Faulty 4 year old TV

hdaze

Hi, I have a Panasonic TV model TH-50PZ81B. about Nov/Dec 2012 it developed an intermittent fault where the sound and all external inputs such as HDMI's fail. It is 4 years old and cost £1200 new. I have no receipts from the online retailer, and not sure who it was anyway, I cannot find my Credit Card statement that may have the purchase on it. Can someone advise me if its worth pursuing through The Sale of Goods Act as it not being fit for purpose having only lasted 4 years. I have tried to get it repaired through a local repairer with Panansonic actually being sent the faulty board, but returning as No Fault Found and refusing to refund the repair costs as well. I simply want a working TV.
Thanks in advance

molerat

Maybe but who are you going to pursue. Any redress is against the retailer. The credit card, who could also be held responsible under S75, may be able to supply you with a copy statement but you will have to pay for it. You will also need an independent report showing that the fault is inherent but your present repair shop are not doing too good a job of identifying what is wrong with it are they. Maybe google to see if the fault is common and go from there. Panasonic have no responsibility to do anything for you.

hdaze

Well looks like I've no choice....new TV it is. My repair shop did identify the main board as the culprit but there are no new ones so a repair was neccessary, it's just Panasonic are not seeing the faulty condition, as it is intermittent. Thanks for your reply.

yangptangkipperbang

hdaze wrote: »

The Sale of Goods Act as it not being fit for purpose having only lasted 4 years.

Why do you say that ? - how much has the TV been used/misused in that 4 years ? could you PROVE your assertion in Court ?

bris

No chance on this one, 4 years for a tv these days is good going.

gb12345

hdaze wrote: »

My repair shop did identify the main board as the culprit but there are no new ones so a repair was neccessary, it's just Panasonic are not seeing the faulty condition, as it is intermittent. Thanks for your reply.

There might be no new ones - but there seem to be plenty of suppliers that have spares for that model of TV

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=TH-50PZ81B+spares&oq=TH-50PZ81B+spares&gs_l=hp.3...902.5038.0.5345.8.8.0.0.0.0.140.928.1j7.8.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.5.psy-ab.6-1_u76CbIg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.43287494,d.ZWU&fp=3fe8463959a88f3d&biw=1366&bih=705

The 2nd site in the results for example appear to have board.

They will likely be reclaimed from other sets, but spending 20 or 30 quid to try and fix the problem is going to be better than shelling out for a new TV.

hdaze

Thanks all for your replies. The TV has been used nearly every day probably a good 8hrs a day on average, for 4 years. I don't think that is excessive but could be wrong.
I think I will speak to my repairer to see if we can purchase a replacement board, although the ones I see in the link look like the main power board, which causes start up issuses on that model with the standby LED flashing red numerous times, and not the main processing board, but I'll have a good look.

vyle

Did you always leave it on standby, or frequently do a full power-down?

yangptangkipperbang

Your TV has logged up at least 12000 hrs ("a good 8hrs a day"). What you consider to be not excessive may not tally with Mr Panasonic's design life for your TV.
My (Panny) hasn't done a fraction of that in 5 years.

What does tend to mislead the consumer is the manufacturers claiming that their Plasma/LED/LCD SCREEN will last for a million years or so (probably with some justification) - but it isn't the screen that fails most often. It is usually something related to the power supplies, which is very difficult to give an expected life for, due to many external factors that the manufacturers have no control over. Surges in your house's mains supply, your kids rapidly switching the TV on and off when they are argiung over who watches what.

When you do get a new TV get it from John Lewis with a 5 yr guarantee