Complaint Rating:

I purchased a Polaroid 32” LCD television and a corresponding Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan extended service warranty to protect my $1,000 investment. The sound quality has deteriorated over time and is now completely inaudible – a CRACKING AND POPPING NOISE overpowers the sound of the television program such that the program is inaudible. I called Circuit City's protection plan "hotline" (888) 333-2333 and scheduled a pickup to have my TV repaired. The service company came out and picked up the TV, and delivered it back to me a week later and said that they had repaired the problem. It was not fixed, so I called again and scheduled another pickup; they came out and a week or two after that, they delivered it back to me, again saying the problem had been fixed. While the delivery men were here, I tested the TV and found that the problem still existed and had not been fixed; the delivery men agreed and they took the TV back for another repair. Two weeks later, they returned the TV to me and said they were unable to fix the problem... and that they couldn't find anything wrong with the TV!!! (Even though the delivery guys from that service company heard it themselves when they were here!)

I called (888) 333-2333 again and spoke to another customer service rep. She said that, even though the service company had my TV three separate times it didn’t qualify for your “NO-LEMON GUARANTEE-REPLACEMENT WITH 3RD FAILURE” guarantee that I see on the brochure I have from when I bought the Advantage Plan. I asked her why it didn’t qualify, and she said that there needs to be 3 separate service calls over three separate months. I asked her where on my brochure it mentioned anything like that, and she said that it didn’t, but that it's 'industry standard'. Breach of contract anyone??

She then scheduled another service call (with a different service company)... well, they had the TV since early December 2006 until February 15th 2008, and not only has the original problem not been fixed, there are new issues with the television's timer. It doesn’t work. So, my TV is still inoperable (as of Feb 21, 2008), and has been for several months.

So I called the Circuit City Consumer Relations team today... and spoke with a rude & pompous customer service rep, and he explained to me that the TV will not work with my cable TV, and suggested that I hook up an antenna to the TV and that by getting channels through the antenna (instead of cable) the problem will be solved (as if that's some kind of solution!!! Who wouldn't want to exchange their hi-def service for bunny ears?) I asked to speak with a supervisor and he claimed that he was the end of the line... I said you must have a boss - everyone has a boss... he said she doesn't talk to customers. Whatever. Anyway, he tried to tell me that there's no problem with TV itself (even though all 3 of the other TV's I have in my house work just fine with my existing cable). IN ANY CASE CIRCUIT CITY DOES NOT HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTIES THAT THEY SELL - DO NOT BUY ONE - IT'S TOTALLY WORTHLESS. I WILL NEVER SPEND ANOTHER DIME IN ANY CIRCUIT CITY.