Saumsung 64inch TV Just Died

• 

  StewBalls on 02/02/2014 - 09:48

  +3

  When I first bought the TV, I registered it with Samsung, and last night I went through to request a repair, and it basically ended with them wanting me to ship it back to them.

  That is not a reasonable request by any stretch of the imagination. Every TV I have purchased >40" has in-home warranty…which I have on occasion used successfully.

  I would definitely be pressing them to send out a service person, and if they don't come to the party I'd mention that I intended to contact Fair Trading, then do so if they won't do the right thing.

• 

  mxlegend99 on 02/02/2014 - 10:38

  +2

  Thanks. Just found a number for premium in home services, and surprisingly the service will be free so long as there's nothing that voids the warranty. The word premium had me worrying about some huge bill just to get them to come out. Also, because I had filled out the information on line last night, once he had my name, mobile number and address he saw that claim and took all the serial number, model number etc. from that and it was really quiet easy from there.

  I was stressing so much over this too. Trying to get a TV so big and heavy back to the store without a box was doing my head in. Now that I don't have to worry about it, I'll just have to live without the TV until Thursday atleast. Now it's just a matter of digging out the old tv from the garage and surviving with 2 lines of dead pixels going down the screen until then.

  • 

    StewBalls on 02/02/2014 - 11:28

    +2

    Good to hear! :)

• 

  staffy321 on 02/02/2014 - 10:40

  +2

  They sent a tech to my house when my tv (same model and size) died, and took away the old one after replacing it without any of the original packaging. I think you should ring them again.

  Staf

• 

  MATTS on 02/02/2014 - 12:25

  malfunctioning capacitors caused certain Samsung-branded TVs manufactured between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2008 to "experience symptoms such as not turning on, a significant delay in turning on, making a clicking sound, cycling on and off, and other similar problems look up samsung capacitor

  • 

    plmko on 02/02/2014 - 14:10

    The same reason killed many Sony TVs, and what do you know, only the Samsung components died.

  • 

    RockyRaccoon on 03/02/2014 - 07:46

    Manufactured until Dec 2008 and they bought it last year.

    Would think 5 years on retailers shelf might be a tad too long for this issue.

    Unless you mean something else

    • 

      Speckled Jim on 03/02/2014 - 14:07

      Correct, the F in the model name denotes 2013 model. I have the PS51F5000AM which was a warranty replacement for a 10 month old PS51E531 (2012).

      In my case, the warranty claim was made online and a tech was out two days later. I helped load it into his van where he rested it, glass-side down on a long, non-slip cushion.
      It was diagnosed as "panel dead" and the part was on "permanent backorder".

      So a replacement it was. But from pickup of dead TV to new one delivered was exactly one month.
      This one's okay but it's only been 7 months…

• 

  MATTS on 02/02/2014 - 12:33

  i own a 40inch samsung lcd that turns off when wants to no lights and no power until a firm slap near buttons on side of tv and it comes back to life only does it once a week or so and my tv aint that old

• 

  mxlegend99 on 02/02/2014 - 13:05

  Hopefully it's just something simple like that that can be easily and quickly fixed on the spot. Although at the end of the day I am just relieved that I don't have to worry about it, the ease at which it looks like it will be repaired will give me more confidence in buying another Samsung TV in future.

  Assuming ofcourse that there are no issues when they come out and either repair it on the spot, or take it back to be repaired. But given the TV is under warranty, has been well looked after and kept out of the reach of my 13 month old little boy, I can't see anything voiding the warranty and having it cost me anything.

  • 

    sm007h on 02/02/2014 - 13:26

    Hope everything goes well for you. The power pack within the TV is usually the first thing that dies - we find a majority of warranty calls for our TVs are because of the power pack dying.

    We advise all our customers to use a power board that has a surge protector to connect their TVs and their home entertainment components. Some of the cheaper components (like DVD players) have very cheap power packs in them and will sometimes try to draw too much power, which then usually short circuits other components attached to the same wall socket.

    Just to give you a comparison - a power pack within a TV costs more than an entire DVD player. In short, use a power board that has a surge protector - they are quite cheap these days.

    PS: I might have caused heartaches to those technically minded by using non-technical terms.

    • 

      Amaris on 02/02/2014 - 14:35

      I thought cheap power boards were a gimmick item which stopped protecting the equipment within a short time. Mostly used by Hardy Normal sales people to maximize their profit. I may be wrong.

      • 

        StewBalls on 02/02/2014 - 16:04

        I thought cheap power boards were a gimmick item which stopped protecting the equipment within a short time.

        Sadly, often this is true…

        Mostly used by Hardy Normal sales people to maximize their profit.

        This is very true…

        I may be wrong.

        You're not actually wrong, but I think you've just misinterpreted what sm007h was getting at; which is that decent power boards with surge arrestors have gotten cheaper! :)

      • 

        sm007h on 02/02/2014 - 17:59

        A decent power board should not cost more than $30. Even the energy saving power boards don't cost as much as those upsells from Harvey Norman, and these energy saving boards have extra chips in them.

    • 

      mxlegend99 on 02/02/2014 - 20:15

      Its running through a surge protected powerboard. Every tv and computer I own has one. Along with all the extra crap hooked up near them. But I wouldn't risk having any of my expensive devices unprotected.

      Along with the 64inch, i had my htpc, onkyo amp, xbox one, bluray, ps3, 360 and hd-dvd player hooked up. All devices i cant stand to lose.

• 

  staffy321 on 02/02/2014 - 14:21

  +1

  I also add mine was 4 months old and it took 3 weeks from when I called them to the new unit delivered.

  Staf

  • 

    mxlegend99 on 02/02/2014 - 20:16

    You think i might get a new tv rather then a repair? How is your replacement going?

• 

  staffy321 on 02/02/2014 - 22:39

  Don't know about a new tv, ours had a line down the screen 25mm from the left edge of the screen. That's what the tech came out and looked at. Instantly he said the screen had failed and organised at first to have it repaired in my lounge room (change the panel in the tv). I thought that a bit odd and asked for a replacement to which they agreed.
  Two days before they were due to drop off the new tv it went bang when I turned it on and was completely dead.
  The new one has been going strong for 5 months

  Staf

• 

  Itburns on 03/02/2014 - 08:20

  +1

  Did you call JB Hifi? They have the primary warranty responsibility as they are the retailer - I had a Samsung from JB which had the aerial connector break 2 months after purchase - I called them & they sent a Samsung tech around who evaluated it & they replaced it with a brand new set a few days later - all done at home at no cost - fabulous service from JB - I just bought another set from them because of their service!

  • 

    LeChocolateMan on 03/02/2014 - 15:51

    I wouldnt say 'primary' as they didnt make the product. Also in saying that , its also a far better idea to attempt contacting samsung directly as they have qualified technicians who may be able to come out alot faster. JB(or any other electronic retailer) will simply organise a samsung technician the same way you would , thus making the turn around time a little longer in most cases.

    • 

      Itburns on 04/02/2014 - 07:39

      +2

      I think it is best to always go back to the retailer - that is why I said "primary" - they have the responsibility for the sale to you, (i.e. the sale contract is between you & the retailer, not between you & the manufacturer) so I disagree with your advice. It will always have more leverage with the manufacturer if it is the retailer going to them asking for a replacement etc on your behalf than if it is you alone (commercial relationship, business vs individual etc). Check out the requirements under consumer law at the ACCC website http://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/… & the following quote:

      "The retailer who sold you the product or service cannot refuse to help you by sending you to the manufacturer or importer. You can approach the manufacturer or importer directly, however, you will only be entitled to recover costs from them, which include an amount for reduction in the product’s value and in some cases compensation for damages or loss. You cannot demand a repair, replacement or refund from the manufacturer."

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 01/04/2014 - 08:33

      http://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees

      It died under 1 yr. It's easier to just return the thing to JB.

• 

  pandas on 03/02/2014 - 08:38

  Try calling them, or leaving a comment on their Facebook page.

  I've dealt with Samsung a number of times now both personal and business. All has been a long painful process unfortunately, my case has been open for a few months now and I'm still waiting for a replacement part for my stand.

  • 

    Cheeper on 03/02/2014 - 16:00

    It is odd that most manufacturers make accessing their service as painful and drawn out as possible.
    A manufacturer should view those times as an opportunity to support their product and the customers who chose their brand… but they don't, although they will claim they do.

    A long time ago I was the manager of a business that had sole rights to warranty service for a maker of AV products. Our aim was to address any problems customers had with a minimum of fuss and to their satisfaction. I cannot remember one time where we ever failed and the response was a lot faster than what we experience today.

    Providing this quality service was not expensive overall as the products we serviced were well built in the first place and if a problem did occur it was rare and of a minor nature. That company does not market AV products in Australia today, I suppose it made the decision to leave the market rather than take cost cutting short cuts to be able to compete on cost?

    I suppose the "bean counters" at these manufacturers think that losing 10% of loyal customers is of no concern as some jazzy advertising campaign will more than make up the loss.
    The only flaw in that thinking is that 10% of your customers are spreading the word about how poor the after sales service is. Treated properly, that 10% of customers could be walking ambassadors for your product and word of mouth is more often believed before advertising.

    I concur with Pandas comment re Samsung being painful to deal with…

• 

  Justaddgrum on 03/02/2014 - 12:21

  I haven't read the entire message. But if it is out of warranty, look up a local tv repairer. I had the same problem,the guy came to my home, opened it up and fixed it. (Changed a few capacitors in mycase)
  Cost around $100

  • 

    Cheeper on 03/02/2014 - 15:43

    That is cheap… most charge more than that just for call out. Well done.

• 

  huntermclaren on 03/02/2014 - 16:20

  +1

  hi mxlegend99, I bought the same TV in September last year and in November it started having vertical lines. I rang Samsung and they said they'd replace it within 5- 10 days which I thought was pretty cool as they hadn't even sent a technician out to see the TV. Anyway after 3-4 weeks waiting I rang them up and they said they cancelled my order as none were in stock. I politely raged at them a little bit and the lady said she'd get back to me in a week. A week later they rang and suggested I go to the place of purchase and pick another TV or they will refund my money. I explained that it was not good enough and after awhile they offered me a free upgrade to the Series 8 PS64F8500 which is still going for around the 3 grand mark. Anyway a week later a courier company came and swapped TVs. It is the best Plasma TV I've seen. I want to do inappropriate things to it, not just in front of it.

  • 

    mxlegend99 on 04/02/2014 - 05:14

    +1

    Well I certainly wouldn't be upset at an upgrade. That's an awesome score. :-)

• 

  nevbuster on 03/02/2014 - 20:35

  +1

  I have a 17 year old Sony Trinatron 68cm thats never missed a beat and still runs perfectly. Did the world forget how to make good TV"s ?

  • 

    MATTS on 03/02/2014 - 21:28

    everything is made to be disposable now

  • 

    RockyRaccoon on 03/02/2014 - 21:53

    Yea and you probably have paid for a new LEDTV in excess power charges…

    and

    everything is made to be disposable now

    Was something coined in the mid 50's so you are a little late..

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throw-away_society

    also in early 60's there was

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250912.The_Waste_Makers

  • 

    Speckled Jim on 04/02/2014 - 16:59

    We only ditched the old 68cm because the tube was going and it had "tunnel vision" where it's blurry around the perimeter. Made text very hard to read :/

    In the late 90s, it was said plasma TVs were rated to 10000 hours service life. Many have tried to convince me the newer ones are better.

    When a brand new TV lasts just 10 months (our 2012 model Sammy PTV) and the 2013 replacement starts doing unpredictable things after just 7 months, I remain unconvinced.

    I'd say investment and development has ceased in this area due to diminishing market demand. I believe PTVs "peaked" around 07-09.

    • 

      sm007h on 04/02/2014 - 17:15

      TVs rated with x amount of hours isn't MTBF - it's the number of hours of use before the TV loses half its brightness. Your flat panel TVs will fade over time, and most won't usually notice this unless they put their TV side-by-side with a new TV.

      Most TVs these days are rated at least 60,000 hrs, which, if for some strange reason you are watching 8 hrs of TV per day, you will get 20 years out of it before it loses half its brightness. As an aside, people who need to run TVs for hours on end (eg. pubs etc) really should consider getting commercial panels instead.

      • 

        Speckled Jim on 05/02/2014 - 09:53

        My 2006 model PTV has a specs table in the owners manual: Service life — 10000 hours. No mention of brightness, but that's a given.
        But it's not just total running time.

        They're poorly equipped to handle temperature cycles — from their own generated heat. If there's a USB port available, should the screen die because the power distribution isn't up to the task? Should vertical lines start appearing less than a year after purchase? Should they power themselves off without warning?

        PTVs are dearer to manufacture and transport than LCDs, so it's in their interests to phase out production. Make 'em badly for those who must have PTV, make the suckers swear off the technology and jump ship to LCD.
        Smells like forced obsolescence to me.

      • 

        RockyRaccoon on 07/02/2014 - 19:10

        Plasma TV's always have had a low service life rating. This is one reason why it lost out in the popularity stakes to LED TV's. While better for moving images, its rated life was considerably less.

        Once worked for a display company, and in bidding for contracts with Plasma displays specified, we always had to read tender docs carefully, as often these required hours in excess of a plasma's life. When you must replace any screen that failed within the spec, you just walked away from the deal.

        One of our competitors went bust over this specific requirement as not only did they have to replace the originals, they had to replace the replacements as the specs were worded, so that any replacement had to meet the spec. Not old plus new meeting the spec.

        And as sm007h says, its 10000hrs for half brightness. And in many display tenders the screens would be going for 15-20 hours a day = 1 -2 years

        BTW it's not forced obsolescence, its market forces. While some didnt look at the spec's many did, and decided that the weight, lifespan and power consumption made Plasma's an expensive proposition, hence with LED prices coming down, and bigger screens becoming available, plasma development could overcome the issues above, and companies just did the math and decided it wasnt worth putting in the R&D to overcome the issues. It sure wasn't planned.

      • 

        Speckled Jim on 08/02/2014 - 20:51

        Wasn't planned? I wrote forced obsolescence.
        In the case of Samsung, it appears to be true.

        They chose to ignore the faults that plagued their 2011 & 2012 models. For 2013, they just rearranged the menus and changed the stand. They should give up with PTVs altogether if they can't be bothered making a decent one.

        It's quite likely that my recent glitches with the media player are ambient temp related — we'll see.

    • 

      Cheeper on 04/02/2014 - 21:49

      LOL… Our Panasonic 42" plasma only failed 9800 hours short of its projected 10000 hr service life!! :-)
      The one before that did last a bit longer… about 3.5 years!

• 

  mxlegend99 on 04/02/2014 - 05:18

  Samsung wanted me to sign some paper for when the TV is picked up, and that paper was supposed to be emailed to me but there's no attachment. It's just some sort of service request thing that I sign confirming I agree to the Terms and Conditions and will pay if the fault is find to be of my own causing.

  Does anyone know where abouts on the Samsung website I can find that? I think the person I spoke to assumed I already had it, as I told him I had printed out a couple of copies of a page the website told me to. But I specifically mentioned to him that it wasn't the page he referred to and he said he would email it to me, but his English didn't seem to be the best and the email I received was basically just a confirmation telling me I needed to sign that paper, and not actually including it to print.

  I've signed the papers I printed out originally that I know are wrong. Worst case I use that and hope the service guy has the correct papers on him. If nobody knows where to find it, I'll just get on the phone to them again tonight. But I'll then be counting on them emailing it and not stuffing it up again.

  • 

    Speckled Jim on 04/02/2014 - 17:00

    Mine was an attachment to the email you received.

• 

  StickMan on 06/02/2014 - 13:54

  Good luck, I am just contacting LG now for a faulty 60 incher. It's my fourth TV too, first from LG though.

  • 

    Cheeper on 07/02/2014 - 00:31

    Plasma?

    • 

      StickMan on 07/02/2014 - 10:24

      +1

      No, LED LCD. So many problems with manufacturing process on the big 60inch size… leads to massive backlight problems.

      • 

        mxlegend99 on 01/04/2014 - 10:14

        How did you go?

• 

  mxlegend99 on 31/03/2014 - 16:26

  TV just died again today. Filled out the request online and called up the premium service number. They have a team coming out for an assessment (not repair) on Wednesday. Will determine whether I get a repair, replacement or refund.

  At the rate it's going, if I get the option it will be a refund all the way. I'll look at putting the money toward replacing it with a 65inch+ Ultra HDTV. I would be fine with a replacement, but not at all happy with another repair. This TV feels like it's cursed or something now, and even if it had 20+ years in it after a second repair I would never feel confident in it.

  • 

    Speckled Jim on 31/03/2014 - 22:33

    +2

    I must admit, they're nice while they last. It seems all Samsung care about is positive online reviews of their products. This short-term approach guarantees one thing: I and many others won't be touching them again.
    Not when our Soniq is still perfect after six years!

• 

  Cheeper on 31/03/2014 - 23:49

  +1

  Funny thing these tech assessments..??
  I repaired a written off (almost new) set yesterday. It had been assessed as needing a new panel and was on its way to the tip.
  I ripped the back off and re-seated all the 8 flat cables down the side of the panel and what do you know… a perfect working tv… Watching it right now!
  I wonder how many go to the tip when all the problem is a bad connection or something else as simple?

• 

  mxlegend99 on 01/04/2014 - 09:45

  +1

  So if they write it off they just send it to the tip? No refurb or anything? Crazy.

  Im hoping mine is written off. Think its the power supply again. Its not dead as it was before where i had no standby or anything. But googling the 5 flashes and it looks like a common problem with a faulty power supply.

  I just want confidence in my tv last 3+ years.

  • 

    Cheeper on 01/04/2014 - 10:34

    We have a 42" LG LCD, our everyday & all day tv.. almost 6 y/o now. I think it is only HD? but has a stunning pic and is as good as the day we got it. Our son has one that is the same. Better pic than our 2 fhd sets.
    Is it luck with these things or just that some makes / models are better made?
    They all should come with a 3yr warranty, even if we have to pay more in the purchase price.
    Hisense come with a 3yr warranty and make good sets too.

• 

  mxlegend99 on 29/04/2014 - 16:11

  Nearly a month later and it's still not resolved. Technician came out to assess it and it was the same issue as before, was told he could repair it or put in a claim for refund our exchance. That happened in the first few days. Since then I have had nothing but issues.

  Originally they offered me a 65inch LED Series 6 TV as an exchange, refund or store credit. I chose the exchange, they said it would be a few days and a courier would call up to plan the exchange. 5 or 6 days later I hear nothing, call them up and they tell me the television is End of Line, meaning parts weren't available and I couldn't get that TV.

  I was then offered a refund, exchange or could wait a month or two (couldn't give me a time exactly) to get it replaced with a 2014 model TV. They couldn't give me a model or anything to look up whether or not it was a TV I would want, so I chose to get the refund. Pissed off at having wasted about a week waiting for a TV that I was excited to get, only to have to wait again for an option I wish I had originally chosen.

  Since then call, I have rang them a few times to check on progress and had absolutely no progress at all. Customer Care just says the same shit each time about the claim being processed and that a case manager should could me within a few days. So I call up before the Easter Weekend, and I am told someone will call me on the Monday and to keep checking my email for updates. Nothing happens on Easter Monday, I decided to wait the week given it was a public holiday, and wanted to ring the Friday but it was also a public holiday. I figured that would get me nowhere, so I waited until first thing yesterday morning. Customer care again tries to be helpful, but says that a case manager isn't answering their phone and they will put in a request for an urgent call back. I wait all day yesterday and nothing. All day today and it's 4pm and nothing. SO I'm about to ring them up again and already know exactly how the conversation is going to go, and that I will again get nowhere, no new information and just be further pissed off at Samsung. I want to blow up at them on the phone, but fear if I piss them off it could get even worse for me.

  This TV is the last Samsung product I will ever own. I have loved the brand and had good experiences with them up until this television, and I expect this TV is just a lemon and another TV would be fine. But the issues I have had in dealing with them has soured me on them altogether. I would have happily replaced this television with another Samsung if they had made things easy when the TV was faulty. But a month without my huge Television is just unacceptable. It's sitting up against my bluray shelves blocking access to them. Waiting for me to finally get a refund and to send it back.

  Can anyone tell me what options I have at the moment? THreats to be made (ACCC?) to hopefully speed it up. Or is this just a normal time period for this sort of thing?