42" Plasma Television Set

Circuit City, City advantage protection plan/AKAI

Circuit City Nicholasville Road Lexington, Ky store #841

Store Manager Anthony Grote

Phone # 859-276-4844

On 6/19/04 my wife and I purchased an AKAI 42” Plasma Television for 3000$. We also purchased that day the protection plan for $560.40. We paid for it by using out Visa Debit card and took it home the same day. The ticket number for the transaction is 084103047704.

Around November of that same year I had to call the City Advantage protection people due to a problem with the set. 1-2 weeks later a Technician came out to the house and evaluated the set. He determined that it needed a board replaced. This board for replacement had to come from AKAI themselves over seas somewhere. This took approximately 6 weeks to receive replacement board.

In December 2004 or January of 2005 the Tech returned to the house to replace the defective board. This did not fix the problem. The Tech then called Akai back and they agreed to replace the Television with a new one. The new set arrived at our home in February 2006 and the old set was returned Via Eagle Air freight to AKAI.

Again in November of 2005 I had to call the Circuit City Protection plan for a new television problem. They scheduled a service call for December 13 2005. They issued IM# IM4195157. The Tech arrived and diagnosed the problem with the set. He attempted to call AKAI service to no avail. Tech stated that he would give me a call back as soon as he hears something about this particular problem. Tech never called back. I finally had to call Circuit City Protection again to get an update on the status of the repair. They had no information.

On January 4th 2006 after several calls to Circuit city protection I finally got a claim number assigned to this problem, Claim number G561118 Akai at that time agreed to exchange the set. On January 6th Circuit City Protection called the house and leaves a message that the RMA package is being sent out to us Next day. On January 9th my wife stays home from work to receive the package, NO package arrives. I immediately that evening, call Circuit city protection and get a tracking number for the package. UPS has no record of that tracking number. The package was not shipped on Friday as we were told it would it finally ships Monday evening 2nd day So, My wife then again on Wednesday 1/11 has to stay home from work to receive the package.

We finally receive the package on Wednesday, My wife and I proceed to Store Number #841 where the exchange is to occur. We immediately go to the exchange counter and attempt to get some more information on how this exchange is to occur. We are told by the associate in returns that we have received an 1800$ credit to get our replacement television. Mind you that we paid 2999.97 for the set less than 2 years ago and two televisions set ago. Needless to say my wife and I are extremely upset at this point. There is no way that were going to take a hit of 1200$ for AKAI’s and Circuit city’s problem. My wife and I leave the store at this point.

After returning home I call the store and speak with one of the managers on duty. He responds to my inquiry about the 1800$ credit as follows. Return the set and we will provide you with an exchange of a comparable set. I am encouraged by this, I return to the store that evening. I met with the on duty manager Ed personally and he was very helpful. He offered 2 sets to do the exchange with. Neither of which will work without some modifications in our living room due to size constraints. While I’m there with the manager I ask about the Protection plan on the new set. He advises me that once the exchange has been done the old protection plan is cancelled. I asked him if they pro-rate the balance of the plan. He stated no that they do not.

I then return home. Meanwhile my wife has been reading the protection plan contract and directly in the contract it stats that the balance of the remaining contract upon cancellation will be prorated based upon 100% of the remaining portion of the contract purchase price.

On Saturday 1/14/06 I return to the store and speak with Ed the manager on duty that day. We spoke more in depth about the Customer Protection Plan. I showed Ed that no where in the contract does it say that the contract will be cancelled upon replacement of items. Back in February 2005 when they replaced the Television the first time the contract rolled over into the replacement set. Ed took my copy of the contract and went off someplace. About 5-10 minutes later Ed returned and stated that nowhere in the contract does it say it will be cancelled and no where does it say it will be transferred. Ed then informs me that it’s the store practice that the Service Contract be considered done upon exchange. Also at this visit I was able to convey to Ed that this return isn’t being issued by Circuit City that it’s AKAI that has authorized the return to them. The RMA package came from AKAI and the return shipping label enclosed in that packet is addressed to AKAI. It’s AKAI’s paperwork which states that they will credit Circuit City 1800$ for the return. Ed is then sort of speech less, and states that he has never dealt with this kind of return before. He stated that I needed to speak with the Store Manager Anthony Grote. Ed returns to the back of the store and returns. Ed tells me that Anthony is scheduled to work on Sunday 1/15/2006 from 3 in the afternoon till close, and asked if I could return or call at that time. I agreed to this.

On Sunday 1/15/06 I returned to the store at 3:30 P.M. Ed was there but Anthony was not. Ed informed me that apparently Anthony needed to do a store inventory last evening and worked all night. Basically, stated that he would not be in that day. Ed then makes copies of all of my paperwork that I received from AKAI takes my phone number and says that he’s going to lay this on Ed desk so he will see it first thing in the morning 1/16/06.

Monday, 1/16/05 Called Circut city today and finally got to speak with the manager in person. Anthony stated that he was waiting on Thge protection plan people to give him a claim number....Mind you this claim number was assigned back in December. He then stated that he wolud be giving me a call back sometime today.....Ugggghhhh How frustrating. I contacted the BBB we'll see what happens.

I need someone to help me in this situation. I’m not willing for Circuit City to take my three thousand dollars plus the balance of the service contract plus the eighteen hundred dollars form AKAI. This would be a grand total take on Circuit Cities part of 5360.37$ taken in exchange for a 2200$ television set with no service agreement. This situation would net circuit city 3360.37$ This in my opion is outright fraud.

My wife and I are totally fed up at this point with this whole process. We’ve had this set for about 1.5 years and in that time have only had about 8-10 months with no problems. I realize that that this is mostly AKAI’s problem but, Circuit City should stand behind the products that they sell.

Jason Suedkamp