I love photos of urban decay and reminders of the former functions of old buildings. TV repair shop signs, for some reason, can outlast the businesses they advertise by decades. It’s hard to pack a 60″ plasma screen in your SUV and take it to the shop. Repairs still happen, especially when they’re cheaper than the cost of a replacement TV. But our friends over at HDGuru tell us that the nation’s second-largest brand, Vizio, is quick to declare televisions “unrepairable,” even when a customer is willing to pay. Even for problems that other manufacturers are able to repair themselves.

Reportedly, if your Vizio breaks, you get a new-to-you returbished replacement. If it breaks down out of warranty, that’s your problem. Repairs are not possible because they’re not economically feasible, a Vizio rep explained to HDGuru in a statement:

Panel defects are extremely rare with VIZIO televisions. In cases where a panel defect does arise, VIZIO’s policy is to replace the unit as opposed to sourcing, shipping and installing a replacement panel because it is considered “beyond economical repair (BER)”. Panels can be replaced, but it is economically impractical because the cost of a new unit is comparable and comes with a full manufactures’ warranty. VIZIO is addressing it’s customer service response to ensure there are no further misunderstandings.

There you have it: not even Vizio will fix your Vizio TV, no matter how expensive it is.

Disposable TVs: Vizio Tells Owners Their Sets Are Un-repairable [HDGuru]

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