|
A customer in Gyeonggi Province who was charged a whopping W1.5 million (about US$1,500) to repair a year-old TV is not alone, anecdotal evidence suggests.
At the end of 2003, the man identified as Lee forked out W6 million for a 60-inch projection TV from a leading electronics retailer. Last month the picture started to deteriorate, and he called LG Electronics for repairs. The service agent acknowledged technical defects in the TV but still demanded W1.5 million for repairs, explaining the warranty had expired. "I was told that even if I get it repaired, I would have to pay the same if it malfunctions again some months later,Ħħ Lee says.
Others tell similar tales, all because digital TVs -- PDP and LCD alike -- come with warranty periods of only a year, even as the humble CRT TVs from major manufacturers come guaranteed for up to four years.
The problem is that most digital TVs undergo insufficient quality control. In many cases technical flaws are discovered more than a year after purchase, and by then it is too late to get free repairs.
Similar things happen with 40-inch LCD TVs, which were sold for the first time in autumn of 2002. Samsung Electronics belatedly learned this year that the capabilities of its LCDs rapidly diminish, but it has yet to make a public recall or offer free repairs.
Consumer groups are calling for the warranty period for digital TVs to be extended to four years. But manufacturers will hear nothing of it, claiming that their products' price competitiveness would drop if the warranty period is extended.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
