Avoid it. Review on Unilet, Bangalore

We recently went for the LG LH90QR - Led TV from this unilet, BTM-2nd stage showroom and here's the buying experience. Price-wise -it didn't make much difference from other showrooms and so being closest went to this showroom. Most TV's remain switched off here most of the time in this 'TV-showroom".

Only when u ask - they connect some temporary cables across the room and turn on the specific model to try and explain. Anyway, we closed on a price and they said they have this in their stock and they'll deliver by 9 pm the same day (and I was talking to them at 7.30 pm on a Sunday). He also gave me the standard LG 50-movie pack.

The delivery also happened and the boy put in on the stand and did a brief demo-play. It was already 9.30 pm - we quickly wrapped up.

Next day during the day, the LG-company person came to demo the TV and went.

I went to the showroom to get the warranty-card acknowledgement and the display space where we saw the TV was awkwardly vacant. I got the acknowledgement - and the sales-person Mr. Syed took me outside the showroom to discuss. I came back.

Next day one of the LG technicians again called about installation and he was asking whether we are sure of the TV that we bought. He was asking whether this model is new etc. So it kind of confirmed my suspicion - that the SAME DISPLAY unit that we saw in the showroom has been sold/delivered to me.

Evening I go back to the showroom to find out about this, and the salesperson initially says - they have sent the unit to the godown etc. Upon further insisting - he agrees to swap the unit. [That is -- THEY AGREED THAT THEY HAVE SOLD THE DISPLAY UNIT. Thank god, it couldn't have been a refurbished one, as it was one of recent models].

Next day morning - the new unit hasn't arrived at the showroom yet. So in the evening we went again, that time met both Devarajan(sales person) and Syed (??). When I ask him how it happens, the explanations from Syed, come like this.

• "We can't stock every model/every brand here. so we routinely sell the units like this".

  
  




• "What we sold is a new-model only" [When we are talking about the specific piece,

  
  

he's talking about the model. another distraction tactic?].

• "We have customers who really want to get, what they see. They only want display units".

  
  




• "We have 8 other stores, we could get you an unit from anywhere" (another display unit?)

  
  

Finally after hearing all this, we insisted on the TV - unit change and also wanted some other compensation for the lapse (in the form of 1-year fee for the AMC). Mr. Syed - immediately rang up few LG people (Mr. Murali - from customer center, Mr. Balaji from branch-manager's office etc). I gave them all my piece of mind, about this bad experience. Syed said - he will talk to his boss and let me know about the AMC-compensation part in 2 days.

Finally the old-unit was replaced with new-unit. The old-unit had the same manufacturing date, but a newer-serial number #109. Now the new unit - that they have given is with the same manufacturing date, but with a older-serial number #58 or something. (So I never know, whether this is new or a display unit from some other unilet stores??)

Next day - again another LG person, Mr. Sujoy - came by and helped re-run the demo. Upon my insistence, he also left the wall-mount kit - but requested to use the company's free-installation-service within 1-yr - if I needed. We went to the showroom 3 days later - and met Syed again. This time - he coolly says - he has already resolved my issue - by replacing the TV and the matter ends there. No talk about the AMC-compensation, I asked for. [Obvious, what do you expect ?].

About Unilet Stores:

As said above, be cautious - when the stores are vying for your business. they might be selling all kinds of display/returned/refurbished products etc, or put you through delivery/installation hassles etc. After this case, definitely Unilet is on my black-list, even though - other showrooms might also be doing similar practices. Lesson to watch for on my next purchase. (They have row of fridges, washing-machines, Samsung-LED TV series in display. Buyers beware).

About the LG LED TV

Anyway - TV itself is neat, LED-TV, with good clarity, decent sound, bluetooth etc.

the only drawback is, it plays only certain video-formats from USB-drive (perhaps an external dvd-player with versatile usb-play - is what most people use).

Regarding the purchase,

1) LG has to have some way of distinguishing - whether the product has been opened or not. (The package is such that I couldn't distinguish even whether the replacement unit is new or not. Anyone could open it up (but for plastic packs) and repackage them, especially, showrooms like this.

2)The best way is to take the delivery-responsibility away from the showrooms, if possible.

3)LG-technicians made a whole fuss about leaving the wall-mount kit with me. I mean, I want to decide where to keep the TV (and also should be able to change my mind). They have a time limit within 1-yr - to be eligible for free-installation service. I asked them to leave the kit with me. Later they asked again and again - within 1 year to take their service only. Instead of hiring external people. (I guess, if we do with someone else,

warranty will be questioned).

4) These TV's are made in India- but come with just 1 year warranty. Additional warranty is being offered in the form of AMC, with about 15k+ for additional 4 years. This seems like high, considering already the price of these units are higher. Wondering if anyone else had any experience with this warranties/service.

thanks and regards,

vijay.