I purchased a Polaroid LCD HDTV from the Circuit City location in Montgomery, Alabama on April 14. I also purchased an expensive signal booster and Monster Cables for the set at the suggestion of the salesperson. He also attempted to sell me an extended warranty. When I told him I did not want the warranty, he was visibly upset and aggravated and his friendliness towards me, the customer, came to a sudden halt. He mumbled something to the effect that I would be sorry that I did not purchase the extended warranty.
I took the TV home and we enjoyed it for approximately 45 days until on June 2, it stopped working. The TV would not come on at all. I checked to make sure power was getting to the set and it was, so the problem was with the TV itself. I contacted the Montgomery, Alabama Circuit City store where I purchased the TV and the person I spoke with on the telephone said that since I did not purchase an extended warranty, I would have to contact the manufacturer, Polaroid, for warranty service since it had been more than 30 days since the sale.
I then spoke with Polaroid and they took my information and told me it would be up to 5 business days before a technical person at Polaroid could contact me concerning the TV repair.
Next, I spoke with a man at Circuit City's home office (1-800-251-2665) and he got the Montgomery store manager on the telephone. The store manager said since it had been more than 30 days since purchase, she could not exchange the TV and I would have to get Polaroid to fix it. I told her since it was only approximately 15 days since Circuit City's return cutoff, I felt that Circuit City should exchange the set for me. She said if I had purchased the extended warranty, then she could help me. I told her some consideration should be given to the customer especially since this expensive TV only lasted only a month and a half before it malfunctioned. I told her I would never purchase anything else from Circuit City if they continued to hide behind their 30 day return policy. She said that if she exchanged the TV, she would be cutting her legs off. I responded to that by saying, I guess then Circuit City cuts the legs off its customers instead.
The store manager said she would call the manufacturer, Polaroid, and see if they could speed up the process. She told me to call her back later that day to see what Polaroid said. I called the store manager later that afternoon and she said she had not had time to call Polaroid because she had been interviewing job applicants! She said she would call Polaroid later and then call me back.
Not being satisfied with that response, I spoke with a lady at Circuit City's home office and she called Polaroid. Polaroid told her they were backed up and it could be as much as 5 business days before they called me back and then it could be up to 2 weeks before they could send someone to fix the TV.
I feel caught in the middle between a retailer who is hiding behind a rigid return policy and a manufacturer who has little motivation to help the consumer. My family and I are the ones who are suffering the loss of use of this expensive, defective product. We have now been without the TV for nearly four weeks. When and if the TV is eventually repaired, I will then have a used, repaired set. This is totally unacceptable to me.
Circuit City discriminates against customers who choose not to buy their overpriced extended warranties. The local store manager readily admitted that they would have taken care of the problem on the spot if I had purchased the extra warranty. The remedy I am looking for is for Circuit City to either replace this defective, expensive TV that I have owned only for a short time with a brand new one or to totally refund my money.
Please avoid Circuit City at all costs when shopping for electronics.
Raymond
Deatsville, Alabama
U.S.A.
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