| I bought what calls itself a RCA 'spacelink 4 universal sattelite
remote. My Daughter took the batteries out of it and deprogrammed it.
Ever since I have been to numerous stores and dealers, on there website
on there dead end phone numbers and constantly reffered back to dead
ends. I have been trying to find someone who knows something for two
weeks now and have yet to talk to a live person, RCA is nothing but a
greedy self centered corporate monster. Mark Tenzi <PikePirate@webtv.net> - Thursday, December 31, 1998 at 18:00:57 (EST) I finally fixed my RCA. I dropped it off of the balcony. Bubba Willis <bigonlife@hotmail.com> College Station, TX USA - Wednesday, December 23, 1998 at 20:26:52 (EST) I too bought a RCA portable cd player and it's showing the same trouble with the esp and/or it will not recognize the disk, showing ND (no disk). It seems to be getting worse, so after reading some stories on this page, I'm beginning to fear for the worst about my player.... Is it just me or are products all over the world just getting worse and worse in quality? It seems lately that everything I buy is of poor quality, breaks, doesn't work (well), etc. What's going on?? Pascal Ponjee <aidan.anne.pascal@bigfoot.com> Heemskerk, Netherlands - Monday, December 21, 1998 at 15:53:37 (EST) My "top of the line" RCA VCR just started playing in black and white. The repair shop tell me I need a new video head for $90 to $100. My machine is 18 months old and needless to say not worth the repair cost. I hav 3 other VCRs of different brands all of which are at least 5 years old with no problems. Definitely an inferior product. How does one contact Thompsonby 1)Phone 2)Mail? I want to write them. J. Dunlap <dunjw@flosc.net> Florence, SC - Monday, December 21, 1998 at 15:49:25 (EST) i purchased a discman by rca, like everyone here i was annoyed when problems started three days after the warrantee The esp (electronic skip protector or something) wouldn't let the first few songs on each disc play.Three days later, the thing just stopped reading cds and displays "nd" no disc. I am led to believe that rca has been conducting research to figure out how long certain components last, judging by the complaints i see that they are getting better. The discman story is particularily intresting because the discman sat on a shelf in my room acting as a cd player for my room stereo, it never left and did not experience any falls or bangs. I know that i will never buy rca again, and will strongly discourage people that want to. I wouldn't mind getting a job in a department store so i could spread the word. tom kulmacz <tomkulmacz@home.com> victoria, canada - Monday, December 14, 1998 at 20:24:23 (EST) I'm a 41 year old male and have fond memories of the days my parents would buy a television that would last at least 20 years. When we finally did get rid of it, it would still be working-not true with RCA (aka Thomson Electronics). About two years ago, I paid approximately $1800 for a 35" Home Theater console model with a CTC179 chassis. Soon after warranty expiration, presto!, no sound. This boat anchor died two days after I left town on business for about three months. My family was forced to watch a standby 13"er while my costly investment sat looking grand on my living room floor. Fortunately, I have an electrical background and think I can fix this thing. My long winded point is, I shouldn't have to, not within two years. I will go out of my way to never again buy an RCA product. Mike Dunn <mikedun@bellatlantic.net> upper marlboro, md - Friday, December 11, 1998 at 17:40:01 (EST) I purchaced a 20" GE (which is the same as RCA) about 3 years ago. I too had the snowy picture problem about 1 1/2 years ago. At that time I was very upset but I thought maybe that's the end of repairs for a while. Well the color is now gone and I will never buy another RCA /GE product again. Oh! at the time I bought the TV I also bought a GE VCR. The VCR lasted for 2 years. To the repairman who says all brands are the same: That's like saying a "Hyundai" is the same as a "Lexus". H. Gowralli <hgowralli@hotmail.com> Calgary, AB Canada - Thursday, December 03, 1998 at 21:09:28 (EST) Hello Could you please tell anything you might know about the following products. RCA tv model # VR321 RCA vcr model #CTC175 I have a nieghbor who is going to sue me but won't tell me how old it is what features etc, so I can determine how much it is really worth. If not please tell me might know. Thank You Paul Paul <pezcleo@ntplx.net> Hartford, Ct USA - Wednesday, December 02, 1998 at 22:40:27 (EST) I have had a RCA with no problems for the last five years until this morning (wouldn't you figure Sunday football)and I have read the entries on this page and I have the same problems white line across the screen then picture expands and it sucks where you can not bear to watch it. I always thought that RCA was a good brand and I should have done research on it. You better believe that I will in the future. If anyone can send me the fix please do at <sgtrone@acsworld.net> Thanks. Ron Everly <sgtrone@acsworld.net> Lewistown, PA USA - Sunday, November 29, 1998 at 13:38:37 (EST) I too, have the misfortune of buying a RCA CTC175A junkpile. One month after the warranty expired the remote stopped working, I bought a universal that fixed that problem. Then about a week later I started to experience the famous shrinking and snowy screen. Sometimes you can tap the sides and it will go away for awhile but eventually it gets worse. I will never buy another RCA or GE which is identical. I also was burned on the NEC TV fiasco, which was so bad they got out of the TV business completely. Robert Stouder <rstoude@worldnet.att.net> Muncie, IN 47304 - Tuesday, November 24, 1998 at 16:05:28 (EST) We too have shrinkage, our CTC187 is three yrs. old, has been repaired once on 9-28-98, and is failing once again. Is there any way we can fix this on our own, TV repairmen must be getting rich off RCA owners! RCA is crap! Please if there are any suggestions on soldering and how-to, please e-mail. I have gotten no where with RCA customer service! Cid <cnarcisc@stny.lrun.com> Corning, NY - Sunday, November 22, 1998 at 21:00:12 (EST) My law firm represents consumers in a lawsuit against Thomson Electronics relating to, among other things, the defective nature of RCA television sets and Thomson's understaffed and unresponsive customer service department. For more information, or if you are interested in participating in this class action, please contact Lee S. Shalov, Esq., Shalov Stone & Bonner, 276 Fifth Avenue (Suite 704), New York, NY 10001, telephone: (212) 686-8004; e-mail: lshalov @ aol&$46;com. Lee Shalov <lshalov @ aol.com> New York, NY USA - Friday, November 20, 1998 at 16:52:57 (EST) I have a 35" RCA Television Model-F35720SB, chasis-CTC169JT5. The set is about 4.5 yearsd old, Recently a problem occured where the top and bottom corners of the screen began to bow outward slightly. I was wondering if anyone is aware of a common repair or service bulletin that would address the repair for this symptom. Rich <rfk@Amherst.com> Buffalo, NY - Friday, November 20, 1998 at 10:54:31 (EST) My Shrinking picture RCA CTC177 has finally blew itself up. Never again. Born 1/95 Died 11/98 Lisa Bloemink <LBloemik@webtv.net> Washngtonville, Ny - Wednesday, November 18, 1998 at 19:06:47 (EST) I bought a 27" RCA TV in 1994. Early on this year we've had non stop intermittent problems with the TV which gradually got worse (snowy conditions, vertical drop, irratic picture, then finally, no sound). We were fortunate enough to be informed that this is known problem by RCA for sets manufactured in '93 & '94 attributed to bad connections within the microprocessor circuit. This is disappointing considering we have owned RCA products for years with out problem. I would caution future RCA purchases without doing any prior reasearch. L.DANTUONO - Monday, November 16, 1998 at 18:07:35 (EST) About 5 years ago I purchased a 19 inch RCA TV at Sears because of my brothers employee discount. I'd gone looking for a 20 inch in another brand that was the same price but (this is known as the old bait and switch) it was'nt "in stock" but an eager sales assistant latched on to me and pressured me into the sale. Mistakenly thinking the RCA was a 20 inch (and RCA a good brand) I bought it. In less than two years the VHF channels began experianceing static that seemed to get worse everyday. Soon the only way to watch the VHF channels was to turn it on on a UHF channel and let it warm up than change to the wanted channel and hope it held out for the show. Sometimes wacking it helped! (both me and the TV) I took it to a repair shop and was told this was a common problem. He repaired it for about $130 and within two years it happened again. As a result I have vowed never to buy another RCA product or deal with Sears ever again! Patrick J. Hunt <gamesman@bellatlantic.net> Portsmouth, VA USA - Sunday, November 15, 1998 at 01:21:42 (EST) I purchased a RCA 27" Hi Fi Stereo TV. I have noticed blotches of green in the upper corners of the screen and thin horizontal white lines across the screen. If anyone else has experienced a similar problem please e-mail me. Adam <achodos@juno.com> NY - Tuesday, November 10, 1998 at 15:46:22 (EST) I have a 32 inch RCA TV. The TV is about four years old. Recently I went to turn on the TV and the power switch blinks off and on. Now it sounds like the power comes on but there is no picture. Can anybody tell me if they have experienced this problem and how it can be fixed. BRIAN <BB5205H@PHS.ORG> ALBUQEURQUE, NM USA - Tuesday, November 10, 1998 at 14:35:50 (EST) Has anyone found, or heard about, used parts in newly purchased RCA TV's ? Lee Shalov <Lshalov @ aol.com> New York, NY USA - Friday, November 06, 1998 at 15:29:47 (EST) I've owned a 35" RCA problem free for 4 years now ..so I guess I've been luckier than most. But now I've encountered the same problem (I think) as noted on this page. About 3 weeks ago my picture began to curve in at the sides, with the top and bottom curved out, making it impossible to read anything in the corners. (Guess where they put all those score boxes on football and baseball games).. Last night, my picture just went black except for a vertical line down the center. In calling for an estimate, I was told that "That could be the vertical something or other, very complicated to diagnose..you're probably looking at >250.00 to fix"... But after finding and reading these stories ...is this what is referred to as the "shrinking" screen ? The "line down the middle" part seems to match my problem. And can someone give me a little more on the soldering fix ? Steve <steve_l_hoffman@hotmail.com> Tulsa, OK - Thursday, November 05, 1998 at 10:51:07 (EST) I have an RCA 32" Home Theater for 3 years. Recently the picture had red diagonal lines going across it. I needed a new transformer (or transducer) which the repairman said was caused by an overload from my surge protector. He said after a year they are no good and to replace it with a real good one. $275 later and a new "real good" surge protector it seems to be OK. Since the warranty was over I never bothered to contact RCA, has anyone experienced this problem? Any luck with RCA/Thompson? Larry <larryherm@aol.com> New City, NY - Wednesday, November 04, 1998 at 13:55:26 (EST) Well my 25" RCA CTC177 wouldn't power on and I found the web page with the LONG list of components to check and number 5 on the list was a shorted 1M resistor, so that was easily fixed, now the same TV is showing signs of the dreaded tuner, shielding problem.. My brother owns an RCA same chassis, similar tuner problem, set is still glitchy. My parents own a 26" same chassis (anyone seeing a pattern) where the picture would warp in on the sides and glitch out.. (They spent a long time with bizarre rituals of wiggling the coax connector) I believe he finally paid someone to fix it.. I understand soemtimes there are defects, but I have yet to hear of **ONE** RCA CTC177 that didn't go bad, and these are <5 yrs old. I hope RCA is proud of the crap they sell. Jason Columbus, OH USA - Friday, October 23, 1998 at 16:17:01 (EDT) VERY INTERESTING SITE! Last week I bought a new RCA Stereo VCR...have yet to configure it into our RCA Satellite System...don't even want to get into it! But, in calling around trying to find help with this problem, a very helpful, kind sole at a local WalMart (don't tell) accidentally gave me an additional 800 number for Thomson which actually has a live (but unhelpful) person at the end. Went thru the 800-336-1900 helpline puzzle until I was dizzy...never talked to a live person after 2 days. Then the new number 800-865-8674 came into my life. They weren't helpful either, but I figure it couldn't hurt them to have a few hundred more phone calls to a live person! Go for it everyone!!! By the way...taking the &*(#&$ VCR back and exchanging it for one that I may be able to use (and might actually last)! Thanks for all the insight! Should be more places like this on the net! Karen <karen-hal@indian-creek.net> Bandera, TX - Tuesday, October 20, 1998 at 00:52:21 (EDT) One thing I forgot to add, each of the tv's that went out were built in the last 4 years!!! According to my roomate, it feels pretty good to hurl your RCA TV out the door and watch it smash on the ground!!! Chad Morreale <c-morreale@tamu.edu> Houston, TX - Saturday, October 10, 1998 at 13:32:16 (EDT) I currently have a 26" RCA TV that is going bad, before that I had a 20" that went out. My brother's 27" went out and my roomate's 25" went bad. That's 4 out of 4... I will never buy another RCA product as long as I live!!!!! Chad Morreale <c-morreale@tamu.edu> Houston, TX USA - Friday, October 09, 1998 at 19:23:00 (EDT) I bought a 32" RCA 2.5 years ago. The screen now has drawn in on both sides. Does anyone have any idea how to fix this? I was told it would take $350 to fix! Steve <sgmcneil@newwave.net> Charleston, WV USA - Tuesday, October 06, 1998 at 14:06:39 (EDT) In Dec of 97 we got an RCA DSS. Well this is being written Sept 26th 1998 and last night the receiver just died. No power no nothing. Well needless to say you know what I think of RCA products now!!!!!!! Did anyone esle have the same problem????? Or is it just me???? rca sat dss <thelees@bewellnet.com> Bond , co Usa - Friday, September 25, 1998 at 08:55:35 (EDT) I bought an RCA CTC 156 7 years ago and have had no problems up to now. However, I have a problem where channels 2-6 are intermitent and 95% of the time do not come in. In addition when using the remote control for channel up scroll, it skips from channel 15 to 54. This has been a real annoyance and thanks to all of the information on the internet including this page I was able to "band aid" the problem. "band aid" solution: Hook up the VCR with your audio/video cables to the TV and use the VCR's tuner as the channel changer. Of course My VCR is also an RCA product. At this time no use in taking this TV in for repair for a problem already known. I think I will just get by until the TV goes completely out which may not be long if those solder joints keep breaking. Jim Birt <jbirt@home.com> Fremont, CA USA - Monday, September 14, 1998 at 00:23:21 (EDT) My husband went out and bought a 52" RCA TV in 1994. The screen recently went blank. I called the company from whom we purchased the TV to find out if the warranty was still in effect and found out that it ran out in December of last year. It seems as if these people time your warranty just right and once it runs out the product dies too. Is there anyone out there who could tell me what it would cost to replace the picture tube of a 52" TV? Anne <annerob@rocketmail.com> Killeen, TX USA - Wednesday, September 09, 1998 at 12:39:37 (EDT) We purchased a 36" RCA tv in 1992. During the 1st year, it had problems but thankfully it was still under warranty. Yesterday it went out. Color faded in and out, went black and white and shut off. We were able to turn it on again but it was only in black and white and shut off again. Now we can't get it to turn on and have called a service company to see what's wrong with it and it'll cost $69.00 just to make a in-home service call. Has anyone else had these problems? Myron Gangestad <jag49@wichita.infi.net> Wichita, KS USA - Sunday, August 23, 1998 at 19:49:00 (EDT) We purchased an RCA PIP model #f27672ET on 12/14/96 with a one year warranty.On 4/01/98 Four months after the warranty ran out.The picture shrunk until their was only a line left. Some way to run a business. From what I have read on these postings Rca seems to be dealing the consumer a low blow. It sounds like a common problem and I will contact N.Y. state attorney General's office to file a complaint. Mabey once the little guy can win one. Robert Bollacker <RBolla7048@aol.com> Schenectady, NY United States - Monday, July 27, 1998 at 17:27:32 (EDT) We purchased an RCA PIP Robert Bollacker <RBolla7048@aol.com> Schenectady, NY United States - Monday, July 27, 1998 at 17:15:17 (EDT) I'm an av tech for a school. I'm working with ctc187 model with tuner problems. Only rca would build the tuner onto the main board itself making it non-replaceable. Bad solder joints indeed! I had the misfortune of first removing the bottom cover. I get to probably bite the bullet for this-they don't sell bottom cover repalcements if you have even the smallest problem with reassembly. I've put so much solder into the tuner area to get rid of snowy picture conditions the tv probably weighs two more pounds. Our ready fix. Switch the input over to video and use dubbing cables from the vcr for our students to be able to use the tv. john - Monday, July 27, 1998 at 15:17:36 (EDT) RCA seems to run hot and cold in my experience. I did have a problem with the flyback transformer on my 1981-model CTC101 (which RCA replaced at no charge, along with the horizontal output transistor), my boss had some problems with cold solder joints on a 1986-model CTC131 and a former co-worker has had the dreaded CTC177 solder syndrome hit twice, but on the other hand my boss's CTC169 and two XL-100 sets my mother has have been working flawlessly for six, seven and twelve years respectively; the first two are working as well as new, while the third shows some *minor* signs of poor focus (and Mom wore out the original remote). My eight-year-old Sony EXR, by contrast, has died twice from the same problem, a power IC in the switching power supply that seems to be weakened by minor power surges. (Yes, I added a surge protector after the first failure.) I bought the Sony to replace my CTC101 because I wasn't that fond, at the time, of the CTC168 that came out at the same time as the EXR; I still like the EXR better, though I now know that the CTC168/169 was a first-rate performer too. Would I buy Sony again? You bet. Would I buy RCA again? Same answer. Ed Ellers <kd4awq@iname.com> Louisville, KY - Friday, July 17, 1998 at 00:09:52 (EDT) How about a nice CLASS ACTION SUIT. Even if the lawyers get all the money. It'll be some ugly press for Thompsons. CD - Saturday, July 04, 1998 at 22:20:52 (EDT) I bought a RCA 20" TV a couple of years ago. Back then i had no money so i bought it at a decent price. The only thing was being cheap was my mistake, because RCA ripped me off. The TV was working fine until a little after the warranty expired. The TV screen will change its palette shade to a greenish color. So all of the colors looks pretty screwed up. Made in USA my ass. I already have bought a nice sony one. But this RCA just sits around the house running prefectly, except with that stupid color defect, and the built in buttons are falling off. If anyone knows how to fix this problem, please tell me. I don't feel like paying a huge wad of cash to some guy to fix a RCA, but i still would like to to work and not make my vision get worse. But i'll tell you this I'm never gonna buy from RCA again. Patrick <Asianunity@juno.com> Springfield, VA USA - Wednesday, July 01, 1998 at 21:06:38 (EDT) Last month I bought a RCA DSS system. On the back of the reciever it has a IR REMOTE INPUT JACK. The IR input jack is designed to recieve a IR singal form from another room. To make it work, I must buy the part or accessory to plug into the IR remote jack. That's fine with me. The problem is, NOBODY SELLS THE PART and NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE REMOTE INPUT JACK DOES!!!!! The sales people at Circut City, Best Buy, DSS specialty stores, and RCA have no idea what the REMOTE INPUT JACK DOES!!! After 30 minutes on the phone with RCA (Thompson), it is clear to me that RCA's Customer Service is a JOKE!! HOW IN THE HELL CAN RCA MAKE A REMOTE INPUT JACK WITHOUT MAKING THE EQUIPMENT OR ACCESSORIES TO USE IT!!! If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please let me know. sjarrell@ktvt.com Scott Jarrell <sjarrell@ktvt.com> Dallas, TX USA - Wednesday, June 24, 1998 at 19:46:09 (EDT) Thomson has total disregard for customer relations. I purchased an RCA dish from them about a year ago. It turned out that they put a different model receiver in the box I received it in. When I had to have it fixed they gave me a real hassle because the model was different than what was on my receipt. They were the ones that reconditioned and packed the unit I bought. I would not ever suggest anyone buy any product from thomson. This is just one of the problems I have had with them. This piece of crap company needs to get back to basics with customer relations Tom Neunuebel <tneu@swbell.net> Florissant, Mo usa - Saturday, June 06, 1998 at 23:30:03 (EDT) Yes, I to have had a very unpleasant experience with RCA. I had finally saved some money over the last better half of year just for the purchase of a camcorder. My day finally came when I was shopping and seen the camera I wanted I decided to go ahead and get it. Well like a lot of other things while looking after 6 grand kids it was almost 2 months since I was even able to take it out of the box. Halloween was comming up and I knew this was the time to use it. I took it out of the case made sure the battery was charged and I even bought two extra tapes. Well the first tape worked how ever the same day Halloween I picked the camera up out of the case and the LCD screen CRACKED!!! I used it one time thats it. Idid not sqeeze hard or any thing it cracked like an egg. I tried to take it back to the store but they told me since it was over 30 days I couldn't get exchange or my money back almost $600.00 down the drain and the 1-800 #s want do any thing for me except for me to take it to a dealer and the lowest cost estimate is $425.95. Some how I have been taken to the cleaners and their is no one to help me. If any one else has a thought of getting a RCA product unless it is an old Reel to reel or black and white TV don't do it. Linda De Ridder Mason, OH usa - Saturday, June 06, 1998 at 21:52:18 (EDT) As one might have guessed, I'm one of the many who mistakenly thought RCA was a reputable brand. I purchased a 27" television only to encounter the (apparently common) shrinking picture problem. Still not convinced RCA was anything other then reputable, I tried the 800 number to see what I could do. After much navigating through an eletronic phone system I got a number for the Consumer Affairs Office. Much to my surprise the number (317-415-4151) which I got from Thompson's own phone message, had been disconnected. That was my first real clue of Thompson's attitude toward the consumer. After further investigation I found that Consumer Reports discussed this problem in an article on appliance repair. In that article they also noted the Thompson Consumer Affairs number, apparently it was still working at the time of that article. That's when I decided to go to the WEB. This page is great. Unfortunatly, most who come here do so after encountering problems. To wake up Thompson and other manufactures that seem to have lost sight of the consumer this needs to get to the public before they make a buying descision. Personaly, I'm going to write a letter to Consumer Reports in the hope that it might be printed for the general public. I'm also going to write Thompson with this message. If nothing else at least I know for now I will not buy or recommend RCA (or GE). Kevin Knipe <kknipe@proxima.com> Sab Diego , CA USA - Sunday, May 24, 1998 at 14:18:35 (EDT) I am an authorized RCA repair center in a small community in Ohio. We have been in business for 45 years so have seen a lot of changes over the years with all electronics. In the ancient days of tubes we would count on one or more service calls per year. Now if a set has any problem in the first 4 years people seem to go ape. Thompson in my opinion has been more than fair in trying to correct the current problem with the connections with aid to consumers on product with date codes of less than 2 years or so. I have given the consumer affair number to all my customers and rarely are they turned down. They are paying the bill. At our shop the fix following the Thompson guidelines takes about an hour or so and we charge a flat bench rate of $65 for the repair. The repaired TV rarely makes a return visit. In my mind the industry as a whole is moving very quickly to the throw away TV. Quality has not been a major consideration for many years now. We fix many brands of TV's at our shop and quite frankly all of them are having the same types of connection problems within the first 3 or 4 years even the Sony and Toshiba that are getting such good words. If your TV is less than 2 years old get the consumer affairs number and get some help. If you can't find a qualified repair center willing to make the upgrade repair then ask Thompson who will in your area. There are many other television makers willing to help consumers with problems if you are persistent and willing to make those calls or write those letters. I have helped many of my customers through the process. Manufacturers will work with reasonable requests from their customers directly ask your servicer for the numbers. Bill Dravenstott Ashland, OH - Thursday, April 23, 1998 at 23:03:54 (EDT) I am a service tech that works on all makes of TVs. RCA did make a defective tv! Yep you gessed it, the famous shrinking screen, bad audio, and snowy picture. This is all due to bad solder connections in the tuner and microprocesor area. Instead of recalling the TV's and fixing the problem RCA acted like there was nothing wrong. The result, well if the set made it past it's warranty period this means big bucks for repair shops. Hey they need to make a living too, but it's at your expense. Every shop that fixes RCA TVs knows about this problem, and it only takes 10 minutes to fix; if you know what you are doing! All you need to do is solder up the large tuner lugs on the bottom of the circuit board, and any larger looking connections inside the tuner! Easy huh. About that erased EPROM, well i've never had to change one yet so I guess the shop decided to float you a big fat bill. Usually the biger the set the more they will charge you. If you have any skills in soldering, it might be worth your time but don't come crying to me when you smoke out your set. Marty <kb9opp@tcccom.net> wausau, WI - Tuesday, April 21, 1998 at 19:23:02 (EDT) yeah,,, and the flyback whining on my XBR SONY, so loud couldn't hear the audio which cost me 150$, after it went out.... face it, your computer you bought last year, is discontinued, and some of the parts are maybe available, hello year 2000.... if you spent 300-400 you get what you pay for... Bill Steffey <wsteffey@interaccess.com> chicago, il - Friday, March 27, 1998 at 11:04:38 (EST) I'm sorry to hear about these bad experiences but am glad they were put out where they could be accessed by the general public. I had just purchase a 32" RCA telvision and, after reading these experiences (and subsequently doing the research I should have done before the purchase) returned it six hours after delivery--Sony here I come! Frank Orem, UT USA - Tuesday, March 24, 1998 at 18:08:16 (EST) I purchased a 27" RCA on November 9th, 1997 and the picture tube is out on February 25...you guessed it after the 90 day warranty. I am told that I will have to pay $90.00 for the labor to fix this piece of $#!$#@. Needless to say, I am pissed and will not purchase another RCA product. jim west <jim.west@juno.com> purcell, ok usa - Tuesday, March 17, 1998 at 23:48:40 (EST) After reading all the angry letters people are writing against RCA products I feel compelled to tell you all about a much larger problem here. First of all you should know that I have owned and operated a TV repair shop for 6 years now. I have certainly gotten my share of RCA TVs, but what some of you are not realizing is that RCA is not the problem. The fact is that a set bought in the 1970's would easily last for 12 to 20 years at a cost of say $600.00. Now for the same size TV - say 25" we pay $299.00 and get many more features.While everything else has continued to rise in price the cost of televisions has plummeted. What looks like a bargain on the shelf is really no bargain. We call it "cost of ownership". That $600.00 TV probably cost $25.00 a year to own over its lifespan but the $299.00 set will cost around $150.00 a year to own. Now say a customer comes to my shop to fix a 1991 RCA TV (an excellent model year) and is faced with a $125.00 bill to repair it. I know the set will probably last for several years but many customers who have had a bad experience in a repair shop will react very emotionally and rip the appliance off my counter. I used to get upset about this but now I have to smile. If they buy a new set they will only be replacing it much sooner or paying someone to fix it. Its not RCA guys...it's the entire industry. Anything made since 1993 is crap! In my shop we repair 25 to 27" RCA TVs for a flat rate of $125.00 and 19 to 20" sets for $95.00. With this comes a one year warranty. I know I'm not ripping off my customers because the sets do last longer once repaired properly than the new ones sitting on the store shelves...saving my customers literally hundreds of dollars and keeping myself in business. If I can't do this they won't come back! Now to my real point in writing this. Manufacturers have started designing thier products to fail in a short time....and I am not talking about RCA. In my shop we have many 1997 models under repair and not one of them is RCA or GE. I see picture tubes in 2 to 3 year old sets failing because the makers are putting very little material in them. In the pre-1990's it was common to put a 25 volt capacitor in a circuit that ran at 12 volts or a 50 volt capacitor in a 25 volt line always using twice the value necessary for the circuit. Today however if I have a 12 volt line it will have a 16 volt capacitor on it. This does two things...it keeps the cost down and us consumers running back to replace the new item with another new item or extended warranty. The irony is that this built in obsolescence creates mountains of plastic and metal cubes to fill the landfills, yet this is not considered a "green" problem -- while people complain about newspapers filling the landfill, which are mostly recycled material anyway. Go figure. Rex Ableman <cannon@pacifier.com> Vancouver, Wa U.S. - Tuesday, February 10, 1998 at 01:23:30 (EST) I purchased my 27" RCA TV in 1993 and in the past year I have spent half again what I paid for this PILE OF CRAP!!!! The screen continues to shrink and the screws that hold the box on have for the most part fallen out, during my consistant drives to the local repair shop.The last time I took this CRAP PILE to the shop there were 9 others collecting dust on the floor!NEVER AGAIN! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I will never buy nor will I recommend anyone buy RCA PRODUCTS!!They should just change their name to Disposable Electronics! John Bremner <agev@nbnet.nb.ca> Fredericton, NB Canada - Tuesday, February 03, 1998 at 21:02:33 (EST) I bought an RCA CTC177 chassis type TV. 6 moths later, DEAD! research on this CTCxxx chassis shows a common set of bad solder joints, and tendancy of the EEPROM to lose its data. It all comes down to one thing, very poor quality, and very bad engineering. What ticks me off is that these problems' are so common, the technicians pages usually refer to it as the "CTC problem" . So we consumers are stuck with the $150 repair bill for a problem that seems KNOWN to RCA ALL ALONG! Now thats REALLY BAD CONSUMER PARCTICE... selling stuff you knew was going to go bad all along? Boycott RCA? YOU BET! Roiz Wolf <roizwolf@earthlink.net> el segundo, ca usa - Sunday, January 11, 1998 at 07:12:05 (EST) We bought an RCA 26" TV from Walmart (the store that is supposed to carry American made products) and in only 4 years the picture tube is going. The Zeinth TV that we had before lasted 13 years. Are electronics not lasting as long even though technology is supposed to be advancing? Mark Kayser <Mark_Kayser@bc.com> International Falls, mn usa - Tuesday, January 06, 1998 at 20:51:25 (EST) I work in the electronics dep't. of a major chain store. RCA TVs on our display usually fail within 9 months- shrinking pictures. The tube warranty is 1 year and we didn't even get that! At least we can return the displays for credit. I feel sorry for customers who insist on an RCA TV, I try to steer them toward a Magnavox if they'll listen. Dave Smith <dasmith17@juno.com> - Tuesday, December 23, 1997 at 01:57:47 (EST) This is very interesting! I thought RCA had one of the better products on the market. I guess I'm mistaken. I have several RCA TVs and VCRs. The one I've kept in my bedroom, which is the one that was used most often went out a couple of months ago. In calling around for servicers, I did have a hard time finding one. Those repair persons that I did speak with want $150 or more to repair the set which I find difficult to access without having seen the TV. Last night I decided to open the set to see if there is anything inside that can be adjusted to correct the problem. When the set went bad, I heard a loud popping sound. There are white horizontal lines across the screen and the video is deteriorating to now there you cannot see who or what is on the screen. I thought I might find a sight that could offer some assistance with the circuit board that needs to be replaced. (At least that's my assumption.) Well, I guess the best solution to this problem is to begin to find another line of TVs to start the replacement process. More than likely the other sets will begin to fail in the near future. Thanks for the information! vawashington Chicago, IL IL - Saturday, October 25, 1997 at 20:01:43 (EDT) RCA SUCKS! My sister and I have the same RCA television. We are experiencing the same problems as other people who have purchased RCA televisions. We have the shrinking screens, the audio goes on and off, they turn themselves on and off, and there is a very loud, staticky noise when it is turned on. My sister and I have given up on rca products and would urge anyone with products by rca to do the same. DO NOT BUY RCA! BOYCOTT THEIR PRODUCTS, THEY ARE CRAP AND THEY WORK THE SAME WAY! If anyone has any information on recalls for rca products or any other helpful information on these terrible products please forward it to my email address. thank you DorisGarner/Annette Garner <perlynn@mailexcite.com> New York, NY US - Friday, October 17, 1997 at 11:29:11 (EDT) RCA SUCKS! My sister and I have the same RCA television. We are experiencing the same problems as other people who have purchased RCA televisions. We have the shrinking screens, the audio goes on and off, they turn themselves on and off, and there is a very loud, staticky noise when it is turned on. My sister and I have given up on rca products and would urge anyone with products by rca to do the same. DO NOT BUY RCA! BOYCOTT THEIR PRODUCTS, THEY ARE CRAP AND THEY WORK THE SAME WAY! If anyone has any information on recalls for rca products or any other helpful information on these terrible products please forward it to my email address. thank you DorisGarner/Annette Garner <perlynn@mailexcite.com> New York, NY US - Friday, October 17, 1997 at 11:27:08 (EDT) Ah yes, the shrinking screen problem... I just would like to point out that GE's are made by RCA Thomson and of course have the same problem. I have spent several weeks looking for some help from some form of customer service or technical assistance department, HA HA, it is to laugh... What kind of people would run a company this way. I bought my GE to replace a 12 year old Sony that had just broke for the first time. The GE didn't make it 2 years. About 3 weeks ago I was working in another part of the state, the engineer I was working with ask me if I knew what could be wrong with his TV... You guessed it, the shrinking screen... Well I guess the answer to what is wrong with your TV is " it's a Thomsom product". Now that I think about it, I think I remember the sales clerk saying so long sucker as I made my way to the car with may GE TV. (Just Kidding) I do feel ripped off. Thanks for providing me a place to vent. Stan Grile <sgrile@bright.net> Fort Recovery, OH USA - Tuesday, September 30, 1997 at 18:50:46 (EDT) After trying to contact RCA about teh poor quality of my RCA vcr, I found that customer service did NOT exist. No 800 # to call, No site feedback, No answers = No More RCA (Requires Constant Attention ) products for me. I returned the vcr. That was one year ago, 9/96. Today I purchased a new Panasonic 32" top of the line. I am happy and I can reach customer service in an instant if I needed to. They care about their customers. WAKE-UP RCA. Kraig <kraig101@msn.com> San Diego, , CA USA - Friday, September 05, 1997 at 13:43:01 (EDT) You are absolutely right!! We made the mistake of buying the same lemon two years ago. We can only see half of the screen on our TV, the top half is just a black screen. I called some repair companies to find out how much to get it fixed, and they had given me an outrageous quote: a minimum of $125.00. The repair companies also informed me that they live for RCA's and GE's. If it weren't for these two brands, they be out of business. Please let it be a warning to all the consumers out there. It's worth it to pay the little extra for a Sony, or better yet, a Toshiba. I know it's an import, but it's jest plain better. BAM <bradwan@darkwing.uoregon.edu> Eugene, OR - Sunday, July 20, 1997 at 18:55:59 (EDT) Two big mistakes -- buying RCA 32" model F27632SE from Future Shop! Less than three years later it has been in the shop three times after warranty period for a variety of maladies. Fortunately (so far) the local neighborhood shop owner has been reasonable with his repair bills. But its out again, so who knows this time. Future Shop customer "service" is a joke, requiring purchase of a "Customer Satisfaction" policy. Can you spell extortion? Without that they won't even talk about exchanges! The manufacturer must assess the problem and fix at their option. Never again!!! RCA-Thomson products are only a shadow of the former company's electronics products. Al <lamuzz@aol.com> - Wednesday, July 09, 1997 at 01:22:18 (EDT) My 25" RCA self- destructed three weeks after the warranty on parts and service expired. I am trying to locate a service manual and/or schematics for a model#: F25165GG(FC1). Please contact me if you have any information. R. Bishop <slm06@cc.usu.edu> Logan, UT USA - Wednesday, June 25, 1997 at 14:39:50 (EDT) I have almost the exact same problem as ken except i havent noticed much of a problem with the audio the picture shrinks and expands and sometimes it shrinks untill the tv turns itself off im not buying rca again.... brett <kba@bright.net> oh USA - Sunday, June 22, 1997 at 23:10:47 (EDT) We have a 27" RCA TV that is about 4 years old. Channels 2 through 6, 14 and 15 will not come in anymore. We have determined that it is the TV and not the cable, satellite, or anything else. We are looking at purchasing a Sony to replace it, because we don't want to pay a repairman $60+ just to tell us whether it's worth fixing or not (it probably isn't). Lori Beaulieu <beaulieu@gwi.net> Windham, ME US - Tuesday, June 03, 1997 at 14:47:24 (EDT) Just found this site. Very interesting comment by E. Bass. I also have a big bucks projection TV (45 inch) that was bought almost exactly 10 years ago. A high voltage distribution unit, RCA part# 173494 went bad. I have spent about a week now trying everywhere to locate this part that was discontinued in 1993. If anyone can help, please email henn@icst.com. Thanks. P.S. Don't buy RCA C. Henn <henn@icst.com> Lambertville , NJ - Wednesday, May 28, 1997 at 15:21:44 (EDT) Two years ago I purchased an RCA tv up in Spokane. Recently, the video has started to shrink and expand. More recently, the audio output has decreased. In the context of a lecture on open and closed systems I mentioned this problem. One of the students yelled out "it's an RCA" - yup, it was. Later, he told me about a component in almost all of the tvs produced at that time, which regularly fails. A quality control problem with a supplier was the culprit, but the consumer pays. Am pursuing this issue, must certainly violate ISO 9000 (and subsequent) standards. Ken Trimmer <ktrimmer@bsn01.bsn.usf.edu> Tampa, FL USA - Saturday, May 17, 1997 at 12:04:45 (EDT) I have a 46 " RCA projection that cost c 2700 and only 10 yrs old but I cannot get a part for it so it is virtually worthless; RCA quit making the part in '93. E. Bass <dlgray@onramp.net> Fort Worth, TX 76114 USA - Sunday, April 27, 1997 at 17:33:04 (EDT) Great page. It's about time somebody put one like this up. GC - Tuesday, April 15, 1997 at 01:04:23 (EDT) |