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Phillips 37" Question

1K views 27 replies 7 participants last post by  atomicmoose 
#1 ·
I have been having a support issue with my new Phillips 37" LCD TV. Long story short, I had a part go bad, tech came out to the house and now the part is on backorder. I have been without a TV for a month and I want to contact someone at Phillips that isn't a total moron. When I call the customer support line, I just get a run around.


Anyone have contact info for Phillips coperate office or somewhere I can report this to?


Much thanks.
 
#2 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicmoose
I have been having a support issue with my new Phillips 37" LCD TV. Long story short, I had a part go bad, tech came out to the house and now the part is on backorder. I have been without a TV for a month and I want to contact someone at Phillips that isn't a total moron. When I call the customer support line, I just get a run around. Anyone have contact info for Phillips coperate office or somewhere I can report this to? Much thanks.
1 month is ridiculous....why didn't you contact the place you bought it from ???


Sorry, I have a 42" Philips but don't have any special contact areas. Check out the website and email them.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
1 month is ridiculous....why didn't you contact the place you bought it from ???


Sorry, I have a 42" Philips but don't have any special contact areas. Check out the website and email them.
Bestbuy is where I purchased it. It was out of their 30 day return policy. They directed me to Phillips.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicmoose
Well, I am still within the manufacture's 1 year warranty. But point taken. :mad: Anyone have contact info?
Goto the Philips website.....!!


Why not ask for an exchange into a Philips 42" plasma since it costs about the same? I'm sure you can get a 9630 or maybe a 9631.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicmoose
I will... :p Is a swap really a viable option?
Contact Philips...tell them you've had some problems with the set, tell them you saw a friend's 42" plasma and the lighting/features would be better for your room, you'd like to stay with Philips, can they arrange a credit/swap?


If they say the 42" is a bit more, tell them you'll pay the difference (can't be more than $100).


Hey, I'm assuming you're unhappy with the LCD....I love my Philips 42" plasma, so make sure you want to pursue this. Goto CC or BB or a friend's house who has the 9630/31 and see for yourself.


But I will say: I love my 42" 9631 !!! :D
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
Contact Philips...tell them you've had some problems with the set, tell them you saw a friend's 42" plasma and the lighting/features would be better for your room, you'd like to stay with Philips, can they arrange a credit/swap?


If they say the 42" is a bit more, tell them you'll pay the difference (can't be more than $100).


Hey, I'm assuming you're unhappy with the LCD....I love my Philips 42" plasma, so make sure you want to pursue this. Goto CC or BB or a friend's house who has the 9630/31 and see for yourself.


But I will say: I love my 42" 9631 !!!
I actually am happy overall with the set, just not the customer service. Waiting a month for a warranty part is a bit much, IMHO.


I have the 37" LCD Ambilight set. Model: 37PF9631D/37
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicmoose
I actually am happy overall with the set, just not the customer service. Waiting a month for a warranty part is a bit much, IMHO. I have the 37" LCD Ambilight set. Model: 37PF9631D/37
It's idiotic.....a part should take 2 weeks tops to get and have installed.


Something is up. This is a popular TV you have, not some exotic Masseratti. ;)

Call them today....ask them why it's taking so long...if they don't have the part -- as in, it won't be at your house within 72 hours -- tell them you want to exchange the TV. If they refuse, tell them you will call the BBB -- nobody should have to wait a month for a part. Ridiculous !!


But I really think you need to contact BB. Ask them to give you a store credit.


Really want to get action? If BB doesn't help you out, camp out with the TV right in front of their store, the TV in a box and a sign saying BEST BUY IS WORST BUY -- STICKS ME WITH A LEMON AND NO HELP!!


I'm dead serious -- I guarantee you get a store credit/exchange within 10 minutes.


5 minutes if there's a TV camera anywhere near the store !!
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
It's idiotic.....a part should take 2 weeks tops to get and have installed.


Something is up. This is a popular TV you have, not some exotic Masseratti. ;)
It's due to Philips experiencing a very high failure rate of scaler boards in their latest line of LCD sets. Blame Philips, not BBY. I can tell you as a tech who was just recently working in BBY's service Dept. that they take turntime pretty seriously. The parts dept. is constantly updating their part orders and requesting RA's for any set with a ETA over 30 days. I'm betting that's already happened with this set.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
Call them today....ask them why it's taking so long...if they don't have the part -- as in, it won't be at your house within 72 hours -- tell them you want to exchange the TV. If they refuse, tell them you will call the BBB -- nobody should have to wait a month for a part. Ridiculous !!


But I really think you need to contact BB. Ask them to give you a store credit.


Really want to get action? If BB doesn't help you out, camp out with the TV right in front of their store, the TV in a box and a sign saying BEST BUY IS WORST BUY -- STICKS ME WITH A LEMON AND NO HELP!!


I'm dead serious -- I guarantee you get a store credit/exchange within 10 minutes.


5 minutes if there's a TV camera anywhere near the store !!
Again, Philips built the thing and is failing to provide the part. BBY generously offered a 30 day return policy, offered a service contract and is providing their own in-house warranty service. In this case I gaurantee BBY has already requested a return authorization to get the customer a new set. They're holding up to their end of the bargain, why isn't Philips?


Another thing, the last set I'd buy is a Philips, that includes their Plasma's. I work on these things all day. I see all of the brands. I would never buy a Philips. Their engineering sucks, the picture looks god awful when put against the competition. Their LCD's are no better, basically badged Chinese junk.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MOtvGuy
Another thing, the last set I'd buy is a Philips, that includes their Plasma's. I work on these things all day. I see all of the brands. I would never buy a Philips. Their engineering sucks, the picture looks god awful when put against the competition. Their LCD's are no better, basically badged Chinese junk.
I'm very happy with my Philips plasma, and I see plenty of problems on the AVS boards for ALL the sets. I see stuck pixel, TV won't turn on, leakage, and other problems galore. I don't go around saying that Philips is as good as top-of-the-line Pioneer or Sharp Aquos lines, but the notion that it's lower-quality and unreliable is pure crap.


Philips has more patents than any other TV manufacurer out there. Regardless of where the set is produced, it's made to Philips specifications. Most of the foundaries are in Taiwan, China, or SE Asia (or North America).


The picture on my 42" plasma is better than a friend's RPTV and another's DLP -- no contest. I will measure it soon against another friend's LCoS.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by flynbw01
Interesting since they appear to be made in Mexico. :rolleyes:
They are all outsourced....look at all the threads on AVS from folks who plunked down 2X as much $$$ for a Pioneer or Acquos and got stuck with a lemon. Does that mean that all Pioneers or Sharps are junk?


It never ceases to amaze me how people extrapolate from a small sample to make generalizations.


I know 3 or 4 people with Philips sets....they're all very happy. Biggest problem they've had is the BSOD (one person's set would go out for 2-3 minutes and not turn right back on) and once the firmware upgrade came out, they've all been 100% functional !
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
They are all outsourced....look at all the threads on AVS from folks who plunked down 2X as much $$$ for a Pioneer or Acquos and got stuck with a lemon. Does that mean that all Pioneers or Sharps are junk?


It never ceases to amaze me how people extrapolate from a small sample to make generalizations.


I know 3 or 4 people with Philips sets....they're all very happy. Biggest problem they've had is the BSOD (one person's set would go out for 2-3 minutes and not turn right back on) and once the firmware upgrade came out, they've all been 100% functional !
I've been a technician in the TV repair field for 32 years. The vast majority of the LCD sets that are being purchased today are garbage being put together in China or fianl assembled in Mexico or some other sweat shop based country. As for Sharp? You've got their Premium line, Aquos, and their lower tier line. The lower end of their line basically has no support from Sharp. They provide no parts to servicers. This is typical of way too many LCD TV's that are being purchased today. Support after the sale doesn't mean much to anyone until they need it, then that great deal they got on an LCD or Plasma that was hundreds, or in some cases thousands less than the name brands doesn't mean much.


As for Philips? They are what they are. I'd put them just a little ahead of an RCA/GE and that's not saying much. BTW, their support system for service has been almost completely dismantled. The reason the poster here is having so much trouble getting his part is because Philips has pretty much run out of the Scaler boards that have been failing so often. It's not just his model either. Poor engineering and poor construction techniques are what lead to part delays. That or the manufacturer never cared about service after the sale in the first place.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MOtvGuy
I've been a technician in the TV repair field for 32 years. The vast majority of the LCD sets that are being purchased today are garbage being put together in China or fianl assembled in Mexico or some other sweat shop based country.
I've worked as a money manager and analyst and I have visited the places of production. They are usually contract manufactuerers -- Flextronics, Samina -- and they're all pretty much the same. Quality control is usually good, across the board. You are no more likely to get a clunker in a Philips than you are in a Pioneer or Acqus. For some of the really low-level ones, yes, those are usually made on the least-efficient dies and manufacturing facilities.

Quote:
As for Philips? They are what they are. I'd put them just a little ahead of an RCA/GE and that's not saying much. BTW, their support system for service has been almost completely dismantled. The reason the poster here is having so much trouble getting his part is because Philips has pretty much run out of the Scaler boards that have been failing so often. It's not just his model either. Poor engineering and poor construction techniques are what lead to part delays. That or the manufacturer never cared about service after the sale in the first place.
I would give Philips 3 1/2 stars, maybe 4, if you give Sharp & Pioneer 4 1/2 or maybe even 5.


I agree that their support system is lacking -- but then again, everyone else's also seems to be (just ask the Sony LCD RPTV folks on AVS who had the bulb problem).


The bottom line is that Philips -- recipient of a recent story in BARRONS -- appears committed to expanding consumer reach in the States just like it has in Europe, where it is much bigger. And their PDP's -- LCD and Plasma -- have years of testing and actual use. That counts for something, since folks like me have been able to follow the evolution of a brand -- in my case, the 42" plasma -- over close to a decade. It's continually been improved, we learn about the plusses and minuses, and it makes it that much more easier to utilize once we ourselves make the purchase.


If folks can do likewise with other models, great for them. I don't own Philips stock (anymore) so I have no dog in this hunt. I'm very happy with my 42" Philips plasma and would highly recommend it. At the same time, there are other quality models out there and if someone prefers them, I won't diss those models, either.
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by flynbw01
Interesting since they appear to be made in Mexico. :rolleyes:
No TVs are actually made in Mexico, the components are manufactured in the various Asian countries then shipped separately to Mexico where they are assembled into TVs. It's cheaper to ship the components across the Pacific Ocean then complete TVs, plus it's cheaper to have them assembled in Mexico then in Asia. As long as the components are of good quality and are engineered to fit together properly, you can end up with a good TV (like Panasonic). But if the components themselves are of cheap 3rd world Asian manufacture, you'll end up with a well built pile of crappy parts.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters
No TVs are actually made in Mexico, the components are manufactured in the various Asian countries then shipped separately to Mexico where they are assembled into TVs. It's cheaper to ship the components across the Pacific Ocean then complete TVs, plus it's cheaper to have them assembled in Mexico then in Asia. As long as the components are of good quality and are engineered to fit together properly, you can end up with a good TV (like Panasonic). But if the components themselves are of cheap 3rd world Asian manufacture, you'll end up with a well built pile of crappy parts.
Right, and these contract manufacturers are largely interchangeable. That's what most of these people don't know. They say that "Samsung and Vizio use the same panel" -- NO !!! Both use Flextronics or some other panels.


Again, quality matters. If you are with a manufacturer that has experience, chances are you'll get a good set. I have friends who have Philips sets from 1998 and 1999 -- still ticking very nicely. And I'm sure the newer ones are even more reliable, since lots of hardware and software bugs have been worked out (not to mention the component internal quality has improved; MPU's, DRAM's, etc).
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by IcemanDallas
Many of my friend are exploring the plasma/LCD technologies and ask for my advise. Based on my experiences, I recommend that they stay away from Philips, quality is poor, customer care and good service is non-existent.
I suggest you check out AVS and scan all the threads...you will see folks bitching about every make and model here. There seems to be fewer serious problems with the Philips models -- stuck pixels, cracked glass, leaks, lousy picture -- than other models and more expensive TV's.


I agree that Philips customer support could be improved -- but I do not see any whiz-bang winners on the other side, either.


I see plenty of people with Philips TV's that have not had any problems for 2, 4, and 6 years running....these people don't post here on AVS though we have regular AVS posters here who bought Philips and are updating their expereinces every few months.
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
I suggest you check out AVS and scan all the threads...you will see folks bitching about every make and model here. There seems to be fewer serious problems with the Philips models -- stuck pixels, cracked glass, leaks, lousy picture -- than other models and more expensive TV's.


I agree that Philips customer support could be improved -- but I do not see any whiz-bang winners on the other side, either.


I see plenty of people with Philips TV's that have not had any problems for 2, 4, and 6 years running....these people don't post here on AVS though we have regular AVS posters here who bought Philips and are updating their expereinces every few months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilipsPhanatic
There seems to be fewer serious problems with the Philips models -- stuck pixels, cracked glass, leaks, lousy picture -- than other models and more expensive TV's.
Stuck pixel - Send it back if it bothers you. People that have this complaint notice it right away.

Cracked glass - A shipping problem, don't accept delivery.

Lousy picture - Should have seen that before you bought the set.


How many people are having problems with Philips products that are not aware of this forum. I look at your post history and see that all you do is apologize for Philips products and express surprise that members want to use the advertised features as opposed to finding workarounds. TV losing your saved channels? Get a set top box and it won't matter. Getting intermittant black screen? Download one of many firmware upgrades and if it doesn't fix your problem, rest assured you'll have gained many more problems. This is a TV, not a personal computer. Customers expect the manufacturer to have done basic quality control before shipping the product. I finally did what I should have done in the first place, purchased a set from a reputable manufacturer, at an authorized dealer and I am thrilled. No problems with the panel and I'm confident that any issues I may have will be resolved to my satisfaction. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the loss but many members here don't have that option and if they get a lemon from Philips, they will be stuck. By the way, they had my panel for ten weeks and it still doesn't work correctly but it was costing me more in time than the set was worth. I had to be at home each time it was picked up or delivered...four times! Letters to the CEO were answered by boilerplate responses. But hey..just sharing my story. If you can deal with the hassle, go ahead and buy from this manufacturer, but don't say you weren't warned!
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by IcemanDallas
Stuck pixel - Send it back if it bothers you. People that have this complaint notice it right away.
And if it develops AFTER they buy it, as many buyers of top-end models have complained here on AVS ??

Quote:
Cracked glass - A shipping problem, don't accept delivery.
A few people have had their glass crack after normal usage, out of nowhere. Admittedly rare, but I've seen a few posts on AVS in my years here with this problem. None Philips.

Quote:
Lousy picture - Should have seen that before you bought the set.
Probably the user, but some people here claim to be experienced and yet very disappointed with their expensive PDP's. I rank this problem lowest since between reading AVS and seeing a model at CC or BB you should be able to ascertain general quality.

Quote:
How many people are having problems with Philips products that are not aware of this forum.
Probably a good number, but even more that have it aren't posting their positive experiences. Philips is #3 in plasma sales nationwide.

Quote:
I look at your post history and see that all you do is apologize for Philips products and express surprise that members want to use the advertised features as opposed to finding workarounds. TV losing your saved channels? Get a set top box and it won't matter. Getting intermittant black screen? Download one of many firmware upgrades and if it doesn't fix your problem, rest assured you'll have gained many more problems....If you can deal with the hassle, go ahead and buy from this manufacturer, but don't say you weren't warned!
I already have and am very happy with the quality and experience so far. I am not an apologist so much as trying to make sure that BOTH sides get out. I read every single post on plasmas from the User Threads on Pansonic, Pioneer, Sony, and Philips before making my purchase. Believe me, that took some time.


What I find interesting is that there are FAR more problem threads on other plasmas with far fewer sales, yet I see no dissing of their reputation. It's sort of like the reverse of the "Sony premium" that many expect, maybe there's a "Philips discount" from people.


Anyway, congrats on your purchase and I hope you get many enjoyable hours out of it. :)
 
#25 ·
OP, hope your problem is being fixed.


My 37" Philips LCD just stop working last night. When I turn it on the green power lights comes on for a second, the turns into blinking red, and the screen wouldn't turn on. Unplug it over the night, tried it this morning, same result.


Luckily I bought my TV from Costco so I wouldn't even bother to call tech support. it's going back for a refund today.
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by mooncancook
OP, hope your problem is being fixed.


My 37" Philips LCD just stop working last night. When I turn it on the green power lights comes on for a second, the turns into blinking red, and the screen wouldn't turn on. Unplug it over the night, tried it this morning, same result.


Luckily I bought my TV from Costco so I wouldn't even bother to call tech support. it's going back for a refund today.
This is exactly what happen to this unit. The control board has since been replaced. Only took 45 days. :rolleyes:
 
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