Feb 28, 2012 06:50 PM
7758 Views
(Updated Feb 28, 2012 06:54 PM)
While I am starting to suspect a shoddy, sub-standard, and expensive product that was dumped in the Indian market, the service further has left me high and dry. A most premium product(and the most expensive that was - and still is - available) in India market, from one of the most premium global brands, has come to notch, at least for me.
While within~ 2 years of getting it, it has already had two major problems with the unit, one of which was expensive to get fixed correctly(some capacitor problem) - and it happened right after 1 year warranty!, and the other one(rusting) actually non-fix-able due to parts unavailability now!. This within 2 years of buying a brand newly launched product from Panasonic. Any local / lesser-premium product/brand, does not rust within couple of years!
I guess a single word to describe any Panasonic product for me would be Un-reliable.
If that were not enough, the after-sales service that Panasonic provides for its products, can be described in short as Pathetic. The problem, while being there since sometime in 2010, is still to be fixed(forget about to customer satisfaction).
After following it up for umpteenth times, going round-and-round in circles(what with some of Panasonic India people - not the salesman at your sales-shop - telling me that Panasonic services for this unit is nothing but useless), I finally settled for a reasonable solution (initially the "cavity" replacement was the solution - which they say is not available in India now! Within 3 years of its launch!) to get it painted. Though, you may understand, it is not the best solution - but just patch-work.
Sadly, it also has come as not-working. For rusting, they offered to re-paint it, that did not last even a single use! After multiple visits, and follow-ups, they tell me they'd re-paint it again, and I am not sure if that'd work long-term.
I have always been a "brand" guy. However, this product, has shook that confidence.
Just hoping that, the product, after whatever they do, when they do, would be "usable", to provide some long-term value, and of course without injuring my family's health.
In any case, I am left unsatisfied, with the product, with the service, and with Panasonic.
