Panasonic TV Repair Out of Warranty

Corvinus

Hello, having read a number of threads I think I am OK with my complaint but just wanted to check in with the more experienced people on this forum.

In a nutshell I bought a TV from the Panasonic Ebay outlet last year. The TVs sold here are considered refurbished products. The TV in question had previously been their absolute top model with an RRP around £1,500 and was still being produced when I bought it but had dropped in price and been superseded as the flagship.

The TV came with the normal 1 year manufacturer warranty. Now 20 months after I received the TV it has decided to give up the ghost. Looking on various AV forums the problem seems to be quite common with Panasonic TVs and appears to be an easy fix.


I contacted the customer service helpline and they are adamant that they will not repair the TV as it is over 1 year ago and out of warranty. They are trying to refer me to Panasonic directly who quote ‘may choose repair the TV’.

I have told the Panasonic outlet that as they are the retailer they need to resolve the problem but they are refusing to do so. They also won’t put me through to a manager insisting that they can only be contacted by email.

I therefore intend to email them a complaint quoting the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (it was purchased when this still applied) stating that the TV must last a reasonable length of time and requesting that they arrange the repair of my TV.

Does this sound correct? Should I add in anything else?


I fully expect them to continue to refuse to repair the TV and won’t be surprised if I have to take this to small claims court. However in order to do this I understand that I may need an engineers report from a mutually accepted independent engineer. However if the Panasonic Outlet refuses to engage with me, can I just get an engineers report and use this in small claims court? Any guidance on this matter would also be appreciated.

wealdroam

You do not need to agree who does the report.
Just choose someone with suitable knowledge and ask them to produce the report.

Remember that the report needs to show that, in the opinion of the report writer, the problem is due to an inherent fault.
A report just stating that there is a fault with xyz component isn't good enough.

Corvinus

Dear Wealdroam, thank you for taking the time to reply and for your useful pointers.

Email complaint has been sent so lets see what they say.

Corvinus

Update – To my surprise they have responded but only to say that they are not authorised to carry out repairs after 12 months. However they have spoken to Panasonic head office and confirmed that they can arrange for the TV to be taken in to a service centre for an inspection.
Then depending on the findings, if a genuine fault is found Panasonic may offer a cost assistance on a repair.

Now being a cynic I suspect that their ‘inspection’ will come back saying that it is normal wear and tear and it is my responsibility to pay for the repair. I also don’t like the sound of a cost assistance repair – it sounds like the reapir would normally cost £400 but we’ll do it for you for £200 which I believe would still be a breach of SOGA 1979.

So would you agree that I should get my own engineers report done first before collection?

naedanger

Corvinus wrote: »

Update – To my surprise they have responded but only to say that they are not authorised to carry out repairs after 12 months. However they have spoken to Panasonic head office and confirmed that they can arrange for the TV to be taken in to a service centre for an inspection.
Then depending on the findings, if a genuine fault is found Panasonic may offer a cost assistance on a repair.

Now being a cynic I suspect that their ‘inspection’ will come back saying that it is normal wear and tear and it is my responsibility to pay for the repair. I also don’t like the sound of a cost assistance repair – it sounds like the reapir would normally cost £400 but we’ll do it for you for £200 which I believe would still be a breach of SOGA 1979.

So would you agree that I should get my own engineers report done first before collection?

I would agree to their inspection provided it is agreed there is no cost to you (for the inspection, delivery and collection from inspection) regardless of the outcome and that you are not committing to accept any paid for repairs.

If they find in your favour then fine. If not then at that point you can collect the tv and get your own inspection.

(If they do say the damage was wear and tear then I would argue the tv was inherently faulty - lack of durability - as an expensive tv should last many years before wear and tear becomes an issue. It is not like a washing machine that could be over loaded or over used. If they rule physical or liquid damage then I can see you needing to get your own report to counter such a finding.)

deanos

The TV is refurbished so 2nd hand and repaired might have hundreds of use hours already on it , can you expect it to last as long as a brand new one that hasn't been used ?

Unsure if the rights are the same for repaired goods ?

naedanger

deanos wrote: »

The TV is refurbished so 2nd hand and repaired might have hundreds of use hours already on it , can you expect it to last as long as a brand new one that hasn't been used ?

Unsure if the rights are the same for repaired goods ?

I don't think someone can expect a refurbished model to last as long as a brand new one. But the buyer can still expect it to last a reasonable time taking account of all relevant factors, including its age, price paid etc.

Unless the tv was bought when it was already many years old or the discount was very large then I would still be arguing for a free remedy from the seller.

Corvinus

Update 2 – Following Naedangers’ useful guidance I contacted Panasonic. They gave me the number of a local AV company and said that they would need to check the TV and send a report to them and request ‘cost assistance’. Based on the report they would decide if they were willing to pay for any of the cost of repairs.

In the mean time I would have to pay the AV company around £100 for the inspection which would not be refunded.

When I brought up SOGA they immediately responded that I would need to go back to the retailer even though it is their own Panasonic outlet who is saying that they are not authorized by Panasonic to carry out any repairs.

I therefore now intend to go back to the retailer and insist that they need to deal with it or I will start escalating the matter starting with reporting them to Trading Standards for breaching SOGA.

Would you guys agree?


Also in response to how long the TV should last; the items sold by the outlet are customer returns. They are sold on the basis that they have been refurbished and repackaged by the original manufacturer to the highest possible standard. Even if they don’t last quite as long as a box fresh new item less than 2 years for top end TV would not be defensible.

fleshandbone

The word "Refurbished" is very important here, also if the RRP was £1500 when new, how much did you pay for the refurbished TV?

Fosterdog

You seem to be a bit confused about the point of needing an engineers report. You don't pay for the report and then go straight to small claims court.

You get the report and if it shows that it is a manufacturing defect you then go back to the retailer and they then have to arrange a repair, replacement or refund (can be partial), they also have to refund the cost of the report as long as the report finds an inherent fault. It's only if they refuse to do anything after you have proven to them that it is inherently faulty that you can make a claim against them. Right now you are telling them it's faulty but have no idea why, you have to show them why it is faulty before they have to help you.

naedanger

Corvinus wrote: »

Would you guys agree?

More or less.

Go back to the retailer and explain you believe they are liable to offer you a remedy as they sold you a tv that you believe was inherently faulty. Explain why you believe this to be the case e.g. that the tv failed after only 20 months of normal usage and so was not sufficiently durable given that the tv was nearly new and refurbished when bought.

If they dispute that the problem was due to an inherent fault then you need to follow what Fosterdog has said above. It may be worth trying to reach agreement on a engineer you are both happy with, to save a dispute on the competence of the engineer. (If you have to find your own engineer make clear, in writing, you require them to not just diagnose the fault but also to give their opinion on the most likely cause, and in particular whether the cause was more likely than not due to an inherent fault. I would try and speak to the engineer and to try and gauge whether they understand what is required. Some posters have had reports that only diagnose the fault, which is not sufficient to take the matter to court.)