television problems

Stheno

Hi everyone

Apologies if this is not the correct forum, but I have a question about a tv which we bought six weeks ago.

It's a Thomson 28" widescreen tv.

Since we got it, we have had constant problems with the channels tuning themselves out. Now we only use the av sockets, as we have sky, but once it tunes out, it only recognises one av socket and leaves a no video signal and has to be retuned.

that was tolerable, but last friday week, I came home and tried to get it out of standby. When it is in standby, the red light is on indicating this and when you switch if on the red light goes off, before you can then use the remote control.

Last Friday week, I could not get the standby light to go off, I switched off the t.v., unplugged it, tried it in several different sockets over a period of three hours, tried four different scart sockets, all to no avail. I then plugged another tv into the same setup and it was fine.

The next day we took the tv back to the shop, we had been there two weeks previously but due to family illness had not been able to return with the tv.

I explained all of our problems to the store manager, who offered a credit note for the tv. he then tested the issue with the channels tuning out and rang two hours later to inform me there was no problem with the tv. I asked him about the problems with the tv not coming out of standby and he advised me he had switched it on and off eight times and had no problems.

So the following friday (store hours are quite bad and we work several hours from home) the the tv came back . That was last Friday and all was well until last night, when the tv had been in and out of standby for five days (we rarely actually switch the tv off). I came home and could not get the tv out of standby. I unplugged it and left it for twenty minutes, and switched it back on and it worked fine.

Then an hour later the sound went on the tv and a couple of minutes later the tv went into standby. Unplugged it again, and gave it five minutes, no joy. Eventually after leaving it unplugged for 20 minutes it came back on.

Then an hour later again, sound went, and the tv went into standby, this was at 5 to 11 and after trying again for half an hour of leaving the tv unplugged we gave up and went to bed, leaving it unplugged

Voila this morning it works fine.

As this is an intermittent problem, the store manager has more or less said that he does not believe we are having this problem and I am now stuck with a tv which does not work correctly, and no way of proving this.

Has anyone come across anything like this before and have any suggestions? To me it seems almost as if after a certain period of time being on and/or in standby the tv seems to freeze and will not come on. Another thing we have noticed is that when this happens and we unplug the tv the light takes about five seconds to go out.

Any help or advise appreciated.

Thanks

Avns1s

You've got a dud. Bring it back. Get a camcorder and take a few minutes of video of you trying to get around the problems if he doesn't believe.

Stheno

been there, done that, he refuses to accept it and will not now take it back.

thanks for the reply, i have been thinking it's a dud.

I was thinking of ringing thomson direct and talking to them.

Avns1s

Tell him about your rights as a consumer and that his goods are not up to the purpose for which they were intended and as such you are entitles to a refund, not just a credit note or a replacement tv AFAIK. Tell him you will have no option but to take it further. Politely of course!

Raytown Rocks

Bring it back man, you have rights. There is no way you can put up with that for the rest of your life ( or untill the T.v finally gives up the ghost).
Explain again that its intermittent, and that you want a new t.v.
Good idea on the camcorder Avns1s, this could come in handy.
Im sure there is a website out there that cover consumers rights, and some cleverer individual will point you in the right direction.

BRING IT BACK,GET A NEW ONE D'ONT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

chef
EDIT, onlt saw your reply now nouggatti, that guy is taking the p**s, if the tv is not of merchantable quality he must change it.

Stheno

Hmm Rang and spoke to them, the tv is going to the repair centre to be tested/serviced.

Apparently they won't do anything until they have established a "history" of problems and he refused to actually discuss replacement or refund

I have already told him I've talked to the Office of the Director of consumer affairs, if the tv comes back and does not work, then I will quote the relevant act to him and suggest we meet in the small claims court.

The Hill Billy

The lads & lassies in Biz > Consumer Issues can help you with this.

byte

AFAIK, because the TV is over a month old, the retailer has a right to repair or replace first.

The fault sounds something like a corrupt memory though of course it could be any number of faults.

di11on

Wow.. so if the problem persists for a month and the retailer has got away without issuing a refund, then you loose your right to a refund?

So all a retailer has to do to make sure he pockets your money for keeps is to keep fobbing you off with bogus excuses for a month?

How is that suppose to work?

- Consumer: Telly doesn't work
- Retailer: Oh yes it does, I tested it and it worked just fine
- Consumer: It doesn't work, it keeps turning off... etc. etc..
- Retailer: I tested it, its fine, I don't believe you
- Consumer: I want a refund
- Retailer: You can't have one

etc etc etc for a month. Then after the month, you don't have the right to a refund any more?

Lesson: At the remotest indication of any trouble, play hardball from the outset. Telly doesn't work, I'm not leaving this store till you give me a refund.