Question for Ginny
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive February 2008:
Question for Ginny
I thought you might be able to help with this. 
As short as possible:
Our camera of 6mths. starting going on the fritz. (I posted about it a while back) I contacted Sony support, troubleshot, they said it needed service and is under warranty of course. No authorized repair dealers in my area they tell me, so I'm to send it to a place of their choosing.
The camera has no visible marks on the outside except for a very minor fingernail-type scratch on the LCD screen. Can't even see it in some lighting. All service is to be covered by warranty. I get a notice in the mail a few weeks later that the repairs will be $196 because it has "impact damage" and thus a void warranty. The entire casing of the camera has to be replaced due to impact damage and a problem with the lens as a result. I call immediately. She tells me there is a dent on the front of the camera and the LCD scratch. I tell her I know NOTHING about any dents anywhere on the camera, but I did know about the minor scratch. (You can't even feel it, it's only somewhat visible) She tells me the warranty is void because of the scratch, so I can do the repairs or refuse and they will send it back to me. I refuse the repairs.
I receive the camera back yesterday. Open it and am APPALLED to say the least! There has definitely been impact damage!!!! There is a large dent as well as a deep perforated scratch in the front, a very deep scratch near the lens opening, and a few other minor scratches. The camera also will not even turn on now. I called them within 3 minutes.
I argue with them round and round for 30 minutes that I did NOT send the camera to them in this condition. They tell me over and over that when cameras arrive their condition is logged in detail and this is how it was logged in. The box it came in was not damaged (I had insured it anyway). She said they do not accept packages that are damaged or in bad shape. The box it was returned in was in perfect shape and packed well.
It was a huge argument and basically I'm screwed for lack of a better term. We are so ticked we're spitting nails at this point. They tell me they can do nothing for me other than for me to return the camera again and they will get it to "turn on" again. My guess is that it won't ever work again. I was so naive - I never took a photo of the camera prior to sending it. We personally think that it was opened, someone started working on it and did the damage while it was being disassembled. Joe Bob who screwed it up is trying to cover his own rear end and goes back and either the changes the log OR it happened when the box was opened.
I am contacting Sony, which I think will be useless, but I'm also wanting to contact the Better Business Bureau. I see their website and it sounds like maybe this is not who I should be contacting?
I wondered if you had any advice on the situation. I've composed a letter to the Camera Repair place to include when I return it. I now have a camera that has major impact damage, has the original problems I sent it in for and probably more, and a void warranty because of the impact damage that I didn't do!
Sorry, I got called away kind-of quickly. Sorry for any typos and hope it was clear. Thank you in advance!
I'm butting in on this, because I had the same experience with Kodak last year. I sent a camera in because of a dial that didn't work. They ended up replacing the camera, because they couldn't fix it. Within a few weeks of getting the "new" camera, the same thing happened. I sent it back in, and they called me with the cost of repairs. It was still under warranty, but they told me that it had water and sand damage that voided the warranty. This was in the winter, and we sure don't have sand and water in Ontario in the winter!! At this point my daughter is using it, because I bought a DSLR for myself. I was fuming, but got nowhere with them.
I hope you have better results!
Oh no Marcia!! Does sound similar. Isn't it the biggest rip-off??!! I am livid. I am going to rant and rave, even though I know I'm getting nowhere, but I can't let it go. I have a ruined camera now! $250+ down the tubes. We also had problems with a new Sony TV in the last few months with a poor resolution to the problem. We now have a personal ban on Sony products.
I told Dh before we sent it in this would probably end up being a bigger issue than it should be, some way somehow. He kept saying I'll bet they'll just replace it since it's only 6mths. old, but I kept telling him there's no way it would be that easy. I never imagined being so blatantly ripped off!
I just filed an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I intend to contact Sony tomorrow.
I am so mad about this! I had to get up with DD this morning around 1:30 with allergies and after I went back to bed I couldn't get to sleep. I started thinking about the camera again and my blood just started boiling! 
Wow. We've never had problems with the Canon people in Illinois. We've sent several cameras in for repair and they always come back good as new. I bet one of the repair people dropped it! Sheesh. No advice, though.
I have no ideas. I would, however, urge you when you contact Sony to write down the names of everyone you talk to. Go to their web site and try to locate the names of managers, executives, and even the CEO. The only other thing I would do is write a real letter to Sony's CEO, saying that you are angry and unhappy because of the way Sony's service department has treated you, that you bought Sony because you thought you could trust such a well-established firm and are disappointed by Sony's actions, and that you will certainly never buy a Sony product again and will tell all your friends what happened to you. It probably won't produce anything, but if it is addressed to the CEO it will at least get copied to a number of other people. And do follow up your complaint to the BBB with a snailmail letter. I am a firm believer in putting things in actual writing and keeping photocopies.
One other thought - did you buy the camera from a bricks-and-morter store? If so, it is worth a visit to tell the manager how Sony treated you and asking if the store can intervene - or, if it is a chain, maybe writing to the regional manager (with a copy to Sony).
In any letter, you should be careful to stick to facts, and be reasonably courteous. You can say something like, I'm sure you can understand why I am disappointed and angry by these events, but do be careful in how you word things. You want to move someone to help you, not just write you off as an angry customer.
Another important point in your letter. Tell them how you want them to fix your issue.
Simply say, I sent to you a camera in good physical shape that for some unknown reason did not work. After talking to customer service, they advised me to send it in. What I received back is my camera that had obviously been mishandled. I request that you view the tapes and original photos of my box coming in. I think you will find this is not the condition I sent my camera in. I think you should replace my camera, due to negligence at your facility.
If I am faced with the decision to buy a new camera, I will have to give up the camera that I loved for a better brand, one that stands behind their product and has better customer service.
Also on the bottom of the letter, I would cc people, like the bbb, the store you bought it, etc. I would have a list of 10-20 cc's just so he know your bark will be very very loud.
Thank you ladies for the suggestions! Kaye, what you wrote is very similar to the letter I'm sending in the box. I did outline how I want them to fix the problem, both in that letter, the Sony letter, and the BBB complaint I filed. The letters are all courteous but factual. Thank you! I'm sure it will all be for naught, but like I said, I'm going to rant and rave!
Just thinking out loud here, but since you had it insured, would it do any good to contact the post office about it being damaged? Maybe they would fight with them about who damaged it? I have no idea how that works, just thinking out loud!!
Oh, no! I would do all that you are doing, but I don't know that I could be so calm in my letters. I hope all this does get resolved in your favor.
Now I'm worried because my dh just sent out our digital camera, packed really well, and I'm hoping it comes back in working condition. We didn't take pics or insure it, either. (I may be using this post soon!)
Good luck!
I thought of that originally Vicki, but the camera place told me that the box was not damaged when it arrived. They said they don't accept any boxes that are damaged for that reason. That would be an easy fix! Unfortunately someone there dropped it or damaged it when they were opening it up. I wish I could post a picture of it before I mail it, but none of my other cameras work well enough to get a good shot of it! We're borrowing my parents' camera at the moment which isn't a good one, and my old Kodak hasn't worked properly for a while now and won't get a good shot.
Enchens - I hope you have no problems and everything goes smoothly. Ours was sent to the East Coast and I see you're on the West!
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