How to navigate a TV warranty claim

NBC 5 Responds to a viewer who said she filed a warranty claim when a new TV wasn’t working properly. Read on for how the consumer found a resolution and how her story can help you navigate a manufacturer’s warranty claim.

CONSUMER’S TV TROUBLE RESOLVED

Melody in Wylie said the picture on a TV purchased in March of 2022 started to go out earlier this year. She said she plugged in her old TV to confirm it wasn’t a problem with the TV signal. Then, she tried the store where she bought the new TV. It referred her to the manufacturer, Sony.

Melody said she contacted the customer service number on her warranty information and was provided a claim number in February. She said Sony asked her to send the TV to them along with her credit card information so they could ship another TV to her.

Melody told us she didn’t want to do that and asked NBC 5 Responds to check on the claim.

Our team emailed Sony and heard back from someone in corporate relations who wrote back, “Our customer service team was able to connect with the customer and the issues have been resolved. I am told the customer is pleased with the outcome.”

In a note to one of our producers, Melody writes she learned Sony would deliver and set up a new TV. It would take the old one away for her.

She added, “Whatever you did for me throughout this process, thank you very much.”

TIPS FOR NEW OR NEWISH ELECTRONICS

NBC 5 Responds gets questions about the manufacturer’s limited warranty across products and brands. If you have a new product and it's not working properly, start with the store where you bought it. Is it within the return window?

If not, dig out the warranty information and look at the covered time. Is it one year or two years? Read whether parts and labor are covered. Understand if you’d be required to send the item to the manufacturer.

If you didn’t save the warranty paperwork, you can usually track it down.

“You can probably download it online by searching with the name of the product. In a perfect world, if you have the serial number as well,” said Diane Umansky, deputy editor at Consumer Reports.

Umansky recommends sending a polite email to the company, including proof of purchase and a photo or short video that shows the problem. This creates a written record for the company.

Then, try calling customer service. If the first person you talk to isn’t helping, ask for a supervisor. Umansky said if you still have trouble, ask for help on the manufacturer’s social media pages.

“The reason that is helpful is nobody wants bad publicity, but also because a lot of manufacturers will have separate customer service teams just for their social media,” said Umansky. “They are going to be pretty motivated to help you out.”

If you a hit dead end and you bought the item with a credit card, Umansky said consumers can try to reach out to their credit card company about disputing the charge.

If something fails just outside the manufacturer’s warranty period, some credit cards come with additional protections, like an extended warranty.

If you buy a new, big-ticket item, you may notice a product registration card. Consumer Reports said it’s not required to take advantage of a manufacturer’s warranty, but it’s a good idea to register to get notice about any recalls.

NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.