'Beware of Digitec and Panasonic' Technology

Kees from Panama (Contact Member) -

My Lumix digital camera broke down six weeks after arrival from my Miami mail box. Panasonic Panama lost no time in telling me the camera was not coverd by any warranty here. Even though a search on the internet shows that I am not the only one with that particular problem of that particular camera.

Repairs are outsourced to Digitec. These guys took one month to tell me that the repair would cost $ 275 and take four weeks. I am now waiting four weeks and after being told a coupe of times that the spare part would arrive ´tomorrow´, I found out via someone in Panasoni that the spare part is going to arrive on 15 December, by ship from Japan.

The employees of Digitec are lazy, and lie through their teeth to their customers. Avoid by all means possible. As for Panasonic: don´t touch their products, not even with a barge pole.

Comment #1 Danielle from Somewhere over the rainbow (Contact Member) -

I too had a bad experience with Panasonic, a TV though. The brain of the TV died after 4 months later, they serviced it. Then 4 months after that the tube of the TV died! I fought and fought with them for over 3 months, finally resulting in the newer model TV. I have a feeling I got a Display model TV. But it was a nightmare with Panasonic trying to get my New TV Fixed or at least replaced!

Never had to deal with Digitech though. Thanks for the info!

Comment #2 ReeseW from USA (Contact Member) -

Really, I always thought that panasonic was good brand but I will beware after the warnings. Isn't Digitec a generic brand? I don't use brands that are not well known. My TV that I took to college was a Masonic and the picture plays good on the set.

Comment #3 MsBeth2U from Deep South, Ga (Contact Member) -

Yeah, I had a bad experience with a Panasonic. I bought a Panasonic from Wilmar on sale during the after Thanksgiving sale. I still have the TV and I'm waiting for it to go out any day. The TV blanks on and off when you are watching a program.

Comment #4 Danielle from Somewhere over the rainbow (Contact Member) -

Reese ... I originally bought a Toshiba 34" HDTV Widescreen ... But the salesman about 3 weeks later convinced me to "trade up" to a Panasonic cause it was reliable ... well it wasn't...

Toshiba I think is a good brand (personally)

and Sony you can't go wrong with

Be sure if you make a large purchase (IE TV) get a good warranty .. you CAN bargain with the sales guy to get free extended. You just have to know how to talk! ;)

Comment #5 Karen from Texas (Contact Member) -

Oh no! We have a Panasonic TV that we bought right after Thanksgiving and seriously I thought there was something wrong with our cable, now I'm thinking it's more of our TV's problem.

Comment #6 RiverQueen from Universal Studios (Contact Member) -

I always thought Panasonic was a good brand to buy. I didn't realize it was associated with Panama.

The only thing I ever had that was Panasonic was a microwave oven. It was given to me as house warming gift and after 3 years it blew up and also the socket where it was plugged blew at the same time so I thought it was the plug that did it and besides the warranty was over.

But now that I read this I think maybe it was the microwave and not the outlet that caused it.

The microwave I have now I've had for about 7 years and it is plugged into the same outlet albeit the outlet was replaced.

Comment #7 Tracy from Canada (Contact Member) -

Panasonic is a great brand of cordless phone. I never heard that it was the brand to buy with TVs. I've bought several Maganvox TVs over the years with no problems, our 65" HDTV is a Mitsubishi and is wonderful, the JVC is great, and the other big screen is a Pioneer.

Comment #8 Adam Pacman (63.176.159.104) -

I have a Kodak EasyShare digital camera.. I bought it about two years ago and it has been working awesomely ever since the day i bought it.. I would recommend Kodak to anybody. Check out their website and see if there is anything you like..

• Kodak

Comment #9 Jim from New York (Contact Member) -

Pay especially good attention to the batteries... no sense having a camera that has batteries that run down too fast!

Comment #10 Danny (63.176.159.129) -

I am looking for a Surround Sound package for my TV. Does anybody in here have any recommendations?

Comment #11 Meredith (63.176.159.135) -

I also always thought that Panasonic was a good brand, and now I'm hearing all these bad things, which is REALLY good cause my husband birthday is in 3 weeks and I planned on buying him this 52 inch panasonic tv that was on sale but now I am going to pay a little more money for a good one. Thanks alot for the info.

Comment #12 Gabby (167.80.246.204) -

Meredith

Stick with LG in Panama, very good and easy to get serviced. We are building in Panama and researched appliances and video and audio. Everyone down there stated that LG was the only way to go. We talked to a lot of Americans living in Panama and they all said the same thing.

Comment #13 Bryan (63.176.159.90) -

I know I have a Panasonic something... I'll have to go take a look for whatever it is and see how its running. But like Danielle said, I have never had to deal with Digitech.

Comment #14 cwemoy (63.176.159.102) -

Warranty details are normally given in a hush(most of the time, you are only told for what duration it will last).

I had a Samsung DVD that was superb in operation, easy to use and also portable. A few months after I bought it, it stopped functioning under circumstances I would call beyond my control. Chasing for warranty was not an easy thing either.

If you are dealing with electronics, I would recommend SONY

Comment #15 moy (63.176.159.229) -

It seems that the repairs would easily almost equal the price of a new camera. Your predicament highlights what most people do in similar situations(purchasing stuff without doing much research and/or consultation).

It seems then that it is better to deal with these other reputable electronic companies like Sony, Samsung, LG and so on. They seem more popular and in use.

So is it easy to follow warranty claims the legal way?

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