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Dead pixel disappointment
I recently built a quiet yet powerful PC using the reviews and information
gleaned from both your excellent magazine and the Internet.
There has been one major disappointment – the monitor.
I chose a Viewsonic VP171B-2 for the combination of response time, viewing angles and height adjustment that I wanted. The screen is absolutely superb except for one faulty pixel. It’s not dead, which would not be too bad, but stuck on bright red! It is about a third of the way down the screen and slightly off centre so in a very noticeable place. Because it is red it is very obvious whether watching movies, playing games or in general windows use. I have tried to ignore it but I cannot. I am so disappointed as it means my new PC is not the pleasure it could have been.
I emailed MicroDirect who sent back an email explaining how it is a Class 2
product and so it was not returnable under warranty.
So, it appears I am stuck with it (pun intended!). I cannot sell it with out
mentioning the known fault and so I am faced with potentially buying a brand new monitor to replace my brand new one monitor!
Please print all or part of this letter to let your readers know the risks in
buying a Class 2 monitor.
Jonathan Beard
That's exactly the reason I paid an extra fifteen quid + VAT to Aria to guarantee me a pixel-perfect TFT. Worth every penny! You can see their offer at http://www.aria.co.uk and I have absolutely no connection with them apart from being a satisfied customer!
Posted by Ralph Bacon | July 1, 2005 5:55 PM
Hi
you can return the goods for any reason within 7 days (I think this is from the date of receipt of the goods). This is your consumer rights under the distance selling laws, and the only cost you might have to incur is the postage, and NOT a restocking fee. I have had a very similar problem also with a Viewsonic monitor. Overclockers UK who I bought the monitor from were nothing more than a disgrace, and I found out the law to late to do anything. Good luck.
Posted by Ian Williams | July 1, 2005 7:15 PM
So why not stick it to The Man?
Most monitors have an exchange policy (contact the manufacturer directly) whereby a replacement will be sent to you and your faulty unit collected at the same time.
Just tell them its dead - it made a strange smokey electrolyte smell and just went off. And that you've tried a replacement power cable to no avail.
Posted by James Dagger | July 6, 2005 9:32 AM
Just bought Formac 1900TNX from PCWB.com. Faulty sub-pixel (green). They replaced, but new monitor has one aswell! They won't take it back saying it falls within limits. Contacted Formac who agreed! Surely this isn't fair, if you're buying a monitor a fault with the screen, no matter how small should warrant a replacement. I even offered to pay delivery and the extra £100 or so for a better monitor, but still no! Contacting Trading Standards, as on none of these shop websites do they say anything regarding pixel problems...
Posted by Fred Buchanan | December 2, 2006 3:08 PM