Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 36

My PDP-503CMx went down in early November. Two forum members correctly identified the problem as a blown power board - apparently an unfortunate-but-common problem with several of Pioneer's plasma models. See:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/p...3403415,00.html

So, because I purchased an extended warranty (thank God!), and because Pioneer agreed to fix the thing anyway, I was put in touch with STRAUSS PHOTO-TECHNICAL SERVICES, Inc. in Washington, DC. Their service guy paid a visit and said, sure enough, you need a new power supply board and something else he called an "X board." Okay. Whatever. I just want it fixed.

That was nearly TWO MONTHS ago. Several phone calls to Strauss resulted in the same answer every time: "We'll call you when we get the parts." Where, I asked, are these parts coming from? Tokyo? By foot? In this age of overnight shipping, it seems to me that two months is a long time to sit there and wait for a part to arrive.

Sooooo.....my question to you, dear forum members, is: have any of you had a similar experience with Pioneer parts? More specifically, have any of you had experience with Strauss Photo-Technical in the Washington, DC area, and are these folks for real?

Any help or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Greenbelt, MD
Posts: 230

Have you tried contacting Pioneer again and make an official complaint. I have been shopping for a Plasma for the last few weeks deciding between the Pioneer, Panasonic and Fujitsu. One theme common from all of the stores I visited, is that Pioneer provides excellent service. Also try calling Myer Emco, Gramophone or another reputable home theater store to see if they may be able to help you. Good Luck

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Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 36

quote:

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Originally posted by Sharon L
Have you tried contacting Pioneer again and make an official complaint. I have been shopping for a Plasma for the last few weeks deciding between the Pioneer, Panasonic and Fujitsu. One theme common from all of the stores I visited, is that Pioneer provides excellent service. Also try calling Myer Emco, Gramophone or another reputable home theater store to see if they may be able to help you. Good Luck

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Yes, I'd LOVE to be able to contact some other authorized Pioneer service center in the DC area, but unfortunately my hands are tied; the warranty company sent me to Strauss (so did Pioneer themselves, interestingly!), so I had no choice but to call them and ask for their help.

However, it's now reached the point where I'm going to call the warranty company (RepairMaster) and ask for another recommendation.

PS: Called Strauss again yesterday and got the same shoulder-shrug they usually give - "We don't know anything. We'll call you when the parts arrive. Blah, blah, blah." I also think a call to Pioneer is once more in order, just to find out why they can’t get their parts inventory straightened out. After I do battle with them, you folks can thank me later if, all of a sudden, the Pioneer parts pipeline starts gushing replacement items.

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