Watching television is the one activity that brings residents together at Shamrock House in San Jose.
"It's a good thing for the household here because we get to connect with the outside world," resident Mike Montaque said.
Shamrock is a home for quadriplegic adults who rarely venture outside. Instead, the TV brings the world inside.
"It was great , I was watching people like they were really here," resident Joshua Michaels said.
Together the six residents watch movies, 49ers games and reality shows.
"The TV is important because instead of staying in their rooms, like a little bubble, they can come out here and mingle with each other," Shamrock House manager Fernando Ramirez said.
Ramirez says TV shows and movie nights lift the spirits of lonely residents. And so, it was a huge blow when their lifeline to the world suddenly broke down.
"It completely went black," Ramirez said.
There was no picture and no sound. The TV did not work. Luckily the extended warranty was still valid, but only for two more weeks. Ramirez contacted the warranty company right away and a technician came out three weeks later.
"And the part wasn't the right part so they left," Ramirez said.
Another technician came with another part. It didn't work either. There was a third visit and a fourth, but the technicians still couldn't fix the RV. The mood in the house grew somber.
"They're all in their rooms which is not good for them to stay in their rooms," Ramirez said.
"I found myself playing computer games a lot which was very boring," Montaque said.
"It was dark, nobody was out here, just like there was nobody living here at all," Michaels said.
"It was just a little bit more sad during the time when we didn't have the TV because we just had nothing to do but go to our rooms," Montaque said.
Ramirez says the warranty company stopped sending technicians.
"They just said we weren't in the computer any more, they weren't going to honor it. So somebody told us about 7 On Your Side," he said.
We contacted Sharp's warranty company, AIG insurance. A customer service agent agreed the TV set should have been replaced. And the TV showed up a few weeks later.
"I was very surprised and very happy," Montaque said.
"We came home and they were all like, hey we got the TV," Ramirez said.
In an email to 7 On Your Side AIG insurance said:
"AIG Warranty works closely with its customers to resolve claims. After attempts to repair Mr. Ramirez's television in October and early November, AIG warranty determined that the TV would need to be replaced."
And it was replaced with a brand new 57-inch 3D television, which is an even bigger than the old one.
"I didn't think it was going to happen," Michaels said.
"They're all happy now they got a TV," Ramirez said.
The technicians were unable to fix the TV before Fernando's warranty expired. However, the lesson here is that Ramirez was still entitled to coverage because he submitted his claim before the expiration date.
And the new TV made for a much nicer holiday for the folks at Shamrock House.
