Hitachi television repair

To Mr Drago, Fujisonic Company Limited, Vision Centre:

After having taken me for a ride (four times) by not returning my telephone calls regarding my television set, which has been in your possession for 18 days, I am now writing this letter. Prior to bringing it over to you, I asked you how long you would have to keep it and, since you said it would be about three days, I brought it over to you.

Now you are coming up with various excuses, such as that your technician was ill; you had to order parts from abroad, etc. Supposedly the damage is minimal. In fact, that is what you told me when I brought it over. You told me that it would be ready on January 23.

However, you have been stringing me along for ten days. I came over to your shop three times and I have been calling you regularly without getting any reply. This time-wasting has caused me considerable inconvenience. I also had to borrow another television and I hold you responsible for the expenses I incurred, including telephone calls and petrol.

I am therefore warning you that, if I do not have my television by Wednesday, February 8, I will take legal action. (Joseph R. Farrugia, February 4)

Still, on February 4 Mr Farrugia sent me the following letter:

Re: Hitachi Television.

I am writing to complain about the atrocious service given to us by a Mr Drago of Vision Centre, Naxxar Road, Birkirkara.

A couple of years back, we purchased a 28" Hitachi TV from this shop. Soon we had plenty of trouble with this set, and we phoned various TV technicians to repair it on our premises. This they did, at no small cost, but after some time it was back to its non-performance.

So we decided to return it to the shop (Vision Centre) for repairs. On phoning, they agreed to repair it, saying it would take two or three days, at most.

On January 17, we duly gave it to them. The next two weeks were full of useless phone calls on our part. I say useless because they either never picked up the phone or kept on promising next day delivery, which they never did. The excuses were that the technician was off or sick, then they didn't have the correct part, etc.

All this time we were left with no TV in the vilest weather for the past 83 years, when you want to settle down in the evening with some relaxing TV viewing.

Finally, we had to go personally to complain, but Mr Drago's attitude was very "I don't care". However he promised to phone us the following day. Of course, he never did. We have had to dig into our pockets to buy another TV set while ours was never returned. To date three weeks have passed.

I am enclosing a copy of a letter sent to him today. Hoping you can be of some help to us.

On February 15 I referred these two letters to Mr Drago and asked for his side of the case, to no avail. In the meantime Mr Farrugia sent me the following letter:

I refer to my letter dated February 4.

I am writing to inform you that on February 14 I again phoned Mr Drago and inquired about the television. He told me that the technician had sent it back to the shop. I could collect it and it was still not repaired.

Briefly, I called to collect it and demanded the Lm5 deposit I had paid when I had taken it to be repaired. He stated that he could not give me the money back and instead he wrote the word credit on the invoice I had been given when I had taken the television set to be repaired, stating that whenever I took back the television back to be repaired I would be given Lm5 credit.

I would therefore be grateful if you would please publish these letters to make the awful after-sales service given by Mr Drago known.

On May 3 I sent a copy of this letter to Mr Drago and asked him for his comments, to no avail. Yet again, I ask Mr Drago for his comments on this matter. After all it is in his interest to clarify matters. I look forward to hearing from him with a view to resolving this case accordingly.