Replacement picture tube out of warranty?

Hi All,

My 3.5 year old Toshiba 32" widescreen has died, due to a faulty picture tube. The problem is that now and again the green gun overloads, filling the screen with a green zig-zag pattern, then the TV shuts down. The repair shop say this is due to a bad design in the picture tube, causing overheating. This is a well known problem in this tube (Philips) apparently, and this tube is no longer used in new products.

Now, my question is, can I get Toshiba to provide me with a replacement picture tube without me having to pay for it? IMHO, the set was very very expensive when I bought it, and a three and a half year life span is simply unacceptable for something like this. Is there any recourse under UK law to do this? I was thinking about going along the usual "fit for purpose" and "merchantable quality" lines. Does anyone know of any successes/failures of people trying to do this?

I've googled around, but couldn't see anything. I swear I read/heard something about forcing electronics manufacturers to repair out with warranty, but I can't remember or find the source.

Thanks in advance,

Fraser.

Reply to
Fraser
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I have seen it suggested in this NG -uk.diy,that 6 years is a reasonable time to expect such items to "live" but haven't seen anything to back this up. Stuart

Reply to
Stuart

It isn't the manufacturer's issue directly, it is the retailer's.

Your contract of purchase is with the retailer and not the manufacturer. The warranty is merely a convenience for both the retailer and the manufacturer, and during that period they are agreeing, subject to certain terms and conditions to fix problems.

The warranty does not replace your statutory rights. Goods do have to be fit for purpose but reasonableness would be applied by the courts. In other words, if this were a cheap Chinese TV costing £100 then if it failed after 3 years it would probably not be worth pursuing since you probably would not be awarded much if anything.

From a technical perspective, I would expect a CRT in a quality TV to last a good 5 years depending on amount of use.

Given this and that the product was expensive, I think that you can make a very reasonable case to the retailer that it needs to be addressed at his cost. It's his problem if he wants to take that up with the manufacturer but the buck stops with the retailer from your perspective.

I would suggest contacting the manager of the store where you bought the product and if need be the area manager. If you meet with resistance, put the claim in writing and send by special delivery.

You have the option of pursuing a complaint through the Small Claims Division of the court. This can be done as a DIY exercise. In the context of a TV, I would not consider using a solicitor for this because the meter will run rapidly.

Ultimately you have to decide whether the time and cost of pursuing are justified.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Have a look on

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they have a lot of information in their advice leaflet's.

If I were you, I would give Trading Standards a call, and see what they feel about it - they will advise you of what to do if they feel you have reasonable grounds.

Just enter your postcode on their site, and it will give you the phone number of a local office.

Sparks...

Reply to
Sparks

They're pulling your plonker. I can't think of any tube fault that would cause a zig-zag pattern - or to cause the SMPS to shut down the set.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

Well all I can say is if you enjoy viewing anything in widescreen format you deserve all you get, its a bloody stupid format, which seems set to ruin my TV enjoyment for ever. If your TV won't work have a look out of you letter box, you will get a similar effect to WS. I believe I mentioned here earlier that WS tubes would be more prone to failure for various reason which I won't explore here. Why not but a portable and a mignifying lens which stretches the picture horizontally? It will be a lot cheaper and more reliable.

I doubt you will have much luck complaining, because you bought a WS in the first place you are already marked out as a mug with more money than sense, so they will not be forthcoming.

Harsh word I know, but true. But anyway have a Merry Xmas.

--

--------------- regards half_pint

Reply to
half_pint

have a look at:

it is up ro you to show that the fault was inherent at time of purchase, you can persue a claim against the retailer up to 6 years after purchase - 6 years is an absolute limit and does not apply to all goods as a matter of course

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is a good posting at:

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Reply to
Kevin Thornton

That's not a tube fault. The line driver or frame flyback is up the spout. Failures of the tube itself are very rare - it's always the high voltage control circuits that tend to have problems.

Yes but of the electronics as noted.

Toshiba are usually quite reasonable which may make your retailer more willing to help. As others have noted you need to take it to the retailer. They may end up wanting you to pay labour and parts are free - it all depends in the end how much you are willing to pay to minimise your aggravation, although you shouldn't have to pay anything.

email me with the TV model and I'll ask a friend who does this sort of thing what the cost to the retailer would be - may be handy to know.

Reply to
Chris Street

Not quite.

There is a 6 year statute of limitations. This means that you have up to 6 years following purchase to pursue a claim. It does not mean that the law is providing the equivalent to a 6 year warranty. A test of reasonableness in the context of the item, its price, the market and the circumstance is used.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

That is so nice to hear.

Good, because with your incredibly limited knowledge of electronics we know you will get it totally wrong.

Reply to
Bob Brenchley.

It sounds like a heater to cathode short in the green gun. This can usually be worked around by isolating the heaters from ground. I've done it many times in other TVs with good results. If you can't get a new CRT for a reasonable price someone may be able to try this.

Reply to
Andy Cuffe

Where we are located, we are under similar law to that of the UK. The warranty has to comply to the purchase agreement contract. TV's without an extended warranty are sold with a one year contract. You can optionally purchase more time.

If the tube goes one day after the warranty, the manufacture is legally not obliged to change it, or service the set. I tell people that for the little more than the cost of the TV set, it is best to buy the extended warranty. Servicing a TV set can be expensive. The few extra dollars for the extended warranty can be well worth the investment.

I have heard some people saying that the dealers make a lot of money on these warranties. Actually this is not very true. The mark-up on all these products is not very great. If the set turns out to be a lemon, the manufacture will end up paying the cost of service, and maybe even the exchange the set for a new one.

Reply to
Jerry G.

In article , Dave Plowman writes

It's quite common. A cathode short in one of the RGB guns will cause the entire screen to turn that colour, and the zig-zag pattern is the retrace lines. As the cathodes are fed from a ~200v supply, the load caused by a short on this can cause the PSU to go into shutdown to protect itself.

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

In article , Chris Street writes

It most likely is I'm afraid. A fault in the drive electronics would result in a permanent failure. The OP says the fault is intermittent.

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

I'd beg to disagree. I've had three faults similar to those described all of which have been traced to blown FET's or similar in the drive electronics.

Reply to
Chris Street

I have no idea what Canada does, but in this respect it is not similar to the UK. The manufacturer and the retailer can provision whatever kind of warranty that they like, but it is only a convenience.

In the UK the retailer may be, and a test of reasonableness, accounting for the type of goods and the price is considered by the court if the customer wishes to pursue it.

Retailers and manufacturers do quite well out of customer's ignorance of the law and a natural British reticence to complain.

What a surprise.

A few extra dollars!? In the UK, extended warranties can be 20-25% of the new price of a set.

Here they do. The retailers push them like hell to boost their margins. In reality, all that is achieved is the customer not having to argue their statutory rights with the retailer. Even then, there is typically no guaranteed time to repair.

Yeah, right.

As indeed they should do. However, here that is not the customer's issue it's the retailer's.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Join the club Stuart...

Try a Philips 32" widescreen failing after 18 months... :(

-- Jet (watching a Sharpe set this Christmas)

Reply to
Jet

You have rights under the consumer purchase (or whatever it's called) law and should be able to get a replacement of it meneded free of charge. A judge would also find a 3.5 year lifespan unaccepatable.

Go back to shop and ask them to replace or repair it free of charge. Be polite etc.

If they say no tell them you are prepared to do it the 'hard way'.

Go back home and write a recorded letter saying what you want doing. Keep it short and polite.

Then make a claim under small claims. Info on web sites.

All a bit time consuming but you can claim for time taken off work and travel expenses, and you may find the claim process galvanises the shop into action before going to court.

Good luck,

Neil

Reply to
Niel A. Farrow

Could be a fault in the drive circuits, not the tube. If it is the tube and Toshiba will not replace it, the tech should be able to isolate the filiment from ground by using a seperate winding on the flyback core. Worth a shot before buying a new tv.

Bill Christian Technology

Reply to
Bill Renfro

I have a sony that is tsill doing this after over two years of intermittent problems.

Its not worth fixing: Tube plus labor is pretty much new set.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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