Cost Of TV Repairs

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 16

Cost Of TV Repairs

Sir, —Your report on the cost of television repairs was most illuminating. Could you inquire: (1) whether the official organisation representing the radio and television retailers is prepared to explain the situation?; (2) what happened to the tube which one repair man removed from the set?—Yours, etc., W.L.

March 17, 1964. [The honorary secretary of the Canterbury Televiewers’ Association (Mr J. M. McKenzie) said that the faulty tube was not returned with the set. The association.

normally, always advised its members to request the return of faulty parts. -For example, a broken picture tube cost about £35, but a faulty one, not broken, could be made good by the bigger firms for about £6 10s, and the owner would then have a spare one.]

Sir, —The report of the inquiry made by the Televiewers’ Association spokesman, Mr J. M. McKenzie, is very open to question. Mr McKenzie does not mention the repair being effected for less than a pound by one of the hundreds of reputable service organisations in the city. In view of the inaccuracies of statements made in the past by the Televiewers’ Association, are the public expected to take these recent announcements at face value without expert trade substantiation? All Mr McKenzie has really proved is that there are people in all walks of life, including the Civil Service, who do not do the jobs they are being paid for. —Yours, etc., TELEFAN. March 17, 1964.

Sir,—The public of Canterbury and elsewhere owe a debt of gratitude to the Canterbury Televiewers’ Association for drawing attention to the exorbitant prices being charged by some unscrupulous firms and individuals for television repairs. I have no doubt the names of many of these people are already known to the public, but 1 would like to see their names published. They would then find out that it pays to be honest.—Yours, etc., INTERESTED. March 17, 1964.

Sir, —It is. about time someone such as the Televiewers’ Association checked on prices. Many trades seem to be exploiting the public. A car is taken to a garage; a boy is put on the job of dismantling it, but a full tradesman’s wages are charged when the job is finished. A lame excuse from one manager was that skill and knowledge are required. 1 should say skill and knowledge are required in all trades, but why should television be an exception? Hoping others will take this question up and squash the profiteer and show the public what goes on.—Yours, etc., ANOTHER PENSIONER BITTEN. March 17, 1964.