Sony service suck!!!

Since I find that my z540 has the problem of battery drain, it cannot hold the charge and loose the power more than 10% everyday after it is already powered off.
So I am just going to find the contact method from sonystyle.com. I also find the price is changed a lot.

I placed an order for a z540 CTO on 11/19/2008, and got it around 11/26, price was $1279.99 for the z540 itself, after 10% student discount, $250 ecoupon.

This is the spec when I placed the order.
CPU: p8400
RAM: 3G
HDD: 120G

The 10% student discount and $250 ecoupon are still effective today (12/8/2008) because I just try it.

As we know, Sony has 30-day price warranty and 30-day product return polices.
I find the price of Z540 CTO has changed a lot.

For the same price, $1279.99, I can get higher level hardware now that would cost extra $300 before.

I can get the following spec now:

CPU: P8600, if I chose it, I would pay extra $100 when I placed order on 11/19, now pay zero.
RAM: 4G; if I chose it, I would pay extra $150 when I placed order on 11/19, now pay zero.
HDD: 160G; if I chose it, I would pay extra $50 when I placed order on 11/19, now pay zero.

So that is unfair to me, because I just got it for 12 days, the price is dropped $300 in fact. If I can get some credit back, then I think my z is still worth to keep, or I want to return it because of the battery drain problem.

I contacted Sony through online Chat to request $300 credit back, a guy, T***, he said he can either offer me a digital frame or a battery for free to recover my losses (he told me the frame or battery is worth $200), or I can return the laptop, however, after that he disconnected the chat, when I tried to connect again, he refused to accept, cancelled my request for several times (about 7 or 8times).

Then I called the Sony Customer Relation #, 18884766972. A guy said I need to call customer service 18004477023, however I did call that # for several hours, the line was always busy, all representatives were always busy for several hours?

Then I call Customer Relation # 18884766972 again, this time, the T*** answered my phone (who is the guy ever disconnected my chat and cancelled my chat requests I mentioned above), and said I need to call sonystyle.com 18778657669. So, I called the #, a man answered and said I need to call customer service 18004477023 after the product was sold. Same as I already said above, the customer service line was still "busy", all the representatives were still "busy".

Sony services want to shift their responsibilities onto others. I like the football was kicked between Sony service departments!!

If Customer Relation is not responsible for dealing with 30-day price warranty and 30-day product return, why did the T*** say he can offer digital frame or a battery for free to recover my losses when we chatted online? So T*** definitely has the responsibility to deal with 30-day price warranty and 30-day product return. If he has the responsibility, why did he redirect me to call other #?

His behaviors damage Sony’s image in my mind, shame! Where are the Sony’s promises - one month price warranty, and one month product return? Now I just want to return the laptop because I do not trust Sony service anymore. If I cannot return it, this is my first Sony, also the last. His behavior is low, low tricks.

I have spent my whole day time to deal my request with Sony, still have no any results.

So disappointed, Never Sony!

 

If you were talking to the customer support through chat at first, they seem to be having problems with their chat. I did get disconnected several times today when trying to contact them, when after about 2 hours I finally talked to someone.

Btw, the guy that answered me was really unpolite and unprofessional.

 

Others have had pretty good experiences with Sony service
But I find it difficult to understand why you would make an account to rant, especially in a non-native language...
Anyways
a new perspective on things I suppose

 

I am *dawn777*, the new account is registerred for my friend, I just forgot to LOG OUT before I posted.

 

Sony sucks. They used to be good,but they are now garbage.

 

Hopefully you're talking about the customers service, not the laptops..

 

I think he canclled my request on purpose.

what feedback page did you get when you were disconnected?

I always got the feekback that means *your request is cancelled*, not disconnected!

 

I had the SAME problem. Actually, it is not just SONY. But almost ALL retailers, including macs out there. 30 days no return policies. My BEST advice is for you to FIND the manager of customer relations, or the highest RANK in customer relations. I wrote a letter to the Chief customer relationships manager in Canada, a direct letter to him or her and they immediately called me back for my exchange. I had a similar problem as you, and actually I was able to get 100% refund. So my best advice is to get the address of the manager of customer relations.

 

hi blazeboy84,

thanks for your input.

I just do not know how to get the address of the manager of customer relations of sony, or any complain phone or email. if you or other guys know, let me know, thank you guys!!

so, as you know, the customer relationships department does have the responsibility to deal with customer services, e.g. 30-day price warranty, and 30-day return, right?

I just put the same content of #1 to response the survey email of online chat from sony that I received after I first placed the order and used the online chat for help.

thanks again

 

Hey, just so you know, price match is handled by a special department that only works on weekdays and I think only in regular business hours. Don't have the actual number, but I did get "bounced" when I made the first call to price match on a Saturday to whatever default customer service number. The representative was very nice and put in the request for me, but he did say that it would not get handled till Monday.

You also want to make some screen capture of the new price in the cart so you can prove it to the department that you can get that price now. Otherwise, they may have problem factor in all the discounts you have correctly.

On the bright side, you at least can price match, I priced match once and they dropped the price even more after my 30-day period. Also, now that Sony is laying off people and facing dire currency situation, there shouldn't be that much more crazy discount anymore.

 

try to call custmer service now, they are NOT picking any phone call

 

What? They all got laid off? Or Sony forgot to pay the phone bill?

 

Hi.

Sony is to cut 8000 jobs, so things can only get worse.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/09/sony-job-cuts

Regards

John.

 

Well, you are lukier than me. I had to attempt connect more 5 times to succeed chatting with them

 

Ah, that explains the long wait for me. I ordered an FW VAIO on black friday, and the following tuesday (right after cyber monday) they reduced the price by almost $400, so I requested a price match via chat, but I still haven't gotten any results.

So calling in would do no good huh?

Think they'd get it done by the time my 30 day period is over? My laptop came 2 days after I submitted the price adjustment...

 

WELL AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PRICE GUARANTEES OR ANYTHING SINCE I LIVE IN CANADA!!!

T_T
T_T
T_T
T_T

...oh.. I'm so bitter. Our prices never drop... and we get so few deals/discounts. T_T

 

OP what coupon code did you use to get $250 off?
Its still effictive as you say, can you give me the code or the link?

 

ecoupon： ZEDTZEDW

only for z540 CTO.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=10151&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921665468412

 

Well, my first call (the one to the general customer service) was a phone call, but once the guy put in the request then everything afterwards was in email. Do note that my price match was done before all these Black Friday crazy deals, so maybe they didn't have huge volume to handle back then.

What you want to do, is not only do a screen capture, but print the screen to PDF with header and footer that has the date. Then, you have proof that you can get the price within the price match period, even though they may be slow in processing the request and by the time that they get to your request it's already passed the 30-day period.

Good luck!

 

wow. 130$ tax. where d u live?

 

California

 

hi Skyshade,
Thanks for your input

I have made some screen capture of the new price in the cart.

another question:

How does sony count the 30 days for the 30-day price warranty, it is from the date of placing order, the date of Estimated shipped day in invoice, or the day of actual receiving the laptop?

Thanks

 

I asked Sony representatives about that. It is from the date you placed order.

 

kohyeekan, thank you!!

 

How did you apply the ecoupon? I tried the same configuration at sonystyle.com but my price is $1700 (before tax)...

 

you need to register your account first.
before submiting your order, you will find the place to input the ecoupon.

 

Does Sony Style usually ship on time?

Just bought mine yesterday ETA 12/16

 

i believe so, it all depends on the carrier once it shipped

i lived in east coast last year when purchased a notebook from sony, fedex delayed it for a day because of heavy storm; but i just got a new notebook to california and it was on time

 

I just successfully connect to the online chat, this time, a representative is much better than previous T***

She said:

I satisfy with this represetative's attitude toward customer, even though I am still waiting for comfirmation from sony.

A Big company, like sony, should has this kind of employee to serve its customers to form a good image.

 

can u give me the link to chat online with sony? thxs

 

nvm i got it

 

good

I got it in the cart at down right corner.

 

sony's response for my price matching request, does anybody consider that is resonable?

I disagree with that, for the $250 ecoupon that is still available, it is for everybody in the world, not only for me. Also the student discount, it is a Sony policy for every student in the world, not only for me. Any students who currently order the Z540 CTO will get the whole price benefit, including BOTH $250 ecoupon, the student discount, and currently much cheaper to choose a higher level configure (that worth $300 in my case).

Therefore, that is not reasonable to make the price comparison basing on different criteria, and different considerations – one is considered the coupon discounts and another is not. If that is true, Sony’s promises to 30-day price warranty is a Malarkey (sorry for the phrase), because the price after discounts is ALWAYS lower than original price within 30days. Apparently, it is not possible that the original price is fluctuated bigger amount than discounts in such a short time, so there are no Sony’s customers can actually have the chance to obtain the 30-day price warranty if base on the different criteria and considerations Sony mentioned. Everybody knows that making fairness to every Sony’s customers within reasonable 30 days should be the essence to carry out 30-day price warranty, should not be a paronomasia, a play on words.

Honestly, I think if I can get some credit back, then I think my z is still worth to keep, otherwise, I want to return it because of the battery drain problem which is not found on other brand laptops I ever used. Also, much cheaper price is only for attracting Sony’s new customers, not for me in fact, even though Sony has the promise of 30-day price warranty. Furthermore, if Sony cannot fulfill its promise to its customers, its other services cannot be trusted too; for example, its technological service warranty, especially for its battery problem, as we know so far..

 

i just bought a sony vaio cs190euq for $800 which included a $150 off coupon.
but today i found out about the sony student discounts and i also found a $200 off coupon. i sent an email to their customer care this morning saying that they should give me the difference in price and i havent heard from them yet.
will i really have to return this laptop and but the some one again to get a price adjustment?

 

The student discount only works in the US, am I correct? BTW, I live in Canada, if the student discount works, that's great.

 

i don't know about canada, im in the US so i wouldn't know

 

The student discount applies only to the USA. It's only availible on the USA website.

If you are looking for a student discount, you should go to your campus electronics store and ask about purchasing your laptop through them, as they may be able to get that student discount passed onto you.