Getting an expensive out of warranty item repaired or replaced.

[Mart 'n' Al]

Thank you for all this information. After having been given the runaround by the supplier's usual complaints service I found a UK London number for the company. I phoned them, and had a very long chat with a very nice gentleman, and I asked where abouts in London he was. He told me that he was in Jamaica. I explained the whole story once again, and he gave me a direct link to the director of Customer Services.

I spent the last day or so carefully tuning a firm, accurate and polite letter which I have sent as an attachment to an email. I am optimistic as I know I am in the right, and I have asked for a refund of 75%, as I've had the television for 3 years, and I think at least 12 years is a reasonable life expectancy for a television. I will keep you updated.

I also spoke to the manufacturer of the television, and their third party maintenance company. They both used phrases such as spontaneous failure and catastrophic failure when I described the symptoms. They both indicated that it was an unreasonable fault, and also that it would be beyond economic repair. I included this information in my email to the supplier.

Martin

[Maiden Stone]

I've had my TV 6 years but it's not used often. Will it be silently wearing out merely sitting idle?
Previous sets lasted 20 years. They were expensive. There was nothing wrong with one except it was digitally incompatible.
Washing machine is aged 4. Dispenser drawer has cracked.

[locksmith]

Thank you for all this information. After having been given the runaround by the supplier's usual complaints service I found a UK London number for the company. I phoned them, and had a very long chat with a very nice gentleman, and I asked where abouts in London he was. He told me that he was in Jamaica. I explained the whole story once again, and he gave me a direct link to the director of Customer Services.

I spent the last day or so carefully tuning a firm, accurate and polite letter which I have sent as an attachment to an email. I am optimistic as I know I am in the right, and I have asked for a refund of 75%, as I've had the television for 3 years, and I think at least 12 years is a reasonable life expectancy for a television. I will keep you updated.

I also spoke to the manufacturer of the television, and their third party maintenance company. They both used phrases such as spontaneous failure and catastrophic failure when I described the symptoms. They both indicated that it was an unreasonable fault, and also that it would be beyond economic repair. I included this information in my email to the supplier.

Martin

Martin,

It will be interesting to hear how this ends up. It's not clear if you have an engineer's report stating that it is unrepairable and was an inherent fault as I'm pretty sure that whoever you bought the TV from will require this evidence and not just the result of a discussion with the manufacturer over the phone.
With the above you should get your refund although, however much you or I (or anyone) think a TV should last 12 years I think it's likely you will only get just under 50% due to the 6 years warranty rights set out under the sales of goods act.

 Simon

[Mart 'n' Al]

Simon, I will update this. That is unless they make me agree to a non disclosure agreement in return for replacing it. If you don't hear from me again you'll know I got a replacement.

Martin

[Mart 'n' Al]

My progress so far updated. 

I found an 'unofficial' Amazon number on a website listing the email addresses of company executives.  On calling that number I was given the email address of the Director of Customer Services.  I wrote a very formal and polite letter explaining everything.  It has now been passed back to the sort of staff who send standard replies to complaints. 

I have even had one reply saying that "...39 months is longer than the AVERAGE expected life of a Sony TV !!  Can you believe that?  AVERAGE suggests that they are saying that some fail before that.

I am not the sort of man who tries to complain unfairly.  I truly believe that if a TV fails so soon, then it was of poor quality.  The TV hasn't been moved since the day it arrived (not even for hoovering under the stand...!).  We live alone, and it has not been knocked or damaged.  They have asked for a independent assessment of the TV, which I would have to pay for, on top of the cost of getting the TV to such a company.  How far should I be expected to go?

I have even tried a 3rd-party dispute resolution service, RESOLVER.CO.UK, but Amazon refuse to deal with them.  I do wish I wasn't the sort who complains by the appropriate channels.  Twitter or Facebook would probably draw this to the attention of many people, but I don't use them as they are a bit undiginfied.

I am very tenacious when I believe I have been wronged.  I also believe that companies try to build too many hurdles to stop people complaining.

Martin

[Maiden Stone]

Is it an LED tv?
https://www.quora.com/what-is-the-expected-life-span-of-an-LED-TV
There's a related question What is the general life of a Sony LED TV?
The information is recent.

[Mart 'n' Al]

 maidenstone, your link didn't work, but it prompted me to find this.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=What+is+the+general+life+of+a+Sony+LED+TV%3F&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

80000 to 100000 hours is what is reasonable. In that case, we've had the television 3 years, call it 1000 days, let's estimate on the very high side that we watch it for 4 hours a day, that's 4000 hours. Thank you this will be a vital part of my argument with Amazon.

I'm beginning to think that my experiences, especially in view of the obstacles that Amazon are putting in front of me, this would be a very good subject for an investigative journalist. I'm beginning to think that it would be in the best interests of Sony if they had done more when I contacted them initially. I think I will try them again on Monday.

Martin

[Viktoria]

Oo Mart, you gave me quite a shock!
I saw the word REVOLVER, and thought but he said he was reasonable and polite, !
On re reading it I saw it was RESOLVE,phew.
I am going a bit funny I think,I mean peculiar not ha ha .
Viktoria

[Maiden Stone]

I'm more knowledgeable, although no clearer than I was 24 hours ago after googling all those articles. There are so many factors which can influence lifespan: brightness and contrast settings; whether it's wall-mounted or free-standing; temperature; humidity; dust; sunlight; electrical surges; number of hours switched on. Leaving a tv on all day as background noise shortens its' life; on the other hand it should be switched on every day for at least half-an-hour. In answer to the question I asked on 6th December: mine could well be wearing out doing nothing; it's near a window - morning sun; days pass without the set being used.