[Resolved]  Sony — Irresponsible and careless behaviour of service centre

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Dear sony,

This is a letter of disappointment from a loyal and depressed customer of yours. When I decided to buy a new mobile around a year back, my unanimous choice was sony, as I experienced its feautures from few friend’s mobiles and heard a lot of satisfactory remarks over those mobiles. So, I opted out for sony xperia M, and bought it out on 27.10.2013, in poorvika mobiles located at eekatuthangal. My mobile’s IMEI number is [protected]. I was completely satisfied over my mobiles performance and indeed super happy with it. I have even recommended and bought my friends the same model. Such much I loved my phone. No single problem has occurred and my phone was a part of my world. My entire contacts, daily works, planners, diaries, budgets, internet etc etc…everything was done with my phone and it was a part of me. Everything was going fine until one day my phone fell down and its display crashed up. It was out of warranty when this thing happened. I went out to the Sony service centre located near vadapalani bus depot and handed over my mobile for repair. I was told that it would cost around 5000 for the repair works. My family suggested to go for a new mobile as it is almost half the cost of a new mobile that is needed for repair. But I immediately rejected that idea and opted for repairing it, as I had no other complaints regarding my phone’s working and ofcourse I love it. I asked the people over the service centre whether every other interior parts were ok or they were damaged too. They replied that the board and every other interior parts were perfectly alright and the problem is only with the display, touch and the panel. So, without a second thought I asked them to change them and give back my mobile in its old condition. The service sheet job number is W[protected] and the date of submission is 17 november 2014. It took three days for the repair and I got my mobile back on 20 november 2014 and it was looking as it would look before the fall down. I was happy and paid the total bill amount of Rs.4573.66 with pleasure. The problems and services mentioned in the bill receipt was

1. FRONT COVER ASSEMBLY BLACK
2. TOUCH PANEL BLACK
3. DISPLAY
4. TOUCH PANEL ADHESIVE
TOUCH PANEL AND LCD REPLACED

I brought my mobile back home and was using it as usual and it was fine. Suddenly (after around one and half months of delivery) I encountered some problems with the touch and in few minutes I was not able to use my mobile as the touch is not working. The display was fine, but nothing moved as the touch is completely unworking. I took my mobile to the same service centre on 12.01.2015 and handed over the set to them and reported the mentioned problems. After examining the mobile, they said the problem is with the touch and it has to be changed and it would cost around Rs.2500. I was shocked and said that I just got my mobile back before one and half months spending around 5000 rs for changing the display and touch, and again the same problem persists means how can I be expected to pay for it? The reply I got was, ‘last time we have changed only the display not the touch. So you have to pay for it’. I showed them the bill in which it was mentioned that the touch panel is also changed. Even then, they continuously argued that touch was not changed at that time and I have to pay for it. I started losing my temper over this ridiculous argument and asked for the superior person over there. One engineer came up, listened everything and said that, ‘sir, you are right. The touch was changed. But it was before 45 days. We will replace the parts only if there is any failure in it within 30 days of delivery’. I showed them the back page of the bill receipt I had in which it was clearly mentioned in point 6 which says

SHOULD A NATURAL FAILURE RECUR WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE REPAIR SERVICE, LABOUR CHARGES SHALL BE WAIVED OFF. IN CASE OF FAILURE OF THE SAME PART(S), THE SPARE PART(S) SHALL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE.

I showed him this and said that the failure occurred now is natural and it happened within 90 days. Then what’s the problem? He said, ‘sir, it is valid only for mobiles with warranty’. I said that nothing like that is mentioned in the terms and conditions and I demanded a free replacement of the spare part which is failed within 90 days of delivery, as it is my basic right as a consumer and it is mentioned in the terms and conditions too. He refused to it and I asked him to connect me to a more superior officer. He called his superior named babu (His mobile number is [protected]) and explained him the situation and gave me the phone. I talked to him. He said ‘sir, you are right. Sony is offering change of parts if failed within 90 days. I will try and replace the part free of cost for you. But pls wait for two days. I have to get permission from the head office. Once its done, I will change the spare part without any cost and hand back your mobile’. I nodded and handed over my mobile and came back home. 15th and 16th of january were holidays. So I called them on 17th and enquired about it. I was told that the mail was sent to the head office and there was no reply from them and once they replied we ll proceed with your mobile and will give it quickly.

After this I started calling them once in two days and got the same reply that the head office has not replied. Frustrated, I asked for Mr.Babu ‘s number and talked to him in the next week. He said that, he just got the required documents for sending mail the day before and he just forwarded it to the head office. I was shocked and asked him, the people in the service centre told that the mail was sent even before a week. He said he don’t know anything about it but he has sent the mail only the day before and will get the reply the next day and asked me to call the next day. I called him the next day for more than ten times, but he didn’t picked my call. Around evening, he picked my call and said that still there was no reply from the head office and he is going there tomorrow and will come with an answer and asked me to call the next day.

That’s it. From then on, he never attended my call for around 4 to 5 days. I feel cheated and insulted by this kind of worst treatment. After few days of frustration I went back to the service centre on 27.01.2015 (around two weeks after submitting the mobile) and asked about the mobile’s status. They said to call and enquire Mr.Babu. I said he is not at all attending the call and whom and where should I go. Then I got the reply from them that, the touch is fine and my mobiles board has been broken and it has been just found out. It would cost half the cost of the mobile and we have sent the photos of your mobile parts to the head office, and it they accept, we will do it for you for a discounted price.

I was really frustrated and angry, and asked them, how could this be happen? It is the same engineer who said that the mobile is having problems only with the touch and the board is fine. And now am being told that I have to change the board for almost half the cost of the mobile by the same guy. I called Mr.Babu and asked about it and he said the same. I then asked why it was not told when I handed over my phone before two weeks. He said the problem was found just before two days. I then asked, why was this thing not told to me earlier and it is being told only when I come there and ask for the status. He said that, he thought the people over the service centre would have informed me. I then asked why he didn’t picked my calls. He said some vague reasons.

So, here am writing this letter with complete disappointment over the way am treated and raising my questions.

1. If the board was gone, why it was not told on 12.01.2015, when I gave my mobile for repair. Why I was told that the problem is only with the touch? What would have happen if I paid the asked amount for changing the touch and then they found out that the touch is fine and the board is to be changed. What would have been the answer for the amount I paid?

2. How can the people in the service continuously argue that the display alone is changed during the previous repair and not the touch? For your information, the last repair was for a broken display and a broken front touch panel. How could they change the display alone when the front touch was totally broken. And after all, it was clearly mentioned in the bill that the touch has been changed. But still I was continuously told that touch was not changed, changed, changed. How ridiculous it is?

3. When it was clearly mentioned in point six that if natural failures occurs within 90 days of delivery, the part will be replaced free of cost, why was I continuously told that it will be replaced only if the failure happened within 30 days of delivery? And why I was told that the 90 days replacement is only valid for mobiles with warranty, when nothing like that is mentioned in the terms and condition? And even I was told that, ‘It will not be mentioned in the terms and conditions, but we follow it here’. What kind of policy it is? It is insulting a consumer’s rights.

4. And after I submitted the phone, I was told that I will be called back with a reply in two days. But I never got a call even once from their side. Moreover, I was even insulted continuously by not being picked up. Almost 20 calls were not picked up. Not even once, I got a mail or phone from their side regarding my phone. Can’t they give a single call or a mail and let me know the happenings?

5. And almost after two weeks of submitting my phone, I was told that the mobile’s board is broken. That too when I went there and enquired in person. My first question is why was I not told about these over phone or through mail. Only when I came to the service centre, am being told about this. This is completely irresponsible behavior. For over two weeks, I was wandering without my mobile, which was my sole communication with the entire world including my personal and professional contacts etc… and after two weeks am informed these things. They will keep my mobile for weeks, and will say about it only when I call or come in person? What kind of service it is? Is it a service centre or what?

6. If really the board was broken, why was it not detected earlier? What took so long to detect that major fault? Can’t the engineers over there detect this basic fault in the earlier examination?

7. Mainly, what is the proof that the board was broken when I handed over the mobile to the service centre? I genuinely suspect foul play and I have all the reasons for this suspicion. Why not the board could have been broken in these two weeks? I strongly believe that the board was perfect when I gave the phone at the service centre and something wrong must’ve happened in these days and that is reason why I have not informed about this for almost two weeks and that is why my calls were not responded. This is a foul play.

8. How such miscommunication can prevail between your service centre members. One says he expected the other to inform me about the mobile condition. The other says the same. What kind of network is this?

9. I first gave my mobile for repair on 17 november 2014. I asked at that time itself whether the board is fine or not. If I wasn’t told that the mobile board was perfect, I would have reconsidered my choice of repairing the same model. I would have even bought an advanced new xperia series mobile at that time rather to repair it for 5000. The only reason I chose to repair the model was the service centre’s remarks that the board was perfect. Now they say that board was broken at that time itself and now it has showed off. Now who is responsible for the 5000 rupees I have paid earlier and now the money needed to get my mobile back in perfect condition? I really could not afford to pay anymore for the mobile after all these insults and frustrations.

10. So now, I stand without a proper mobile, without any contacts, any scheduled plans, any everything, like a lost traveler only because of the irresponsible and careless behavior of the people and engineers at your service centre. And definitely I couldn’t afford to pay money for their irresponsibility. Will you forget your customers once the product’s warranty is gone and treat them this much worst?

11. And now I need my mobile or another new mobile in perfect condition without any single problems as a response of the irresponsible, careless and worst behavior of those people. And I even doubt if my mobile is given back, will it sustain any problems in the upcoming days.

I have attached the photos of every documents mentioned in the letter. I request you to go through them completely and then you will come to know the situation and the need behind my request. I work for a media, and come from an entire media background. I am completely aware of the rights of a consumer and the remedies taken by the companies for these kind of negligence. Hence I write this letter to you expecting a rightful decision. Personally am feeling mistreated, cheated, insulted and looked upon so low and I sincerely expect a rightful payback for being treated this way by your workers.

AND MAINLY I SINCERELY EXPECT A REPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FROM YOUR SIDE. HOPE I DON’T GET THE SAME BAD EXPERIENCE AS I GOT FROM YOUR SERVICE CENTRE.

Thanks and Regards From a loyal consumer of sony K.Jeyachandra hashmi