. Everyone wants a Mercedes but then complains about the cost to repair it… Go figure…

My Vizio LCD 42 inch broke down after 13 months just out of warranty. Called Vizio and they wanted 765 to come and look at it– Went to a local repair guy who replaced the power board since it was bust and then realized that the display was also bust– said it will cost $1460 to replace the display- he got the price after talking to Vizio- that is $300 more than what I paid for the TV- what a piece of crap– I think a class action suit makes sense!!!!

Sounds like Samsung has put a lot of plants on this site.

theres no plants. vizio is a pricepoint tv plain and simple. they operate on slim margins and cut corners where they can. They have no control over their own inventory and contract everything out. if you buy it knowing its a price point tv, great. but be very wary about it as any kind of investment, because vizio does/cannot support their product well through their business model.

you dont have to buy top of the line, but buy from a company with support set up for their product.

My Vizio 32L seems to think that every picture should be green, no matter the source, thirty months after I spent $1500 on it at Costco. I see there is a long list of people who believe as I do that Vizio is crap.

Sure dampened my enthusiasm for Costco. I am wondering why I trusted Costco in the first place.

I bought my VX32 on almost two years ago from Costco. Still working like a champ, great set.
Don’t think they are crap at all. Great TV great price.
I’m wondering how many people would have posted if this article slammed Samsung? Quite a few I’m suspecting.

Wow! there are some upset people here and they are making me nervous. I just bought my third Vizio. I bought the 42inch plasma from costco about 2 and half years ago. No problems! Then last week I bought (2) 32 inch lcds from the because the price was so good. When I hooked them up I was very impressed with the picture and sound. So impressed that I looked at my 42er again because the sound only seemed soso compared to the new ones! I then realized that the tuner can only receive mono and not stereo from coaxial cable signal. Called support and they tell me that in this model the tuner is only mono! Come on!! My 10 year old sony has stereo tuner! Then I found this forum and am waiting for my TV to die!! Any good experiences out there to offer hope?? Any help or resources with the tuner for stereo audio??

To Mark:

You have nothing to worry about, Vizio’s are just fine. LIke I said before I have a VX going on two years now it still has great Picture quality etc. There are alot of very happy Vizio owners.
You don’t know how many people on here are troll or legit.
They have a great Warranty and such. HDGuru just has it in for them for some reason.

wow its really nice. thanks alot dude for providing info regarding disposible HDTVs vizio responds.

I also have a 37″ vizio that randomly turns off. Sometimes it will go hours before it shuts down and other times it will turn of 3 times in a row. Pretty frustrating while playing video games or watching a movie.

That warranty up there is incorrect and from what i know having delt with their customer service department it never has been. Looking back at old manuals and such it is TV’s that are under 32 inches that would need to be mailed in not 42 inches. Thats no different from any of the other warranties from companies ive looked into.

Take a look at the warranty as it is now on the website. That what it says currently and i know thats what it was a year ago when i needed an L32 fixed for a minor tuner issue. The warranty information here is just plain wrong. Always go read the warranties for yourselves for anything.

RT: Well next time you can spend 3000 for a similar product then the repair price would only be half of what you paid for it.

It seems that there are about 2 or 3 main problems with the Vizio plasma TV’s and maybe LCD’s. My problem is that it won’t start, it tries (green light goes on then turns itself off) and eventually it will start but it is a taking a little longer each day. I have to admit that when it’s on it looks great for the money. I wonder why these problems are not addressed by the manufactures.

Vizio is not the only brand to have these problems. I have found, while on my quest to fix this that I have come across the same problems with other manufactures. So it is not an isolated problem. Someone surely can figure this out and if the parts are so expensive after only a couple of years of use then maybe we should consider a class action lawsuit!

I am not much for recycling, BUT if we are to going to trash 100’s if not 1000’s of plasma and LCD TV every couple of years something should be done!!!

I had an old Sony CRT TV for about 15 or 20 years and it still worked fine (only replaced tuner), it just didn’t have a remote and I got sick of having to get up and change the channel all the time.

You would think that our elected officials would see this and demand better service from foreign manufactures, but I guess if they allow lead filled toys to reach our children, well you know what I mean.

Thats no different from any of the other warranties from companies ive looked into.

uh, aside from a few, almost all companies have service locally on their products and you dont have to ship them in at 32 inches. unless of course you live in a pretty rural area.

the biggest gripe i have with vizio, isnt really quality, its support. they send out unqualified technicians, they dont answer their phones, and they dont support local service centers with information.

i have fixed many vizios and a lot of times it is simple and easy, maybe some of you should try your local tv repairman.

Not a plant, not an A/V professional by any means (heck, I still play vinyl and casettes.) Thought I’d jump into the new millenium. Usually Costco does a good job of researching and selecting their merchandise, and I’ve always trusted their judgment and been satisfied. But not with my Vizio. Was a beautiful thing for just over a year then went black and won’t power up,light stays yellow. What good is the Ext. Warranty if customer service/tech support never shows up? I keep getting stonewalled. I’m pulling out the old Mitsu portable circa 1983 that still has a great picture while I wait…

I guess I’m lucky, I’ve only had my 42″ Vizio for several weeks and it’s gone bad. I’ll be taking it back to the store. I was unaware of Vizio’s problems.

Oops, forgot to state the problem. Like many others, itself off and it won’t power back on. Nice.

What a Nightmare.
I had a Funai for 2 years and the panel went out.
Paid $216 for a technician to tell me it’s broke and funai doesn’t sell panels.
Found a local repair shop that “refurbishes” tv’s
Got a 50 inchi Visio, paid $800 cash and the “refurbished” set didn’t last 3 days before going black!
Now I’m hoping they’ll honor their “90 day Warranty” by giving my money back.
(And I’ve got to get this 112 pound monster back down a flight of stairs and across town.

Everyone wants flat, everything comes at a cost.
We do tv repair and are seeing a lot of the newer
technology. A lot of electronics get minituarized
and crammed into a very small space. Heat starts
taking it’s toll immediately from the first day you
turn it on. Your new tv is essentially a computer with a large display, and you know how finicky your
computer can be. Lastly the sets will last longer
if you have other sets with proven technology taking some of the load off them. Very expensive to
watch the local news and soap operas on them!

Paid $1199 for 47″ Vizio from Costco less than 30 days ago. It’s starting to turn off with out warning as many have stated. Should I deal with Vizio directly for repair or replacement or just return to costco for refund? Are the Olivias just as bad?

I have a 42″ Vizio for 18 months now. Same problems as mentioned so many times. About 6 months ago it started turning itself off randomly. Last week (just before NFL starts..grrrrrr) it died. I took that heavy thing to my local reputable repair shop and was told the “main board” was bad. They said $625 to fix it. Im not so sure that this is a manufacturer specific issue. That thing was always so hot and I was never comfortable with that. The picture and sound were never bad, just that annoying problem when it would shut down on its own.

I used to own a vizio lcd. Mine actually lasted a bit before it finally turned off. I wasn’t even getting any light on power button so I figured it was the power board. Got one from Vance Baldwin and swapped it out myself. LCD came back up and ran fine but I got rid off it and bought a Samsung instead. Couldn’t be happier.

Case number 122490, there you go. If any Vizio personnal wants to help me fix this broken tv I would love it. Tecnical support is a joke. One named Anna told me my tv was still under warranty because I reported that the tv would not power up a couple of months ago. They get my proof of purchase and notice I am at 25 months, one month past the warranty and say there is no warranty. I ask to speak to a manager about the lack of integrity at their business and still have not received a call back. Horrible t.v., horrible technical support, horrible business practices. I can’t believe that Costco still sells these.

We bought a 37″ lcd vizio 21 months ago, and were very happy with it until a few weeks ago it started randomly shutting itself off and turning back on again. Today it won’t turn on at all. All the reviews on it say it is a great product, which is why we felt comfortable buying it. Maybe someone should inform Consumer Reports about these issues.

I coutl link you toabout 200 threads involving that same issue of TV’s powering off and on again and then dying on just about every single brand, especially Samsung.

I like vizio not a huge fan but they’re pretty decent, but fair is fair. Alot of these TV’s regardless of brand name have all had very similiar issues’ and if this topic was call problems with Sony, you’ll be sure to get just as many unhappy custmer’s.
So let’s be fair people.

Difference is, sony supports their product. Vizio does not, or does to a very poor level.

This website is the first I have found with bad posting of Vizio. I have a GV52LF that I have owned for over a year and it works flawlessly. I have several friends who own Vizio and have recommended them. Looking at the big picture here, it appears maybe some of the other brands that rip people off by charging ridiculous prices on flat panel TV’s are mad that they are forced to drop their prices since Vizio’s are more affordable. Maybe this is a scam against Vizio so they’re competitors will not have to continue to drop their prices. If you are in the market for a flat panel TV, do yourself a favor and go based on word of mouth, rather than internet scams.

I dont think the website of hdguru is badmouthing the quality of vizio, just the support and cost of repair on the product when it fails. you cannot blame comments on the site owner.

I purchased my 50″ vIsO plssma 33 months ago, from cOstCo no less. I sure didn’t forsee a time b_mb in this unit as I was watching CNN this afternoon.
The SOB! BANGED and went black, scared the freak out of me. Looks like my unit joins the growing grave yard of junk electronics.
Although my unit appears to have out lasted others on this site I can not find relieve or solice from that. Today I vent/mourn, tomorrow I look for a repair tech or a electronics mortition.

I bought a Vizio 42 hd

I guess I’m not too bad off…I bought one of the first Vizio’s…I knew I was gambling because no one knew anything about them. Anyway, mine is now doing the turning-on-and-off thing, but usually it will do it for about 5 minutes in the first hour after you turn it on, then it’s fine for the rest of the evening. So I got about 4 years out of it, and it’s still “usable” until I can afford a new one. But I will NOT be buying another one. I feel bad because my dad just bought one, and maybe I could have warned him off. if it had started acting up sooner.

So what is causing this? Heat? Would the addition of a little computer fan eliminate all/some of the grief? This pretty much seems to be a problem with the larger units. What about the 32’s or 19’s? have they been more reliable? Do the extended warrantys work for these?

Well it happened… my tv was manufactured in OCT 2006 and in SEPT 2008, it’s dead!!!! Door nail dead!!! Cost of tv 800.00, cost of repair through Vizio suggested repair outfit 800.00….

If the thing is dead, I am considering trying to fix it myself first. Understand I need a main board and a power board. Cost for parts 250.00

I purchased a Vizio 42″ LCD from COSTCO just shy of 13 months ago. The set just went completely blank yesterday. No video or audio. The unit was still powered on when it died and the only way to power off is to unplug it.

I called tech support and they gave me Case #179345 and told me the set would need to be replaced but I had to fax the proof of purchase to the warranty dept. which I did.

Next day I called the warranty dept. and asked what they were going to do. The tech told me that they would send someone to repair the tv and I should receive a phone call from the repair person within 3 to 5 working days. They provided me with #OSR 73181.

I asked why the previous tech told me the set would be repaired. He told me “because they were a level 1 tech and I am a level 2 tech and I know more about it.

What really ticks me off is I read reviews on Vizio prior to purchasing this tv and most were really good.

3 years ago I purchased a Samsung 50″ DLP and the color wheel busted in pieces after two years. Fragments flew around inside the set breaking mirrors and who know what else. I returned it to Costco and bought the Vizio. Nothing but bad luck with large tv’s.

If a Vizio rep is reading this I want the tv replaced. Not repaired, replaced.

Correction

My Vizio is a 47″ LCD not a 42″.

“3 years ago I purchased a Samsung 50″ DLP and the color wheel busted in pieces after two years. Fragments flew around inside the set breaking mirrors and who know what else. I returned it to Costco and bought the Vizio. Nothing but bad luck with large tv’s.”

Color wheels do not break and hurt anything. They do shatter and fall apart, but never break anything. If someone told you they did, they were wrong.

As for replacing, thats a reason our landfills are full of crap. Let them repair the set.

Wow, I agree with Barbara. I did a lot of research before buying my Vizios and this is the first site I’ve come across with so many negative responses. I bought my first Vizio a couple years ago, the 37″ LCH HDTV VX37L, for my bedroom and have never had any problems with it. I felt that I got a great tv for a lot cheaper than a Sony or LG. Then, I had heard that Vizio was coming out with a new 120 HZ XVT series so I decided to do research on it. I checked out reviews on sites like Cnet, Katzmaier, and Gear Patrol and got nothing but good reviews. So I went to Costco a few weeks ago and bought the 42″ 1080p XVT and so far, it’s incredible. The quality and picture are great, sound is great and it looks real good above my fireplace in the living room. I don’t know how Vizio’s customer service department is because I’ve never had to call them (fortunately), so I have no complaint there, but as far as Vizio’s – this is my 2nd one and I have found nothing wrong with them.

My parents and boyfriend have a vizio and I’ve never heard them complain about it. As far as I can tell, the picture and sound are fine. However, I have a Sony cause I’ve always been a fan of their products. I mean, my very first walkman was a Sony! lol. But they ARE expensive man! I’d rather go for a cheaper product but still good quality

Vizio is now #2 in LCD TVs, just behind Samsung and ahead of Sony.
With that many Visios being sold, you’re bound to read about problems more frequently.
Also because Vizio is a relative newcomer, there’s lots more people ready to jump on them. Brand loyalty over time counts a lot, so that even when Sony owners have problems, they’re less likely to complain about the brand.

Continued:

VIZIO now tells me that my 47″ cannot be repaired. They are sending me a reconditioned tv. That sucks! I purchased a new tv less than 13 months ago and now they want to replace it with a reconditioned tv that retails for $500 less than the new one.

As for the Samsung color wheel coming apart. That tv was taken to a authorized Samsnung service center. The owner to the shop made the diagnosis and communicated with Samsung. Samsung quoted the tv tech $800 in parts.

I contacted Samsung and asked for a break on the price of the parts. They would no budge on the price stating that is why they sell extended warranties. Thank goodness COSTCO took it back.

Face it guys… The reason Vizio’s are crap, is because they are cheap. Ever hear the saying “Nothing good is cheap, and nothing cheap is good?”

Thought so. The reason these cheeseball tv companies have low prices, is they buy components known as “seconds”. Panasonic, Sony, Samsung etc buy all of the GRADE A components – all rated within tolerance…

Poloroid, Vizio, Olieva and Insignia buy all the “seconds” components. Example – resistors that are identified as …for example a 220 ohm, should meter between 218 and 222 ohm to be acceptable. The ones these crap tv companies buy may be MARKED as 220 ohm, but the resistor may only have 203 or 234 ohms of resistance. All of these cheap, out of spec parts mashed together in a huge pile make each others lives even HARDER because the extra strain due to out of spec components.. which makes the tv’s life like a candle burning at both ends. IF you are brave enough to buy one… GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY – or better yet… buy a name brand like Panasonic.

theres my 2 cents.. hope noone but cheap TV manufacturers are offended… LOL

Well, 2 cents is about all that an “opinion” is worth, even when it’s presented as though it were “fact”.
There is no proof whatsoever of your claims concerning companies buying out-of-spec parts. If there is, then by all means, bring it on.

Until then, it’s just one guy’s opinion. Ever heard the saying “Opinions are just like xxxholes: everyone’s got one.” ?? Thought so.

i dont know about that diagnosis tom. colorwheels are 100ish bucks, no reason for an 800 dollar repair estimate.

Im sorry bugmutt, I forgot to mention that I have been in the electronics industry for over 17 years now, and I PERSONALLY KNOW many people that work in R&D departments at several companies that will for this articles sake remain unnamed… But I have spoken with several of the company reps, AND one of my best friends happens to be the guy that they constantly fly to China to work out purchase agreements FOR these parts..

Any more doubts?? Ok, I thought so. If this were “publicly” known facts, do you think the products would sell as wel as they do??? nope.

If you have any more doubts, and if you have any electrical knowledge then go get a “cheap” tv and TAKE IT APART… remember though kids, you have to measure resistances and tolerances with the components out of circuit.. get your multimeters out and do some “first hand” testing – you will be suprised at what you find. Then put your TV back together and take it back to WallyWorld.

I guess thats the kind of ridicule you get when you are simply trying to inform the people of the truth, LOL

Well, enough of this xxxholes opinions..

I think we have some trolls here. Like a couple of others have said this is the only forum where I have read so many negative reviews of Vizio and Olevia. To the contrary I have read 10 positive reviews for every negative one stated here.It also seems a little strange that most posts state the exact same problem.
Consumer reports ” Best 40-42 in. 1080P sets”
Samsung LN40A550
Toshiba REGZA 42XV540U
Olevia 242 TFHD
LG 42LG50
Sony Bravia KDL – 40V4100
Vizio VO42L
They say “Both the Sony KDL-40V4100 and Vizio VO42L FHTVA10A are 40-inch sets with excellent HD picture quality and very good performance with DVDs. The Sony did better with SD programs, while the Vizio had a better-than-average viewing angle and costs $500 less.” These are LCD reviews.
I have a Vizio VX42L that I bought in 2006 and has worked flawlessly. I also took a small part of what I saved and bought a 4 year extended warranty since
it was and is an unknown product.The Vizio also comes in right behind 2 Panasonic models, an LG,and Samsung in the plasma 40-42inch tests.I am not saying CR is the only or even the best tester/reviewers but excuse me if I take their word over yours.
Thank you !
P.S. Everybody makes a dog including Sony, Honda and all the other high brow high priced manufactuers. Higher price does NOT equal higher quality and that can be proven all day long every day !

Hey Fred,

Like I said the tv tech told me when the color wheel discentrigated it caused damage to other internal parts including mirrors.

I didn’t take a look myself but Samsung didn’t question it either. Just glad COSTCO took it back.

Mark,

My VIZIO worked flawlessly until it broke. 12 1/2 months is all it lasted.

Like I stated earlier I researched VIZIO prior to purchasing it. Problem is that was before many of these tv’s starting going tits up.

If you do a search on “disposable televisions” you will find many sites where VIZIO has nothing but complaints.

I purchased a refurbished Vizio VX32 L in 2007 and it worked great until a power outage here in Columbus, OH (Hurricane Ike). Now it has red and some green where the blacks should be. I am considering attempting to replace the DTV board myself, though I’ve never done that before. I have put together many computers, however. Anybody done this?

I just had to have my unit replaced. I posted my stories on my website (http://boholt.com/vizio.htm). One thing the note does not say is that, just like in some comments above, they TOLD me they would call ME back, but they never do. I had to call THEM back, and then they denied saying they WOULD call me back… I don’t know if I would buy another Vizio or not. It all depends upon how well this repair holds up.

*repaired, not replaced. Sorry!

Vizio SUCKS! Do NOT Waste your Hard Earned Money On THIS Brand VIZIO. Anyone want to start a web site to judge these TVS http://www.viziosucks.com .net ????? Lets start to teach all thes Big companies that they can not take our money and SCREW US.

I just bought a 26″ Vizio LCD the VW26L one and it was working great for the first 4 months, than the past few days it’s been freaking out making a loud noise and the picture goes away. It also sometimes just goes out without making the loud noise (maybe just a pop); but the screen turns either green or red and will eventually turn off and sometimes back on. It has started to get worse lately, like every few minutes making it impossible to even watch TV without worrying about it. It was a great TV until than. Nothing has happened to cause this, as I have taken absolute perfect care of this TV. Any ideas on the cost of fixing this or any way to fix this!?!? Thx…

We bought a Vizio 32″ last year around Christmas. I set it up myself and it works like a charm. It lacks some of the features that just about all the higher priced LCD’s have. It was like $550. A great bargain. I would buy another one despite all the negative comments if I were on a budget. If I was not on a budget, I would more than likely buy one of the higher-end units only because of features.

Ill jump on the “Vizio sucks” band wagon. Purchased the 42″ 1080p 1 year ago from Costco and it just popped and went black a few minutes ago. I have let it sit unplugged for a few minutes. When I plug it back in and turn it on, all I get is a black screen. Usually would be blue if it didnt have any picture being sent from a device. Hmmmm… I have more research to do but after reading the first few reviews here, it looks like im SOL ;(

My Vizio’s have been works awesome for the past two years and in fact just went out and bought another one.

I love these sets.

Update on my 47″ VIZIO.

I received my “remanufactored” television from VIZIO after my new one died. I connected the TV and checked it out and it seemed fine.

The next day I noticed a what appeared to be a mark or a smudge on the screen about the size of a dime. I tried to wipe it off but I realized the mark was not on the screen. It is in or behide it.

I called VIZIO and they told me to send a picture of the mark. I did and now they are sending me a brand new TV.

I was recently at COSTCO and watched the employees pushing VIZIO TV’s. I hung around untilt he shoppers were alone and told them about the problems I have had. I don’t know if it will save anyone the headaches I have had but I tried.

I am interested in purchasing a broken VISO L32 that has an amber light on but will not turn on and produce a picture. Regards, Mark turnmar100@yahoo.com

My Visio 47 inch has been dead for the past 2 years. Bought an ESA 42 inch and it dead.we hardly watch TV. Most of the Plasma/LCD have Samsung boards but different stickers. Just like car repair mechaics–part replacement robots.I tried searching for a repair solution and 99% suggest replace boards at used prices–$200 or new $500. Most Tv companies don’t even give Schematics to their service reps–sucks.It is getting so bad in many dead units that one firm paying $3 to tell you replace boards-boards and boards.Anyone know a site that can help in repairing board-MYSELF

I have two great Vizios. I haven’t had any problems with them – quite the opposite. The picture quality on my Vizio’s are better and with less pixel problems than either my Sony or my Samsung. My SV470XVT is amazing with the 1080p, 120hz combo. Check out Consumer Reports this month because I trust them above everyone else and they have good things to say..

I bought a 37in LCD Vizio from Costco in 2006 (model is a 2005). I live in an apartment and so i thought my set kept getting turned off by some neighbors remote control. It would often do it 2 or 3 times in a row. Now the amber light still glows when it’s plugged in, but the set won’t turn on. If you are experiencing random “offs”, trust me it’s not going to go away. How about we all bring our “paper weight” sets together for a giant protest art installation? If enough gather and pile up maybe some news exposure will help them get their act together. Anyone got a vacant lot?

I just bought a 42″ Plasma less than 2 months ago and it went black last night. Full audio but no picture.

I will be returning it to the store this week and getting my money back and putting it towards a Sony I guess. Thanks for all the great posts. I would have struggled with repairing it if not for this site.

UPDATE: I love Costco! Apparently I bought my TV before Costco changed their return policy. Without a receipt or the original box, they looked up my purchase on my membership log. I was given a full refund of my original $1,600 purchase price! Now that’s customer service! I will NOT be buying a Vizio. Part availability will definitely affect my next decision.

Since receiving my brand new Vizio 47″ that was replaced for the previous two, I have had no problems. Crossed fingers here. The nice thing about the newer model is that it has 4 HDMI ports where the original model had 2.

Now we will see if this one lasts longer than the original at 12 months, 3 weeks. I’m happy the re-manufactured tv had a defect and had to go back also.

So maybe the third TV will be the one. I still won’t buy another VIZIO.

I just got a 47″Vizio LCD 120hz from Sams. Have had it around 50 days and last night I saw red pixelation/color hues on a movie. Also a red line around the outside of the screen. Then I tried changing mode(movie,football,game etc)then the screen turned all red in all modes except game. Tried a regular television station and the same thing. No matter what I try to adjust nothing helps–what gives?

You miss the point dude

Electronics arent worth repairing out of warranty, none are.

Not dvd players, not stereos, not tvs
They ARE ALL DISPOSEABLE. Where the hell have you been for the last 25 yrs.

The repair costs are generally prohibitive. In the 70’s, we replaced cheap tubes ,in the 80’s, we replaced circuit boards that cost 1/3 the price of the set, in the 90s they became totally disposable. If you dont like it, dont buy anything electronic.

No, you missed the point. There are a LOT of viable repairs out there. You considere 1000 dollars as throw away? For a lot of people thats a lot and a repair for 250 is very viable.

Not only that, vizio has very poor in warranty support. Therefore, the article is still vaild.

Maybe you should look around at your landfills, seeing all the crap going into them because of the disposable mentality.

I just purchased a Vizio 46in LCD 12/27/08 and then on Sunday the very next day I starting have the same problems it would just turn off by itself. And it has only gotten worst when you turn it back on sometimes there is sound and others no sound but there is a picture sometime a few minutes sometimes more but it does eventually turn itself off. I am definitely taking this back and going to a different brand.

We have a problem with our 32 inch Vizio LCD flat screen. There is purple streaking through the picture. We have hardly used this TV and have only owned it for about 13 months. The first three weeks of that 13 months it sat wrapped as a 2007 Christmas gift, so we have actually only used it for 1 week beyond warranty. Vizio service will do nothing about it. I suppose Vizio is really a disposable TV. Put me down for participating in any Class Action Lawsuit that will develop.

We just spoke with Andrew (customer service supervisor) who is a service rep from Vizio. He reffered to their televisions as disposable tv’s. He said that the best thing to do when you buy a Vizio is to purchase an extended warranty. That is the only way it would be worth buying one of these disposable TVs.

We bought a Vizio L37 a little over a year ago. ANd it started shutting off over and over again. It got progressively worse so we called Vizio who proceeded to tell us our TV was a month out of warranty. They said that it was probably the Motherboard and that we would have to pay for it. They said that there were two things it could be and each where going to cost us $250+ each but once we opened them we couldn’t return them. Which means we would have had to pay over $500 out of pocket to guess which part was the correct part for my TV that wasn’t even a year old. We called local technicians and we quickly found out that not many places actually repair Vizio’s! I’ve found many complaints about the Vizio for the same problem I’ve had but with no solution to the problem on other independent websites. But Vizio only posts positive comments on their website. They where unwilling to assist me with my problem and for $500 I can get a whole new TV. I’ve been in customer service for years and this is the first time I’ve ever had this kind of a problem with a company. If they stood behind their product I feel they would have better policies in place and would be a lot more helpful to their customers when a serious problem arises. Personally I won’t buy a Vizio again, I was unimpressed with the product and with their customer service. So I personally cannot recommend this product. For those of you whom have had a good experience with your TV’s kudo’s to you. It doesn’t solve the problems the rest of us are having. Try having over $5000 of electronics and not one of them work and all under 2 years old. I’d say a bad investment on so called quality and “reputable” companies. Luckily my 10 y/o TV’s are still working just fine. Now I if only my new technology would work… Frustrating to say the least.

My 47″ Vizio “died” a couple of times….meaning that it remained ON but no picture and I couldn’t turn it off with either the remote or front panel button. I had to pull the plug. After plugging it back in it worked fine. I contacted Vizio Tech.Supp. which was totally useless due to poor english and noise on their end. I was told I would have to go through a routine trouble shoot procedure via phone with the Rep. I told them the problem only occurred twice and suggested they have a Tech person visit. No Way. Anyway the Tech Rep got “official” with me giving me all the same B.S. you get from most Tech Support depts. these days. No more Vizio for me. Buy from a locally owned dealer who will take care of your problems. Vizio’s Tech Support and Warranty are useless.

11th post down…
Hey Andrew. How’s your JOB at Circuit City??
Nice how you posted that your “BIG BOX” store would be around long after all of these manufacturers and also in particular “MOM AND POP” stores have gone. Pretty funny you IDIOT! Having worked for a mom and pop electronics and appliance store since i was 15, done electronics and appliance service, and now finally at 35 owning my own store i am here to tell anyone who will listen that the mom and pop self servicing dealer’s have some of the best recommendations to make because they will be the ones who have to service the set if you have problems. Meaning actually be able to get parts first of all and at a reasonable price, and if there are bigger problems deal with the company on your behalf. Their reputations and lively-hoods depend on it!!
Hope your unemployment checks are coming in on time for you Andrew you jacka$$!

Bought a Vizio 37 Inch year and a half ago. Today it suffered the infamous “pop of death”. There is no red in the picture anymore and the sound has stopped working. I wish I had seen this website prior to my purchase. STAY AWAY FROM VIZIO!!!!

I have a 2006 Vizio P50 and just recently I can’t receive an hd signal, even tried a antenna setup.
Has any one lost the HD function on there Vizio and is there a fix

I work for Sears, and have seen the good the bad and the ugly from all of these brands. Vizio has done well for us and have seen the majority of the problems with them are from the lower quality model numbers that these Sams, Costcos and Wal Marts sell.
Also, i have seen more problems with Samsung then i know what to do with. They are becoming a huge headache for me, esp, when my customer buys the product, watches it for 6 months, then Samsung wont cover to fix the problem and its supposedly in Warranty.
Sony seems to be the most reliable LCDs that we sell followed closely by Toshiba and Sharp.
Panasonic hands down is one of the best products on the market if not the best.
I personally own 2(two) Vizios, a 37″ LCD and a 42″ plasma and have gotten great service out of both.
I also have the 50″ Panasonic plasma 1080p(z80 series) and the 52″ Sony W series. Both are awesome though i had to pay for the quality i am very satisfied. I also would not recomend any new electronic without a esp(extended service plan) not an extended warranty since they cover mainly defects.
My best advice i can recommend is to shop by model numbers and not price. Look for best model for best price and dont get scammed by these cheaper models supposedly the same thing as Best Buy, HH Gregg, And Sears and other big name stores sell.

I bought a 20″ Vizio in Oct 2007 (wanted small) – was very impressed with picture/some features, price. Today it is worthless – won’t turn on. Out of warranty. Local repairman sez needs new board – $350 bucks plus labor.
So much for bargain TV. Never aqain.

I purchased my P42 from Costco 3 and a half years ago, and it just developed a problem: the video input (picture) suddently went out on me. I heard a click, and the picture was totally gone, except I was able to hear the audio part of the program.

I called Vizio’s techsupport, the lady on the other end (in Texas) told me to change the plug, which I did, and then told me to unplug the power totally, wait for two minutes, and plug it back in. It didnt work. I was given a toll free number for “ITI” (not sure if this is a subcontractor of Vizio or not), and I have been having a tech person to speak to me — we’ve been playing phone tags. I left messages, and the tech never called back.

I have two children at home who wished they could watch some of the favorite programs. We are not addicted to TV, but each of us have our own favorite programs. It’s been three days, and no tech support.

Does the “guru” know what the problem might be, and if I could call a local TV store to have it fixed, or is this something I could simply fix myself (if I know what the steps are?)

Thanks.

I too just experienced the “Pop of Death.” I had my 42 inch Plasma for 2 years and then bye-bye picture. I’m in the process of screen printing t-shirts that say “Avoid Vizio”. Then, I’m going to frequent the Costco that I bought the TV from and pace back in forth in the electronics department with my “Avoid Vizio” tee on. Will I buy form Costco again? Hell no. Costco is part of the problem as far as I’m concerned. They should have dropped Vizio or demanded Vizio to make good on the bad TVs. Once I’m done spreading the word, I’m going to cancel my membership. Yeah, I’m getting my sweet revenge and I think others should do the same. I’m sick of companies taking advantage of innocent people and not being socially responsible. I hope everyone that has been screwed by Vizio steps up and does there part to ensure the Vizio company has a short life span like my 42 inch Plamsa.

Avoid Vizio

Did you go to COSTCO and let them know about the problem? Was your tv actually out of warranty? COSTCO extends the manufacurer warranty by one year. So two years from purchase date.

I am disappointed with COSTCO for pushing Vizio tv’s but all we can do is tell them about the problems.

I know I will never buy Vizio again. If you start selling your tee shirts please post info on here. I would buy one.

Good luck

My Visio P42HDTV10A worked GREAT for three years and one day we turned it on and the sound and picture are out. Enjoy reading this MARK when you (and you will!) are scouring this site while eating your words hoping for a glimmer of a solution like the rest of us are. The point is it seems great until it doesn’t work a short time later. I bought mine at Costco because of the return policy that no longer exists and can no longer help me.

Add me to the Vizio sucks comments. After only owning my 32″ HDTV for 10 months, the picture started going to 95% snow. The problem was intermittent. Turn it off and turn it back on and the picture was fine for a short period of time and problem occurred again. Unfortunately, I kept messing around with it thinking it was reception or something in the settings. Then, the one year warranty ran out. Wasn’t smart on my part. Prior to the problem occurrig it had been getting the popping sound others on the forum explained. It will cost $350 to get it fixed and the set only cost %599. I bought a Samsung and I’ll be sure to buy an extended warranty this time. It does seem like Vizio would at least make it easier for customers to purchase the motherboards. But then again, I might be throwing good money after bad. I think it is time for a class action law suit.

I purchased my 42″ Vizio Plasma HDTV 6 1/2 months ago. It blacked out while I was watching a show. Vizio is sending over a tech to fix it as they know what the problem is and they ordered the part. Interesting how they know all this by just talking to me on the phone. It’s been one week and still no fixed tv. Legally, I do believe this may be some type of deceptive trade practice with all these complaints. Once my set is fixed, the one year manufacturer’s warranty will end shortly thereafter. It will cost me a small fortune to fix whatever other problem the tv may have in the near future as per the other complaints above. I will be contacting some lawyer friends of mine for the prospects of a class action suit. Vizio should be recalling its tv’s and refuding everyone their money. What a scam!! I will never purchase a Vizio ever again! Shame on Vizio!

I’ve had a VIZIO 32″ VW32L Model for about over a year and i’m still waiting for any of these problems to show but i’, sorry this is by far the best bargain i have ever done only for 450 bucks, i had a SONY 40″ and that cr$% only lasted a week, since then i have been spending money sending it to the factory to try and get it fixed or get a new one.

Since so many people were complaining about the lack of parts for the Vizio I went to my favorite place for electronic parts— ebay! I found one guy who happend to have a few (he buys up things damaged in shipping and sells the parts) but not the selection I expected.

Then I found two other sites that sell Vizio parts. They are VizParts.com and PartSupply.com a quick look and the powersupply board most people are complaining about costs between $85 and $150 and you could probably put it in yourself. I’m sure if you talked to either site they they would help you decide the right board to get and probably tell you how to install it.

I got my video in January of 2008. On a stand in my apartment. TV was professionally installed, hasn’t been moved since, and was a great tv.

Tonight, was watching television, a blue light flickered, and the video went out. Audio was there, but no video.

Unplugged it, plugged it back in, now their is no audio, and wait…now it wont turn off.

I must say, I am very disappointed with this product. I bought it at Circuit City (woohoo CC) and it is now just over 2 months out of warranty. This is disgusting, I may go into Wal-Mart and punch one just to tell them I’m saving them the time of having one go out.

I’m a college student who spent his hard earned money to have something nice to come home to after a long day at class, and this is what happens. Never once did anything happen to it, and now it stops.

What a piece of .

Another Visio bites the dust!

Purchased Visio 32″ LCD (VX32L) 7/25/07 and 3/29/09 its finished. Called local TV repair man who advises he will not touch it and that it is absolutely crap as he has tried to fix them and he constantly gets calls from people experiencing problems with this brand. He was surprised I got the time I did out of the set as usually they crap out before 15 months.

Yeah that story has merit. A TV Repairman turning down work. Oh OK

John,

yes it does. In the old days I used to make a living by repairing various consumer electronics.

Some of the brands, you are better off not touching. The quality is such, it cannot be repaired properly. Or, even if it is repaired, there is a good chance it’ll break again and soon. And I did not want to be coming back to the pissed off customers while the only fault of my own is the fact that I touched that piece of garbage in the first place.

Hello all,
I too have experienced an issue with my Vizio vx37L (purchased in Feb 07). The power board went out in about 18 months (April 2009). I submitted a complaint to the BBB and Vizio responded saying that my TV is well out of the warranty and they will sell me a refurbished TV. They also stated that this issue only occurs on Plasma TV and not there HD TVs. I am furious to say the least. They do not stand by their products. So many people purchasing a 37in and higher television have experienced problems with the power board. I have contacted consumer affairs as well. I would suggest that each of you do the same. I do hope some legal action will be taken again them soon. I have learned my lesson. No more lower end TVs for me. Thank goodness we purchased our TV from Costco. They were great. Little did we know that by purchasing the TV via Costco in 07 we got a 4-year warranty.

Here’s the latest update on this cheap, cheap company:

http://boholt.com/vizio.htm

Bo,

I feel for you man. As posted previously (T. Cook & T.C.), my new 47″ died at 12 1/2 months. They sent me a refurbished which also had a defect. I was promised a new tv if the refurbished went bad. They did keep their promise to me.

No problems since receiving the new unit in Dec. 08. Fingers crossed. Don’t buy VIZIO.

Add this one to the list. Purchased a Vizio V50HDM from Costco in January 2006. It dies May 1, 2009. This was a $2499 (+sales tax) from Costco. It had what seems to be deemed as the “Pop of Death”. It had an extremely loud pop and wallah,,,,,, no picture, followed within 5 minutes, no sound. I may be a bit tight about the issue, but it seems like amortizing a $2499 (+ tax) set over a 40 month period is a bit expensive. I haven’t called Costco customer service on this issue yet, but I’m pretty certain that Vizio televisions are out of my future.

What a colossal failure of a company is Vizio and their repair arm, HDRepair.com

We are a school for the Deaf in southern VT, so we rely on closed captioning. The 42″ vizio decoded DVD correctly, but would not do it correctly for cable TV (dropped characters, random letters) All the other TV’s on campus did captioning fine .. Vizio said it was the cable company..idiots.. many calls to tech support ..finally they agreed to get a tech on site…tech arrives, replaces main board, but didn’t fix plm, and blew out the sound, so he made situation worse..

No offer to replace or come back. Simply said to wait for Vizio to call…no call..so I call Vizio to complain ..they say it must be the cable company. I say there is no sound, so they get the same idiot tech to come out, and he asks ME if I have the part (does your car mechanic ask if you have the 5 quarts of oil?) ..I finally called Walmart in Keene NH, and NICE manager agrees to take 4 month old TV back.

I bought a 32″ Bravia. I hope HDRepair corporation don’t have the service contract for Sony !

How do I contact the PRESIDENT of Vizio to let him/her know how terrible their product is ?

We need to build televisions that are more cost effective to repair in order to go green and save our planet,rather than melting more recycled plastic and polluting our atmosphere! Let’s go green, create small buisnesses and repair all electronic gadgets, and screens cost effectivly, Government!

i bought my vizio 50″ plasma (50HDM) a little over a year ago at macmall.com, i was about to call vizio when i thought about googling “pop of death.” my tv blew up just two days ago and made a loud pop then screen started to become blurry so i turned it off, i turned it back on the next day and made another loud pop again then it’s totally black (dead). will vizio still cover the tv warranty? if not, will they ever help? really cannot afford to buy a new tv now.

“Pop of Death”….sounds like a horror movie! I, too, purchased a VIZIO, GV42L, LCD/HDTV from Costco just over 2 years ago. I couldn’t have been happier….until “The Pop of Death.” I called their TECH support, who referred me to ITI. ITI called and gave me the good news that it can be repaired for a “flat fee of $395.00.” I have found this interesting, since all I did was tell them about “The Pop of Death”, (sorry, I like using that). They have e-mailed me an estimate, which is non-specific ($195.00 flat rate service parts exchange fee and $175.00 on-sitte service fee) All I have to do is fax them back this and my credit card authorization (fat chance that will happen, I have worked the fraud department for a company). So, I am now doing research on Sharp, Aquos(?) and seeing what is out there. Does anyone know who will recycle this POS?

“Pop of Half Death” My 50″ vizio made a pop sound and a black line appeard on screen, after jumping through some hoops with tech support they are sending out a refurbished TV tommorow. I had asked about how to ID the replacement and found out the serial number shows the manufactured date. The last letter is the year ie. I or J= 2008 and K=2009. The next number is the weeks, ie. 19 would be May. So anyone getting a replacment, check out that you get one that is no older than your original TV.

I purchased a visio for my mother 14 months ago…2 months out of warranty and It’s dead. Like David above after 3 days of calling emailing and much hassle I was asked to fax my credit card info to ITI and they would get back to me in 30 days or less. Would you give up your credit card number, name,address,security code,phone number to anyone on paper?? No information was provided about how this information would be protected. I believe it is an attempt to make me go away and cut my loss.
PLEASE DON’T BUY A VISIO and tell your friends not to buy a visio.

[...] …And I read somewhere that if a Vizio TV is out of warranty it will not be repaired. Basically a throw-away HDTV! I’ll try and find the story…. found updated story:http://hdguru.com/disposable-hdtvs-vizio-responds/108/ __________________ 10ft BUD-"The Feed Hunter", 7.5ft BUD-"The DCII Dish", 1.0m Primestar on G28, 1.2m Primestar on AMC6, 1.0m Primestar on G18, 1.2m Primestar on AMC21, Dish 1000.2 and Dish 500 for 129/119/110/61.5. VIP 722, VIP 222, Pansat 9200, Pansat 2500a, Coolsat 8000, DSR-920, DSR-4200V, DSR-410, SA D9234, Toshiba TRX-120. Panasonic Viera 42" Plasma, Sony Bravia 32" LCD, RCA 26" LCD. [...]

I got a 32″ HDTV from Walmart, $550. After 18 months it would come on, then go off, then come on… it would take longer and longer to come on. With tax it was almost $600 and it hasn’t even lasted 2 years. That sucks. I won’t buy Vizio again. It’s infuriating that this company is essentially ripping people off.

Purchased our Visio vw47l fhdtv 10a about 13 months ago after much research,initially. Loved the picture. Never had any problems or warnings as to what was about to happen. We were watching a dvd and the screen went blank but still had sound. Thought it was a bad dvd, rewind and replayed but no picture. So hubby gets out manual to trouble shoot. Of course nothing works. I decide to troubleshoot online and this is what I find. Great! $800 down the toilet. This just happened two hours ago!

I bought a L32 vizio lcd from costco, not even 3 years have I had this and I now have black lines running down the panel, the tech support reminded me that my warranty is out and that it would be cheaper to buy a new TV then to get it fixed. I wish I had the disposable income to purchase a new LCD every 2 – 3 years. STay away from vizio. You have been warned

[...] http://www.hdguru.com/?p=108/ [...]

Just something to keep in mind, Vizio is the largest NA manufacturer of TVs, and sell around 600,000 to 700,000 per year.

I suppose if you sell millions of TVs over the course of 3 years, you’re going to sell enough bad ones to generate 30-40 bad reviews on a website designed to gather such reviews. Any TV manufacturer, any TV, any model would get the same result if a negative article is written about them on a respected site like hdguru. I can say I’ve had a 37″ Vizio for around almost 3 years now and have had no problems. Yeah tomorrow it might not turn on. So might not a Sony, and we’d both be in the same place warranty-wise.

Honestly if you’re not in a place to afford to replace a TV like this, don’t buy one. Nothing is guaranteed, stuff breaks all the time from every manufacturer. There is no 100% safe way to purchase a HDTV if you can’t really afford it.

Stuff breaks but it’s how the customer is treated after the sale that counts. The repair cost should not exceed 15% to 30% of the original price unless it’s a total rebuild. The HDtv market needs an overhaul. We shouldn’t be junking sets just because a power or video board is unavailable or the schematics are kept secret causing a shortage of parts or hindering 3rd party repairs to existing boards. If that is what is happening then it’s wrong. I was just about to buy a 47″ Vizio SV470M at Costco but now I’m rethinking that based on many similar comments here and in other forums about these sets.

My GV42L had problems from the begining.
Now it’s 2 years old, it died after making high pitch diode noise. Now it shows blue screen that states “No Signal” then it turns itself off.
This is a crime on the consumer from VIZIO.
Please someone tell me something is being done about this BS. I will not go quiet.
I demand justice.

You know what I find funny? How come we all cant put vizio in their place and take them to court but Vizio can take every other electronics company to court for antitrust laws?(I know its hard to believe but google “Vizio lawsuit”) They are taken every big name television/electronics company to court. LG, SONY, Mitsubishi, etc.. It makes me sick that they can do this and call their selves America’s #1 HDTV. I wouldn’t associate anything of Vizio’s products with America. I am embarrassed. Embarrased because of this slogan and embarrassed because I got had on a 1 year waranty that held up about 15 months. When I buy a television I expect it to last 5-10 years atleast. Instead I hear a pop and screen doesn’t work, no sound, just the vizio lite at the bottom. Can’t turn it off without unplugging. Wierd thing is I can turn it on with my remote control, after that nothing. Thanks Vizio, learned my lesson for the final time… “You get what you pay for”. Next time I’ll just buy a sony or samsung. Eat “S” and die.

Hi, my name is Fred, from Baltimore, Maryland.
Yeah, I just decided to research Vizio HDTv after mine stopped working just after 17 months of occassional use.(continuously turns ON and OFF without any picture and can only be stopped by unpluging it from the power source) But unfortunately for me, I’m out of manufacturer’s warranty and didn’t buy extended warranty. Like many of you, I also purchased mine from SAM’s club. So far, for 2 weeks, the 2 “Vizio recommended” out-of-warranty service companies, ITI-(888)248-2708 and HDR-(800)638-9682, would hardly answer the phone (ITI won’t answer at all). But twice I’ve succeeded in speaking to a HDR rep. and they promised a service tech. would call me within 24 to 48 hours, but so far for 2 weeks, I’m still waiting for a call.
My quetion is, what can we all aggrieved customers do about manufacturers of low-life, ripping-off products like Vizio, who is taking advantage of the unsuspecting buying public like us?. Can we all find a way of getting together to file a class-action suit against these manufacturers and distributors/retailers who help them sell their products, at least to stop this kind of fraud and swindling from continuing?. More people will still go out and buy these products like Vizio, without knowing what they’re getting because the price is cheap and not many would have the sense to research the product (like I didn’t) before going out to buy.
P.S. Any one with idea or considering a class-action suit please post it on this site and I’ll be very happy to join in.
Thanks HDGURU for this website
Fred O. Baltimore, Maryland.

Bought the 50″ plasma monitor exactly a year ago and just a while ago made a loud pop and died. This company should be sued for selling craps!

I also have 3 Vizio’s, one plasma 2 LCD’s. My P4 46” finally Popped a month or so back after 6 years of solid use. I like many did my research to find out LG made the part that crapped out. It was called the Y board. I found this part on ebay for 100 plus shipping and fixed this myself. Now i have 3 working Vizio’s and i think Vizio is top notch. I feel bad for the people who had a bad experiance with their TV’s but vizio tech support was helpful. Thanks all

I purchased a plazma 42 inch from BJ’s in 2006 and it just quit. I have audio but no picture. I took it to a repair shop and they want $600 for an x and a y board. I paid $1200 for the tv and can now buy one for $800-$900. Vizio is a piece of junk and I will never buy one again. The repair shop owner has a Samsung in his house, so that’s what I’ll get.Let’s get a class action going here.

In July 2008 I bought my 37 inch Vizio HD LCD at Sam’s Club. The next June (09) I started have sound and picture outage problems. I started contacting Vizio then. They told me to make sure it was not the cable box and other procedures regularly. I did and corresponded with them. Yesterday 10/12/09 the TV has no picture or sound whatsoever.I Just got off the phone with Vizio Tech “Support”. They say “sorry we can’t help”. So, $748.00 for a TV and total aggrivation and now I have a piece of furniture. Danny Bibb Winston-Salem, NC

i purchased my Vizio VX42L 12/07 like the rest i was real happy tell something went wrong…but no pop of death. my screen fades to black from left to right as viewing. the longer its on the more it does it…anyone having this problem? I would be glad to fix it if i knew what was wrong.

graffdd90@msn.com

Another Vizio in the early stages of death. My set has just started with the black screen which started a few days ago. So far unplugging and replugging has been working sometimes for over 5 hours but today it went off 3 times. I’m about to purchase digital tv tuner to watch TV on my laptop or pcs in the house before the dreaded pop comes.

OBITUARY: My 26″ Vizio passed away on June 16th, 2009. It met an untimely and tragic death and suffered from terminal white screen.

This young 26″ Vizio was born in China and was later adopted by Mr and Mrs. Wally Mart in Bentonville, AR in 2008. It later separated from the Walmarts and moved to Milwaukee, WI where it lived it’s short life.

26″ Vizio was a member of the Fraternal Order of Sponge Bob fanatics and enjoyed being connected to his good friend, an HP 6530b laptop.

Condolences can be sent to Tom at tomw@wi.rr.com (along with any suggestions on how to revivie or return 26″ Vizio to Mr. and Mrs. Wally Mart)

To fred, yes, you can join onforce without a degree or being certified, but don’t think all techs aren’t qualified with onforce. I for one, have an a+, mcse, 4 year degree in computer system mgt, and several certs in computer/consumer electronic repair. I have been programming and fixing electronics for over 20 years, and I work for onforce occasionally. It is up to the buyer, eg Vizio, to choose the qualifications to do work for them, they happen to not give a @!#$ and will route the order to anyone who is willing to fix a tv for the cheapest price, vizio use to route work-orders for 90 dollars, now, I see them for 50 dollars, not worth the time to me to remove 128 screws, so I have stopped doing work-orders for them. But again, not all techs are unqualified on Http://www.onforce.com, actually, I would say more then 75 percent are certified a+, mcse, or certified from companies like dell, hp, etc, etc, etc.

you are right james. I do apologize, there are some techs via onforce who are very capable techs. My point though, which you agreed on, is vizio is cheap and is unwilling to pay for them.

I’ve been through the same horror story as everyone else with Vizio. My 46″ 1080p FHDTV crapped out at 14 months. I called several times as well and the told me they could do nothing for me as I was out of warranty. The picture constantly has that black gradient ghost covering two-thirds of the screen. I’m laid-off almost a year and can’t afford to repair/replace the thing. Typically if I rap on the case a couple times the ghost goes away and the kids can watch it for a couple hours. Been rapping for 6 months now and it isn’t responding to my taps anymore. So being unemployed, frustrated and ripped-off I just lost it, got up and put my fist through the piece of shit. Gonna go drop it on WalMart’s doorstep next.

One thing is for sure, this was a valuable lesson. When I do get back to work I will research the company better as well as the consumer reports!

Good luck to you all.

Folks, read read read. The problems that you all talk about are pretty much standard for all makes and models. I learned my lesson with an Olevia 37″ in Dec 2005. It went 10 months and died. I got a replacement before warranty expired, and it is still running, but I learned my lesson: LCD Longevity has not been established the way CRT was. Better to buy 4 years of Vizio extended service for $200 than have an expensive paperweight in 13 months. From reading these stories, it is clear that many fail in 6months-3 years. So buy at least 2 years of extra coverage (about $100) for a total of 3 years of coverage and rest easy.

I too have suffered from the pop of death. I bought a Vizio-VU42LF-1080p in the end of June 2007 through Costco. After 28 months(warranty was good for 2 years of course)POP and the TV faded to black forever. Costco could not help me and I know he tried as I could hear him speaking with his mananger. Vizio on the other hand (Thomas – badge # 75924) could not help me either. Even after I kindly told him that I know this is not the first time he has heard this complaint. I told him I got no response from ITI, that I had left 3 messages. HD Repair I spoke with Amad who told me a tech would call when in the area. I told him I would bring it in and he assured me a tech would be by. I’m still waiting I’ll give them to the end of the week. I asked Thomas to tell me what part I would need and that I would have it repaired myself. He refered me to Legacy parts 949-428-2567 & Encompass parts 800-432-8542. Both places were closed but I will try first thing tomorrow morning. I have a TV repair shop right downstairs from my apartment. He has serviced over 40 tv’s in the past for me. He came to my apartment and told me if I can find the paart he would replace it. He said the hardest thing with the Vizio TV’s is to get the right part. We’ll say what happens. I’ll pass on what conclusion I come up with.

most vizio plasmas we made by lg, so you can get the parts(for the most part, smaller sets is a bit harder)

My Vizio 26 inch LCD hdtv won’t turn on anymore. Bought it less than 2 years ago. I don’t think anyone on here is lying if they say their Vizio broke.

Go to ebay buy used psu and replace by self .15 min job

Are there any 37″-40″ LCD or Plasma Tv’s with a CableCard slot made in 2009 models? Which Brand?