Panasonic Repairs? The ONLY place for warranty or out-of-warranty service!

NOTICE: Panasonic has implemented "new policies."  

 

The reader is directed to this 12/30/2010 post, and subsequent posts, for updated information:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post19735515
 

Edited by DigaDo - 6/17/12 at 9:09pm

See this post and those that follow it for the most recent report concerning the $130 flat-rate repair:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post15423726

Thank you for providing that information.

The Elgin Illinois facility was the main corporate Service Center back in August 2006 when I had a warranty claim with my first DMR-ES30V combo recorder.

Subsequently, the department handling DVD recorder repairs was moved fifteen miles or so to Elk Grove Village Illinois.

8/20/2010 Update: DVD recorder repair has been consolidated at the Elgin Illinois facility.

As someone believing that the entrepreneur is an important part of our society I've had mixed feelings about the second part of the above advice. A person with a problematic Panasonic is naturally inclined to seek out the local businessman to repair a Panasonic.

The first problem comes when a local business seldom has experience servicing/repairing Panasonic DVD recorders, especially the high-end HDD/DVD models that require specialized experience/training/resources.

The next problem comes with limited parts availability and highly inflated parts costs to local repair shops and the general public through the Panasonic Service and Technology Company in Kent Washington.

The next problem comes from Panasonic's Customer Service (New Jersey or other locations) keeping information concerning the $130 flat-rate repair through the Elgin Service Center under their hat.

The bargain $130 flat-rate repair is only available to those that know to request it or take it upon themselves to send their machines, including their letter of explanation and $130 payment, directly to the Service Center in Elgin Illinois.

It would be much better for Panasonic to give the best, most complete information to all their customers. As it is, only a relative few Panasonic owners are aware of the flat-rate repair. Those owners are the ones finding their way to AVS and other forums where the flat-rate "inside information" is freely exchanged. It is up to the "informed" to spread the word so that many of the "uninformed" may benefit.

8/20/2010 Update: DVD recorder repair has been consolidated at the Elgin Illinois facility.

Call the corporate Elgin Illinois facility for information concerning service to Canadian addresses. Report your findings.

Elgin Illinois is a Chicago suburb. Panasonic does not advertise the $130 flat-rate repair.

Some guy, any guy, on eBay is not the same as the Elgin Illinois Service Center. You take your chances when dealing with a private party.

I just found an eBay listing for an $145.99 repair for the "Please Wait" hangup with a DMR-E85H. That listing shows an Arlington Texas location. That particular repair is a power supply electrolytic capacitor replacement requiring a $2 generic part and around an hour's labor.

This repair has been discussed in this and several other threads:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1055111

8/20/2010 Update: DVD recorder repair has been consolidated at the Elgin Illinois facility.

I have a very limited knowledge of electronics and only very basic soldering skills, yet I've successfully replaced capacitors in several Panasonics in my immediate family. Do I work on Panasonics outside my immediate family? No, because I have other time-consuming interests, I have no diagnostic equipment and I might make a mistake damaging someone else's machine.

I will rephrase my earlier advice:

A capacitor replacement takes one hour, mainly for machine disassembly and reassembly, requires a $2 capacitor and involves unsoldering and resoldering two pins.

The complication comes when some other problem is present that may require parts priced at $786 (for private repair shops and the general public).

Ask the Arlington Texas fellow what he’ll do about that.

Beginning with the owner’s letter describing the machine's problems, the Elgin Service Center will run diagnostic routines to determine what is required to return each unit to full functionality. Then the Panasonic experts do whatever is necessary to return the machine to new or better than new functional condition, all for $130 (including return shipping) a bargain!

Or, you may take your chances with the Arlington Texas fellow. It's as simple as that. You decide.

I attempted to call the Panasonic Customer Service Center in McAllen Texas. There were recorded announcements but I was unable to speak with a live person.

Then I called Panasonic Customer Service. I was placed on hold after telling the associate that I was seeking information regarding out-of-warranty repairs for DVD recorders through the Panasonic Customer Service Center in McAllen Texas. I was transferred to Technical Assistance. After waiting on hold around fifty minutes I was able to speak with someone. I repeated my inquiry. The associate described an exchange process for warranty or out-of-warranty DVD recorders. She said that they do not repair the customer's machine but exchange it for a refurbished machine of the same model, if available, or a similar model if the same model is not available. She mentioned sending a copy of the receipt (probably for warranty exchanges) and including with the returned machine a brief description of the machine's problems. She needed to know what state I was in and the model number of the machine I wished to return for exchange. I told her that I had a non-functional DMR-ES46V and I live in Oregon. She quoted a DMR-ES46V exchange to an Oregon address at $140, including shipping. She confirmed that there isn't a single flat-rate that applies to all models shipped to all locations. She then said that if I want to do an exchange someone would call me back within thirty minutes. I declined.

McAllen Texas appears to be within two miles of the Mexican border. Here is the contact information for the Panasonic Customer Service Center facility in McAllen Texas:

PANASONIC CUSTOMER SERVICE CEN 4900 B #12 GEORGE MCVAY DRIVE MC ALLEN TX 78503 (800) 211-7262

Perhaps Panasonic has combined its Mexican refurbishing operation with this Customer Service Center.

Both of my refurbished Panasonics came in sealed brown Panasonic boxes that had a sticker that included "Refurbished in Mexico" just below the words "Manufactured in Malaysia."

This post is being revised to incorporate updated information correcting earlier mis-information originating in another Forum.

The most recent information is that the $130 flat-rate repair continues to be offered at service center in Elgin Illinois. Panasonic will continue to refurbish machines in Mexico to supply the exchange procedure at McAllen Texas and sale of refurbished products through Panasonic authorized resellers.

That's why Panasonic asks for a brief description of a returned machine's problem(s).

With parts rotation/refurbishing perhaps vintage Panasonics may continue to be repaired for years to come.

Panasonic will contine to service hard drive models as most parts are common across the product line. The parts unique to hard drive models (apart from a generic hard drive) might be the main circuit board, laser assemblies and Digital PCBs.

I’ve attached three photos that might illustrate Digital PCB interchangeability between 2006 hard drive models and some non-hard drive models. (See Mickinct's 6/19/09 post [below] for clarification.)

The first photo shows two 2006 Digital PCBs. The upper Digital PCB is from an entry-level DMR-ES15 DVD recorder; the lower Digital PCB is from a DMR-ES35V combo recorder. On the DMR-ES35V Digital PCB the pen at the left indicates the HDMI ribbon cable connector; the pencil at the right indicates the hard drive ribbon cable connector. The DMR-ES15 Digital PCB does not have these ribbon cable connectors. Neither of these Panasonics have the hardware features associated with these ribbon cable connectors.

The second photo shows two DMR-ES35V Digital PCBs mounted on their platforms. The Digital PCB at the right has the HDMI and hard drive ribbon cable connectors; the Digital PCB at the left does not have the HDMI ribbon cable connector--it does have the hard drive ribbon cable connector but it is brown instead of black--I have no clue why. Again, there is no hard drive in DMR-ES35V models.

The third photo shows a 2006 DMR-ES46V Digital PCB, a Panasonic with HDMI but without a hard drive. The ribbon cable seen at the left edge of the photo connects to the HDMI PCB. The hard drive ribbon cable connector is seen just to the left of the DVI ribbon cable indicated by the pencil.

If good Digital PCBs from some of the more common models may be re-configured for use with some hard drive models then those hard drive models might continue to be rebuilt as long as functional Digital PCBs remain on hand.