My SE W830i went white. I switch it on and all i get is a white screen. I tried removing batteries, recharging and then tried to update the phones software using SEUS(Sony Ericsson Update Service). Nothing worked. Took it to a authorized service center Vimas Intek, Near Ayyappan Temple, Annanagar, Chennai. As usual the service center is crowded and i was in queue. After some 20 minutes i was called and i showed my phone to the technical person there. I said how my phone suddenly went to a white screen and i also said that my phone is still in warranty. He immediately opened my phone and said that the screen got corrupted due to a water abuse and it would cost me Rs.4000+ and it would take a week to fix it. I was shocked. Water? Where? I have not used the phone for the past 2 months, due to restrictions in my office and there is no way my phone was abused with water and it was working fine till yesterday. When i argued he opened and showed me inside the phone cover. It had a small strip in the inside and he said its basically yellow until it comes in contact with water. If there is any contact, it turns red. And the strip was red. He also said this strip is to find if a phone is really abused with water.
Again i argued it was working fine for the past 2 months and i have never even taken it out of my shelf. My phones color strip could have turned red because of sweat or water contact long back. But i was sure this white screen problem is definitely not due to water and suspected it to be a software problem.
I requested him to replace my screen free of cost. i mean its still in warranty period, but he refused to replace it because according to him, fault is on my side. He also said that he has purchased all the spares out of his own investment and can't expect sony ericsson to approve of replacing a damaged screen for customers error. What the hell? Why should a service center buy spares out of its own damn pocket? This is very wrong. There are chances that these service centers can push some spares in to customers phones just for the heck of it. I'm not sure how many are already cheated and paid for nothing. I didn't believe what the service guy said. I argued again and then he gave me a slip stating my mobile model number, serial number and he also mentioned water problem. And told me that if i'm not satisfied, i can take this mobile and this slip to the head office, Salora International at Nungambakkam, Chennai. And i decided to go there.
At Salora International, I had a whole different experience. Again i had to wait in queue, but only 5 minutes. I was suspicious about giving the slip to these guys, the Vimas Intek guy gave me. Because if they see the slip stating that my mobile had water abuse, they won't really try to find what the problem is. So i didn't say a word about my previous encounter with another Service Center. I said that the phone is still under warranty. Again this guy opened my phone immediately. Oooops!!! I was expecting a response similar to the previous one, telling that my phone was abused with water and blah blah blah. But no!!! This guy suspected it could be a software problem and took it in to a room. I was puzzled whether it would work out. Because, i have already tried the Update Service, myself with my PC. After some fifteen minutes, the guy came out and said, ... Its working! Thank god! They were really awesome and up to the point. They must be having some advanced method to correct corrupted phone softwares. They asked me for a xerox copy of the purchase bill and i provided them. And they did this free of cost, because i was in warranty period. In no time i was using my phone as usual.
Vimas Intek guy blew this silly software problem to a huge screen replacement problem. Sony Ericsson must do something about this. He is ruining Sony Ericsson's name. He is trying to sell his spares to customers. Also he is refusing to replace it under warranty and trying to push it just for his profit. I hope Sony Ericsson can see the point. I really pity the SE customers who goes to the wrong guys like these and get suffered. Sony Ericsson, do something, cancel this guys contract. Or he is going to pose a threat for SE customers like myself.
Aug 14, 2020
Complaint marked as Resolved
SONY Cybershot digital still camera — Replacemnet of defective SONY Cybershot digital still camera
Hi,This is regarding my DEFECTIVE Sony Cybershot digital still camera set, which has a problem with its battery lid.Inspite of my constant followups and requests the camera is not getting replaced and the same problem is recurring.I have purchased this camera on 24th December 2006 from Foto Best Pvt ltd, 204, Forum Mall shop in Bangalore.Within a year of its purchase, I started facing problem with regard to its battery lid which had a problem in getting closed properly and the same got cracked as well.This was due to the defect in its manufacturing.
I approached the SONY service centre in Bangalore on 22nd December 2007 and I was told that it will be taken care of.After around a month of follow up, I was given the same camera with the battery lid replaced.When I told Mr Sudhakar, who is the officer-in-charge of customer care, that it was a manufacturing defect and will again get damaged, he gave me an unreasonable answer that it has not been reported by others in karnataka, so it cannot be taken up for replacement.
Again within 3 months of its repair the product developed same problem and the battery lid got cracked.This time when i approached the Sony service centre on 14th June 2008, and discussed this with the representatives over there I was told that Mr Sudhakar is the person who will look in to it.On trying to contact Mr Sudhakar he never bothered to take my call (I tried at least 20 times in a week's time) and sent me an SMS saying this is because of mishandling and i should use ONLY SONY batteries.When I revisited the service centre today (21st June 2008), the digicam was repaired and the lid was not getting closed properly even by the representatives present over there while trying to do so by inserting SONY batteries.
The issue still remains UNRESOLVED with a false assurance given again of looking in to the matter...
I would like to highlight the following points here :-
Why should anyone pay PREMIUM price for products like SONY, when the company cannot take up customer's issues just because nobody else has reported the same ?????? I believe this is a compromise on quality..(While paying the price for my camera, I was never told that any issues will be taken up only if there is a crowd to support that...)
Who is going to pay up for my HARASSMENT ???? For the past six months this issue is continuing and i feel the officer-in-charge of customer care should have taken a proper decision on this, rather than providing me a STOP GATE arrangement.(In fact, I believe that it's a mere formality to have such an officer-in-charge for customer care like Mr Sudhakar in companies like SONY who never ever CARE for individual customer concerns)
I also need to know whether this can be taken up by you or I need to take this up with CONSUMER FORUM ...
Please reply as soon as possible.Also find below my details and the details of my camera :-
My details :-
Name - Nilesh Kumar
Address - 302, Garden View Appartment, 1st C Cross, Kaggadaspura Main Road (C V Raman Nagar), Bangalore - 560093
Mobile No.- [protected]
My digicam details :-
Company - SONY
Modal No. - DSC-S500//C E32
Serial No. - 1061821.