Updated Monday July 30, 2007-Now Includes Olevia HDTVs
Flat panel TV bargains abound these days. With prices dropping 30%-40% from 2006 to 2007 (confirmed this week by LG US CEO Michael Ahn) one can easily be tempted by the leader pricing of the “new brands” (called tier two and tier three by the consumer electronics industry) that undercut top panel maker prices by hundreds of dollars.
What the enticing, price driven TV commercials and their dealers don’t tell you is that Westinghouse, Polaroid and other tier two and three set makers add costly charges during the one year warranty period and buyers may incur substantial service charges after their warranties expire. In fact, two companies surveyed don’t support service at all after the one-year warranty expires!
Polaroid’s HDTVs, which sell mainly through Circuit City, would seem to be bargain-priced compared to the “name brand” competitors. Polaroid’s 1080p 42” LCD Model number PLD 4241TLXB, for example, sells for $1149.99 at Circuit City, while Toshiba’s 42HL167 goes for $1699.99.
The Polaroid set seems like a good deal until you find out what the Circuit City and Polaroid websites fail to disclose, which is that Polaroid HDTVs cannot be repaired after the warranty period expires!
The HD Guru visited his local Circuit City and asked the salesman what to do if a Polaroid required out of warranty service. He didn’t know. The next day the HD Guru called Circuit City’s customer service (CS) department. The representative did not have a clue about either in or out of warranty service for Polaroid flat panels!
The HD Guru later contacted Polaroid customer service. A representative informed him that its HDTVs carry a one-year on-site warranty. Fine. But what about parts and service for out of warranty service? Incredibly, the customer service rep replied “there are no out of warranty repairs available, you are basically on you own,” adding that Polaroid does not offer any out of warranty support (including parts), at its US headquarters or through independent TV repair shops.
With no parts and no authorized “out of warranty service available”, what you basically get when you buy a Polaroid is a disposable HDTV— think paper towel. When the warranty expires, if the set breaks, it’s ready for the town dump.
You can always buy an extended warranty from Circuit City, but that subtracts a substantial portion of the savings gained by buying an off brand TV in the first place. The HD Guru wonders how an extended warranty will be honored since Polaroid does not have any system to sell parts to servicers.
Next up, Vizio HDTVs. Here is what appears on its website, with bold added by the HD Guru.
”Service Labor
During the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will provide, when needed, service labor to repair a manufacturing defect at its designated service center. To obtain warranty service in the United States, you must first contact VIZIO Technical Support via email at techsupport@VIZIO.com or via phone at (949) 428-2525. The determination of service will be made by VIZIO. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR UNIT TO VIZIO WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.
Service
During the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will, at its option and sole discretion, repair or replace defective parts, which may be new or remanufactured, including replacement of the entire unit. The Customer will be required to ship the product to the service center indicated by VIZIO when the return authorization is provided. The Customer is responsible for all transportation charges to the service center. VIZIO is not responsible for the de-installation or re-installation of the product.
Packaging and Shipping Instruction
When shipping the product to an authorized VIZIO service facility, the original carton box and packing material, or an equivalent as designated by VIZIO, must be utilized.”
According to Vizio, all TVs 37” and larger must go by truck to California. Fed Ex Ground from NY to Vizio in Irvine, CA is $88.95 for its 42” LCD TV and $108.95 for its 50” plasma. You threw out the TVs packing carton? If you are in the warranty period, it’s no problem, Vizio will ship you a new cardboard box at no charge (according to its CS rep).
If the Vizio flat screen breaks after the one-year warranty expires is where it gets expensive. The prices are shocking.
For any Vizio 42” LCD, the carton and packing material with shipping is $300. Its out of warranty service is at a “Flat Rate” of $300 parts + $140 labor. Outbound shipping (FED EX ground) to Vizio cost $89. For return freight, Vizio charges $250 bringing the total cost of an out of warranty repair cost a staggering $1079. The current cost of a new Visio 42” LCD at Circuit City is $1099. Think of it, twenty bucks more and you get a brand new disposable TV with a new one-year warranty. What a deal!
Insignia
Insignia is Best Buy’s “house brand.” It offers a line of HDTVs up to 42”. According to Best Buy salesmen and the Insignia website (http://www.insignia-products.com/t-WarrantyInformationEnglish.aspx) if an Insignia TV needs repair, you must bring it into the store where it was purchased in its “original packaging or packaging affording an equal degree of protection”. Hauling a 92 pound 42” plasma television in its factory carton is quite a hassle probably requiring a large SUV, pickup truck or van. The Best Buy salesmen also said that after the factory one year warranty expires, Best Buy will not repair Insignia brand televisions, but if the two hundred dollar Best Buy extended warranty is purchased with the television, Best Buy will provide in-home service.
Westinghouse
If the set is purchased from Best Buy it must be returned to the store for warranty service regardless of the size of the TV, according to the Westinghouse customer service department. If purchased elsewhere, Westinghouse customer service must be called to determine if the set is in need of factory service. Westinghouse will issue a return authorization if they determine factory services is needed and it will pay the freight both ways if the TV was purchased within the last 90 days. From 90 days to the end of the one-year warranty, the consumer must pay the return freight and supply the original packaging or a suitable equivalent. Westinghouse does not sell replacement cartons and packing. Out of warranty service is available locally in select markets according to its customer service department. If there is no local factory authorized servicer in your area, the set owner must pay the freight both ways and the cost or repair parts and labor, which will be determined after Westinghouse receives and examines the malfunctioning television.
Olevia
Olevia’s limited customer service hours (7:00 am- 6:00 pm Pacific time) and broken links on its website regarding its warranty rules made it difficult to obtain information on its policies. Furthermore, its warranties are the most complicated the HD Guru™ has encountered. If an Olevia HDTV requires repair within the one year warranty period, the additional costs and services incurred will depend on how long you owned the set its screen size. Here is its warranty program obtained from an Olevia customer service representative.
<37” screen size – customer pays return freight from day one. Return shipping to Olevia is $55 for 32” HDTV and paid to Olevia when obtaining return authorization.
37” and larger- up to 45 days old Olevia will pay return freight to its California headquarters and replace the broken television with a new unit.
After 45 days the customer pays the return freight at a rate of $150 for it 37” models and $225 for its 42” HDTV. Olevia will replace the defective television with a rebuilt unit (as in another set that was defective and repaired) This “no repair” just replace with a refurbished set applies to all Olevia HDTVs regardless of model or size according to its customer service department. Olevia will pre-ship the refurbed TV to you and at the time of delivery, will allow you to use the same shipping carton to return your defective television.
The Olevia customer service rep said its 42″ models have on-site inspection service, but it is only to send a technician over to your home to determine of the set is actually in need of repair, for example, to make sure the power cord is connected. If the tech determines the set is broken, Olevia will ship a replacement refurbished TV after the shipping is paid.
For sets out of warranty repairs, you would obtain a return authorization, and ship at your expense the broken TV back to Olevia for a repair estimate. If you need a shipping carton, Olevia will ship you one for a very reasonable $20.
Olevia also offers extended warranty service plans, however they will charge you return freight after the initial 45 days of ownership and replace you broken HDTV with a refurbished unit. Here are the prices of the plans (you must add on the return freight charges )i.e. $225 for a 42” model which raises the cost of warranty to $474 for its 5 series with three year extension of the one year factory warranty. Of course it the set requires a second replacement, you would have to shell out another $225 for shipping.
3 Series
All Parts & Labor/ Replacement (including LCD Panel)
2 Years Total/4 Years Total)
332 $119 order $149 order
337 $159 order $189 order
342 $189 order $219 order
5 Series
All Parts & Labor/ Replacement (including LCD Panel)
2 Years Total/4 Years Total
532 $149order $169 order
537 $189order $219 order
540 $199 order $249 order
542 $199 order $249 order
.
Name Brand HDTV Service
All the top name brands including Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi Samsung, Philips, LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp and Toshiba etc. have in-home factory authorized warranty service for their larger size TVs (usually 32” and up). Out of warranty service is no problem. All the major name brand TV companies have vast parts supplies and a nationwide network of factory authorized servicers. The latest trend, started by Panasonic is “concierge” service. If a Panasonic plasma is taken out of the home for service, Panasonic will provide a loaner plasma TV until the set is returned. This extra service is free; set purchasers only need to register with Panasonic.
Bottom line: the top tier TV companies invest in the future, spending collectively many tens of millions of dollars to keep their customers coming back to them. The “new brands” look for the sale today and do not have policies that will retain customers. With better warranties and service, the top brands have an incentive to build higher quality more reliable HDTVs.
Make sure you check out the warranty and after warranty service of the brand of HDTV you are considering, or you may end up spending more money sooner than you anticipate.
Copyright 2007 HD Guru ™ All Rights Reserved
I purchased 40″ vizio plasma and 37″ vizio lcd on 04-2007 the plasma died with a scrambled screen 05 2010, also purchased a vizio 47″ lcd on 10-2007, it died no sound or picture on 07-2010. Vizio says they are electronic and cand can fail. I wouldn”t recommend these trow away sets to anyone. you get what you pay for
I have a Hyundai 50″ Plasma except that Hyundai does not want to admit they manufactured this product. I sent them documentation but they keep denying they ever made this TV….but of course they still sell them in EU and other continents….USA standards for warranty & repair pushed them out and now I am stuck with a Plasma Mirror….I look at it and see an idiot for ever buying it. DO NOT BUY HYUNDAI no matter where you live…!
Interesting that this thread is still “live” after two years..
A couple points that don’t seem to be made here, from a guy who owns a TV repair company that fixes about 10,000 TV’s a year…
1) To those people who are saying “since I only paid $XXXX for this set, I expect to throw it away after a year, and there’s always newer and better stuff” – hogwash. Unless you’re far richer than I am (or any of our customers) you are NOT going to feel that way if your investment goes dead after 13 months. Guaranteed. We talk to you guys all the time, EVERYONE says “but, my LAST TV lasted 10 years!”
2) This practice is patently illegal, and only exists because the consumers affected don’t have the chutzpah to take real ACTION. There’s a federal law – the Magnuson-Moss Act (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/adv/bus01.shtm), which – among other things – mandates that warranty service must be “without charge” (section 2304 (d)), the product must be replaced or refunded after a “reasonable number of attempts” at repair (section 2304 (a) (4)), and must be done in a “reasonable time and without charge” (section 2304 (a) (1)).
For those in California, the Song-Beverly Act (http://www.lemonlawca.com/songbeverly.html)further expands your rights. Song Beverly says, for instance, that every manufacturer MUST provide parts for SEVEN years (1793.03 (b)) and must maintain service “reasonably close” to all areas where their products are sold. Products also must be fixed within 30 days (1793.2 (b)) AND if the product has to be shipped, the manufacturer has to pay for the shipping (1793.2 (c)).
Why do customers put up with this? I’ve been suggesting that buyers of “off” brands that provide no service support either sue the company, or at a minimum report it to their state consumer protection agency as well as the FTC (and in CA, the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair.)
Not only are end-users hurt by this, but the companies that provide REAL support are at a disadvantage. The companies like Sony, Mits, Sharp, LG, Toshiba, etc that incur the cost of having this support CAN’T match the up front price of a company like Olevia or Polaroid. Every customer who buys one of the off brands not only runs the risk of having a very expensive boat anchor, but they’re actually furthering the process of driving companies that still provide support OUT of business…
This is the exact same dynamic as companies that hire illegal workers and pay them substandard wages (with no benefits) to do a particular job, competing against companies that hire legitimate eligible citizens and have to pay them a few bucks more.
The end product COSTS a bit more of course, but if we allow the companies that are operating ILLEGALLY to profit and gain market share by taking advantage of their low cost structure then we’re actually DAMAGING the companies that do things above board and by the books.
I certainly don’t want to pay any more for anything than I have to, but the playing field should at least be level – every company should have to comply with the same set of laws, and then if one company just “does it better” or somehow “makes it cheaper”, more power to them!
I’m planning on buying a 37″ visio an if they don’t offer. Warranty on it after a year , an it breaks after a year , then you know wat ill jus toss it an jus BUY ME ANOTHER, CUZ duck it its jus money. An plus they always come out better a- newer every year
actually i had bought an Olevia 42in about 3yrs ago… it blew about 2days ago…now there is no longer an Olevia company to call… I have to say that these days buying a TV has to do with where the purchase is made..buy a tv at a walmart or sams club costco..etc is better because of their membership policies..if it stops working you take it right back to them and they give you a new one…just purchase the stores extended warranty…
Purchased three LG,S Lcd.s 1080s with my roommate for her new home .Two 42″ & a 55″ with extended warranties from COMP U.S.A . The 55 INCH was defective from the get go. Picture kept freezing every few minutes. But i thought it was a cable service problem. After multiple service calls from comcast.
I realized it was the T.V.
Comp U.S.A said they had no more of that model in stock .We purchased them all on a weekend promo sale . But would exchange it for a different one .
Got the model #ers and found out our unit was a much higher end one then the one they offered in exchange and didn’t really want to lug that big thing back to the store myself. So i called LG.
And after 45 minutes of being extremely adamant. They scheduled a service call. Tech came out fixed it buy replacing a major board and also replaced the T.V. stand that was a little tilted .
Gave me a history lesson about samsung and LG being the same family .Two Korean Brothers in the same business. Also gave me tips on the best way to use our new LG washer and dryer .That the manual didn’t mention . And the T.V. works really fantastic now. So my point here is .Spend a little more money for your T.V. and you get a much better warranty experience and product. I highly recommend LG. Not only do they have a beautiful picture and better technology then most other brands .
They come to you for the repair , and stand buy there product.
Buy a name brand? I purchased a LG 42″ tv 2 years ago. 7 Capacitors went out after 15 months and the remaining capacitors went out after 22 months. LG wouldn’t do anything – it was out of warranty. Repair tech said the capacitors were not of the right capacity for the TV and were actually a product defect. In my opinion, should have been a recall. I will not buy LG ever again.
I own a 47″ HDTV Olevia 747i since Dec 2008,this was first HDTV and I guess I made the right choice,I never had any or have any issue with it,picture quality is a lot better than some expensive brand out there.I bought mine for about $699 + $243 (two yrs on site warranty at TigerDirect.
Buy a decent brand, and you won’t regret it. I have a 27 inch Sony XBR crt that is 18yrs old (1992, built-in 2-tuner PIP, etc.). The picture was amazing all these years, and when I got a converter box for it, it looks even better now. Sure, it’s not 1080p HDTV or even 720, but from 6ft away, the pic is still sharp & contrasty, people think I have cable or DirectTV. I just have a plain roof antenna. Soo… I thought about replacing it with an LCD HDTV… Guess what I’m shopping for… yes, another friggin’ Sony XBR, 46 or 52. I paid $1200 for it (pricey for a 27 back then), but I think I got my money’s worth. On top of that, I can sell it on eBay or Craig’s for about $100 dollars, no prob – ’cause it’s an XBR (like reselling an old classic car)!
Save a bot more money, and get the highest quality tv you can afford.
Why should someone who paid under $500.00 for a 37 inch LCD HDTV worry about the availability of repair after the warranty runs out? If the TV has a good, easily adjustable picture, satisfies the buyer and lasts a year, don’t you think they got their money’s worth? Like it or not, this is the age of the disposable everything from inkjet printers to that jerk you married. These days you pays your money and you takes your chances. The days of, “The customer is always right!” are long gone.
The screen got broken on my Olevia 37 inch Tv. I called the company about repair. They said they would replace the screen for $195 and I would pay for shipping 1 way at $66.00. I need to pay $100 for diagnostics and the shipping up front. The $100 would be applied to the cost of the repair. The total cost then would be about $260 if that is all thats wrong. I am afraid they could just say there was a lot of other things wrong and then have a big bill that the TV would not be worth fixing and then they get to keep the TV and I loose the money I paid down on my Credit card. What do you think and do you know anything about their credibilty?
I have a problem with my 37” vizio plasma. Its been a year since i bought it and now when you turne it on it turns back off. every time i turn it on it seems to gain power until it finally stays on. Can you tell me whats the problem with it. i called costumer service and they weren’t any help all they could say was they could come take a look at it for $360, might as well just buy a new tv. please help!!!!
Thanks for this post
Well, if these companies are knowingly selling units that will die shortly after the warranty runs out, I can safely say that any cheap HD set I buy is going to suffer a horrible (warranty covered) tragedy at the 10/11 month mark.
I bought a 42 inch Toshiba Regza LCD TV. I do not watch a lot of tv and would consider my usage below average. 17 months after I bought the set the panel went out. The TV is out of warranty and the cost to repair it exceeds its value. My last TV set lasted 17 years and I have had only one TV set repaired in my lifetime & that was due to a lightning strike. I am very disappointed in the prevalent attitude today that everything is disposable, especially since things cost so much more than their reliable predecessors. By the way, Toshiba knew that the panel in that particular set had problems & still refused to offer any compensation for repairs. Samsung made the panel & I’ve been told makes many of them. I wouldn’t buy a TV from either of these companies and am wondering after reading all these posts if any of these hi tech sets are worth even the lower prices mentioned.
I have just purchased a LG blue-ray dvd player using it with a Vizio 32″ HDTV. I am getting yellow pixels showing up while playing movies( HD and SD), could this be from a bad HDMI cable??? I’ve checked all the TV and DVD player setting and everything seems to be ok.
ps.
purchased it oct 31, 2007 so the units good for only a year and three months.
purchased a 29″ LG slimfit from a reputable store here in the phil, decided on LG believing that it is a global brand..feb 2009 the screen turned black&white, it began rolling up&down even sideways. the warranty is just for a year so i payed for the service&parts but up to this day i am still encountering the same problem! on friday april 8 LGE is coming once again to pull out my unit. i truly believe it is production defect, bec not even their best Korea-trained technician can fix it.
I have two Olevia Lcds. A 32″ and a 27″, both work great. The picture is fantastic. I don’t know what you people’s problem is, but I bet if you quit dropping it on the floor, it will work fine.
I have two Olevia Lcds. A 32″ and a 27″, both work great. The picture is fantastic. I don’t know what you people’s problem is, but I bet if you quit dropping it on the floor, it will work fine.
None of this is new. They just stole Sony’s warranty practices. This is NOT unique to the cheap sets. Sony has been doing this for years. They have been masters at designing their crap to fail 1 day after the warranty expires and charging 3X the value of the item to fix it.
Hi,
I am a tech that has worked on HDTV’s for well over 4 years now. However I am looking to find/get something for troubleshooting support (Brands such as Poloroid) that are only qualifying for after warranty support. Most of the larger sets have gone to replacing a much larger module that is in fact just a larger collection of boards, diodes, etc; that can be tested in shop prior to shipping out. I know this saves time and troubleshooting, however in the brands I speak of here, particularly the Poloroid, they have sent an entire main module to replace. That was over a couple of years ago, and now there are machines needing parts and those larger modules aren’t available! (at least my search hasn’t turned up any!!!) And unlike HP, there aren’t any online troubleshooting tutorials for the different brands we speak of here. Two questions, if the main company such as Poloroid isn’t gonna supply parts and/or troubleshooting, where can they be found? Two, do you see these lower end sets being scrapped within the next year due to the problems with servicing them being mentioned here?
Any answers and/or info would be greatly appreciated……
Regards,
Sam Shipp
what category would you place Sanyo in? i heard they got high praise form consumer reports.
After passing an entire wall of LCD/Plasma TVs and noticing that not a single one offered a warranty longer than 1 year, I’ve come to the conclusion I’ll just stop watching TV when my CRT goes out, maybe in another 10 years…
Hey Audioguy… the reason BMWs are more than a Hyundai has nothing to do with quality. BMW and most Germans cars have junk hardware, switches and controls.
There has been 5 BMWs in my family and everyone had multiple switch and hardware failures… some serious… we don’t buy BMWs anymore. The BMW 7 series have been one of the MOST troublesome cars on the market.
There is also a reaon why Consumer Report can not recommend ANY Mercedes Benz. The fit and finish not-with-standing German cars are junk.
i’m a consumer electronics tech +45yrs. here are the meanings of commonly used terms for used units:
REMANUFACTURED-entire assemblies or known high failure parts replaced plus any updates. restores to “as built” condition and “detailed”.
REBUILT-failure corrected.other high failure parts may be replaced, plus clean unit.
REFURBISHED-can be a quick functional check, and nothing more than a “detail” of the unit
beware when seeing these terms used!
Which TV & brand is better for a PS3 System? HD Guru can you help me out with this?
I got an Olevia 532H at 2007 blackfriday for less than 400 dollars. Everything was peachy until last week. The sound was out and I have to use the earphone jack to connect to external amplified speakers. At the same time the component input showed whole screen with pinkish hue. I swapped cables & DVD players confirmed the TV’s component port is out. Switch the DVD to S-video for the time being. Since I didn’t pay too much for it in the beginning, It is surly qualified as an “disposable TV”…
i bought a element 26″ 2 years ago and my tv is still working just fine. all this B.S about BUY NAME BRAND! some people due to todays economy cant afford to buy SAMSUNG,PANASONIC,LG or SONY! so they go for the cheap brands to save money! I went the cheap route and my ELEMENT 26″tv is still working fine after 2 years!
What are your recommendations on ProScan LCD TVs?
Costco has a 32 inch ProScan LCD TV for only $380 (after a $50 rebate). Is this a good buy?
I want a good tv, not necessarily a brand-name tv, as long as it is good. I’m not as concerned about post-warranty service as usually by the time TVs break they are not worth reparing – especially if a new one is $380.
To be sure, however, I do want a great picture, decent user interface, and plenty of input options.
Are there big issues with the ProScan TVs?
I am having a hard time getting info as to where I can get the warenty work done on my VIZIO TV in my area. I live out in the country in South West Texas. I wish there was a list of the aurthorizer service centers in all areas.
I noticed many of the responses are commenting that the all the top name brands have vast amount of parts in supply.
If this is the case why is Sony having such a hard time giving me a difinitive delivery date for the replacment parts for my defective XBR-4 panel/inverter.
They keep moving the date. Is it Sony’s policy to keep the new product supply chain moving and put the customer with a bad TV in the back seat?
LOL at the comment about
>>plus160
Posted on 22nd August, 2007
There is a reason a BMW costs more than a Hyndai, Nissan, or Ford, the same can be said for a TV.
As you claimed, “All the top name brands including Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi Samsung,… Out of warranty service is no problem. All the major name brand TV companies have vast parts supplies and a nationwide network of factory authorized servicers.”
One man’s Samsung LCD screen goes dead in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In order to get it repaired, he’s supposed to either drive or send it to Philadelphia, PA, for 3 days, pay about $100 just to get it looked at, and pick it up afterward weather or not the TV was fixed.
I wouldn’t put up with that.
My dad bought a vizio from costco. 1 year later it didn’t appear to do HD. They brought a new TV to his HOUSE. I have a 26″viore in my bedroom, a 40″ polaroid in my living room an the only problems I can report is the universal remotes don’t do EVERYTHING I want….. WOW, F-in amazing. They couldn’t forsee EVERY remote code in the future….. the bastards. GURU? Buy an O-scope, dvm and then shut up while you read the owners manual.
I bookmarked your blog, thanks for sharing this very interesting post
This discussion thread has been an eye-opener. Until I read it, I had planned to buy a cheap flat-screen tv. But this thread makes clear that such a purchase would be wasted money. Since I only use my 19″ tv one or two hours weekly, I’ve decided to keep it and simply buy a cheap digital tuner, using one of the $40 vouchers. Many thanks to the creator of the thread, and to to many posters.
would sanyo be considered as an name brand tv manufac. or not?
I was gonna buy a tv, but now that they are all apparently a POS, Ill stick with my 17 yr old sharp 20″ tv in the living room that still works fine.
Mr HD Guru must be in jail for having bad judgement or got electrocuted fixing one of those off brand TV’s. I haven’t seen a post from him in a long time.
I have a Poloroid and an Olevia and haven’t had a problem with either and have had them for 2 years. I’ve also checked, there are quite a few repair shops that will fix both of those brands. They use many of the same parts the top tiers use.
Some people put way too much analyizing into buying things. Life’s too short to worry about what can go wrong. Watch your TV, have fun doing it.
Mr Guru needs to update his info. VIZIO’s warranty policy has changed. TV’s over 30 inches qualify for on site repair. This is not the first time this site had wrong info. He is biased.
Can anyone tell me about gfm models from meijer? They have a 42″ 1080 plasma tv for $499 on the day after thanksgiving. Worth it or not?
I guess your in Canada? I get the Insignia at that size and price how can you go wrong? some day when you are looking for something 40″+ that’s when I’d worry…Enjoy