Editor’s Note: This horror story has been updated with a brighter ending. If you read this account, be sure to read how things turned out, too.
When we bought our new Samsung DLP television in March of 2004, we also purchased a Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan. Circuit City reps told us, “If anything ever goes wrong, we’ll offer in-home repair. If the bulb goes out — and these bulbs cost $350.00! — we’ll replace it free. Heck, if you put your leg through the screen, they’ll replace it with a brand new t.v. just like this one.”
Normally, I reject all offers of extended warranties, because, generally, speaking, they’re nothing more than a way for stores to add a hundred bucks or so to the sale of electronics you’ll replace in two to three years, anyway. In this case, though, DLP was still a new technology … and the promise of free service and replacement for three years was very attractive.
As it turns out, buying a Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan is actually buying a ticket to an unending nightmare of problems, issues, lies, and delays. Before you buy one — in fact, before you buy anything from Circuit City — you need to read about my experience with Circuit City’s Advantage Protection Plan.
DEC 15th / Day 1: My Little Problem
In late November, our Samsung DLP t.v. began making a funny noise when powering down: a distinctive “whrrrrrrr” that sounded a bit like a bumble bee coming in for a landing. Otherwise, the t.v. worked just fine — and the picture was glorious.
Still, since we had the Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan, I called the contact number on December 15th to request an in-home repair.
“No problem,” the rep said. “You’ll hear from a repairman in forty-eight hours or less.”
DEC 18th / Day 3: No One Called
Three days later, when no one called at all, I called the Advantage Protection Plan people again.
“Oh,” Elvina told me, “the problem is that we don’t have anyone in your area who works on your kind of television. We’ll need seventy-two more hours to process the request and find a suitable repair shop.”
DEC 28th / Day 13: Taking My Baby Away
Finally, on December 28th (!), a fellow claiming to be from Sims’ TV showed up at my door. He was nice enough … but something just felt wrong. Without so much as a glance at my television, he said he’d have to take it in for service. Then, he loaded my $2000.00 television onto the back of his pick-up truck and drove away.
I told Clyde that night: “We are never going to see that t.v. again.”
JAN 11th / Day 27: “You’ll Just Get Mad at Me.”
On January 11th — two weeks after Mr. Sims left with our television — I became curious about the status of my repair. He hadn’t called me, so I called him.
“It’s not ready,” he said. “I’m waiting for a part.”
“How long will it be?”
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t give me some idea of when my television will be back?”
“If I give you a date, and it’s wrong, you’ll just get mad at me.”
JAN 22nd / Day 38: The First Promise
On January 22nd — more than a month after my first call to Circuit City — I called the contact number again and spoke with Chad. I explained that I didn’t think Mr. Sims was able to fix the television. After hearing my story, Chad put me on hold, called Mr. Sims, came back, and reported: “Mr. Sims says he fixed the fan, but that while he was fixing it, the bulb went out. Now, he’s ordered a new bulb, and says you should have the television back by the 26th at the latest.”
I agreed to wait until the 26th.
JAN 24th / Day 39: Mr. Sims Calls
On Wednesday the 24th, Mr. Sims actually called me. I was thrilled, because I thought our odyssey was over; in fact, it was just beginning.
“I have your television fixed!” Mr. Sims announced.
“Great!”
“Now, there is one problem,” Mr. Sims said. “I got the picture back on, but there’s a shadow across it. It’s still watchable, though.”
I was stunned. “I didn’t have any problem with the picture. There was a little fan noise — that’s all. My picture was perfect!”
Mr. Sims was very quiet. “Maybe I called the wrong customer.” He hung up.
JAN 26th / Day 41: Escalation
When I didn’t get my television on the 26th, I called Circuit City … again. This time, when I made it clear I wanted to get this situation taken care of right away, I was escalated to “Corporate,” where I talked to a very polite, very professional young man named Jerrazz Abdul.
Jerrazz was sympathetic and quickly became my ally. “This has been going on too long!” he said. “My records show you’ve been dealing with this for more than thirty days!”
Jerrazz put me on hold, called Mr. Sims, and came back to me. “Now he says the ballast — the part that controls the fan that cools the lamp — has gone out. He’s ordered another part. The good news, though, is that this is the third repair logged for this television, so we can replace it for you.”
Jerrazz promised to file the replacement order immediately, to expedite it, and to call Mr. Sims and tell him to return the television to us on Monday, February 5th, so that we could get a replacement delivered to our home “by Monday or Tuesday. We’d get it done faster … but we’re swamped because of the Super Bowl.”
Jerrazz made a big impression and, frankly, made me feel much better about Circuit City’s Advantage Protection Plan …
… until, of course, I found out that Jerrazz was nothing but a big fat liar.
FEB 5th / Day 51: Bloody Monday
On Monday, February 5th, expecting to get the code I needed to exchange my old t.v. for a new one — as my Circuit City Advantage Plan promises — I called Circuit City for what I thought would be the last time.
I spoke with Regina, who called up my file, listened to my story, and said, “Sir, I’m sorry, but there’s no record of your exchange request being submitted.”
“What?!?”
“No one has submitted your exchange request. It’s not in the system. Want me to submit it for you?”
I explained that Jerrazz had handled everything for me.
“No, sir. Nothing’s been done. Want me to submit it for you?”
I’m such a foolish, optimistic believer in humanity, I actually suggested that Jerrazz, bless his heart, had physically carried the document to the department as a way of escalating it for me. “Maybe I’m not in the system because he’s handling it personally.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Regina said. “Meantime, let me submit this for you now. I’ll also give you Raz’s direct extension. Maybe he knows something we can’t see from here.”
The Amazing Disappearing ‘Raz
Monday, I called Raz. Three times.
I left three messages.
He never returned my call.
“You Can’t Have Your T.V. Back.”
When I called to ask a rep if she could tell me if Raz was in the office, she told me he’d “gone to lunch.” Meantime, she said, “You’ll have to get your t.v. back before we can deliver the new one. Why don’t you get it, so that much will be done?”
I sighed. “Raz was going to call him for me. I guess he didn’t do that, either?”
“If he did, sir, there’s no record of it.”
So I called Mr. Sims. “I’m coming to get my television. Where are you located?”
“You can’t just come get this television. It’s being repaired.”
“That television is my legal property,” I said. “I’m coming to get it.”
“Not until Circuit City says you can. Not until Circuit City calls me and authorizes it.”
Yet Another Call
So, once again, I call Circuit City. “Mr. Sims won’t release the television.”
They agreed to call him.
An hour later, he called me. “I can’t deliver it to you. You’ll have to come pick it up.”
Meet Mr. Sims
Yesterday afternoon, Clyde and I drove out to get our television back from Mr. Sims, who had had it in his possession now for almost 40 days.
Mr. Sims, bless his heart, is apparently a retired individual operating “Sims’ T.V.” out of his tiny apartment. My Samsung DLP t.v. was wedged in a corner of the tiny unheated storage room on his back porch, all but lost in a sea of tangled wires and dusty t.v. components.
Yet Another Promise
When I got my television back, I called Circuit City to confirm that I’d done so. (After all, they’d asked me to.)
“Perfect,” I was told. “I see that your request is actually already in process. In fact, I show they’ve already talked to the local Circuit City location to see what equivalent televisions they have in stock … so someone has expedited it. Looks like you’ll have the return authorization code by Wednesday at the earliest … but by Thursday at the latest.”
“Will someone call me with the code?”
“Nah,” the rep said. “You just call us, and we’ll give you an update.”
FEB 6th / Day 52: Bad News Ben
This morning, I called to see if my authorization code was ready.
Ben, a rep I’ve never spoken to, put me on hold for several minutes before coming back to say, “Good news! Looks like your exchange code is in process … and you’ll have it by February 14th or 15th!”
I want to stress that, all through this ordeal, I’ve made it a personal goal:
a) not to let this situation raise my blood pressure, and
b) not to become that raving lunatic customer that everyone at the call center knows is a nutcase.
At this point, though, I have Officially Had Enough.
“Ben, that’s not acceptable. We’ve had delay after delay, I’ve been lied to, and I’ve been given the run around more times than I’m going into on this call. Someone there approves these numbers. I want to talk to that person, right now, today.”
“Your request was just submitted yesterday,” Ben said. “It takes a week to ten business days to process.”
“Just yesterday, Ben, I was told my request had reached the final level of approval — that your people were talking to the local store, determining the equivalent replacement television, and on the verge of issuing the code I need. Now you’re telling me I’ve got another ten days to go? No. I want to talk to someone right now who can tell me why I can’t get a straight answer from any Circuit City employee.”
Ben offered to let me talk to David, who was one of the reps who worked with me yesterday. “I’ll transfer you to him, and maybe he knows something I don’t and can help.”
Yes. I’m an idiot. I fell for it.
Ben transferred me to voice mail. David is another of those employees who never calls back.
Screwed by Circuit City
So where are we? I started out with a great television that developed a slight fan noise — an irritation, really, but not a critical repair by any means.
Now, a full fifty-two days after my very first call to Circuit City to activate my Circuit City Advantage Plan, I’ve:
– got a broken, worthless television in the back of my car
– gotten a long list of promises, none of which have panned out
– logged more than four hours of telephone time with Circuit City reps
– never received a call back from any rep who promised one.
And I still, despite my best efforts, do not have the Holy Grail of The Circuit City Advantage Plan: the exchange code I need to swap my worthless television for a working one.
To top things off, I fully expect to be screwed yet again by the exchange process (if and when that approval code ever comes).
Last week, Jerrazz told me I’d get an equivalent television or full store credit for the new purchase price to apply to another television if an equivalent wasn’t in stock. Now, the Circuit City reps are saying, “Now, you know, you might not get the exact same t.v. It’s not a feature-by-feature swap. Your last television might have had picture-in-picture; this one might not. Your last television might have been a Samsung; this one might be another brand. Your last television might have been 46 inches; this one might be a different size.”
So much for, “If you put your leg through the screen, they’ll replace it with a brand new t.v. just like this one.”
I’m going to call one more time this afternoon; I don’t expect any miracles. In fact, I fully expect Circuit City to stretch this entire affair out long enough for my protection plan to expire (and it will, on March 15th), and then say, “Oh, I’m sorry, but your television is no longer covered.”
But, whatever happens, I do know this: I will never, ever, ever be fooled into buying a Circuit City “City Advantage Protection Plan” again … mostly because I will never, ever, ever buy anything from Circuit City again.
How did things turn out? Here’s the rest of the story.
Thanks a Million all you guys sharing your comments about the Circuity CITY’s “DISadvantage Protection Plan” I was about to take their plan for my Samsung LCD TV. Thanks GOD and thanks to you ppl for opening my eyes and I am not going to get into this Circuit CIty’s TRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks a Million all you guys sharing your comments about the Circuity CITY’s “DISadvantage Protection Plan” I was about to take their plan for my Samsung LCD TV. Thanks GOD and thanks to you ppl for opening my eyes and I am not going to get into this Circuit CIty’s TRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did we ever tell you the story of when Jeri went to an auto dealer to trade in her car so they took her car for a test drive but in the meantime she decided that she was getting the run around so she asked for her car back but was greeted with “We can’t find your keys.” so she climbed up on the main receptionist’s desk and started cursing at the top of her lungs…..and the keys appeared immediately!!! I’m not suggesting that you try this but…..maybe I send Jeri to help get their attention?????
Circuit City Dis-advantage Protection Plan
cityadvantage protection plan – my lack of customer service.
LEts start off with my purchase of my TV a Panasonic CT 26WX15 26″ TV. This TV was great, we bought it because it had the best picture in the store and all of the features I wanted like plenty of connectors, HDTV, flat screen, and wide screen. I bought this TV on 12/11/05 and loved it untill early December 2006 when the picture started shifting off to the right. I tried calling about the TV on two different occasions and gave up after being on hold for over 30 minutes. On the third try I got through to someone and they told me to contact a local TV repair center. Well after talking to the repair center and them telling me I need a number from Circut City to authorize the repair. Again I started with the calls and after many failed attempts I finally got some one to give me the information to get it fixed on 12/30/06. That night the picture went out completely and I took the TV in for repair and was told it would be about 10 days.
I leave not happy about not having the TV but hey, great, it will be fixed.
After 12 days I call and check on TV, they tell me they are running about 10 days behind. OK, not happy but it will be fixed, they have ordered parts.
Flash forward to 02/19/07 the TV shops calls but I can’t answer because I am sitting in a Emergenry First Responder Class. I figure my TV is ready so I will call in the morning and finally get my TV back.
I call and get the bad news on 02/20/07 that my TV can’t be fixed and will have to be replaced. It TOOK THIS LONG TO FIGURE THAT OUT! Ok they replaced some parts but that wasn’t the problem, it was the circuit board but you can’t get them anymore and they won’t refinish them.
Well I spend about 2.75 hours on the phone today to find out what my next step is only to be hung up on twice and had my transfered call lost about 5 times. I talked to Cindy and was lost in a transfer and to a Candice who told me it would take around 72 hours for some one to call me back about replacing my TV.
Well I went to the TV shop and got my TV to take back to the store and went there to see about another TV. The manager at the Spartanburg, SC Circuit City then tells me that my protection plan doesn’t provide a comprable TV because they don’t make it anmore. And if I wanted one I would have to spend more money on a more expensive TV because its just my tuff luck they don’t make that style anymore. He tells me they will give me credit of what I spent on the TV to put toward another TV that fore the same money is not even in the same ballpark as my TV and down to a 20 inch unit.
When I asked the manager to show me what was comprable to my TV he dissapeared for around 30 minutes before comming back out and giving me a story how I was stuck and would have to spend about another 300-500 Dollars to get a simular TV in picture quality and functions.
This is a far cry from the “if anything happens to your TV we will fix it or replace it with the same quality or better TV, and they will do their best to fix it so they don’t have to replace it.”
I can not recomend the (Cityadvantage Protection Plan) to anyone if it is just used to get you stuck will having to spend another $100.00 for the plan to only have to shell out 300-500 more dollars a year later because they no longer carry that TV. To me that seems like a form of entrapment that you spend more money to be locked into a deal where you have to spend double what you paid for in the first place to get a comparable TV.
I don’t know how this is going to turn out but I after buying TV’s, computer packages, video cameras, and lots of other things I don’t see me ever going back to Circuit City again in the near future.
Contact the Attorney General in your state and file a complaint they will certainly help!
You know what… Man, I wouldn’t do anything w/out getting that protection plan on my tvs and my desktop. I’ve gotten nothing but top notch service and it’s amazing how the response time was to the problems I have encountered w/my electronic purchases. I love my tv and that’s the last thing I ever have to worry about when i get off work ya know. So I mean, everyone’s experience is different, but I KNOW that w/out it, I would have just spent alot of money, and just kept my fingers crossed that my manufacturer wouldn’t just piss on me when I had a difficulty.
I purchased a 32″ LG LCD (32LX1D) from the local Circuit City store here in Columbia Sc in January of 2006. I had been in the market for a flatpanel for a while and this model topped everything else out there featurewise. I found an open box model at a reasonably low price. The friendly sales guy advised me to get the cityadvantage protection plan along with the tv incase there would ever be any faults with it. So I wnt ahead and purchased it for the extra 349.99.The Tv worked great, excellent picture and great features. Recently the tv started making loud cracking noises from the speakers. Even though I turned the speakers off within the menu they still made the noise. On May 1st I decided to contact Circuit City to have it checked out. So I go and pull out my kit with the phone number and give them a call. My call is answered rther quickly and a nice young lady takes my info and gives me my IHR Number. She advises me that a Grahams TV Service is the local contracter for my area and they will contact me the same day to schedule an appointment. About 2 hour later the phone rings and Grahams Tv service was on the line just to quickly ask the model number. I asked if they watn to set up a pick up and the lady just replied no no somebody will call you later to set up a pick up time. On May 2nd my phone rings and a gentleman says he can pick the tv up on May 3rd around 1730.
May 3rd: Nobody shows and at 2000 the gentleman calls to say he got delayed and schedules pick up for May 4th.
May 4th: Gentleman comes to pick up my TV and tells me it will be around 1 to 1 and a half weeks to get it fixed at the most.
May 15th: I get curious and have not heard from Grahams so I call them up. The secretary tells me that they are working on it and to call back May 16th with an answer!
May 17th: I call Grahms Tv back and am told that my Tv has not been started to be worked with. When inquiring why I could not get an answer.
May 17th: I call circuit city and after explaining my dissatisfaction am transfered to escalations. I speak with Shamika who informs me that there is not much that I can do at this time and need to wait for Grahams to work on the television. She informs me that Grahams gave here a time frame of May 21st for a ready time!
May 21st:I contact Grahams TV Service just to be informed we forgot to pick up the remote and can’t begin work until we get it. Later that day the remote will be picked up. I turn around and call Shamika to inform her of this and am informed that there once again is nothing I can do but wait. She tells me that if the repair exceed 23 dqays it will be exchanged! So I am happy with that thinking I will get it exchanged next week cause surely it will not be fixed until then!
May 29th: No word from Grahams. I decide to attempt to call Shamika with no success. Just get the voicemail. Never received return from my mesage. I begin from scratch and talk to the service peole in the call center and explain my situation. I am now thransfered suposedly to escalations. I was transfered to GE. I go through the motions just to be informed why did they transfer you to me we do not deal with circuit city. I can give you a phone number though and transfer you to the correct person who can assist you. So I get transferee yet again to the 888-333-2333 number and have to start from scratch.Finally I get transferred to a Mr Melvin Gates with excalations. I explain to him the situation and what Shamika had told me. I said the 23 days are up and what I need to do to begin the exchange process?Mr Gates informs me there is no such thing as the 23 day rule.I am beginning to get frustrated and trying to stay calm. Mr Gates says he will check my records to see what is going on.He then informs me that Circuit City has denied the repair but it does not state as to why. He continues to expalin that usually this means the repair is more than the tv is worth. And this would constitute a exchange. He would contact grahams to try and figure out what the problem is.
June 1st: I contact Mr Gates who does not answer his phone. I go through the motions and begin from scratch and am now being told by Raz that the wexchange has been started and gives me an exchange # of 630469 and explains it will take 7 to 10 business days and someone will call me with my exchange authoriztion. He politely asks if my tv is still with the vendor and promises me that he will call so the tv can be returned to me because I need the tv to get it exchanged.
June 4th: I call Grahms to see if Circuit City contacted them and am informed that nobody has called to update him on the status and he is waiting on further instructions.
I contact Circuit City. I get trough to Mr. Gates by accident, he must of not checked his caller ID at the moment.He calls grahams as I am on hold to give him instructions. I ask to have him wait while I verify with Grahams that he actually called and he did. He informs me that my exchange is being processsed and that it is in the resaerch phase as of right now. Should have an answer by Wednesday June 6th. He promised to call me when he has the authorization code for me.
June 6th: The day comes and goes.
June &th: I contact Mr. Gates with no luck and just a voicemail message again. I leave a message and get a hold of him after lunch when he informs me again your claim is in resaerch and it should be complete shortly. I told him this is not good enough for as long as I have been waiting. I am placed on hold and when he comes back he says he spoke with my case manager who never answers her phone by the way. She supposedly is getting it expedited if you can give me a number where I can reach you I will call you by end of busuiness day.The day ends and yet again no phone call.
June 8th; I attempt to contact both Mr Gates and the case manager without success.I then call the 888-333-2333 number and go on a wild goose hunt with the call center employees who tell me I need to speak with escalations cause they have no record of my file. So I ask to be tranfered just to get another call center employee and have to start over. Then I again am being put on hold and told that they would transfer me straight to escalations and I am being put on hold for 5 minutes just to be hung up on as soon as the phone is picked up.
I have yet to manage to get a hold of somenone in Circuit City that can give me an answer of what is going on. All I get is false promises and hang ups.Will keep you posted on this situation!
I as well am having issues with circuit city advantage.WhaI am doing is calling Circuit city customer relations 800-843-2489 then select option 7. If this doesnt work I am going to write a couple of letters to the corporate headquaters.
Circuit City’s Store Support Center is in Richmond, Virginia. The address of our Store Support Center is 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA, 23233
And send it to all of these people
Philip J. SchoonoverChairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerGeorge D. (Danny) Clark, Jr.Executive Vice President; Multi-Channel SalesDavid L. MathewsExecutive Vice President; Merchandising, Services and Marketing Ronald G. CuthbertsonSenior Vice President, Supply Chain and Inventory Management Philip J. DunnSenior Vice President, Treasurer and Controller Reginald D. HedgebethSenior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Eric A. Jonas, Jr.Senior Vice President, Human Resources John J. KellySenior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager Irynne V. MacKaySenior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager William E. McCorey Jr.Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer Steven P. PappasSenior Vice President, President – Small Stores Marc J. SiegerSenior Vice President, General Manager – Services Peter C. WeedfaldSenior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer Marshall J. WhalingSenior Vice President, Retail Operations Randall W. WickSenior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager
Yeah, the screen in my laptop burnt out only a year after I bought it with the Circuit City Plan. I was told it was a common problem and that it would be shipped off, repaired, and back within 1 week and a half. Stop by 2 weeks later to pick it up. Yep, it hasn’t even left the store yet. I was told that it needed a new hard drive. I don’t know much about computers however I do know that what the hard drive does has nothing to do with what is physically wrong with it. It’s been a month now, I don’t know where my laptop is or if I will ever see it again. Circuit City will never receive another penny from my pocket. My estimate is that they will go bankrupt within 2 years. Short Sellers take note.
Another Disgruntled Service (dis)Advantage customer here. I purchased Samsung DLP from CC – bought the first year protection plan – within one month – the first Color Wheel failed. Nervous that this might become a troublesome TV – I renewed 3 more years of Advantage Plan coverage. Another TV failure… this one requiring a new DLP engine was completed the day before my first year contract expired – Since then… Another DLP engine failure one month later – then Two new Digital Boards replaced – and now – another DLP engine failure. Sounds like a Lemon Guarantee candidate…. NOT TO Circuit -City! Their position is that repairs within 30 days (even when additional unrelated parts are replaced) are part of the same repair – even though this provision is not stated in their service contract in any way. I’ve gone through MONTHS of a broken TV – clearly a product that should be replaced at this point with no resolution. I am not a fan of legal action – but when Circuit City is this abusive to this many people – we need to organize a Class Action suit to get their attention.
Yes, I understand this whole situation and I will never ever ever ever shop at Circuit City as long as I live. I had a situation over the weekend where all I needed was a number to get a replacement for my iPod. The customer service manager didn’t know what number I needed or what I was talking about. Then, after a few words of debate on whether they can print up a receipt for me or not, I finally told the manager that the associate who was looking up the protection plan information had written down a number and he told me he had that slip in his hand. I told him that’s the number I need, so he basically threw the slip of paper at me and scurried off into his office with no “have a nice day” or “thank you sir.” Nothing. It turns out I couldn’t replace the iPod anyway because their protection plan only covers ONE replacement. If it goes dead again within the replacement period, too bad!
This is happening to us right now. My fiance just ship our TV off and it will be month on Monday. I called the supervisor and they are not taking us seriously. I will never buy from them again. The guys took our TV before Xmas and told us the part is delay due to the holidays. We called the slimeyrepairman 1/8/2008 after the holidays and he said our parts are not in and will be in in two weeks again. Same day, we called Circuit City service rep and she called them and he lied and say our parts are in. Does Circuit City employed dirty crooks to repair and steal our TV? Someone need to report them to the attorney general.
I am also very dissatisfied with Circuit City Protection Plan. I bought IPODs for my children for Christmas and one got broke and it was replaced with a used unit. I contacted Apple and they would have replaced it with a brand new IPOD, not a used.Now Apple says that the serial # is not valid. Here I sit with a broken used IPOD and a line of crap from CCPP. I’m not giving up because 300.00 dollars is alot of money to give up without a fight. Attorney General here I come.
I bought a laptop from Circuit city in Burlington, MA on July 19, 2006, after my old laptop’s screen accidentally broke. The sales person suggested that I buy the protection plan for my new laptop. He showed me the pamphlet, with a list of items covered in the plan, and circled each one of them, including the item that states that any accidental damage to my laptop is covered. I read the paragraph and noticed that it says “on select gear” so I asked the sales associate about it and he striked out the “on select gear” and added “SCREEN PROTECTION” to assure me that the accidental damage to my screen is covered.A couple of weeks ago, the screen on my new laptop broke accidentally, and now Circuit City refuses to repair it. They claim that the accidental damage is not covered in MA and ID, and when I asekd why an MA store would include this on their protection plan and sell it to customers, they said they cannot print a different plan for each state.By the way, I read all the fine print which indicates that “some restrictions apply, refer to the plan details or talk to the sales associate”, and I did talk to the sales associate.Worse than that, when I went back to the store and asked about the sales person, they told me he no longer worked there. I told them I saw him in the store a couple of weeks ago, and they said this is his cousin who looks like him… Can you believe it????
Another very dissatisfied customer of the protection plan. Let’s just say a samsung DLP (samsung seems like a theme) has now taken over 2.5 months to find out it can’t be fixed. I’m in the process of trying to get a new one…sure am looking forward to it. NO MORE CIRCUIT CITY AND CERTAINLY NO MORE ADVANTAGE PLAN FOR THIS CUSTOMER!!!!
Well I used to work there and can tell ya it’s all a load of BS. eff the in home repair BS you were better off having them give you a new tv. The way things are made today though it wouldn’t surprise me if all the tvs make that noise when they power down there fans to keep the light cool if you don’t like it get an LCD way better and less upkeep
Circuit City Protection Plan:A bunch of BULL! A pure rip-off if I’ve ever seen one. OR BEEN SCREWED BY ONE. And I JUST HAVE!It’s a simple story. I paid $300.00 dollars when I bought my computer at Circuit City in ’04. A 4 year warrant that they said would start when the Manufacturer’s warranty ended. (Usually after one year for computers/3 years for monitors)Now my DVD Writer and DVD ROM drives are rattling, refusing to spin properly, becoming un-accessible at times and so forth. So I called “City Advantage”.In a “Nut Shell” “Larry” and particularly nasty, full of himself and narcissistic employee of City Advantage did all he could to prove that they didn’t have to do anything unless I experienced a “complete hardware failure”.Nevermind the trouble I’ve been having with them. The constant rattling (which he heard over the phone)when you put a disc in and the fact that I’ve been a network engineer for 18 years and know what I”m talking about!All their “troubleshooting” aims are meant to do is to absolve them from having to do anything. All while they have my $300 dollars!This, People is a complete RIPOFF!***DON”T BUY CITY ADVANTAGE***IT”S A SCAM. THEY WILL NOT FIX YOUR COMPUTER!!***
Another Circuit City Protection Plan victim. My Samsung LCD started making a clicking noise and would not power on. I had the TV a little over a year. I called put in a service call on June 30th and service was scheduled on July 2nd. The servicer Advanced Video called me back on the June 30th stating that they had to order a part and my service would be scheduled when the part comes in (7-10 days). I called Circuit City on July 13th since I had not received a call and to indicate that the whole situation was odd since I never had a tech come out to trouble shoot. I was placed on hold while the servicer was contacted and then informed that the part was ordered but never received. What has now become their standard script was coined “we have flagged your call for follow up and you will receive a call tomorrow”. Finally I called again on July 18th they said they had the part and the tech would be there soon. The tech called the next day to say he would be at my house in 30 minutes which he came about 2 hours later with the wrong part. Now every time I call about every 2-3 days I am told I will receive a call tomorrow. Needless to say many tomorrows have come and gone without any follow up. This is totally mind blowing that so many people are have this problem with the protection plan on Samsung TV’s. I am going to contact the manufacturer as well as the media to complain about this. Circuit City feels that 21-45 days for a service call is reasonable and even stated that they do not specify a time frame for repairs in their agreement purposely.
Well I know what you people are going through. I spent over 3 hours on the hone from CC corporate customer service to the rude nasty liars in the warranty dept. I bought the service plan for a laptop which expired 6/0/08 needless to say the monitor died the first of August. So I called Compaq and discussed the cost of repairs etc. they quoted me upto $678.00 but what opened my eyes was the woman I was talking to said that the computer has a 1yr manuf. warranty and that CC warranty should pick up after that. So I’m reading the recipt and right there in black and white it says all benefits basically kick in after the manufacturers warranty expires. So wouldn’t that mean I would have until 6/1/09 on the monitor? The warranty dept told me thats not the way its supposed to be “interpreted” and the 2 girls in corporate office told me I was right so I filed a complaint needless to say I know it won’t go anywhere. I also filed a complaint with the AG’s office and a local TV station even if I don’t get what I believe is rightfully mine I will make sure I make it very publi. I have bought many computers, tv’s and other products from CC but never again and what was even more disheartening I said that to the “supervisor” in the warranty dept. she said nothing not even a I’m sorry you feel that way absolutely nothing. They have lost me as a customer and my family and I’ll sit here and suck wind with a 2yr old computer who’s monitor doesn’t work!!!!!
I too went through this terrible ordeal. HOWEVER, after many many calls and relentless pursuit of my new TV, I finally got one. And sure, by the time I needed it the same TV wasn’t available, but I got a comparable one with way more features for no more $$$. And all this in the last 6 months of my 5 year Advantage. SWEET…in the long run.
HELP! Who do I contact in order to resolve a laptop thats 10 weeks old, in to be repaired twice and now being told cannot return without 4 repairs to manufacture, or wait a month to have it returned to me if they sent it in. I just spent $1000.00 on laptop and repair warrenty. I recieved HORRIBLE treatment at store by acting manager, filed a complaint, filed a complaint with corp, nothing. Any help as to who i can talk to beyond the phone operators?