TV burn-ins continue to be a frequent headache for LG Electronics. The South Korean firm has had to deal with several incidents in the past, in which its burnt in offerings had to be replaced. For those unaware, images that appear for a long time on a television screen and end up being permanently plastered over it are known as burn-ins.
Now, according to ZDNet, in yet another similar case, LG has been ordered to pay an AU$160,000 (~USD109,000) to two consumers who were misled regarding warranty coverage for television sets purchased from the company. However, this incident has to do with regular flatron TVs, rather than OLED ones.
The fine has arrived as a result of incidents that took place in 2013. LG TVs purchased by two customers developed burn-ins in less than a year of usage. After inquiring from the firm about possible replacements, they were informed that aside from LG"s manufacturer"s warranties, no other rights were provided to consumers, and therefore, nothing could be done.
This implication was ruled to be misleading by Justice Middleton in the Australian Federal Court today. This is because faulty products - under Australian consumer law - entitle customers to a repair, refund, or replacement, despite the manufacturer"s warranty not applying or having ended.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) commissioner Sarah Court, remarked on this law in the following way:
"When consumers buy products, they come with a consumer guarantee under the Australian consumer law that they will be of acceptable quality. Manufacturer"s warranties exist in addition to the consumer guarantee rights."
LG will be hoping to avoid such mishaps in the future. It"s bad enough when displays are being plagued with burn-in issues; misleading consumers over ramifications for the worrisome issue certainly doesn"t help.
Update: The article has been updated to reflect that these burn-in incidents were not related to the South Korean"s OLED offerings.
Source: ZDNet