Help with my SZ please

Hey guys. I have a very big problem and I don't know what to do.

I just purchased an SZ360 2 weeks ago. Everything was flawless however yesterday after carrying my laptop in my bag the whole day i discovered a cosmetic break/flaw. (i think one of my books might of pressed on it a little too hard)
The side rim of the laptop (on the right side where the DVD is) kind of came off on the top side. It is still there but it is very loose.

I did not purchase an extended warranty!!! I'm thinking of purchasing it immediately online and then using it to fix it. What do you think I should do?
Are the extended warranties good for only one fix/break over the course of 2 or 3 years depending on what u buy? Can I use the standard warranty!

PLEASE HELP I'M VERY UPSET!

 

can someone please reply! im really freaking out!

 

can u post a picture?

i assume this is a warranty issue and it does sound like a accident.

i think only accidental warranty cover what happen to you.

 

I just have the worst luck!!

"ADH only covers operational or mechanical failure from handling and does not include protection against normal wear and tear, theft, mysterious disappearance, misplacement, viruses, reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of the product, cosmetic damage and/or other damage that does not affect the unit functionality, damage caused during shipment between You and Our service providers and any other limitations listed in the Limitations of Coverage section. Any resultant damage from this type of treatment is NOT covered by this ADH program."


Maybe i could claim this as a defect because I do remember it being slightly loose from the very beginning

 

the limited one year warranty issued through sony will only cover mechanical or hardware malfunctions. (like how my sz260 built in speakers stopped working out of nowhere.) They won't cover any accidental problems. i bought the extended 2 year warranty issued by comp usa, and they told me that i have to go through sony first, before they will even listen to my malfunction, which i think is purely bull5hit. if sony doesn't want to fix it, then i'll send it in through comp usa's repair program; the program stresses that you can only claim your notebook once a year. sorry man

 

does anyone have any suggestions?

it's a slight problem maybe sony can fix it for me for a fee?

 

Call Sony and give it a try. Although from the photos, it really looks like more than just a case of books pressing against it. I'm not disputing your claim, mind you... it's just that the damage, especially in that first shot, looks like something whacked it pretty dang hard and dented it in the process.

 

do you think i should purchase the accidental warranty first just in case. I was planning on getting it anyway

 

Yes, after look at the picture, it would be smart to get the accidental warranty.

That does look really bad! Do you have a case? Did you just put your SZ with your text books?

 

Like any insurance/warranty, they're not likely to cover damage that happened prior to you purchasing the coverage. That's something you should look into.

The other thing you might look into is any coverage that your credit card might automatically have on purchases, assuming that you used a credit card. I know all of mine double the manufacturers warranty up to an additional year and I'm not sure if there is any type of accidental coverage included, but they're might be.

 

I used AMEX.

I was thinking of purchasing the accidental online then waiting about a week or two to report the accident.

....im so upset

 

Well, that's the build quality you get with Sony.
Looks can be deceiving--
little did you know, that this temptress is so delicate!

 

Oh, I shouldn't have poked fun at you without contributing my little bit

Have you tried smacking the side firmly with the palm of your hand? Seriously.

 

I hope you can fix it.

Did you talk to Sony yet?

You didn't my question, did you have a case in your backpack? I always carry text books to school, I'm kinda afraid thats going to happen to me.

 

i forgot my case that day and i assume that's why it happened

I'm going to order accidental today. What do you think I should tell Sony when I call them?

 

I have looked at the photo's. This appears to be something that WILL NOT be covered by Sony. Have you thought about your Homeowners or Renters insurance though? I know that I always sound like the one saying that it is not Sony's fault (Pixles et all) but I am really not sure that Sony should cover you for this. Repair prices arefactored into everybody's sales price. I am not sure that Sony should cover cosmetic issues that we cause. From what the poster said, the computer still works 100% OK. The funny thing is that had the computer been dropped and the LCD broken or something, then Sony would cover it if you had the warranty. But if this is something you really want fixed, your homeowners policy will cover it...assuming you have electronics coverage on your policy. (You would be insane not to)

 

if you call sony, they will just ask you to mail in your laptop. when they send you the packaging material for the laptop, there will be a form that you must fill out. at the bottom of the form, there is a section for your credit card number just in case they review the condition of your laptop and deem it has been "accidentally tampered" with. it's $249.99 to repair any cosmetic stuff, and $599.99 for your LCD. i think you're gonna have to pay =(

 

This is in the scenario if i have a regular 1 year warranty or the extended accidental??

I'm so upset at this point that I'm willing to pay for the repair.

I just want to point out to anyone who's reading this that despite this problem I'm still very satisfied with the computer. What happened to me was my own fault. The SZ360 is otherwise superb, all electronics are fragile (especially small and light ones) and it's up to the owner to be careful.

 

I'm not sure what this homeowners or renters insurance is? I'm a student. Can you please explain?

Also, what if i try to contact AMEX? Do you think they can help me in some way?

 

If you're asking us to help you lie, then I for one want no part in it.

 

Amex will simply extend your Sony warranty by another year. This is not going to help you. It is a good deal but it will do nothing until your initial Sony warranty expires. If you are a college student, you probably have renters insurance. If you do not, then you need to get it. Renters insurance covers your stuff wile yu are living in the dorm or renting out in town. It is a mustfor college. Actually most dormatories it is required. Especially with how expensive all of our toys are now days and how rampant theft is. With insurance, you just send your computer back to Sony, call your insurance, pay the deductable and then they will pay for the repair. This is the type of thing insurance is for.

 

I'm not planning, nor asking u to help me lie to anyone!!!!

I'm simply asking anyone who has had experience with this to give me advice on the best approach on this.

 

Okay... no harm done. It's just that when you said

"I was thinking of purchasing the accidental online then waiting about a week or two to report the accident."

a few posts back, I was already getting the impression that deception was part of your plan. Then when you asked for help on "What to tell Sony", well.... what was one to think?

Tell Sony what happened... it's as simple as that.

 

It appears that you are in denial of the fact that the build quality of these notebooks are rather something to be desired.

With six-hundred dollars to fix an LCD and two-hundred fifty dollars to fix cosmetic issues, you'd be better off investing that money (and the money you'll get from selling your SZ) into a notebook of much higher quality and reliability.

 

Someone is rather self righteous. What difference does it make whether it happened pre or post purchase of accidental damage insurance? If the customer is going to pay the cash for the insurance, they should be able to get their notebook fixed. Yea, yea, I know I know..your morals apparently deem you virtuous, and we shant plunge Sony into bankruptcy by committing such a hideous deed as the one mentioned above, but relax, it's not coming out of your pocket, as much as you may try to convince yourself that it indeed is. The money actually comes from the huge revenues Sony pulls in through the sales of post-sale warranties, to cover "accidents" that cost Sony a few dollars to fix, and costs the customer $250-up (in the form of the warranty cost). The only one profiting in the end, is still, SONY.

Nuntius - Are you still using an SZ? Just curious as to how it's held up.

Illka - If you can make the accidental insurance policy through Sony work for you to get your machine fixed, you should. As Nuntius stated, the build quality isn't always ideal. You admit that you were partially at fault, but it was still an accident. And I don't think the accidental warranty coverage excludes anything "preventable", if it did, it would be worthless, as technically, just about any accident is preventable.

 

Illka - If you can make the accidental insurance policy through Sony work for you to get your machine fixed, you should. As Nuntius stated, the build quality isn't always ideal. You admit that you were partially at fault, but it was still an accident. And I don't think the accidental warranty coverage excludes anything "preventable", if it did, it would be worthless, as technically, just about any accident is preventable.[/QUOTE]

I hope your right but looks what it says:

ADH only covers operational or mechanical failure from handling and does not include protection against normal wear and tear, theft, mysterious disappearance, misplacement, viruses, reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of the product, cosmetic damage and/or other damage that does not affect the unit functionality, damage caused during shipment between You and Our service providers and any other limitations listed in the Limitations of Coverage section. Any resultant damage from this type of treatment is NOT covered by this ADH program."

 

Wow, impressive, they've done a very thorough job protecting themselves. From the way it's worded, they could refuse to cover virtually anything. "Reckless", "abusive", "willful or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of this product" etc...they could place these terms on literally any "operational or mechanical failure". They are things that can't be proven, and are completely subjective. It sounds as though it covers nothing beyond a conventional standard warranty.

Regardless, you might be out of luck with that one. You should check your local repair shops and see how much they would charge for labor if you can supply the part, and then just buy the part from Ebay or one of various suppliers. If you have any mechanical inclination, you might even try scoring a service manual and doing it yourself. It can't be that complex.

 

It's doing fine, considering it sits at my work desk all day. Keyboard blows hard, screen's flimsy, battery shifts and clonks, and the joints are as brittle as pretzels, though.
Cool computer, though, really.

 

The phrase " cosmetic damage and/or other damage that does not affect the unit functionality" caught my eye.

Since its so close to the side, you can say some of your USB device wouldn't fit properly. You can also make it worst so the DVD drive doesn't come out. These are problems that DOES affect the unit functionality.

I know it sounds stupid and weird but I'm just trying to make up excuse so Sony would fix it for you.

 

only time will tell how this thing will end for me

 

Well I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who helped me. Yesterday after a long time of waiting I recieved my laptop back fixed!!

What I ended up doing it purchasing a three year accidental warranty for newegg.com Then I called sony and told them that I dropped my laptop and have a cosmetic break and problems with DVD burning. Sent it in to them and eveyrthing got fixed!!! Very happy now!

Thanks again to all who helped me!

 

you must of hit it pretty **** hard to do that. i've dropped a dell laptop before and it didnt even look that bad. the sz isnt that fragile.

 

illka99, glad to hear that things are alright for you.

 

I wonder.... Mine looks just like that on the right side...
I never noticed it till just now. I'll see if I can snap a shot and upload it. Its wierd if you consider the casing is supposed to be carbon fibre and it "bends" more.







Not the cleanest shot. was taken with a camera phone. It looks like something it it but I dont rememeber this ever hapening.

 

Actually, the part that's bent is just black plastic painted in a metallic color. Only the screen bezel and back cover are made out of carbon fibre (notice the difference in color).