Dissatisfied with Sony Support - SVP13 failed to reinstall

[BlueTrin]

Hello,

Recently I purchased a SVP13 (SVP1322C5E), and after fiddling with it I wanted to restore it to factory settings by using rescue mode. But something went wrong and using a bootable USB, I found out that I lost all partitions.

Where can I find a recovery media to download, the laptop is totally new and Sony Support seems to be trying to sell me a recovery media for £50 when the laptop failed on the second day.

In the meantime I have been trying to make a windows 8 UEFI bootable USB, but the steps here seems to not make the USB bootable for the SVP13:

http://www.blogsolute.com/create-windows-8-usb-bootable-pendrive-uefi-boot/25988/

[BlueTrin]

After one week of emails exchange, I was unable to get Sony support to repair my laptop although it is under warranty. My only option is to get a refund.

In particular, even after mentioning that my partitions were lost when using Sony recovery tool, the support kept asking me every day to try to use the recovery method although I told them that since they took 3 days to reply I reinstalled a spare windows 8 copy to be able to use the laptop and that the tool already bugged leaving a laptop in an unusable state without partitions.

They were never able to organise a repair nor proposed one, they only wanted to sell me an USB key to reinstall the laptop for £50, while the laptop was only 2 days old when I emailed them.

On each email the person replying would be different and not remember the facts from the previous emails, leading the person to ask over and over the same questions without proposing a repair.

I will post here the exchange as it was a very frustrating experience:

 - the website refused my serial number when logging the issue

 - subsequently I could not call the support as it would not recognise this serial number

 - the delay of up to 2 days before to receive a reply and being asked the same questions multiple times

 - the people from support asking me to try to do a recovery when I tell them that it was the issue in the first place and that the partitions were lost on the first day of using the computer

[BlueTrin]

04/03/2014 
Hello,
I did not receive a confirmation so I am resending the request, you may have already a copy of this.

I need to have a copy of the recovery media as my partition is corrupted and I did not have any recovery media given with the laptop. Please can you tell me the fastest way to get one and/or provide me a download ?

I can visit a Sony Center if that is faster. Please let me know the fastest option to get this sorted out.

PS: I could not find any serial # on my laptop, where is it located ? 

Kind regards

[BlueTrin]

Thu, 5 Mar 2014 17:25

Dear Mr
Thank you for contacting Sony.
I appreciate your enquiry about obtaining recovery discs for your VAIO.
In response to your query, you can order recovery discs by calling us on the numbers below. They will cost approximately 50 pounds and are delivered in 2 to 3 working days.
Please prepare the serial number of the VAIO. The link below will guide you through how you can locate the valid serial number. http://sony.co.uk/support/en/topics/article/23646/p/48903;48903,49902/c/68,65925/kw/serial%20number
Yours Sincerely,

[BlueTrin]

Sorry I do not think you noticed that this is a new laptop. It failed to boot up and I noticed that it was corrupted. Since then I have been trying to find a solution to repair/reinstall.
If you cannot provide me a way to reinstall the only solution left for me is to return the purchase to you.
Please let me know if you can direct me to someone who can repair the faulty installation or I have to return you the laptop before the return period expire.
Can I use the warranty in a Sony Centre ?
Kind regards

[BlueTrin]

Fri, Mar 7, 2014 at 9:54 AM
Dear Mr 

Thank you for your recent emails.

We apologize for any unintended delay in responding to your messages; however, you need to allow 24 hours for a reply to be received from our side. I also apologize for that it was not mentioned that the VAIO was a few days old as there was no serial number provided.

With regards to the recovery issue on your VAIO, returning or exchanging your unit is purely referred to your retailer.

From our side as post sales technical support channel, we can offer you a repair service; however, I would be grateful for replying with a clear description of the booting issue that you have referred to.

-          Is there an error message at the boot?
-          Does the startup reach Windows logo?
-          What happens when you access the ASSIST button?

I would also recommend running VAIO Hardware Diagnostics if this is currently possible:

First, make sure the VAIO is switched off completely (if necessary press the power button for 5 seconds), and press the Assist button to start.
 
This will bring you to the VAIO Care Rescue Mode menu
 
In the VAIO Care Rescue Mode menu, we recommend to select Recover or maintain your system.  Next you need to select your language.  Then select Troubleshoot.
 
From the Troubleshoot screen, there are various options to choose from.  The most appropriate option will depend on the state of your system, the amount of applications you have installed, and on whether you have already backed up your data.  Below an overview of all options and their effect:
 
Select "Recovery and maintenance"
 
Select "VAIO Hardware diagnostics"
 
Please reply with the outcome of the test as it is very important.
 
Should you have further queries, please never hesitate to reply to this email or contact us on the following numbers.

Yours Sincerely,

[BlueTrin]

08/03/2014

Prior to my reinstallation of windows, to answer your questions:

- on startup the error message was "Operating System Not Found"

- it was not reaching Windows

- assist button shows the rescue menu

After doing my own installation of windows with a spare USB

- on startup it boots my own installation of windows

- I can see the windows logo

- assist button shows the rescue menu

Ok to answer the second part of your email.

When I press the 'assist' button and select 'Start troubleshooting (Recovery)', I get the error message 'Operating System Not Found'. Therefore I cannot run 'Recovery and maintenance' and I cannot run 'VAIO Hardware diagnostics'.

Please follow up with my query and help me to finally set up an appointment to have my installation refreshed as I requested in my previous email as your recovery tool has been wiped out as I explained in my first email all partitions have been lost, therefore I cannot run your recovery tool.

Please also let me know what is the latest date at which I can return this laptop so I can return it if this issue is not solved.

Kind regards

[BlueTrin]

10/03/2014 Their reply:

Dear Mr

Thank you for your kind reply.

In an attempt to help you solve the issue, it would be appreciated if you provided us with the serial number of the VAIO or the service tag to have access to your account on our system and proceed with the most suitable course of action.

The link below will help locate the serial number:

http://sony.co.uk/support/en/article/23646/23646/p/61650/c/68,65925/kw/serial%20number/related/1

We are sorry to read of the &ldquoNo Operating System Found&rdquo error message that appears on your Sony VAIO. Please accept our apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience that this issue has caused.

We would like to help remedy this for you. Below are a set of diagnostic and troubleshooting steps which will either fix the problem or help us identify the source. If you follow these, it would be most appreciated:

1.       Press the ASSIST button while your VAIO computer is off.

2.       The VAIO Care Rescue Mode screen appears.

3.       Select Start BIOS setup.

4.       Enter a password if it has already been set.

5.       The BIOS setup screen appears.

6.       On the main menu, please observe whether the Hard Disk Drive is listed and showing its capacity or not.

a.       If it is not listed, please reply back to me to confirm this.

b.      If it is listed, then please proceed to step 7.

7-      Open the Boot section by using the arrows on the keyboard

8-      Change the priority of the Hard Disk Drive to be the first on the list

9-      Go to the Exit section and press on Save Changes and Exit with Saving.

If the previous steps do not solve the issue, we are sorry to inform you that the most effective way is to perform a full recovery to the system using the recovery partition. Please read carefully the recovery instructions in the link below:

http://sony.co.uk/support/en/topics/article/23514/p/48903;48903,49902/c/68,65925/kw/Recovery%20windo...

Important Note: A full recovery will return the VAIO to its original factory condition, deleting all traces of your own personal data and settings. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you back up all relevant data to an external source before following the recovery steps.

If you cannot get into the recovery partition or it has been deleted, then you can complete the full recovery using the Recovery DVDs if you have created them. If you have not created Recovery DVDs, you can purchase them from our end at a cost of (£49.79) including VAT and shipping if you can just reply back with your phone number and the best timeframe to call you back to submit the order for you.

Should you have any further questions or queries, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us on the numbers below:

Yours sincerely

Hesham Muhammad

[BlueTrin]

My reply on the 10/03/2014 

Hesham,

I missed some of your questions.

First of all, please confirm what is the latest date at which I can ask for a refund, I already asked this question and had no answer. If I have no answer I will have no other choice to point out that Sony Support refused to answer this question if I have to ask for a refund.

The serial is 54734718-0001849.

I went into the BIOS as you asked me to and the HD is listed and I can see its capacity. Again this is fairly obvious since I mentioned to you that I managed to reinstall Windows and boot on it, the HDD is obviously working.

If you read my previous emails, I mentioned that the original partitions were lost when I used your recovery system.

As I mentioned previously, I do not want to pay £50 to repair a laptop that broke on the first day of usage.

Please confirm the last date at which I can get a refund and either provide me a solution or a refund.

Kind regards

Tony

[BlueTrin]

The last reply from them:

<pre>

Dear Mr

Thank you for your kind reply.

Please accept our apologies due to this issue. We realize how inconvenient this can be and we would always like the opportunity to resolve the matter as swiftly and effectively as possible.

Regarding the refund concern, we would like to clarify that we are the post-sales support and the technical support team; therefore, we recommend that you contact the sales team via the numbers below:

Sony Style Online Store Customer Support

Sony Style UK: 0207 365 2413

Sony Style Ireland: 01 407 3335

Email: support@shop.sony-europe.com or Sales.GB@shop.sony-europe.com

So long as you have done a full recovery and the same issue is still there, we deem it necessary for your VAIO to visit our repair centre for diagnosis and repair. We hope we can provide you with assistance.

As you are within our manufacturer’s guarantee period, this service will be completely free of charge under the below repair terms and conditions.

Please read the terms and conditions of the collection below. Once you are happy with them, please reply to this e-mail providing the details below required for arranging a collection for your VAIO.

Repair Terms and condition, Collection Instructions and Details needed for collection:

Please read carefully the terms and conditions below and email me the details needed to book a pickup order for your VAIO.

A)     Repair terms:

1.       We highly recommend that you back up all your data, settings, and applications before having the VAIO collected to be dispatched for repair as Sony will not be responsible for any data loss.

2.       You can use the below link for backing up your data. This link mentions alternatives for backing up your data in case you were unable to do so due to a complete system failure:

 - Link: http://sony.co.uk/support/en/article/23590/23590/p/48903;48903,49902/c/68,65925/kw/back%20up

3.       If the VAIO is diagnosed as falling outside the terms of guarantee (Faulty due to physical damage, liquid spillage or software malfunction), then the repair will be treated as 'Out Of Warranty' and will be chargeable. Then the repair team will contact you with a quote, if you decide NOT to proceed with the repair procedure after receiving the repair quote, then a 'return unrepaired' (around 63/89.23 GBP) fee will be applied, which covers diagnosis, logistics, and labour costs.

4.       The turnaround time for the repair process should be within 7 working days on average. The duration of the turnaround time might vary depending on the parts availability during the time of the repair. 

5.       In case the VAIO is returned back with any physical issue, please report this to us within 5 working days after receiving the VAIO back from repair.

6.       Any parts replaced at the repair centre become property of Sony “As any faulty part will be exchanged with a brand new original part”. In case you wish to restore any replaced part, please notify us before your VAIO gets collected as you would need to pay a certain amount which would be decided by the repair centre.

B)      Collection Instructions:

1.       The courier will arrive with a box; kindly ensure to pack the VAIO yourself. In case the driver did not arrive with a box, please do not give him the VAIO and just contact us back.

2.       Please make sure that the courier provides you with a proof of collection document/ form.

3.       Remove all peripherals or 3rd Party hardware from your VAIO before it gets collected (Memory Sticks, DVD’s, dongles etc.). Also be mindful that the A/C Adaptor “VAIO Charger” and battery are not needed unless there is a suspected power issue with your VAIO. E.g. “VAIO does not power on”.

C)      Details needed for collection:

1.       VAIO serial number “Which can be located at the back of your VAIO”.

2.       Preferred/ convenient date for collection. Please be mindful that we can collect on weekdays only “Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:00”.

3.       The address for collection. In case you require a separate/ different return address, please indicate that in your reply/ response.

4.       Preferred Contact phone number and an alternative one if available.

5.       Windows login username, password and the BIOS password if you have set one.

6.       Please include a brief description about the issue you are experiencing with your VAIO.

Should you have any further questions or queries, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us on the numbers below:

Yours sincerely