Sears repair ripoff
I bought a big Zenith projection tv from sears at towneast mall, Mesquite Texas. After 3 years Zenith sent me a report stating I needed to have it checked as it had a defect and could catch on fire. We called the Sears 800 number. The service man came out and fixed (supposedly) the part. One month later the tv went out. The tv was fixed (supposedly). I have paid over $1000 in parts and service and Sears has come out three times. The tv still works for only a few months and then goes out. I feel this tv is a lemon and I am still paying for it. I need some kind of solution. Sears has never acknowledged that the recall and supposedly fixing that part had anything to do with the tv not working. I would gladly pay for the service and I have if Sears would just fix the tv corredctly but three times at $350 to #400 a service call is rediculous.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Linda Long
Kingwood,Texas,
Most likely not related
#4UPDATE Employee
Tue, April 09, 2002
I am a Sears tv repair technician.
The "recall" made by Zenith was a precautionary measure in most cases. Some Zenith projection tvs were manufactured with the blue picture tube fluid drain valve facing at a downwards angle towards the high voltage power supply module, and in some of those tvs, some fluid leaked onto the board.
The "repair" was to install a drainage hose and catchall cup away from the circuit boards.
I am sent on many Zenith repair calls. Unfortunately, the quality of manufacturing of Zenith tvs in the past was less than excellent, and I found that these tvs are quite succeptible to power surge damage. The circuit boards are manufactured in Mexico, and all replacement circuit boards are rebuilt. No new circuit boards exist for these Zenith tv's as the company does not manufacture new boards anymore.
Many times have I observed a Zenith tv repeatedly fail after a repair. Sometimes, the replacement part was weak or defective, other times additional power surges caused the failures, and still other times.....the darn thing just broke....different circuits failed each time.
If the drainage hose was installed on the blue picture tube, and tv worked both before and after installation of the hose, then no fluid leaked onto the high voltage power supply module and the "recall" is not responsible for the failure of the tv.
Even if fluid HAD leaked onto the HV module, it would have been replaced the first time the tv broke, the drainage hose would have already been in p[lace, and fluid would not have leaked onto the replacement module.
The writer of this complaint was not specific as to what types of repairs were performed, so I cannot address whether the writer received defective/weak rebuilt replacement parts or just a very bad streak of cunsumer luck. There is a 90 day warranty on repair parts, and when replacement parts are defective, they fail before the 90 days are up. They fail the next day at most.
I am sorry you had such a difficult and expensive experience, and wish you the best of luck in the future with your tv...if you still own it.
Zenith is now being manufactured by Hitachi, and the quality of manufacturing has improved greatly.
Linda
Houston,Texas,
Most likely not related
#4UPDATE Employee
Tue, April 09, 2002
I am a Sears tv repair technician.
The "recall" made by Zenith was a precautionary measure in most cases. Some Zenith projection tvs were manufactured with the blue picture tube fluid drain valve facing at a downwards angle towards the high voltage power supply module, and in some of those tvs, some fluid leaked onto the board.
The "repair" was to install a drainage hose and catchall cup away from the circuit boards.
I am sent on many Zenith repair calls. Unfortunately, the quality of manufacturing of Zenith tvs in the past was less than excellent, and I found that these tvs are quite succeptible to power surge damage. The circuit boards are manufactured in Mexico, and all replacement circuit boards are rebuilt. No new circuit boards exist for these Zenith tv's as the company does not manufacture new boards anymore.
Many times have I observed a Zenith tv repeatedly fail after a repair. Sometimes, the replacement part was weak or defective, other times additional power surges caused the failures, and still other times.....the darn thing just broke....different circuits failed each time.
If the drainage hose was installed on the blue picture tube, and tv worked both before and after installation of the hose, then no fluid leaked onto the high voltage power supply module and the "recall" is not responsible for the failure of the tv.
Even if fluid HAD leaked onto the HV module, it would have been replaced the first time the tv broke, the drainage hose would have already been in p[lace, and fluid would not have leaked onto the replacement module.
The writer of this complaint was not specific as to what types of repairs were performed, so I cannot address whether the writer received defective/weak rebuilt replacement parts or just a very bad streak of cunsumer luck. There is a 90 day warranty on repair parts, and when replacement parts are defective, they fail before the 90 days are up. They fail the next day at most.
I am sorry you had such a difficult and expensive experience, and wish you the best of luck in the future with your tv...if you still own it.
Zenith is now being manufactured by Hitachi, and the quality of manufacturing has improved greatly.
Gary
Morgan Hill,California,
Layed off-lied to
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, February 21, 2002
on feb 20th 02 i was layed off, two weeks ago i was told my job was saved. On feb 20th i was pulled into my-x store managers office where i was layed of after five years od service. They are suppose to give me a smallseverance buy out. What I don"t understand why? did my supervisor say i did not have to worry about my job? Can i sew them? please post any suggestions. Thank you.