Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- With the Superbowl coming up, TV sales are expected to jump. If you’re interested in such an investment, be sure to consider how much it'll cost you to fix it if it breaks.
Allen Bidwell was told he'd have to pay over $2,000 to fix a TV that he bought two years ago for $1,600. The warranty has run out.
“About a month ago, it started acting up. The screen has been pixelating when I start it up and there have been gaps in the TV and it freezes up on me,” Bidwell said.
Bidwell jumped online and found a list of complaints for the same problem -- whistling noises and lines through the middle of the screen. Allen says SONY offered a replacement for $900, plus service fees.
TV salesman Paul Clark said, “I think they have some sticker shock if they are out of warranty and have no extended warranty.”
Clark, who works for Ra-Lin in Syracuse, has been selling electronics for three decades. He's seen the need for repairs rise with more sensitive technology. LCD panels are sent out every week for customers who have extended warranties.
"I think all the people who do cash in on the warranty are pretty happy, because most of the time, their TV is not repaired, as much as it is replaced,” Clark said.
With parts and labor, one repairman told us fixing an LCD panel alone is 80 percent of the cost of a brand new TV. Clark says most people decide not to purchase extended warranties. Allen Bidwell doesn't think he should have to, particularly after a repairman delivered a diagnosis.
“The thing that irks me the most is that the diagnosis was that it’s a defective LCD panel, not broken, not something that I did. It’s defective.”
Allen just lost his job at Magna International before the holidays and has limited options. He can't afford the repairs or a replacement.
“I'm not in a financial situation to go out and buy a new TV at this moment,” said Bidwell. "My concern is that you expect to get more than two years out of a $1,600 investment."
