Evening star., 1952-03-17

articles in which The Stor will try to
examine both sides Of this problem.
begin conferences with TV sales
and seryicemen and other inter-
|ested parties on drafting proposed
regulations.
The meetings will start against
an ugly backdrop of complaints
which have caused the Better
Business Bureau to declare:
"Television sales and service are
the biggest headache we ever
had :"
There are several hundred
thousand television sets in opera
tion in the Washington area and
the licensing committee has been
told that each set requires IAN
average of three to four service
calls a year." That would put
repairs calls alone at the Million
dollar mark and above.
The Better Business Bureaus
bulging "television file" tells an
amazing story that accuses sales
and service organizations alike Of
unethical sales, incompetent and
irresponsible repair service. Some
firms are even charged with out
and-out racketeering.
The letters tell essentially the
same story. There was the Chevy
Chase man who paid $14.83 re-
pair bill only to have his set 60
bad again ''in a few hours" i.
the Riverdale man who paid $10.99
and his set was worse than be-
fore" the man whose brand
new set" turned out to be a shop
worn floor sample :. the College
Park fellow who got a repair esti-
mate as low as $5 and wound up
paying $44. His set worked "just
nine days" after which another
concern fxed it for $22.
It would take hours to GO
through the bureaus mountainous
dle, but those are typical examples
The Letters range from rational,
reasonable complaints to angry,
accusations. The re-
ports, Of course, do not represent
the thousands of television owners
who have got their moneys worth
in original purchases and subse-
quent service from honest and
competent dealers and repairmen.
The situation is not peculiar
to Washington. Other major cities
New York, Detroit, Chicago. st.
Louis, Seattle and Miami-are
having the same troubles. Some
already have adopted regulatory
measures.
The television industry itself
is not blind to the situation.
In fact, the Radio Television
Manufacturers Association is pre-
pairing to distribute hundreds Of
thousands Of pamphlets over the
country advising the public on how
to buy both sets and service.
And a local branch Of the In
dustry, Television Associates, Inc,
an organization Of area sales and
service concerns, was the first to|
ask for regulations here. Among
other things, the association asked
that learner. apprentice and
master servicemen" be licensed
according to their ability and ex-
perience."
The industry tends to attribute
the unpleasant situation to the
infancy Of television. It points out
that a TV set is a highly COM
plicated electronic instrument
which can be serviced properly
only by skilled mechanics. I'll
takes time to learn the trade,
and thus far, the demand for
competent repairmen has exceeded
the supply. Even so. the industry
does not believe the percentage of
incompetency and deliberate fraud
is very high. It holds no brief for
the unethical salesman.
District authorities. on the other
hand, believe the. incompetencyl
and fraud percentage Is high.
School Courses Urged.
Listen to James D. Secrest,
manager Of Radio Television|
Manufacturers Association:
"Some manufacturers, realizing
the need for trained personnel,
have established schools to teach
the repair trade. We also are en-
couraging and helping high
schools to include television
courses in their vocational train
ing. Eventually. there will be suf-
ficient skilled mechanics to meet
the demand. Remember. television
is a baby.
Certainly there is an unscrupu-
1ous element In the business. What
business or profession doesn't have
it? Government regulation might
improve the quality Of the work
somewhat. but it won't eliminate
the racketeer any more than ga
rage regulations have got rid Of
the dishonest auto repairmen.
Mr.. Secrest suggested. If your
television set goes on the blink
and you aren't covered by q serv-
ice contract or If you don't know.
of a capable, reliable service con-
Germ. that you call the distributor
mot the dealer-for your partic-
ular make Of set.
Want Satisfied Customers.
"The distributor is the manu-
facturer's representative" )" he said,
"and the manufacturer Is anxious|
to have his product operate prop
erly at minimum Of cost and to|
have you as q satisfied customer.
II the distributor does not have
. service department. be probably
Z