Viewsonic Woes.... Support Dept Gotta wait for an available Refurb to ship??

HHWD has always purchased Viewsonic monitors. I believe we've purchased 6-8 in the last 15 years of business,and have recommended and purchased them for family and clients. The quality is excellent and the monitor does a great job.... well... maybe...ummm..

I am rethinking the stand on product loyalty as I am stuck in the midst of a current 'repair' situation with them, which I'll detail in a bit. But first, some history.

I loved Viewsonic and praised its products and service based one an incident about 5 years ago. My G75f CRT monitor died after about 37 months of use (slightly beyond the 3 year warranty). I called Viewsonic for advice on a replacement model, and they suggested that since it was still so close to the warrany period, that they would count it as a warranty repair. I shipped it in, and within 2 weeks, had a replacement returned. Different color, but hey, who was I to argue with another monitor!

Skip to now. Back in November 2007, I purchased a new 21" VP2130B, with pivot capabilities. Very cool, Very nice and a great upgrade from that same G75f. A great product.... a HUGE $700 price tag. Never have I spent that much money on a monitor! but Hey... it IS a Viewsonic... right?

... 6 months later, the new monitor has died. The analog VGA port just quit working and blacked out the screen. DVI worked fine if there wasn't a cable connection into the VGA port , but I have a KVM that uses that VGA port, so I really needed both :).

Shipped it off to Viewsonic's repair center (on August 1) .... and today.... September 5, 2008... I am still working off that old dinky CRT as mine has not been sent back.

Viewsonic's position? well.... The repair facility now takes 10... no, later it was updated to 12.... then a later phone call it became 15 business days to repair and return monitor. On Aug 29 (a month has now past), they decided it could not be fixed and are "exchanging" it.... turn around time to ship... 2-5 business days....

Today, 6 business days later, they tell me that they are waiting on a replacment model to be available to ship. Now WHAT Does that mean??? It appears that all exchanges are refurbs,but do they not have any monitors that are available?

And just what makes it a refurb? Do I get someone else's broken monitor that they swapped parts in, but has their kid's greasy fingerprints all over? Will my dead one get sent to someone else as a refurb? Does the 3 year warranty still work on a patch job of a moitor? And why give a 3 year warranty if the exchange is a repaired patch job?

Beware of their service...I am sorely disappointed and will have to think twice before I drop another load of cash on this one.... Very customer unfriendly indeed.