I'm hoping someone here knows what this means. A product care plan for a tv I'm considering purchasing for my parents states that it doesn't cover inherent product defects. What does that mean?
The plan does state that it covers parts and labor costs from failure due to defects in workmanship and/or materials, normal wear and tear, dust, heat, humidity, and power surges.
Inherent product defect sounds like it means the tv was built bad, and in that case, it should be covered.
It does indeed sound like they won't cover design faults. Why they would specifically outline this though, is a mystery (no-one else does it).
My guess is the normal part of their work is to cover huge quantities of a particular make and model of TV, and they were bitten with design faults in the past.
So, if you're going to buy this set, make sure it doesn't have any design faults. And that's going to be impossible to determine unless you happen to be in the industry, know the history of the design, what changes were made, and had at least some knowledge of how the initial production line went.
In other words, don't buy it- or at least don't buy that service plan (if you have a choice). There should be plenty of others. Or at least the warranty to keep your wallet safe for the shorter term.
Unless you ARE talking about the factory warranty? If you are, stay well away.
-- Linux Registered User # 302622
Just out of curiousity, might you share the brand with us all - so we can be sure to check into that before buying? Who wants a set which won't be covered by a warranty for their own problems?
Secondly folks - while on a TV topic, Wal-Mart and other stores are pushing sets off the shelves "Cheap" in most but not all cases - which are not designed to do "Digital" signals. The FCC has been citing many for lack of informing the Consumer to this fact. So - in the case above and in this case - "watch what you 're buying". IF you buy "these" particular sets - you may not be able to take them back - due to clearance sale - or they may pull the same crap as the OP has listed. In this case an Inherent defect - not "made" to receive said signals. Some people won't know and surely won't be told this when buying.
A neice of mine bought a set from Kmart - it went bad at the end of one year. Couldn't find a schematic for it. K-Mart told me the "manufacturer" went out of business.
Used to be you could buy a set and expect it to work for some time, warranties no problem, etc. Now days as I see in this post and those of people buying big screens, etc.... it is all JUNK.
On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:22:27 +1000, John Tserkezis put finger to keyboard and composed:
I understood the "product plan" to be some kind of extended warranty.
As for design problems, I would expect them to become evident early in the product's life, in which case they should be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
I would suggest that a manufacturer's dead pixel policy would be one example where "inherent product defects" are commonly excluded from warranty claims.
away.
Here in Australia, any product that had a design fault could be challenged as being of unmerchantable quality, or not fit for purpose, in which case the seller would be required to make restitution either by refund or replacement.
- Franc Zabkar
-- Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Fair, but that just changes the situation from "right away" to "a bit down the track".
You would hope so. Some design faults such as component stressing (heat or whatever) might not become evident till later on- into the "special" warranty that no longer covers that.
Bad example. This issue was beaten to death by joe average, to the point where people were shopping entirely around the dead pixel policy, and what the manufacturer would do in the event of dead pixels. I've heard of some people demanding they turn the things on in-store, and picking monitors that worked.
Many manufacturers changed their policy. Voting with your wallet apparently works real well.
I'm also from Australia, and I can tell you, that's not always the case. The JVC HM-HDS1. It's combination PVR/VCR. Its software is the riddled with bugs all over the place. If it were a prototype release for review, wonderful. But for production release, with NO avenue for firmware upgrades? Oh, and there was a nice addition where the JVC australia web site outright claimed it had one particular feature VPS/PDC that shifted timed recordings allowing for telecasts that were delayed or similar. Really nice. Except it doesn't exist in Australia, never did and never will. I called Ch 10, 9 and
7, all said they had heard of it, but it's not available, and never will be available.The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for the benefit of those not residents of Oz) said since it mostly behaves as a VCR (play, stop, rewind, fast forward etc) and the PVR part most behaves as a hard drive based recorder (play, rewind, pause whatever) they couldn't do a thing. The bugs didn't stop it from being a VCR. I mentioned the VPS/PDC issue, they said since it doesn't stop it from being a VCR, they can't do anything about it. Not that I wanted the feature, I was just loading up with ammunition to justify a refund.
The fact that I went in to the JVC distributors and actually demonstrated at least four bugs (that I found in less than the week I had it) meant nothing. Those bugs are minor points not affecting its basic function of being a PVR and VCR.
Who do these guys think they are, Microsoft?
The laws are only useful if you buy a goat and get a sheep. As long as the beast mostly behaves like a goat, you're stuck with it.
-- Linux Registered User # 302622
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