Samsung PN64D7000: Defective refurbished parts used for Warranty Repair!!

Below is a summary of my experience with this TV

Pros:
When working, TV's picture quality is OK (not great).

Cons:
1) The biggest con is the reliability and warranty service -- READ BELOW
2) TV does not handle fast-moving images as well as other plasmas.
3) TV does have a brightness problem.

Summary:
I bought this TV is August 2011 in preparation for football season. When I got it home, I immediately noticed the problems with the brightness and fast moving images but assumed that was acceptable for this level of TV (which I have found out is not a correct assumption).

I would have remained somewhat satisfied, except when watching the Olympics in July 2012, I noticed a single line of pixels was no longer working across the entire picture. It appeared as a black line horizontally across the entire screen. Apparently this has been a very common problem with the small plasmas and you can google and find many reports of it.

I immediately called Samsung (glad that I was still under warranty by two weeks), and was told that I would getting a "replacement" panel. If you are not familiar with a panel replacement, it is 80% of the electronics of your Samsung plasma to include your screen and all of the main hardware of your TV. The only things that get re-used are peripherary hardware such as power supply, WIFI module, bluetooth module, outside plastic bezel, back cover, stand, etc.

So you can imagine my dismay when:
a) I had to wait two weeks for a replacement panel to show up, and they could only replace it on a Saturday or I had to wait several more days
b) it was a refurbished panel -- not a new one
c) the repair technician had only six months of experience working on TVs
d) the repair technician showed up outside of the promised repair window
e) after the replacement panel was powered up -- THE REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE AS WELL!! This time it was a white vertical line down the screen.

So I called Samsung the next day (Sunday) and they said they could not do anything that day. I called back the next day (Monday) and made it clear that going through the whole exercise again was not an acceptable solution for reasons a through e above and asked them to come up with a different solution. They refused (this was even elevated to "Executive" service). I asked to speak with a supervisor, and they said the best they could do is have a manager call me back within 24-48 hours. UNACCEPTABLE!!!

I just wanted to post this message to give potential samsung customers the other side of the story from an experienced customer. Hopefully it is helpful to you before your purchase.

Samsung, if you want to contact me and provide REAL service to resolve this issue, look up ticket #: 510 394 4444

Note that I am not the first person with a similar story, see: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1351205/samsung-pn64d7000

axe?? I am new to the site, can you explain that to me?

At this point I have been "submitted for exchange consideration". They tell me this means I may qualify for an exchange, but it needs to receive another internal review. They forewarned me that it is likely they will still come back and say they have to try another repair, and even if I receive an exchange it is likely to be a refurbished TV with only a 30 day warranty. I was promised on Tuesday August 14th that somebody would call me in 2-3 business days with a decision. I called on Friday (17th) and they said that it was still being processed and I should hear on Monday (20th). Even this "exchange review" is typical of the way I have been treated. They always make you wait several days between each step, you never hear within the timeframe they promise, and you always have to call them (they never call you). Samsung, my TV has been broken for over three weeks and I am still waiting to be treated like a human being. My ticket number has been changed multiple times, now it is 4115883348.

August 28th Update: So it has been over four and a half weeks since I first called in my repair to Samsung -- AND THE GAMES CONTINUE!!!

On August 20th, I was finally contacted by somebody in their refunds/exchanges department. He indicated that I had been approved for an exchange, but that the replacement TV would likely come with little or no warranty (he did not know).

At this point, I explained that receiving a part or TV with no warranty was no acceptable given my experience with Samsung TVs, and requested a refund. On Aug 22nd, the refund process "was started" and I had to scan and send my receipt. Then, a couple of days later, I am contacted by the same person saying they need my TVs serial number even though I have provided it in the past. The next day they need the 3D glasses serial numbers. I found this very odd that I must return 3D glasses that are not sold with the TV and came as bonus item from the brick and mortar store I bought the TV from.

All of these repeated steps in my opinion are just part of the overall stall tactic. I would guess that one of Samsung's main strategies is to drag the whole process out so long that the people eventually give up.

SAMSUNG: I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!! I bought a very expensive TV from you and you will make this right!!!

If you request to speak with a supervisor, they will either completely turn down your request, or they will say that a supervisor will return your call within 24-48 hours (they never do call by the way).

I have not heard anything since the 22nd.

So I called the refund/exchange department today (Aug 28th), and noone answered my phone calls or emails. Since it has been a nearly a week since I have heard from anyone again, I decided to also call 1800SAMSUNG and the "Executive Customer Service" agent says that my ticket is still under review and that I will hear in 3 to 5 business days. I explained to the agent that I have been through the review twice already and been approved for a refund, and after I explain multiple times he finally agrees and says that I just need to wait to hear back from the refund/exchange department. This he says, is supposed to happen within 3-5 business days, and as he is saying this I remind him that those days have already passed.

Samsung, everytime I add to this post it is being read by more people and being pushed further up search engine results. Why would you not contain the damage and treat me like a human being?

My most recent ticket number is 4116000306.

I think you guys are forgetting one important aspect of the internet, that bad publicity can spread quickly and widely. One bad review can damage sales far beyond the cost of making the problem go away.

In my case, once I provided them the link to my reviews on this website and others and threatened to continue my online barrage, my case was quickly and quietly handled with a full refund (which was NOT required as part of the warranty terms).

You can think what you want about the way I handled it, but at the end of the day I got the outcome I wanted and stopped letting them dictate the process.