Poor reliability; rude and worthless customer support from Hitachi
Written: Oct 14 '09
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Pros: Well integrated stand, excellent remote.
Cons: Extremely poor manufacturing quality, terrible reliability, horrendous customer support.
The Bottom Line: Picture quality is good until the inevitable optical engine failure. Because of terrible manufacturing quality and awful, unresponsive, and uncaring Hitachi customer support, avoid their HDTVs at all costs.
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| tinmangomtuu's Full Review: Hitachi 60V500 60 in. HDTV-Ready LCD TV |
I bought this TV only four and a half years ago at a cost of about $3,400. For that price, I expected a TV that would last for many years. No such luck. Several months ago, I noticed that part of the screen was "blooming" in red. I contacted Hitachi and was told that I needed to replace the main lamp. I paid $200 for a new lamp, but the problem didn't go away. Finally, I went online to research the problem and was stunned to find that literally thousands of customers have had this problem with the company's HDTVs, caused by a Hitachi manufacturer's defect in the TVs optical engine. I called Hitachi back about the problem and confronted them with what I'd learned, and only then did they acknowledge the problem. But they told me I'd first have to have a Hitachi serviceman verify the problem. So I had to pay $60 for a serviceman to confirm what I already knew. Incidentally, while he was at my house, the serviceman told me that Hitachi has known about the problem since they first started making the TV, and they knew it wasn't the lamp when I called earlier in the year. So I called Hitachi back with the results from the serviceman, only to be told that because the TV was out of warranty, Hitachi would do nothing. I couldn't believe it. This was not some random, rare problem, this was a manufacturer's defect that Hitachi had been aware of for years. Auto manufacturer's issue recalls for such defects even on cars that are outside of warranty---it's the right thing to do. But not Hitachi. $3,400 down the drain and they didn't care. So I will l repeat what endless numbers of ripped-off Hitachi customers have advised on the Internet---absolutely avoid buying their HDTVs. Until the inevitable optical engine failure, which plagues Hitachi HDTVs, I was pleased with the unit and spoke well of it to others. It's just amazing that a company thinks it's well-served by treating customers so horribly. By the way, a Dallas law firm has filed a lawsuit against Hitachi in this matter in federal court and is seeking class-action status. For the news story, go to http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS145367+29-Aug-2008+PRN20080829.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 3,400
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tinmangomtuu
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