3-year warranty on VPC-Z11 configurations?

Online retailers are offering some VPC-Z11 configurations with a 3-year warranty. When one reads the corresponding data sheets, the "Service and Warranty Information" section reads like this:

Telephone Support: 1 year toll-free technical assistance
available 24/7 at 888-476-6972
Online and Email Support: Available at
Sony eSupport - Computers & Peripherals - Select Your Model
Onsite/In-Home Service: 1 year limited warranty with
Onsite/In-Home Service. See actual warranty for
details.
International Service: 1 year international service plan.
Registration required. See www.sony.com/IRSP for
details.
Limited Warranty Term: 3 year limited warranty. See
actual warranty for details.​

Confusing, right? I sought clarification from a Sony Customer Service Representative. She told me that there is no such thing a 3-year warranty on VAIO notebooks but I tend to rely on what I read rather than on what I hear.

Can anyone elucidate on the elusive Sony 3 year limited warranty?

 

I never heard that 3 years warranty.
I know that in Italy I have 2 years warranty, a sort of 1 "local" year added to the international one year.

 

What's the "limited"?

 

As a U.S. customer, there ARE 3 year "warranty" plans available directly from Sony. They are technically service plans/contracts, but there are actually 2 options for the 3 year period for the Vaio Z11:
1. 3 Year Mail-in Depot ("Express Ship") with Accidental Damage Coverage
2. 3 Year ON-SITE coverage (NO Accidental Damage Coverage)

I purchased #2, above.

Lots of places seem to have an affection for referring to these service contracts as warranties. I think that is because the list of things they cover is pretty much the same as what would be covered by a warranty. They do not, for example, cover user-inflicted damage (unless you get the Accidental Damage plan - and even then there are several restrictions) or "normal" wear and tear. If, however, a trackpad or keyboard button breaks from normal use during the period, they fix it. If an optical drive or HDD/SSD fails, they replace it. You get the idea.

In the U.S. the following coverage is INCLUDED with the purchase of the Z11:

• 1 year limited warranty with Onsite/In-Home Service10PDF
• 1 year toll-free 24/7 technical telephone assistance
• Online and Email Support available from Sony eSupport - Computers & Peripherals - Select Your Model
• 1 year international service plan. Registration required. See http://www.sony.com/IRSPfor details

(copied from VAIO Z Series PC | Sony | SonyStyle USA)

I hope at least some of this helps and addresses your question/concern.

 

Exactly, what are the limits of the 3-year warranty? But the more fundamental question is: How can an End-User make effective a warranty that Sony Customer Service representatives do not know about? Yet, it is in the Sony data sheets for certain configurations.

 

Thank you. However, I was not referring to an extended service plan or contract but to the text of the official Sony data sheet for certain VPC-Z11 configurations such as VPC-Z11QGXS. You can download the data sheet at Sony eSupport - VPCZ11QGX/S - Manuals / Specs / Warranty by clicking on "Marketing Specifications".

 

Some B2B models of the Z in the previous models DO come with three year warrangy. I purchased a Z899 model that definitely had a three year warranty STANDARD in the pricing - and the warranty was transferrable.

I assume that the policy is true with the new Z . These tend to be the upper end models that are loaded. (500gb, Bluray in this case)

UL

 

Mine is a CTO from Sonystyle France and it is said on the website that every product using win 7 pro is covered with a 2 years warranty.

Anyway, I agree that terms reported in this thread are confusing...

 

There are some B2B CTOQS (CTO Quick Ship) models that come with 3 years warranty as standard. These models can be found through those Sony authorized "Business" resellers.