Problem with brand new Sony Vaio

[Frouli]

Hello everybody.

At January 25 I bought a Sony Vaio and already from the second day it started giving me problems.

First it was a black spot on the screen, but after I googled it I decided to wait a day or 2 in case it disapeared by itself (as people in forums were saying it can happen) and it did. But after a week the screen started trembling and then along with that 2 big lines appeared permanetely on the screen and later after a day the whole screen filled completely with blue white and other coloured lines! I contacted Sony customer support and I have to say that the person on the phone was very helpful and polite but the point of this topic is simply a copmplain towards Sony. I have to say I feel really dissapointed getting a brand new Sony product and having this kind of trouble. I have been buying Sony products for the last 20 years for their quality and reliability and I did not expect this from a Sony product. Now, after contacting sony customer support I have to give them my Vaio to be sent at Czech Republic for service (I live in Greece) leaving me without a laptop for who knows how long. I don't think that's right, a replacement laptop could be provided to me until I get mine fixed back.

Anyway, I just wanted to publicilly express this complain of mine , as I have really regretted buying this Vaio.

Frouli

[VAIOnotWOW]

Yes, Frouli, you're not alone. At Christmas (2011) I bought a VPCEH from Marks & Spencers to get their 2 year guarantee - after 4 weeks of intermittent use and no travel, my wife went to use it, opened it to find the display full of vertical & horizontal coloured lines and a thick black line across the middle. Now this laptop has been treated like a baby, living in its own drawer when not in use - never dropped or abused in any way.

Feeling pleased that at least I was well protected, I began the guarantee process .. M&S deny liability, insisting that 'force or pressure' must have been applied. Sony picked up the laptop after going through their (competent & helpful) support, but then rang back to say the repair would cost £350 !! If I want it back I will have to pay at least £80 if I pick it up myself.

We have both been laptop users for many years, with varying quality makes, but have never experienced this type of early life failure, let alone a complete denial of an issue. Could this be the other VAIO manufacturers showing through - this one is made in China.

I have always bought Sony, currently on a £2.5K TV/HDRecorder setup, but no more !!

[danhague]

There are actually special warranty policies for black spots. It's different for the whole notebook itself. That was for a different provider tho.

I suggest calling the support team so they could check it for you. I'm 90% sure that this is a hardware issue.

[Frouli]

I just wanted to give you an update of the situation. After I sent the photos of the laptop as required by sony to them, I called them back and they told me that that kind of problem has to do with the screen and for that to happen I must have dropped it! Now apart from the fact that they did their diagnosis from some photos , I assure you that this laptop has stayed all the time here on a table and if I had dropped it , wouldn't it have at least a mark on it? Now, they told me that I had to send it to them and pay 40 euros for them to check it plus whatever amount the repair would cost!!! They say that this kind of problem is not covered by the guarentee and on top of that I have to pay for them to check it! Is there anything that the guarantee actually covers? That is really a shame! I bought this product as I thought that Sony being the company it used to be would be there for me in case I had a problem , it appears that the complete opposite is true. That is not the way to treat a customer Sony, I gave 500 euros to buy this laptop (which I don't on the street) and the moment I had a problem (which is in the guarantee time) Sony wants me to pay for their fault. This kind of behaviour is simply unacceptable.

I completely lost my faith in Sony after this, and I will never again buy anything at all from Sony.