Comet repairs - Advice needed

Wadders

Hi all I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on a problem I am having. I purchased a JVC camcorder from Comet in 2004 and purchased the extended insurance which covers it until September this year. The camcorder worked fine for a long time but I started having problems with it at the end of May this year, the first problem was the part where you put the tape in was jamming and the camcorder kept telling me to take the battery off and reattach nearly every time I used it.

Comet sent it away for repairs but when I got it back and I tried to use it the tapes I was trying to playback were jumping and the sound was cutting out, I tested the tapes in my mums camcorder and they worked fine (I tested 5 all of which didn't work in mine and all worked in my mums, they worked prior to the repair too) so again I took it in, I had already missed the chance to record my daughters birthday party the first time it went in for repair and the second time meant I couldn't take it on our family holiday so thats was more recording time lost.

I picked the camcorder up today and the problem is still there along with a new one, the tape deck is playing up again. On the repairs report it just says they have "tested unit on record and playback, works fine" but this is clearly not the case. I called comet who said the only thing they can do is send it away for repairs again, my worry is that my insurance cover will run out before the problem is fixed. Does anyone have any advice or am I stuck?

Thanks in advance.

Tozer

The insurance won't 'run out' if it is the same (or linked) problem as the one which arose during the cover period. Insist on them putting it right and, if possible, demonstrate the problem to them. May well be worthwhile getting others to witness the problem as well.

pulliptears

Be aware that if they keep it in for repair for longer than 28 days you are entitled to a refund or replacement as well

gibby

I used to work for Lasky's that comet bough, amny years ago and this was really common - goods comming back worse than when they went out

you can ask for the gaurantee to be extended for the lenght of time you didnt have your goods.

also when you pick your goods up ask a member of staff to test it with new tapes - to make sure it works

you try to claim for compensation the number of time you keep going in
but if its been repaired & then comes back faulty more than once ask for a genuine repair or a full refund inc the insurance

those that shout the loudest get results - often the are you get your repairs is the same as customers pick up goods & if your loud & getting annoyed they will do anything to shut you up

you could also try TS & your card company but its never as quick as you want it to be

G

Wadders

Looking further into the problem I found that the camcorder will not playback what I have already recorded on my tapes but it will record new footage and play it back (on the same tape as the stuff that won't play)I went back tonight to explain this but had no luck at all. I took my brother's camcorder down with me and demonstrated to 2 members of staff that the tapes worked in his but not in mine. They mentioned something about the manager been able to "write it off" but I don't know what that meant. They both agreed it was a problem with the camcorder and not the tapes but they said after speaking with the manager that all they could do was send it for repair again.

At this point I was getting rather annoyed so I asked to speak to the manager, he told me the only thing he can do is send it for repair as he cannot refund or exchange it until and engineer gives the ok. He said it was a tape problem, I argued that I didn't think it was. He said he could send it to the repair center but they wouldn't see the problem as new recordings work fine to which I replied what would be the point in sending it to the repair center, he just shrugged. He then said I should send it in with the tapes I had recorded on but the content of the tapes is irreplaceable and I don't want to run the risk of the content been wiped (it is all of my daughter growing up and I haven't been able to make a backup of the tapes because of this problem) He said that was the only option.

I argued with him for 25 minutes and am ashamed to say I ended up raising my voice (drawing looks from other shoppers and staff) but still I didn't get any where. The manager said there was nothing he could do and kept trying to hand my documents back to me in the end I had to leave because the store was closing feeling utterly dejected when I left I really don't know what to do I feel if I go back in I will encounter the same thing again and again.

Amusedsean

Maybe you could make a backup with your brothers camcorder and then send a tape? If the tapes work on other camcorders and can record/playback new footage but not play anything previously recorded, then an engineer will only see it working and send it back 'no fault found' Unless you can send a tape it will be impossible to replicate the fault in the workshop.

Wadders

This thought occurred to me but unfortunately my brother didn't keep the computer software for his camcorder as he doesn't have a PC.

I spoke with another manager on Saturday and I am going to the repair center myself so I can talk with an engineer directly this way I wont be without my tapes for up to 21 days also. Looking at the last engineers report it says that the guide pins may have been out of alignment when I bought the camcorder and they have now been reset to the manufacturers standard. This also matches up with what a member of staff told me the other day, if they were out of alignment when I bought the camcorder and they have now been reset I am not sure where this leaves me as I will not be able to playback or make copies of footage I have recorded.