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Sony Complaint - Poor Sony Customer Support - warranty service refused - Vaio vgn nr360 laptop broken screen
Vaio vgn nr360 laptop broken screen - Complaint
FLORIDA -- My Sony Vaio laptop is less than a year old. It has always been hard to open. Recently I opened the laptop and the LCD screen cracked. Called Sony support explained the problem, and how it cracked. I was told that my repair should fall under my warranty as it happened during ordinary use and was less than a year old, unless it was determined that it was dropped or had been abused. To which I stated it was never dropped or abused. So I filled out my repair sheet, even explaining in detail what happened, and posting sticky notes to the places I had my hands on the outside of the laptop and the inside edge of the plastic frame, in the center where you open it, which just so happened to be the same exact place on the screen where the cracks were and Sent to sony for repair. All this also happened when my son, who is a computer tech, was standing there and saw it, and told me exactly what he thought, the hinges were too tight and the stress of that on the screen each time it is opened, with the screen that is not reinforced on the inside, caused it, and sony should handle it under the warranty.
So knowing what he said and what support told me, I felt great, it will be taken care of and I won't have to worry about having to spend money I don't really have right now to get a new one. So I wait to hear from sony. I then receive a notice a few days later, that it was going to cost $529.99 to fix my screen. Highly upset, I Called and talked to "Alexis" in the repair department and all they could tell me was that my screen was broken. I continued to explain, no kidding, that the support department knew this before it was sent out. They refused to allow me to speak to the tech and would only give me his code #3m8, who was obviously not so smart to only be able to figure out what I already knew. Giving me every excuse why I could not speak to the person who actually was working on my laptop. They also insisted it was from physical damage, but could not tell me what, they had no proof of how it happened.
So they argue with me that I abused it. I also told them of my sons obviously smarter diagnosis, I insisted on speaking to all supervisors, they told me I would get a call back in 24-48hours, still would not give me names other than her supervisor greg # e52j and the techs supervisor #3lt. Told they are not allowed to give names. So highly upset that they refuse to honor the warranty, I wait... More than 72 hours later, I get a call from Supervisor David Pham #DO4X. Who tells me nothing knew, only again insisting that I must have shut a pen in it or something, I insisted again, no and repeated everything again, then he said oh yeah I put my hand on it just like you said in notes and that didn't do it because that is not where the cracks are, so you must have had pressure by something on it. Wrong again, the pressure was from opening it, and the weak screen, which I again stated was not my doing, and obviously he is lying because if he put his hands where I said, the cracks are right there. That falls under workmanship and ordinary use. Still refused to honor my warranty. But offered a discount of $400 to fix it. I stated that how could they try and charge me for what my warranty clearly states should be covered. Not to mention that this exact problem has happened before to other customers. And is why they have a bad customer service rating. And that since my son the tech knows what the screen costs and how it is done that charge is way too high. That I and all my family have been sony customers for years, but never again.....never, will any of us buy anything sony ever again. So I was told they would send my computer back. We will see if it arrives in the condition it left.
When I received it back yesterday, as it was suggested by my Tech son, I took it to a local Computer Retail Store, that is currently receiving high reviews for their Techs, to have them look at it. I explained to them how the crack occurred when I opened it and showed them exactly how I opened it. Their Tech Department, stated that they have had the same laptops come in with the same problems, and have heard the same sony repair warranty refusal complaints. The Techs confirmed that the hinges are too tight and because the screen is not supported, since it only has a thin foil lining between the screen and the outside plastic top, it is sony's cheap workmanship on this model that is causing the problems. As Just opening it normally puts pressure on the screen, that's why you can see it bend when you open it because the lack of interior support. Unlike the model # vgn-n250e, that has the same exact lcd screen installed, but it is supported by a steel plate between the screen and the top, so it does not bend when the screen is opened or adjusted. They told us it is an easy repair that should take any computer tech repair shop, no more than about 30 minutes to complete, but it should be covered under the warranty, as it is very obvious by exterior inspection that there was no physical abuse to the laptop
It is also very obvious by looking at the external area around the screen that sony's tech, never took it apart to confirm that there was no damage from abuse, they merely opened the laptop and said yes the screen is cracked and expected us to fall into the rip off scam they are running.
Disgusted...........................
A Former Sony Customer.
So knowing what he said and what support told me, I felt great, it will be taken care of and I won't have to worry about having to spend money I don't really have right now to get a new one. So I wait to hear from sony. I then receive a notice a few days later, that it was going to cost $529.99 to fix my screen. Highly upset, I Called and talked to "Alexis" in the repair department and all they could tell me was that my screen was broken. I continued to explain, no kidding, that the support department knew this before it was sent out. They refused to allow me to speak to the tech and would only give me his code #3m8, who was obviously not so smart to only be able to figure out what I already knew. Giving me every excuse why I could not speak to the person who actually was working on my laptop. They also insisted it was from physical damage, but could not tell me what, they had no proof of how it happened.
So they argue with me that I abused it. I also told them of my sons obviously smarter diagnosis, I insisted on speaking to all supervisors, they told me I would get a call back in 24-48hours, still would not give me names other than her supervisor greg # e52j and the techs supervisor #3lt. Told they are not allowed to give names. So highly upset that they refuse to honor the warranty, I wait... More than 72 hours later, I get a call from Supervisor David Pham #DO4X. Who tells me nothing knew, only again insisting that I must have shut a pen in it or something, I insisted again, no and repeated everything again, then he said oh yeah I put my hand on it just like you said in notes and that didn't do it because that is not where the cracks are, so you must have had pressure by something on it. Wrong again, the pressure was from opening it, and the weak screen, which I again stated was not my doing, and obviously he is lying because if he put his hands where I said, the cracks are right there. That falls under workmanship and ordinary use. Still refused to honor my warranty. But offered a discount of $400 to fix it. I stated that how could they try and charge me for what my warranty clearly states should be covered. Not to mention that this exact problem has happened before to other customers. And is why they have a bad customer service rating. And that since my son the tech knows what the screen costs and how it is done that charge is way too high. That I and all my family have been sony customers for years, but never again.....never, will any of us buy anything sony ever again. So I was told they would send my computer back. We will see if it arrives in the condition it left.
When I received it back yesterday, as it was suggested by my Tech son, I took it to a local Computer Retail Store, that is currently receiving high reviews for their Techs, to have them look at it. I explained to them how the crack occurred when I opened it and showed them exactly how I opened it. Their Tech Department, stated that they have had the same laptops come in with the same problems, and have heard the same sony repair warranty refusal complaints. The Techs confirmed that the hinges are too tight and because the screen is not supported, since it only has a thin foil lining between the screen and the outside plastic top, it is sony's cheap workmanship on this model that is causing the problems. As Just opening it normally puts pressure on the screen, that's why you can see it bend when you open it because the lack of interior support. Unlike the model # vgn-n250e, that has the same exact lcd screen installed, but it is supported by a steel plate between the screen and the top, so it does not bend when the screen is opened or adjusted. They told us it is an easy repair that should take any computer tech repair shop, no more than about 30 minutes to complete, but it should be covered under the warranty, as it is very obvious by exterior inspection that there was no physical abuse to the laptop
It is also very obvious by looking at the external area around the screen that sony's tech, never took it apart to confirm that there was no damage from abuse, they merely opened the laptop and said yes the screen is cracked and expected us to fall into the rip off scam they are running.
Disgusted...........................
A Former Sony Customer.
Comments:
Posted by PassingBy on 2009-02-09:
Vaio laptops have a history of cracked screens and Sony refusing to replace them under warranty. Apparently Sony uses very thin LCD screens that poorly resist stress. Even just a little too much heat from the laptop will crack one of those screens. Purchase a good replacement for $150-$200 and have your son install it. There are some web sites with detailed installation instructions.
Posted by MrBeanRocks25 on 2009-02-10:
I just purchased a laptop recently, and I am so glad I didn't buy Sony! I recommend that you sell it on eBay for parts or repair. They sell very good there. That's what I did with my old one. :)
Posted by boo on sony on 2009-06-24:
I had the same experience with Sony customer service. I bought a VGN-z540. Sent it in for repair under warranty for a very minor issue that occurred during the course of normal use. Service reps kept repeating that I had dropped my computer, which I hadn't. It was almost like they were instructed to say that. They were gonna charge me $380 to replace the hinge, which they claim I broke (which I obviously hadn't--wasn't even related to the original damage that I sent the computer in for). I didn't pay up, but my warranty was void forever.
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