John Lewis 5 year guarantee

[Kentman]

My 1st post so bear with me all. Bought a projection TV online from JL 15 months ago because of the name and that it came with a 5 year guarantee.

Last Sunday the TV went bang and so contacted JL customer service Monday morning. No problem they said somebody will get back to me within 24 hrs.

To cut a long story short after about 20 phone calls and a similar number of arguements an engineer is coming out tomorrow.

However John Lewis are telling me that their guarantee, a copy of which I never received, does not cover the projection lamp, which they believe it is from my description, and therefore I will have to pay £168+VAT for the lamp together with call out charges that in total will probably cost me over £400!!

The reality is that the projection lamp is the main part of the TV and they are quoting within their guarantee the following exclusions which are not covered:-

"Consumable replaceable items including, but not limited to, batteries, light bulbs and other consumables"

In my opinion this makes the guarantee worthless and is like saying that your TV is guaranteed but not the tube! The projection lamp is the most important part of a projection television.

Trying to talk to any decision maker at John Lewis is impossible and dealing with the call centre is like pulling teeth. Robotic responses and nothing else!

I believe their advertising of a 5 year guarantee is misleading at best and fraudulant at worst.

Has anybody else experienced this and what advice can anyone give me?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Lefty]

This is a very interesting point...

 

Most "guarantees" don't cover consumable items - batteries, discs, tapes, stylus (remember them?), BUT, in the case of a projection TV, I really don't think lamps can be described as "consumable" items.

 

A typical projection TV will have three lamps (red, green, blue) and they are, as you say, pretty much the main part of the product - and, generally, last for many, many hours under normal use. (I have had a projection TV for over 5 years and it's still working fine.)

 

However, a video projector (as opposed to a TV) will just have one projection lamp, and - although costly to replace - CAN be described as "consumable".

 

The term "consumable" inplies (in my opinion) a part, or component, which is easily replaced by the consumer... For example, you can just nip into any electrical shop and buy replacement batteries for your remote, but can you buy (and easily fit yourself) replacement lamps for your TV? Does the instruction manual give you instructions on how to do this?

 

Look for these all important words... they will be somewhere... Either in the instruction manual or on the back of the TV itself...

 

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER ALL SERVICE TO A QUALIFIED ENGINEER.

 

I think your recourse would be to challenge the 5 year guarantee you have (presumably an extended warranty?) and seek a cancellation (and partial refund) in view of it being unsuitable for your product and (possibly) mis-sold.

 

I shall watch this thread with interest.

 

 

Cheers

Lefty

[Kentman]

Hi Lefty, JL sell all their TV's with a "Free 5 year guarantee" so a refund wouldn't be applicable. Consumer replaceable is the operative phrase here I think. Yes I could replace a light bulb or a battery but a projection lamp that needs a qualified engineer to undertake? I just think they are wriggling out of a guarantee that should cover this major item.

Trouble is it's my only TV and I need to get it repaired. My current thinking is to let it be done tomorrow then with a copy of the repair bill take the matter as far as I can.

[Kentman]

Sorry my first posting should have read consumer replaceable items not consumable. You make a good point about replacing the lamps. The handbook quite clearly states - Do not open the cabinet under their safety instructions

[Lefty]

Ok. I understand. Not an extended warranty, but an initial FIVE YEAR guarantee...

 

You need to make it VERY clear that, in the case of your product, projection lamps ARE NOT consumer replaceable items (IE - you are not qualified to open the TV and install them) and INSIST they stand by their guarantee.

 

I would give Trading Standards a call.

 

 

 

Cheers

Lefty

[Kentman]

Thanks for your advice, will keep the thread posted

[Kentman]

Well the engineer arrived and told me that the lamp had gone and that it needed a new lamp board. That was good news as JL had said that if it did need a new board they would pay the labour. Parts on order and will now have to wait at least another week. cost to me will be £200 including VAT and will take up the argument once I have paid and received a receipt.

[badshopper]

I'm having similar problems. John Lewis appointed a firm of TV engineers to remove my wall mounted TV to check the fault & have now told me it will be 2-3 weeks before the faulty part will arrive from Samsung.

They've refused to provide me with a replacement - any ideas/ suggestions ?

- as below, their call centre is useless

-thinking of going over to the store tomorrow - but not sure if it will achieve anything except increase my stress level !

[grazek72]

hi everyone, my first post also. hope you can give me some advice. i bought sony tv from jl (on line)last xmas. few days ago my son punch the screen by accident and now all you can see are cracks on the screen and nothing else (voice is fine). i never recived any guarantee on a paper, i just know im cover by standard one and somehow i don't think this type of damage is included. what shall i do? was anyone in similar situation?

[flaskandsarnies]

My 1st post so bear with me all. Bought a projection TV online from JL 15 months ago because of the name and that it came with a 5 year guarantee.

Last Sunday the TV went bang and so contacted JL customer service Monday morning. No problem they said somebody will get back to me within 24 hrs.

To cut a long story short after about 20 phone calls and a similar number of arguements an engineer is coming out tomorrow.

However John Lewis are telling me that their guarantee, a copy of which I never received, does not cover the projection lamp, which they believe it is from my description, and therefore I will have to pay £168+VAT for the lamp together with call out charges that in total will probably cost me over £400!!

The reality is that the projection lamp is the main part of the TV and they are quoting within their guarantee the following exclusions which are not covered:-

"Consumable replaceable items including, but not limited to, batteries, light bulbs and other consumables"

In my opinion this makes the guarantee worthless and is like saying that your TV is guaranteed but not the tube! The projection lamp is the most important part of a projection television.

Trying to talk to any decision maker at John Lewis is impossible and dealing with the call centre is like pulling teeth. Robotic responses and nothing else!

I believe their advertising of a 5 year guarantee is misleading at best and fraudulant at worst.

Has anybody else experienced this and what advice can anyone give me?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

Unbelieveable! As Victor Meldrew would say. I bought my house around 10 years ago and probably much like yourself, found that there were several light fitting in various rooms. After some time the bulbs started to blow. I contacted the previous owner but they didn't want to know, neither did the builder. So much for the NHBC 10 year gaurantee! Does this make this gaurantee worthless?

 

I had a similar experience with my car, I started to notice that the tyres were begining to wear. I contacted the dealer who sold me the car, and the manufacturer, but they assured me that this was a consumable and they did not cover this item under their warranty. Can you believe that?

 

Dealing with these people was like talking to a brick wall, they wouldn't just give me what I wanted. So in short I see what you are saying.

Have you contacted Philips to complain or Thomas Edison? I believe he invented the light bulb and therefore should recompense you for you lack of illumination.

[kabukiman]

A bit quick on the sarcasm, it's not general knowledge that bulbs last only a few thousand hours. Retailers could, at point of sale sell you the spare as you most definately need one sooner or later, then they probably wouldn't have shifted the tv in the first place, not at £150 a pop and fitted by yourself of course.

[tifo]

So much for the NHBC 10 year gaurantee! Does this make this gaurantee worthless?

 

Yes, absolutely, most of these are useless.

 

But if you bought the house 10 years ago and there were previous owners, your guarantee (probably) has run out. The guarantee runs from first purchase of a new build house.

 

You should've gone to them before and reported an fault with your electrical wiring, for which the developer was responsible as it must have needed building regulations approval.

 

And get those tyres checked and put a claim in for "not fit for purpose" if needed.

[reo1471]

Just like to explain what JL`s crtiera is when replacing faulty LCD TV`s under their 5 year guantee,I know this first hand because I have had dealings with them on several occassions.If your tv goes faulty within 5 years of purchase ,lets say after 3 years and they don`t fix it JL will give you a new TV with the same screen size as yours as long as its a model they are trying to get rid of.They DO NOT offer you like for like on Brand or build quality.Be aware of this practice.

[UJMA]

Just like to explain what JL`s crtiera is when replacing faulty LCD TV`s under their 5 year guantee,I know this first hand because I have had dealings with them on several occassions.If your tv goes faulty within 5 years of purchase ,lets say after 3 years and they don`t fix it JL will give you a new TV with the same screen size as yours as long as its a model they are trying to get rid of.They DO NOT offer you like for like on Brand or build quality.Be aware of this practice.

 

You mean to say if I were to buy a top of the range 42 inch LED TV with Smart TV functions, 3D imaging etc, costing £1000 or more and it went wrong after 1 year and that JLP could not fix it, that this 5 year guarantee would allow John Lewis to offer me a low end inferior specification TV set with none of those features, that it could come from any manufacturer and the value of this replacement could be as low as say £300, and I would be expected to swallow this simply because both screens are the same size. What about the price difference would be the obvious question.

[reo1471]

You mean to say if I were to buy a top of the range 42 inch LED TV with Smart TV functions, 3D imaging etc, costing £1000 or more and it went wrong after 1 year and that JLP could not fix it, that this 5 year guarantee would allow John Lewis to offer me a low end inferior specification TV set with none of those features, that it could come from any manufacturer and the value of this replacement could be as low as say £300, and I would be expected to swallow this simply because both screens are the same size. What about the price difference would be the obvious question.

 

After one year your T.V would be worth 800£[by the way always buy at the beginning of the year if dealing with John Lewis].In this case it would not be too bad you would get a tv set worth 800..but they do not have to give you the same brand as your T.V ,we all know some brands are worse than others.The specs would be different because technology moves on,but say for example you paid extra for the brand,design or techincal specs that most people are unaware of, then that does not mean you will get the same replacment.The TV they offered me was an LED,yes more clearer than a LCD backlight but the tv was a bag of **** with plenty of poor reviews,they also refused to offer me the same brand which was a Toshiba top of the range at the time,they offered me a TV they wanted to get rid of.Don`t forget John Lewis also hold on to their high prices so the TV wasn`t worth the price anyway[thats why their cash offer is always lower]If its a minor problem with the set they will fix it.This is what I meant by saying the don`t replace like for like,no way.

[UJMA]

Thanks for the info, for warned is for armed. Do John Lewis publish the terms of their 5 year warranty, where can I read the small print, not that I doubt you, just that I read it is not published.

[reo1471]

By law they must publish their terms and direct the consumer to where they can be read.I had a very good read of the consumer of goods act.

[sequenci]

I had a very good read of the consumer of goods act.

 

Is that a UK Act?

[reo1471]

Is that a UK Act?

 

Sure is.Another thing that i forgot to mention is that JL assured us that the tv we returned would go to land fill and that they would have to pay fro it.LIES all LIES they either sell the tv off or give it to a member of staff.I already knew this to be the case so when they came to pick my tv up they were determined to get the remote control, but I never gave it to them.The remote does not go to land fill.

[sequenci]

The consumer of goods act doesn't exist.

[reo1471]

The consumer of goods act doesn't exist.

 

Sale of goods act. It does exist otherwise we would all be in s***.

[sequenci]

Sale of goods act. It does exist otherwise we would all be in s***.

 

Oh, with you now

[JohnRH1952]

Unbelieveable! As Victor Meldrew would say. I bought my house around 10 years ago and probably much like yourself, found that there were several light fitting in various rooms. After some time the bulbs started to blow. I contacted the previous owner but they didn't want to know, neither did the builder. So much for the NHBC 10 year gaurantee! Does this make this gaurantee worthless?

 

I had a similar experience with my car, I started to notice that the tyres were begining to wear. I contacted the dealer who sold me the car, and the manufacturer, but they assured me that this was a consumable and they did not cover this item under their warranty. Can you believe that?

 

Dealing with these people was like talking to a brick wall, they wouldn't just give me what I wanted. So in short I see what you are saying.

Have you contacted Philips to complain or Thomas Edison? I believe he invented the light bulb and therefore should recompense you for you lack of illumination.

 

Hello

 

New to this and just looking at another thread and saw your comment.

 

As a building surveyor and building services engineer I am sorry to say that its 99.999% certain that this fault has nothing to do with your wiring or supply because lamps (bulbs) have a life which is very much dependent on two things, the operating voltage and the temperature of the lamp.

 

If your voltage was incorrect it would quickly be discovered by the utility board and in any event you would start having problems elsewhere and not just a few lamps, so would neighbours. Lamps blowing regularly is usually caused by cheap lamps or lamps in situations where they get too hot which dramatically shortens the life of the lamp. This is true of both incandescent lamps and the new compact fittings.

 

If you had a wiring fault a circuit breaker would trip and would not blow the lamp.

 

Your Electricity Board by law must deliver 230 volts +10% - 6% (ie. between 216.2 volts and 253 volts), so if you have an accurate meter and if you are careful you could check this. Remember that if for example your voltage is always on the high side, mine is 249 volts at present, this will shorten the life of lamps but it's still within permitted tolerances.

 

The ten year NHBC guarantee covers building faults usually of a serious nature like structural defects. I regret that the NHBC will not entertain claims for blown lamps which is obvious could not be as a result of a wiring defect. I note that you state that you purchased the house ten years ago from the previous owners who I assume were the first owners. As the guarantee is ten years total and would have commenced at the time of the original purchase by the first owner it will have long ago run out.

 

Sorry but I hope this helps.