My name is Saket Ojha. For the past 2 years I have been suffering as a consumer at the hands of PANASONIC INDIA. I had the misfortune of purchasing a high end plasma TV (P50VT20D-3D) on the 21/01/2012. This letter is a follow-up to the crap that I had to put up with your pathetic company which has compelled me to go legal against your organization.
The ordeal that I went through in 2012 ended with PANASONIC INDIA reluctantly replacing both my television sets finally in October 2012. I was given a replacement fro my 50” TV – P50VT20D3D & a 42” 3D plasma (P42XT50D) instead of P42X30D/S as the same had gone out of production.
The P42XT50D abruptly stopped working on 10th November 2013. A complaint was lodged on 11th November (PL-ASC-1311-071900) with a stern request not to send HIRA ELECTRONICS to touch my television. The complaint was attended a week later after I made more than 20 calls to your toll free number. Even after mentioning a 100 times, HIRA ELECRONICS was sent across. Jaiswal from HIRA electronics, after opening the set confirmed that the P-Board was defective and needs to be repaired. The board was taken and got back after a week. After my repeated requests he refused to check the remaining TV saying that this is the way they work. After a week, the board was fitted and now Jaiswal confirmed that the other board is dead and needs to be replaced. A call was made to Mr. RAJU (HIRA ELECTRONICS) who was his usual rude self, as if he has been appointed by your company to make sure that the individual junks the TV rather than putting up with his rude, uncouth language. I was rudely told that it will take 10-15 days for the board to come and that there is no stand-by set available and neither is there any guarantee that the board will come in the stipulated time. After 20 days when I did not receive the board I gave a call to HIRA ELECTRONICS-promptly the rude reply “IT’S NOT IN OUR HANDS – Talk to PANASONIC DIRECTLY AND STOP CALLING US AND WASTING OUR TIME”….wow!!! PANASONIC has the most amazing customer care. I was given Mr. Sharad Nikam’s number (7738841237) who never picks up his phone. He finally picked up after a week and told me…the board will come, don’t worry. The board finally came on the 11th of January, 2014- 2 months later….The TV was switched on…and exactly after 2 days….the same problem. The set died out. PANASONIC normally sends a job sheet with their engineers on site which is never given to the customer. I snatched this sheet which revealed a mail copy from HIRA to Panasonic requesting them to replace my board with someone else’s board…bottom line…I have some other poor soul’s board (non- working) in my TV…they never ordered a new board.!!!! So when I asked Mr. Raju again….the rude reply – TALK TO SHARAD NIKAM, WE ONLY DO WHAT THEY TELL US TO DO.
During this time my other expensive plasma which already has been replaced in October 2012 started giving malfunction – The volume suddenly increasing, the brightness changing, etc. I was given a complaint number (PI-ASC-1401-104322) which was yet again attended by HIRA electronics. Jaiswal diagnosed the problem and calmly assured me that there is a carbon deposit in the side switches which can be sorted in 5 minutes. They opened the TV, cleaned the switches, used my hairdryer to dry them, did not bother checking the remaining set, switched on the TV, closed the complaint and moved on to the 42” set which was lying dead. He expressed shock as to how could the TV be not working as they had replaced it with a “NEW” board. So again the TV was opened, WD40 was sprayed, and the TV was switched on. After an hour of their leaving the TV died out again.
AFTER THREE DAYS THE 50” PLASMA ALSO STOPPED WORKING (COMPLAINT NO: PI-ASC-1401-119234)
I threatened PANASONIC HELPLINE WITH LEGAL CONSEQUENCES following which HIRA ELECTRONICS sent across their engineer to diagnose the problem with both the sets. During this time I had already received a number of calls from PANASONIC CHENNAI from Mr. Kartik who eventually took the elusive Mr. SHARAD NIKAM on con-call. Mr. NIKAM assured me that the company will give me an amicable solution subject to the engineer giving his report.
His report as follow:
1. 42” plasma P-BOARD dead.(This was supposedly repaired by their crappy service center HIRA ELECTRONICS)
2. 50” Plasma dead (Main board fault)
I was repeatedly requested by their engineer to hand over the sets to them to take.
I HAVE PUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE INCIDENT ALONG WITH ALL THE TRAUMA THAT I HAVE BEEN PUT THROUGH BY BOTH PANASONIC AND HIRA ELECTRONICS. I HAVE PUT ACROSS TO BOTH MR. NIKAM AND PANASONIC CHENNAI THE FOLLOWING TERMS OF SETTLEMENT:
1. REPLACEMENT OF BOTH THE PLASMA SETS WITH THE SAME FEATURES OR UPGRADED AS I AM NOT ACCEPTING REPAIRED SETS AND NEITHER AM I HANDING OVER THE DAMAGED SETS. HELL I DON’T CARE EVEN IF THEY GIVE ME LED’S INSTEAD OF PLASMA’S
2. IF NO REPLACEMENT THEN THE ENTIRE REFUND OF BOTH MY SETS AS PER THE INVOICE VALUE
3. STRICT LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HIRA ELECTRONICS – (MR. RAJU AND MR. PADAM)
I AM GOING AHEAD WITH THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TOMORROW IF I DO NOT GET A REPLY ON THIS FROM PANASONIC BY THE END OF THE DAY ALONG WITH A STAND-BY SET. AS OF NOW AM WATCHING TV ON A 24” MONITOR.
I ALSO HAVE ATTACHED THE DETAILS OF THE HARROWING EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD WITH PANASONIC INDIA IN 2012
SAKET OJHA
(9004735452)
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