Panasonic PT-AE300

Hi,
I just purchased a 'brand new'AE300 from a (quite) well know online retailer, and am very impressed with the PQ overall. However a couple of things are bugging me;

1. As soon as I switched the unit on I noticed a permanently lit bright blue pixel in the middle of the screen. It is only really visible on dark scenes but I can see it quite easily during them.

2. I checked the lamp runtime and it was already on 7 hours (and set to high power) when I switched the unit on for the very first time.

Also all the bags etc had already been opened, including the bag on the carry case, and the batteries for the remote had been used, instruction manual looked slightly worn (not that i'm too bothered about that).

it actually seems to me that this may be a unit which has previously been returned by another customer.

I would like an opinion on what to do about this- Would you ask for a replacement?

I don't really like the fact that this appears to be a 'used' machine even though I paid for a brand new one.

 

I'd contact the retailer explaining the situation & demand what you paid for - a new PJ.

You should be reasonable though, give them an option. Either 1. a new/sealed replacement. 2. Full refund. 3. Small claims court.

Best of luck

 

Very reasonable, that and the proper way to proceed....... If I'd been sold that as a "new" product, I'd be quite ******ed off..........


Sean G.

 

Given the fact there's also a stuck pixel I'd be changing that "quite" to "very" and add a few more asterisks!

Name and shame, I say

 

Goof,

Steady......... no point in organising a witch hunt - let the guy sort out his problem with the retailer/supplier without having a slagging match online here.

My 2c.....


Sean G.

 

I suppose you're right Sean, just that that's pretty awful business practice and I wouldn't like to be subjected to it.

Still, could've been an honest mistake and they should be given the opportunity to correct the problem before I get my stake and matches out

 

I would try and get them to do a dead pixel check on the next unit they provide (assuming that they do send out another) even if you have to pay some £. I guess this unit was probably returned due to that blue pixel.

Sort of demonstrates that pixel deficient projectors do get returned to the marketplace (which might inidcate the answer to that age old question - what happens to projectors rejected from DPC's)

 

If you have no luck with the supplier with regards to an exchange for a new unit then contact panasonic. I know 1 blue stuck pixel is within tolerence but I bet if you phone the customer support number and not the product support number they will arrange to have it repaired. They did it for me two weeks ago.
But before going down this route demand a replacement from the shop you bought it from.

 

Thought I would update anyone prepared to listen with this. By the way I forgot to mention in my first post that i DID actually pay for a pixel check.

Anyway I complained by email on 19/12 as I could not get through on the phone at all, they came back with a uniform response which pretty much says to me that they hardly bothered reading my complaints (i.e 'You will be charged £35 if it is found not to have a fault' (what about the fact it wasn't a new unit???) and 'if it's a DVD player please return the discs that won't play'??? etc.)

After sending the unit back myself on 4th Jan (they advised the courier the wrong address) I got a confirmation via email that it was faulty and a new unit will be allocated and despatched to me shortly. (The courier then turned up to my correct address to collect the faulty unit!!??)

Which reminds me, before I forget with my original order I paid extra for a 'timed' delivery before 10am (which I needed as I was supposed to be going to work at 10am) but the courier said it went on a regular delivery (it arrived at 1pm) and that the supplying company should refund any extra I paid. I mentioned this in my first complaint but was completely ignored.

After chasing them up a few times (the website said they had stock but I was still waiting nearly 2 weeks after they confirmed despatch 'ASAP') I received the replacement yesterday 19th Jan. As soon as I opened the Box, I had my suspicions. It was certainly all the same accessories which I packed away when I sent my old unit back, same scuffs on the instruction manual etc. Powered the unit up. SAME F*****G UNIT!!!! SAME STUCK BLUE PIXEL!!! SAME HOURS ON THE LAMP!!!!

Now I don't know if I'm allowed to metion the name of this retailer on here, but this is the worst customer service I have received in all of my 27 years. They are gonna get such a snotty complaint today. If I don't get a positive response then, Grrrrr.

 

Name 'em and then hang 'em.

Well maybe just name them.

That is shoddy and I would be very p###ed off if that happened to me. From now on I would be taking no prisoners from them.

Jack

 

Phone call your local trading standards people. Talk to them. Then ring Manager of suppliers armed with that info...

 

In all my years, i have never heard such a bad story, my heart goes out to you mate. I think you should name them so people like us can reward other companys with excellent CS with our business !

 

That is just stupidity,

I would name them, it is the only way that the level of service that we as consumers receive will improve. If companies believe that poor customer service is acceptable and that they won't lose and sales over it they will just continue with their current standards.

If everyone knows the poor customer service of a company, they will hopefully avoid them, and they will be forced to either improve their service or go out of business (and as far as I can see rightfully so in this case).

 

Name and Shame!! and hopefully its not who I've just ordered a AE500 from

 

Make sure you have all your paperwork in order such as letters and emails - and detail any conversations you've had with them (inc dates and times if poss) just in case you need to take it to small claims.

Chris

 

I think the company should be named. As is, this thread is damaging the reputations of everyone selling AE300s.

If I wanted to order one today, how do I know its not from these cowboys? In which case I'm not gonna order one.

 

I'd be interested to know who this is also.

This isn't a case of one easily made mistake.... it's a whole raft of screwups bolted on to a bad attitude with a large dose of zero customer service.

If you don't want to name them directly then make it obvious who they are.... for everyones sake.

 

what he said!

you gotta let us know.........for our piece of mind,

as i am looking to buy one real soon.

 

If we can give praise when it's due then we can give brickbats too, please tell us who it is, to protect our interest, not theirs!

 

The suspense is killing me

 

name!

 

Now then berserkgoose.

A lot of people on here are very interested on whats happened to you.

A lot of them are in the market for buying a new machine whether it be a 300 or not. The point is do they gamble and maybe buy from who you have, and end up posting about a dogdey trader?

Put your self in our position.

If you do not want to name the trader post it.

If you have resolved the issue post it.

If neither please have the decency to post it.

Otherwise a lot of people are wasting there time responding to this post!

Jack

PS No offence meant if you have a reason for not posting

 

OK, I was gonna wait to see their response to my latest complaint before I posted again but I suppose it's only fair to warn you.

It's Techtronics.com, I suspect that you guys will not be ordering from these anyway as the AE300 is available cheaper elsewhere at the moment, but at the time when I ordered these were the cheapest I could find.

If you do order one from them you just might end up with the one I got (twice).

I seem to remember reading on their website a statement along the lines of 'people are jealous of our meteoric rise within the web trading community are trying to discredit us by posting false information etc on the internet'. Well I can tell you that this is 100% genuine. If they don't want people posting things about them they should sort themselves out and give a better service.

I would like to add that a friend ordered the same product from Techtronics just before I did and has had no problems whatsoever. No doubt he would have if there had been any reason to return it.

 

Hi berserkgoose

Well done. At least others are pre-warned.

Jack

 

Techtronics have developed a reputation for bureaucracy as a search in this forum on their name will reveal several tales of woe, however the same search will reveal many who have successfully ordered what they wanted. I think like many large expanding companies the details tend to get overlooked, just look at all the compaints levelled at the DSG group (Dixons/Currys/PCworld). The key thing in this kind of case is to try to deal with the same person (ask for names) or at least department to avoid your problem being shunted back and forth between employees who do not have the full picture. As also suggested by others here warning most companies of further action does often wake them up and lead to results. Beserkgoose I hope they do eventually thus resolve this to your satisfaction.

 

I agree entirely. 3-4 years ago when I bought my modded Sony DVD player, Techtronics were a small, reliable company at the forefront of DVD chipping. I had no problems back then...

Like so many companies experiencing a "meteoric" expansion (and not just retail companies), they appear to have not been able to maintain the levels of quality that were more controllable with the small number of dedicated staff who started the whole thing in the first place. I remember reading similar stories (on these forums) that Sound & Vision in Bolton suffered exactly the same problems a while back.

 

here is my feedback re:this company:::::::


I ordered a panasonic pt-ae300 projector from techtronics for over £1200. They took the money from my credit card and then delivered the unit with no problems. However, when I unpacked it, it had a dead pixel on the display. I phoned them for a refund but they said this was NORMAL!!
I explained that for the sum I paid, dead pixels are not satisfactory.
They just said "well that's Panasonics problem, ring them". I informed them that my transaction was with them NOT panasonic UK, but they refused to listen (after all if you bought a chair and on delivery it only had three legs, I don't care if the manufacturer NOW says that's OK, I would still want a refund).
I phoned Panasonic UK who said that this was "technically acceptable" but they still urged me to get a full refund back from Techtronics. I also went to the Panasonic shop who showed me the official Panasonic technical update that states that even though one or two dead pixels is within limits THE RETAILER HAS TO INFORM THE BUYER THAT THIS IS THE CASE BEFORE THEY BUY. At NO TIME did Techtronics inform me either on the telephone OR in their website, that dead pixels may be an issue and that they would not refund me if this happened (if they had, I would have stayed well clear). This is not allowed = 'sale of goods act 1979' states that goods should be sold AS DESCRIBED.
Techtronics did say they would accept a cancellation return as it was within 7 days (they have to do this by law) but then charged me £23 for return delivery. 'Distance selling regulations' and the 'Supply of goods to consumer regulations 2002' state the the RETAILER has to take full responsibilty for return carraige (and therefore CANNOT CHARGE THE CUSTOMER FOR THIS).

Every time I tried to ring Techtronics to get this sorted out, either the line would go dead or the department would be closed. They didn't even ring me back even when they promised they would. My telephone bill in continually ringing them has also not been added in their 'refund'. Their returns department is closed on sat and sun. I managed to finally get them to pick up the projector on the Monday.
It gets Worse: I then asked them about the refund and they promised me one within 4-5 days at the most. After mailing them when nothing happened, they told me that they were legally allowed to wait for up to 1 month. What? They were VERY quick to take the money from my account, but say they'll take 1 month to refund me? So they're quite happy to also keep the interest accrued on that sum as well I presume (as it wouldn't figure in their 'refund').
Trading standards first pointed out the relevant 'acts' and I am waiting to see what they do. My credit card company is also interested in the case but have to see what trading standards say first. Techtronics eventually refunded me but, guess what... still no refund on the delivery or the interest accrued due to their delays.

PPS I WAS dealing with a named person, not that it made a blind bit of difference - all their attitudes are the same.


[Post edited to remain within forum rules - Kramer]

 

Gaffer,

I understand your frustration but please read the forum rules here. I've had to edit your post extensively

Dead pixels are a major issue & hopefullyall members here are aware of potential problems. Always worth buying from a reputable dealer, quite a few of who can be found here.

Hope it finally works out for you.

 

Well I suppose I will never buy from Techtronics then.Oh dear oh dear what an absolute despicable customer service if you can even call it that!!!I have had a similar problem with Digital Direct, they refunded my money over two months after they themselves cancelled my order while I was on the phone to them(reason being they were unable to get hold of stock and I needed the goods before I went on holiday)I would not order anything from them either after that fiasco. In fact I will pay more to some other company so that I dont have this hassle in the future. But the irony is that in this country we are having to pay extra for good customer service as well!!!
"Dont get Owt for Nowt" rings true!!

Just my 2c's worth.

 

Right,

first of all this is not (totally!) blatant advertising but MY honest opinion.

I think the issues identified in the above posts could be due to the rate of growth/size of the companies dealt with.

As Kramer states there are several companies on the sponsors page who combine near on or the same prices with extras like pixel checks, good advice and a real sense that the customer matters. These retailers understand that they will 'live or die' by their reputations and have a stake in the success of the company. The same cannot (probably!) be said for employees of the larger retailers. I am not going to name names here but I know a lot of our 'competitors' around these parts employ similar high standards and that can only be welcomed!

I really don't think you would have to pay more for the products on average.

I suppose what I am trying to say is give the 'little guy' a shot and you may be pleasantly suprised!