My TV has lines on the screen or a dead panel. What are my rights?
What the consumer guarantees say about a TV that fails after its warranty, who to claim from, what to send and where to go if the store says no.
Usually you are still covered. Under the Australian Consumer Law a TV must last as long as a reasonable person would expect for its price, whatever the warranty says. The ACCC's own example is an $1,800 TV that fails after 2 years: it should have lasted longer. Claim from the store in writing, and if it refuses, a state consumer agency or tribunal decides.
Rather not chase this yourself?
Ajust writes to the business, tracks the deadline and escalates if they don't fix it.
Is a TV with lines or a dead panel covered after the warranty ends?
Often, yes. The consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) require a TV to be of acceptable quality, which includes being durable (section 54). They have no fixed end date and apply whatever warranty you were given, so "it's out of warranty" is not the end of the conversation.
Durability is judged on the price, the kind of product and anything the seller told you.
The ACCC's guide to electrical goods uses a $1,800 TV that fails after 2 years as its example of a product that did not last as long as it should. It says a reasonable consumer "would expect to get more than two years' use" from it.
What you can ask for depends on whether the failure is major or minor (section 259). A major failure is one where you would not have bought the TV had you known about the problem. Lines across the picture or a panel that will not light up go to the core of what a TV is for, which is the kind of thing the major failure test exists for.
| What you can ask for | Major failure | Minor failure | Damage you caused |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refund | Yes, your choice | Store's choice | No |
| Replacement | Yes, your choice | Store's choice | No |
| Repair | Only if you choose it | Yes, within a reasonable time | Paid repair only |
| Keep it and claim the drop in value | Yes | No | No |
If a repair does not fix the fault, or is not done within a reasonable time, you can reject the TV and choose a refund or replacement. That is the ACCC's position, and it is the answer when a new panel goes in and the lines come back.
Harvey Norman's published refund policy says the same: a major failure gets a refund or a replacement, and the store may first ask to inspect the TV or consult the manufacturer.
Ajust has handled over 40 cases about TVs with lines on the screen or a dead panel.
- In the TV cases Ajust has handled, the typical amount at stake is about $1,590.
- When Ajust secured a confirmed result in a TV case, it typically took about 3 weeks.
- In Ajust's TV cases, a Hisense TV was replaced with a newer model once the request reached The Good Guys' territory manager, and JB Hi-Fi replaced a Samsung TV in the home after a complaint to Consumer Protection WA.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, a major failure lets you choose a refund or replacement, while a minor one lets the business choose to repair, replace or refund.
What should you do first?
Record the fault, then put the claim to the store in writing. The store that sold you the TV is responsible under the ACL, even when it would rather send you to the manufacturer.
Step 1: Record the fault and find the receipt
Take a photo and a short video of the lines or the blank screen with the TV switched on, plus a photo of the model sticker on the back. Find the receipt or the bank statement showing the purchase.
Step 2: Ask the store in writing
Email or use the store's written form so you have a record and a date. Ajust's recommended channels for TV claims:
- JB Hi-Fi: a support request at support.jbhifi.com.au, or the store you bought from for in-store purchases.
- The Good Guys: the contact form at thegoodguys.com.au/contact-us. For faulty products, emailing the store you bought from often got a faster answer in Ajust's cases.
- Harvey Norman: the Compliments & Complaints form, naming the franchise store you bought from. The CustomerFirst email only sent an auto-reply in Ajust's cases.
- Bought from Samsung, LG or Hisense directly: Samsung's live chat at samsung.com/au/support/contact, LG's chat and email support at lg.com/au/support/chat-email, or crt@hisense.com.
Subject: Faulty TV – request for a refund or replacement under the Australian Consumer Law
Hello,
On [date of purchase] I bought a [brand and model] TV from your [store location or website] for $[price]. A copy of the receipt is attached.
Since [date the fault started], the screen has [shown vertical or horizontal lines / stopped displaying a picture although the TV has power]. Photos and a video of the fault are attached. The TV has been used normally in my home and has not been dropped, knocked or exposed to liquid.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, goods you supply must be of acceptable quality, which includes being durable for a reasonable time given their price and nature. This guarantee applies regardless of the manufacturer's warranty period. A [price] TV failing after [age] is not what a reasonable consumer would expect.
I consider this a major failure, because I would not have bought the TV had I known the screen would fail in this way. [If it has already been repaired: The panel was replaced on [date] and the same fault has returned, so the repair has not fixed the problem.] Under section 259 I am choosing a [refund of $[price] / replacement with a TV of the same or equivalent specification].
The consumer guarantees are your obligation as the supplier, so please do not refer me to the manufacturer. If you need to inspect the TV, please arrange collection, as it is too large for me to return without significant cost.
Please confirm the remedy in writing within 14 days of this email. If I do not hear back by then, I will lodge a complaint with [NSW Fair Trading / Consumer Affairs Victoria / your state agency] and consider an application to [the tribunal in your state].
Regards,
[Your name]
[Phone]
Step 3: Escalate inside the store before you go outside it
If the first reply is a refusal or a referral to the manufacturer, ask for the store manager. For a chain, ask for the area or territory manager above the store, who can approve a replacement the counter staff cannot.
What if they refuse?
Take it outside the store. A state consumer agency can contact the store for you at no cost, and a tribunal can order a refund or replacement if that fails.
| Where | What it does | Time limit | Cost and cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store manager, then the retailer's area or territory manager | Can approve a replacement or refund the store declined | None, but act promptly | Free |
| State consumer agency (NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Queensland Office of Fair Trading, Consumer Protection WA) | Contacts the store and mediates; cannot order a remedy | None stated | Free |
| Tribunal (NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, QCAT in Queensland) | Hears the claim and can make a binding order | NCAT: 3 years from when the claim arose | Application fee applies. NCAT hears claims up to $100,000, QCAT up to $25,000 |
In NSW you have 3 years from when the claim arose to apply to NCAT, and the TV must have been supplied within the last 10 years. Other states set their own limits.
If the store doesn't resolve it, it can be escalated to your state's consumer agency, a free service. Ajust handles the escalation for you, including the store-level and territory manager contacts that come before it.
Penalties for businesses that fail to provide a consumer guarantee remedy are coming but are not law yet. Consumer affairs ministers agreed to introduce them in November 2025; no bill had been introduced when this page was checked on 20 October 2026.
Tell Ajust what happened and we do the heavy lifting for you. Emails, calls, escalations until it's resolved. While you get on with your life.
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What doesn't work
- Accepting "it's out of warranty" as the answer. The warranty is the manufacturer's promise. The consumer guarantees sit alongside it and run for as long as the TV should reasonably last.
- Buying an extended warranty to get it fixed. NSW Fair Trading says a remedy may still be available after the manufacturer's or an extended warranty ends.
- Accepting repair after repair. If the first repair did not fix it, say in writing that you are now rejecting the TV.
- Letting the technician's report stand unchallenged. If the TV is marked as physically damaged, ask for the report and photos in writing and send your own photos back.
- Going only to the manufacturer. The store sold you the TV and carries the obligation; the manufacturer is a second route, not a replacement for it.
- Waiting months after the fault appears. The right to reject a TV can be lost if you leave it too long after noticing a major failure.
Common questions
The store says I have to deal with Samsung, LG or Hisense. Is that right?
No. The store that sold you the TV must provide the remedy under the consumer guarantees. You can also claim against the manufacturer, but that is your choice, not the store's. Ask the store to deal with the manufacturer itself and confirm the outcome to you in writing.
The technician says the lines are physical damage. What can I do?
Ask for the technician's report and photos in writing. Damage you caused is not covered, but lines that spread over weeks, or a panel that died without any knock, point to a fault. Send your own photos of an undamaged screen and frame, and ask for a second inspection.
How long do I have to make a claim?
There is no fixed claim window with the store; the test is how long the TV should last. If it goes to a tribunal, time limits apply. NCAT in NSW requires you to apply within 3 years of when the claim arose, for goods supplied within the last 10 years.
My TV was bought online. Does any of this change?
No. The consumer guarantees apply to an online purchase from an Australian retailer the same way as in store. Make the claim through the retailer's online support channel, and ask it to arrange collection, since a large TV is costly to send back yourself.
I've been going back and forth with the store for months. What now?
Stop repeating the same request at the counter. Put it in writing with a 14-day deadline, then go to your state's consumer agency or tribunal. This is the point where most people hand it over: Ajust takes it to the territory manager and the regulator for you.
Still stuck? Let Ajust take it from here
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