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Mack Warranty-- Scam or just incompetent?

post #1 of 52
5/15/09 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
After reading some glowing reviews on these forums, I bought a Mack warranty, including bulb replacement, for my Sony TV (from a vendor that posts here). When the bulb went bad at 5000 hours, I contacted Mack, they sent me a control number and told me to replace the bulb at my expense, and said that I would be reimbursed after they received the receipt and the old bulb.

I did so, and they received the old bulb and receipt on March 4. After numerous phone calls, I get promises, but no check.

Are they just that incompetent that they can't get a check mailed out after two-and-a-half months? Or are they scamming me? Figuring that out will influence where I go from here.
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post #2 of 52
5/15/09 at 12:12pm
I would send a PM to mack camera so he can look into this for you.
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post #3 of 52
5/15/09 at 12:49pm
I had (and currently have) the Mack warranty and did not experience a problem getting reimbursed. I would say that this is an exception, but a very frustrating one...sorry to hear about the hassle. I would say that since many have not had issues, you can feel some comfort in knowing it will get straightened out.
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post #4 of 52
5/15/09 at 12:56pm
See my thread here.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...=bulb+warranty

We have some representation from there ....PM those tags.

Hope this helps.
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post #5 of 52
5/15/09 at 1:01pm
I have one of these warranties and a payment delay would not be such a big problem for me, but right now we have to worry about who is going to be in business next month in any industry.
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post #6 of 52
5/15/09 at 1:32pm
The people I have dealt with have been incompetent. I filed a claim in mid March, was told they would order the bulb and it would take about 4 weeks. I e-mailed them about 1 week ago to check the status, guess what...they never ordered the bulb. Now they say 6 weeks and that it is a special order for the Planar PD7130 from Pureland Supply. Pureland sent them an e-mail on March 13th asking Mack if it was OK to proceed with the order, the dolts there never responded. Then they forward me the e-mail from Pureland showing Mack's negligence. They are supposedly paying close to $650 for the bulb, when Planar has it in stock for $499...that makes a lot of sense....total morons.
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post #7 of 52
5/15/09 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies, I left a PM for Mack Camera, we'll see what happens. Just seems absurd that Apple can get me an Ipod, personally engraved and shipped from China, in less than 72 hours-- but after two-and-a-half months, I still can't get a check from the other side of the country.
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post #8 of 52
5/16/09 at 10:54am
I just e-mailed Pureland Supply, the place Mack gets the bulbs from. Pureland has been a pleasure to deal with, I wish I could say the same for Mack. I have e-mailed Pureland twice, both times I received a response within an hour or so. Jon there was courteous and knows his business. Too bad Pureland wasn't the warranty company.
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post #9 of 52
5/21/09 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 
Update: I guess the answer to my original question is, they're just incompetent.

Although Mack Camera never answered the PM I left them here, after three more phone calls they did put the check in the mail and it arrived today. Gawd, I hope this TV never breaks-- if they're this bad on something this simple, I'd hate to have to deal with them on a significant claim........
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post #10 of 52
5/21/09 at 12:57pm
How does one go about getting a Mack Warranty? eg, I live in Ontario Canada and bought my refurb HD65 2 or 3 weeks ago. Is it posssible for me to buy a mack lamp warranty?
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post #11 of 52
5/21/09 at 1:00pm
took several weeks but my claim went thru & check arrived for a PJ bulb.

patience.

Quote:
Originally Posted by flibmeister View Post

After reading some glowing reviews on these forums, I bought a Mack warranty, including bulb replacement, for my Sony TV (from a vendor that posts here). When the bulb went bad at 5000 hours, I contacted Mack, they sent me a control number and told me to replace the bulb at my expense, and said that I would be reimbursed after they received the receipt and the old bulb.

I did so, and they received the old bulb and receipt on March 4. After numerous phone calls, I get promises, but no check.

Are they just that incompetent that they can't get a check mailed out after two-and-a-half months? Or are they scamming me? Figuring that out will influence where I go from here.
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post #12 of 52
5/22/09 at 10:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinch View Post

took several weeks but my claim went thru & check arrived for a PJ bulb.

patience.

So it took over 2 months from the time they received the old bulb & receipt for the new one? That's quite a long time...and no response to your inquiries...if you had to do it all over again would you still buy the warranty knowing what you know now?
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post #13 of 52
5/22/09 at 12:48pm
of course i'd buy a Mack EW again... in my case i dropped off the bulb with receipt of purchase of new bulb (they're sorta local). took several weeks but a check came for invoiced bulb replacement.

i never "inquired" anything or pestered them.

how much more hassle free can you want?
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post #14 of 52
5/22/09 at 1:24pm
Sorry my mistake...I was going off of OP's original post...

Quote:
Originally Posted by flibmeister View Post

I did so, and they received the old bulb and receipt on March 4. After numerous phone calls, I get promises, but no check.
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post #15 of 52
5/22/09 at 6:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by skor View Post

So it took over 2 months from the time they received the old bulb & receipt for the new one? That's quite a long time...and no response to your inquiries...if you had to do it all over again would you still buy the warranty knowing what you know now?

Even if there were some logical reason why it would take them 11 weeks to mail a simple reimbursement check, that doesn't excuse their poor business practices: failure to return phone calls, failure to respond to emails, and outright lying to me several times when I did manage to talk to somebody.

If they give me this much hassle over something as simple as this, how are they going to be on a more expensive or complex repair?

I've never bought an extended warranty before, and I probably won't ever buy one again-- but if I do, you can be sure it won't be from Mack.
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post #16 of 52
5/22/09 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinch View Post

took several weeks but my claim went thru & check arrived for a PJ bulb.

patience.

Actually, I think I was quite patient. I waited a month before first calling them, and only called then because I'd asked for email confirmation when they'd received the bulb-- and never got it. When repeated emails went unanswered, I had no way of knowing if the claim was actually being processed or not-- and since I was nearing the end of the 90 day expiration for the control number they gave me, I needed to know.

When I finally got someone on the phone, they confirmed they had received it, and said the check would be in the mail next week. I waited two weeks, no check, so I called again-- and got the same answer again. That cycle repeated a few more times, and the check was only mailed after I finally got a supervisor on the phone-- and she acted like she'd done me a huge favor by moving my claim to the head of the line. It wasn't the delay that irritated me, but that they repeatedly lied about the status of the claim.

Since I finally got the check (haven't deposited yet, but I assume it's good), I make no claim that they're crooks-- but they're certainly not a company I'd do business with again.
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post #17 of 52
8/6/09 at 5:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by flibmeister View Post

Actually, I think I was quite patient. I waited a month before first calling them, and only called then because I'd asked for email confirmation when they'd received the bulb-- and never got it. When repeated emails went unanswered, I had no way of knowing if the claim was actually being processed or not-- and since I was nearing the end of the 90 day expiration for the control number they gave me, I needed to know.

When I finally got someone on the phone, they confirmed they had received it, and said the check would be in the mail next week. I waited two weeks, no check, so I called again-- and got the same answer again. That cycle repeated a few more times, and the check was only mailed after I finally got a supervisor on the phone-- and she acted like she'd done me a huge favor by moving my claim to the head of the line. It wasn't the delay that irritated me, but that they repeatedly lied about the status of the claim.

Since I finally got the check (haven't deposited yet, but I assume it's good), I make no claim that they're crooks-- but they're certainly not a company I'd do business with again.


Mack Camera would like to apologize to this customer for the delay in your reimbursement. It is our intention to provide customers with quality service in a timely manner. I did not receive your private message or I would have been more than happy to assist you. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in the future.
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post #18 of 52
8/6/09 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinch View Post

of course i'd buy a Mack EW again... in my case i dropped off the bulb with receipt of purchase of new bulb (they're sorta local). took several weeks but a check came for invoiced bulb replacement.

i never "inquired" anything or pestered them.

how much more hassle free can you want?

Mack Camera would like to thank this customer for taking the time to write about your positive experience. Thank you for choosing Mack Camera as your extended warranty provider.
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post #19 of 52
8/6/09 at 5:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdmfer View Post

How does one go about getting a Mack Warranty? eg, I live in Ontario Canada and bought my refurb HD65 2 or 3 weeks ago. Is it posssible for me to buy a mack lamp warranty?

Than you for your interest in Mack Camera extended warranties. You can locate an authorized dealer on our website. Please let me know if I can answer any specific questions that you may have.
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post #20 of 52
8/6/09 at 5:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dysfunction26 View Post

The people I have dealt with have been incompetent. I filed a claim in mid March, was told they would order the bulb and it would take about 4 weeks. I e-mailed them about 1 week ago to check the status, guess what...they never ordered the bulb. Now they say 6 weeks and that it is a special order for the Planar PD7130 from Pureland Supply. Pureland sent them an e-mail on March 13th asking Mack if it was OK to proceed with the order, the dolts there never responded. Then they forward me the e-mail from Pureland showing Mack's negligence. They are supposedly paying close to $650 for the bulb, when Planar has it in stock for $499...that makes a lot of sense....total morons.

On behalf of Mack Camera, I would like to apologize to this customer for any inconvenience we have caused. If you can provide me with your RA number I can investigate your claim and find out what caused the delay. We hope to be of better service to you in the future.
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post #21 of 52
8/15/09 at 3:49pm
It seems I'm in a similar situation as the originator of this post.

I had a 3 yr warranty for my plasma TV. Long story short, I had a problem with the TV and it had to be sent to Mack, and they subsequently declared it "beyond economical repair". I chose to accept the reimbursement check to buy a new TV on June 23, 2009. I still have not received the check. I've left numerous phone messages with Mack and they won't return my calls. This is extremely frustrating. I hope they're just really slow and I'll eventually get paid (i.e. I hope I'm not getting ripped off).

Can someone affiliated with Mack check the status of this check? I've already PM'd the "Mackcam" member but haven't heard back. Thanks for any help anyone can give me...

FYI - My RA # is 304226
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post #22 of 52
8/15/09 at 5:30pm
after reading this I might now go with a 54" Panny plasma for $1,200 over projector warranty BS! BB gave me no trouble on my current tv's warranty.
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post #23 of 52
8/17/09 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bthombs View Post

It seems I'm in a similar situation as the originator of this post.

I had a 3 yr warranty for my plasma TV. Long story short, I had a problem with the TV and it had to be sent to Mack, and they subsequently declared it "beyond economical repair". I chose to accept the reimbursement check to buy a new TV on June 23, 2009. I still have not received the check. I've left numerous phone messages with Mack and they won't return my calls. This is extremely frustrating. I hope they're just really slow and I'll eventually get paid (i.e. I hope I'm not getting ripped off).

Can someone affiliated with Mack check the status of this check? I've already PM'd the "Mackcam" member but haven't heard back. Thanks for any help anyone can give me...

FYI - My RA # is 304226

Try PMing mackcamera as well.
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post #24 of 52
8/17/09 at 1:13pm
Ok, I just PM'd "mackcamera". I'll update this thread if I hear anything... I'm leaving voice messages with Mack Camera every day. This is getting very aggravating. Why won't they call me back?
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post #25 of 52
8/17/09 at 1:40pm
I agree it's ludicrous to have to post in an online forum to get assistance...
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post #26 of 52
8/17/09 at 2:00pm
Sounds like they need to sell some more warranties before they can afford to write checks for claims. Just like Bernie's operation but on a smaller scale.
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post #27 of 52
8/17/09 at 5:36pm
I just e-mailed a couple more Mack camera e-mail addresses I found on the web in the hope someone will respond to me. I sure hope this isn't a scam - they have my TV, which is still functional (it has a pink line running through it). So now I have no TV, the check has not come after 2 months, and they are ignoring my calls.

Please someone from Mack give me an update....
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post #28 of 52
8/18/09 at 5:46am
It seems they have a history at the BBB: It also lists the 100+ complaints as resolved. I would take your complaint there.

http://newjersey.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Rep...1&firm=9003267

Also google "Mack Camera Complaints" for additional perspective.

You also need to realize that Mack Camera has 116 formal complaints filed with the NJ BBB in the last 36 months. What % of dissatisfied customers take it to that level? If it is 1/3 then you are looking at about 2 complaints a week. If it is 1/10 then they are at the compliant a day level. It certainly sounds like a systemic quality of service issue. Of course we don't have the overall number of customers being processed to determine the true satisfaction level. Keep in mind it is not just TVs and projectors that they cover.
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post #29 of 52
8/18/09 at 10:56am
Update:

I e-mailed 2 people at Mack this morning (I found both e-mails last night on the web). Got a response from one this morning stating that he looked into it and the check was just printed and will be sent out today.

I'll update here when I get the check.
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post #30 of 52
8/18/09 at 7:27pm
Hello bthombs,

I did receive your PM but I have not been in the office yet to look into the Claim. I will look into it first thing tomorrow and get back to you.
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