47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great microwave, but false "list price" in ad, and new high price., October 17, 2005
This review is from: Panasonic NN-T995SF Luxury Full-Size 2.2-Cubic-Foot 1,250-Watt Microwave Oven, Stainless (Kitchen)
I bought this model from Amazon for $131.95, with free shipping, on October 5, 2005. It arrived in perfect shape, shipped via FedEx from Office Depot in Phoenix. It arrived much sooner than promised.
I feel very lucky. Since I bought mine, the price of this item has zoomed upward by $58.04. At present (Oct. 17, 2005) Amazon's price is up to $189.99! Amazon's ad claims the list price for this oven is $219.99, yet Panasonic's own Web site actually lists it at $189.95, four cents cheaper than Amazon's present bogus "You Save: $30.00" price!
I hope Amazon will take note and lower this newly inflated price, and particularly correct the ad's clearly false "list price." When (and if) either of these problems are fixed, I will update this review to reflect them.
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UPDATE (10/20/2005):
In response to my complaint, Amazon emailed me. The following direct quotes are the gist of their message:
"Typically our list price is the MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price). Unfortunately, we can only make changes to the list price on our web site if the manufacturer has made these changes known to us."
And: "It is possible that the price you saw for 'Panasonic NN-T995SF Luxury Full-Size 2.2-Cubic-Foot 1,250-Watt Microwave Oven, Stainless' on Panasonic web site is a promotional price."
But on the Panasonic site, there is NO mention of their $189.95 price being a sales or promotional price.
Amazon's support representative suggested that I may wish to pursue the issue of the (so-called) MSRP with Panasonic. But I feel I've already done enough research for Amazon. In retail sales, an "MSRP" is a not-so-polite fiction that exists for marketing purposes only. At any rate, Amazon's ad (see above) refers to the inflated price as the "List Price," not as the "MSRP." I've made Amazon aware of Panasonic's actual listed price. I feel the next ethically-driven move, if any, should be by Amazon. Meanwhile, Amazon's position on "list prices" and MSRP's seems to be, "Let the buyer beware."
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In the meantime please bear in mind that I decided my five-star rating would be based wholey upon the quality of the product itself, and not on the issue of its price or the ad "error." It would have been fully justifiable to give a one-star rating, based upon the false "list price" and the high present price of the item, but for me this was indeed the purchase of a great product. Despite my criticisms, I feel I would be an ingrate to give less than five stars to this fine oven.
The oven itself is by far the finest and most attractive microwave I've ever seen or used. The steam sensing technology, combined with the the oven's variable-power "Inverter" magnitron, makes this beast a pleasure to cook with. Most microwaves turn on and off to achieve any power setting less than maximum. With this oven, the power is continuous and smoothly adjustable. The heavy gauge stainless body of this oven gives it a durable, easy to clean, and very attractive exterior. The white epoxy interior is huge. The turntable is 16-1/2 inches across. I can't imagine needing more room. Yet the oven takes barely more room than the family-sized Sharp micro that it replaces in my kitchen. The 1250 watt maximum output of this oven puts my old Sharp 900 watter to shame.
This is a great oven. Try to get it at a great price!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Mine spent entire life in shop, November 2, 2005
This review is from: Panasonic NN-T995SF Luxury Full-Size 2.2-Cubic-Foot 1,250-Watt Microwave Oven, Stainless (Kitchen)
Mine went to the shop 4 times in the first year. That's the good news. The 5th time it went in was after the first year and now Panasonic says it is out of warranty and will not pay for the repair. You probably know that the cost of any repair is about the cost of a new microwave, so that's what I got for my money: 1 year of shop visits and the chance to buy a new microwave. STAY AWAY!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Never get a Panasonic Microwave again, June 20, 2006
This review is from: Panasonic NN-T995SF Luxury Full-Size 2.2-Cubic-Foot 1,250-Watt Microwave Oven, Stainless (Kitchen)
Bought this microwave at Sam's Club in January 2005 after my 10 year old microwave quit. It was so fantastic that my parents bought one a week later. Their microwave stopped working last month (of course, out of warranty). When they called, Panasonic said it was probably the fuse (which is a weird size that is hard to find) They gave up trying to find it and bought another microwave at a garage sale for $10.
When I was using mine tonight on the sensor reheat function, it stopped after 20 seconds, and the display cleared. Tried to do it again and the same thing happened, so I decided to wait and try after it sat for a bit. About an hour later, my daughter wanted to heat up something for 30 seconds so I said okay, helped her set it up, and walked away. I heard a small 'boom' and white smoke and the smell of burning plastic was coming from the microwave. This is ridiculous for a microwave to last barely over a year! The shortest lifespan on any previous microwave I have owned was 5 years and that was a very cheap one. While the Panasonic worked it was great, but I will never get another one because I expect a microwave to last longer than a year.
Update 6/21/2005
I called Panasonic today and they basically said someone would "call me in a week or two" I also called the repair company recommended by Panasonic and it was $43 just for a diagnostic. So, my mom and I both brought our microwaves and receipts back to Sam's Club today. After speaking with the manager, he allowed us to exchange our microwaves for new ones, and we paid the price difference of $17 (and also got the 3 year warranty for $14.99) So I guess I will still be using a Panasonic, and I highly recommend Sam's Club for their great return policy, but Panasonic gets no kudos for their customer service.
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