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Circuit City Complaint - No help with repair/replacement - Polaroid 32
Polaroid 32 - Complaint
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA -- September 18, 2006
On February 7, 2006, I purchased a Polaroid 32” plasma television, Model #FLM3201, for $1099.99 from Circuit City in Palm Desert, California. At the time of the purchase I was offered the option to buy an “extended warranty,” but declined to do so after I was told that the product could be returned to the store up to six months from the date of purchase, and that the manufacturer’s warranty guaranteed the product for one-year from the date of purchase.
Since the purchase, I have experienced ongoing problems with the television – first with periodic color shifting - then more recently with the picture bouncing to the point that you can’t even watch the set. I took my receipt, along with the set back to the Palm Desert Circuit City, for repair, exchange, or was willing to upgrade to a more reputable product. The clerk at the service counter stated that the TV was only covered for thirty days from the date of purchase, but stated that I could contact the manufacturer to have the one-year warranty honored.
After several unsuccessful attempts to make contact with a representative from the Polaroid warranty service department, I finally reached a live person who identified herself as “Larney.” She said their “system was down” and she would call me back. Be advised that when you contact the service number for Polaroid, you are actually calling “Premo World Wide Inc.” (866-396-6322). After a few minutes on hold, you enter into a telephone loop where the automated system tells you to press “O” to continue to hold for a customer representative, then continuously transfers you to a voice mail box that is full, and will not let you leave a message. Due to the frustration of this experience I started researching other consumer’s Polaroid warranty experiences. Several consumer boards list the Polaroid warranty as one of the worst with inadequate results to service complaints. See “My3cents.com” & Better Business Bureau for more consumer nightmares regarding Polaroid television sets.
I then contacted the corporate headquarters of Circuit City and talked with “John.” I related my experience. John reiterated that the in-store warranty is only good for 30 days. I once again stated my willingness to get the unit repaired, exchange it for another, or upgrade to another brand and pay the difference. I also pointed out that according to complaints about this product posted on the web (My3cents.com) other customers have been able to exchange the same set, beyond the original 30-day purchase date. Circuit City declined to provide any help with the situation. Circuit City’s total lack of concern for a customer’s warranty issue with one of their products leaves no alternative but to seek assistance from consumer advocates and/or media. I do not understand why Circuit City would continue to sell this product to consumers after they have been made aware of the problems with the product from several consumers.
Can anyone help?
On February 7, 2006, I purchased a Polaroid 32” plasma television, Model #FLM3201, for $1099.99 from Circuit City in Palm Desert, California. At the time of the purchase I was offered the option to buy an “extended warranty,” but declined to do so after I was told that the product could be returned to the store up to six months from the date of purchase, and that the manufacturer’s warranty guaranteed the product for one-year from the date of purchase.
Since the purchase, I have experienced ongoing problems with the television – first with periodic color shifting - then more recently with the picture bouncing to the point that you can’t even watch the set. I took my receipt, along with the set back to the Palm Desert Circuit City, for repair, exchange, or was willing to upgrade to a more reputable product. The clerk at the service counter stated that the TV was only covered for thirty days from the date of purchase, but stated that I could contact the manufacturer to have the one-year warranty honored.
After several unsuccessful attempts to make contact with a representative from the Polaroid warranty service department, I finally reached a live person who identified herself as “Larney.” She said their “system was down” and she would call me back. Be advised that when you contact the service number for Polaroid, you are actually calling “Premo World Wide Inc.” (866-396-6322). After a few minutes on hold, you enter into a telephone loop where the automated system tells you to press “O” to continue to hold for a customer representative, then continuously transfers you to a voice mail box that is full, and will not let you leave a message. Due to the frustration of this experience I started researching other consumer’s Polaroid warranty experiences. Several consumer boards list the Polaroid warranty as one of the worst with inadequate results to service complaints. See “My3cents.com” & Better Business Bureau for more consumer nightmares regarding Polaroid television sets.
I then contacted the corporate headquarters of Circuit City and talked with “John.” I related my experience. John reiterated that the in-store warranty is only good for 30 days. I once again stated my willingness to get the unit repaired, exchange it for another, or upgrade to another brand and pay the difference. I also pointed out that according to complaints about this product posted on the web (My3cents.com) other customers have been able to exchange the same set, beyond the original 30-day purchase date. Circuit City declined to provide any help with the situation. Circuit City’s total lack of concern for a customer’s warranty issue with one of their products leaves no alternative but to seek assistance from consumer advocates and/or media. I do not understand why Circuit City would continue to sell this product to consumers after they have been made aware of the problems with the product from several consumers.
Can anyone help?
Comments:
Posted by rhondam718732 on 2006-09-18:
Why is your complaint towards Circuit City? They offered an extended warranmty and you declined. They offer a 30day warranty automatically but you were outside of that. They fulfilled their end. Polaroid made a bad/defective TV and should be the traget here
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-09-18:
I believe the store in this case Circuit City should be responsible but as rhondam stated you were out of their 30-day warranty even if they lied to you in the first place. I personally will not buy any of these new TV because they are not a proven technology and no one seems to work on them yet, even the manufactures'. Good luck....
Posted by Kentgood1 on 2006-09-18:
rhondam718732 Point well taken about the thirty-day policy. However, if you review the two other complaints about the same product and Circuit City, on this same site, you will find that in both cases, Circuit City allowed exchanges several MONTHS after the initial purchase. Also, it's my understanding that other major competitors such as Best Buy, do not make customers purchase an extra "extended warranty" costing hundreds of dollars just to honor the manufacturer's warranty. More importantly, I was willing to spend more money with Circuit City to upgrade. They would have returned the set to the company, as they would if there were an "extended warranty," and the end result would have been a satisfied customer.
Posted by nesman on 2006-12-26:
I bought a 32 inch lcd Polaroid from Circuit City.It messed up two weeks after 30 day exchange.I haggled with CC for four months withiut any sucess at all.I then called the person over the tv dept in my local CC store.He told me they had all kinds of trouble with Polaroid and just to bring the tv back and get a different kind.It had to be one of equal or greater value than what I had paid,since Polatoid was now half the price of what I had paid for it.My advice is do not go through CC corporate,call local store and most of the time they will be more of a help than anyone else.Also Polaroid is a piece of junk,no help,no customer service,no caring about customers.Reputation now shot.too bad.
Posted by ricmac on 2007-07-13:
First of all it dosent matter if you purchased CC extended warranty or not they just use third party warranty companies to do their work anyway & they still get the parts from polaroid which is nearly immpossible Polaroid,Proview,Element all the same thing
Posted by nashdmills on 2007-11-30:
Polaroid is crap!! I had a similar experience, and will never buy another polaroid product again. I am actually so pissed im thinking of starting and anti-polaroid website.
Posted by cha0sk1d on 2008-02-16:
my 37" polaroid tv completely died after 12 months (conveniently enough) and after reading all the horror stories about trying to get them fixed i don't think its worth the bother. i plan on purchasing a sony or samsung, tried and true companies that stands behind quality products and customer service
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