I bought a Sony phone on contract from O2 in December 2015, it came with a 2 year warranty. Within 6 months the phone had developed a number of problems
1. The proximity sensor malfunctioned immediately upon usage, this is the function of a phone where your phone goes dark whilst held to the ear so buttons can't be pressed during a call. I factory reset my phone and it worked as intended for a week then malfunctioned again. The phone has no features during a call such as loudspeaker, hold, mute, it is completely dark and unresponsive until after the call ends.
2. Orange burn marks/screen discoloration due to the overheating CPU (processor) and/or the cooling pipes that run directly beneath the screen surface on the right side.
3. Due to the heat, the rubber(?) seal had melted and peeled out from the same side of the screen as the burn marks/cooling pipes leaving my supposedly water and dust resistant phone open to the elements.
4. Lately, the call quality has dropped dramatically and it's been said numerous times to me whilst on call that I sound like I'm underwater and not intelligible. - This last one was the final straw, what good is this phone if it doesn't even function as a phone? So I arranged a repair with Sony.
This morning I received an email stating that due to damage my device is not eligible for repair without cost to myself due to damage. I got on to an online chat service with a Sony rep, he was rude and antagonistic from the very start. Here is a quick and shortened summary
sony rep - Hi how can I help?
me - I have just received an email this morning saying my phone is not eligible for repair due to damage
sony rep - so how can I help?
me - an explanation?
sony rep - Your phone is not covered due to accidental damage
me- what damage?
sony rep - can't say for sure I will have to lodge a complaint to get the details
me - WTF
Ok, I didn't say the last remark but I certainly thought it. How strange (or not) that Sony treats an enquiry with an automatic complaint procedure. They basically expect me to just take their word for it that it was damaged by me, by accident and conveniently absolving them of their numerous design flaws and responsibility to cover these with a warranty.
So now I'm thinking one of two things has happened
1. The phone was damaged by me unknowingly and only internally (strange but possible I suppose)
2. It was damaged in transit on way to repair centre
In regards to #1 any damage I may have caused is certainly not responsible for the overheating CPU, burn marks and loss of rubber seal so are these particular problems still covered?
in the case of #2 I'm at a loss to understand how I could get that resolved. All I know is that I sent it via post office and free post label from Sony.
Any suggestions as to my next steps if Sony continue to play hardball? Is it Trading Standards I need to go through once the complaints procedure with Sony runs its course?
Thanks in advance
Jubert
1. The proximity sensor malfunctioned immediately upon usage, this is the function of a phone where your phone goes dark whilst held to the ear so buttons can't be pressed during a call. I factory reset my phone and it worked as intended for a week then malfunctioned again. The phone has no features during a call such as loudspeaker, hold, mute, it is completely dark and unresponsive until after the call ends.
2. Orange burn marks/screen discoloration due to the overheating CPU (processor) and/or the cooling pipes that run directly beneath the screen surface on the right side.
3. Due to the heat, the rubber(?) seal had melted and peeled out from the same side of the screen as the burn marks/cooling pipes leaving my supposedly water and dust resistant phone open to the elements.
4. Lately, the call quality has dropped dramatically and it's been said numerous times to me whilst on call that I sound like I'm underwater and not intelligible. - This last one was the final straw, what good is this phone if it doesn't even function as a phone? So I arranged a repair with Sony.
This morning I received an email stating that due to damage my device is not eligible for repair without cost to myself due to damage. I got on to an online chat service with a Sony rep, he was rude and antagonistic from the very start. Here is a quick and shortened summary
sony rep - Hi how can I help?
me - I have just received an email this morning saying my phone is not eligible for repair due to damage
sony rep - so how can I help?
me - an explanation?
sony rep - Your phone is not covered due to accidental damage
me- what damage?
sony rep - can't say for sure I will have to lodge a complaint to get the details
me - WTF
Ok, I didn't say the last remark but I certainly thought it. How strange (or not) that Sony treats an enquiry with an automatic complaint procedure. They basically expect me to just take their word for it that it was damaged by me, by accident and conveniently absolving them of their numerous design flaws and responsibility to cover these with a warranty.
So now I'm thinking one of two things has happened
1. The phone was damaged by me unknowingly and only internally (strange but possible I suppose)
2. It was damaged in transit on way to repair centre
In regards to #1 any damage I may have caused is certainly not responsible for the overheating CPU, burn marks and loss of rubber seal so are these particular problems still covered?
in the case of #2 I'm at a loss to understand how I could get that resolved. All I know is that I sent it via post office and free post label from Sony.
Any suggestions as to my next steps if Sony continue to play hardball? Is it Trading Standards I need to go through once the complaints procedure with Sony runs its course?
Thanks in advance
Jubert