TruTech TV review: TV has broke in 6 months! 206

I too bought a 26 inch piece of crap from Target. I have found no one to fix it, same problem as everyone else. No lights,no power,nothing. This TV was purchased 8 months ago. If anyone starts a Lawsuit against Trutech/Target count me in...

I bought a 19' flat screen on black Friday of 2006, since I was repainting my house I decided to wait to put it up, so I left it in the box for a year... I began using it in December of 07' and now six weeks later the damn thing won't work... I get sound but no picture! I emailed the company and they still haven't responded. DON'T BUY TRUTECH ITS A TRUE PIECE OF GARBAGE!

I also have the 19" trutech with built-in dvd player. Within the first week, the dvd player had to be pulled open instead of using the remote. After a few months, the screen went black but the tv retained the audio. After returning the tv to target, they gave me an address where i sent the tv (still under warranty) and it cost me 30 bucks. Now the cable jack has pulled out from the back and I am told there is nothing they can do. What a joke.

MY 20" TV/DVD PLAVER WAS PURCHASED IN FALL 2006 AS A RAFFLE PRIZE FOR MENTALLY CHALLANGED ADULTS. THIS WAS ONE OF THERE MAIN FUNDRAISERS. THE WOMAN THAT WON IT DONATD IT TO ANOTHER CAUSE FOR A SILENT AUCTION. I WON THE AUCTION AND REALLY NEEDED A NEW TV, WELL THIS TV GOES IN AND OUT. I CAN'T GET THE DVD TO WORK. BASICALLY IT'S A PIECE OF ---- I AM GLAD TO KNOW IT CAME FROM TARGET, THEY'LL NOT GET ANYMORE OF MY BUSINESS.

I LOOKED ON THE WEBPAFE FOR TRUTECH AND IT DOESN'T EVEN LIST TV'S. WAS THIS A FLY BY NIGHT THING.

This is not just a Target problem, this can happen anywhere with any retail giant trying to create a cheap product and get away with it. People have to fight back. this HAS to be a class action suit. This is clear manipulation and exploitation of the consumer.

In the meantime, those of us who read the day-by-day complaints (and this is just the TV, not all the other Trutech products which are equally as bad), the only ones who can put a stop to this is us.

So make up WARNING labels. Imagine a surgeon general's warning. Keep it simple, black text on white label and put them in white space on the packaging.

Do NOT say: "This product is CRAP! Don't buy! You'll be sorry!" Because this will likely get noticed, pulled and marked with a Sharpie or another cover-up label.

Say: "CONSUMER WARNING: See http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/11611" If it looks like a normal piece of the packaging, the staff is not going to suspect sabotage so easily.

Please do this every time you go by a Target.
I am going to make it my regular mission.
If I have to invest half as much money into warning labels as I did Trutech garbage, I will have informed a lot of consumers and it's easy activism. The consumer warnings are all over the place, yet this is still being manufactured, Target is still making a bundle.

I too am grateful for finding this information. I was looking at this tv as a workplace addition since it has a built-in dvd player. After reading all the negative comments, I'm buying either a Sylvania or a Magnavox tv w/dvd player.

Thanks

I purchased the vcr/dvd player combo and tv for my neice and I know there isn't 40 hours on the combo and there is a big black square on the vcr when you try to watch... I too cannot return it for being over 90 days. Wish I saw this sooner!

OK I have a Trutech DVD recorder I bought it over 3 years ago I think. it worked Awesome for 2 years. Then I moved plugged it in and nothing.
I mean no lights no power. It has been sitting in a closet for over a year cause I don't know if it can be fixed.
I liked the interface, after the Joys of hooking it up. I called them they sucked.
SO I have this kick butt interface on a box with no life. I would be in on that law suit, not mad but out of frustration.

I have a 26" true tech that I purchased from target about 6 months ago. Same problem as everyone else. Power supply appears bad.

Red indicator light goes on when you plug it in, but try to turn it on, it goes out, no display, no sound.

If someone DOES end up wanting to file a class action suit, COUNT ME IN!

I got a 17" Trutech PVS21175S1 about a year ago, and it actually worked pretty well. I used it mainly to listen to CDs and watch movies, but one day a couple of weeks ago the CD that was in it started to skip (but the CD was fine), and ever since then it just says NO VALID DISC when I try to play something. The disc will spin, but nothing happens! It is annoying that apparently I won't be able to get it fixed..I'll probably stay away from buying electronics at Target from now on.

I purchased 2 -Trutech 17" TV-DVD combos for Christmas 2007 and haven't opened the boxes yet. My Mom got a Trutech tv last year and her's works fine (Knock on wood) . Based on the comments from this site and another I will be returning both today or tomorrow.

I bought a TRUTECH tv/dvd player last year for my girlfriend and paid good money for it. It was used as our spare tv in our room. I had it since last year at christmas time, but only used it like 6 times. All of a sudden the dvd player stopped working. I called target thinking they could help me out, but i was wrong. They were very rude and uninformational saying they didnt know much about how to contact trutech and they "probably" have a website. Well i have searched for a half an hour and i found more complaints about trutech and target than anything helpful. I might be out a TV, but target is out of my business for the rest of my life which adds up to way more than that TV costs. Thanks for sucking target!

My mom bought a PLV16320 a while back. It had about 6 HOURS of activity before it died. I wish I'd found this website before she sprung on me that she got a "great deal" on a 32" LCD without doing any research.

Stay away from Trutech... If anyone is willing to try fixing themselves, I found this hint on another website, basically a bunch of blown capacitors on the circuit board where the power cord connects:
http://www.fixya.com/support/p532204-trutech_plv16320_television

Ya , i bought a 19 in. trutech tv with the dvd player in it, seems to work great ! Till 3 months old and now i have to fight to get the dvd out , cause when u try to open it, the tray comes out but the dvd stays in. Nice. Tried to take it back and they wont do nothing for me. My trutech tv was bought at wall mart. So now i have a $22.00 new movie stuck in the dvd player. It will play if you close it, but wont come out when you open it? So as to every one else's advice, stay away from this brand , you will only recieve a junk product and a waste of time and money.

I purchased a Trutech TV which turned out to be a Falstech TV, because it was not a tru piece of working merchandise. To make matters worse, it was purchased for my daughters 13th. birthday in July. Now i'm told by Alco Electronics to mail it in because the power supply may have gone bad. (less than 6 month's you want me to pack it and track it... unbelievable!). Sorry baby, daddy will have to get you a new one!

My wife and I noticed an ad in the paper for a Tru Tech TV and thought it would be a nice addition to our boat for when the weather isn't great.

I AM SO HAPPY that I found this sight before buying. Thanks to all of you who saved me the exasperation and headache of dealing with Target or this brand.

Sorry all of you had to find out the hardway.

I have own the trutech, also purchased at Target in Oct. 2006. All of a sudden today the tv went black, no more picture, there are lights on the display, as well as sound but no picture. I am very upset, tvs are not supposed to be disposable.

I bought my 32" Trutech TV with the 3 year extended warranty in April 2007 and in early November it DIED. If you think you have protection from the extended warranty, think again. The first time I called, they said I would receive my replacement TV in 7-10 business days. I waited... called again and got the same response ANOTHER 7-10 business days. I called a third time and they told me a replacement TV was not available. It is now almost Christmas and I am still waiting resolution from the Target Warranty Service. I have paid my cable bill for over a month with no TV. What ever happended to customer service? If anyone knows about a class action lawsuit, please let me know.

I brought a Trutech yesterday. The target add said the TV was an HDTV, but I could not find anywhere on the box or manual that it actually is HD. I spoke with Target to find out if the add was wrong and verify that the TV is HD, but they couldn't tell me either. So, when searching the web to find out if the TV is HD I found this site. I bought the TV for a xmas gift and don't want to give something that's gonna break. I'm going back to Target right away to return it and will buy a name brand TV from Best Buy or Circuit City. Thanks for the info.

I brought my son a trutech tv last year 2006 black friday sale. My sister bought 2. both of hers broke and now my sons is playing a bunch of static after i purchased another one this year for my other son it is going back. I am in the same boat as everyone else. junk junk junk. Again target said there was nothing they could do but return the one i just bought! Very upset it looked like a nice tv. Too good to be true!

I have experienced the same as many of the others, that has bought a 15" trutech. After about a year & a half. It just has a white screen. It is on, but will not work. I went to Target & complained. They said since I didn't buy a ext. warranty, there was nothing they could do. Target should either replace the tvs or they should quit selling them. There is definitely a problem with this brand? Cordially, Donna Eastman.

I bought a trutech tv last year and it broke on me. not even a year. I will never shop at target. I hate the fact that they are not doing anything about it.

My room has that piece of crap Trutech and she brought it to college from Houston and the promote is broken and universal promotes dont work on it. So since there is no menu button your SOL on programming the Dang TV so now we get all the shopping and Spanish channels. It sucks!

Everybody should print up all these complaints and go to there local target and give them to the manager. Also you could make up little signs and place them near these lousy TVs to warn other people. I wonder how long it would take an employee to find the signs?

Did some quick research:

Trutech is a private label brand of Target Corporation. In other words you can think of Trutech and Target synonymously. Target has numerous private label brands including Archer Farms, Choxie, Ciro, Kool Toyz, Merona Xhiliration, Trutech among others.

Alco Electronics is an electronic manufacturing services company. In other words Target is paying Alco Electronics to make these products and put the Trutech brand name on the machines. While Alco may be responsible for the weak engineering and sub-standard product Target is at fault for selling products that are prone to breaking.

Overall Target is responsible to the consumer (YOU) for the quality of the product. I would direct your efforts towards Target Corporation and it's management team. There are multiple things that can be done:

1) Every quarter public companies (like Target) have conference calls to tell investors about their performance. These calls are open to the public. The coming call, which is likely at the end of February could be a forum for management to highlight that private label electronics (TRUTECH) are helping propel sales growth. If someone is willing to get on the call and respectfully tell management (in question format) that their products are not lasting longer and that customer satisfaction if faltering the repsonse might be favorable. You would have to dial into the call early and get into the queue as soon as possible but this is doable.

2) Go to Target customer service and don't take "No" for an answer. At the end of the day these are Target's products so when they say the warranty to the store is for 90 days, that is correct. BUT Target Corporation is the supplier of the product and is therefore responsible for proper handling of the repair contracts.

3) Keep in mind Target is responsible for the functionality of these TVs. The last and final thing that you can do is picket out side and tell everyone you can that Target electronics and a pain and a waste of hard earned money.

My next trip will be to Wal-Mart.

Happy Holidays.

I am shocked and appalled at the comments from people who have purchase Trutech televisions. I recieved a 32" flatscreen television by Trutech last year for christmas and I am experiencing the same problems as everyone else. I do agree that we should file a class action law suit.

I just purchased a 19" flat screen LCD from Target Trutech brand, another woman and I bought the last two at the store. I advised her I did no research on this product which is very unlike me, but after doing some research today I am planning on returning it to Target ASAP. Thank you all for you comments. I will now steer away from any Trutech products. As far as not shopping at Target anymore I will have to see what happens on the return process.

I just purchased the 19' TV/Monitor w/dvd player on the day after thanksgiving and prompty returned it today directly due to the comments read here but also on Target's Website regarding the 17" model.

For those who are sadly stuck with their TV, the website for the manufacturer is http://www.alcosupport.com/. Hopefully you can get some satisfaction. Thank you for posting your comments and not allowing me to be stuck with the one I also purchased in good faith. It is consumers like you who matter!

If this was not posted before these TV'S were made in China for ALCO ELECTRONICS INC
725 DENISON ST
MARKAM, ONTARIO - CANADA
L3R-1B8

I think a CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST
TRU-TECH would solve the problem.There is a
lemon law that is in place to protect people in
this kind of situation.Any lawyers here?

One more infuriated customer... my TruTech TV lasted all but 3 months and because it was in a spare bedroom was used maybe 15 times. PIECE OF JUNK and WASTE OF $! Shame on Target for continuing to promote and sell a worthless product.

Just bought a 19 inch trutech lcd tv from target on black Friday (4 days ago). How horrifying to read all of these comments. I will return it tomorrow. It would have been an Xmas gift for my daughters. My receipt would have been about 40 days old before the product would have even been opened. Glad I found this site. I will spend more $$$ to get a safer, more consumer-friendly tv.

I bought a little 13 inch tv/dvd combo by tru tech a few months ago and it also sucks i can't believe no one has dealt with these problems. I bought it so my 2 year old could sit and watch his DVDs and after a month the DVD player stopped working right. When I turn on the DVD part its black and white and will maybe sometimes by chance turn to color. I tried bring it back after it only being about a month later, but because my 2 year old ruined the receipt they wouldn't give me my money back. Now almost $200 that i could have spent on my poor son is lost.

Thanx so much for the post you all! I was going to get but did not, instead I got a Emerson 19 LCD HDTV at Walmart for $198.00.
I could not locate a web site for Tretech's products. I did find one for Emerson.

I was ready to buy a 19" trutech but then I found this web site and I changed my mind. thanks

I'm glad I checked this out. I got the black friday sale also. I have yet to hook it up, I will be returning it. Thanks for everyones posts, your saving me $200 bucks as far as I see it!

I too stood in line 4 1/2hrs this morning at target to get the 19' LCD/DVD by True Tech and very upset at what I'm reading, I'm only glad that I was able to catch it in time. Thank You!

Dear consumers,
I have purchased (2) 19" True Tech Lcd hdtv w/ dvd players this morning. After waiting on line for six hours on black friday and getting home i noticed the item & what they advertised are not the same. The advertisement listed this as an hdtv 1080i model. The item is actually 720p. I went back to the store where they basically said "OOOPs". They instructed me to look up True Techs' web site to find out the real specs. And here I am reading all these fine comments! I know where I'll be spending more of my lost time tomorrow...on the return line. Thanks for all your help! I truly appreciate it. At least I still have a chance to regain my $450 before its too late!

Just bought one of the Trutech 19" LCD/DVD on Black Friday...it's going back. I'm not even taking the thing out of the box. It seemed awfully light...I'll be happy to be rid of it before it causes me the anxiety. Thanks all who have posted!

I was getting ready to go to Target so I can buy this True Tech TV, but I wanted to see what features they have. Target doesn't have this tv on their website and I couldn't find the manufacture website. Then i came across this website, and I am so happy! I will not buy this TV and tell my family and friend not to buy it either. Thanks to all the people who wanted to share their horrible experience so others won't have to go thru it. Target should held responsible for this.