Dead Pixels

[disturbed]

i think that it depends where you buy it - if its a local store, i think they would replace your monitor no matter what - if its an internet based store you bought the monitor at  - they might be a bit stricter

[dlewis23]

i think that it depends where you buy it - if its a local store, i think they would replace your monitor no matter what - if its an internet based store you bought the monitor at  - they might be a bit stricter

any store will replace it if its within the time stated in there return policy.

[Guest philp]

BestBuy's return policy is 14 days on monitors.

"30-day Return Period

We accept returns or exchanges 30 days from the original purchase.

14-day Return Period

We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors."

[destructionfever]

What can I say guys? You all have been wonderful. But when it comes down to it...I never have the right words come out to stand up for myself. I called again and no use with westinghouse. It literally is a tiny dot on the upper right hand corner of the screen. I am still under factory warranty, but if I take it to best buy and say to hell with it...what do you think my chances are that they will give me a replacement? What I gather from most of you that they are screwing me hard considering what I paid. I think the factory warranty is very vague since I can't tell how many pixels are burnt out. The guy at westinghouse told me that six pixels is about the size of an eraser on a pencil. He could be lying to shut me up and save westinghouse $ on a replacement TV or repairs. Then if I tell bestbuy...they offered geeksquad to come to my house and take a look at it...but if geeksquad thinks that the problem isn't important enough then they charge 100-200 dollars. Therefore, I felt bullied into shutting up. Some advice as to wether I should take it to bestbuy or give up would be awesome. If it was only a couple hundred dollars I was spending I would've dropped it already. But because of the price/quality monitor I paid for...it now bugs the shit outta me when I turn that TV on and see the pink dot! I know it seems as though I rambled and I'm sorry for that. Judging by your posts you guys care more than the customer service at any of these places. I thanyou for that. Also, if you think I should take the TV in...I'm a newb at this stuff, so advice on what to box/wrap the LCD in for the trip to the store would be nice.

[tommie gorman]

destructionfever any and all or none of the original packaging would help. Just take it to customer service and start from there. Do you know anybody with a Big mouth that can yell for you, maybe your wife or a close relative? Someone that cares enough.

As I told an insurance adjuster one time that wanted partial pieces of plywood replaced on a customers house (for roofing). I asked him if I could come over and do the same type of job on his house? He replied no. And paid for full sheet replacement. Yeah he wanted me to cut plywood into strips to replace rotten plywood!

Just ask them if they would put up with this at their own house. Not the flunky, but a supervisor. As I am sure the flunkies are trained to only save the store money. Always talk to a super since they are the only ones able to make real life judgment's. All the way up to store manager if necessary.

Polite is fine, but do not take a no, without saying "That is not acceptable, may I talk to your boss?" Of course they will take that bad, but to bad. "I want to speak to your boss".

This may beyond what you want to do, but I will ask for the district managers office number if necessary. I can be brutal, if I am thinking how much work and savings I had to do just to earn this particular item. 

By the way, the first time you should be expected to be somewhat nervous. That is ok. That maybe what helps you through it. Just stand firm. And don't back down. 

[cholla]

tommie & me have used pretty much the same technic.& agree either you need to be a hard ass or take someone with you that will.

Let me tell you of a couple of stories of making Walmart honor a warranty.Theey are not as good as when Sam Walton was alive,I have returned two different water faucets that had life time warranties.These were in the Popular mechanics line that Walmart more or less owned at one time.These warranties say "Return to the Walmart store."But at Walmart the first thing they tell you is faucets have a factory warranty & you have to return them to the factory.They didn't much like it when I showed them the fine print that said return to the store.

I had to get an upper level manager to warranty it.The middle one even accused me of printing a fake Walmart receipt.because it was 8 years old & he hadn't seen one like that.Needless to say it was the real original.I got the faucet warranteed.

The second faucet was for my mother.Same type warranty.They wanted me to pay the difference between the receipt price & the new faucet.I said the warranty says replacement.They would not do it& it was at night so no upper management was in the store.

I did what tommie said & told them this was not acceptable because I needed it that night.So I went to Builders Square & bought a new comparable one.The next day I went to Walmart with the old faucet & the receipt for the new one I bought at Builders Square.When I left Walmart I had the money I spent on the new one from Walmart.

One of the few things I wasn't sucessful on was a waterbed with a defective vibrator unit.The couldn't get me a replacement in less than a month.I said I haven't even unpacked most of it yet .I was just checking out the electrical stuff before I got started.The store manager had already dialed the police before I left. That was back in my younger days & I did threaten to kick his ass if he didn't refund my money.

I carried it as far as picketing the store for two weekends after but no refund that time.

btw the store was out of business by the end of the year so I guess I wasn't the only dissatisfied customer.

[Guest philp]

.......a waterbed with a defective vibrator unit.

   

I.......don't know what to say, cholla.     

[cholla]

I built my waterbed as an off the floor one in 1979.Back when most were on a short pedestal at best & a lot were on the floor with a frame.I designed my own support frame.It is still solid & in use.So if you needed some massage after a hard day the vibrator really relaxed the muscles.I never saw anyone this wouldn't put to sleep regardless of the fact it was noisy.

The cheap POS only lasted about a year.The one I replaced it with is much quieter it cane out of a vibrating recliner & is 2 units that look like small motors.These have worked for many years now.

The first one was for lack of a better description a buzz solenoid.This one did have a timer & variable speed.

On the recliner one if I had gotten another rheostat I could have controlled the speed on each vibrator separately.

[MUff1N]

Just reading what you've been going thought trying to return a defective LCD Monitor is just pissing me right off...There is NO WAY I would put up with that and Demand that I have it replaced with a New one...You paid for it & the Warranty...Get what you paid for!!!

I wouldn't take No for an answer Period!!!

[cholla]

Sorry we got off topic on this but the general opinion is what MUff!N  said in a few words.

[tommie gorman]

I went and had a truck inspected one time ant the mechanic wrote up 2 pages on my old pickup. I said no way. So I went home and got my ElCamino which I knew was in pretty good shape, and they returned with 3/4 of a page. This really pissed me off.   So I took them to a different shop, and they received 1/3 as many bad points. Fixed the items and got them both passed. 

So I went back to the old shop and asked to speak to the shop manager. I asked him why his mech's were such buttheads and just who in the hell taught them to be this way. He replied he did. Well by time I was done with him and warning him I would go to the State Patrol and have them investigated, "Guess what" I got my money back on the 2 inspections his shop had done. And I never went back, and told everybody I knew in that small town how piss poor the service was. They were closed in less than a year. 

They were failing cars just for the shop work, and they were outragous. 

[cholla]

It just shows us hard ass customers who know we're right can put someone out of business.

Probably not a national business like Best Buy.Just don't let them tell you it's all between you & Westinghouse.They have more clout with Westinghouse than you do.& keep reminding them That THEY (Best Buy) bought the monitor from Westinghouse & you bought it from them.Even if it came with a warranty.And that makes it their responsibility to see that Westinghouse honors the warranty.

It all comes down to any defect even 1 pixel makes it not the way it's supposed to be.I would also tell them that this is an indication something is wrong & probably more bad pixels will be showing up.So you want to get it fixed while it's still under warranty.

One more thing once you get it warrantied make sure your warranty starts new again with the new monitor .Sometimes the try to slide on that.The new unit should have a full warrany of the same legnth as the first one.

[tommie gorman]

Like you cholla, I am not sure if I was the deciding factor. And they were a sub Goodyear dealer.(they subbed their work with the name)

One rule of business that all successful business's know is that for every bad word, it takes 10 good words to rule it out.

They want you to be happy.

Another one I had was I was purchasing some window glass, I asked the person if I could get it wrapped with a sheet of paper because it makes the glass much safer to handle. They responded that they did not have anything to wrap it with. I ended up breaking  the glass at a store I went to next and getting cut in the process. I went back to the store and drove down the alley behind the store. There was a stack of boxes at least 15' high. Well this thoroughly pissed me off. I went back in and presented the broken glass. I also took one of the employees out back to show him the stack of boxes with which they could have wrapped the glass in. He showed no concern or remorse. I went back in the morning to talk to the store manager, same responce. Well they are no longer in business either.

Did I do this? We will never know. But I feel much better. 

[cholla]

tommie;Heres a hint for carrying glass either do this yourself or have the place that cuts it do it.ptu masking tape around the edge.Stick at about half the tape width & fold it over.A second layer doesn't hurt.Then Like you wanted a later of cardboard reall helps protect you & the glass.Good leather gloves are good to have when handling glass also.

[tommie gorman]

That was about 20 years ago, but thanks cholla. I am much more careful now.