TV Repair Tips (part 4)

WHEN THE REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED
Before you leave the service center with your unit or the technician leaves your home, you should:

(1) Receive a satisfactory explanation of the trouble and a fully itemized and readable listing of services performed and parts installed plus, a statement of any terms or guarantees.

(2) Make sure that you see the unit perform satisfactorily and that you are able to operate it in your usual manner.

(3) Request instruction in the proper operation and care of the unit for best performance and least future trouble.

(4) Retain the name of this carefully chosen service company for future service needs, for advice on new or replacement product purchases, and for referrals to your friends.

WHEN DISSATISFIED
In spite of precautions, you could still be dissatisfied with the services and/or their costs. Intermittent failures (that come and go while appearing to be corrected) and the unpredictability of electronic circuits can make even the most experienced technician seem incompetent. Identical symptoms can be caused by malfunctions of completely unrelated parts and circuits.

Some parts can fail instantaneously, even immediately after a thorough testing. And, even though electronics repairs are a bargain compared to other services, the required skill and diagnostic equipment still sometimes make them very costly. These justifiable fees may seem exorbitant to some consumers. In addition, it is always possible that an honest mistake has been made.

Also, you may not have been able to follow all of the recommended precautions. Therefore, you could have been victimized by an incompetent or unethical operator. In any event, if you have serious questions about the services you received, you should do the following:

(1) Complain to the service company representatives. A legitimate company will welcome your questions and will either correct the problem, explain the situation to your satisfaction, or see that you are properly advised of the reasons.

(2) Before you give up, make sure that you reach and report your dissatisfaction to the owner or top official in the company (the person listed as the principal on the BBB records or business license).

(3) If the business or the owner is a member of a local or state self-policing trade association, contact the president or other official about your avenues of recourse.

(4) If the owner or manager is currently a member of NESDA, e-mail NESDA at info@nesda.com. We will ask the servicer to contact you. Please note that if the servicer is no longer a member of NESDA, our organization has no recourse.

(5) Contact and file reports with your local Better Business Bureau, if there is one in your area. If not, contact and file reports with any agency which might offer recourse or arbitration, such as a Chamber of Commerce, local or state licensing or registration board, or consumer legal affair agency.

LAST RESORTS
If none of the preceding results in your satisfaction, you might try these "last ditch" steps:

(1) If the unit is in warranty or relatively new, contact a different factory-authorized service station or call or write the manufacturer's consumer representative.

(2) Contact an attorney to be advised of legal recourse available through the courts.