Sony Support/Service - My opinion

[Heidfirst]

Quick update..well no news at all nothing from Sony so I fired off another (non angry) email asking to be informed about the status of the camera. Will see if I get anything back. Not great really has to be said I'd have expected a quicker turnaround from Sony, and as for providing normal information (ie we got the camera/or repair status) it's really an epic fail from the customer's perspective.

tbh it's sounding to me as if the 3rd party service centre may have lost it & Sony are probably as much out of the loop as you are.
If you sent it to a 3rd party service centre can't you contact them directly?

[bfitzgerald]

I tried to ring a few times but it's engaged for some odd reason! I could try to email them and see what's going on.

[Greg Beetham]

I got that impression too Barry, that they’d lost it somehow, doesn’t Sony give an authorization number to proceed with a warranty repair, either to you or to the third party repairer so the s/no of the camera is logged under the repair number, I don’t know the procedure as I’ve never done it so I’m only guessing.
Greg

[bfitzgerald]

Well progress! (if you can call it that)
Sony can confirm that the service centre did receive the camera (which I knew anyway)
They said the service centre will contact me once there is an update or I can ring them.

Sigh......

If after 3 weeks this is how far I've got that's not very impressive. I'd have expected a repair turnaround before now.

I sent a fairly strongly worded email back which said stop saying sorry and get the damn thing fixed/sorted out!

[bfitzgerald]

I got another today

Dear Mr Fitzgerald

Thank you for your reply and please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this issue may have caused. With regard to the repair process, the repair centre will call the customer only in case there is an update. If the customer would like to check for any further information, the customer should call the repair centre. The time the repair takes is due to part availability.

I appreciate your kind patience and cooperation.


So reading between the lines they don't have the spare parts they need!
So I assume the camera is sitting on a shelf gathering dust..

I fired one back saying if they cannot provide a timely repair of the camera they should simply replace it. If I hit 4 weeks by next week and still have no camera I'm frankly lost for words.

[Greg Beetham]

Well it’s a relief to know the camera wasn’t lost after all Barry. Replacement coming up at a guess.
Greg

[bfitzgerald]

I doubt that Greg I bet they try to fix this one if it's worth pulling a camera apart to change the sensor and pay the labour cost in doing that I have some doubts myself (they have to re-calibrate the AS and check everything)
I assume the sensor is fitted to the steady shot mechanism by default and would imagine it would be quite a time consuming repair to do. If the camera would ever be the same after a major tear down is also open for debate.

[bfitzgerald]

Another update.
I get an email today (strange on a Sunday) suggesting I call Sony Central to discuss the possibility of getting a replacement body sent to me. Parts unavailability was again mentioned.

[Heidfirst]

Roger Cicala had a joke on his LensRentals blog the other day - what do you call a Nikon D800 with a scratch on the sensor? Parts.
Apparently Nikon charge $1800 to replace the sensor & a new D800 body is under $2500.

[bfitzgerald]

I phoned the Sony Central place and they basically gave me the usual run around now they say they expect parts in shortly (but have no date) the call ended when the operator put the phone down on me when I refused to accept any more delays.

My current feelings on the matter are that I have made a very serious mistake in coming back to A Mount I have no confidence in Sony's customer support or service ability.

They point blank refused to replace the camera. They said parts were "due in" soon but gave me no estimation of when that might be. It is apparent that the camera is in the UK (not eire) and has been gathering dust for a couple of weeks (after it spent the best part of 2 weeks in Eire gathering dust it was forwarded on to the UK service area not that anyone told me)
Only other information I got was that one of the parts was the main board, which means a complete strip down and re-calibration of everything. On economies of scale I find it hard to imaging a low cost camera like the A57 being worth doing a full strip down on, A99 sure I can accept that, maybe an A77 but not an A57. I have no idea when the repairs will be done I would think you could add at least a few more weeks to today.

The customer service person was arguing with me (not helping or listening) I'm completely lost for words on this. She argued that Sony UK only had the camera a few weeks, and did not care that I informed them it was sent to the Irish service centre as requested further delaying things. From my perspective it's close to a Month since sending it off, and I'm really not happy with the delays and lack of information not to mention cost of phone calls etc just to get some idea of what is going on.

My view of their customer support has sunk to new lows, completely happy to expect a few weeks to get this sorted, really unhappy about the lack of communication and "me" having to jump through hoops just to be kept up to date. I really don't know what to think other than Sony have no real care in the world for their customers.

[Atgets_Apprentice]

I don't know if Eire has anything like the Sale Of Goods Act we have in the UK, but as the camera is under warranty, I'd be looking for a full refund on the grounds that it is not fit for purpose. If you bought it from a UK supplier, you might just be covered, Barry.

When I had sensor issues with my a580, that, I believe, was the threat that finally got Sony moving. Well, that and a bit of correspondence in the letters pages of Amateur Photography.

Almost 2 years on, I have a dust-free, properly aligned sensor, on a camera that still does the business for me. I can only hope you get the same outcome.

[bfitzgerald]

Sale of goods act is the same here as in the UK. I was not able to return it for exchange at the retailer as they did not have any other bodies.
So I went with the send back to manufacturer route.

They are obliged to repair/replace the camera, but I'm not sure I can force them to replace it. Personally I would not be happy about an extensive strip down, the camera would never be the same again even if done properly. I have informed Sony customer support that the only acceptable outcome is a replacement (due to the elapsed time)
I could refuse to accept the repair delivery (not that there is any danger of that turning up soon) Not sure what else I can do bar write a letter of complaint.

The customer support people just don't want to play ball, the woman I spoke too was literately shouting me down on the phone, with the expected result I lost my temper. Good customer agents diffuse tension and can listen, this one was lecturing on the phone. When I asked to speak to someone else (ie supervisor/manager) she refused that request. I could play hard ball with Sony and accept nothing else but a replacement, but it won't be easy to do that if they insist on their current line.

I should not have to resort to threats to get this sorted out, but it might come to that.

[Greg Beetham]

Wow it's certainly a minefield these days buying a new camera, (from more than one manufacturer), the peculiar thing is you would expect them to be on their absolute best behavior when sections of the industry is in steep decline, you would think their first priority would be to look after customers without making waves, especially when it’s obviously a QC issue of some sort.
Greg

[bfitzgerald]

That's how it was Greg the woman I spoke to reeled out the lines and that was it. No concept or understanding from a customer perspective, refused to listen to my points without interrupting me, shouting down the phone at me was the last straw for me so I landed a few choice words.

Really it's down to the time that has passed and a month is beyond what I consider to be a reasonable time frame for a repair. Looks like I'm going to have to battle with Sony on this, which is fine if they want to play that game. The camera is stuffed which is why it requires a new board you'd think they'd have the sense to find a new body, test it to make sure it's ok and send it out. But nope..forcing me to wait for mythical parts with no estimate of time. Sony seem to think that's ok to make their customer wait that long.

Greg really it is very sad to have to report this on any forum.

[Greg Beetham]

If those support people are stressed that could mean they are snowed with lots of warranty repairs or it could mean they’ve been ordered to reduce costs, warehouse less parts etc. they might even have had to reduce staff levels.
But to have a support person yelling at a customer over the phone is not a good sign that they have a grip, whatever the reason.
Barry they are going to completely dismantle the camera (that’s why it had to go back to the UK I’d say for sure), they probably needed it there under Sony control, maybe so they can backtrack on the assembly id tags/nos. to find out which personal assembled the camera.
The camera should just be replaced, It’s not right that a customer should be without the new item they’ve paid good money for to use, not have it sitting ‘somewhere’ unknown for a month waiting to get fixed, and then be yelled at into the bargain.
Sony owes you an apology, and a new camera. (That’s what you paid for)
Greg