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2 years ago, my husband and I bought a 26" Polaroid LCD HDTV from Circuit City for $1399.99. Having worked for some of their competitors, I was a believer in the extended repair or replace warranties, so we bought the 3 year Circuit City Advantage Protection plan for around $300.00. We felt like a repair or replace guarantee was a good investment because we aren't rich and we wanted to make sure we had a back up should the T.V. fail in the first 3 years of ownership. Fast forward to December 2007, and we start having problems with the t.v., it would make this horrible popping noise when you would turn it on and the start-up Polaroid logo would flash in and out. It was quite ironic, since the week it went we had received our renewal to remind us that our warranty was expiring in May 2008 and to give us the option to renew for another 1-3 years. Well, I called up the Advantage line to get my repair claim started, and also clarifying with the woman that we would have the T.V. replaced in a timely manner if it couldn't be fixed and that it was going to be fixed in a timely manner and she said oh, yes, absolutely, we'll have your t.v. taken care of in about a week. We called them right before Christmas, so the soonest they could get the repair guy, of course due to the holidays was Dec. 31st, which wasn't a problems since we were going to be out of town.
On Dec. 31st the repair guy shows up during the alloted window they said they'd be there to look at the T.V. He informs us after watching the behavior of the television, that it was the power supply going out and that they were going to have to order it, and so since we still had some functionality to our, T.V. (Only one we own) he would leave it and come pick it up once he found out if he was going to be able to get the part. He also informed us, that rarely were they able to get the parts for Polaroid, so then, most likey to expect the T.V. to be replaced.
2 days later, the T.V. won't turn on at all. Now we have NO T.V. So I call up the T.V. contracting company that was going to be fixing the T.V. and they come and pick it up the next day. Now, since it is the weekend of BCS championship, in Baton Rouge, we were told to wait and call for an update on the T.V. the day after the game. So on January 8th, I call the repair shop to find out the status of the repair, and I am informed by the repair shop that the part is on back order and it will be 10-14 days before they get it! Now at this time hearing that news, I'm not happy at all, he tells me that he will call me back later that day with an update. Well, later that day he calls up with a correction, (Just like the guy who picked up the t.v. originally told us) the part is unavailable, and there is no compatible aftermarket part available that would work with Polaroid and that they have notified the Circuit City warranty people. So I call Circuit City Advantage and I'm informed that they can't authorize a replacement, and they direct me to Consumer Relations. Well the first girl I talk to says, that she cannot Authorize a replacement until they first refer it to their "TECHNICAL" department because they have to try and get the part first for the repair company. Then ask, "Well, how on earth do you think that you can get the part if the repair company can get the part? Just replace my t.v. and be done with it! It's been 2 weeks since the T.V. quit working properly, and I want a functioning T.V.! She tells me there is nothing she can do until their technical department looks into it and to call back the next day.
So I call back the next day and I get this jerk of a guy who answers and I give all my information AGAIN to him and explain what is going on. He proceeds to tell me that they are going to proceed with the repair and that they were going to obtain the part and that they were not going to issue a replacement. I told the guy that this was our only T.V., we spent $1300 on it, and that I could get a bigger, better T.V. for less today, and what on earth was the problem with replacing it since they cost less today, than 2 years earlier! Well he then offers me a $100 rental reimbursement, so that we can go "RENT" a T.V. for a few weeks, while we wait on the part and the repair. That really angered me, because 1, renting a T.V. would be more than any $100, and 2 we'd have to pay out of pocket and then mail the invoice to them, and then it would be 6-8 weeks before we actually saw any reimbursement. I told the guy, absolutely not, I want my T.V. replaced, the part is unavailable. He said he was not going to authorize the replacement. I then demanded to speak to his supervisor, he coldly says, "I am the supervisor, there is no one higher than me to speak to." I said, you have to have a boss, you aren't the owner of the company, and he again repeats the same line! (I later found online, someone else who had issues with this plan, got fed the same line I did!) I hang up the phone infuriated, that was on Wednesday, January 9th.
Well then on Thursday, January 10th, we come home to find a "Sorry We Missed You! Please call us!" flyer on our door from the T.V. service company, it was too late to call them that evening, so I called them on Friday, January 11th, they inform me that they were trying to return my T.V. Well that left me and my husband with the impression that our T.V. had been fixed and they arranged to drop it off with me for today (Saturday Jan. 12th).
Well this morning when they delivered the T.V., the gentleman who brings it back inform us that they did not repair the t.v. and that the power supply is no longer made by Polaroid and that we need to get it replaced. So we load the T.V. up in the car and head to our local Circuit City to get a replacement T.V. (or so we thought.)
We get to the store, and I'm getting angrier by the minute, because as we loaded the T.V. in the car, my husband noticed that the control buttons (like the power and volume) on the side of the unit are not there, just the holes where they had been, and that screws are missing (yeah, we know the t.v. is broken, but still, return it in the condition you took it in, is the principle there). We get to the store and ask to speak to the manager, well we are informed that the store manager isn't in and that we need to speak with the T.V. Sales Supervisor. So we go over and wait for about 15 minutes because the store was very busy. Well, we finally get the supervisor, and explain to him what is going on, and that we want our T.V. replaced. He asks us if we have a claim number from Corporate, I informed him that calling today did us no good because we got no where, and that they were telling us one thing and the repair people were telling us something else and that we are fed up, the T.V. hasn't been working properly now for a month and we want it replaced, like it said "No Hassle repair or replacement." He then goes to the back and disappears for a long time and then comes back and gives me the same phone number I already have, where the jerk told me there was no one higher than him to speak too. The supervisor says he "understands" my frustration but he has to have a claim number from the warranty people to replace it with the T.V. the warranty people pick out. That really got me, and I said, wait what, you mean they are going to tell me what T.V. to get, No, I want a T.V. that cost the same price that we paid 2 years ago, that's equal value! He said, well he can't do anything because he needs the claim number, by this point, I'm getting louder and louder and saying that this has turned out to be the largest ripoff, and the biggest hassle, and he kept say, you'll have to call them, and this takes time. By that point I'm so angry, I tell him that we will NEVER buy anything from their company ever again, and that we were going to get online and post this experience everywhere we could and tell everyone about what a scam and HASSLE, this NO HASSLE warranty turned out to be. Then as I was walking away, there was an older couple look at a T.V. and I loudly said to them, "Don't let them talk you into their Advantage Protection Plan on a T.V. if you buy one here, it's a ripoff and we're now a month without a working T.V. and we still haven't gotten this resolved!" The older gentleman's eyes got really wide and said, "Are you serious?" And I said "Yes!" and stormed out of the storm.
So Monday I'll be calling these jerks demanding my claim number and the right for $1399.99 value on a replacement at Circuit City and I WILL NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN.
THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY IS A BIG FRAUD AND SCAM!
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Re: Circuit City Stores, Inc.
Phillip J. Scoonover
President, CEO and Chief Executive
9950 Maryland Drive
Richmond, VA 23233
P. S. How can you possibly accept $17.1M for fiscal 2007 when your customers are being treated like this?
On February 26, 2006 we purchased a 50 Inch Plasma TV, model no. (LG 50PX1D) for $3,299.99, ticket no. [protected], at store #3164 in Salisbury, Maryland. We also purchased a specific TV mount for $403.99 along with a five-year “Advantage” Service Protection Plan for $549.99 (on the advice of the salesmen, D. Abbott). We purchased this plan in good faith and expected “hassle-free” certified service.
This purchase was made after extensive research on purchasing a quality plasma TV with the correct dimensions. Our home had been recently remodeled and the family room fireplace and custom cabinetry had been made to fit the TV dimensions. The TV was professionally installed on March 6, 2006.
On Friday, May 12th, 2006 (two months later) the TV lost its picture quality and the screen showed large black spots. We were unable to watch the TV. We called Circuit City’s Service Department on Monday, May 15th at [protected] and were given a call reference no. 5925646, confirmation no. IHR605220412 and DUC no. 5927591. We were instructed to call Appliance Unlimited, Circuit City’s Authorized Service Provider at [protected] to set up a repair appointment. Jim, the technician [protected]) called back a few days later to set up an appointment. We were given ID No. 6106800.
On June 6th, two weeks later, the technician arrived and quickly stated that he needed to order a digital board for the TV. He told us that it could take a short time for the part to come in or up to two weeks. Two weeks pass and we call the service technician. He informs us that the part is on national backorder and that it could take up to another two weeks. We wait another two weeks and call the service tech again. He does not return our calls. We call Appliance Unlimited and talk to the secretary and she acknowledges that the service technician is having a hard time finding the part.
We decide to call LG (the TV manufacturer) and they inform us that they have plenty of digital board parts. We then call Circuit City (Jesse, TV/sales manager at the time) with the hope of having him help resolve this matter. It’s now been over two months that the TV is unviewable. After a few more days of no answers, we call LG the TV manufacturer again and they inform us that Circuit City’s service provider “Appliance Unlimited” is UNAUTHORIZED to work on LG TV’s. They will not sell Circuit City’s service provider the parts. We call Jesse, the TV manager from Circuit City and explain the situation to him and he acts odd when we explain to him that LG stated the service company that was sent to our home is unauthorized to work on the TV. We ask to speak with the store manager. Lauren Palmer/CSA #1 who offers no solution. We contacted Circuit City Corp. and they put us on hold for two hours.
We felt deceived. Is this a scam or a tactic of Circuit City? We again contacted Circuit City Corporation and spoke with Marilyn Pando, and finally were given a contact ID Number 2205897. I never heard from Circuit City again. We contacted the Better Business Bureau. They were working on getting a replacement TV for us and checking into the unauthorized service provider issue. A few weeks later we speak with the store manager again, and she states that they are working on getting authorized service.
On July 14th, after several months of misleading information from Circuit City and their service provider, we returned the TV to the store. We were issued an exchange for our original TV on July 31, 2006 under ticket no. [protected] only after the Better Business intervened. However, we did not take the 50” LG exchange TV that was offered to us because of the unresolved service protection plan issue. In addition, by this time, our original model TV was no longer available and the exchange LG model was not similar in dimensions to our original TV. We were told by store manager, Paul Renshaw/CSA #2 that we could wait a few weeks to see if any new models arrive while the service issue is being resolved.
February 2007, we still have no TV. I again call Circuit City and speak with new store manager, Tracy Sgon/CSA #3, and return to the store to consider a different brand TV. This brand was a Sony 46” LCD TV (Model No. KDL46XBR2), with similar dimensions as our original TV and was priced at $3,609.99. It was not a 50 Inch Plasma TV. We were however, willing to pay the difference between our $3,299.99 original purchase and this particular exchange TV, but when we arrived, Tracy informed us that we had only been authorized an exchange value of $2,800.00. We never agreed to this amount, especially when the original TV only worked for two months. She also informed us that she still had not been authorized to refund our service agreement fee, and stated that “the corporate office should not be selling those service contracts when they know that we’re not certified”. We did not take the exchange TV. I called Circuit City Corp. and spoke with Amos Forman, and waited on the phone for over two hours, and was finally told that there was nothing he could do for me.
On February 16th, 2007 we contacted the Maryland Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Affairs to help resolve the issue. As of March 3rd, the office had not heard from Circuit City or had returned their calls.
On April, 9th, 2007 John Rekinburg, Circuit City’s new TV Manager calls to say that he has a different “lower-end” 46” Sony LCD model priced at $2,249.99 and asked if we were interested. Since Circuit City had still not addressed the service protection plan issue, and the quality and value of their TV offer was continuing to go down, we informed him that we were not interested. We also told him that we sent our complaint to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and were taking steps to file in Small Claims Court. A week or two later, other TV salesmen from Circuit City called to say that 46” TV we ordered was in. We informed him that we did not order a TV.
After a year of explaining our case over and over again to different store managers, TV sales managers, customer service reps, making numerous telephone calls to the corporate office, typing emails, and sending many letters without resolve, we feel victimized. The Circuit City “Advantage Protection Plan” states that it provides you with the best product coverage and customer service available. “Relax with a peace of mind” only seems like an “Advantage” to Circuit City. I have spoken with hundreds of people on the internet that seem to be going through the same problems with Circuit City. The consumer should be made aware of this.
We would like to add that Circuit City is misleading the average consumer, with the intent to deceive. This is an unfair and deceptive business practice. They sell a service contract knowing that they can send anyone (an unauthorized service tech) to your home and say that they “attempted to fix it”, or actually fix it and make matters worse, and then after weeks and months of the consumer trying to get this resolved, they begrudgingly offer you an exchange that “is similar” … a new item with far less value or even worse, a TV that someone else returned, and then offer you nothing for the service contract fee.
Circuit City sold us a fraudulent protection plan. It is unacceptable that they are now only offering ($2,659.96)? exchange value for a $3,299.95 TV that only worked two months. As a customer, we have done everything possible to resolve this issue in a patient, timely manner. Circuit City’s customer service policy prolonged this situation by not being honest and forthright from the start.
In the interest of consumerism, we now expect Circuit City to refund the full amount of our original TV purchase, in addition to the service protection plan refund. If this cannot be resolved we will have no choice but to file in small claims court for the total amount of the TV, the protection, plan, the custom mount, installation and repairs, and possible attorney fees.
I too have a problem with Circuit City. The management sucks, and they hire incompetent store managers. My daughter bought a Panasonic Digital Camera and within weeks the shutter button fell off and was lost. We returned that one for an exchange (after much not so pleasant haggling), soon it developed the same problem. We had purchased the protection plan for the camera and took it back to the store. I just wanted a store credit and was going to purchase a Canon cameras instead. No dice... It had to be sent in to be repaired. To make a long story short, Circuit City sent it to the Advantage Protection Service depot in Atlants when it should have been sent to the manufacture (under warranty). 10 days later we find this out. Now I have to go back to the store (considerable distance) get the camera and resend it to the manufacturer. What a hassle. The store manager should have known this right off the bat. An added note, DO NOT BUY A PANASONIC DIGITAL CAMERA, AND... DO NOT BUT ANY OTHER CAMERA or product from Circuit City... period. You WILL be sorry. But from WalMart... they take anything back... no questions.
You want a horror story from circuit city, well i got one for ya that will make your head spin.
March 2006 i come into some money and figure, its time to buy a new HD TV. So, i go and purchase a 23 inch samsung lcd tv for video gaming purposes, along with an xbox 360.
All is well, intill i notice around November, the tv has a glowing white spot in the upper left hand corner. I figure, ok, lcd is a new technology, take it back, get it serviced via the warentee, and thats it.
WRONG. I take the tv back and it sits IN THE STORE for over a month before its shipped out for repairs. Now the whole time im going without a tv for a month, so i call them up, tell them the deal, how its still in the store, blah blah, blah, etc. Well, it finally, after a month of collecting dust from the store fermentation period, its shipped out and the tech calls me from the tech support service and clames theres nothing wrong with it, and that the glow is from an "external light source" so i tell him, gee, thats funny, how can it be from an external light source in the middle of the night when there are no lights shining on the tv? Anyhow, outsmarted, he issues the papers for a replacement. Story over... right?
NO, its just starting. So, i go down, get my new replacement tv, a sony 34 inch HD TUBE TV, because i figure, ok, lcd's suck, go with an HD TUBE, and avoid this mess all together. Little do i know, im in for even bigger headaches.
So, after waiting 2 hours in circuit city for them to process the paperwork, i take my replacement tv home, and plug it in. For a while, im happy, but, over time i notice, the longer i watch tv, the more this odd curve bows into the set and begins to distort the image, and how when i do some gaming, or on some tv channels, part of the image appears to be cropped off, because i get half logos, half text, etc. Odd indeed.
Well, i figure, hey i got 5 year IN HOME SERVICE on the beast, as its known around the house (its 34 inches and ways about 200 pounds) so i figure, hey i will give the store a ring, and get them out here, to fix it. Should be a matter of a simple service menu adjustment, right?
I look on my protection plan, and IT HAS THE WRONG NAME AND ADDRESS. To boot, im all of a sudden getting phone calls from circuit city telling me to pick up my old tv. Theres no way in hell they are going to give me a new tv and the old one for free, so i go down there, show them my contract, inform them of the situation and tell them, hey, if i wanted to con you guys, i would have taken the old tv as well, but im an honest guy, so i dont. I just want service on the new one.
Ok, so it take them 2 MONTHS to make a simple correction on my contract, and im on the phone day and night, with the store, coustmer service, etc, and i finally get mailed an updated contract with the right info on it. All is well right?
WRONG! its now june, and im just getting the needed paperwork for the tv to be repaired. So, they set me up with a local tv shop, and the guy never, ever shows up, after a month. So, i call tech support again, tell them hey, your man isnt showing up, they set me up with another guy who off the bat gives me a hard time about the tv, because im quite a distance away from his shop.
I even go down to the store with all my paperwork, for two hours, and tell them the problem, we play phone tag in the store with various other parties, and still no resolve. So they say, we gota do this by phone.
So, the new guy, after countless calls to his store and tech support, finally comes down to look at the tv, OR SO I THOUGHT! Wrong. He doesnt even send his tech boys to look at it, he sends his day labors down just to pick it up. I say, hey, your not taking this, inless i have some documents saying you have it. The guy tells me hes not going to give me any paperwork saying they have it, so i tell him, ok leave. For all i know, this thing could end up in your living room and you can clame you never got it.
So, again, calling circuit city store, tech support, etc, and i explane the situation. So, now they hook me back up with the first tv tech, who i have to bust his chops just to come on down too. He comes down, looks at it, says i'll call u back tomarow i have to get info from sony on how to fix it.
Well, two weeks go by, and no phone call. So i call him, ask whats going on, and he says he has to pick it up, he will show up saturday. So, he sends his boys down to pick it up, telling me we will have a loner tv for you while your tv is out for repairs, because it can take up to 2 weeks.
Of course, they show up, no loner tv, but he takes the tv, and gives me the papers saying he has it.
A week goes by, and no tv for me. So, as you can guess, me being a big movie and gaming buff, im board to tears. Today i finally get back the tv, and not only did they NOT FIX THE UNIT, they made the problem worse, yet, had the nerve to sign off on it as COMPLETED!
So i spend 2 hours on the phone with the only person who has helped me, Brian, the store manager at circuit city, and now we have to waite till monday to get a desision on what to do. I told brian, look, this BS has been going on for 6 months. I want it replaced, since its clear your tech cant, or wont, fix it PROPERLY, and i eather want my money back, IN CASH, or a replacement tv OF EQUAL VALUE!
So, back to square 1 with this whole mess!
amazing. 1200 dollars for a tv and protection plan, and you would think for starters, they could get my name right on the protection plan!
I can relate to your story. I purchased a Samsung HDTV from Circuit City along with their "Protection Plan". Needless to say the tv started having issues. It has been out for repair several times (on average of a month at a time). Now it is having problems again. I have jumped through all Circuit City's hoops and according to their "Protection Plan" I should qualify for a replacement, under their no lemon guarentee. I called last week and was told that they couldn't do anything unless I had PROOF that the set was having issues (the problem is intermittent, though it has been making a high pitched noise for the last two days straight). So when it started again yesterday, during the playoffs, I videotaped it.
I called CC again today and they couldn't get a hold of the servicer and said that they have to have the service company verify that a part needs to be replaced and that the servicer would call me. We'll see if and when that happens.
I was wondering how your situation has progressed? Have you gotten a replacement? I can't believe how difficult this has been and how much down time we've had with no tv at all.
I can tell you that so far this has not been hassle free.
I can feel your pain guys. I bought a 42" DLP HDTV on 12/7/06 and CC extended service plan. I started having problems with the TV a month ago (shuts off after 5 seconds of use every time you try to use it). Circuit city says its the bulb, sends a new bulb nope not the bulb. Then they say they'll need to send a Tech out which took another 4 days. He comes out looks at the TV for 10 minutes and says well it could be the color wheel or the ballast or blaah blaah blah but i'll just order a new light engine and that will basically give you a new tv. Okay fine, how long will that take? 7 - 10 days for the part to come in but probably i'll be back next week to fix it. Okay fine. A week goes by with no call so I call Circuit City and they inform me they haven't even ordered the part yet because they need to "research" it first and to call them back in a few days I'm not too happy. So i call back 4 days later and they say yup the part has been ordered, 7 - 10 business days. So Wednesday 3/5 I get a call the part is in. They come out the next day and put the new engine in and everything works fine UNTIL the next morning when the tv starts shutting off again, exactly like before. Again I call Circuit City and this time ask them to please replace the TV. I mean the Tech told me the light engine was an $800 part and I only paid $900 for the TV (it was on sale). Nope can't replace the TV we need to send the Tech back out to look at it, the engine must be defective! Come on, it worked for like 12 hours and now it's defective? So I call the Tech people myself and they're like the part probably isn't defective you should get a new tv but there's nothing we can do because Circuit City is basically our boss and we have to do what they tell us to. So they're coming back on Tuesday 3/13. I will NEVER EVER EVER by anything from Circuit City again. What a rip off their No hassle repair or replacement plan is. I'll be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.
Same problem here, my tv began having problems 3-9-08, as of today 5-19-08 the repair company ordered by the Advantage Plan has not even come to my home. I have a 50 inch tv so it requires in home service. I am being told parts were ordered based upon the discription of the problem and when they come in they will schedule an appt to fix. My tv had a black huge line going down the middle and the picture was reversed on the screen, this lasted for weeks, all of a sudden I turned on the tv and it worked again. I am going to love to see what they say about this. I figure by the time they actually get to my house it will be broken again anyway. I will never buy a TV from Circuit City again unless it is a cheap cheap black friday special and I will not buy this worthless plan again.
I bought a 42 inch projection tv from circuit city and it worked great till I got up one day to find I had sound but no picture well this was the beginning of april 2007 called the protection plan get a servicer for them to tell me to call them. Well I did the servicer tells me it will be 2 weeks before we can get someone out there. Ok fine have I mentioned I was 7 months pregnant also..Well the tech came out told me he would have to order the part it would take another 2 weeks to get instead of ordering overnight(I agreed to pay the diffrence in shipping) Well I called them back 2 weeks later to check the status of the part and they adv. they had recieved it however it was going to be yet another 2 weeks to get the tech back out there.. Ok we are going on 6 weeks so far. By that time I am on complete bed rest due to blood pressure issues. Well they call back set up appointment for 2 weeks to have tech comes out and it was on a day I had a major dr. appointment. So I get someone to drive a hour to my house to sit and wait on this tech and they call 30 min before he is suppose to be there saying it was the wrong part(they should have checked that when they recieved it) they were going to have to order another part another 2 weeks. Ok for everyone counting I am on 8 weeks without a tv and on bedrest pregnant. Well they call telling me that they got the part and they would be out in a week the 25 of may 2007 ok so I set around all day the 25th waiting on the tech no tech. I call them back around 4 p.m. to ask what is going on they adv me that they did not tell me the 25th well that really made me mad so I played the message for them stateing the facts I was told then they back tracked and said that someone made a mistake that it would be june 13th before they could get someone else out there. With everything that was happening I had been in contact with consumer relations with the protection plan and they keep giving me the run around about I would have to be without a tv for at least 3 months. In my eyes that was not a timely manner nor was that good customer service I made several complaints on this company they sent to my house. Well 13th came arount he fixed the tv all was good until now. It is not even a year later and the tv has decided it was going to go out yet again. I am going to buy a new tv from a diffrent location but I am making them still come out and repair the old one like I told them it would be waiting on the porch for the repair man. When I called I made it really clear I did not want the same repair company as before due to the way they talked to me and also they way they kept putting me off. I get home last night to hear that is the repair company they are sending out to my house... The S**T is going to hit the fan that is all i got to say...Circuit city is taking advantage of people and they need to be stopped I paid 400 and some dollars for my plan and have not recieved the service I was promised..Did I mention that during the first service the people treated me so bad and
Thank God there are others out there who have experienced the pain that I have also had to endure trying to get my Sony XBR fixed and returned via this scam called "Citiadvantage Protection Plan". My story is just as twisted and gruesome as this and to this day I still do not have my tv returned. The problem is that Circuit City does not do the work but outsources the work to independent contractors. In this manner, Circuit City is not held accountable for any of the problems that my arise. If you contact their customer service representatives they have no problem lying, making excuses, or twisitng the words of the contract in order to get out of meeting the needs of their customers. I still do not have my tv. It has been fixed, but I have been unable to get the scam artists at Circuit City to do as page 19 of the contract says, "We will furnish transportation of the product" to you. Who is WE if not the people responsible at Citiadvantage. They continue to put the onus of reponsibility on the outsourced contractor and myself. My tv is still being held hostage at Audio Video Repair in Philadephia, PA (I live in NJ) after a month and a half of aggravation with the wonderful people at Circuit City Citiadvantage Protection Plan.
I am begging all of you hard working souls to avoid Circuit City and their rip off scheme at all costs. As I can see now it would have been cheaper and a lot less of a hassle to just buy another tv at a more reputable company. This is the last dollar that I ever sink into Circuit City. Beware.
This City Advantage insurance is a total fraud. I have had nothing but a run around for the last 2 months. My lap top stopped working and I called the insurance company. I tryed for many hours with tech support to resolve the problem but to no avail. They finally told me to send it to their repair facilities. So I boxed it up and shipped it off. About a week later they send it back to me. Two technicians signed off that it was repaired.
I tryed working with it and again it was freezing up and not responding. I called the insurance company again and again they told me I had to send it back so they could try and fix it. I was quite exasperated because by now I had been without my computer for almost a month. I asked if they could replace it and they said no...I would have to send it back for repair again. Well, I went through the whole process again, shipping it back and going without a computer for another week. This was and is a hardship for me as I use the computer in my business. So again I'm waiting for the return of my computer and again it comes back. I open it up again to find that it still doesn't work.
Now I'm on the phone with City Advantage, should be renamed "Take Advantage of the customer ", and they finally say they are going to send me a new rebuilt computer, but first I will have to wait until they find one that has all my specifications. Now I wait for another week until they locate one and call me and ask me if I will accept the one they found. I say " Yes, please just get it to me", the computer arrives and I open up the box and can't wait to see what it is and how it works and low and behold the dam keyboard doesn't work. Only certain letters would type.
It's sounding like a broken record, but again I call the company and argue with the customer service people, or so called supervisors and yes, I have to send it back and wait for another one to arrive. I told them I have no faith that the next one will work.
I'm told if this one doesn't work then and only then will they send me a gift card to get a new one. But I just read someone else's comments that they don't honor the gift card because by the time you get it, your insurance has expired and in order to use the gift card you have to reinstate the insurance.
I will never buy anything from Circuit City again and I will write a letter to the Better Business Bureau regarding this fraudulent insurance company and will also send a copy to the insurance commissioner. Bonnie Flynn, Palm Desert, CA
same story ...
On February 26, 2006 we purchased a 50 Inch Plasma TV, model no. (LG 50PX1D) for $3, 299.99, ticket no. [protected], at store #3164 in Salisbury, Maryland. We also purchased a specific TV mount for $403.99 along with a five-year “Advantage” Service Protection Plan for $549.99 (on the advice of the salesmen, D. Abbott). We purchased this plan in good faith and expected “hassle-free” certified service.
This purchase was made after extensive research on purchasing a quality plasma TV with the correct dimensions. Our home had been recently remodeled and the family room fireplace and custom cabinetry had been made to fit the TV dimensions. The TV was professionally installed on March 6, 2006.
On Friday, May 12th, 2006 (two months later) the TV lost its picture quality and the screen showed large black spots. We were unable to watch the TV. We called Circuit City’s Service Department on Monday, May 15th at [protected] and were given a call reference no. 5925646, confirmation no. IHR605220412 and DUC no. 5927591. We were instructed to call Appliance Unlimited, Circuit City’s Authorized Service Provider at [protected] to set up a repair appointment. Jim, the technician [protected]) called back a few days later to set up an appointment. We were given ID No. 6106800.
On June 6th, two weeks later, the technician arrived and quickly stated that he needed to order a digital board for the TV. He told us that it could take a short time for the part to come in or up to two weeks. Two weeks pass and we call the service technician. He informs us that the part is on national backorder and that it could take up to another two weeks. We wait another two weeks and call the service tech again. He does not return our calls. We call Appliance Unlimited and talk to the secretary and she acknowledges that the service technician is having a hard time finding the part.
We decide to call LG (the TV manufacturer) and they inform us that they have plenty of digital board parts. We then call Circuit City (Jesse, TV/sales manager at the time) with the hope of having him help resolve this matter. It’s now been over two months that the TV is unviewable. After a few more days of no answers, we call LG the TV manufacturer again and they inform us that Circuit City’s service provider “Appliance Unlimited” is UNAUTHORIZED to work on LG TV’s. They will not sell Circuit City’s service provider the parts. We call Jesse, the TV manager from Circuit City and explain the situation to him and he acts odd when we explain to him that LG stated the service company that was sent to our home is unauthorized to work on the TV. We ask to speak with the store manager. Lauren Palmer/CSA #1 who offers no solution. We contacted Circuit City Corp. and they put us on hold for two hours.
We felt deceived. Is this a scam or a tactic of Circuit City? We again contacted Circuit City Corporation and spoke with Marilyn Pando, and finally were given a contact ID Number 2205897. I never heard from Circuit City again. We contacted the Better Business Bureau. They were working on getting a replacement TV for us and checking into the unauthorized service provider issue. A few weeks later we speak with the store manager again, and she states that they are working on getting authorized service.
On July 14th, after several months of misleading information from Circuit City and their service provider, we returned the TV to the store. We were issued an exchange for our original TV on July 31, 2006 under ticket no. [protected] only after the Better Business intervened. However, we did not take the 50” LG exchange TV that was offered to us because of the unresolved service protection plan issue. In addition, by this time, our original model TV was no longer available and the exchange LG model was not similar in dimensions to our original TV. We were told by store manager, Paul Renshaw/CSA #2 that we could wait a few weeks to see if any new models arrive while the service issue is being resolved.
February 2007, we still have no TV. I again call Circuit City and speak with new store manager, Tracy Sgon/CSA #3, and return to the store to consider a different brand TV. This brand was a Sony 46” LCD TV (Model No. KDL46XBR2), with similar dimensions as our original TV and was priced at $3, 609.99. It was not a 50 Inch Plasma TV. We were however, willing to pay the difference between our $3, 299.99 original purchase and this particular exchange TV, but when we arrived, Tracy informed us that we had only been authorized an exchange value of $2, 800.00. We never agreed to this amount, especially when the original TV only worked for two months. She also informed us that she still had not been authorized to refund our service agreement fee, and stated that “the corporate office should not be selling those service contracts when they know that we’re not certified”. We did not take the exchange TV. I called Circuit City Corp. and spoke with Amos Forman, and waited on the phone for over two hours, and was finally told that there was nothing he could do for me.
On February 16th, 2007 we contacted the Maryland Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Affairs to help resolve the issue. As of March 3rd, the office had not heard from Circuit City or had returned their calls.
On April, 9th, 2007 John Rekinburg, Circuit City’s new TV Manager calls to say that he has a different “lower-end” 46” Sony LCD model priced at $2, 249.99 and asked if we were interested. Since Circuit City had still not addressed the service protection plan issue, and the quality and value of their TV offer was continuing to go down, we informed him that we were not interested. We also told him that we sent our complaint to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and were taking steps to file in Small Claims Court. A week or two later, other TV salesmen from Circuit City called to say that 46” TV we ordered was in. We informed him that we did not order a TV.
After a year of explaining our case over and over again to different store managers, TV sales managers, customer service reps, making numerous telephone calls to the corporate office, typing emails, and sending many letters without resolve, we feel victimized. The Circuit City “Advantage Protection Plan” states that it provides you with the best product coverage and customer service available. “Relax with a peace of mind” only seems like an “Advantage” to Circuit City. I have spoken with hundreds of people on the internet that seem to be going through the same problems with Circuit City. The consumer should be made aware of this.
We would like to add that Circuit City is misleading the average consumer, with the intent to deceive. This is an unfair and deceptive business practice. They sell a service contract knowing that they can send anyone (an unauthorized service tech) to your home and say that they “attempted to fix it”, or actually fix it and make matters worse, and then after weeks and months of the consumer trying to get this resolved, they begrudgingly offer you an exchange that “is similar” … a new item with far less value or even worse, a TV that someone else returned, and then offer you nothing for the service contract fee.
Circuit City sold us a fraudulent protection plan. It is unacceptable that they are now only offering ($2, 659.96)? exchange value for a $3, 299.95 TV that only worked two months. As a customer, we have done everything possible to resolve this issue in a patient, timely manner. Circuit City’s customer service policy prolonged this situation by not being honest and forthright from the start.
In the interest of consumerism, we now expect Circuit City to refund the full amount of our original TV purchase, in addition to the service protection plan refund. If this cannot be resolved we will have no choice but to file in small claims court for the total amount of the TV, the protection, plan, the custom mount, installation and repairs. We have filed our case in small claims and awaiting our case. Circuit City how decided to contest the case by spending our money on an attorney to represent Circuit City, instead of deal with the customer …. and no one can figure out why they are in the shape they are now …
I had purchased a laptop & had purchased full service protection plan. I had few problems with it such as moniter going blank, cd drive not working & the battery died. I have send it back to them in June & yet no one can tell me what's the status of my laptop. I had called them almost on daily basis & have went there few times & spoke to the manager & all I get from them is we'll call you once we hear back.
I can feel the pain.
This is my second incident (Nightmare) in 1 year dealing with Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan.
Last week my touchpad on my laptop computer did not function. I scheduled a pickup and was told it would take 7-10 business days to repair. To my surprise, I received my laptop back after two days . But... problem was not resolved. On the worksheet that was sent back with my laptop, nothing was noted about work done on the touchpad. Other work such as Restored Operating System, Reprogrammed BIOS, cleaned CPU/VGA Fan and Bad AC Adapter were marked on the worksheet. I contacted Advantage and was instructed to call back computer support and would have to walk through steps with them in order to try and resolve issue from home before they would arrange for another pickup for repair. I was also told that a supervisor would look at the problem and that I could call Nexicor the repair company with any questions.
Nexicor said that operating system was corrupt and that could have been the problem why the touchpad was not working. They said the touchpad was working before it was sent back to me.
In addition, my laptop was left on my front porch out in the open. I called Advantage and was told they would make a report about it and that it should not have been left there.
I then contacted Advantage to schedule a pickup for repair after problem wasn't reolved from home. Arrangements were made for next day pick up.
The following day I called Computer Support to track when the pickup would be. I was told that it was not " Dispatched Properly" and that another order for pickup would need to be made. I was told a supervisor would again be notified.
I was told by Advantage that there was no complaint department but to call Circuit City Corp. I called Circuit City Corp and spoke to a manager ( Escalation Dept). After explaining the situation to the manager who was not very attentive, because she kept asking questions that was covered under my explanation. She said she would make a note of situation.
In the middle of all this I get a letter to renew my protection plan.
This incident is minor compared to the trouble that I went through earlier this year with Advantage. I guess this is why I have no patience and trust with this company. To make a longer story short, I was without a working laptop for almost 2 months because of a faulty adapter cord. In the end I received a loose cord which I kept because I didn't want to put myself under more undue stress.
When I purchased the Advantage Protection Plan, I expected the service that was promised. What exactly am I paying for? Very exhausting when spending hours explaining situation over and over again to have the service agent say it will be reported to a supervisor.
As I mentioned, I am up for renewal next month. I feel in a lose- lose situation. If I don't extend my protection plan, who knows what cost of repairs for a laptop may be. Any suggestions or comment most welcomed.
Who knows how much longer until my current problem will be resolved?
I am actually an employee for Circuit City and after reading alot of the stories above, I see some people that have valid complaints, and some that are just being impatient.
As far as TV repair is concerned, the company has to protect itself from customers that make fraudulent claims or take advantage of the extended warranty. If Circuit City Advantage were to simply give out new TV's every time one broke or had problems, they wouldn't be in business long. It's customers that falsely claim their TV is broken, or intentionally damage their TV towards the end of their plan, that led to the current system. Realizing that their plan was almost up, some people saw an opportunity to get a free new TV if they claimed theirs didn't work. This meant Circuit City Advantage (CCA) had to put steps in place to prevent this.
As is common in life, "a few bad apples can spoil the bunch."
Unfortunately, this means that honest customers that are just trying to get their product fixed or replaced, have to deal with the extra steps that are necessary to prevent abuse of warranty. I can honestly say that all of the above stories appear to be legitimate claims and it's ashame that repairs have to take so long, but I assure you that it's not an attempt to defraud, customers, but rather protect the company's assets from fraud.
Obviously, this explanation can in no way account for some of the stories where the customer(s) experienced poor customer service, or rude operators. Also, in many cases it sounds like alot of you were given the runaround before you were given real answers, and there is just simply no argument to defend Circuit City Advantage in those instances. These cases clearly show that improvements need to be made in processing claims and that Circuit City Advantage needs to fix these immediately or else they risk losing customers.
I simply want to make it clear that Sales Associates of Circuit City Stores, as well as Customer Service Associates, are in no way attempting to lie and sell and extended warranties to "rip-off" our customers. We suggest extended-warranties because unfortunately manufacturers are only willing to warranty their products for 3 to 12 months (longer in very few cases.) I know when I purchase electronics, I expect that I'm going to have them for a few years before upgrading or needing to repair them. In many cases, the only way to do that is to "insure" your product with extended warranties. Although all of you had dreadful experiences, I see countless people every day that have great stories to tell about how CCA worked for them and who would never think about declining a protection plan.
A suggestion I have for anybody that is having trouble with Circuit City Advantage and the "1-800" numbers is to go into the store you bought the product from and let customer service know about the problems you are having. If you are calm and simply try to enlist the aid of an employee (without pointing fingers, or shouting, or making a scene) there is not going to be any employee that will ignore you or be rude to you. Just let them know that you are having problems and could really use their help.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a customer approach me at customer service and explain a problem he was having. He had purchased a Playstation 3 with Circuit City Advantage protection a year earlier, but unfortunately had problems within the first year. One day he was playing a game that he had rented, when his PS3 simply powered off and could not be turned back on. When he called the CCA hotline, they instructed him to mail the PS3 in with a prepaid label and not to try to take the game out. They told him if he tried to open up the system to get the game out, it would void his warranty. They promised him that they would send the game to him after the system was repaired. Unfortunately, a week or two later, they informed him they couldn't repair his system and that he would be sent a gift card to replace it. However, when he asked about the game, they told him he wasn't supposed to send anything along with the system and that it was his fault. (Obviously at this point I can see from his point of view it was a catch-22 and that he was being given the run-around.)
Anyways, I got the information from his purchase and sat down to call the hotline to help him get some answers, and sad to say, the first person I spoke to told me that there was nothing that could be done and that I was supposed to tell the customer "Oh Well." In response I simply told her to put me on the phone with her supervisor, who tried to give me the same run-around. I simply kept asking to speak to the next person up and eventually spoke with a lady that said she might be able to do something. I explained to her that they could make this customer happy by sending him a gift card to replace the rented game, and pay any late fees that could not be negotiated down because of the defect issue. I let her know that I would not be going away and that I would call everyday I worked until the customer got what he deserved. Finally they agreed to let us give him the game from our store and that they would process the claim so that we could have the paperwork necessary to "give away" a product. (As you can see, I experienced some of the poor customer service that many of you did, even as an employee.)
I realize this has been long, but what I'm trying to get at is that the protection plans do work in MOST cases, but that there are instances that become difficult, which shows that CCA is not perfect and improvements should be made if we are going to keep customers. Just remember though that if you are calm and polite and enlist the help of workers you can talk to face-to-face, you are more likely to end up satisfied with the results you get. When you make a scene and try to blame people in the store, they don't want to help you because they are being insulted and falsely accused.
I'm glad I found this site, it will be useful to show my co-workers what problems people are having to so we take steps to prevent losing customers. I hope this has been somewhat helpful and I am sorry to hear about the issues you all had.
I had a similar experience. I purchased a Mitsubishi appx. 18 months ago. The TV is currently awaiting repair (for the third time). I called Circuit City on September 2nd, a technician came on September 5th and told me that I needed a new circuit board and it would take 7-10 buisness days. To make a long story short, it has been 24 buisness days, appx. 6 calls to Circuity City, 5 calls to the subcontracted repair company, and three calls directly to the Mitsubishi parts department and I am no closer to having my TV repaired than I was on September 5th. I spoke with Circuit City yesterday in regards to the cluster f*** they call customer service and the only answer they could give me was "We've assigned our parts team to your case and we should have an answer for you in the next 3-5 buisness days", my first response was "why wasn't this done two weeks ago when I made you perfectly aware of this issue" to which she replied " I don't know, it should have been", my next statement was "so you're telling me sometime next week I'll have an answer but I'll probably have to wait another 7-10 buisness days before the repair company gets around to scheduling the repair" to which customer service had no reply. The circumstances of my complaint may seem petty as my situation doesn't compare to the first post, and if this was an isolated occurance I would probably let it go, but I've had a combined down time of over 2 1/2 months (so far) on a TV I purchased for $2, 200 less than 2 years ago. I urge everyone to stay away from Circuity City, and find a company with a good reputation for customer service.
I may not have bought the most expensive item at their store. It's a $179.00 camera I was using to take shots of jewelery and art I was selling on the internet. The booklet says to take it in to the store if it's within the manufacturer's warranty. This is after it messed up one month after purchase. I take it in, guy give me a claim number and everything. Tells me it takes 1 and a half weeks to 2 weeks. I call within those two weeks and he puts me on hold for a good while then tells me it shows its on transit back to the store from the facility it was shipped to. It should be one or two days. Call back a few days later, tells me its on transit and it should be here in a day or two. That "I WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT ARRIVES". I said fine. I'm just being a bit impatient. Call back in 4 days... Girl tells me to try back tomorrow. And I ask to speak to a supervisor. Supervisor (if it was) tells me that the camera is at the store but it is not fixed.
I say "what? why not?"
he says he doesn't know who shipped it out but it wasn't supposed to be shipped out. I was supposed to call and request a box and when it arrived I was supposed to ship it out. I agree. It makes sense, but this implies that its my fault. The booklet says for hardware repairs within the manufacturer's warrant to be taken in to the store. If this wasn't the procedure. It needs to not be in the booklet and 2, the employee should be more aware of what he is doing when he's handling other people electronics. I would've agreed to ship it but he took it with no problems. And second, if I'd not been calling in to check up on the camera... they may have never called me back. Is it circuit city to blame or are all these people just not doing their jobs.
Circuit City is a joke, 6 Months ago I purchased a xbox 360 console and the clerk selling me insisted i bought they're "Circuit City Advantage Product Replacement Plan" for 75$. I said not thanks i don't need it because microsoft already gives you a 3 year warranty if you have any problems with the console. So he told me "We cover more than microsoft if you buy this protection plan, if ANYTHING and i mean ANYTHING happens to the console you can come back to the store within 1 Year and we will exchange the item for the same product or a Gift card of the value of the product in-store. so i believed him purchased it for 75 dollars. so now today 6 months later i go to turn on my xbox 360 and BANG! it's broken. So i package it lal back up with everytihng it came with nice and neat drove about 1 hour to the circuit city with my original reciept and paperwork which even states i could return it in store and then they have the nerve to tell me without even looking at the item "We don't do exchanges or returns on xbox 360's" so i show them what the receipt says and tell them what the person told me upon purchase, and they still say the same thing and don't listen to a word of what i say and just tell me they cant return it and to go home and call 1-800-4-myxbox and all this other mumbo jumbo. So now i have a broken xbox 360 sitting here.
Nothing but troubles trying to get my laptop repaired. I don't think they intend to fix anything. They just took my money and now will give me the runaround until I get tired and stop calling.