[rupped]

Bought this box in January of '03. It died in July of '03 the first time. No power lights- just totally dead. So this weekend it does it again. It is plugged into a UPS (to try to avoid the custom channel clearing) and the coax goes through a surge protector. Nothing else in the house has a problem.


So I call Zenith Customer Service. I am advised that the unit is out of warranty, and that I will have to send it in for repair on my nickle. The CSR advises that there are no exceptions - once it is out of warranty (one year from original purchase, not one year from when I was sent a "refurbished" unit) all costs are mine.


Additionally, I had a problem (documented here, that others also had) where the box would lock up using DVI on certain channels, which rendered the DVI useless. This is not to mention the custom channels being deleted every few weeks (even with the UPS)


So it seems to me that Zenith has put out a product that doesn't function as advertised, can not last a full year without repair, and they just swap 'em out (charging $90 if after 90 days of date of purchase) until a year is up, and then charge you to fix them.


I assume I would get another mighty 90 day warranty from for the repair - boy that makes me comfortable.


So, please offer me some advice. Do I just walk away from what was a $700 investment? Seeing here that people have bought refurbished SAT 520s from CC for $180 (I'm sure these are leftovers from the period where everyone was sending them in for swaps, or dead soldiers like mine that disgruntled folks will not pay to repair), I wonder of it is worthwhile to even send it in? Anyone here have a better contact art Zenith/LG?


A seriously ticked-off (former?) Zenith customer.


David Ruppe

 

[Ron Jones]

I've had my 520 for about 15 months now without any failures. My only complaint is that it can't keep the custom channel list even when connected to an UPS. That's the only inherent design problem that I'm aware of. I really sounds like you have had some bad luck with both the original and replacement units. I guess yours is one of those cases where an extended service policy would have paid off (I didn't buy one either). I really wouldn't expect Zenith to offer additional coverage beyond the 1 yr. unless a very significant percentage of the 520's are having some common type of failure that is clearly a design issue.


Ron Jones

 

[barhoram]

if it's still going on, see if you can get a replacement box from D*'s $99 deal.

 

[meany]

Quote:

Originally posted by rupped No power lights- just totally dead.

This happened to me with my 520. I left it unplugged from the wall while I was at work, I came home and plugged it back in and it has worked fine ever since. I remember reading that the box has to reset and discharge all "juice". Try leaving it unplugged for a few hours.

 

[Foxbat121]

If you bought it with a credit card, your credit card company usually extends the warranty by a year. Call your credit card company to find out. I had a Lexmark Laser printer died just after a year, AMEX refunded my entire purchase price since it costs more to repair it.

 

[Paul_Seng]

meany is right. try his suggestion as that is what happened to my box also and it worked after a substantial period of time of no juice.