Circuit City Store# 3281 ripoff Rome Georgia
I purchased a Samsung SC-D353 from Circuit City on 10/30/05. I bought it for use during the holidays. My very first time using it, on 11/23/05 during Thanksgiving everything seemed to work perfectly until we rewound the tape for the whole family to watch. 5 minutes into the tape the output turned to red verticle lines, as if our video was covered in bars. It remained this way for 10 minutes then returned to normal. I tried to pass it off as a defective tape until the next use.
During our vacation on 12/6 the cam started acting up again on the very next tape. 5 mintues into the playback, this time the audio output turned to nothing but a high squeeling noise and ruined yet another tape. All recording I have made of my family outings have been ruined due to this defective camera. I am an Electronics Technician by profession and know exactly what is wrong with this camera. It has a factory defective head which is dropping out.
I called Samsung and they confirmed this and advised my options. I could either return it to them and get my replacement 30 days later, or either take it back to circuit city for an exchange. Since I bought this camera just so I could record my childs first Christmas, I opted for the exchange.
When I took this camera back to the store of purchase, on 12/17. 45 days and only 2 uses later. When I got there the only response I got was a rude dorky looking guy at the service desk telling me me after 14 days they deny all responsibility. He told me this is a rapidly changing technology and they cannot honor more than 14 days. I am not a freaking idiot, how rapidly can the technology change on these things in 14 days?
I still have my original receipt, box, and all accessories. I only wanted to exchange the product. Now I am stuck with a less than 2 month old camera that ruins everything I try to record. If I could wait thirty days to get it repaired I would have not paid $350 on the spot for this thing!
Before I go through all the hastle of being without my product, I will just replace the head myself. I do Warranty repairs for Sony, JVC, Phillips, Samsung, etc.. and can get the part but will have to pay for it myself. I cannot perform a warranty repair on my own product.
To future buyers, DO NOT BUY FROM CIRCUIT CITY!!! Everything I have ever bought from them turns out the same way. Go to (competitors' names deleted - see below). These companies STAND BEHIND the products they sell.
Sincerely,
One PO-ed Customer!
Brian
Rockmart, Georgia
U.S.A.
sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Jason
Crystal Lake,Illinois,
U.S.A.
again, not a ripoff
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
First things first, we have a 14 day return policy...
The camera is defective, its covered under the manufactuers warrenty
We stand behind our products, we sell warrenty's for that very reason. If you opted out of that offer, the manufactuer then offers their warrenty
And last but not least, since you are an "electronics technician" then you should know how quickly technology changes... and you should also find a narrower name for yourself, i'm an electronics technician myself, i work on computers... that counts too... but i still read the return policy!
OMeSSiaHo
York,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
I'm glad you pointed out the fact the guy who denied your return was dorky, that really helped. It tells me a ton about your attitude.
You warned people to shop our competitors and I couldnt think of a better company then Best Buy so here's their return policy.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors.
Well HOT d**n! Its the same as ours!
Anyway, 30 days would be pushing it at almost ANY store but 45 is insane. Why should that person break the rules and risk their job because you cant figure out you have a borked camera in less then a month and a half?
OMeSSiaHo
York,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
I'm glad you pointed out the fact the guy who denied your return was dorky, that really helped. It tells me a ton about your attitude.
You warned people to shop our competitors and I couldnt think of a better company then Best Buy so here's their return policy.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors.
Well HOT d**n! Its the same as ours!
Anyway, 30 days would be pushing it at almost ANY store but 45 is insane. Why should that person break the rules and risk their job because you cant figure out you have a borked camera in less then a month and a half?
OMeSSiaHo
York,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
I'm glad you pointed out the fact the guy who denied your return was dorky, that really helped. It tells me a ton about your attitude.
You warned people to shop our competitors and I couldnt think of a better company then Best Buy so here's their return policy.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors.
Well HOT d**n! Its the same as ours!
Anyway, 30 days would be pushing it at almost ANY store but 45 is insane. Why should that person break the rules and risk their job because you cant figure out you have a borked camera in less then a month and a half?
OMeSSiaHo
York,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
I'm glad you pointed out the fact the guy who denied your return was dorky, that really helped. It tells me a ton about your attitude.
You warned people to shop our competitors and I couldnt think of a better company then Best Buy so here's their return policy.
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors.
Well HOT d**n! Its the same as ours!
Anyway, 30 days would be pushing it at almost ANY store but 45 is insane. Why should that person break the rules and risk their job because you cant figure out you have a borked camera in less then a month and a half?
Chris
Crystal Lake,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Return Policy is stated
#7UPDATE Employee
Sun, December 18, 2005
The return policy is stated everywhere, on the recpit, on the registers, you were probably even told about it after checking out. No retail store will return a video camera a month and a half after purchase, its just not going to happen. You can look at Circuit City, Best Buy, Compusa or Office Depot/Max, we all have pretty much the same return policy on video cameras. Its great Samsung is willing to replace it, they should they do warenty it for a year I believe, I suggest that you take advantage of that. As far as saying that all products that Circuit City sells are defective, I'm afraid that you just pulled the short straw when you made your purchases. All companies make defective products, and Circuit City sells the exact same models as our rival stores. We get the same boxes from the same manufacturers with the same product inside of them. We do nothing to alter the product once we have recived it, you buy the same unit that was shipped from the manufacturer, a unit that could of gone to any retail store.