Well I got screwed! (oh and... Sony sucks!)

Yup Sony finnaly screwed me out of my 400$ US Minidisc!

It's been in their hands for 16 months! ya 16!!! I just got off the phone with a support rep (supervisor) and he told me that my unit was out of warrenty! It's true it was out of warrenty a after 1 year! Anyways here is the shorten version of my story...

Well it all started in November 2002. my minidisc unit counted record stuff anymore, so I sent it over to Sony for them to fix. I get my quote back 340$ to fix! I said BS I wanna see the techs report!

After 5 months of calling and then refusin to give me a reason, I called the service center in Montreal and spoke directly with the repair guy. He told me that the optical block (chunk of glass that the laser goes through ) had an air bubble! Hmm.. their fault! So I tell them this and they just say whatever it's not under warrenty come pick it up.

1 month later it arrives (we are now in April 2003), so I go to the sony store to pick it up... guess what... they hand me my 400$ unit in a ZIPLOCK! I take it out and look at it, 1 one ich scratch on the back and 2 impact dents on the corners one over the other! I was like.. wtf is this... it wasn't like this before I gave it to you! So the guy at the store told me that they had pictures from before it was shipped. I told them I wanted it in the same shape as before!

June, I get a call... "ya that will be 340$ to fix the unit" I was like wtf? I didn't ask for that, where are the pictures! "Oh ok sir well call you when we have looked at them!

July 2003 I call... "what unit we have never received a unit form you sir!" wtf again! I ask for the pictures!

September 2003, they still had NO idea! So I asked to speak to a manager, I spoke to one and he told me to fax my proof of purchase... So guess what... I faxed it 5 TIMES!!!

December (after all that faxing and "what, we didn't get anythin from you!?" I speak with this 'manager' about how it's been so long, the damage, and the faulty optical block.

January 2004 For some reason the manager that was dealing with me, left for an 'underterminded periode of time' wtf!?

Today! Guy calls me, I asked to speak to his boss, I get the head of the dept. He tells me
a) there was never a bubble in the optical block
b) what damage?! (even though he never saw the unit himself, but his people did)
c) i'm a liar.
d) the reason it took so much time was my fault. This all because I refused to get it fixed and I was 'stalling' (this is back in Jan 2003 when I wanted a report on what was wrong with my unit) ya ok, go Sony incompetance
e) I can't get the report, he won't even tell me was is wrong with the thing... just that it's broken and cost 340$ to fix!
f) I can't see the FedEx pictures (probably because they don't have them)
g) It's not their problem if a new unit cost 179$
h) They will return it as it is now, and that there never was any damage ( yes I told him to go look for himself)
i) That my warrenty (if I even had one) does not apply because I bought it in the states and i'm in Canada. Doesn't Sony == global?

Is it just me or are these ppl completly unreasonnable?
So now I don't know what to do, I need some help!
But I can tell you one thing.. i'm NEVER buying or recommending a Sony product EVER again!

So in conclusion, I got screwed, Sony sucks and I can't do anythin about it! Thanks for reading!

P.S. i'll probably think of other stuff but that's it for now!

I don't think there's a lot you can do to get things made right, but I'd say do all you can to spread what happened.

Look for user review sites, post what happened as a review of sony. I don't know what the equivilent is in Canada, but here its called the Better Business Bureau.

As an example, some years ago I bought a used dishwasher (didn't make anywhere near as much back then) that was a total lemon, and of course they refused to give me my money back. I posted on several websites that have user reviews, wrote to the BBB, as well as the fraud division of the county attorneys office and the mayor. Every review and letter, as well as the replies I got I CC'ed to the appliance dealer. I was even making a protest sign and I fully planned to picket the place on the weekends.

The tune changed -real- quick and I got a refund.

What they hate worst is making a lot of loud noises about their lousy service

If nothing else, it's a little bit of satisfaction.

Sony sucks because they have a flat rate repair policy. I had a 21 inch monitor a few years back and after the first year the tube just died, no reason , just DIED, Yeah Just died!
So i called them about repairs, these monitors used to be pretty pricey. the guy told me it would cost me 400+ to fix it. I replied "You dont even know whats wrong with it yet!" he said Sony does non warranty repair on flat rates. so each product has a set price for repair. Whether the tube was blown or a fuse was blown, same price.. I couldnt actually flip him a bird through the phone, but i am guessing i described my action to him well enough. Never bought a sony product again.

PS:

I know that hurt you.. i am on my 5th or so MD walkman and 1 was stolen, one fell and actually cracked into pieces, one was lost and one i gave away. last one i kept Havent used it in about 2 years.

Nexus, check your local tv stations. A lot of stations in the US have programs where they investigate stuff like this, and help folks get their money back. I would imagine they haver that in Canada too. The threat of publicity on TV generally is a good motivator for companies to solve the problem.

lol All that for something you use once every two years.. hehehe

Nexus I'd say a declaration of war is due... hopefully Canada has a BBB.

ya I spoke to a couple people about it. Something around here called Action Line and street sense... They will actually do an indepth report and stir up some stuff... hopefully to get Sony to move! (btw type sony sucks in google and you'll find like a hundred sites!)

Well my plan is send a registered letter now stating that I demand retribution (new unit) if the pictures and report are not brought forward. So now they can't say they lost my letters! (I don't think I mentionned that... I sent about 6 different letters, never got a call\fax\letter back from them!)

We'll see what happens! But ya Sony sucks!

I would go to the www.consumersunion.org website and do a complaint, and if you file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau wherever they are located, it stays on their record until they and you are satisfied and remove the complaint. You could also take them to Small Claims Court in your local jurisdiction. Rather to pay a lawyer to sit in court all day long they will likely just cut you a check.