New TV failed after 7 months - Manufacturer says 'get lost'

New TV failed after 7 months - Manufacturer says 'get lost'

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Mont Blanc

Original Poster:

1,237 posts

49 months

Monday 9th September
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Bought a new 65" 4K TV in February, it was purchased via Amazon, and ultimately sold to me (and delivered to me) by a long standing TV & Audio retailer in the UK. The PDF invoice/receipt on Amazon is in the name of the TV & Audio retailer.

7 months have passed, and over this weekend, whilst I had Sky news on in the background, the TV suddenly develops a 4" wide strip of flickery pixellated confusion down the left hand border of the screen. I'm not a tech expert, but it instantly looks like an unrepairable fault/failure with the panel.

After much searching on Amazon, I cannot find any way to claim under warranty, as apparently all my opportunities for return or refund via Amazon have passed and been closed off. I just can't find any way of doing this.

I call the shop who delivered it to me, and they say it is nothing to do with them as I bought it though Amazon, but they did give me the details for the TV manufacturers UK helpline.

I call the UK helpline, and they spend about 15 minutes asking me all sorts of questions and asking me to run various hidden menu tests on the TV, and then whilst on the phone to me, they use my phone camera to see the TV, see the problem with the screen, get me to show them the TV from all kinds of different angles, and say they will raise the issue with the 'repairs manager' and see if they can get a resolution for me, or a service visit.

They then ring me back and say that the manager has decided that they will not be able to help me in any way as they 'suspect' the TV was damaged somehow! I ask how on earth they came to that conclusion as I clearly showed them in a video that the screen and bezel were utterly pristine and unmarked. You could see the screen in perfect detail when I switched it off to show them that it was damage free, and there isn't even the tiniest hairline mark on it. Their response was that their call centre operative, whilst viewing the TV and the room through my phone camera, could see that there were kids toys in the room near the TV, and they feel that it is likely the panel was struck with something, by a child, and therefore they won't help me!

I am pretty speechless to be honest. It seems like they have just seized on something, anything, in order to fob me off.

Does anyone have any suggestions, because I really didn't see this one coming!


Note: I will not name the manufacturer due to name & shame rules, but it is one of the very very popular South Korean brands. These TV's are absolutely everywhere.

OutInTheShed

8,809 posts

32 months

Monday 9th September
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Mont Blanc said:
Bought a new 65" 4K TV..... one of the very very popular South Korean brands. These TV's are absolutely everywhere.
Council.

Douglas Quaid

2,398 posts

91 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Go through Amazon. You just have to use the online chat or call them. They’ll collect it and refund you.

Motorman74

418 posts

27 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Amazon are on the hook for it, even though they make it very very difficult after 30 days.

As said above you will need to talk to someone - you won't find a solution on line.

I'd recommend Costco for buying TVs - in fact I wouldn't buy one anywhere else. Their warranty is amazing. The gave me a full refund of the purchase price of my 65" LG OLED when the screen failed after 3 years.

No quibble - engineer came out, diagnosed a screen fault. Costco deemed it beyond economical repair and refunded the money immediately, which I spent most of on the latest model LG OLED, but ended up a couple of hundred quid better off...

Edited by Motorman74 on Tuesday 10th September 06:14

Alex Z

1,418 posts

82 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer, so you need to get back on to Amazon.

They will make it awkward for you, which is why it’s always best to buy a big tv from a decent retailer like Richer Sounds or John Lewis who include a long warranty as standard.

Cropley

13 posts

104 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Did you pay by credit card? If so you are cover by section 75 of the credit act and the card provider is jointly liable. As said above first contact should be Amazon but if no joy from them approach your card provider. If paid by card. Detail here
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/c...

Sheepshanks

34,393 posts

125 months

Tuesday 10th September
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As others have said, the online chat, not easy to find, with Amazon is usually OK, if slow. It will keep trying to refer you elsewhere and you have to persist with wanting to chat to an agent. It wouldn’t surprise me if they contact the manufacturer and get the same fob-off so you could be stuck again.

I had a bit of a nightmare with a £30 Hue lamp recently that was 12 mths old - I wouldn’t fancy the process with a properly expensive item.

ThunderSpook

3,707 posts

217 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Just use Amazon chat under customer services. Unlike others I’ve found them always to be brilliant. I returned an expensive parental control wifi router recently that was 6 months old because the software updates had made it ridiculously slow and they happily gave me a full refund.

HTP99

23,143 posts

146 months

Tuesday 10th September
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If you can get through to Amazon on the online chat, to actually speak to a real person, they are pretty good, it's just getting through to a real person as opposed to a bot can be a pain.

snuffy

10,302 posts

290 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Alex Z said:
Your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer, so you need to get back on to Amazon.

They will make it awkward for you, which is why it’s always best to buy a big tv from a decent retailer like Richer Sounds or John Lewis who include a long warranty as standard.
I bought a smart watch from John Lewis. It broke, but JL were an absolute shower of ste in getting it replaced. They even managed to arrange a courier to collect it a second time when they still had it! It took over 2 months to get it replaced.

But Amazon were the complete opposite when my Freeview box died; instantly call back, followed by the broken one being collcollected the next day and half an hour later a new one arrived.

Sheepshanks

34,393 posts

125 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
ThunderSpook said:
Just use Amazon chat under customer services. Unlike others I’ve found them always to be brilliant. I returned an expensive parental control wifi router recently that was 6 months old because the software updates had made it ridiculously slow and they happily gave me a full refund.
I think if it was sold by Amazon they don’t care - they often don’t even want the item back. If it’s just fulfilled by Amazon, or by (as in the OPs case, another retailer) it gets more awkward.

Mont Blanc

Original Poster:

1,237 posts

49 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
UPDATE!

Thanks everyone. I went through Amazon chat and they asked a few questions about the TV, then said they would issue a full refund and would send a courier to collect it this Friday.

But... I warned them repeatedly on the chat that I had no suitable packaging as the TV was large, and therefore it would get damaged in transit. They said that is totally fine and that I wasn't responsible once the TV was collected. I then said that I would probably just end up wrapping it in a bin bag, and again, the chat person said this was ok and not to worry!

I'm now worried! rofl

It will get destroyed on the way there.


CHLEMCBC

367 posts

23 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Mont Blanc said:
UPDATE!

Thanks everyone. I went through Amazon chat and they asked a few questions about the TV, then said they would issue a full refund and would send a courier to collect it this Friday.

But... I warned them repeatedly on the chat that I had no suitable packaging as the TV was large, and therefore it would get damaged in transit. They said that is totally fine and that I wasn't responsible once the TV was collected. I then said that I would probably just end up wrapping it in a bin bag, and again, the chat person said this was ok and not to worry!

I'm now worried! rofl

It will get destroyed on the way there.
Did you save the chat?

Mont Blanc

Original Poster:

1,237 posts

49 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
CHLEMCBC said:
Mont Blanc said:
UPDATE!

Thanks everyone. I went through Amazon chat and they asked a few questions about the TV, then said they would issue a full refund and would send a courier to collect it this Friday.

But... I warned them repeatedly on the chat that I had no suitable packaging as the TV was large, and therefore it would get damaged in transit. They said that is totally fine and that I wasn't responsible once the TV was collected. I then said that I would probably just end up wrapping it in a bin bag, and again, the chat person said this was ok and not to worry!

I'm now worried! rofl

It will get destroyed on the way there.
Did you save the chat?
I did try that, and started screen recording and then started scrolling down the chat, but they ended the call before I got halfway down, and the chat disappeared.

Not sure if it is saved anywhere else?

Pincher

8,928 posts

223 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
I'd doubt that Amazon will much care what happens to it once it is collected - they'll possibly even issue the refund very soon after the courier has collected it and not wait for it to get back the the depot (and likely be chucked in a big cage full of other 'dead' kit).

Mont Blanc

Original Poster:

1,237 posts

49 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
They did tell me several times in the chat that they didn't care if it got damaged in transit, even when I suggested it would just be wrapped in a bin bag....

But I'm naturally suspicious!

Sheepshanks

34,393 posts

125 months

Tuesday 10th September
quotequote all
Again, I think if it's Amazon's own stock and sale they don't care - you get a credit the moment its collected. Wasn't there a bit of a scandal that were just sending all returns to landfill?

As the OPs item is supplied by another retailer, that retailer might want it back. Or maybe Amazon just tell them to get stuffed?

LuS1fer

41,532 posts

251 months

Tuesday 10th September
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I bought a 65" OLED from a TV retailer, through Amazon.

Just after a month, it went haywire. The retailer declined to replace it and insisted on a repair. The manufacturer, who I won't name but it rhymes with Smell Me were worse than useless. The retailer sent a repairer from 40 miles away, requiring 2 men to lift it and I was without the TV for 3 weeks while they repaired it then had to redeliver it, again using two men. Their expense, obviously.The USB ports weren't lined up so they had to take the back off to remedy that, too.

Fortunately it's been reliable for the past 4 years but I suspect 65" TVs are not the best for transportation issues.

dundarach

5,288 posts

234 months

Tuesday 10th September
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OP

Don't hold out much hope on Amazon's couriers!

Father in law had 3 attempts before they sent one who'd take it smile

Just be ready!!

Bonefish Blues

28,814 posts

229 months

Tuesday 10th September
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Photograph it being collected. Sharpens up couriers no end smile