The 'infamous' Sanyo warranty denial saga continues:

After noticing blue streaks across everything, I went to the Sanyo website and requested a QRP ticket. I received the fax form back the next day, was impressed, and thought that getting the issue resolved would be painless. Wrong!

After sending the projector back in its' original box along with the QRP form and a copy of the purchase receipt (from an authorized local Sanyo dealer) I waited to hear something back from Sanyo. I checked the QRP status page online the following day and was happy to see that Sanyo had received my projector and it was 'under review'. I waited several more days and checked the status a couple of times per day hoping to get some news. Since the QRP page says that most repairs are turned around in 24 hours but may take up to 72 hours I was starting to get concerned since they had already had the unit for about a week.

How could the unit ever be repaired and returned in 24-72 hours when it took much longer than that for them to even deny the warranty repairs in the first place?

I called them several times and was forced to leave a voice mail message each time for David Penrod and waited to hear something back. A couple more days went by and I called again since I did not hear anything from them and the QRP status had still not been updated. The following day (today), I came home to find the dreaded QRP Out-Of-Warranty paperwork sitting in the fax machine. They want $500 to repair the unit claiming: DUSTY FILTERS BURNED LCD PANELS.

At this point, I was ready to scream. The filter is cleaned every two weeks although it has NEVER been dirty and does not appear to actually filter much to start with. Additionally, before sending the unit for repair, the filter was cleaned and the unit was blown out and was dust free. I blew it out hoping that there was dust or something on the optic path causing the problem and it would negate the need to send it in for repair. After receiving the DUSTY FILTER warranty denial I immediately threw up a red flag as I knew that the unit was spotless when it left and that there is NO WAY they could make that claim.

I called and left yet another message with David Penrod to discuss the issue but have not heard back yet. Thankfully, I thought to check these forums before talking with him and have found the numerous threads with other owners who have the exact same issues I did and received the EXACT same song and dance from Sanyo regarding the repairs.

I purchased the Sanyo due to the excellent reviews and postings from other AVS members and the 3-year warranty. The warranty was one of the biggest considerations when the projector was purchased. I nearly went with the Studio Experience version of the Z2 instead because SE is supposed to be much easier to deal with on warranty issues and because of their dead pixel policy but in the end elected to go with the Sanyo unit. I regret that choice now but hindsight is 20/20, right?

I wish I had found the warranty issue threads prior to sending the unit in for QRP, as I would have gone through my dealer instead. I figured that going directly through Sanyo would be the fastest route esp. after reading the 24-hour average turnaround for QRP. I figured that I would have it back in a couple of days and instead a week later I am now in the boat of others Sanyo has attempted to screw over for warranty repairs.

Thankfully, I am now armed with the knowledge provided by other AVS members and have confidence to stand my ground and insist that they do the right thing by honoring the warranty. It is unthinkable that Sanyo still continues playing these same games with their customers. I can only imagine that the logic behind the warranty denial is that they probably trap a fair number of suckers who shrug off the $500 repair fee and give them a credit card to proceed. I will not be one of those people though.

I had much more respect for Sanyo before this all happened and am in awe that they are still trying to lay out the trap to unsuspecting owners. That is simply bad business and I will be very careful when considering ANY future Fisher or Sanyo purchases as a result.

Anyone considering a new Sanyo projector should seriously consider other options and be fully prepared to deal with similar insanity if they ever need to deal directly with Sanyo for repairs.

If I had it to do over again I would have gone through my dealer for repairs without question. Anyone else needing repairs is strongly advised to do the same and NOT go to Sanyo directly if at all possible. Sanyo does not seem willing to play the same games with their dealers so far.

Well, at least they acknowledged that the unit was defective. In my case they denied it till the end.
Persistence is the key with SANYO. After realizing i was not going away, they replaced my PJ. (with which i'm extremely happy).
I feel for ya, but I'm not sure what the dealer could have done in your case? As far as I know all repairs are done by SANYO.
good luck btw, and keep updating us !
Zed

Well, at least they acknowledged that the unit was defective. In my case they denied it till the end.
Persistence is the key with SANYO. After realizing i was not going away, they replaced my PJ. (with which i'm extremely happy).
I feel for ya, but I'm not sure what the dealer could have done in your case? As far as I know all repairs are done by SANYO.
good luck btw, and keep updating us !
Zed
Doesn't Sanyo realize how damaging reports like these are to their long-term success? Penny wise, pound foolish.

Doesn't Sanyo realize how damaging reports like these are to their long-term success? Penny wise, pound foolish.
Exactly. I would never buy a Sanyo for this very reason.
The authorized nationwide repair center for Panny (Heartland) is FANTATSTIC - as well as very very personable. They don't even use an automated voice system - so when you call them - you talk to a live person from the get go! They really do care for the customer (and it shows from my personal experiences).

Exactly. I would never buy a Sanyo for this very reason.
The authorized nationwide repair center for Panny (Heartland) is FANTATSTIC - as well as very very personable. They don't even use an automated voice system - so when you call them - you talk to a live person from the get go! They really do care for the customer (and it shows from my personal experiences).

I like Panasonic as well but the Panasonic warranty is only a year so at least with Sanyo, there is a chance the projector will be repaired or replaced after a year. Neither warranty is particularly good given the relatively high rate of problems seen with some of these LCD projectors after the first year. I have only a little over a year on my Panasonic PT-L500U and 450 hours with no remaining warranty although it is working great so far.

Chris

Chris, If you are worried why not use the rebate monies from the Panasonic to buy an extended warranty? Be sure to get one that includes blub replacement.

I guess I wonder if Sanyo know about all these threads here... I would personally consider Sanyo after reading all the horror stories. At least other manufacturers honors their warranty even if it is shorter...

Sorry to hear you lucked out mediastorm. Remember to give us an status update later...

I guess I wonder if Sanyo know about all these threads here... I would personally consider Sanyo after reading all the horror stories. At least other manufacturers honors their warranty even if it is shorter...

Sorry to hear you lucked out mediastorm. Remember to give us an status update later...

They know about them. I have called them personally and discussed it with them and I have also emailed them links to these type of threads. They know all right.

I've found these Sanyo threads very interesting, especially as the owner of a two year old z2 and as someone who is going tonight to help set up a relatives z4 that he bought on my recommendation. The pattern (a small but reapeated pattern) we see is that the polarizers fail and then warranty is denied because of alleged failure to clean the filter. Others have written in to state that Sonys warranty service did well by them. So, the question we should ask is: Is there anyone out there who's polarizers failed that got the repair covered? The answer to this question I think, will do a lot to settle this debate.
The question is, again, has anyone had a polarizer failure on a z2 (or z1/3/4) fail and have Sanyo repair it under warranty?

I'm in the exact same situation. Refusal to clean and replace polarizer plates under warranty. Try going through your dealer, they may have contacts that may be able to help you. If that fails just get a lawyer to send them a threatening letter, honestly that's the easiest solution in my opinion. Refuse to pay them for anything- cleaning included. The filter they shipped the units out with are pathetic and obviously defective. Let them pay for their mistakes not the consumers.


EDIT: This also should be acknowledged by the powers that be at AVS. At least make one of these numerous Sanyo warranty threads a sticky. AVS has enormous power to get this issue acknowledged by Sanyo and the dealers who sell them. This is a defective product and should be named as such by AVS for the benefit of the community.

Defective product???? This is a cheap ( in reference to price) projector with some great options and features that had been one of the top sellers for Sanyo. I have a Z2 for over a year now, 2300 hrs on the first bulb and it's still going strong. Its been left on for two days straight without damage (I have teenagers) I understand in every production line you have some defects, but to call this a defective product - not by this owner. I will probably put in the free bulb I got for this projector when the original ever dies, run it for over a year and then upgrade to the Z8.

I don't believe the Sanyo projectors are defective products,however, I do believe that the service is defective. There should be a class action suite to make them honor their warranty. No one deserves this kind of treatment. The original filter on the Z2 was defective shown by the fact that Sanyo replaced it with an upgrade. This alone should make Sanyo responsible for any defect or dirt that got into the projector.

Remeber, there's always Epson...with a superior warranty (with a premium...you'll pay $500 more than for the Sanyo). If you want to buy Panasonic, always remember that purchases with the American Express card give you an additional year waranty after the warranty is done.

Remeber, there's always Epson...with a superior warranty (with a premium...you'll pay $500 more than for the Sanyo). If you want to buy Panasonic, always remember that purchases with the American Express card give you an additional year waranty after the warranty is done.

Actually $625 more than the current Z4 pricing at avscience sponser. And most major credit cards now offer extra year warranty, not just AE.

Shelly

After calling and leaving another message late last week, I received a letter in the mail from Sanyo on Saturday.

Inside the letter was a form to decline non-warranty repairs and to have my projector returned to me for a $45 inspection fee and shipping.

If I didn't want to do that, it also include another checkbox for Sanyo to discard or recycle my projector instead.

I thought that it was odd that everything else has been sent from them via Fax except this one and more frustrating is the fact that they have not returned a single call yet.

Zip, zilch, nada.. Numerous calls to them have all been ignored entirely. Regardless of warranty status they should at least return calls to customers. It appears that they don't want to discuss the issue or even attempt to obtain any other relevant details with regards to cleaning frequency or usage of the projector.

It's hard to tell when I'll ever get my projector back and what it will ultimately cost to get it working again. It's certainly a far cry from the 24hr average turnaround QRP as stated on their website.

Their entire approach to warranty repairs of this nature seems borderline criminal and at the very least demonstrates a total lack of customer concern.

What a wonderful Christmas present from Sanyo. Not!

I'll keep everyone updated as this continues to progress. I'm going to try getting my dealer involved to see if that helps.

Tell them your contacting a lawyer see if that works. You never know.

This is insane. There needs to be some sort of legal action here.

This is insane. There needs to be some sort of legal action here.

Amen. This kind of CUSTOMER DISSERVICE from Sanyo needs to be broadcast so that future buyers will aware. Amazing how companies don't even try to return phone calls. Buyers beware indeed... :mad:

Whatever I tell them it wil have to be via fax or US Mail as they still won't return any calls. That certainly multiplies my frustration by about a factor of 10.

I've contacted my dealer to see if he has any ideas and will update the thread again once I hear back from him or any other news surfaces.

Well, if the dealer told you that it came with a 2 year warranty they could be named as a defendant in a lawsuit. I'd tell them that and see if that doens't light a fire under thier ass to get something going with sanyo.

It sucks to be ass like that but then again, you purchased a product expecting warranty work so here sanyo is really the ass.

Tell them your contacting a lawyer see if that works. You never know.

If it isn't resolved quickly, I WILL be contacting a lawyer. It just so happens that we have several lawyers and a judge in the family.

I won't involve them unless it is absolutely necessary but certainly do have that option readily available.

I'm hoping that Sanyo will resolve it on their own without having to force the issue further. I am an optimist (to a fault). :D

It's always nice to get free legal advice. Sometimes a phone call from an attorney is all it takes to scare them straight.

Not to be off topic here but speaking of customer service, my friend bought an Infocus 7200 sometime ago and had issues with the unit. After the 2nd replacement from the dealer died, he went directly to Infocus and explained the situation. Infocus then replaced 7200 with the new 7205 model for free. Now that's what you call a customer service. And Infocus now got a pied piper for their company.

Not to be off topic here but speaking of customer service, my friend bought an Infocus 7200 sometime ago and had issues with the unit. After the 2nd replacement from the dealer died, he went directly to Infocus and explained the situation. Infocus then replaced 7200 with the new 7205 model for free. Now that's what you call a customer service. And Infocus now got a pied piper for their company.

If Infocus would replace my Z2, I'd have a ton of nice things to say about them too. :)

It should be abundantly clear to followers of this forum that Sanyo's three year warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on when it pertains to the common heat related polarizer and panel failures that will occur at some point in the LCD lifecycle. Sanyo routinely denies warranty coverage for these failures, whether they occur at 1 year or at 3 years.

So, what does that mean? If you are a light user (500 hrs/yr and under), then you may be OK with a Sanyo until you are ready to upgrade in 2 to 3 years. If you are a moderate user (500-1000 hrs/yr), then you should plan on facing this issue sometime during year 2 or 3. If you are a heavy user (the projector being your primary display), then I wouldn't buy a Sanyo, length of "warranty" notwithstanding.

There appears to be new filtration system with the Z4, including a second filter. Not sure if this was also on the Z2 and Z3. And there are the dust blow holes for cleaning the panels to help prevent heat buildup. So the Z4 is in untested water as far as the Z2 problem is concerned.

Some other pj's have their own warranty problems. Great customer service but no parts in stock or defective parts still being shipped out. It's a crap shoot for all of us.

I would always seek the dealer's support on these matters and not sure if original poster talked about any dealer assistance.

It took 5 1/2 years (out of warranty for sure) for this problem to occur on my Sony lcd, and Sony wants $5000 to repair/replace the prism block, despite the fact that their new pjs retail at $3500.

Being a light to moderate user, I took my chances and ordered the Z4, especially at the new pricing point. Even if I had to pay the $500 to fix a Sanyo warrantyless, nonservice problem in a few years, the total cost of the Z4 pj would still be closer to the selling price a month ago and more than 20% less than msrp.

Shelly

I heard back from my dealer who is in turn contacting the regional Sanyo rep for resolution.

My dealer is great and now I remember exactly why I purchased the Z2 from him in the first place. I'll start with my dealer for any future service without question.

I'll post another update once I hear anything new.

???

I dont understand the reason Sanyo has chosen to disregard their customers. I really had my eyes on the Z4, but no way now. Not until David Penrod and Renee Garcia are standing in the employment office.

xj8, nice to hear your not one of the unfortunate victims. Lets hope your luck holds out.

Sanyo continues to offer a three year "warranty". They must think we're a joke.


-Ric

FWIW I just sent my Z2 to Sanyo this week. From Ohio to California and back in 68 hours and fixed with no problems or argument. I had the dreaded blue polarizer issue. They replaced the polarizer and the blue lcd panel. They had the unit somwhere between 2-5 hours before they had it fixed and shipped back.

I had 2500+ hours on it in 16 months.

Guess I was one of the lucky ones.

That's good news. How often did you clean it?

hollycrud!!
After reading this I have only clean my filter one time is the past 2 1/2 years w/ over 2400 hrs on the lamp. I still have the mighty Z1. I think my Z1 needs a bath after reading these issues.


But good luck Media, I hope Sanyo takes care of it.

FWIW I just sent my Z2 to Sanyo this week. From Ohio to California and back in 68 hours and fixed with no problems or argument. I had the dreaded blue polarizer issue. They replaced the polarizer and the blue lcd panel. They had the unit somwhere between 2-5 hours before they had it fixed and shipped back.

I had 2500+ hours on it in 16 months.

Guess I was one of the lucky ones.


Glad to hear that you had such good luck. I'd love to know what the criteria is they use to pick which units are repaired without going through the song and dance.

I still haven't heard back from our regional rep. and will likely be persuing legal remedies early next week. They've had my unit nearly a month now and have still not returned ANY of my calls.

I'll update again as soon as I have any more news.


PS - It might be an excellent time to consider purchasing some lottery tickets. :)

good news and bad news about Sanyo projector warranties

good news: 3 yr warranties

bad news: the warranties don't cover much

I cleaned it about once per month. I would have done it more oftern but when I pulled it out to clean it every week for the first few weeks it was clean.

I just heard back from my dealer and it looks like I am going to have to pursue legal remedies to get this resolved. They sent him pictures that they claim were of MY filter, which do not look at all like my filter. My filter was almost snow white and NEVER had any discoloration or any trapped dust visible and appeared to be made of a thicker paper material which was much less opaque. The pictures they 'provided' look nothing at all like my filter EVER did. More importantly, the filters were cleaned again right before the projector was boxed up and the pictures show a filter that is dirty and looks like it was in use in a wood shop.

The moral of the story here is that you should a) contact your dealer first for any service and b) take pictures of your projector and filters that clearly show their condition prior to sending it in for service.

I am amazed that David Penrod would go to these lengths to cover his story but I guess I should not be. I would like to find something nice to say but frankly I cannot and I have never been treated so poorly by any company.

All of the pictures were taken after the warranty denial FWIW and they still have not returned a single phone call to date.


Here are links to the images in case anyone wants to see them:

Image 1 (http://www2.mediastorm.net/sanyo/09-26-05%20001.jpg)

Image 2 (http://www2.mediastorm.net/sanyo/09-26-05%20002.jpg)

Image 3 (http://www2.mediastorm.net/sanyo/09-26-05%20003.jpg)

Image 4 (http://www2.mediastorm.net/sanyo/09-26-05%20004.jpg)

I still haven't upgraded my 300u yet, and i would have possibly given the Z4 a try, but after seeing how they treat customers, theres no way i would risk giving this company any of my money.

Definitely go the legal route. Those pics prove absolutely nothng except that they took that filter off another projector. They may even put that old dirty filter into your projector and send it back to you with it in there(now that would really make me angry).

My Z2 just arrived at Sanyo this morning for a focus uniformity issue. If the center is focused the left corner is a bit out of focus and a yellow tint on the right side that’s noticable during white scenes. My filter is the original filter Z2 filter with the gaps that let all kinds of dust through.

Looks like the filter in the pics are the newer one. Which filter did your Z2 have? Funny if they tried to claim that was your filter and your Z2 actually had the crappy filter. Then based on the production/serial number you'd be able to prove that style of filter didn't even exist when your unit was made and shipped.

Legairre

It seems Sanyo service is acting in a idiotic way. They leave themselves open for a class action suite. The first filter was like having no filter at all and the second was not much better. To void the warranty is such a way is only looking for trouble on their part. Each state has different law that protect the consumer. They should ask themselves if it is worth it to loose sales for the few dollars they think that will be saved. I previously owned a Sanyo and now I own a Panasonic projector. One of the reasons I switched was their bad service record.

Definitely go the legal route. Those pics prove absolutely nothng except that they took that filter off another projector. They may even put that old dirty filter into your projector and send it back to you with it in there(now that would really make me angry).

My Z2 just arrived at Sanyo this morning for a focus uniformity issue. If the center is focused the left corner is a bit out of focus and a yellow tint on the right side that’s noticable during white scenes. My filter is the original filter Z2 filter with the gaps that let all kinds of dust through.

Looks like the filter in the pics are the newer one. Which filter did your Z2 have? Funny if they tried to claim that was your filter and your Z2 actually had the crappy filter. Then based on the production/serial number you'd be able to prove that style of filter didn't even exist when your unit was made and shipped.

Legairre

Funny you should mention the focus uniformity issue.. I had that same problem too. If the center was focused, the lower left corner would lose focus.. The lens shift would also periodically shift on its' own every few weeks or so as well and require a little tweaking to get the image lined back properly on the screen.

I'm not sure what the visual difference is between the old and new filters.. It would be interesting to see a picture of them side by side to show what they should look like. My filter was thicker and more dense than what the pics show.. I was surprised that the filter could actually move much air since it seemed so thick.. Are the new filters thinner than the old ones to allow more air flow or are the new ones more dense to trap more particles?

I'm not sure which version of the filter I had but could tell you if I saw the two side by side or the differences were described.

What really ticks me off is that I cleaned my filter right before I put the projector into the box for shipping and it certainly didn't look like the ones in the pictures. I cleaned the filters every two weeks or so and even asked myself why I kept cleaning them even though they were never dirty and never looked like they had actually filtered anything to begin with. I kept cleaning the clean filters anyway for piece of mind.. Little good that did..

Sounds like my Z2, because my lens shift moves a bit, but so did every elses when I bought mine back in Jan 04'. The old filter like mine is so full of gaps that it traps absolutely nothing. The new filter may trap more dirt, but may also be causing the Z2s to burn their panels or other parts by being so restrictive that the Z2s are overheating but not triggering the protection circuit to shudown.

Mine arrived at Sanyo this morning and the staus shows "arrived under review" I'll let you know if I'll be starting the lawsuit for all of us.

Legairre

Sounds like my Z2, because my lens shift moves a bit, but so did every elses when I bought mine back in Jan 04'. The old filter like mine is so full of gaps that it traps absolutely nothing. The new filter may trap more dirt, but may also be causing the Z2s to burn their panels or other parts by being so restrictive that the Z2s are overheating but not triggering the protection circuit to shudown.

Mine arrived at Sanyo this morning and the staus shows "arrived under review" I'll let you know if I'll be starting the lawsuit for all of us.

Legairre


Please keep us posted. FWIW, the online QRP status of my projector still says the same thing as yours.. More specifically:

Unit Received at Sanyo - Repair of Unit is Under Review

It hasn't been updated once since they got the projector in for service.

Mine says exactly as your does "Unit Received at Sanyo - Repair of Unit is Under Review". I'm sure they put that on all of them once they receive them. I have a call into them to get an update, but they may not know much since mine just arrived this morning. I'll keep you guys up to date on what happens as soon as I hear something.

Mine says exactly as your does "Unit Received at Sanyo - Repair of Unit is Under Review". I'm sure they put that on all of them once they receive them. I have a call into them to get an update, but they may not know much since mine just arrived this morning. I'll keep you guys up to date on what happens as soon as I hear something.


Good luck with that.. I've called several times and NEVER gotten a return call yet.

Well I got a call back and the gentleman took my QRP# and asked me to call back tomorrow or Wednesday since they just got it in today and they haven't looked at it yet. I was asked to call extension 228 so I'll be callling back tomorrow afternoon with my fingers crossed.

Well I got a call back and the gentleman took my QRP# and asked me to call back tomorrow or Wednesday since they just got it in today and they haven't looked at it yet. I was asked to call extension 228 so I'll be callling back tomorrow afternoon with my fingers crossed.


I'm amazed. Maybe they are trying to do a better job since they know the topic of warranty repair issues is up in the air again..

Hopefully my bad luck will bring you some good luck. ;)

Thanks Media, I bet I just got lucky. We'll see how things go tomorrow. I had also called last month before I sent the projector in and Renee Garcia called me back and he's the same person I just spoke to. I should also add both times he was very nice and tried to help so maybe things are changing.

I'll know more tomorrow.

Thanks Media, I bet I just got lucky. We'll see how things go tomorrow. I had also called last month before I sent the projector in and Renee Garcia called me back and he's the same person I just spoke to. I should also add both times he was very nice and tried to help so maybe things are changing.

I'll know more tomorrow.

It never hurts to be lucky! ;)

Let us know how it works out.. I just called and left yet another message. The complete lack of communication is extremely frustrating. I hate to escalate the issue without talking to anyone but since no one will return my calls it leaves me little choice in the matter.

I had really hoped to get the entire issue resolved quickly and quietly but alas, here I am. I've had zero communication from Sanyo except for the QRP denial fax and a letter stating if I want the projector returned I have to pay a $45 inspection fee + shipping or they will happily recycle or discard the unit if I choose.

If it weren't for the excellent efforts from my original dealer I wouldn't know anything at all. The dealer has been awesome to work with but unfortunately he couldn't get any results either.

It's approaching a month since the projector was sent in and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight at this point. I am ready to scream! :mad:

We've got 7 kids and they are beating me up on a daily basis because they can't watch movies on 'the big screen'. With 7 kids it took us a little over a year to save for the Z2 in the first place which compounds my frustration.

IMO you are being too nice in this situation. Any more than 3 unanswered phone calls would have me composing a letter to someone up the ladder. I've owned a few PJ's in my lifetime and I've had to send 2 of them in for service. The first one was a Sharpvision XV37 that was in the shop for 6 weeks without an update. After getting the run around from the local authorized repair department I wrote a letter and faxed it to the then CEO of Sharp personal fax machine and to the BBB. Within 48 hours I got an apology and a brand new ZW99 which was a $6000 upgrade to my XV37U (retailed for $13,000 back then) shipped directly to my residence by Sharp.

My next experience was with Epson. There is a problem with the colour decoder on the original TW100 which causes the red in images to distort. I had the projector for months before I noticed it while watching the 'Roxy' song and dance number in 'Chicago'. I showed the problem to my dealer and got pretty much blown off since I was well into ownership considering 6 months has passed. I called Epson's tech support who also blew me off. Not giving up, I wrote a letter to Epson's Customer Service manager for Canada and 3 days later I was invited to Epson where I was able to show the problem to their R&D staff and was offered a brand new hand picked (by me) TW100U.

My advice to you is to spend an hour or two and write a very clear and concise letter detailing what you have gone through so far. Keep it very professional. Also state in the letter what you believe is an acceptable resolution to your problem. Find the person who is in charge of customer service/relations and fax that letter to them. You should also CC the BBB (Better Business Bereau) and let them know (without sounding threatening) that you've done so.

Good luck.

IMO you are being too nice in this situation. Any more than 3 unanswered phone calls would have me composing a letter to someone up the ladder. I've owned a few PJ's in my lifetime and I've had to send 2 of them in for service. The first one was a Sharpvision XV37 that was in the shop for 6 weeks without an update. After getting the run around from the local authorized repair department I wrote a letter and faxed it to the then CEO of Sharp personal fax machine and to the BBB. Within 48 hours I got an apology and a brand new ZW99 which was a $6000 upgrade to my XV37U (retailed for $13,000 back then) shipped directly to my residence by Sharp.

My next experience was with Epson. There is a problem with the colour decoder on the original TW100 which causes the red in images to distort. I had the projector for months before I noticed it while watching the 'Roxy' song and dance number in 'Chicago'. I showed the problem to my dealer and got pretty much blown off since I was well into ownership considering 6 months has passed. I called Epson's tech support who also blew me off. Not giving up, I wrote a letter to Epson's Customer Service manager for Canada and 3 days later I was invited to Epson where I was able to show the problem to their R&D staff and was offered a brand new hand picked (by me) TW100U.

My advice to you is to spend an hour or two and write a very clear and concise letter detailing what you have gone through so far. Keep it very professional. Also state in the letter what you believe is an acceptable resolution to your problem. Find the person who is in charge of customer service/relations and fax that letter to them. You should also CC the BBB (Better Business Bereau) and let them know (without sounding threatening) that you've done so.

Good luck.

That's good advice and I'll try your suggestions to see if it gets things moving.

99% of the time it does. I am an IT manager for an international technology company and I deal with this kind of thing all the time. Usually an e-mail is all it takes. In this case I would do a hard copy letter as it lets people know that you mean business if you've taken the time to type, print and mail/fax the letter. Be stern but not a jerk and don't take anything less than what would make you happy.

Good luck.

99% of the time it does. I am an IT manager for an international technology company and I deal with this kind of thing all the time. Usually an e-mail is all it takes. In this case I would do a hard copy letter as it lets people know that you mean business if you've taken the time to type, print and mail/fax the letter. Be stern but not a jerk and don't take anything less than what would make you happy.

Good luck.


I'll be doing a hard letter as I don't have any email addresses.

Who do you recommend I send the letter to in this case? I have fax numbers for the service department and for the VP at Sanyo..

That the contact information for Mark Holt the VP at Sanyo that was posted earlier in this thread is now gone?

I wonder if one of the mods deleted it for some reason.. Seems like very, very good contact info to have in case of warranty or other issues with Sanyo and I am curious why it would get deleted.

Strange events indeed.


PS - Anyone who needs the info can send me a PM.

I'll be doing a hard letter as I don't have any email addresses.

Who do you recommend I send the letter to in this case? I have fax numbers for the service department and for the VP at Sanyo..


I would try to find the person in charge of customer service/customer relations as long as it isn't the person who is giving you a hard time to begin with. If they won't listen I would keep going up the ladder.

Finding the fax number for the VP shouldn't be too hard. If you have the number for their headquarters and you know his name, you can simply call their main line and find him in the directory. 99% of the time the call will be answered by an assistant. Just let him/her know that you would like to send a fax to his direct attention and they'll give you his personal fax number.

I do have the contact details for the VP if anyone needs/wants it.. Send me a PM if you do.

I copied and pasted that info as soon as I saw it. I figured a mod wouldn't let that sit in the thread very long.

Thanks for the contact info.

Here's waht I got from reading this thread...

Take photos of your filter before sending the unit (to Sanyo). Possibly mark the filter with invisible ink just in case. Then pray really really hard.

Good luck and I hope they do right by you guys.

Here's what I got from the thread - buy a panasonic or sony. :D

I copied and pasted that info as soon as I saw it. I figured a mod wouldn't let that sit in the thread very long.

Thanks for the contact info.

I'm not exactly sure WHY a mod would delete such useful information though.


At least we have it anyway. :cool:

Yes its a very good thing we have it.

OK guys I have an update on my Z2 that was received by Sanyo yesterday morning. I spoke to David or Daniel (couldn't quite make out his name when he answered) at extension 228 as instructed by Renee Garcia at extention 387. Apparently my projector was serviced and shipped out today and according to David has already been sent overnight and I will have it tomorrow.

My original problems were the following:
1) Yellow tint on right side of screen
2) If center of screen is focused the corners are out of focus

David said the following service was performed:
1)Replaced air filter with new model air filter(mine had the old filter that basically stops nothing from getting in)
2)Flashed memory with latest Z2 firmware (mine had version 105, I'm curious what version it has now)
3) Fixed focus uniformity
4) Cleaned LCD panels

I should mention that the yellow tint was probably caused by the lousy air filter in mine and the focus uniformity was also something it always had. While things SEEM(I'll know once I get it back) to have gone well for me I have to add that my problems were minor and I already knew from reading the forum over the last 2 yrs that I needed a cleaning and I had a uniformity issue. These were minor things that didn't reqiure ANY parts to be replaced so that may be why Sanyo was so accomodating with my unit. It may that as long as the service if only labor and doesn't cost them anything in parts they honor the warranty.

I did get calls back from Renee Garcia, but David didn't return my call from yesterday or today, but I did get him when he was at his desk and just happend to answer the phone. I've bEen reading about the lousy Sanyo service for about a year now on several forums and it's part of the reason I took so long to send my unit in. That combined with the focus not bothering me too much until football season and I HATE BEING WITHOUT MY Z2. In the end my unit left on Friday(no Saturday deliveries at Sanyo) and supposedly will be back on Wednesday.

Considering how well things went for me will I but another Sanyo projector or any other Sanyo product? HELL NO I WON'T. I got lucky probably, because it only cost them time and labor, but next time my Z2 could have some serious issues and from the stories I've read over the last year sanyo will try to put the blame on me. My Z2 has 1 yr left on the warranty and after that I'll run it until it drops and then buy my next projector from someone else who stands behind their products.

My Z2 have over 2300 hrs on the original bulb and it's been really good to me, I just wish Sanyo was as good to it's customers as my Z2 has been to me. I hope all of you with problems have the luck I did and hopefully I've provided some names and extensions you can use to try and get through.

End of rant

OK guys I have an update on my Z2 that was received by Sanyo yesterday morning. I spoke to David or Daniel (couldn't quite make out his name when he answered) at extension 228 as instructed by Renee Garcia at extention 387. Apparently my projector was serviced and shipped out today and according to David has already been sent overnight and I will have it tomorrow.

My original problems were the following:
1) Yellow tint on right side of screen
2) If center of screen is focused the corners are out of focus

David said the following service was performed:
1)Replaced air filter with new model air filter(mine had the old filter that basically stops nothing from getting in)
2)Flashed memory with latest Z2 firmware (mine had version 105, I'm curious what version it has now)
3) Fixed focus uniformity
4) Cleaned LCD panels

I should mention that the yellow tint was probably caused by the lousy air filter in mine and the focus uniformity was also something it always had. While things SEEM(I'll know once I get it back) to have gone well for me I have to add that my problems were minor and I already knew from reading the forum over the last 2 yrs that I needed a cleaning and I had a uniformity issue. These were minor things that didn't reqiure ANY parts to be replaced so that may be why Sanyo was so accomodating with my unit. It may that as long as the service if only labor and doesn't cost them anything in parts they honor the warranty.

I did get calls back from Renee Garcia, but David didn't return my call from yesterday or today, but I did get him when he was at his desk and just happend to answer the phone. I've bEen reading about the lousy Sanyo service for about a year now on several forums and it's part of the reason I took so long to send my unit in. That combined with the focus not bothering me too much until football season and I HATE BEING WITHOUT MY Z2. In the end my unit left on Friday(no Saturday deliveries at Sanyo) and supposedly will be back on Wednesday.

Considering how well things went for me will I but another Sanyo projector or any other Sanyo product? HELL NO I WON'T. I got lucky probably, because it only cost them time and labor, but next time my Z2 could have some serious issues and from the stories I've read over the last year sanyo will try to put the blame on me. My Z2 has 1 yr left on the warranty and after that I'll run it until it drops and then buy my next projector from someone else who stands behind their products.

My Z2 have over 2300 hrs on the original bulb and it's been really good to me, I just wish Sanyo was as good to it's customers as my Z2 has been to me. I hope all of you with problems have the luck I did and hopefully I've provided some names and extensions you can use to try and get through.

End of rant

Glad to hear your story had a happy ending...

Can you hear me screaming from there? :(

Loud and clear. I'm done with Sanyo. Of course you know now that it has a newer firmware it will probably have VB or something else wrong with it. I hope it doesn't because it's been a perfect projector. OK except for the focus and dirty panels.

I hate to interject, but since someone mentioned Sony, I have had nothing but great service from them. They actually replaced my HS20 with a brand new one after three tries to fix the startup problem, and the alignment of the panels.

Just recently it went in again when the panels were not aligned, and was back in two weeks better than new.

Of course having the name of the woman who is responsible in Laredo to call helps alot.

I hate to interject, but since someone mentioned Sony, I have had nothing but great service from them. They actually replaced my HS20 with a brand new one after three tries to fix the startup problem, and the alignment of the panels.

Just recently it went in again when the panels were not aligned, and was back in two weeks better than new.

Of course having the name of the woman who is responsible in Laredo to call helps alot.


This would be great news if I had a Sony. ;)

I feel for you. I have been on the side you are in other company cases, and what usually pays off is persistance, carefully written letters, and more persistance.

Go up the food chance within the company, and let it be known that you are not going away. Write letters to multiple people in the company. Call multiple people in the company every day. Do not take No for an answer, make sure they know you will be discussing this with their boss. Nobody wants to say that they did not resolve a customer's issue.

Make it so that all they talk about in the company inside and outside meetings is you. Make them all know about you, and remember you name. Be forceful, but respectful.

Having used to work within a company that sold software, we knew the companies that needed "a little more leeway", and were willing to give those squeeky wheels extra service simply to make them "shut up"

As to the Sony comments, I was just trying to point out that other companies are not as bad as the one you are dealing with.

Reedl

I received an excellent voicemail message this morning from David Penrod. He said he reviewed the repairs with his manager and that as a courtesy they are going to replace the LCD unit and the filter under warranty.

I'm very, very happy that they are taking care of it under warranty without further pressure and hope that others may learn something from this in the future in order to avoid a similiar situation.

It's nice to see Sanyo stepping up to the plate and honoring their warranty and hopefully this will be less of an issue for other Z2 owners in the future.

The learnings from this experience are:

A) Go through your dealer for service
B) Make sure your filter is clean before sending to service
C) Take pictures of the unit including the serial number and clear close-up pictures of the filter.
D) Keep a log of filter cleanings
E) Check AVS Forums before sending anything to service. :D

In the future, I will be logging all of my filter cleanings and documenting them with before and after pictures to show their condition clearly in case another issue appears. I'll be keeping track of these details from now on for ANY projector I own or purchase.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your help and suggestions on how to get this situation resolved and a big thanks to David Penrod at Sanyo for stepping up and standing behind the 3yr warranty.

I'll post another update once I get the projector back and see the results.

That's good news! Glad to hear things are working out for you. I wonder if perhaps they are reading this thread and decided to cut you off at the pass?

"In the future, I will be logging all of my filter cleanings and documenting them with before and after pictures to show their condition clearly in case another issue appears. I'll be keeping track of these details from now on for ANY projector I own or purchase."

I think it would be easier just to buy a projector in the future that has sealed optics....... Many projectors have it now and don't cost that much anymore.... The one I own is the Sharp XR-10X....

Or... buy from any manufacturer other than Sanyo.

I've never heard of another manufacturer denying warranty claims for "dirty filters."

That's good news indeed! And thanks for the updates... I guess it's safe to say I need to take pictures and log my filter cleaning from now on. I do it religiously every 100 hours even though I think it's clean.

As Confucius say... "Patience is a virtue."

"In the future, I will be logging all of my filter cleanings and documenting them with before and after pictures to show their condition clearly in case another issue appears. I'll be keeping track of these details from now on for ANY projector I own or purchase."

I think it would be easier just to buy a projector in the future that has sealed optics....... Many projectors have it now and don't cost that much anymore.... The one I own is the Sharp XR-10X....


Contamination of the optic path isn't the direct issue at play here.. The problem is a design issue that doesn't provide adequate cooling for the LCD unit and polarizers. The optic path DOES come into play due to the fact that the first generation of filters did a poor job of actually trapping contaminants but did allow more airflow.. Those were replaced with a denser filter that helped eliminate the contaminants but also reduced the airflow which contributes to the burned polarizers.

Not to say that a sealed optic path isn't an excellent idea but it needs to be combined with adequate airflow and cooling too. :)

It could nature of the beast that LCD projectors can't have sealed optics compared to DLP which doesn't worry about burned polarizers... I don't know....

It could nature of the beast that LCD projectors can't have sealed optics compared to DLP which doesn't worry about burned polarizers... I don't know....


Excellent point.. I'm not sure either.

It could nature of the beast that LCD projectors can't have sealed optics compared to DLP which doesn't worry about burned polarizers...

... which in turn has the color wheel unless it's the 3-chip version. I heard the wheel can also fail... like you said... nature of the beast or pick your poison. :)

I wasn't trying to bash LCD, only that maybe instead of cleaning filters try to find one that has "sealed optics"...

It may now not be practical to find an LCD that has "sealed optics" which means back to "logging" how often you cleaned the filters with pics before and after cleaning...... I still don't know if other LCD projectors have sealed optics with no filters to worry about...

I am sure DLP color wheels fail.... Anything that is a moving part can and usually will fail over time..... When I went searching for an upgrade over my Infocus X1, I concentrated on finding a projector with sealed optics, because I can't stand having to get a step laddar, trying to reach all around my ceiling tiles some of which have heating vents which means unscrewing them; just to go and clean the filters..... and try then to put it all back together again; then vacuum up any ceiling tile parts that flaked on the ground etc...

Media this in GREAT news :) :) :) . Did you call and leave David a message and he returned your call ,or did he finally reply to your earlier voice mails? Man I am sooooooooo freakin happy :) they are going to honor your repairs under warranty. This is the kind of response Sanyo should have to customers who's units are under warranty. Any idea how long the repairs will take?

Hey my unit arrived today. Unfortunately I'm at work and won't know how it is until I get home. :(

Media this in GREAT news :) :) :) . Did you call and leave David a message and he returned your call ,or did he finally reply to your earlier voice mails? Man I am sooooooooo freakin happy :) they are going to honor your repairs under warranty. This is the kind of response Sanyo should have to customers who's units are under warranty. Any idea how long the repairs will take?

Hey my unit arrived today. Unfortunately I'm at work and won't know how it is until I get home. :(

When I called them yesterday I left another voicemail message that clearly stated my next steps of action. I clearly and calmly told them my next actions were to contact Mark Holt, file a complaint with the BBB and if necessary, initiate legal action. I also told them that the owner's manual does not specify the cleaning frequency and that I expected the repairs to be performed under warranty.

It's is essentially what would have been in a letter to them. Ironically, I called and left the message with them right before Mancubus suggested sending a letter with the same details. :)

They didn't specify when the repairs should be completed so I don't have an idea when I'll get it back but will call again if it doesn't show up within a week or so.

I'll do the official 'happy dance' once I have it back and see it in operation.

Hopefully yours will be performing like a champ again when you get to it later tonight. :D

Well I got mine hooked up last night and it looks great. My firmware went from 105 to 109 so I guess thats the latest. It looks so good there's no reason to go into the factory or service menu and tweak things. they left the unit in the auto lamp mode so I did have to switch back to econo mode. I had originally used the factory and service menus to improve a few things, but Sanyo really did a great job. All I had to do was calibrate with AVIA and it's terrific.

Hopefully your will be repaired quickly.

Well I got mine hooked up last night and it looks great. My firmware went from 105 to 109 so I guess thats the latest. It looks so good there's no reason to go into the factory or service menu and tweak things. they left the unit in the auto lamp mode so I did have to switch back to econo mode. I had originally used the factory and service menus to improve a few things, but Sanyo really did a great job. All I had to do was calibrate with AVIA and it's terrific.

Hopefully your will be repaired quickly.


That is very encouraging to hear. I am anxious to get it back and up and running again.

I'll update again when it shows up.

Can anyone send me the link to the site to get the warrenty paperwork started?

Just a follow-up to let everyone know that I got my projector back last week and it looks great.

I'm sooo happy Sanyo finally stepped up and honored the warranty properly. It was a struggle but worth the effort.

Can anyone send me the link to the site to get the warrenty paperwork started?

This should get you there:

Sanyo Fisher Company (SFC) Quick Repair Program (QRP) home page (http://store.sanyousa.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10151&langId=-1)

Click on the LCD Projector once you get there to start the process.

Okay, scary thread for someone who just ordered a z2, delivery expected monday or tuesday this week.
I did have a few questions for you.

1.
You people with filter and heat problems....
what would you say the average temp is in the room?
Are we talking A/C or summer heat - I have central A/C - and we keep the heat at about 68 in the winter.(buffalo is cold)
2.
You all have the american model, right? I heard things about the JAP model...wondering if that was your problem.

3. Do people suggest dusting around the projector on a regular basis - or will that cause more dust to be in the air, and make it worse? Maybe when the unit is off damp wipe surrounding walls and surfaces regularly.
a. Does s

4. After market filtration/cooling systems?


- -- - OMG, ill be a newbie forever if it takes 2 hrs to read every thread in this place.

I only had dirty panels and dust blobs due to the "original" filter that came with the Z2. It's so full of holes it was like swiss cheese. That’s just how they made them. When mine went in for service they upgraded my software and replaced the filter with the new model that seems to work really well. At least now when I blow it out with compressed air dust dust come out. Before everything went right to the Z2.

1. Average temp in my room is 70 probably 75 at ceiling level
2. American model
3. No dusting of surrounding area for me.
4. None and I have over 2400+ hours on my original bulb

I was thinking maybe MediaStorm inadvertently had the JAP model, and that is why they did not want to honor the warranty -- im probably wrong

Media I'm so glad to hear things worked out for you. I bet you and your family are very happy to be enjoying movies at home again.

Legairre

I was thinking maybe MediaStorm inadvertently had the JAP model, and that is why they did not want to honor the warranty -- im probably wrong


No, if you read the thread carefully you'll see it wasn't denied due to it being a non-US model. The warranty denial is quite common for this particular problem and a quick search through the forums here will show many other similar threads.

The purpose of this particular thread was to document my ordeal and more importantly, provide some specific helpful learnings that will hopefully help anyone else who encounters a similar problem in the future as well as to promote some good practice with regards to documenting filter cleanings and etc. These learnings should help minimize the potential of warranty denial for other Z2 owners moving forward.

Best of luck with your new Z2 and welcome aboard. ;)

Media I'm so glad to hear things worked out for you. I bet you and your family are very happy to be enjoying movies at home again.

Legairre


Thanks for the kind thoughts. Yes, the kids are finally off my back and we're all highly enjoying it once again.

We managed to get them an XBOX 360 for Christmas and it looks absolutely stunning on the Z2 in 720P.

The quality and wow factor brought back comfort in choosing the Z2 initially. We've got our fingers crossed that it will remain trouble free for a while and will be following my own advice and that of others posted in this thread from now on.

I followed up with my original dealer as well and let them know that Sanyo stepped up and took care of the problem but it is very unlikely they will promote Sanyo projectors in the future. Sanyo has lost quite a few sales and at least one dealer now over their warranty stunts which will hopefully provide some positive impact on their policies moving forward.

If this thread helps only one other Z2 owner it has been more than worth the effort and I'm glad to have closure myself.

great news but your right about sanyo burning bridges. Just to save a few bucks. jeff

Does anybody have the direct line for Renee Garcia? Sanyo has had my Z2 for about 3 weeks now and I have heard nothing except it's going to cost me $500 to fix because the filter was never cleaned. BTW, I never did clean it!

Does anybody have the direct line for Renee Garcia? Sanyo has had my Z2 for about 3 weeks now and I have heard nothing except it's going to cost me $500 to fix because the filter was never cleaned. BTW, I never did clean it!


If you in fact never cleaned the filter, why would you expect the repairs to be done under warranty? You wouldn't expect to have your car fixed for free if you never changed the oil would you?

IMO, in your specific case, a warranty claim denial is indeed the right call on Sanyo's part.

Please don't cloud the issue for others who DO clean their filters and have warranty claim issues by tying up everyone's time trying to squeek through the cracks. Claims of this nature only make it more difficult for legitimate claims to get through and don't properly represent AVS forum members as above average users.

Hi Mediastorm,

My Z2 is in service and I'm getting the same story you are by none other than David Penrod. I'm now talking to Dan Rasmussen (his boss) and he is telling me the same thing. He even said my air filter looks clean! I clean it on a regular basis.

There trying to screw me for $500 to replace the entire lens assembly. Should I contact Mark Holt and the BBB now? Pursue legal action?

Mike

Hi Mediastorm,

My Z2 is in service and I'm getting the same story you are by none other than David Penrod. I'm now talking to Dan Rasmussen (his boss) and he is telling me the same thing. He even said my air filter looks clean! I clean it on a regular basis.

There trying to screw me for $500 to replace the entire lens assembly. Should I contact Mark Holt and the BBB now? Pursue legal action?

Mike

Lens assembly? What were your symptoms? Sounds like all repairs on the Z2 run $500 each. :)

Lens assembly? What were your symptoms? Sounds like all repairs on the Z2 run $500 each. :)


Dan said there is dust and dirt everywhere, including inside the lens which needs to be replaced.

I was seeing dust blobs, focus uniformity issues, yellow blotchiness in white scenes, blue discoloration in the lower center of the image in dark scenes, and yellow discoloration in on the corners.

I cleaned the air filter regularly (every 1-2 months), and even purchased a HEPA filter for my home theater room! My case is it is never stated exactly when the air filter should be cleaned and I felt I was going above and beyond in my case.

I'm only 2 years into my 3 year warranty, grrrr!

Dan said there is dust and dirt everywhere, including inside the lens which needs to be replaced.

I was seeing dust blobs, focus uniformity issues, yellow blotchiness in white scenes, blue discoloration in the lower center of the image in dark scenes, and yellow discoloration in on the corners.

I cleaned the air filter regularly (every 1-2 months), and even purchased a HEPA filter for my home theater room! My case is it is never stated exactly when the air filter should be cleaned and I felt I was going above and beyond in my case.

I'm only 2 years into my 3 year warranty, grrrr!

A lot of those sound like issue I also had. The Z2 doesn't use a sealed optics path which is why the dust and dirt can get in those areas. Since it is not sealed though, there shouldn't be any reason they simply can't clean the optics and solve the problem or that simple dirt and dust would ruin the lens assembly. That sounds insane.

Additionally, as noted, your filters were clean which serves to highlight the obvious design flaw(s) in the Z2's filtering system. The filter wasn't trapping stuff and it ended up on the lens. Can't hardly put the blame on you for the filtering system not working though.

I would flatly state your intentions of escalating this into a legal matter immediately. They should honor the warranty claim in your case without question (unless I am missing some very unique circumstances in your setup or operating environment that weren't stated which is doubtful).

As maddening as it all is and as hopeless as it might seem, clearly stating your intentions to them in a composed but stern manner should prompt them to move forward. If they do not, have an attorney send them a letter on your behalf re-iterating your intentions to persue this as a legal matter. Make sure the letter clearly states your position and the remedy you expect from them (ie: repair or replace at no charge).

It will take a little time but you should be able to get them to fulfill their legal obligations and honor the warranty without filing a claim. If they still won't budge, take 'em to court and follow the advice provided by the attorney who sent the letter for you.

Good luck.. I know the frustration you are feeling right now all to well. ;)

If you in fact never cleaned the filter, why would you expect the repairs to be done under warranty? You wouldn't expect to have your car fixed for free if you never changed the oil would you?

IMO, in your specific case, a warranty claim denial is indeed the right call on Sanyo's part.

Please don't cloud the issue for others who DO clean their filters and have warranty claim issues by tying up everyone's time trying to squeek through the cracks. Claims of this nature only make it more difficult for legitimate claims to get through and don't properly represent AVS forum members as above average users.

MediaStorm, read my post again! I never said I expected Sanyo to fix my Z2 for free. I expect to pay and will pay! I just want Garcia's direct line. He has had my Z2 and my credit card number for 3 weeks and I can't get ahold of him. I just assumed based on the many post in this thread that someone has his number.

Try 818-998-7322 ext 387 for Garcia

Mark Holt
Vice President
(757) 564-8070 (Voice)
(818) 693-6923 (Mobile)
(757) 564-6826 (Fax)
mholt @ sfc.sanyo (dot) com

MediaStorm, read my post again! I never said I expected Sanyo to fix my Z2 for free. I expect to pay and will pay! I just want Garcia's direct line. He has had my Z2 and my credit card number for 3 weeks and I can't get ahold of him. I just assumed based on the many post in this thread that someone has his number.


My apologies. I misunderstood your message. You are the first person I've ever seen that is willing to pay for repairs. ;)

It's not so encouraging to hear that they even keep the paid for repairs in limbo and communicate as poorly. It speaks volumes about their service department in general.

I find it humorous that their site lists a 72 hr average turnaround when you can't even get a return call in under a week (or if at all).

The new Mitsubishi projectors are looking more and more attractive every day. :)

Hmmm, interesting thread. Threads like these are invaluable tools to lurkers like me who studiously go about our research into our first projector purchase. Take note, Sanyo.

Well I've got to report in. Sanyo did a quick turn around on mine. I sent it in for focus and yellow blotchy issues (may have been dust). The cleaned it, put in the new filter, and adjusted the focus. I guess at this stage I can only praise the quick turn around.

Well I've got to report in. Sanyo did a quick turn around on mine. I sent it in for focus and yellow blotchy issues (may have been dust). The cleaned it, put in the new filter, and adjusted the focus. I guess at this stage I can only praise the quick turn around.


Lucky you. They just sent mine back for the same issue after a 2 week stand off. They didn't bother even to clean it. Sanyo will never get another dime of mine.

Mike

I have the Z3 and the same thing is happening to me.

I had the "blue cloud" effect and minor temporary screen burn (on things like ESPN ticker) and a minor light yellow discolorization in the middle (only noticable on pure white images).

I wish I had seen this thread before sending it in to Sanyo.

The response I received this email from Sanyo...

"The technicians have look at you unit and found dirty air filters and overheated panels. Because of the condition of the filters and the unit the technicians are unable to cover this repair under warranty. This will fall to an out of warranty major repair. I will send through the corresponding paperwork for this unit.

" X "Major (requires large component replacement) ... -or-
600.00
" " Intermed (requires small component replacement) ... -or-
400.00
" " Minor (adjustment, cleaning, or small parts) ... -or-
200.00
" " Cleaning (cleaning of internal optics only ) ... 100.00"

I called Davin Penrod today. I told him I cleaned this unit on a regular basis. That I was diligent. I told him to look at the outside parts of the projector. It is very clean, no dust. He stated his technicians looked at the unit. He stated he would go down and look, take pictures of the filter. I told him when I sent the unit the filters had no build up on them (both of the, the big zig-zag one and the flat plastice one). I told him if he were going to take pictures set my zig-zag filter next to new one for comparison. I also told him that his email basically stated I did something wrong in the care of the projector and I took good care of it.

After reading every post in this thread confidence is not very high for a positive outcome. It seems that only one person was able to turn the situation around when Sanyo denied coverage.

We'll see.

Optimistically, your hosed. David Penrod did the same to me too...I call it Sanyo's splintery broom stick warranty. No further detail necessary ;) It's a sleezy way to extract more money from honest customers when their product is failing within the warranty period. I will never reward them with my business again. :mad: :mad:

I bought Z5 and one of the main reasons was 3-year warranty. Looks like I made a mistake not finding this thread before ordering.

Guys I posted this in another thread months ago. Read it and don't let Sanyo get away with this. The manual explicitly states the unit has a shut off that will keep it from being damaged.

Since you answered everyday to the filter cleaning question you shouldn't have a problem unless they try to tell you the panel was damaged to to excessive heat. If they use the excessive heat excuse tell them that the Z2 has a auto shut off that is "supposed" to power down the Z2 when it gets too hot and if the panel is damaged due to excessive heat then it's Sanyo's fault, because the shut down didn't work and power the unit off as it say it will on page 42 of the manual.

From page 42 of the Z2 manual:

When the temperature inside the projector exceeds the normal temperature the projector is shut down to protect the inside of the projector. The power indicator light is flashing and the projector is being cooled down. When the tenperature inside the projector returns to normal the power indicator light turns red and the projector can be turned on.

If the above procedure works as advertised then the Z2 should never have a heat related problem because it should shut off before damage can be done.

If they don't claim heat due to filter or just your room being too hot caused your poblem then you probably in the clear.

Remember Sanyo may try to pull the "you didn't really clean the filter as often as you say you did" crap. At that time fight like hell and tell them you'll sick your lawyer on them. You have a valid warrenty claim and you're not taking this. Of course stay calm, cool and collected at all times they love to try and make you angry.

If all else fails tell them you'll contact Mike Holt and give their names and tell him how you've been treated. If that fails contact Mike Holt by email first, but be very curtious to him and explain your situation very clearly and calmly.

Mark Holt
Vice President
(757) 564-8070 (Voice)
(818) 693-6923 (Mobile)
(757) 564-6826 (Fax)
mholt @ sfc.sanyo (dot) com

BTW my Z2 was fixed under warrenty without any hastle from Sanyo, but I already knew what to say thanks to the folk here at AVS. Even though I didn't have any problems with Sanyo service I'll never buy another Sanyo product no matter what it is due the they way others have been treated. I got lucky, but I could have easily been treated as poorly as others have.

Wow, it is really sad to see that this insanity is still the norm at Sanyo.

I was going to buy a new Z5 at the first of the year to replace my Z2 but will be looking for something else now that I see this is still going on.

It's really a shame.

Hey media long time no see, I'm planning on a new pj next year as well. I'll never buy a Sanyo again so I'm looking at the new Panny. Granted I had good luck I'm not rolling the dice again with this company. Maybe they will learn and loosing customers will help other in the future.

Please keep us posted, Don. Also, how old was your z3, how many hours, etc. I ask because my z2 is getting a little long in the tooth and I'm considering z5 later in year or z6 next year (I'll probably wait till 1080p). The interesting thing I find about this is the silliness on the manufacturers part and question of what the failure rate on these pjs is at one, two or three years out. They clearly seem to hose you at about two years, but one way to look at it compared to competing product is that you still get a good pj for less money than the panny, which only has a 1 year warranty. Have they denied any warranties for problems under a year? Do competing lcd polarizers fail at about the same rate? Why do i ask?...because if overall quality/failure rate is reputed to be a little better than others, and if both seem to basically have a strong warranty in the first year, then do we take the second and third year out of the equation? They have basically done this, so why don't they just sell the pj with a one year warranty in the first place. Sure, they seem like dirtbags with their policies, but in general most large corporations are dirtbags...thats how they got big and successful. So, do we just buy the pjs based on their other merits and assume that we only really have a one year warranty. They certainly arent the first company on the planet to screw their customers with warranties. Heck, I bought a garage door opener extended warranty a while back. Great in theory, they come lube it once a year for free, yada yada. Only problem was that the cust service line for warranty service was permanently busy. I tried for weeks to get thru before I gave up. That was the last warranty I ever purchased (they're a huge scam). I find that warranties in general suck so I usually buy on merit of the product initially and reputed durability and don't really buy based on warranty. So, is a z5 with a one year warranty a worthy competitor in it's class? Which one is more likely to be working 30 months after you bought it. They just ought to drop the charade and make it a limited warranty that doesn't cover polarizers. If I end up buying a z6, this is how I'll look at it (of course, if my polarizers fail I'll raise a stink and post here!)

Art I agree with what you're saying the only thing is there are several Z2 post and threads that were made when peoples Z2's were still within their first year of warranty service. Sanyo just tries to find ways out of honoring the warranty. With Sanyo it doesn't matter if you have a 1, 2,3 or 10 year warranty. It's still the same as no warranty at all. With Sanyo you're rolling the dice and hoping you don't have a problem because if you do you're on your own.

I bought Z5 and one of the main reasons was 3-year warranty. Looks like I made a mistake not finding this thread before ordering.


Same here Jigesh, I just bought the Z5 and stumbled upon this thread. I really hope they 'wise up'. The 3 year warranty (& the 2 HDMI inputs) were the reasons why I got this.

I was thinking that it was hopeful that there hadnt been any additional comments posted about problems with Sanyo service since March up until now.
I've been seriously considering a Sanyo Z5 for purchase but this thread has me concerned about warranty support.
Can anyone comment on whether these problems are typical? THanks.


John

Thanks, Legairre...that is what I was wondering (whether they were not honoring polarizer warranty problems at all, regardless of age). I had thought it was only on older units that they were denying warranty service. I just didn't recall seeing any of these warranty issues during the first year or two. If they are denying all polarizer claims, then I'd think long and hard before giving my business again.

Same here Jigesh, I just bought the Z5 and stumbled upon this thread. I really hope they 'wise up'. The 3 year warranty (& the 2 HDMI inputs) were the reasons why I got this.

On a positive note, generally the reliability of Sanyo PJ is very good and based on various forums, I have seen people using it without any trouble more than (or close to) 2 years with proper filter cleaning periodically. So even if one ends up paying (I am not recommending it, just saying it hypothetically) $500 to Sanyo after two years, the total price still would be less than the current Panny. However, the issue is not honoring warranty honestly; and I wish I don't have to use it, but if I do, I would be wise to maintain all filter-cleaning logs and if possible, pictures as well so that they don't have the common excuse; if they do, then follow up to the end including BBB and NY (in my case) attorney general's office.

If they only want to warranty the unit for a year then warranty should be changed and the price of the projector adjusted accordingly.

By putting a 3 yr warranty on the unit as a marketing tool they have legally obligated themselves to honor that warranty. I've never dealt with another company that has pulled this bunk on an ongoing basis like they have. They have been using this same trick for over 3 yrs and tend to take care of those who don't go along with it and scream loudly.

I wonder how many people just pay for the repairs and don't know any better. I'd guess that far more do send a check for repairs than those who don't which is why they still pull it off. I'd venture to guess that the repair dept at Sanyo probably operates at a profit which is why the trauma continues.

The down side is that even after the projector purchase they are still making significant money off of you on an ongoing basis for replacement bulbs. I just ordered my 3rd replacement bulb bringing my total for bulbs alone to a little over $1,000.

Overheating should not cause damages to the polarizer even if the filters are NEVER cleaned. What is the point in having an overheating protection system on the units if it doesn't prevent damages due to overheating? This is not a warranty or maintenance issue, it's clearly a design flaw in that the overheating protection simply doesn't work.

If you bought a handgun and ended up shooting yourself in the foot because the safety didn't work as advertised, there would be huge lawsuits and IMO this really isn't much different than that.

Obviously, if the safety didn't function due to it being full of dirt and grime that is another issue but we won't even go into the uneffectiveness of the Z2's filtration system which is a whole other design problem in itself.

The Z series are good projectors but they would be great projectors if they would honor the warranty without playing games and if this is indeed such a huge problem across the entire Z series why hasn't it been solved at the design level? It would be pretty simple to add maintenance reminders and lower the overheat protection temps to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place.

Why hasn't that been addressed? It is probably due to the design team having no idea that the service dept. is playing these games as it is very unlikely that any product designer would let the flaw continue to exist in the Z3, Z4, Z5 and etc. It shouldn't have happened in the Z2 but the fact the problem continues even in the latest and greatest Z units.. Well, that's unexcusable.

..If you bought a handgun and ended up shooting yourself in the foot because the safety didn't work as advertised, there would be huge lawsuits and IMO this really isn't much different than that....

If those, whom Sanyo made to pay or refused warranty work, file class action law suite, they (i.e., the customers) would win. Anyone willing to take initiatives? There's no doubt why they shouldn't honor warranties. I have heard good things about Epson's projector warranty services.

I'm very sorry to see you folks are still having issues with Sanyo. Their warranty games ultimately proved to be the #1 reason I never did pull the trigger on a Z2, Z3, or Z4 (even though I strongly considered all three). It's incomprehensible to me they're still doing it. Best of luck fighting your battles.

I just got off the phone with Davin. Told him I was still waiting for the pictures/update.

He told me he did go down to look at my projector but hasn't spoken to the tech yet. He said something to the affect that the dirty filter determination doesn't seem to go with the overall condition of the projector. He needs to speak with the technician before figuring out what to do for me.

I then asked him to clarify about the condition of my projector since he saw it. He stated it was much cleaner than most units they get in. That the projector showed signs of being taken care of (I know I shouldn't end sentences with a preposition - although with this comment, I didn't).

I also mentioned the auto shut off feature mentioned on page 45 of the Z3 manual. He stated if the temps rise just a little it may not be enough to shut it off but slowly cause deterioration. Once the deterioration starts any heat can damage the inside (glass/mirror).

... He stated if the temps rise just a little it may not be enough to shut it off but slowly cause deterioration. Once the deterioration starts any heat can damage the inside (glass/mirror).

But then this happens due to "normal" operation of the projector during the warranty period and hence should be covered by warranty unless the warranty statement explicitly excludes it.

Good luck!

He's admitting the the shutoff system in the pj is faulty. That's a design flaw and you shouldn't have to pay for Sanyo's design flaw. If the system worked as advertised then your pj would be fine, but since Sanyo's system failed(and they admit it doesn't work properly) they should fix your unit under warranty.

Davin called me a few hours later.

He stated spoke with the technicians about my projector, the way he put it (or rather the way he made it sound) he was able to convince the techs to do the repair as covered under warranty.

He said the unit would ship NLT Tuesday.

I am very happy.

Exactly. I would never buy a Sanyo for this very reason.
The authorized nationwide repair center for Panny (Heartland) is FANTATSTIC - as well as very very personable. They don't even use an automated voice system - so when you call them - you talk to a live person from the get go! They really do care for the customer (and it shows from my personal experiences).

Mits is the same way. The bulb on my WD2000 blew out under warantee and I had a replacement in two days with prepaid postage to return the faulty unit. Their email response was measured in minutes, and was not an auto-responder, a real live dude at a keyboard.

Mits tech support FTW.

This thread clearly establishes defined flaws in the Z2; it's resurgence suggests some questions should be asked...

-Have the design flaws in the Z2 been dealt with in the newer models?
-Does the Z5 have sealed optics?
-How frequently should the filter be cleaned?
-What is the best way to take care of your PJ?
-To what temp should the room be set?
-Is there a way to monitor the PJ (aside from cleaning the filter) to keep these problems from occurring (or catch something early on?

Davin called me a few hours later.

He stated spoke with the technicians about my projector, the way he put it (or rather the way he made it sound) he was able to convince the techs to do the repair as covered under warranty.

He said the unit would ship NLT Tuesday.

I am very happy.

Great! Congratulations! Keep us updated after you receive the projector if the repair solved all your problems....

Looks like they repaired everything. No more blue clouds, no more temporary screen burn and no more off-white hue in the center.

Looks like they replaced the large filter too.

The only thing I notice now (can't say how much of a problem it was before) is the top of the picture is not in a straight line. I would say the top left corner is the one that is off. The bottom of the picture is a straight line left to right.
It's not a keystone or level problem.

Still very watchable.

Looks like they repaired everything. No more blue clouds, no more temporary screen burn and no more off-white hue in the center.

Looks like they replaced the large filter too.

The only thing I notice now (can't say how much of a problem it was before) is the top of the picture is not in a straight line. I would say the top left corner is the one that is off. The bottom of the picture is a straight line left to right.
It's not a keystone or level problem.

Still very watchable.


glad they fixed your problems.
If you notice I was one of the very first people with a Z2 3 years ago. my warranty is just up.
After the initial problems and after they replaced my first projector with a properly working model, I'm still happy with it. Actually I now wish it'd brake., so that I can justify to my wife why I need a new PJ . :D
I want the new Mits with the 1080P inputs.


IMO the reason they deny the warranty is to improve their bottom line. It's probably an unspoken rule to deny claims the first, possibly second time. If only 1 out of every 4 people cough up the money, their profits just went up 25%. I know of a government agency that operates exactly like that. It's unfair.

My take is , don't ever give up and sometime you need to resort to underhanded tactics too to get results.
I hate doing it, but if I must I will.

zed

I can state unequivocally that I will never purchase any products from Sanyo
based on this thread. Never!!!!

Anyone who is still considering purchasing a Sanyo product should ask themselves
these simple questions. Why should I help support a company with a proven
tract record of this magnitude of poor customer service? Why would I expose
myself to this level of anxiety and stress for a purchase that is supposed to bring
me pleasure?

MediaStorm is to be congratulated and afforded our highest respect. He has
saved a great many AVSF members from purchasing a poorly designed
Sanyo product.

This proves the value of these threads to create a community where information
can be easily shared... that has the potential to protect all of us from
corporate scoundrels.

Nice work, MediaStorm!!!

A joyous new year to everyone ~ Richard

Wow. After reading this thread I can tell you my next projector will absolutely not be a Sanyo. Nothing would be worth going through that.

Kinda painting with a broad brush I would say. I have seen many others have no problems with their units or warranty claims. In most of these threads, you only hear the bad stuff that happens, not usually from the satisfied customers.

Good point Cappra ~

However, it is the pattern of "intent" that emerges from the response of Sanyo
to the honest needs of several owners of their projectors that I am referring to...
and their obvious "cover-up" of what appears to be a poor design implementation!!

If you do not know what is really going on "behind the scenes" of a company
and purchase their products without that important information, no one can
blame you for your trust of their "good intentions" to stand by their products...
after all that is only ethical and a standard business practice.

But to read in this thread of what some owners of Sanyo projectors have to go
through in order to get their projectors fixed as a result of design flaws and then
to disregard this information just because there are examples of situations
that perhaps may have worked out for some Sanyo owners, is like playing Russian
roulette with ones purchases.

There is no reason to place ones hard earned money at risk when there are
legitimate competing manufacturers that are willing to satisfy our expectations
for high performance projectors backed-up by responsible customer service.

Your purchase is your vote of confidence.

Warm Regards ~ Richard

As I await my Mits HD1000u to get here my Sanyo Z2 did its job the past three years. I had to use the warranty once about a month in and I had excellent service between Projector People and Sanyo. Just stand your ground and be diligent and not to wild-eyed. Not saying I condone any poor actions they have demonstrated but they are far from being alone in this area. When you have something and it breaks there is always a chance no matter the company to get some bad news from them. It's up to how precise and determined you are with them imo.

My issues are not with the Sanyo projectors directly but rather with the way Sanyo spins the wheel to determine what they will cover or who gets screwed.

In general the Z2 has been a good unit outside of a few issues here and there. If I were basing a purchase decision on the unit itself, I'd purchase Sanyo again in a heartbeat. However, that is only 50% of the equation. Knowing that a projector has a very, very high probability of visiting service at least once it its' lifetime, Sanyo service practices to-date automatically exclude Sanyo from being on a list of candidates for new projectors.

My hopes in posting my experience here were two fold. One, to help validate my thinking regarding my own Sanyo experince and hoping to put some pressure on Sanyo to rectify the problem. On that front, my efforts were a smashing success.

The other purpose was to document the whole event in hopes that Sanyo would realise that these types of experiences are easily made public and would hopefully rethink their service approach and hopefully minimize the potential for other owners to have the same problems. I'd say on this issue it has been a complete and utter failure. To this day Sanyo continues the same tactics even on new models which is IMO unforgiveable.

They know the world is watching and they continue to display an unbelievable level of arrogance and complete lack of respect to owners of their products.

I had my fingers crossed that they would put an end to these games and I could buy future Sanyo products with confidence that I wouldn't have to worry about warranty issues. Unfortunately, I have even less confidence today than I had a year ago and would not consider any future Sanyo products nor would I recommend them to anyone at all.

It's a complete shame that the Sanyo service department completely destroys their credibility and all of the efforts made by their marketing efforts.

Techonology is evolving quite fast in the projector field and my next purchase will lend towards a vendor that has respect for their customers and hopefully leans towards low cost replacement lamps using more current technology improvements.

I've purchased 3 replacement bulbs already and am dangerously close to needing a 4th. I'm not even sure at this point if I want to purchase another bulb or call it time to cut my losses and look for a new projector and hope to get a reasonable price for my Z2 on eBay. I'm done spending $325+ for new bulbs and am willing to either spend more for a projector that uses cheaper replacement bulbs or even stepping down a bit in quality for something like an Evo. $30 replacement bulbs are quite attractive. ;)

Hi MediaStorm ~

What is an Evo.?

I agree that low cost bulbs are a very attractive direction to explore in considering
the purchase of a projector. My reading suggests that laser bulbs in the near
future could offer a very long lasting alternative and they would not lose
their potency during their life.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Warm Regards ~ Richard

While I haven't had a problem getting service, I chalk that up to knowing how to handle them(thanks to everyone here) when I sent mine in for service. Right away I made a few things clear to Sanyo service before I even sent the unit in:

1) filter changed after EVERY use
2) projector is table mounted so heat from being ceiling mounted shouldn't be an issue
3) room temp never higher than 68 degrees
4) unit never on for more than 4 hrs at a time
5) took pictures of my filter before sending it in

I made Sanyo aware of all these things before I sent mine in and made sure they knew I had pics of my filter. For all you guys who think Sanyos not that bad you must have fogotten the trick David at Sanyo they tried to pull with sending medaistorm pics of a old dirty filter they pulled off some Z2 they had at Sanyo and telling him it was his filter so they could try to deny warranty service http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6705655&&#post6705655

I got lucky, and I 'll never buy a Sanyo product no matter what it is. I love my Z2 but their tactic stink and this is coming from someone who had no problem getting his Z2 serviced after pointing out the above to them first.

Hi MediaStorm ~

What is an Evo.?

I agree that low cost bulbs are a very attractive direction to explore in considering
the purchase of a projector. My reading suggests that laser bulbs in the near
future could offer a very long lasting alternative and they would not lose
their potency during their life.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Warm Regards ~ Richard

Take a look at the Lumenlab (http://www.lumenlab.com) site for info on the eVo. It's a step down in resolution but has some attractive features for the price of 1.5 Z2 bulbs.

It's no Z2 but I might get one instead of purchasing a fourth replacement bulb and then hand it down to the kids when I elect to get something with 1080p in the next year or two.

Hey fellas,

No need to retell my story since it's EXACTLY THE SAME as all the others.

So, I sent it back last month. Took a few days for a fax. They wanted 600 bucks to fix it "out of warranty".

I was pissed. I called, they said they'd talk to "someone down there" and call me back. It didnt' happen. That was on the 18th.

I figured I'd browse through this forum since there might be something here. Amazing that I'd find all this info.

I called back today armed with info.

I was shot down. I was told by either David or Davin that it was out of warranty and Dan Rasmussen was "on vacation" since the 19th (the day after I talked to him, how convienient) and wouldn't be back for a couple days.

I said it wasn't good enough, I want my projector fixed under warranty, no exceptions. I asked if I should talk to the VP whose name is listed here. He then argued and said that's the best thing I could do is to talk to the VP.

So, I emailed him and got an email back. It wasn't from him, it was from Davin.

Here's the quote of it:

I spoke with our technicians in regards to your unit and also took a look at the unit. The filter on the unit was not far from being clogged with dust, as the photos below show. However after talking with the technicians they have agreed to cover the overheated parts under warranty as a one time courtesy. The unit still does need a cleaning which they can not cover. The cleaning of this unit is a hundred dollar charge plus shipping back. I will fax the new paperwork reflecting the cleaning charge plus shipping. If you have any other questions please call me back directly at (818) 998-7322 x228.

Thanks,
Davin Penrod
Technical Support Coordinator
Presentation Technologies
Sanyo Fisher Company
(888) 337-1215


The photos look very similar to the ones that are already posted here. My filter didn't look like that one. I have a feeling that this is all B.S.

I'm awaiting an email from Matt the VP. If I don't hear from him I think I'll just have my attorney send him a letter with my demands. I understand a cleaning isn't going to be free but the unit should be under warranty not "as a courtesey". I want a valid warranty for the full 3 years. I bought my Sanyo specifically for this purpose. I actually have and use an attorney for various things so this is going to happen.

I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion on this email is. If they would put in writing that I would still have full warranty on this projector then I would pay the 100 bucks for a full cleaning as I'm sure it could use it. BUT I am not going to pay shipping since thats included in the warranty.

Any thoughts would be appreciated and I will keep everyone posted.

I'm glad this forum exists and I can't imagine how many suckers out there just shelled out the 600 bucks for this bogus repair.

I think it's a good email. If they are falsifying pictures of filters they should pay dearly for that. To note that was one crappy filter they put on the Z2, the most inconsistent filter I've seen like that. I could go a year easy without cleaning it and not have it be to the point it hampers air input, the thing was just so porous.

Hey fellas,

No need to retell my story since it's EXACTLY THE SAME as all the others.

So, I sent it back last month. Took a few days for a fax. They wanted 600 bucks to fix it "out of warranty".

I was pissed. I called, they said they'd talk to "someone down there" and call me back. It didnt' happen. That was on the 18th.

I figured I'd browse through this forum since there might be something here. Amazing that I'd find all this info.

I called back today armed with info.

I was shot down. I was told by either David or Davin that it was out of warranty and Dan Rasmussen was "on vacation" since the 19th (the day after I talked to him, how convienient) and wouldn't be back for a couple days.

I said it wasn't good enough, I want my projector fixed under warranty, no exceptions. I asked if I should talk to the VP whose name is listed here. He then argued and said that's the best thing I could do is to talk to the VP.

So, I emailed him and got an email back. It wasn't from him, it was from Davin.

Here's the quote of it:

I spoke with our technicians in regards to your unit and also took a look at the unit. The filter on the unit was not far from being clogged with dust, as the photos below show. However after talking with the technicians they have agreed to cover the overheated parts under warranty as a one time courtesy. The unit still does need a cleaning which they can not cover. The cleaning of this unit is a hundred dollar charge plus shipping back. I will fax the new paperwork reflecting the cleaning charge plus shipping. If you have any other questions please call me back directly at (818) 998-7322 x228.

Thanks,
Davin Penrod
Technical Support Coordinator
Presentation Technologies
Sanyo Fisher Company
(888) 337-1215


The photos look very similar to the ones that are already posted here. My filter didn't look like that one. I have a feeling that this is all B.S.

I'm awaiting an email from Matt the VP. If I don't hear from him I think I'll just have my attorney send him a letter with my demands. I understand a cleaning isn't going to be free but the unit should be under warranty not "as a courtesey". I want a valid warranty for the full 3 years. I bought my Sanyo specifically for this purpose. I actually have and use an attorney for various things so this is going to happen.

I'm just wondering what everyone's opinion on this email is. If they would put in writing that I would still have full warranty on this projector then I would pay the 100 bucks for a full cleaning as I'm sure it could use it. BUT I am not going to pay shipping since thats included in the warranty.

Any thoughts would be appreciated and I will keep everyone posted.

I'm glad this forum exists and I can't imagine how many suckers out there just shelled out the 600 bucks for this bogus repair.

It's David Penrod and it is a scripted response. I got the same response but they didn't pimp me for $100 cleaning charge. Personally I would fight it through but it might be worth the $$ to end the ordeal.

I'd suggest that anyone else who sends their unit in for repairs that they should put a very visible marking on the unit so that it would appear in any pics.

Their behavior is borderline criminal and this thing is screaming for a class action lawsuit sooner or later. If I was an atty I'd do it myself just to make their life a fraction as miserable as they've made it for all of us. ;)

...this thing is screaming for a class action lawsuit sooner or later. If I was an atty I'd do it myself ....

If any of the AVS'ers is an Attorney and/or willing to take this legal route, I am willing to contribute my share. I have Z5 (if I had come across the old warranty threads prior to the purchase, I might have chosen something else), fantastic image - no problem at all, but I am disgusted by the whole warranty thing.

the saga continues over here:


(cannot yet post URLs yet due to less than 5 posts, but it is located at the end of the thread titled "OFFICIAL Sanyo Z3 thread")

I'm now going the same ordeal. I intend on taking legal action.

This thread clearly establishes defined flaws in the Z2; it's resurgence suggests some questions should be asked...

-Have the design flaws in the Z2 been dealt with in the newer models?
-Does the Z5 have sealed optics?
-How frequently should the filter be cleaned?
-What is the best way to take care of your PJ?
-To what temp should the room be set?
-Is there a way to monitor the PJ (aside from cleaning the filter) to keep these problems from occurring (or catch something early on?

I never had a Z2/3/4 but own a new Z5. There are now 2 oval holes each for each panel to insert an air blower accessory that comes with the PJ. Also there is a new "cleaning function" in the menu where you turn the unit over for, with projected calibration screens for each panel. I assume that the fan would run a bit faster to deal with this function when enabled.
I can see that the pj is still sucking in air through the gap between lens and body, I plan to build a latex cover for that because it defeats the filters in some way.



On the warranty issues with Sanyo:

Service technicians for TV/VCR/cell phones etc are a "special breed" and have due to their unique position (long training/highly qualified/well paid) some unique flaws sometimes. I know that from close contact and friends that work in such position.

Laziness and arrogance sometimes start to raise their ugly head once in a while and depending on the circumstances some technicians let it out on some pour soul and their warranty claim.

Maybe on a Monday morning after a long party weekend these very technicians will get "picky" about what they'll work on. Management should be able to control their technicians but it is rather difficult to gain real authority if the manager doesn't know the difference between a transistor and a radio tube. Sadly this is the case more often than you think. Senior service technicians rarely become managers.

In some service centers technicians earn a bonus for "x" completed repairs per week because they save the company money honoring their warranty. If a technician will miss his bonus because he has to deal with too many lengthy repairs, he'll look for a way out. He can ask a friend who has an "easy" week already to pitch in or go for "plan B".

"plan B" is the huge grey area of legal blah,blah in the small print of warranties, with reference to "abuse" etc...in short, the consumer loses his right for a free repair because a technician determined "that this was the case".
Once the consumer agrees to go ahead with the quoted price the company is happy because they make a decent profit instead of a loss on this repair AND the technician gets a cut of that. He still loses his weekly bonus but the future cut will usually more than make up for that.

Under perfect circumstances that should never happen, but in difficult/stressful working conditions, with indifferent technicians and penny pinching management it can indeed happen. In real life it would be usually hard for a manager to prove a technician "wrong", he could only "overrule" him...and he better bring at least a 12-pack of beer when he does so...

The above is NOT the rule in service centers but an aberration. But it "might" explain one or the other extreme case of consumer frustration.


Back to Sanyo and this thread. Three or four people got the unfair treatment, and most got fixed up in the end after all. Yes, it was unfair...but it's still only a handful of people. This is a fact that should be considered before we ask for "boycotting" Sanyo or else.

Let me just compare that for a moment with the troubles of the people that have bought Panny 100's. Some unfortunate customers have bought PJ's with some kind of visible panel adjustment problems and are trying to get service to get it fixed.
We're not talking just a handful of people here anymore, and they're really frustrated. Panasonic has not found a solution yet, because many returned/exchanged PJ's show the same problem after a few days etc.

Don't just believe me, go look at their thread and see how bad it is.


Projectors are still precision instruments and their failure rate by nature will be higher than e.g. receivers. Looking at all the threads for a while I was quite fine with ordering a new Z5. It's working just great right now, just as advertised.

Yes, I did write down the important phone numbers from Mr.Holt etc...just in case I have to use some "muscle"...but the statistical odds are clearly in my favor for future warranty work.

I always felt that three years warranty for these finicky little babies is too good to be true in the first place. How may other companies are offering that? I'm just waiting for 1080p to get a tad cheaper. Two years should do it...

Back to Sanyo and this thread. Three or four people got the unfair treatment, and most got fixed up in the end after all. Yes, it was unfair...but it's still only a handful of people. This is a fact that should be considered before we ask for "boycotting" Sanyo or else.You must have missed all the other Sanyo Z2 warrenty denied threads and post over the past 2-3 years. It's a lot more than 3 or 4 people who have been completely denied warranty service or told to split the cost with Sanyo over issues that are covered under warrenty. You must have also missed where Sanyo has sent pictures of filters that looked like they were used on vacume cleaners to users and said it was there's when it wasn't just so they could try to get out of warranty coverage. You must have also missed the Z3 thread where Sanyo is now doing the same things to Z3 owners that they do to Z2 owners.

So do I think people should boycott a company with a history of not honoring their warranty, and in the case of swapping peoples filters for dirty ones and defrauding the customer? YES I DO.

I always felt that three years warranty for these finicky little babies is too good to be true in the first place. How may other companies are offering that? I'm just waiting for 1080p to get a tad cheaper. Two years should do it... The 3 year warranty was the deciding factor for some people to buy a Sanyo over the Panny or others especially when features and picture quality are similar or the same. If they offer a 3 yr warranty then they should honor a 3 yr warranty and stop using a 3 yr as selling point if they no longer intend to honor it.

Hi guys,

I haven't yet purchased a projector, but after hearing about these problems I just wanted to add that I will not be purchasing any products from sanyo any time soon either. The Z5 was on my short list, but not any more. Sanyo, you've just lost another potential customer. Your reputation is hurting your business.

Nite_Hawk, I think people like you are the ones who will force Sanyo to change their policy. If sales drop them they will change. They did this to Z2 customers and now Z3. As soon as the Z4's and Z5's start showing problems they will do it to them as well. It's not like Sanyo is the only one making affordable projectors.

Add me to the list who HAD the Z5 on their short list.

It almost sounds like someone has to fill out a maintenance log, w/ pictures of the daily newspaper in the background, just to get their units serviced under warranty.

Well, here I am in the same boat as others with Sanyo service. I sent in my Z3 for repairs last week due to a slight blue hue on the right side of the screen.

Just got off the phone with Rene Garcia and the first thing he told me was that the Z3 filters were very dirty. This is impossible because not only did I clean it every month religiously but I also gave it a thorough cleaning before sending it in for service.

Then he told me there was burn-in on the LCD panel. This is also impossible. This unit was only ever connected to a PC and the screensaver was always set to turn on after 10 minutes. All I ever used it for was watching movies and playing a few video games and only for 2-4 hours at a time. Jesus, it's not like I left a game or movie paused for 6 hours or something!

Now here is the kicker. To repair it they want $600. I was floored when Garcia told me that. Needless to say that I immediately refused and reiterated that my Z3 is still under warranty for another year. Then he told me they don't cover damage due to poor cleaning. I felt like screaming a few choice words at him but kept my cool. I asked to speak to his supervisor and was told he would call me back. Still waiting on that.

I've been fortunate with most companies and have never had a problem getting service while still under warranty. Unfortunately Sanyo isn't like most other companies. They obviously don't give a damn about their customers. Needless to say I will never be purchasing another Sanyo product EVER. I don't care if it's a remote control, I wouldn't give them one red cent after this little fiasco.

If they refuse to fix the projector I'm going to go speak with my attorney and see what can be done. This is simply unacceptable.

I'm going through pretty much the same thing as you convexion-see previous posts. I've filed complaints with both the FTC and State of Calif. Dept of Consumer Affairs and both have stated that they are going to take action-the FTC stating they are going to "investigate" the situation and the State saying they are going to act as a mediator to resolve the issue.

Funny, I just checked my email and I just received this from the FTC:


We are pleased to respond to your correspondence describing your difficulty obtaining warranty performance.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is intended to help consumers with warranty disputes enforce their rights.
The Act permits consumers to sue a company that fails to live up to its promises under a warranty. Among other provisions,
the Act allows consumers who prevail in suits for breach of warranty under the Act to recover attorney's fees and court costs,
as well as damages and other relief awarded by the court. Enclosed is a brochure that explains your rights and responsibilities under the Act.

The Commission's role is to identify those companies that consistently violate consumers' warranty rights and pursue corrective
action through administrative proceedings rather than by resolving individual complaints. In addition, we hope the following information
is helpful.

You may be interested to know that there are no federal or state laws that require companies to provide assistance for problems
that occur after the warranty ends. A company's obligation to repair or replace a defective product is limited to the terms of its
written warranty. On the other hand, a company must take care of problems that are first complained about during the warranty period,
even if the warranty runs out before the problems are resolved. Until the problems are resolved, the warrantor has not performed as promised.
It is a good idea to keep a copy of any letter or receipt that shows when problems were first brought to the attention of the company or
servicing dealer.

If the company is unable to repair the product, you may have a right under state law to receive a refund, even if the warranty
indicates that no refunds will be given. Under Section 2-719 of the Uniform Commercial Code, effective in nearly all states, if a warranty
limits the remedy available under it, and that remedy given does not work, the consumer has the right to seek other appropriate remedies.

For example, if the warranty provides that the company will only repair a product, and not provide a refund or replacement, the
company is entitled to a reasonable opportunity to repair the product in question. However, if the product is seriously defective and
a number of repair attempts do not place it in proper condition, then the owner may have a right to a refund or replacement. You should
ask a lawyer how this rule works in your state.

In addition, even if your product is no longer covered by the manufacturer's warranty, it may still be protected by an implied
warranty created by state law. All states have such warranties, and they supplement the protection of any written warranty. The most
important of these warranties is the implied warranty of merchantability, which promises that a product will be fit for the ordinary purpose
for which it is sold. For example, in the case of an automobile, the warranty of merchantability guarantees that the vehicle is fit for
transportation. If the automobile is not fit for transportation, the purchaser may be able to revoke acceptance due to a breach of the
implied warranty. In most states, implied warranties run for four years from the date of sale. If you are unable to reach a satisfactory
agreement for the repair of the product, a private attorney may be able to provide advice on how to enforce implied warranty rights.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Letters such as yours help us maintain an awareness of those problems consumers
are experiencing.



Sincerely yours,


Consumer Response Center

That's very interesting Burgender, thanks for posting that info.

I'm still stuck in this mess myself. It's gotten to the point where they won't return my e-mails which is tough for me because I sleep during the day so calling is pretty much out of the question.

I contacted the company I purchased the projector through, Visual Apex, and they're getting info from Sanyo now. I'll post an update on the result.

Add me to the list who HAD the Z5 on their short list.


Likewise...and one of the main reasons was the awesomely long warranty...I suppose it's easy to warrant something for three years when you void most of the claims that come in. I wish my company could do that...

My z2 was under warranty but now the extra year is under my VISA. So I wondering if I can get them to say there are problems that would have been covered under warrenty but since it's not here's the charge. Then I pass that on to Visa.

I contacted the company I purchased the projector through, Visual Apex, and they're getting info from Sanyo now. I'll post an update on the result.


Best advice on the board right here folks ...

No question about it, Sanyo makes a great machine and has a nice long warranty.

Why drive yourself batty over the warranty. The legit dealers have the best pricing anyway, so buy from a legit dealer and if you happen to have a problem, let the dealer go to bat for you.

In my days back in Tech Support for a popular a/v dealer, I was on the phone with Sanyo once a week dealing with warranty crap for our customers. No big deal. They never pull the "out of warranty" crap when the dealer calls in.

Oh ... and don't forget to keep your filters clean!
If you keep 'em clean and keep the unit running cool (don't box it in), you shouldn't have any trouble anyway. ;)

While I agree that going through an authorized dealer is best, it doesn't matter to Sanyo. You obviously haven't had time to read through this entire thread(I know it's long as heck), but as you can see from post #35 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6705655&&#post6705655(check out the pics) going through an authorized dealer makes no difference to Sanyo. In fact they even tried to swap a dirty filter for this guys clean one so the could defraud him.

This is just one example of Sanyo not caring whether you sick your dealer on them or not. If you go through this thread you'll find even more.

Best advice anyone can give is don't ever buy from Sanyo unless you don't care about warrenty service.

Sorry to come across so brash but Sanyo cheats everyone whether it's you or your dealer.

If Sanyo truly treats customers like this then it will eventually catch up to them, no doubt about it. I would hate going through something like this so put my name on the never going to buy Sanyo list :)

You could say the same about Panasonic, i mean i owned a AE300 and a AE500, both had Lamp Flicker issues at around 100 hours..

Gone to a store the other day(Fillion Electronique in Montreal), there's was a AX100, lamp was flickering like HELL.. i mean WTF after 3 GEN ( AE700,AE900, AX100) it's still THERE? Well with my Sanyo i never had trouble, and i hope they do a 1080p projector in the future, because i'am not buying another Panasonic until i can see that the fre**** lamp does flick anymore.. ;)

I guess I've had one of the "good" units. My Z-2 is over three years old, it's on it's second lamp, and I've NEVER cleaned the filter. :D It's still working perfectly! I have pulled the filter out and looked at it a couple of times through the years, but it's always clean. Kinda hard to clean something that's not dirty. I also have a former neighbor that has a Z-2 as well. His is about 2 months older than mine. Again, he's never cleaned the filter and it's still in perfect working condition. In fact, he hasn't even had to change his lamp yet. Either some of you guys live in really dusty areas, or Sanyo Service is being very dishonest.

A few more weeks, and I'm getting the JVC RS-1. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the Z-2 though. Like I said, it's still working. Maybe I'll give to my brother.

Best advice on the board right here folks ...

No question about it, Sanyo makes a great machine and has a nice long warranty.

Why drive yourself batty over the warranty. The legit dealers have the best pricing anyway, so buy from a legit dealer and if you happen to have a problem, let the dealer go to bat for you.

In my days back in Tech Support for a popular a/v dealer, I was on the phone with Sanyo once a week dealing with warranty crap for our customers. No big deal. They never pull the "out of warranty" crap when the dealer calls in.

Oh ... and don't forget to keep your filters clean!
If you keep 'em clean and keep the unit running cool (don't box it in), you shouldn't have any trouble anyway. ;)



Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. I was awoken by a call from Dan Rasmussen today and we spoke at length. Basically he just kept repeating that these were pictures of my projector and there was nothing they could do but repair it for $600. They state that the projector has overheated and caused damage to the LCD panels even though it was cleaned thoroughly every month. Both the filters, the exhaust/intake ports, and the LCD panels were cleaned on a regular schedule.

I also mentioned that pg.45 of the manual states that the Z3 has an overheating failsafe shutoff system and asked how it is possible that the projector could overheat if this system was in proper working order. Then Dan told me (I couldn't believe he said this) that that protection system is only in case the unit is going to catch fire and basically explode! I almost burst out laughing when he said that. Overheating and full combustion seem like 2 different ends of the spectrum to me.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes of going back and forth with him and again being asked to pay $600 I told him I didn't see any other choice than to speak with my attorney. At this point he stated that they couldn't help me any further and would be sending back the projector. Apparently they don't want that $45 to return it anymore. I just pray that it will actually be my unit that comes back and not the one they've been taking pictures of. I've never felt so screwed over by any company or anyone for that matter.

So I'm going to contact my attorney and see what can be done and I'll post back with updates.

Sorry to hear about your situation. I guess now that people are quoting the manual on the auto shutdown claiming it's there to keep the unit from busting into flames is their new standard lie. This is the worst company I've ever known. They started this with the Z2 and now the Z3. Trust me next it will be the Z4 and Z5 just as soon as they are out long enough to start requiring warranty service.

Get your attorney and NEVER ever buy another Sanyo product even if it's a pencil sharpener. I've said it a million times I was lucky and got my unit fixed under warranty, but I'll still never buy another Sanyo product as long as I live. I strongly suggest others do the same.

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. I was awoken by a call from Dan Rasmussen today and we spoke at length. Basically he just kept repeating that these were pictures of my projector and there was nothing they could do but repair it for $600. They state that the projector has overheated and caused damage to the LCD panels even though it was cleaned thoroughly every month. Both the filters, the exhaust/intake ports, and the LCD panels were cleaned on a regular schedule.

I also mentioned that pg.45 of the manual states that the Z3 has an overheating failsafe shutoff system and asked how it is possible that the projector could overheat if this system was in proper working order. Then Dan told me (I couldn't believe he said this) that that protection system is only in case the unit is going to catch fire and basically explode! I almost burst out laughing when he said that. Overheating and full combustion seem like 2 different ends of the spectrum to me.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes of going back and forth with him and again being asked to pay $600 I told him I didn't see any other choice than to speak with my attorney. At this point he stated that they couldn't help me any further and would be sending back the projector. Apparently they don't want that $45 to return it anymore. I just pray that it will actually be my unit that comes back and not the one they've been taking pictures of. I've never felt so screwed over by any company or anyone for that matter.

So I'm going to contact my attorney and see what can be done and I'll post back with updates.

I have a Z2 hanging from the ceiling at the moment. I decided it was time to take advantage of new 720p technology and was on the verge of ordering a Z5 when I noticed a rash of continued woes concerning warranty problems with Sanyo.

My Z2 had dust blobs after a few months and and, last year, the image developed a blue cast. I knew of problems people had getting Sanyo to accept these responsibility for these issues (which I viewed as design defects due to inadequate filtering), so I sent them a note with the service order saying I had already considered that Sanyo would assert that these problems were "user" issues. I noted that if they choose to make such a determination, then I wanted them to forward it to me through their legal office as I would immediately seek to exhaust all administrative remedies (appeal, etc.) prior to filing a claim in small claims court.

They told me that they still viewed the panel failure as a "user" issue, but they agreed to replace the panels under the warranty.

After considering what I had to go through in order to get a defect fixed, I decided today to give up on Sanyo. I just ordered an Optoma HD73.

I did the same when I started having these problems with Sanyo. Replaced the Z3 with an HD70, great upgrade. Still waiting to hear back from both Visual Apex and my lawyer, will update later...

I also chose a similar course of action and couldn't be happier. You're both in for a treat with the HD73 or HD70 over the Sanyo Z2. Over 1500 hours on my Optoma HD72 and no dust blobs, panel failures, or warranty woes.

I'm still upset with Sanyo of course...I shouldn't have so many issues to the point where it's nearly unusable in less than 2 years. It's not cheap, disposable cell phones were buying here! Or if I do upgrade it should be on my accord, and not because the Sanyo projector I bought has the lifespan of a housefly...

At least the message is getting around about Sanyo's service...and people are taking their business elsewhere.

I'm currently letting my state's Dept. of Consumer Affairs mediation team try to rectify the problem with Sanyo's lack of honoring their warranty on my Z3. I've since purchased a Mitsu HD1000U as a replacement, though.

Like so many of you I'm looking at other manufacturers for my next projector. With well over 5000 hrs on the original lamp I'm now at the point where if and when the lamp does go I'll buy a new unit instead of replacing the lamp in the Z2. sanyo could have had second and third time buyers but now it's their loss.

BurgEnder how does the HD1000 compare to the Z3?

BurgEnder how does the HD1000 compare to the Z3?
It's still in it's box due to my theater room is currently undergoing a remodel. I bought it based on reviews at projectorreviews.com(site currently down) and projectorcentral.com. Generally the website and user reviews are positive and I like the fact that it has a sealed light engine.

Waiting for UPS as I type this note. Unfortunately, Visual Apex did not have the OPPO DVD player is stock to send along with the Optoma (they thought they had one when I ordered), so I won't be able to check out the upscaled DVD image until early April. Also will need to wait a bit for a new mount for the HD73.

In the meantime, I'm going to leave the Sanyo hanging from its mount and hook up the HD73 on a table below the Sanyo. Time for some A/B testing.

The Sanyo Z2 is going to my neighbor (who built our house) as a long term loan to offset his loan to me of a new Powermatic cabinet saw (he has had it sitting in the shipping box for three years). The Sanyo will have a chance to pull its weight instead of being used as a door stop.

It's still in it's box due to my theater room is currently undergoing a remodel. I bought it based on reviews at projectorreviews.com(site currently down) and projectorcentral.com. Generally the website and user reviews are positive and I like the fact that it has a sealed light engine.
I'm just dying to hear how the HD1000U compares to your Z3. I've been checking this one out for about two weeks, and the sealed optics mean no more filter to clean, no more dust blobs and no more dirty LCD panels. Seems like a great unit for the price and would just blow away my Z2 for a lot less than what I paid for the Z2 3 yrs ago. Looks like I'll be selling th old Z2, considering what new projectors go for I'll have to sell it for about $150. I gripe about Sanyo, but the Z2 has been a great unit for me.

I just thought I would give this thread a bump and chime in with my recent experience with Sanyo's infamous warranty service (though not in relation to a projector).

Despite my familiarity with this thread and others, I recently purchased a Sanyo plasma. The only reason I bought it was an exceptional clearance price (and the return policy). Anyway, I saw that it had a one year warranty when I bought it, and with Sanyo seemingly honoring projector warranties at least through the first year, I figured it was worth a shot.

When I got home I read the fine print of the warranty. Basically the only way to get warranty service is to return it to the retailer and get a new one. While this sounds great in theory, the issue is that since it was a clearance item the retailer will no longer be carrying it. Concerned, I called Sanyo to see how they would handle this.

The sales rep said I would have no problems getting the new model. I was surprised because none of my 4 local retailer locations carried a 42" plasma anymore. When I pressed for details about the replacement, it turns out it would be replaced with an LCD. This surprised me so I double checked that I was hearing him right. Then the person on the other line tells me, "Yeah, plasma and LCD are the same thing." When I said that that really wasn't true, he insisted now that they were actually "exactly the same." Realizing I was not going to get anywhere I simply said I'd return the set and he encouraged me to do just that.

The whole thing to me is kind of humorous because at this point only because I still can return it. Plus, even while expecting the worst, it still was a surprising reponse to me.

I really have to wonder if Sanyo wants out of the warranty repair business. They are making the retailer handle all of the exchanges, even if those exchanges are for products that informed customers would not consider the same. Even more telling, do they just not want the business of the informed customer? When I'm encouraged to take a product back because I won't go along with Sanyo's replacement whims, it almost seems they don't. Too bad, because I actually like the TV surprisingly well. Lesson learned. And Sanyo won't fool me twice.