an honest thought about my latest big TV man-cave purchase
I thought for a long time about today’s post. As a blogger, we rave about products all the time and you can rarely find blog posts out there with negative reviews. I’d say a lot of bloggers including myself shy away from negative reviews out of fear of ruining a chance to work with a brand. A lot of bloggers make a living out of brand collaborations but I also feel like this could help someone and maybe even resolve my issue. If this post ever disappears then it’s because my issue was resolved and I was asked to take the blog post down in return. That’s how things work I guess.
So here it goes:
In June I bought my husband a 65″ LG TV (model 65UH6150 which gets really great reviews on Amazon for his man-cave as a surprise for Father’s Day and his birthday at Best Buy with the extra 2-year Geek Squad protection plan. I saved for a while to be able to get this TV for him.
(I’m still working on that space by the way and hope to update you guys on it soon when all the projects and drama are sorted out. It really ended up being not as easy as I had thought. )
See more of our basement by clicking HERE and HERE
Suddenly that big TV didn’t work anymore. There was no picture but we had sound at 4 month old. (Apparently, that problem isn’t all that rare which you can read HERE or HERE). I contacted Best Buy and they told me that they’d send a Geek Squad repair guy out 5 days later with a part to attempt to fix the TV which already didn’t make me all too happy. I don’t want to own a lemon that needs to get repaired after 4 months and I also don’t want to wait days and days to get it fixed. So when the repair guy attempted to fix the TV, the part didn’t fix the issue and he informed us that he had to order an entire new 65″ screen from LG to try to fix it. Not a new TV, just the darn huge screen. That new screen and appointment would require us to wait another 1.5 weeks for someone to try to fix it. I think that’s what sent me and my husband over the edge. I called Best Buy several times, I called LG and then I took it to Twitter and Facebook.
And you can see the faux fiddle leaf fig tree I mentioned in last Friday’s post (click HERE)
Best Buy is telling me that all they can do with the Geek Squad plan is to attempt to fix the TV and if I’d want the TV replaced then only LG can replace that TV for me under their manufacturer’s warranty. I want to buy from a store/company that stands behind their brands and products and should a problem arise they’d take it back and give me a new one and then start dealing with that product company themselves and not make the customer call around to get it replaced. In my opinion, it’s their job. That’s what good customer service would be. “Oh sorry you have a crappy TV from a crappy company but there is nothing we can do for you besides trying to fix it.” isn’t cutting it in regard to customer service.
For example, years ago I bought a sofa from a local store that was faulty and they dealt with the brand and gave me a new sofa. But they also asked me to pick from a different brand because they were afraid it would happen again. That’s customer service!
The repair appointments requires people to be at home at times that are convenient to the seller or product company, not the actual customer which infuriates me.
And also how is replacing an entire 65″ screen beneficial to the customer or the company? The screens are very expensive and paying a repair service to handle it and try to repair it is expensive too. (Remember the consumer affairs review I mentioned above? It’s apparently a big problem! Click HERE)
I don’t want the TV repaired! I want a new functioning TV that wasn’t opened numerous times by a repair guy! I want one that starts with another fresh 1-year warranty or simply my money back. They have refused to just give me my money back which would be the best-case scenario!
LG told me that in order to get a TV replacement they’d have to send someone from their company (customer service repair guy) out to try to repair the TV or evaluate the TV should it be unrepairable. But guess what? They don’t have a location close to us, so now they sent a third-party repair service out who isn’t really authorized to make the decision. The repair guy, who ended up being super sweet by the way when he finally came to our house yesterday, will submit a replacement request now to LG after I told him my dilemma. That will take a while again now and of course, doesn’t guarantee anything. (UPDATE: LG just direct messaged me on Twitter again: “The technician is ordering a new panel (screen) for your unit today and will contact you to schedule the repair.” They are completely ignoring requests. It’s infuriating! That was followed by “Julia, unfortunately, we have to complete the repair. We are not able to offer a refund/replacement unit at this time.”)
I tweeted and wrote on Facebook and those actions lead to a conversation with someone from Best Buy that finally lead to several phone calls from a “Senior Customer Experience Champion” (what a title) from Best Buy Enterprise Customer Care who couldn’t promise me anything but he’d try his best to work with me. He’d try to call my local store and see what they could offer me… Only to find out later that they even had a meeting about my issue. Lucky me! And at this time they can only offer me the repair because they need to stick to their policies and they are giving me what they promise with their Geek Squad Protection Plan. They can’t just give in to me because then everyone would want that and that’s not possible.
The moral of the story is that Best Buy will NOT replace a TV no matter what and you have to go through the hassle yourself with the actual product company should you still try to get that replacement. Best Buy only tries to repair the TV should you have the “great” Geek Squad protection plan. And if you don’t purchase the Geek Squad protection plan… well then there is nothing they will do for you under the manufacturer’s warranty. You are on your own folks. Great isn’t it?
And LG will also try to repair the TV numerous times before possibly replacing it. Whatever happened to companies replacing the bad product right away, repairing it, and then re-selling it as a refurbished product? I could actually name a company who does just that!
I just found out that LG repaired my husband’s cousin’s LG washer 5 times before finally agreeing to give her a product credit for a new one. 5 times of having to make a service appointment and not being able to wash your stuff.
Both LG and Best Buy give you the reply of it not being “standard procedure” and how things are done but that would be called good customer service which this clearly isn’t. It’s time to change your policies.
Who actually has time to be home numerous times during the week in a broad time window so a new product that shouldn’t be broken in the first place can be repaired? Most people don’t!
Which brings me back to this lovely ad on the Best Buy website:
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“If your covered product stops working, simply bring it to a Best Buy store and you’ll walk out with a replacement. Because bad luck deserves good coverage.”
What a lovely statement isn’t it? We did have bad luck but nobody really cares since it’s a TV which this doesn’t apply to. So be aware of that.
Our anger pillow is oh-so fitting now, unfortunately!
Oh, and I recently received this in my email inbox:
No thanks to that. Are you kidding me? Hassle-free Repair Process!!!
How do you handle situations like this? Would you want a replacement, your money back or would you be happy with the fixing attempts? I’m scared of this happening again. At this point just getting my money back so we can all head our separate ways would be a wonderful solution.
Tschüß
such a shame that you are having to deal with this! and shame on the false advertising!
Well the TV isn’t in the photo 😉 so it’s not false just misleading and lame. And I’m off to spend another day on the phone with people about this and waste some time. I don’t even want another LG TV anymore.
It’s ridiculous the hoops you have to jump through and the lengths you have to go to to have a company do what they promise. Don’t give up.
Ugh I know!
How frustrating! I can’t believe this is even an issue. If a TV breaks when it’s under manufactures warranty, it should be replaced. Seems like common sense. I’m sorry that both companies are showing a complete disregard to you and your time. Such an awful response to their customers. Thank you for being honest and sharing this terrible experience.
It does seem like common sense.
Based on that ad, I would TOTALLY expect them to stand behind their products! I do think it’s pretty misleading – especially since you bought the extra coverage expecting to NOT have to go through this hassle! So frustrating and I’m so sorry you have to deal with all this, Julia!
thanks Brynne, I just want to go operate ways at this point
If you paid with a credit card, call your credit card company. They will usually stand behind the consumer. ????
I don’t know if they’d help.
Oh this is utterly ridiculous! No wonder you are so frustrated. Totally agree that if a TV is not working after 4 months, you should just get a replacement. I agree your credit card company should be able to help if you bought it on one! Good luck and hope you get your NEW TV soon! xx
Thanks Kimberly
That is ridiculous! The TV should have been replaced from the get-go. I would have lugged it back there. We need a twitter post link so we can retweet! We’ll get ’em Julia!
I’m no stranger to bad customer service as well as good customer service, but it sure takes diligence on the part of the consumer. In my state there is sort of a lemon law type thing that goes like this……. the first time the product needs to be repaired it is at the option of the seller to decide to offer repair, replacement or refund. If the retailer decides to repair, and it can’t be fixed, then the second time the consumer gets to choose! Last year I had to use that information regarding a couch.
That’s interesting. At least a couch is still usable with minor defects and you can still use it while waiting around for repairs. TV isn’t useable at all.
I would be furious! The warranty should cover replacement after 4 months. Honest reviews are appreciated. This would make me think twice about shopping st Best Buy’s or buying LG products. Good information!
Nope this was their recent Twitter message to me: “Unfortunately, we do not have that repair on file. The warranty is for service of the unit and we do offer other solutions if the unit is deemed unrepairable.”
It’s such a shame to have to deal with this irresponsible attitude on their part. I hope you can get it resolved. And I’ll share this on fb.
Thanks Mary!
So infuriating! Sometimes it helps to cc the Better Business Bureau on anything you might send in writing (and actually send it to them, of course.)
I would want a new product or my money back. I totally feel your frustration.
I have a feeling this will go on and on.
My daughter recently needed a new lap top and wanted to go to Best Buy. My husband said “No, I don’t shop there”. It’s reasons like this. I’m not sure if they still have a “restocking fee” on returns but they used to. What a hassle. Hopefully you’ll get this resolved.
Interesting Sandy! I’m sure your husband has his own story to tell about this.
We bought our LG 55″ flat screen on Amazon and DirecTV came out and hooked it up to one of their digi receivers and we love. As for the Geek Squad, they are expensive and worthless!
I meant that we love it!
Oh believe me we loved it too while it was working.
I would be seeing RED. I had problems with kitchen cabinets that were not installed correctly from Lowes and I paid for them on a credit card. Lowes was not fixing my problems so I wrote a letter to the credit card company and I stopped paying until it was fixed. That got their attention.
That’s when a payment plan comes in handy I guess but the TV is paid for already. 🙁
This actually re-ignited my fury over the same situation! The only way we returned our original TV was we upgraded to a better model when we returned the broken one, along with having “heated discussions” with managers, etc. I have to remember to not buy tv’s at Best Buy for this reason. And FYI, I fully expected them to do what you expected…return my tv, give me a new one, and Best Buy works it out with the brand. My husband just bought a tv at Costco near our vacation home and hooked it up himself – no more “Best” Buy!
I asked the guy on the phone yesterday why they put so much energy and effort into fighting with people. It’s ridiculous. And I know I’m not the only one. They have an awful reputation and don’t appear to care whatsoever. I was stupid enough to buy from them.
ugh…so frustrating! I wonder if they handle things the same way when it’s something even more inconvenient to live without, like a refrigerator or a dishwasher….I’m going to make sure I don’t find out after reading about your experience!
Yup they are the same way when it comes to a washer for example. My husband’s cousin messaged me yesterday after reading my post. They repaired her LG washer 5 times before finally agreeing to give her a product credit. And she hated having to get another one from their line. What a hassle that is when you need to wash your stuff!
What a mess! The repair expectaions would bother me the most (obviosuly behind the broke tv so soon). Not everyone can sit around in hopes that the repair “appointment” will actually take place in a four hour (or more) time frame. Someone close to me is going through something similar with their furnace even after researching the products and reviews. I wish you the best Julia!
Yeah I don’t think anyone should have to deal with this so soon after buying something so expensive.
MAN. I can totally relate. Although it’s not at the $$$ level of your purchase my son (a teenager) bought some specialty electronics hardware at BestBuy and he took the devices there to make sure it would work…segue to the next day when he tried to return said hardware and was told he would be charged a “restocking” fee! Ugh. I’ve heard more complaints about Best Buy than any other company! We bought our TV a couple years ago from Costco and when our remote quit working they helped us get a new one! Plus, their return policies are great…you just give them your Costco card at the return desk and they verify everything … don’t really need a receipt! Love them. Our TV is a Vizio and we’ve had great picture, clarity and performance for more than two years.
All I can say is GO GET THEM Julia
I’ve heard about the ridiculous “restocking fee” Another way of really pissing off customers, right?
I recommend writing to the President or Chairman of the Board of BOTH of these companies: Best Buy and LG describing your problem and the non-response you’ve received. Make sure you tell them you are a blogger with a subscriber ship of ?????????? readers. That may stir them up a bit or a lot, hopefully! I feel your pain and I’ve had a lot of success dealing directly with the top guys at companies. So, good luck!
They aren’t really phased at all by the fact that I’m a blogger. They could care less. I know I’m a nobody to them and that’s how they make you feel.
One piece of advice I’d give is to purchase something like this on an Amex. They have a fantastic customer service policy that deals directly with this type of issue. We had something very similar happen with a TV, but about 2 years after we purchased. We fell under the time limit of the amex warranty, and they gave us a credit for the cost of tv. We had to take it into a repair shop, get a quote etc, but ultimately they opted for replacement cost versus the repair. (disclaimer, it’s been a few years since we had our issue, so I’m not sure if all of the policies are still the same, but it’s worth looking into.)
In terms of repair versus replacement- typically you have to establish a pattern of issues requiring repairs before someone is willing to replace as a lemon. It doesn’t make it any less frustrating, it sadly just is the way things seem to work. We’ve been down that road before too.
I’ll look into that! Thanks!
After buying an LG Fridge- we will never ever buy any LG again. they do not stand behind their products whatsoever.
we’ve had multiple problems with it and now after purchasing it we finally saw all the negative reviews about this company. Sorry:(
I feel like they are basically saying: “sucks for you that you bought our crappy product and all we can do for you is repair it…”
I save every single box for one year… with the receipt taped inside it. If a product breaks, I put it back in the box and haul it up to the store. I don’t care how big the product is. It’s worth my time to get it up there in front of them and make a big scene so all their customers can see how they respond. Good luck! I should probably go clean out my attic now.
Wow I wish I’d have room for that. My attic is already full. It’s a great idea though
Buy a new one and return the same day with the old one inside. Yes, it’s a little shady, but they can just write that right off.
Yeah I thought about that but the serial number will cause a problem. Such a bummer
Wow, this is some serious bullsh*t. I would be raging, steaming, boiling mad about this … actually, I am. I’m mad for you! That sounds like false advertising and I would continue to fight for a replacement. I think I would even consider consulting a lawyer at this point. Because think of how much time and inconvenience you have had to go through with all of this repair BS.
I would never put a customer through this. Companies get so big and then just treat customers like crap. Ugh. I’m so sorry.
Legally they have their side covered. I mean if we consumers are so stupid not to read everything and all the fine print! That’s how I feel, stupid! And I was told yesterday they are sticking to their policies because they are giving me the repair like they say they will. They can;t just give in to me, that would mean they’d have to give in to all the other upset customers too.
Giving in to all the upset customers and coming up with new customer service policies would mean good customer service. They can’t do that. They’ll probably end up going out of business anyways with their practices and all of us idiots who bought the protection plan are out of money.
This got everyone’s blood boiling! Considering the kind of business Best Buy does this is truly disgusting customer service. How shameful of them to not just replace the tv after 4 months!!!!!! Hope it gets resolved soon Julia!
And out of those 4 months, I was gone on my trip to Germany for 5 weeks. So the TV barely got used. We don’t spend time in the basement in the summer. So it had the most minimal use.
They aren’t resolving anything after their important customer care meeting about me yesterday. They have to stick to their policy of repairs only, no replacements!
Ridiculous! I can only hope that this post gets some good traffic now. Maybe I should make a nice pinable graphic so the post can make it’s rounds on Pinterest.
Good luck to you in getting this resolved. I certainly thought better of Best Buy than this. Shame on them! This is horrible customer service and don’t even get me started on LG
Oh you are another LG hater!?!?! There are so many of us.
Liebe Julia,
so etwas ist wirklich sehr ärgerlich. Wir haben positive und negative Erfahrungen gemacht bei verschiedenen Anbietern und versuchen hauptsächlich dort einzukaufen, wo wir wissen, dass Reklamationen kundenfreundlich bearbeitet werden. Auch wenn es dort vielleicht (!) teurer ist.
Lass dir davon nicht die Laune verderben!
Ganz liebe Grüße aus Hamburg von Alex aka Klarajakob bei Instagram
Oh hallo Alex! Ja meistens ist es besser etwas mehr zu bezahlen für guten Kundenservice. Für mich ist das seid 20 Jahren Apple. Die haben hier in den USA den besten Kundenservice. Ich war einmal in Deutschland bei denen und das war ganz anders. Da war ich voll enttäuscht. Ist nicht überall gleich.
Hatte wirklich gedacht LG wäre besser. So eine Enttäuschung 🙁
I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I would want replacement or money back. I want to pm you and give you some hints. DO NOT give up and accept that nothing can be done.
Thanks Debbie
Does your local tv station have a consumer service segment, where they contact companies for you? They can be quite effective. Negative reviews on television may get their attention. You may also want to bring to the station’s attention the apparent false advertising.
Usually I go for money back! Especially if it has a main part broken. Don’t you have a local consuumer bureau to fill a complain?
I agree with you, Julia. Best Buy should replace your T V and then deal with LG.
I hope this issue is resolved soon.
I’m SO sorry you’re dealing with this – no one should! I hope it gets resolved asap and the businesses involved make it right! xoxo
Do you have a consumer news person on a local news channel. I live in Washington State. and we have Jesse Jones. And he is good. People are always writing to him. I would look into your news consumer person for help
My husband worked at Best Buy for a couple months while he was in college. He told everyone who came in to buy TV’s at Costco down the road. They are always cheaper, and Costco has a much better reputation and guarantee. I never shop there.
I wish I would have known 😉
I bought my first laptop (Toshiba) for college from Best Buy. After one month, I got the blue screen of death. I couldn’t use it and had to send it away to get fixed. They wouldn’t replace it. I had lab reports and homework that needed to be done. After they opened it up to fix it, it was never the same. I believe I got a few more blue screens when I had the laptop. I had some other issues with it overheating. Geek squad fixed it once and after that I had to send it away to Toshiba to get it fixed. Best Buy and Toshiba always refused to replace my laptop with a new one. I was dumb enough to buy another laptop from Best Buy. It sh*t the bed after 3 years. Never again will I buy from BB. I feel your pain!
Wow. How sad. Thank you for sharing your experience. I certainly hope you get the issue resolved very soon. When we bought our first flat screen a number of years ago, we bought it (Samsung) from Sam’s Club. It was a decent TV for a (then) great price. After 2 weeks we noticed a horizontal red line right through the middle of the screen. When I called the store, the guy told me that, sure I could bring it back, return it and then re-buy it, at the REGULAR price, which was $400 more than what we had initially purchased it for. I was too upset to even deal with it. My husband called back and got the store manager this time. Turns out the guy who had told us we had to buy it for regular price was some young kid who had no idea what he was talking about. We received our replacement without further hassle. The one issue you might run into with places like Sam’s or Costco is that they may not have those models for very long, but I suppose you could have the same problem anywhere. Good luck resolving your problem.
Btw, I heard that Samsung also has horrible customer service.
Thanks for the warning. Sorry you have this major problem to deal with!