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My (horrible) Toshiba 26HF84 Experience

4175 Views 28 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Nonnie, 
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Hi, I'm new to these forums and I thought I would sign up to tell you all about Toshiba's horrendous customer service.


I bought my Toshiba 26HF84 TV back on October 30th, 2004, from Futureshop 060 in Ottawa. I had owned Toshiba TV's before and none had broken, so I figured that it would be of a good quality, and it looked nice. So I had been using it for about 3 months, and although I don't use 480i on the component inputs much, I noticed that when I tried to play a DVD or a game in 480i on my xbox the screen was out of sync. I thought maybe it was something wrong with my XBOX, so I spent a week trying to figure it out. I hooked it up to my Sony HDTV, and it was working fine. So I tried my SA 8000HD reciever on the Toshiba TV. What do you know, it is the TV, but the component inputs work on 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The only problem was with 480i. It wasn't that big a deal, but I figured that if 480i is gone, I should probably get it fixed, just in case there's something bigger at fault here that will cause the whole TV to fail eventually. Might as well fix it when it's in warranty.


So I call up Futureshop, tell them about the problem, and they give me the number for Regional Factory Parts and Service in Ottawa. I call them up, and they sent out a technician to my home the next day, as someone had cancelled an appointment. This was February 2nd. So the Technician informs me that he cannot fix the problem, and he will have to take it into the shop. I say fine, cause he says its usually only a week or 2 depending on if they have to order parts.


So a week passes, haven't heard from them, I figure they must be ordering parts. After 2 weeks I call them, and they tell me that they have a part on order and I should get my TV back soon. I wait another week, and on February 21st, I call them back and they inform me that the part is on backorder until March 22nd. 1 month and 1 day from that day. So I ask, are they going to bring the TV back in the meantime, as I would like to have something to watch, and they tell me that Toshiba won't cover them for that, so they can't. I offer to pick it up and bring it back when the part comes in, but they tell me the TV is disassembled, and they won't put it back together until they get the part in. So I ask for a number for Toshiba, and call them.


After waiting on hold for nearly an hour on February 22nd, I finally get through to a customer service representative, and she takes down my information and tells me someone will contact me. Later that day I get a message on my answering machine from some guy at Toshiba that he has sent out the part and I should get my TV back soon. I am happy with that.


It is now March 2nd, a week and a day later, I call Regional Factory parts and service, and ask them the status of my TV. The lady says that they do not have the part yet. I ask them how long it usually takes to get parts from toshiba, and she says 2 days. Given that, the part should have been there last Thursday or Friday. I explain that I had spoken with Toshiba about it and they had sent out the part last week. She was certain they didn't have the part.


So now I call toshiba back, and they put me on hold for another half hour, and when I finally get through I talk to some guy and he tells me that the Service Department will have to call me. I am waiting for a call from them.



Now, I'm sure you will agree that this is getting quite ridiculous. They have had the TV for a month now, and they havent done anything with it. I would just like them to send me a new TV, but they claim they can't do that.


So what do you think I should do with this situation?
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I for one would never buy another Toshiba product again, That's why i stuck with SONY. I have never had a problem with SONY, and their customer service is fantastic and quick and simple.


Try and get a refund man, because from the looks of it you are getting screwed.
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Big_Red7, your Toshiba 26HF84 TV set was not manufactured by Toshiba, that's why you are having problems. Both the 26HF84 and the 30HF84 are being produced and assembled by Orion (World) Electric Co. in Thailand. Toshiba outsource these two models only. Only the Toshiba 34HF84 and 34HFX84 are made by Toshiba. No one that I know of has any problems with the 34" model. If you have never heard of Orion before, Orion currently produces TV and video products under the Broksonic, Durabrand, some Insignia, Memorex, Orion, and Sansui brands. These are low-end, cheap brands that are normally found in department stores, like Wal-Mart.


Good luck getting service with your Toshiba 26HF84 set. Let us know how Toshiba stand behind their products.






Walter Chan
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I was aware that the tube was made by Orion Electric, but I was under the impression that Toshiba made the boards in them.


They did call me back today and told me there was a "Mix up" and the part never got sent because Regional Factory Parts & Service never really ordered it, but I'm not really sure if I'll believe that. Someone at toshiba definitely screwed up, since the guy that left the message last week said he shipped the part out. Maybe he did, then it got sent back by Regional because they thought they had not ordered it. Who knows.


If sony had a similar 26" widescreen tube television that wasn't too deep and was at a similar cost, I would have definitely bought it over the Toshiba. The TV however is quite good quality, great picture and tuner in it, although I did quite a bit of configuration to get the colour/brightness/contrast levels to my liking.


When I bought it, I was also looking at a Samsung 26" widescreen, I forget the model number, but I think it has been discontinued. Side by side, the Toshiba had a lot better picture and the bottom speakers were a great space saver as I have a Home theater system and don't use the speakers anyway.


Toshiba seems to be making a good effort at getting the problem solved, and the guy I talked to said to give him a call back when I get the TV back and am satisfied with the repair job, and he will extend the warranty for the time I haven't had it plus a month.
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I don't really think Toshiba makes the board in the 26HF84. Maybe some Toshiba parts are used in it, but I am very very sure that Orion assembled all the parts together into one board because this is a more cheaper way for Toshiba to produce a television, rather than having Toshiba assembling the boards overseas and ship them to Thailand, which is not really cost effective. Basically, this qualifies as a Orion made set because Orion assembled it, regardless if there are some Toshiba parts mounted on the board. Thanks for pointing out that the 26HF84 uses a Orion made tube, so the 30HF84 should also have the Orion tube.


I'm glad to hear that Toshiba is able to stand behind the 26HF84. I thought that you would be like dead meat, but looks like that you are not.





Walter Chan
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Well, I finally got my TV back today, and I'm probably less satisfied than I have ever been with a company. I was originally told that the repair man would be sent out to my home, which he was, and if he had to take the TV, which he did, they would bring it back as soon as they got it fixed. It's something called in home service. Pretty common thing. I was told that my TV was eligible for it and that they would take care of everything.


So after spending probably 6-7 hours on the phone over the last month trying to get my TV fixed and brought back to me, I get a phone call yesterday from Regional Factory Parts & Service, telling me that my TV is ready. I can come pick it up from 9-5:30 Monday to Friday. This is after they told me on about 3 occasions that it would be brought back to me. I tell the lady, who was extremely rude about the whole thing, that she told me, as well as the repair man told me, that the TV would be brought back. She tells me, with quite the nasty tone in her voice, that they made a mistake and my set is not eligible for in home service. That's all she has to say, and tells me to contact Toshiba if I don't like it.


I call Toshiba, wait on hold for the usual 40 minutes, and finally get through to them, and explain the situation. Now it does say in my warranty that it's not eligible for in home service, but had they told me that in the first place, I wouldn't be making a big deal out of this. So the guy I talk to tells me that he'll see what he can do, and will call me back. Today I get a call, same guy, says he can't do anything about it and I'll be responsible for picking up the TV. So this is rather ridiculous. Now since they made a mistake, I have to spend a half hour driving there, and another driving back so that I can pick up my TV which they have had for nearly 6 weeks. You would think with all the mistakes that Toshiba and Regional Factory Parts & Service have made, that Toshiba could at the very least tell Regional that they will cover them for the cost of bringing my TV back.


To top it all off, when I get the TV home, I hook it up to my SA8000HD, hit the menu button, and everything is tilted right, there is way too much over scan, and there's 2 screws missing from the back of the set. Not to mention the greasy finger prints all over the back, the top, and the screen. Not oily fingerprints, actual grease. I had to use windex on the screen and foaming cleanser on the body to get the stuff off. After spending an hour and a half fiddling with the service menu, I got the over scan and tilt fixed, but the color, brightness, and contrast I am still fiddling with.


And all Toshiba is going to do is extend my warranty by a month. I think I will file a complaint or two with the BBB here against Regional Factory and Toshiba of Canada.
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Big_Red7, I have the same problem as you with my 30hf84. Component and HDMI inputs will no longer display a 480i signal. They worked up until recently, now they are completely out of sync. In addition I also have the 1080i horizontal jerk problem.


I had a Toshiba authorized repair guy here today, and he wants to take the set back to the shop. He also told there is no known fix for the horizontal jerk issue, told me its caused by incompatability with some cable and set top boxes. Don't think I buy that explanation. I have tried three different boxes, same result with all. Anyway, he is going to call Toshiba on Monday and let me know what they are going to do about these two issues.


I am very hesitant to have my set taken apart after reading about your bad experience. Especially when you mention that the set was completely out of whack when you got it back. Sounds like they slapped in the boards and didn't bother to go through any electrical adjustments. What kind of shape is it in now?


I am probably going to leave mine the way it is since I don't use 480i through component anyway. Stories like yours certainly don't instill confidence in Toshiba's repair network.
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Sorry to hear about your problems you have with your Toshiba 30HF84 TV set, Nonnie. Is your TV still under warranty? Did you try contacting the Toshiba customer service again for an another repair guy, just in case the current repair guy cannot fix it? It will take a while to get the two problems sucessfully repaired from the Toshiba authorized repair center since the 30HF84 is not made by Toshiba in the first place. Toshiba has no technical information of the TV. Toshiba is aware of the problems with the 26HF84, 30HF84, and 30HFX84 sets and is trying to figure them out by making contacts with Orion for the technical details. It is quite possible that these problems cannot be repaired. The best you can do right now is to let the repair guy take it to his shop and be patient. It can take weeks or maybe months. Don't forget to make several phone calls with Toshiba regarding about your set. I know that it will suck without a high-definition TV.


Let me just keep it simple. What do you expect out of an Orion-made product? None of the Orion-made products that I know of today are high quality. I hate to tell you this Nonnie, but I can predict that there will be more problems coming up from your set later on. Based on my previous experience with Orion-made products, I am very confident that your 30HF84 will totally die by the time it reaches four or five years old. After the input and geometry problems, maybe the power supply is the next one to die (like the TV cannot be turned on anymore). The repairman told me one time that almost all Orion-made products today usually have problems with the power supply. I hope that I am not scaring you here, but it's true.


Let us know your experience with Toshiba's customer service and how Toshiba supports its products. And as always, don't give up. The 26HF84, 30HF84, and 30HFX84 definitely require extra attention when owning one of these Toshiba widescreen HDTV sets. No extra attention is needed if you had bought the 34HF84 or 34HFX84 in the first place.




Walter Chan
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Walter, I am well aware of your opinions regarding Orion products. And thanks for the nice positive outlook regarding my tv's future. Maybe I should just kill it now and put it out of its misery?


Aside from these two problems, I am very happy with the set. It was in my price range and was the only tv to fit in my wall unit. It also has great PQ and some nice features (Theaterwide Mode) not found on other sets. There are many people out there that have problem free Toshiba's and are very satisfied with their purchases.


My concern is the repair process can make things much worse. It's not worth screwing up the set to get these two issues resolved. I'll probably leave it the way it is, I don't need 480i on component anyway. And I will probably buy an extended warranty just in case. I found what looks like a pretty good deal from Warrantybynet.com ($116 for additional two years/repair or replace) Looks like they have a very good reputation and good rating. Anybody heard of them before?


Walter, just out of curiosity, why are you so focused on the Orion-Toshiba business connection? I'm sure there are many other manufacturers that have similar subcontracting and outsourcing deals that are just as juicy. Let's hear about some of them.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Nonnie
Walter, just out of curiosity, why are you so focused on the Orion-Toshiba business connection? I'm sure there are many other manufacturers that have similar subcontracting and outsourcing deals that are just as juicy. Let's hear about some of them.
First, Toshiba is the only CRT television maker to outsource most of its television to another manufacturer. There is not much for me to talk about with other TV manufacturers because most of them produce their own TVs. Second, for the price that you paid, you are actually getting a bottom of the barrel television that was made by a third-rate manufacturer in a third-world country with a high-end name stuck on it. The Toshiba 30HF84 was supposed to be marketed under the "Broksonic", "Memorex", "Orion" or "Sansui" brand in the first place. It was produced very cheaply but sold at a high price, so Toshiba and Orion are probably making big bucks on every 26HF84, 30HF84, and 30HFX84 that got sold. For the price that you paid for the 30HF84, you are supposed to feel ripped off by Toshiba thinking that this is a real, reliable Toshiba TV set, but the TV does not feel like a Toshiba at all.


I am so focused on the Toshiba-Orion production business connection because I fear that Toshiba will lose many of its loyal customers if Toshiba continues to do business production with Orion, especially if it's a high-end product that people expect quality. My goal here is to save many of the loyal Toshiba customers as best as I can by encouraging them to get the 34" model instead of the 26" or 30" if he or she is leaning toward to a Toshiba as his or her next new TV purchase.


An extended warranty is well-worth the investment. Not just Nonnie alone, but anyone who is planning to get the Toshiba 26" or 30" model should get an extended warranty provided by the retailer. Who knows if the next problem is very major and proves to be unrepairable. A lot of Orion-made TVs that I've known of or seen before in the past cannot be repaired due to parts unavailablity or low-quality parts that are not worth the cost to get the TV set repaired.




Walter Chan
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interesting to read this king of experience again. Maybe people really should read my horrible story on 30HF84 with Toshiba. Again, I swear I won't buy any of Toshiba product during the rest of my life.
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Hi Nonnie, you are now about the 10th person that has posted in one of my threads on this forum and a couple others, and it seems like its a very common problem now for 480i to go out of sync. Before you let them take it in, contact Toshiba directly, and see if they have solved the problem. If they are still putting the same board in with the same problems, it won't be worth getting fixed, since it will probably just die again, especially if your repair experience goes anything like mine did.


Toshiba is really screwing themselves by outsourcing to Orion, these crappy parts are giving them a bad rep, for what used to be a very good company, I'd say second only to Sony in terms of quality. Now I will never buy another Toshiba product EVER again, and I make a point to recommend to everyone not to buy Toshiba. If they decide to stop outsourcing to crappy Orion, I will be happy to change my mind.


As for my issues with geometry and colour levels, I have ironed them out to an extent, still doesn't look quite as good as I would like it to off my cable feed, but that may just be my cable feed itself. It looks good for xbox and DVD's.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Big_Red7
Toshiba is really screwing themselves by outsourcing to Orion, these crappy parts are giving them a bad rep, for what used to be a very good company, I'd say second only to Sony in terms of quality. Now I will never buy another Toshiba product EVER again, and I make a point to recommend to everyone not to buy Toshiba. If they decide to stop outsourcing to crappy Orion, I will be happy to change my mind.
Unfortunately, there will be more Toshiba products that are being outsourced and made by Orion this year for 2005. For example, maybe all of Toshiba DVD players this year for 2005 will be made by Orion. So far, Toshiba still refuses to stop doing production business with Orion. Higher profit is now more important for Toshiba today than quality. JVC got out of the production business with Orion two years ago because Orion's quality did not match with JVC's quality.


Big_Red7, why will you not buy anymore Toshiba products in the future? Not all Toshiba products are made by Orion. You just have to be a little careful when shopping for Toshiba products. For example, my heart pounded fast when I nearly lost the opportunity to get the last Toshiba D-VR3 DVD recorder/VCR combo released in stores, but I somehow luckily managed to get one. This one was made by Samsung in Korea (better than Orion), and the DVD recorder drive appears to be made by Toshiba in Japan (woohoo). If I waited five days later to let all the D-VR3s to be sold-out, I would get the 2005 model, D-VR4. The D-VR4 is made by Orion in Thailand with an Orion-made DVD recorder drive that is also made in Thailand (boo). The D-VR4 has more features and priced cheaper than the D-VR3, but I fear that the D-VR4's quality won't be as good as the D-VR3. The Toshiba D-VR3 only lasted a short time in the market, probably only less than four months. I think Toshiba is probably upset with Samsung Korea's high labor cost to assemble the units and Toshiba Japan's high labor cost to produce DVD recorder drives, so Toshiba discontinued the D-VR3 rather quickly. The D-VR3 is a very good, reliable DVD recorder model from Toshiba.


Toshiba is known to discontinue products very quickly if Toshiba has found a more cheaper place to produce products. Toshiba has expertise in outsourcing products (better than Sony and Panasonic) and getting all the products to be made in a different country besides Japan, so that's why I am supporting Toshiba's HD-DVD format as our next generation DVD format. I am very confident that Toshiba will win the HD-DVD format in the high-definition DVD war game versus Sony's Blu-Ray high-definition technology.




Walter Chan
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I think the point here is: If a company can not stand behind its products(as along as they bear the same brand no matter what other company are actually making these products), it does not deserve our purchase. To me, Toshiba is a blatant liar, so I won't buy any Toshiba product in the future. Maybe there will be exception: I will be glad to buy a Toshiba product when I know Toshiba will definitely lose money on my purchase.
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Arthur, just curoius what tv set did you end up with after your horrible toshiba experiance.
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Quote:
Originally posted by waltchan


Big_Red7, why will you not buy anymore Toshiba products in the future? Not all Toshiba products are made by Orion. You just have to be a little careful when shopping for Toshiba products.
More because of their extremely crappy customer service. I have never seen customer service that bad in my entire life, and will be suprized if I ever encounter another company who can manage to lower their service standards to Toshiba's level. I know a lot of what happened to me was not Toshiba's fault, but if I was Toshiba and a customer was getting the kind of service I got from one of their repair centers, I would call them up and tell them to straighten up or we'll drop you as an authorized repair center (which would mean lots of profit loss), since they have other ones in the same city.


I have a beef with orion for making crappy electronics that break, and Toshiba for their crappy customer service, and the repair center for their even crappier customer service. Crap on 3 levels.
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Well, the repair guy wouldn't tell me if he called Toshiba or not. He just wants to pick up the set and take it back to his shop. When he looked at it the other day, it didn't seem like he was familiar with the 30hf84.


I am going to send a letter to Toshiba corporate and maybe it will get into the right hands so I can get this resolved. Makes more sense to try that first. I don't see what the point is of having home service if they want to bring the set back to the shop without even knowing what needs to be done. My wife is in a wheelchair and I have a stairlift going to the basement where my family room and home theater is. It's a nightmare trying to get the tv back up the stairs with the stairlift in the way, and I know the tv will get damaged trying to get it back out of the house.


Big Red, what boards did they replace on your set?
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Nonnie, I'm not too sure on what boards they replaced. All the guy told me was that they replaced a board. There's likely only one board in the thing, although I haven't looked myself. Shouldn't be too hard to check since it's missing a bunch of screws since I got it back...
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Quote:
Originally posted by Big_Red7
There's likely only one board in the thing, although I haven't looked myself. Shouldn't be too hard to check since it's missing a bunch of screws since I got it back...
Big_Red7...If you have the time or ever feel like to disassemble and open up your 26HF84 at the back of the TV by removing all of the screws, let us know what the inside looks like and how many parts are there with the printed word "Orion," including the tube. Let us know where was the tube manufactured in. Also, let us know if you can find any parts with the printed word "Toshiba" and how many are there. I doubt that you will find any parts with the word "Toshiba", but I can be wrong. Finally, based on what you see, does it look kind of well-built and sturdy or sloppily-built, in your opinion? Also, maybe you should provide a picture of what the TV looks like inside. I have never seen what the 26HF84 looks like inside, but I would like to see one.



Walter Chan
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hmm I was considering going the toshiba 26" widescreen route but think ill get the samsung instead. Ouch.
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