The problems started 8 months after I purchased the machine when I began to notice that the screen was constantly ghosting images, after experiencing this for some time I obviously became very annoyed and frustrated as it distracted me from doing my work and browsing the web. This is when I decided to call Sony to explain the problem, and subsequently sent my machine off for repair. Posting it with the expectation that the issue would be dealt with in a prompt and professional manner fiting of a respectable company.
This was not the case, once I sent the machine I only encountered further problems, constantly chasing for information to be a significant one. I conducted around thirty calls during a three month period. Calling the authorised repair centre as well as Sony. Months later the repair centre said they had checked my laptop and nothing was wrong with it. They informed that screen ghosting was normal if it disappeared within 10 minutes??!!! Thus after every page I now view I have the pleasure of a new ghost form on top of an old one, is this what the repair centre constitutes as normal, a state of constant ghosting? What kind of Sony experience is this? If it wasn’t there when I bought the laptop and it is now, how is that normal???!!! But, the repair centre say that’s the guidelines from Sony. Having taken this on board I requested a copy of the guidelines to prove this, but I received a call 30 minutes later informing me there is nothing in writing to conquer with this only a verbal agreement, which was also echoed by Sony. Is this how a multi-million corporation does business, on verbal agreements?… I refused to except such a decision and so the issue was raised with customer relations, with the highest hierarchy rating, department(level 3).
After receiving no call me back, I continued to pursue the issue. Eventually speaking to one adviser who said: ‘’don’t worry someone will definetly call you’’. I enquired for a time frame and he told me ‘’no longer than one week, I promise’’. No call two weeks later and I still find myself continuously chasing it. Most annoyingly every Sony staff member I have spoken to has promised the same thing, to no avail. Only when they decision was made to not repair my machine and just return it to me did I start receiving calls. Suprisinglyenough some staff members even advised me that I shouldn t worried as I would definetlyget compensation for this period. This has not been mentioned since.
I had the feeling that every staff member I spoke to was trying to palm off the responsibility just to finish a call. No one really knew what was happening, they just repeated to me for three months that my case was raised to the third and highest level, every person sounded like they where reading it from a manual, with no real knowledge as to what was actually happening. Just regurgitating: ‘’we understand your frustration, it is not acceptable, but there is nothing we can do it is a different department ’’…what kind of customer support is this, please explain??!!
After requesting to multiple advisors that I wished to speak to customer relations they denied me the option saying they had no direct line to them, and that the only information they could send to chase the issue was by email. So after more than three months of cat and mouse I received this plain email from Mr McDonald which seemed as if it had been directly copied and pasted from the email three months previous:
Thank you for contacting Sony.
We have contacted the repair centre who have confirmed they have diagnosed your VAIO and found the unit is operating within specification. As such, there is no fault found and your VAIO is ready to be returned to you.
Please contact the repair centre to arrange the return of your VAIO at your earliest convenience.
Customer Relations Office
Another adviser told me: ‘’call the online shop and they will do something about it, just get your laptop back’. I refused to take my laptop back while it was still broken and they said: ‘it will be destroyed then’.
How would you feel if you didn’t have your laptop for more than three months, your main tool for work, and you received an email, such as Mr McDonald that had been copy an pasted with the same info from three months prior.
I have read about poor Sony customer service but I never expected that it would be so bad. Everyone seems incompetent. It is diabolical and total ignorance from Sony. Never again with Sony including my Xperia Z problems and now problems with Xperia Z1, but that’s a different story.
