Complaint Review: Circuit City - Nationwide

Ray, You will be contacted by CC in the future to buy the extended warranty. They normally send something out when the mfg warranty expires. If it is a replacement warranty, buy it. When that warrenty is 90 days from expiration, give the tv a little shock...220volt from the drier works great and enjoy your new replacement tv. Make sure you buy the warrenty on the new one too. ps, i worked for cc for 11 years back when the company was successful in the 90's. We never treated people the way you were treated. These cc apologists should be ashamed.

I bought a tv similar to yours and the same thing happened. The tv wasn't under my direct control so someone else handled the warranty call, the cable company etc, and ran into the same stone wall. A month later I walked into the room, looked at the "broken" tv and decided to fool with it. Someone had manually changed the channel to 2 instead of 3. The tv is fine.

Yes you heard it folks. We at CC know that 90% the time the customer is at fault. As a customer ipso facto, you can't be right. The value of customer service is determined when things go wrong, not when things go right. That gives CC a score of 10 out of a possible 100.

You cannot purchase a new product and return the original one because the serial numbers will not match and he will be out another thousand bucks. File suit. That is the ONLY way to prevail if you don't get satisfaction through the manufacturer or retailer. I had the USELESS warranty and it did no good whatsoever! Luckily after 3 months, Poor Raymond finally got his crappy TV back and can enjoy it for a short time until it happens again. Sorry Raymond, but it will...And what a loser that guy in Pony Alabama is. My goodness, where do they find these idiots that sit around and respond to every posting? GET A FREAKIN LIFE. Instead of responding to every posting, try working for a change. AVOID CIRCUIT CITY AND AVOID HP PRODUCTS!!

I now have a much better understanding of why so many businesses fail. All companies have a responsibility to the customer to act in good faith and stand behind the products they sell. To what extent they are willing to do this is a reflection of management's character and understanding of what drives business. Some businesses sacrifice customer service at the alter of low prices, betting that enough people will still shop there if the price is right. This rarely works and I suspect it may bite CC in the long run. The reason customers expect the retailer to stand behind the product (at least as long as the manufacturer's warranty is because, as Raymond discovered, individual consumers carry no clout with large manufacturers and the retailer can return the same item and expect to be treated like a valued business partner since they buy in great volume. Most consumers see extended warranties as a rip-off. Unlike the previous auto warranty analogy, the reality is more like buying a Chevy with a 36K mile warranty from a dealer and being by that dealer they'll need to contact GM when their A/C goes out @ 10K miles because they didn't purchase an extended warranty. I can also tell you as someone who has owned numerous Corvettes and $50K SUV's that Chevy and GM will go well beyond their 3 year, 36K miles warranty to salvage a relationship with a good customer, and they'll do it with a smile. They stand behind the product because they know I'll buy another next year! It's smart business. Raymond, you shouldn't have to resort to such tricks, but in the future when dealing with short sighted companies like this, try buying another identical product, re-box and return the first within a few days of the purchase. Then within the warranty period, get a refund rather than accepting an exchange for the defective item. The store will simply send it back for an exchange from the manufacturer as they should have in the first place and you don't miss the big game.

I purchased a stereo receiver from Circuit City about 40 days ago, but then was called out of town and did not have a chance to take it out of the box and hook it up until today. Imagine my surprise when this brand new receiver did not work straight out of the box! Knowing that I was 10 days over the return policy, and had not purchased the warranty, I called the manufacturer who concurred that it was defective, and gave me a local address of a shop that would fix it for free under the warranty. Knowing that Circuit City is also an authorized repair center, I called the store to ask if I could bring it there to be sent out for service. Imagine my surprise (again!) when I was told to simply bring the unit back to the store so that they could exchange it for a new one! Wow! I certainly was not expecting that! I was 10 days outside of their return policy, which was totally my fault, and had not purchased any kind of warranty to speak of. I never asked for an exchange .. they OFFERED. What a great experience! I can only conclude that I received such good treatment because: 1- I was not demanding or rude to anyone on the phone or in person, 2- I did not act "entitled" to something that I knew policy-wise I was not, 3- I was polite, calm, and respectful in my dealings with the customer service staff. It's amazing how far a little honey can take you versus the vinegarous attitude of the original poster. May I suggest to others that keeping your cool and working WITH the store rather than expecting them to succomb to your every demand will get you much more favorable, satisfying results.

Here are the peoble and organizations to contact Contact Circuit City Circuit City 9950 Mayland Dr. Richmond, VA 23233 Customer Service: 800-251-2665 Fax: 804-527-4164 John Milliron, Executive Response Supervisor Phone: 800-251-2665 Fax: 804-934-3865 Mikele Ervin Executive Response Specialist Office of the Chairman, President, and CEO Circuit City Stores (804) 527-4000, ext. 3221 Mary Louise Roberts Circuit City Legal Department [email protected] Anna Marie Henderson Circuit City Legal Counsel [email protected] Fax: (804) 418-8248 File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (((ROR REDACTED LINK FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) File a complaint with your credit card company File a complaint with your state's Attorney General's office (((ROR REDACTED LINK FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) File a complaint with Virginia's Attorney General's office. This is where Circuit City's corporate office is located. ((ROR REDACTED LINK FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) If Circuit City still does nothing, file charges in Small Claims Court. 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.

As Circuit City does not manufacture any of the products it sells, it stands to reason that the only things they CAN stand behind are it's prices, policies and customers. They did not make the TV or any component of it. They carry a wide range of products at varying prices for each category. Getting what you paid for is still fairly valid - a $2000 set will have a better picture and in general a better manufacturer's warranty than a $1000 set. Circuit City itself, like all manufacturers they buy from, services a very small percent of products themselves, choosing to farm out repairs to local service companies. It would be too expensive to hire, train, stock parts for and administer service techs for 400,000 products out of 650 store locations to service 48 states worth of customers. Companies with dubious quality or shady business practices do get dropped from the lineup, along with poorly-selling/competing brands. Toshiba televsions were dropped in the early nineties in the wake of numerous scandals and their willingness to break competitive agreements. JVC and Panasonic tubes are extinct along with Zeniths in their stores because of warranty claims that are still being settled to this day. Starlite Brands (Philips/Magnavox/Funai castoffs marketed under different names) were axed because there really was no customer support in the end - just a phone center in Hong Kong. At a given location, roughly 10% of all in-home deliveries are the result of an extended-warranty claim being settled (whether because of no parts or no service vendor), and the customer ends up with a better product in the end. Extended warranties may have their frustrations, but it also guarantees the company has a way to look after you beyond the sale and giving you a better, local recourse than going through the manufacturer or "Brand Group." Long story short: CC didn't build it, so you can't say it was their junk. CC didn't get into a warranty agreement with you because you elected to not purchase the coverage. It's unfortunate that someone at store level couldn't find a way to push this through - but you have to understand it may have been at the expense of their job, much less having to eat a $1000 DEF panel TV. To sit and defame a legitimate business because you didn't read up and make an informed choice, or because you assume there's an assembly line in the back of the store that turns out TV's made by CC, or because you expect a group of people to make an exception to rules that protect the integrity of their business - that's nuts. Yes I am a cheerleader for CC. Polaroid will replace your set, just like Sony, Magnavox and other do under their warranty terms. Or didn't you read the manual that came with it?

Too flipin funny Dude you are upset about CC sticking to their policy? The reason there is a 30 day policy is from day 1 to day 30 the manufacturer who made the product will pay back CC for the defective product. After 30 days CC would have had to eat the entire cost of the tv. Poloroid would not have paid CC a dime if the return was after day 30. Now how would that have been fair to them. CC is a for profit company not UNICEF. CC did not manufacturer the tv they only sold it they should not be required to honor any warranty other than the one stated. I would be upset too if my tv broke after 45 days, but not upset at CC. And to clarify before you ask, I have never worked at CC and I shop at different electronics stores CC included. The return policy is clearly posted at the customer service desk. Companies have to make policies like that because of other customers who have taken advantage of them. I was in Best Buy one time waiting for a computer that I bought to be brought up for carryout. While I was up there I heard a lady talking to computer repair (now Geek Squad) about her computer. It appeared like her 15 year old son used her computer to surf the internet for porn and in the process racked up something like 1,000 in phone bills as well as loaded her computer up with so much spyware and viruses that her computer took like 15 minutes to boot up. Keep in mind she bought the computer like 6 months before that. Now here is the funny part, she not only DEMANDED in a rather loud tone of voice that Best Buy give her a brand new computer (she did not buy a warranty either) but also demanded that they pay her 1,000 phone bill. This went on for a good 10 minutes, I had my computer by then but had to stay for the fun. After listening to this lady get louder and louder (at the time I was a police officer) I could not resist a chuckle. She must have heard me chuckle because she asked me if I had a f*ck*ng problem. I laughed at her again and said sounds like she had the problem. I asked her help me understand this. Your son surfed the net for porn, downloaded a dialer program to run up 1,000 in phone bills, loaded up your computer with so much crap it it is slow and you think this is Best Buys fault. What should they have done to prevent this come to your house and keep an eye on your kids. Sorry that is your job as a parent. She started spouting off on how Best Buy sells sh*tty computers. I stopped her and said the computer was not the problem the problem is you had no parental control software on her computer and you have a son who was having a blast at your expense. She turned away from me and told the computer tech and the manager that if they did not give her a new computer she was going to go home and get her gun. At that point I stepped up to her identified myself and told her that she had 30 seconds to get her computer and leave before she went to jail for disorderly conduct and terroristic threats. On her way out the door the manager also gave her a trespassing warning (meaning she can't come back on the premises). That was a funny day. But wait it gets better, I ran into her again about 2 months later when I was dispatched to her house on a domestic disturbance between her and her son. She remembered who I was and told me about her new computer and actually thanked me for telling her about the parental control software. She told me that the argument with her son was because he was upset about the software, he could not get around it. Now hopefully you all got a good laugh out of this I will get back on point. Your post is completely misdirected. Call Poloroid and tell them (if you still dont have the tv back, which hopefully by 3 months you do) and tell them that you have waited long enough and you would like a replacement tv. Normally a company will honor that request if it has been almost 3 months waiting on parts. On another side note, if I buy something that costs over 500.00 I always buy the warranty. Anything under that price it is too much of a hassle to deal with I will just go replace it with a new one (unless it is still under the manufacturers warranty). Life is full of lessons, some don't hurt as much as others. This one might have hurt pretty much but I bet you won't make the same mistake twice

This was on the first page under walmart search. It is a TV customer and a funny one at that. So does this mean Walmart IS NOT CUSTOMER FOCUSED??? Its really the same scenario. Company Wal Mart Address: Bentonville Arkansas 72716-8611 U.S.A. Phone Number: 334-347-5353 Fax: I bought a Durabrand TV on the 28th of December, 2005. It is June the 23rd, 2006, less than 6 month later and the TV will not even power on. Wal Mart says they will not take it back because it is past their 90 days returns policy. Now we are out 100 bucks, have a broken TV and can't afford a new one while they got away selling junky, low quality electronics and getting rich that way. Wal Mart has surely changed from customer friendly to place where you get ripped off since old Sam left us. Greed has taken over. Michaela Enterprise, Alabama U.S.A.

Walmart is much bigger and has fewer complaints I believe on this very site! The reasons I feel this is so. 1. They do not have customer service per say just clerks so less is expected from consumer. Do you actually expect to get real help at an walmart? Most of the complaints for Walmart stem from their service centers that works on cars...where expectations begin to rise. 2. The things you buy there are cheap and you don't think about as much. 3. They do not sell extended warranty thus all the after effects are not there. 4. They wear a Blue smock with a yellow smilly face. 5. Walmart has like 20 items over $300 we have like 200 & its the bulk of our mix. Walmart sells far less big items so its customers to do not have big expectations. Perfect example...McDonalds has like 60 complaints on this site with Billions served. I have had more than 60 screwed up orders from McDonalds in the last five years yet I have never complained on the net once. Its freaking McDonalds. More than enough people have agreed a policy is a policy and this person will not accept the chosen value brand and declined the extended warranty and now it broke and they are complaining to the world. Polaroid will have it for a while & they built it. Its a weak argument at best and I only respond because its so obvious and amazing how people do not see who to blame. Polaroid.

From this very site a funny and related situation with a TV and a return period. I though only Circuit City was the evil one. It is obvious that no one on the earth can be pleased and that return periods are the Devil! Read on................... Wal Mart changed returns to 90 days so they can sell Junk Electronics! ripoff Bentonville Arkansas *Consumer Comment ..You are right about WalMart Company Wal Mart Address: Bentonville Arkansas 72716-8611 U.S.A. Phone Number: 334-347-5353 Fax: I bought a Durabrand TV on the 28th of December, 2005. It is June the 23rd, 2006, less than 6 month later and the TV will not even power on. Wal Mart says they will not take it back because it is past their 90 days returns policy. Now we are out 100 bucks, have a broken TV and can't afford a new one while they got away selling junky, low quality electronics and getting rich that way. Wal Mart has surely changed from customer friendly to place where you get ripped off since old Sam left us. Greed has taken over. Michaela Enterprise, Alabama U.S.A.

Wal-Mart is bad? Well, they help keep inflation low, among other things. Companies competing against Wal-Mart need to find ways to stay relevant. If not, it is their own fault and NOT Wal-Mart's. I could go on, but I do not want this to become a Wal-Mart post. Next, I'm pretty sure CC has just as much complaints as Wal-Mart does (maybe somebody can verify this?). This is interesting considering CC has a market cap of 4.5 billion dollars, whereas Wal-Mart has a market cap of 201.66 billion. This suggests that CC, after considering its size, has nearly 45 times the complaints that Wal-Mart does. In fact, I have yet to see a single post regarding Wal-Mart TV's (again, maybe somebody can verify this?). Perhaps these statistics show that CC could learn a thing or two from Wal-Mart instead of blaming it for their troubles...or better yet, maybe the patriots/employees of CC could ask themselves what they could do to compete with Wal-Mart instead of running around incessantly insisting that their customers are always wrong. Don't shop at CC. They are not customer oriented.

Ray Do you realize how many thousands of business Walmart has put out of business? Men and Women who believed in the American Dream crushed by cheap and out sourced product driven by old Wally World who has does not even have customer service beyond and old person saying hi when you come in. It was just a few years ago that almost all quality TV's had a three year factory warranty. In order to get places like Walmart to buy their product manufactures like Sony pulled warranty back to minimize long term cost and drop upfront cost (retail) to make Walmart happy. The trend follows today and most TV's have 1 year warranty to as low as 90 day on the parts. Mostly in part to Walmart. In the wake of Walmart CC research found customers thought we were to expensive because we carried mostly name brands. We have made great efforts to offer more "value" brands over the past few years. ESA, Polaroid, Phillips, Magnavox, and RCA are just a few. So the consumer has more choices and we can compete for those customers while in our store. You choose to buy "value" brands, you feel insulted that we offered/suggested you buy a warranty beyond manufacture. You complain becuase our rules do not revolve around your decisions and wants. You think we will go out of business by not helping people like you when indeed it is just the opposite. People with your demands and your definition of being "Ripped Off" are what most retailers do not want....except for Walmart becuase you will come back to by food, milk and underwear from them even if they burn you on a TV. If BB and CC does not compete with the lower prices and lower quality brand names we will go out of business and Walmart will be the top of the major electronics food chain. That is just scary. Can you imagine asking a Walmart person what the difference is between 1080p and 720p? Or whats the difference between DLP and LCD projection? ROFLOL :0

Ray Do you realize how many thousands of business Walmart has put out of business? Men and Women who believed in the American Dream crushed by cheap and out sourced product driven by old Wally World who has does not even have customer service beyond and old person saying hi when you come in. It was just a few years ago that almost all quality TV's had a three year factory warranty. In order to get places like Walmart to buy their product manufactures like Sony pulled warranty back to minimize long term cost and drop upfront cost (retail) to make Walmart happy. The trend follows today and most TV's have 1 year warranty to as low as 90 day on the parts. Mostly in part to Walmart. In the wake of Walmart CC research found customers thought we were to expensive because we carried mostly name brands. We have made great efforts to offer more "value" brands over the past few years. ESA, Polaroid, Phillips, Magnavox, and RCA are just a few. So the consumer has more choices and we can compete for those customers while in our store. You choose to buy "value" brands, you feel insulted that we offered/suggested you buy a warranty beyond manufacture. You complain becuase our rules do not revolve around your decisions and wants. You think we will go out of business by not helping people like you when indeed it is just the opposite. People with your demands and your definition of being "Ripped Off" are what most retailers do not want....except for Walmart becuase you will come back to by food, milk and underwear from them even if they burn you on a TV. If BB and CC does not compete with the lower prices and lower quality brand names we will go out of business and Walmart will be the top of the major electronics food chain. That is just scary. Can you imagine asking a Walmart person what the difference is between 1080p and 720p? Or whats the difference between DLP and LCD projection? ROFLOL :0

Ray Do you realize how many thousands of business Walmart has put out of business? Men and Women who believed in the American Dream crushed by cheap and out sourced product driven by old Wally World who has does not even have customer service beyond and old person saying hi when you come in. It was just a few years ago that almost all quality TV's had a three year factory warranty. In order to get places like Walmart to buy their product manufactures like Sony pulled warranty back to minimize long term cost and drop upfront cost (retail) to make Walmart happy. The trend follows today and most TV's have 1 year warranty to as low as 90 day on the parts. Mostly in part to Walmart. In the wake of Walmart CC research found customers thought we were to expensive because we carried mostly name brands. We have made great efforts to offer more "value" brands over the past few years. ESA, Polaroid, Phillips, Magnavox, and RCA are just a few. So the consumer has more choices and we can compete for those customers while in our store. You choose to buy "value" brands, you feel insulted that we offered/suggested you buy a warranty beyond manufacture. You complain becuase our rules do not revolve around your decisions and wants. You think we will go out of business by not helping people like you when indeed it is just the opposite. People with your demands and your definition of being "Ripped Off" are what most retailers do not want....except for Walmart becuase you will come back to by food, milk and underwear from them even if they burn you on a TV. If BB and CC does not compete with the lower prices and lower quality brand names we will go out of business and Walmart will be the top of the major electronics food chain. That is just scary. Can you imagine asking a Walmart person what the difference is between 1080p and 720p? Or whats the difference between DLP and LCD projection? ROFLOL :0

Ray Do you realize how many thousands of business Walmart has put out of business? Men and Women who believed in the American Dream crushed by cheap and out sourced product driven by old Wally World who has does not even have customer service beyond and old person saying hi when you come in. It was just a few years ago that almost all quality TV's had a three year factory warranty. In order to get places like Walmart to buy their product manufactures like Sony pulled warranty back to minimize long term cost and drop upfront cost (retail) to make Walmart happy. The trend follows today and most TV's have 1 year warranty to as low as 90 day on the parts. Mostly in part to Walmart. In the wake of Walmart CC research found customers thought we were to expensive because we carried mostly name brands. We have made great efforts to offer more "value" brands over the past few years. ESA, Polaroid, Phillips, Magnavox, and RCA are just a few. So the consumer has more choices and we can compete for those customers while in our store. You choose to buy "value" brands, you feel insulted that we offered/suggested you buy a warranty beyond manufacture. You complain becuase our rules do not revolve around your decisions and wants. You think we will go out of business by not helping people like you when indeed it is just the opposite. People with your demands and your definition of being "Ripped Off" are what most retailers do not want....except for Walmart becuase you will come back to by food, milk and underwear from them even if they burn you on a TV. If BB and CC does not compete with the lower prices and lower quality brand names we will go out of business and Walmart will be the top of the major electronics food chain. That is just scary. Can you imagine asking a Walmart person what the difference is between 1080p and 720p? Or whats the difference between DLP and LCD projection? ROFLOL :0

I don't see why CC is at fault here. You didn't purchase the extended warranty, why do you expect CC to provide you with an extended warranty? And how hard is it to wait for the manufacturer to come and fix it? It's plain and simple. You didn't purchase the extended warranty, you have no absolutely grounds to expect CC to extend your warranty. You knew before buying the TV that it came with a 30 day warranty, not 45. What exactly is so hard to understand? You made the decision to buy the TV knowing that you had a 30 day warranty. You have absolutely no reason to expect CC to give you a 45 day warranty. This complaint is frivolous.

This person is the typical never satisfied customer. I have had three defective xbox 360's and have not made such a big "whoop". You will never be satisfied. You will expect top of the line service for lowest out of pocket expense. You are the person who buys a Hyundai and expects it to be like a BMW. We at CC are forced to deal with the un-reasonable from time to time and I do not want you to feel sorry for us but I tell you after being on this site for a few weeks it makes me ill. 90% of all these threads are due to people who expect CC to handle manufacture warranty as over the counter exchange and for us to go out of business as an open box store. If every one would read their receipts and have basic understanding of legal obligation and understand that all stores would go under if we kissed the rear of un-reasonable people life would be peaches. Just accept what you bought and start an "I hate Polaroid" thread some where else. ***The other day a guy tells me Plasma is crap. I ask why? He said a few years ago he bought a Dell Plasma (made by a crap company called Sampo) and it broke. I ask him if he noticed that TV was $3000 cheaper than all the others he saw in the market when he bought it? He said "they are all made at the same place"....I have to smile and accept this idiotic responce. Give me a break.

I said that my previous post was my last and it was concerning my experience with Circuit City. However, I have been personally attacked by a total stranger replying to my post. The editors at ripoff report should filter out posts with personal attacks, but they did not in this case. For the gentleman from Oregon who questioned the intellect of me and my fellow Alabamians I say this: Personal attacks on complete strangers and the obvious display of prejudice against people who live in different areas and come from different cultures are indicators of a lack of intelligence and tolerance. Think about it.

Here's an idea Raymond. Send the TV back to Polaroid like they asked, then they can send you a new TV. WOW! How simple is that? Manufactures can not predict if a unit they sell will go bad, which is why the manufacture is willing to take said unit back. Vis a Vis, the retailer does not know that they are selling a defective unit, because the units they receive pass diagnostic testing from the manufacturer. The retailer offers extended warranties so as not to put the burden on the consumer to remedy the situation, however, if that extended warranty is not purchased, their hands are tied. Circuit City is a business, and as such, needs to earn money to stay open and continue selling merchandise to the other millions of customers who understand return policies. As you said in your original post, Polaroid will accept the return, so there you go, the ball is in your court. You are one of the reasons why the rest of the country looks down on the education level of Alabamans. I know there's smart people in the south, but, you are not one of them.

Raymond, there is no use talking to people like you. I gave you a clear reason why you weren't getting the TV returned with easy to understand explanations, and even a comparison. And you resent me? Here's the best line, though.. . I said: ?Hope this sheds a little light on the situation. You can hate who you want, and rally people to agree with you for all I care. But retailers do this to protect their business from the frauds, the self-appointed exception makers and unfortunately as a result, honest customers who could probably use a break don't get one that would really make a big difference.? THEN Raymond said: I hate no one and I resent you saying that I do. I am not a fraud, but rather a legitimate consumer who was ripped off by Circuit City. You'd better be careful calling people frauds. Your reference to me being a dishonest customer is insulting and very wrong. Uhm, Raymond? *I* didn't say you were a fraud, nor did I say YOU were dishonest. I SAID: retailers MUST protect themselves FROM frauds SO THAT HONEST CUSTOMERS COULD GET A BREAK. If you think that fraud comment automatically applied to you instead of the "honest customer" statement, well, then I guess that's your conscious and not mine. I would actually put you in the "self appointed exception maker" category, but whatever. I've wasted enough time trying to give you an insight on how retail operates. Maybe someone else here benefitted, but the only thing you got out of it was me calling you a fraud, which I didn't even do. Apparently some of these "Circuit City patriots" struck a nerve with you as well. Well, I'm loving it too. So long, sizzlechest. Hope that TV doesn't get as heated as its owner.

It seems that a nerve has been struck with you Circuit City disciples. Calm down folks, it's gonna be all right. Did my criticism of your favorite little retailer hurt your feelings? Well, get over it! Some of your comments were truly amusing and down right scary. I'll deal with a few of the better ones: This is just another example of a customer expecting more than they are getting. Okay, I pay $1k for a TV & I should not expect it to last beyond 45 days?!?!?!? Are you serious? No, I just file rip off reports for the fun of it. I've worked for circuit for the past 3 years You have my condolences. I work in the computer department, where we get WAY more complaints and problems then the TV department I am SURE you are right about this. we do our best to take care of the customer Now that is really funny. 9 times out of 10 the customer is the one at fault and wants us to take responsibility for their ignorance or actions Bear in mind folks, this was written by a Circuit City employee. This particular CC employee thinks that their customers are at fault 90% of the time. This should really motivate everyone to shop there! Go on the internet and type the d**n name into google. Easy now, no profanity is necessary. Bottom line is you made a decision hastily, didn't go for protection and you got burned, that's your fault and no one else's. No, the bottom line is your company sold a piece of crap to me that cost $1k and then refused to help me when it blew up after 45 days. Here's how it works, Raymond. You might learn something. Hey, I have definitely learned something. I have learned to stay the heck out of Circuit City! Put yourself in their shoes. No thanks, I don't practice ripping people off. If you ran a store, would you take a $1000.00 hit, and make your employees work 10x harder to break even just so ONE customer can get away with ignoring your return policy and ALSO declining insurance you offer that saves you both money in the event of a repair? Would you, Raymond? If I ran a store and a customer bought a $1k item from me that lasted only 45 days, I would make it right regardless of the cost. That is called goodwill and there is balance sheet value to goodwill my friend. Hope this sheds a little light on the situation. You can hate who you want, and rally people to agree with you for all I care. But retailers do this to protect their business from the frauds, the self-appointed exception makers and unfortunately as a result, honest customers who could probably use a break don't get one that would really make a big difference. I hate no one and I resent you saying that I do. I am not a fraud, but rather a legitimate consumer who was ripped off by Circuit City. You'd better be careful calling people frauds. Your reference to me being a dishonest customer is insulting and very wrong. It's not about customer service anymore. Thanks for proving my case. How hard is it for you to realize that 45 days is MORE than 30? How hard is it for you to realize that an item costing $1k should last longer than 45 days? This is my last post about this matter. I have the repaired TV back now and I have learned a few lessons from the experience. Shop at Circuit City if you want to -- hey, it's a free country. But for me and my house, we will avoid ever stepping foot in Circuit City again.

Okay, Raymond, you're obviously mad that your new TV broke. I would be too. I'm not a CC employee. But hopefully this will help you understand the situation better. If that TV was a car, do you think you could go to the car dealer on a 36,000 mile warranty for a blown engine when you have 36,001 miles on the odometer? You can't. That's the policy. ONE MILE makes the difference on a car. If your TV was a car, the return policy was 30 days and you returned it on day 45, you'd be asking a dealer to cover the equivalence of a standard 36,000 mile warranty when your odometer was 54,000. Barring a huge lawsuit, letter writing campaign or best friend from college who you know works at the Corporate Office, it'll never happen. YOU have to pay for it. Do you know why? Because if the local dealer replaces the motor and bills the manufacturer (Ford, let's say), then Ford will refuse to reimburse the dealership because it fell out of terms. The dealer, who you deal with, would have to eat that repair - read: lose money, because he helped you "out of warranty". I suppose any car dealer "should go above and beyond", but if they did, they'd have to raise the price to compensate for all the exceptions they make and for the significant amount of compounded money they would lose. Do you want the price of a Ford Fiesta to start at $42,500 so customers could be "treated right"? ONE MILE makes the difference on a car. If your TV was a car, the return policy was 30 days and you returned it 45 days later, you'd be asking a dealer to cover the standard 36,000 mile warranty when your odometer was 54,000. Likewise, your $1000.00 TV couldn't be shipped back to Polariod as a defect because of the signed legal agreement between Circuit City and Polariod outlining CC's return policy. ALL manufacturers and ALL retailers do this. They HAVE to. Polariod likely gave CC a good deal if they didn't have to repair TVs purchased with an extended warranty (which would be covered under CC's extended warranty) because they wouldn't have to fix "X" number of units. In return, Polariod doesn't have to dispatch as many repair techs. So the prices for those units under that agreement allows the price of the TV to go DOWN, which is good for the consumer. Otherwise, with no deal, those TVs would probably sell for $1200, and Polariod wouldn't be competitive in a Circuit City. They want to be, so they can sell their product to both CC and customers. So in your case, instead of taking a $100.00 hit on profit, Circuit, by violating their own policy, would take a $1000.00 net hit for receiving back a total loss unit, forcing them to sell 10 TVs just to break even. They can't just force Polariod to refund THEIR money, because as stated before, Polariod even has their own return policy for Circuit City. What is a retailer going to do with a broken TV that they can't sell, and they can't get credit for from the manufacturer, Raymond? They're going to eat it. So to avoid that, they offer a service plan, giving the customer the choice to pay a little more and cover it longer, or take a substantial chance. I don't work for CC, but I'll tell you this: No-one would take that kind of hit just because you think they should. It is more profitable to stick, as you say, "so rigidly" with the policy. It exists for a legal reason, not to make you feel warm and fuzzy. That is exactly why "extended warranties" are in place. The same as buying the optional 100,000 mile warranty on your car. If you're .0001% miles out of your factory warranty, then you pay for it out of pocket. Not the dealer, NO exceptions, sorry bud, you declined the offer. Would you blame the local car dealer who would assuredly be out $3,000.00 for your new engine because "Ford" wouldn't reimburse your local dealer? No, you'd be mad at Ford for sticking "so rigidly" to their policy. Yet you're more mad at CC (dealer) than you are at Polariod ("ford"). I understand your frustration, but continue to be in awe at your logic of who is at fault. That said, the Blue and Yellow store offers 14-30 day return policies (depending on what you buy), and NOBODY allows for music returns. "It's all in style" stores allow 30 days on most products, and that's it, minus Craftsman Hand Tools, which is a rarity in the retail industry. The red and white computer store, same thing. If you're mad at CC this time, fine. But recognize that next time, you'll be mad at the other stores too, since the opportunity to INSURE what you purchase is just that - insurance. Who you should REALLY be mad at is Polariod. How long did (or is it?) taking so far? Who manufactures, ships, sells and repairs a TV without ample parts available? THAT is deserving of your wrath, IMO. Circuit DID offer you an insurance policy. You decided that dealing with Polariod was a better bet, or assuming that electronics don't somehow have a failure rate. Not a bet I would have made, but you're $200.00 richer than I would be. But then, I'd be watching my TV instead of writing about it on ROR. Put yourself in their shoes. If you ran a store, would you take a $1000.00 hit, and make your employees work 10x harder to break even just so ONE customer can get away with ignoring your return policy and ALSO declining insurance you offer that saves you both money in the event of a repair? Would you, Raymond? Hope this sheds a little light on the situation. You can hate who you want, and rally people to agree with you for all I care. But retailers do this to protect their business from the frauds, the self-appointed exception makers and unfortunately as a result, honest customers who could probably use a break don't get one that would really make a big difference. Why? Because if I told you that my CC store near Hollywood took my crappy Polariod TV back after 50 days, you'd sue CC for discrimination. And you'd be right to do it. It's not about customer service anymore. Customers have made it into legal issues, and the retailer simply must respond fairly to everyone, or risk being forced to sell 1000 TVs just to 'break even' from a lawsuit. And I know that if it was your business, you wouldn't do THAT.

Youre mad because Circuit city wont bend the rules for you? Ive worked for circuit for the past 3 years and without a performance plan, our hands are tied as far as what we can do for you. Theres a reason we offer it. Its our way of ensuring the performance of the product. Ya in a perfect world, tvs would perform forever and never burn out, and give you the best picture ever. but here on earth, things break and wear out, performance guarantees are the stores way to counteract problems with manuafacturers. I work in the computer department, where we get WAY more complaints and problems then the tv department and with every system we sell, we recommend the plan. When people dont get it and become angry with the manufacturer because they dont work, they try to return it to us. we cant do anything without the protection. You guys can sit there and chastize circuit all you want, but why offer it if the stores gonna give it for free. Its a service, the manufacturer warranties it and it comes with the product, our service guarantees the performance, if you feel that you dont need it, thats your choice, not ours. Im sorry you feel the way you do but just get the protection next time, if you had it, you would have been taken care of almost instantaneously. Slander me all you want because im an employee of the store, but ive been there for a while and ive seen just about all the situations described on here. Im not saying that we dont have associates that make mistakes, and when that happens we do our best to take care of the customer. However, 9 times out of 10 the customer is the one at fault and wants us to take responsibility for their ignorance or actions. We cant do that and we shouldnt, consumers need to take responsibility for the actions they take and the ignorance they claim is our fault. Thankfully, ignorance can be cured by one simple process, READ SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT YOURE PURCHASING. I know if i was buying something that cost me a couple hundred bucks, id at least do a little internet research. Ya, you can claim its the associates fault for not correctly informing you, but i never rely on anyone to tell me about a product, i always find out on my own. Its not like its overly difficult either. Go on the internet and type the d**n name into google. Bottom line is you made a decision hastily, didnt go for protection and you got burned, thats your fault and no one elses.

This is just another example of a customer expecting more than they are getting. Circuit City has a 30 day return policy. Not 45, not 31, but 30. How hard is it for you to realize that 45 days is MORE than 30? You bought a TV on the cheap, and went even cheaper by not extending the warranty on the cheap TV. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Should CC take the TV back? No. What store would extend their return policy for 1 customer who is trying to return an item well past the return date? None will. Do you know why? Because the moment that store makes an exception for one customer, they need to make that exception for all customers. That means they need to change their policy. And, once they change their policy to increase the return date, guys like you will be back trying to return an item that is past the new return date, so then you'll cry about it then, just like you are now. So, here's the suggestion, quit trying to save some money when you want to buy a new product and either buy a well reviewed, good quality item, or don't buy anything at all. You'll just save yourself the heartache in the end.

just amaze me. Oh poor CC! We are forced top carry crappy products because mean old Wal-Mart forces us to. Bull-crap! Maybe if you started treating your customers with the respect they deserve you could beat Wally World in the game of electronics sales. Instead CC treats customers with contempt by sticking to rigid policies with no flexibility nor common decency whatsoever. The geniuses at CC have lost me as a customer forever. I know they could care less about me as an individual customer boycotting them. However, if enough people like me just say no to Circuit City and their non-existant customer service, then all of you CC "associates" will be looking for new jobs because your employer will have driven the company into bankruptcy. I hope it happens...I'll laugh my butt off when it does.

I swear finding this site has been a jaw drop for me as I work for CC. I've found a few instances where I would have done or handled an issue different than what is claimed happened but this is yet another person slinging their poor decision in public to slander (in a way) CC. I have a Polaroid LCD TV that I bought last Xmas and I bought it because its cheap. This allowed me to buy a 3 year warranty and still be hundreds less than say a "Sony". This is just the way I think. You bought the TV for the same reason. Its cheap but you chose not to buy an enhanced warranty that may have got your tv exchanged by now. I say may because usually its three failures for an exchange but cheap sets get exchanged quicker in many cases do to their disposable aspects. "I would not have bought Polaroid had I known". Ok so you saw Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Hitachi and Panasonic. Then Polaroid the maker of the instant Camera from the 70's and 35mm film and they stuck out as the brand you know for TV's? I know, I know we should not carry it if it is not the best quality period right? Well thank Walmart for stores like us and Best Buy having to carry the wacky stuff. Once again... read the terms, understand what you buy and direct your being upset towards the manufacture NOT the box that sold it.

I understand that sales associates are there to help you but there are 5 of them and 30 of us... You need to accept some responsibility of your own purchase... I highly doubt that the sales person actually suggested you buy the polaroid TV... there is a reason it is hundreds of dollars cheaper than any other HD TV in each size range... Polaroid is what is considered a third teir manufacturer and only exists to give consumers a cheaper alternative to a large ticket item... They are a brand that gets stamped on the TV after several different brands puts their left overs in it... I am surprised that you actually got through to someone at the company... Their manufacture warranties don't cover anything... and are a quarter of the length of any first tier's... and that is because they know they are going to break and when they do they won't be able to fix them... The only time I, or anyone who has done any brand research, would recomend one of these manufacturers is if you purchase it from a store like circuit city that offers their own protection rather than just an extension of what the manufacturer covers... and then only if the TV is still cheaper with a warranty than a better TV... And as to Circuit City having a choice to carry it or not, they don't... when xxxxx, a wholesale store, became an electronics competitor circuit city's options went down... Bottom line, if a company won't stand behind it's products, how can the people that sell it

I have always shopped at CC. Since probably 1984! I almost always buy the "extended warranty". I have, a few times, received a new item that was better then the original, and a store credit, because it as cheaper too. Sometimes, I do buy cheaper brands(like polaroid) but then the warranty covers it! I have, so far, had 100% success with repair or replacement of any defected item. With no hassle what so ever. We are taking about TVs,phones, DVDs,VCRs,computers,stereos, washer/dryers etc, easily over 50 items. So based on my experience I'd recommend buying that extended warranty, any place you decide to go, especially on a big screen TV. I know people don't want to put out the extra money, but I wanted to let you know, It has come in handy several times for me, and been a no hassle experience. I too would be frustrated if this happened to me, it seems a big company like CC should honor their guarantee after all it was only 15 days! and certainly Polaroid should be willing to go the all out to fix it, I mean it worked for 45 days-that's a crock. Good luck

rat's butt where you shop. Go ahead & buy the whole friggin' store. I have read some of your posts to other people's complaints & I know your are nothing more than a trouble maker. I am an Alabama native & there is no city or town in this state named Pony. Are you afraid to let people know who you really are or where you live?????

Thanks for the informative debacle. Unfortunately it will not deter me from shopping at Circuit City. In fact, it will encourage me to shop there. Now I know that the store carefully follows their clearly advertised policies equally for all customers. What a novel idea ... they do not make "exceptions" for customers who feel that they are special. They apply their rules to ALL, as they should out of fairness to everyone. This retailer runs a fair establishment and I will do business with them any time. In fact I am about to purchase a new big screen tv from them ... a Sony (NOT a Polaroid, though Polaroid does make a really good disposable 35mm camera) ... with the 4-year extended warranty.

and they continue refuse to do anything at all to help me. The "Executive Assistant" who responded said that they were not allowed by the manufacturer to return items after 30 days. That's it. No offer of satisfaction. Nothing. All I received was just more of Circuit City's bullcrap. For the last time, I am warning all of you good people out there. Do not purchase anything from Circuit City lest you experience the same fate as me.

Peter, Since you come here and give a LOT of advice I have a qustion for you. Where is Pony, Alabama? I CAN'T seem to be able to find it listed anywhere. Please answer THIS question for me. But I DON'T think you will.

Paul. I just might try that! I still don't have the hunk of junk back from the shop yet. The manufacturer's latest parts availability date is July 20th. I wrote a letter to Circuit City's president 2 weeks ago, but in keeping with their tradition of non-existant customer service, I have not received a reply. The nightmare keeps going. Remember, stay away from Circuit City - they will screw you over in a heartbeat.

Raymond, I've never shopped at CC due to their reputation, your post serves to reinforce my choice of a business to avoid. Try this. Load the TV into the back of a pickup truck. Make two LARGE signs, one for each side of the truck, stating "I bought my broken junk at Circuit City". Park the truck in the vicinity of Circuit City. See how long it takes for the manager to come see what it will take to get your advertising off of the street. I did this with another product at another place of business. I sat there about 45 minutes before going home with a new replacement. Good luck!

Raymond, I've never shopped at CC due to their reputation, your post serves to reinforce my choice of a business to avoid. Try this. Load the TV into the back of a pickup truck. Make two LARGE signs, one for each side of the truck, stating "I bought my broken junk at Circuit City". Park the truck in the vicinity of Circuit City. See how long it takes for the manager to come see what it will take to get your advertising off of the street. I did this with another product at another place of business. I sat there about 45 minutes before going home with a new replacement. Good luck!

Raymond, I've never shopped at CC due to their reputation, your post serves to reinforce my choice of a business to avoid. Try this. Load the TV into the back of a pickup truck. Make two LARGE signs, one for each side of the truck, stating "I bought my broken junk at Circuit City". Park the truck in the vicinity of Circuit City. See how long it takes for the manager to come see what it will take to get your advertising off of the street. I did this with another product at another place of business. I sat there about 45 minutes before going home with a new replacement. Good luck!

you seem like a nice person and I understand where you are coming from. However, I simply can't let CC off the hook for selling me a thousand dollars worth of "junk" and then not standing behind the product after only 45 days. I could care less how many returns they receive. That is a cost of doing business. Obviously, some people try to abuse retail return policies, but that is not the situation in my case. Customers should not have to but extended warranties before a store will help, especially on an item as new as mine. Circuit City has lost a customer for life. I know they probably don't care anout that. If they continue to be so rigid in their policies and forget that they are dealing with human beings that have limited resources, CC is doomed to failure eventually. By the way, I have not "shouted" at anyone at CC or at Polaroid. I choose to be professional, but firm in my business dealings. I will say it again, avoid Circuit City at all costs unless you want to be in the same boat as me.

As an ex-employee of CC, specifically Customer Service desk, I have to say that in this case it is not CC's fault that they didn't take the item back. They don't discriminate against people who don't buy the warranty, they just have thousands of customers who return items every year! They simply cannot honor EVERYONE'S wishes. As another poster stated, the warranty IS pretty decent. I DO NOT condone the attitude of the employee who became agitated when you didn't take up on the warranty though! In the store I worked for, the salespeople, customer service desk as well as the cashiers had a dry-erase board where they kept track of warranty sales. It is possible that the employee had been warned that his sales were too low and just took it out on you. I would have told his supervisor immediately. CC received MANY returns per week. I witnessed so many customers coming in 10, 15, even 30 days past the return cutoff wanting to return merchandise. In SOME cases CC would honor the return, such as if the person were 2 or 3 days late and they seemed to have some legitimate problem. But if CC honored EVERY return past the 30 day mark, then they wouldn't have need for a return policy, they'd just take it all back at any time! Many times customers would become nasty, rude or loud when they wouldn't get their way. Sadly, the extended warranty would have covered them past the 30 day policy. On small electronics I wouldn't bother, especially if it would be cheaper to buy a new one than have it repaired. But on big-ticket items such as TV's, stereos, etc..I WOULD recommend the warranty. If you are in doubt about warranty, ask to read the pamphlet which they should have easily accessible at CS or the registers. At this point, CC has done all it can for you. Polaroid should back its product and repair any problems. Shouting at or insulting store employees or store support staff is childish and irresponsible. Many store managers are limited in the actions they can take, it is better to call store support center if you can't get nicely get anywhere with management. You DO get more bees with honey than with a shotgun. For future purchases, read the warranties and make sure you know what's covered. Also make sure you receive a receipt to prove you paid for the warranty and item. And lastly, there DEFINITELY ARE some brands that have higher return rates than others and in most cases it happens to be the cheaper ones. Try to find a down-to-earth salesperson who will be frank with you about which brands are better than others.

I wasn't going to comment on this until after reading Peter's last comment (which I found quite humorous). So Peter, the customer bringing in the newspaper ad because they found a good deal is not worthy of expecting merchandise that is usable? Well, that is just what I did. I found an advertisement for a 20' television at Wal-mart for $98 + tax. I was one of the 'uneducated victims' that bought 'cheap' merchandise. However, I have not complained about it-because after 2 years I have had absolutely no problems with the television. That's right. . .none. ..zip. . .nada. . .zero. Now, if I can get THAT kind of service out of a $98 television I bought at Walmart, don't you think it's just a little bit conceivable that someone who paid $1,000 for a television could expect longer use out of a television that a mere 45 days? I certainly do. That's just a good example of how looking for a 'good deal' doesn't make you cheap. If you can get quality for a good price, it would be unwise to do otherwise. Unless of course your name is Donald Trump or Bill Gates. ....then you can throw away all the money you want and it makes no difference.

I found the last person's comments rather funny. Of course there is no incentive for the salesman to sell junk. If he is on commission, obviously he isn't going to make much money selling the cheapest-of-the-cheap stuff and does not want to lose his commission entirely when the customer returns the junk. If he is not on commission (as in this case with CC), there is no incentive to "actively sell" ANYTHING as he gets paid hourly and basically just rings up the sale. I've seen this type of customer in action while shopping at many a store. They enter the store, usually with a sale flyer or newspaper ad in hand, and rather than look at all of their options or discuss particular features/benefits with the salesperson, they simply point to the cheap junk in whatever paper they're holding and say "gimme one of these." THAT is why so many people end up with junk, and it is no one's fault but their own.

I found the last person's comments rather funny. Of course there is no incentive for the salesman to sell junk. If he is on commission, obviously he isn't going to make much money selling the cheapest-of-the-cheap stuff and does not want to lose his commission entirely when the customer returns the junk. If he is not on commission (as in this case with CC), there is no incentive to "actively sell" ANYTHING as he gets paid hourly and basically just rings up the sale. I've seen this type of customer in action while shopping at many a store. They enter the store, usually with a sale flyer or newspaper ad in hand, and rather than look at all of their options or discuss particular features/benefits with the salesperson, they simply point to the cheap junk in whatever paper they're holding and say "gimme one of these." THAT is why so many people end up with junk, and it is no one's fault but their own.

I found the last person's comments rather funny. Of course there is no incentive for the salesman to sell junk. If he is on commission, obviously he isn't going to make much money selling the cheapest-of-the-cheap stuff and does not want to lose his commission entirely when the customer returns the junk. If he is not on commission (as in this case with CC), there is no incentive to "actively sell" ANYTHING as he gets paid hourly and basically just rings up the sale. I've seen this type of customer in action while shopping at many a store. They enter the store, usually with a sale flyer or newspaper ad in hand, and rather than look at all of their options or discuss particular features/benefits with the salesperson, they simply point to the cheap junk in whatever paper they're holding and say "gimme one of these." THAT is why so many people end up with junk, and it is no one's fault but their own.

I found the last person's comments rather funny. Of course there is no incentive for the salesman to sell junk. If he is on commission, obviously he isn't going to make much money selling the cheapest-of-the-cheap stuff and does not want to lose his commission entirely when the customer returns the junk. If he is not on commission (as in this case with CC), there is no incentive to "actively sell" ANYTHING as he gets paid hourly and basically just rings up the sale. I've seen this type of customer in action while shopping at many a store. They enter the store, usually with a sale flyer or newspaper ad in hand, and rather than look at all of their options or discuss particular features/benefits with the salesperson, they simply point to the cheap junk in whatever paper they're holding and say "gimme one of these." THAT is why so many people end up with junk, and it is no one's fault but their own.

The sales pitch is: If the product breaks, just bring it back, we'll fix it, no questions asked, for X years, it's so great, blah blah blah and then when something goes wrong, it's 'call this number', get put on hold for 20 mins, and then say you can't get a service guy out there for 3+ weeks. It goes downhill from there. That's the CC way. How many states has CC been sued by attornets general regarding their warrantees? Like 7? CC has dropped manufacturers? Which ones? Which ones have provided headaches? Well gosh, it's still the consumer's fault for buying a 'crappy' product? Was this 'crappy' product called 'crappy' by the salesperson? NO. I'm sure the salesman trumped it up to be the greatest product in the world. ..and absolutely CC is at fault. I believe that it is implied that when you spend $600, $1000, or more on a TV, that the TV is going to WORK for more than the 30 day return period. To simply walk away from a consumer because he's "2 weeks too late" is slimy. Don't shop at CC. They'll hang you out to dry every step of the way.

I worked for a major furniture store here in texas last year and we did sell big screen tvs. we also offered the extended warranties for them. most of the customers took it but those few that didnt were not treated bad because they did not have it. The store did have a certain amount of time for a return policy, but they were willing to work with the customers depending on there situation. I know your in Alabama but next time try a furniture store that deals with electronics. you might have better luck.

The extended warranty is not a bad warranty. People unfortunately expect stuff that isnt covered by the warranty. Some is false information given by salespeople which is wrong and stupid, other times, it's people hearing what they want to hear. Regardless, most people refuse extended warranty simply because it's an extended warranty. As for selling crappy products, blame cheap people and Walmart for that. People buy cheap stuff because it's cheap, no matter the quality, and Walmart has all the sudden become a place for electronics with their shelves of crap electronics. But it's cheap so that is why people buy it. Now CC, in the past, has dropped manufacturers from their stores because they have provided nothing but headaches. CC will also drop the line if people would just stop buying the d**n things. In the end, yes it does suck that it happened. No one doubts that. But every store and every manager at CC has given some leverage to those who returned items a few days after 30 days. However, 2 weeks is still 2 weeks and placing the blame squarely on Circuit City is not just.

for your kind words. I have literally been having trouble sleeping at night since this happened. Losing a thousand bucks might not matter to some folks, but it is a huge loss to me. The sad part is I know that even if the TV is eventually repaired, it likely will not last long. The quality of the TV is that bad. The repair guy who has the TV told me that Polaroid TV's were junk and his shop was full of them waiting for repair. For those of you saying I should hold Polaroid responsible, believe me I have had many conversations with them. I have demanded a new unit & they refused, saying that as long as mine is repairable, they will not give me another set. I even found out that Polaroid's customer service is not Polaroid at all, but rather a 3rd party company hired by Polaroid to provide customer service. I asked them for the name & phone number of someone who works for Polaroid that I could talk to & they refused to give the info to me. You Circuit City employees & sympathizers who have been defending CC should put yourself in my shoes. CC sold a product that should have worked far beyond a month and a half, yet they refused to help when it didn't. The manufacturer, Polaroid, has been delaying the repair of my unit and refuses to give me a new one. Where does all of this leave me, the consumer? Screwed and $1,000 poorer. The only satisfaction I have received is the knowledge that I have cost Circuit City & Polaroid a few sales by my bad testimony about them to people I know. I pray that anyone who is contemplating purchasing anything from Circuit City will think twice before they shop there or they might find themselves in a similar situation as mine - screwed!

...and too few sticking up for Raymond. OK, first of all, several people here mentioned that the consumer is at fault for not purchasing the extended warranty. However, if one reads many of the posts about the CC extended warranty, one finds rather quickly that it is worth little more than the paper on which it was written. It is purely disingenuous to blame the consumer for not purchasing a bogus warranty that CC will try as hard as it can to not honor. The argument that because the product is crappy, it is the consumer's fault that he didn't purchase a warranty is also completely bogus. If the product is truly of poor quality, CC should not sell it. This should really be common sense. Second, I do agree that poloroid is also responsible for the TV. Definitely keep after them and do not buy their garbage reasons as to why they cannot repair/replace their faulty product. When a company sells thousands and thousands of TVs yearly, to claim that they are "missing a part" is downright slimy. Third, this whole "out of CC's hands" thing is pure nonsense. CC could do a number of things to help the consumer. First, it could withhold payments to the manufacturer until it honors its obligations. Second, it could threaten to switch to another manufacturer as its supplier of TV's. Third, it could sue the manufacturer for damages (loss to CC's brand name because of Poloroid's refusal to honor warrantees). CC has enormous leverage in this position, and (surprise surprise) does nothing to help to consumer. Raymond, we both know not to shop at CC. I couldn't sleep at night spending X dollars on a TV knowing it will probably break in a short amount of time and I'll be left w/a broken piece of garbage. Keep up the good work not telling people not to shop there. --Alex

Raymond, you say you don't see a difference between 3 days out of warranty and 15 days out. That's five times as much. Do you see a difference between 15 days out of warranty and 75 days out? Same scale. The 30 day warranty is there for a reason. If it breaks right away, they'll replace it. You have two options for breakages past 30 days. You can either buy the extended warranty, or deal with the manufacturer. You chose which one you wanted, and now you are being required to act under the consequences of that decision. Your (turned out to be) poor decision is not CC's problem. Fifteen days out of warranty may not sound like much, but when the warranty is only 30 days, it's half as much as the warranty itself. Would you expect a five year warranty you purchased to be good for seven and a half years? No, nobody would. So 30 days does not mean 45, either.

you paid $1,000 for an item - any item - and it malfunctioned after only 45 days. I am sure you would be looking for satisfaction. That is what I have been doing. I am sorry, I do not see any difference between 2 or 3 days and 15 days out of warranty. I worked for a major retailer for 7 years and believe me, to keep good customers we were forced by managers to bend the rules all the time. The point is Circuit City sold a defective item & refused to make it right. To make matters worse, my TV is still sitting in the shop waiting on the manufactirer, Polaroid, to ship repair parts. Polaroid keeps saying the parts are on "back order". I have been without this TV for a month and a half and it does not look like I will be getting it back anytime soon. Oscar, go ahead & shop at CC if you choose to and when you get burned, remember you were warned.

It seems to me that your complaints should be directed at Polaroid, not CC. I don't work for CC, have never worked for CC, pretty much don't especially even LIKE CC, but... Your complaints should be about the quality of the product you purchased, not the store you bought it from!

They shouldnt provide you the courtesy because they have the return policy clearly stated all over the store and on the receipt. If it was a day or two, then yes you have a good argument to demand a return, and most stores will be nice enough to do it for you. However, it was 15 DAYS past the 30 day policy. There's a big difference between 2 days and 2 weeks.

How about you minding your own business. What are you, a Circuit City manager or cronie? Explain to me, genius, how "following the store's policy" would have solved my problem? I still do not have my TV back after nearly 6 weeks. No one will ever convince me that Circuit City and most other retailers do not have exceptions to their "policies". To strong arm a customer the way CC has chosen to treat me is a formula for failure. I will never shop there again under any circumstance - period. A negative experience like mine can lead to a multitude of people just saying no to business who choose to be this rigid about returns on defective products. You are wrong, I have not tried to make up my own policy. I just expect the store to extend a courtesy in a case like mine. If a product malfunctions this quickly after the expiration of the so called "return period", the store should exchange the product or refund money regardless of whether an over-priced extended warranty was purchased or not. So Peter, get on your Pony and ride away.

How about "just follow the store's policy and you won't have any problem." 30 days means 30 days ... not 35, 45, or 100 days. If you want to be able to return the item past 30 days, purchase the EXTENDED warranty -- that is what it is for. If you're happy with 30, and ONLY 30, days, then decline the warranty just as you chose to do. Following the store's policy in this case would have solved your problem instantly. Making up your own policy that you would like the store to follow is not likely to have your desired results.

You are right, if I had known about the poor quality of Polaroid TV's, I certainly would not have chosen this set. The sad thing is I asked the Circuit City salesperson at the point of sale about the quality of the brand and he said they had no reports of any problems with Polaroid TV's. In his words, "I have sold a bunch of them and not one has been brought back." I guess not since CC will only take them back for 30 days after the sale. Polaroid sent an electronics repair tech to pick up the TV 3 weeks ago and I still don't have it back. The shop says that they haven't been able to get the necessary parts from Polaroid. Polaroid in turn tells me the parts have been "back-ordered" and they hope to have them shipped out in a week or so. I have been badly burned in this case. Youu live and learn, I guess. Please let this be a warning to anyone who considers purchasing anything from Circuit City or to anyone contemplating buying a Polaroid television. Just say NO!

You are right, if I had known about the poor quality of Polaroid TV's, I certainly would not have chosen this set. The sad thing is I asked the Circuit City salesperson at the point of sale about the quality of the brand and he said they had no reports of any problems with Polaroid TV's. In his words, "I have sold a bunch of them and not one has been brought back." I guess not since CC will only take them back for 30 days after the sale. Polaroid sent an electronics repair tech to pick up the TV 3 weeks ago and I still don't have it back. The shop says that they haven't been able to get the necessary parts from Polaroid. Polaroid in turn tells me the parts have been "back-ordered" and they hope to have them shipped out in a week or so. I have been badly burned in this case. Youu live and learn, I guess. Please let this be a warning to anyone who considers purchasing anything from Circuit City or to anyone contemplating buying a Polaroid television. Just say NO!

You are right, if I had known about the poor quality of Polaroid TV's, I certainly would not have chosen this set. The sad thing is I asked the Circuit City salesperson at the point of sale about the quality of the brand and he said they had no reports of any problems with Polaroid TV's. In his words, "I have sold a bunch of them and not one has been brought back." I guess not since CC will only take them back for 30 days after the sale. Polaroid sent an electronics repair tech to pick up the TV 3 weeks ago and I still don't have it back. The shop says that they haven't been able to get the necessary parts from Polaroid. Polaroid in turn tells me the parts have been "back-ordered" and they hope to have them shipped out in a week or so. I have been badly burned in this case. Youu live and learn, I guess. Please let this be a warning to anyone who considers purchasing anything from Circuit City or to anyone contemplating buying a Polaroid television. Just say NO!

You are right, if I had known about the poor quality of Polaroid TV's, I certainly would not have chosen this set. The sad thing is I asked the Circuit City salesperson at the point of sale about the quality of the brand and he said they had no reports of any problems with Polaroid TV's. In his words, "I have sold a bunch of them and not one has been brought back." I guess not since CC will only take them back for 30 days after the sale. Polaroid sent an electronics repair tech to pick up the TV 3 weeks ago and I still don't have it back. The shop says that they haven't been able to get the necessary parts from Polaroid. Polaroid in turn tells me the parts have been "back-ordered" and they hope to have them shipped out in a week or so. I have been badly burned in this case. Youu live and learn, I guess. Please let this be a warning to anyone who considers purchasing anything from Circuit City or to anyone contemplating buying a Polaroid television. Just say NO!

Unfortunately, some people do not realize how true the term "You get what you pay for." really is until they're a victim. Polaroid, TV wise, is not that great but it's cheap. Many employees know that certain brands are just not that great and have problems hence they really try to push the extended warranty. Yes it's good for their numbers, but if you were told how unrealiable the product was beforehand, you may have considered it a bit more. This happens quite a bit and Circuit City does have the policy for such occasion.

Polaroid should take care of this issue. There warrantys should cover an defect and given that it had only been a couple days they should honer that. Circuit city's return policy is only 30 days so it is out of their hands. Circuit citys warranty is actually one of the best in the business. I believe there is an article in Consumer reports that encourages consumers to purchase the citi advantage. The reason why the warranty price is so high. is that the likelyhood of the company having to replace that particular technology is so much higher than any tv is much higher. I purchased a sony tv from a circuit city and had the thing go out in a year. so the next time i bought one i purchased the warranty. Stick with polaroid. get what your owed and that is a new tv.