Call Kurtis: Blu-Ray Warranty Woes

ROCKLIN (CBS13) - A Rocklin viewer is starved for her high-def movies. The Blu-ray player she bought less than a year ago stopped working. And when the manufacturer wouldn't honor its one-year warranty she called on Kurtis Ming.

The hole in Kimberley Hefner's entertainment center is where her Blu-ray player was until five months ago.

Her movies and music just haven't been the same since.

"Yeah, the sound just isn't quite there" she says while smiling and holding a small boom box.

In June, Kim shipped her Blu-ray disc player back to the manufacturer, Panasonic, for warranty repair.

She'd only had it six months when it stopped working, so movies would have to wait.

In a few weeks Panasonic replaced hers with a refurbished model, but it didn't work either.

Back it went to Panasonic.

Then Panasonic informed her she'd have to pay for parts this time.

"It was gonna cost $89. And I told them that was ridiculous."

They told her they didn't have the parts because it was so old.

"I said so old? I bought it in January"

Then they told her she'd misused it.

"And I said misused? I said it never worked."

But Panasonic insisted she pay for repairs.

"Eh, that's outrageous."

By now it's July, and her player still had five months of its original warranty left, and it applies to the replacement player too; she'd had enough of Panasonic.

"I said with the service I've gotten from you guys and everything, I said I will not buy another Panasonic product."

Now it's our turn.

We emailed Panasonic's corporate office giving them the details of Kimberley's case and supporting documentation.

That same day they replied, saying that they would "...be processing an exchange to a new model... we have also offered her support if she needs assistance setting up her new unit when it arrives."

That was a Friday, and on Monday: "It's more than I could have hoped for, even."

Panasonic delivered not a Blu-ray player, but an entirely new, upgraded home theater system.

Out comes the first staple from the box, then another.

"Ah, two down" she says, smiling wide.

"Whoa, look at this."

She's like a kid on Christmas morning.

"I'll definitely buy Panasonic next time."

It looks like Panasonic saved a customer.

They really went above and beyond, quickly, but only after we contacted them; that shouldn't have to happen.

Here is what California's consumer law says about warranties:

California Civil Code section 1793.1. (2).
"A buyer of this product in California has the right to have this product serviced or repaired during the warranty period. The warranty period will be extended for the number of whole days that the product has been out of the buyer's hands for warranty repairs. If a defect exists within the warranty period, the warranty will not expire until the defect has been fixed. The warranty period will also be extended if the warranty repairs have not been performed due to delays caused by circumstances beyond the control of the buyer, or if the warranty repairs did not remedy the defect and the buyer notifies the manufacturer or seller of the failure of the repairs within 60 days after they were completed. If, after a reasonable number of attempts, the defect has not been fixed, the buyer may return this product for a replacement or a refund subject, in either case, to deduction of a reasonable charge for usage. This time extension does not affect the protections or remedies the buyer has under other laws."