Open letter to JVC

Capt Quirk

Capt Quirk

Veteran
To begin with, I am very disappointed with your customer service in general. After calling the service number, I was told that I had reached the consumer division and that they could not help me.

The number I was then given took me to a phone sex recording. After several more attempts, and sitting through several lengthy menus who's main concern was trying to sell more of your products, I got to wait in line, only to be disconnected several times before speaking to anyone.

My original GY-HD100u camera was replaced quickly due to severe image flaws, and I was at first impressed by the level of care. Now that I am having problems with the replacement, your service has so far been a huge disappointment.

At this rate, I am no longer impressed by your quality of product or service. Is this the message you want me to pass on to the other professionals in the video field?

And as a side note, I tried to send this message via the Contact Us form on the JVC site, and was only able to receive an error upon submitting.
 
Thanks Stephen, I got the right number eventually, and kept getting disconnected before I ever spoke to anybody. I called the HQ in Jersey (Long distance) and explained what I had been going through. The lady put me in the queue where I started at number 7 in line. After 5-10 minutes I got down to number 1 in line... and was disconnected. I called the HQ again, told her I had wasted too much time, and that I wanted to speak to a tech. She patched me straight through, and I got to speak to a voice mailbox. Still haven't heard back and that was this morning. I figure if I do hear back, it won't be for a few days. The dipstick that gave me the number to the phone sex was just the icing on the cake though.

But since you are probably as qualified as any of them, what do you think might be the issue? I have less than 50 hours on the cam, this just ain't right.
 
And by the way, I used their authorized service locater, and the place they sent me to said they don't work on cameras. Bastiches!
 
My LCD is almost black. I can't see anything, unless I point the thing at full sunlight, and even then I have to look really hard to notice an image. And no, the brightness button doesn't affect it any.
 
While I don't intend to start a product bashing session, I have found most JVC gear to be seriously unreliable. I had (still have, somewhere in the storeroom) a JVC vision mixer / DVE unit. I have lost count of the number of times it broke down before we replaced it with a Panasonic MX50.
Over the years, we have had VTRs, cameras etc, all of which have had major problems from the outset.

The only JVC equipment I have ever used without any problem at all is a pair of small 3ccd CCTV cameras, which we have in the studio on remote pan/tilt heads.

I guess it could be bad luck, but it all seems too coincidental. JVC have been off my list for a while now...
 
Ok, after 5 days of menus, disconnections, several wrong numbers, 1 phone sex recording, and several unanswered calls and emails, I finally got to the right people and I've been asked to send it in to Georgia. The one service center I called guestimated the repair to be $200 or $300, unless I can get the warranty extended.

Moderators, this thread can be closed.
 
I guess I'm not done yet. After being told to send the camera in to have it evaluated, I got a call this morning. The warranty is out, so they will need to take it apart to write an estimate, and they'll charge me $50 before doing anything.
 
I just got a call from JVC. They want me to send the camera in again, and they will try to waive the $50 charge to look at it, and might be able to repair it at no charge. It sounds to me like I might just get screwed out of another $60 to send it in, as well as at least two weeks with no camera.
 
Ok, now things are moving. I got a call back from a rep that somebody here was kind enough to turn me on to- Thanks Shawn! They are going to send a pick up label for the camera, and if it doesn't appear to be abused, they'll fix it for free. This thing is still like new, and very well cared for during it's 50 hours of use.

So, it's only taken a month, but apparently JVC is giving in, stepping up, and doing the right thing.
 
Latest news on my dilemma- JVC told me to send it in to the shop in Illinois, to which I said I had already paid to send it in to Georgia as I was instructed. After spending $60 to insure it and ship, they wanted $50 before they would even look at it. I also insisted that they send for the camera, which they did.

After about a week, I get a call from a woman at JVC saying that they were waiting on approval to work on the camera, and the bill would be $185. Again, I had to insist that it was a defect, and was supposed to be repaired as a warranty. After checking with her manager, I got another call several hours later, saying it would be taken care of. The camera was repaired, and shipped out the next day, and should be here on the 13th, according to UPS.

As I checked the mail today, I find a bill from JVC for $185, and the only comment regarding the problem- connector off. 3 months of this, because of a faulty connector? And $185 to put it back on?
 
Capt Quirk said:
As I checked the mail today, I find a bill from JVC for $185, and the only comment regarding the problem- connector off. 3 months of this, because of a faulty connector? And $185 to put it back on?
Click to expand...

Looks like its time to get back on the phone.
Go up the food chain as far as you have to - but that is ridiculous, don't pay a penny.

Good luck.
 
I don't plan on it. In fact, I have half a mind to send them MY bill, for wasted time on the phone, money spent shipping and insuring it the first time it was sent in, and for loss of income due to faulty equipment.
 
Capt Quirk said:
I don't plan on it. In fact, I have half a mind to send them MY bill, for wasted time on the phone, money spent shipping and insuring it the first time it was sent in, and for loss of income due to faulty equipment.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, I've been down a very similar road.
What's unfortunate is that I always do my best to try to remain calm and patient, etc etc, in these situations. And its only when I finally get upset that things get resolved. It really is a depressing reality, but I suppose the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

Keep us updated.
 
Even after my second hour of bouncing between menus and queues, I wasn't all that upset. When I was given the number to a phone sex service, I started getting upset. After a couple days of this, calling "Authorized Service Centers" that don't work on video cameras, yeah... I was furious.
 
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