Ok,
As some of you know my Toshiba HD-A35 bricked out after a firmware update on 3-28-08.
Well here are my options.... (at the end I will tell you why my options are this, but want to make sure I get answered).
Ok options... I can ship it back to Toshiba and receive a brand new HD-A35 still in the box?
Or I can have Best Buy give me a store credit for the full amount (since they do not have parts to fix this system anymore) and use that credit to buy a blu ray player... was thinking since I still have HD DVD movies I would go with the Samsung BD-UP5000.
Can anyone tell me about the Samsung... I know what the Toshiba HD-A35 can do... am I getting a better player with Samsung? And does Samsung output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA? I will have this hooked up through my Denon avr-3808ci. So really how does the A35 and UP5000 measure up against each other?
Ok, now to let you know what happened. So the HD-A35 bricked out on 3-28-08 after firmware update. The DVD-Mac and Board were not working according to Best Buy repair service. So Best Buy was going to fix it for $70 b/c low and behold that US warranty is 1 yr parts but only 90 days labor... as opposed to the Canandian warranty which is 1 yr parts and labor... fair right there!!
So anyway... even though the firmware ruined the system... I would still be responsible for repair through best buy. So I called Toshiba back on 4-4-08 (not to mention they never called back since 3-28-08 like they had promised). So... Toshiba told me they are no longer fixing these machines but replacing them. So I set up the return and low and behold Toshiba is not replacing the unit with the HD-A35 but the HD-A30... That is fair, I mean since the A30 was $100 less (sense the sarcasm)!
Then, I asked them why??? They told me that it would be fair to replace the unit with the A30 due to the fact that labor would have cost $115, WHAT?? Best Buy would do it for $70 first of all and Toshiba... the designer of the product would charge more... cool!!
They had no answer for the difference in labor other than telling me that BB would not have done the service but sent it to Toshiba... so BB would pay Toshiba $115 and charge me $70... hmmmm I know BB is into customer service but they would take a $45 loss for me (and if BB got a $45 pay cut b/c they have deal, seems to me Toshiba should honor that price)... NO WAY! I did confirm from another major retailer that has on site repair service that they in fact would be able to repair the player at their store but only if I were to have purchased it through them... but Toshiba denied this claim as well. Who to believe?!?! Probably not Toshiba!
So I did my research, called a business law lawyer, (that was a friend of a friend), the BBB, and my state attorney general. I filed claims both with the BBB and the attorney general. That was the suggestion of the lawyer (who said if it was not resolved, they would look into it - - - but start there first).
So I called Toshiba back... (also the suggestion of the lawyer), and told them I wanted to inform them that I filed a claim with BBB and attorney general and I had contacted a lawyer. The agent then asked if I had time to talk to a manager... WOW!!! Really!?!?
I of course obliged and talked to the manager. I informed him of everything that I had done and he asked to put me on hold no more than 2 minutes... I asked what he would be doing during that time and he said he would have to check with others on how to proceed with this call.
He then came back... and WOW... he told me he had found a new in the box HD-A35 at the warehouse. He told me he would order that one for me and that it would be a "one time exception" I asked why it is an exception as I am getting the same exact model that bricked out on me... same line... labor costs would be $115 (no labor covered after 90 days mind you... only in USA) and that is why they went to the A30, they feel that is fair.
So, they are not fixing these players anymore... but they are only offering A30 to those who have a35's that bricked out... so is there others that downloaded this firmware and bam... BRICKED out unit!!
Hmmm... again... they decided not to fix the player... but are only giving the option to swap for A30... GREAT business practice!!! I said I wanted the $115 repair... and not until I said that did they tell me they were no longer fixing them... they did not offer this info at first!!
Now I know I would be able to switch but all that due to their error??? It was their firmware that bricked system out... they are not fixing units any longer... and my unit overall is still under warranty as parts... hmmm.... seems to me that they should be switching the units out for the exact same model.
Toshiba, I hope goes out of business!! There business practice needs to be looked into... and I will do everything I can with the BBB and my attorney general's office to make sure someone takes a look at these practices.
So did I rant about Toshiba too much.
I would not shed a tear at all if they go out of business!
Just think I felt bad for them when they lost the HD war... Funny!
