Archive through January 21, 2009
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New member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | Update: My latest spin of the CSR roulette wheel yielded a friendly lady who made me a much better offer (Thank you to Debbie, wherever you are!). Granted, I didn't get the GREAT offer, but I did get more than I expected. I was quoted anywhere from $466 for a 42V to $1093 for a 52W. This was a substantial jump on their part as my quote about 24 hrs before was $1723 for the 52W, which had me thinking of getting the tech back out to my place. I reluctantly agreed to pay 5% MA state sales tax and $215 "white glove" shipping as well. When I called to order I asked them to waive it and Pat informed me that they cannot do that. I figured, "What the hay?", I'm getting a phenomenal TV that's a foot larger than my old dinosaur. I was very tempted to go with the 46Z, which would have been $827 + tax & shipping. I went to Circuit City today and watched the beginning of the new Batman movie on blu ray and it simply 'BLU' ME AWAY. I mean wow, and pun intended. I realize that some here will think this was a bad decision on my part, but I disagree. My warranty with Sony had expired in July of 2008 and my extended warranty with Best Buy had expired last January. Technically, all they had to do was give me the warped door service, but instead this is a very nice discount and avenue for me to get out of this nightmarish technology and into the new age of TV for less than 1/2 of what I payed out for my TV setup five years ago. I also realize that some will say Sony just bought me out of a class action law suit, and that's perfectly fine with me. I'm not greedy or thinking I deserve a new TV without paying ANYTHING, so I consider this a very fair compromise based on my situation and realizing that everyone's is unique. I would also ask those who are looking to get their set fixed ... um, why? Why stay with a BAD design and old technology? If you haven't seen a blu ray on these new sets, go check it out and you may change your tune. I ordered a new bulb and will sell my 42" Grand Wega on the cheap or just give it to someone (I'm thinking of my parents). Finally, if all this makes me unconcerned about the "common good" in some eyes, then so be it. The way I look at it is my headache is over and Sony has graciously restored my peace of mind (even if it was not from the goodness of their hearts). One last note ... I read a lot of posts about having difficulty getting the serial sticker off. Mine was a snap. It was a big laminated sticker I simply pealed off very slowly and it came off almost completely in one piece. Just thought I'd give that little tidbit of advice for those who are taking advantage of the replacement offer. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all find peace in your endeavors with this saga as well as in life in general. And once again a huge THANK YOU to all who came before me and made this process relatively painless. Take care & God bless, - Doug |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-08 | New to this forum. Just got a blue-ish blob in the center of my KDF-42WE655. Is this the beginning of the "optical block" issue? What should my next step be? Contact customer service or straight to a repair shop? Thank you in advance. |
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New member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 9 Registered: Dec-08 | Welcome Tim, If you haven't already done so, you could start by reading up on some of the common "OB" problems. This is an excellent resource for that: http://splinke.googlepages.com/sonyrearprojectionlcdtv-opticalblock Also, check out Sony's support site for your particular model for warranty info (most have it for at least the warped door issue): http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-news.pl?mdl=KDF42WE655&LOC=3 If you have an extended warranty, you should be golden. If not (and I'm assuming you don't if you are here) ... well, it may take some doing based on your particular case. Assuming your lamp door is warped (as most seem to be at this point), call Sony (888-649-7669) and have them document the details of your situation and give you an "E#" (case number). The CSR should then refer you to affiliated servicemen in your area for the lamp door issue. My advice is to be polite, patient and informed, but that is just me.  Good luck! - Doug |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 2 Registered: Dec-08 | Thank you Doug - Contacted Customer Service and they forwarded my case onto the Special Consideration Group/Program. Still waiting for a call but since it's the holidays it might take a bit. Will post when I hear something. |
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New member Username: Puskar49Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-08 | KDF 42WE655 with blue blobs taking over the left-half of the screen. Just another victim. |
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Bronze Member Username: TenshunPost Number: 12 Registered: Nov-08 | I would like to thank sony for making my buy a Samsung LN52A850. It is sooooooooo beautiful. Best picture I have ever seen in my life. I want to jump into the screen when watching blu ray movies. Thank you sony. I deserve it. |
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New member Username: Dgriffi2Post Number: 7 Registered: Nov-08 | Hi, all. Just a final update. I took SONY up on their $429 (they said + tax, but my credit card was charged just the flat $429) offer for the 46" Bravia. It was delivered Christmas eve (delivery co. indicated between 2 & 5, which I assumed would mean 4:59-- imagine my surprise when they pulled in @ 1:45 just as I started to move the old TV!). I wouldn't exactly describe it as others have (white-glove delivery)-- they were in & out in 10 minutes, and left the packing materials "just in case," the guy said. TV is beautiful; sits a hair crooked on the stand, so I'll have to tinker w/ that. Happy Holidays! |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 15 Registered: Nov-08 | For those newbies that may have been discouraged by some posters who stated their tvs were out of warranty so Sony really didn't owe them anything, I wanted to post with this link for the Opinion And Order related to the Class Action Settlement for certain tvs, SXRD models. These are tvs which happened to be owned by the initial plaintiffs. It is not an indication that they were the only tvs which qualified for such a lawsuit, in fact, our issues are pretty much the same, if not worse - http://www.kb.sony.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc &externalId=http--esupportsonycom-perl-news-itemplnewsid219templateid1regionid1K SMFlag7370&sliceId=&docTypeID=DT_NEWS_ALERTS_1_1&dialogID=50581427&stateId=0%200 %2050583131 Of note is the following, "The Complaint alleges a design defect in all rear projection, high-definition SXRD televisions ... The design defect ... is alleged to exist in a component known as the 'Optical Block,' the central component of a projection television that projects the video image onto the screen. ... The Complaint alleges that the Defect causes a green haze ... a yellow stain ... expanding over time ... or other color anomalies on the screens of the Televisions. The Complaint further alleges that Sony was unable to permanently repair the Defect, and that consumers were forced to pay for replacement Optical Blocks ... if the Defect manifested after the one-year manufacturer's warranty had expired." "The Complaint asserts nine causes of action, including statutory and common law claims for breach of warranty, a claim of unjust enrichment, and statutory consumer protection claims under the law of California, the laws of 44 other states and the District of Columbia." We have these things called consumer protection laws, so, yeah, Sony does owe us more than a brush off or a discount on another of their tvs. "Plaintiffs conducted extensive review of key engineering documents produced by Sony, interviews of several Sony project engineers, consultation with experts ... The discovery allowed the parties to establish the nature and cause of the ... issues, the improvements Sony made to resolve those issues, the timing and efficacy of those improvements, and Sony's ability to replace defective Optical Blocks." With that, Sony settled. Personally, I thought the discount on another of their tvs was an insult. A new tv for me, more money in Sony's pocket and a giant 60" brick in my living rm or out by my garbage can? No thanks. And I wouldn't pass off a tv with a fast growing blob on it to relatives, friends, or even my cleaning lady. I want my set repaired and believe I deserve a big, fat extended warranty to go with it. The precedent shows the warranty is to be extended 3-4 yrs, depending on when you bought your set. But this was settled before it became apparent that the replacement OBs did not solve the problem. At the time, it was believed by Plaintiffs counsel, at least on record, "that Sony has successfully remanufactured the component." And later, "Plaintiffs' counsel conducted due diligence discovery to verify ... its successful redesign of the Optical Block to permanently correct the Defect, as well as Sony's ability to deliver and implement the repair for consumers in a timely manner." This may have been true for the OB block for these tvs with green and yellow issues, but not for our current blue issues and OB blocks we are getting from Sony. If this was a new Court case, Sony would have to make a fair settlement or it would not be approved by the Court and a permanent solution is important to their approval. Later, with regard to denying the claimants a complete refund or a new replacement tv, it is stated, "Such a remedy is particularly unreasonable in view of the fact that many of the Televisions, particularly the later-manufactured ones, contain improved Optical Blocks that are unlikely to present either ... issue in the future". Bonk. And with regard to extending an indefinite warranty, "Such an extension ... is reasonable in this case because it affords the longest warranty to those ... who purchased their Televisions at the earliest date, when fewer or no improvements had been made to the Optical Block ... it is nearly certain that any class member who will experience a problem with the Optical Block will do so before June 30, 2009." That may be true for the green or yellow issues on these certain tvs, but the blue issues on our tvs are still coming up, for some of us four years later. No statistics needed, here we are to tell ya, Sony. And with regards to the upgrade refunded for only certain models, "included in this provision were limited to models with similar technology and functionality to the XBR1 Televisions ... a consumer who paid for an upgrade to a comparable Sony television after an unsuccessful repair attempt was likely seeking such an upgrade due to the Defect, rather than due to a desire for a television set with different or more advanced features." Finally, with regard to Sony having to provide a refund to those that bought an extended warranty to cover the cost of the defect, "Sony was unjustly enriched by the marketing and sale of extended warranty service plans after knowledge of the Defect had become widespread. Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that Sony used the existence of the Defect as a marketing tool to sell consumers extended warranty service plans to obtain repairs for a problem which Sony was legally bound to provide." Amen. And this part defines the date "by which the parties agreed knowledge of the Defect became generally know and the Televisions unavailable through retail sales channels" as July 15, 2006. If knowledge of the defect is the deciding factor, it would seem that is when Sony should have stopped making all their rear projection tvs with the defective OBs. At least from a legal standpoint. "The Settlement is intended to ensure that class members are reimbursed for expenses they may have incurred for repairs relating to the ... issue, and that class members whose Televisions manifest a ... issue in the future can have the Optical Block replaced in-home without cost and with maximum convenience. The Settlement is also designed to reimburse class members for any expense they might incur prior to the effective date of the Settlement in connection with the repair of an Optical Block ... the Settlement provides as follows: 1. Extension of the Optical Block Warranty - Sony will extend its manufacturer's limited warranty on the Optical Blocks through June 30, 2009 with in-home service to correct the Defect ... The Televisions came with one-year limited warranties which, for class members who purchased Televisions between September 2005 and July 2006, were scheduled to expire between September 2006 and July 2007. 2. "Enhanced Warranty Fulfillment - During the warranty extension period, Sony will maintain a dedicated toll-free telephone number for settlement class members to obtain a telephone diagnosis from a technical representative who will arrange for in-home service and for any necessary parts shipments, if necessary. In the event Sony is unable to ship a replacement Optical Block, if necessary, within 14 days following the initial telephone diagnosis, the settlement class member will have the option of waiting for the repair or exchanging the Television for a remanufactured ... television. 3. Reimbursement of Expenses for Optical Block Repair - ... Sony will reimburse ... who incurred out-of-pocket expenses prior to the effective date of the Settlement for the replacement of the Optical Block (including all shipping costs) for all such expenses. 4. Reimbursement for Certain Extended Service Plans - ... Sony will reimburse ... who purchased an extended service contract from Sony ... 5. Reimbursement of Certain Expenses Associated with ... Upgrades Prior to Effective Date - ... who required more than one Optical Block repair before the effective date of the Settlement and who elected to upgrade ... will be reimbursed for monies paid to Sony for the upgrade. 6. Lititgation Costs - Sony will pay ... Plaintiffs' reasonable counsel fees ... up to $1,600,000.00 ... For just these two model tvs, it seems there were 175,000 class members. |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 3 Registered: Dec-08 | Just received my offers from Sony but the shipping was $215. Is there any way to get this waived? |
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New member Username: Frankie_boyWilmington, DE USA Post Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08 | Lisa, thanks for the information. How do we get a new class action lae suit started. I would image the attoneys who succeeded before would be interested in representing a broader class that includes all owners of the Grand Wega. Wayne Ten, I watched a Samsung and a Sony W side-by-side in a BJ's. The Samsung was a lesser model than you purchased and it still looked between then the Sony at the price point. I still cannot imagine how Sony has let this get so far out of hand knowing that a competitor is outpeforming them. They have obviously forgotten what marketshare means and how customer loyalty pays for the research and development that keeps great new products in the pipeline. I guess Sony has decided they can make more money being a second tier LCD provider - what a shame. |
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New member Username: MjwjalPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-08 | I've got my offer today to replace kdf-42we655. Are others paying shipping costs? |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 4 Registered: Dec-08 | Hi Mark - same TV and same offers here. Would easily make the purchase without the shipping but it's making the decision much harder. |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 16 Registered: Nov-08 | Frank Peter - at the end of the order is all the info needed on all attys. I don't know if it would be an issue to use the same attys. The attys might have to answer as to why the Judge should believe that this time their research won't be so flawed. With regard to one of those flaws, it bothers me that the Plaintiffs' atty negotiated a not longer extended warranty on the replacement OBs. We know better now, but the case went on long enough that the redesigned OBs had to be starting to show their new issues ... Anyway, there are alot of attys out there, even not class action that could at least start things off for you, unless you go in pro per. Of course, you could go in pro per with counsel, which is what I like to do. Saves money and your atty doesn't get your check and correspondence to pass on to you when he feels like it - everything goes directly to you. Anyway, that is if you want to start off that way. If you read the Order you will see at the very beginning that the suit was merged between a case initially started by an individual and a group of 16 people, if I recall correctly. That is how it starts ... Personally, if the lower sm claims court will accept the case I would go for that. In that way, you get paid back for all the hours and money you have already put in, and when Sony doesn't show up you automatically win - no negotiation or Judge approval on fairness needed. Of course if you have to go to regular Court, you may want to show good faith by attempting a negotiation or repair first. When Sony says no to anything reasonable, like an extra long extended warranty, as discussed above, in light of the evidence that the OB will go out again, if you go for a repair, then you file. And with regular Court, you get all your Court and Atty costs, all your other costs, of course, and you can get something like pain and suffering for Sony's defective tv interrupting your life and having to deal with their lying, snotty cust svc, which the judge (or jury) is supposed to take into acct. |
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New member Username: J_cranePost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-08 | Just letting everyone know i got an offer on my sony kdfe42a10 on december 22.Thats 1 month after i made first contact.Anyway,they offered me a kdl42v4100 bravia for 650.00 with a 1 year warranty.(no exceptions).I originally paid 2500.00 for my tv in april of 2006 and had just replaced the bulb when the ob went.The dealer i had bought the bulb from would have taken the bulb back if sony had gotten back to me in a reasonable time.So now i'm stuck with a 2500.00 tv which is bright blue i might add because of the new bulb,but i'm leaving it in my living room for everyone i know to see.They think its a christmas ornament (an expensive one).I just called them back this morning telling them how crappy a deal it was,seeing i can buy that tv here for 997.00.Anyway,if i'm going to be spending 650.00 bucks more of my money it definately won't be a sony.The only route i got left is small claims or wait til my tv finally gets the extended warranty.Just a matter of time,they don't want to do it yet til enough people complain,i don't expect it to take too long just this model number is too new yet.The longer they wait the lower they can offer because the tv will be a little older then.Soon as the first person does small claims,i think it'll be game on. |
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New member Username: J_cranePost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-08 | I'm only looking for a fair offer for the tv,wasn't looking to have a new one delivered to my door for nothing.I realize i have watched the tv for 2 years of its life expectancy which i would expect to be about 10 - 12 years.I guess approximately 400.00 to 450.00 would be reasonable,but according to everyone who has had the privledge of seeing this sony tv before they bought one,they'd be looking for a free tv.Anyway i quickly straightened out their thoughts on what sony's idea of customer service is.This thing is going to sit in my living room for the 10 years its supposed to,working or not,as long as the blue shines through.Now,just gave my son a sony ps3 for christmas and i spent all day christmas day promoting the wii and he quickly changed his mind,did it this morning,cheaper too. |
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Bronze Member Username: GetsonyPost Number: 14 Registered: Dec-08 | From reading this, it seems that 9 out of 10 people are having problems with the OB. I actually have a problem wiht the B-Board. How many people in here are having that problem? |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 5 Registered: Dec-08 | Spoke with Sony again today about removing or lowering the shipping cost but they wouldn't budge. My offer ends on the 8th so it looks like I might just have to buy. Still a good deal but could be much better if the shipping was lower. |
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New member Username: R8r_mikePost Number: 6 Registered: Nov-08 | After five calls to the Sony SCP I received my KDL-52W4100. I never received an email notifying me that it was shipped or a tracking number. I got a call on 12-23-08 from a third party delivery service saying that they would deliver it on Christmas eve between 8-12. It is beautiful! Blu-ray movies look ten times better than on my old KDF-50WE655. Not bad for $843 free shipping. Delivery guys even attached brackets to the TV to mount it on my Whalen Swinging/Floater TV stand. |
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New member Username: FumesCross Plains, WI United States Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08 | R8R Mike - Do you mind if I ask when you ordered it? I'm trying to find anyway to get out of the $215 shipping. Don't think I'll be able to but have to try. |
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New member Username: TrinhPost Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08 | I have the B Board problem on my KDF-E50A10 and I will spend $600 to fix it. Sony consistently told me the cost of repair the B board was my responsibility. Sony offered to sell me a new LCD but I didn't think it was a fair deal so I let the offer expire. I haven't had the Optical Board problem yet but when that thing fails, it will be a continuation of my current case with Sony. |
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New member Username: MjwjalPost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-08 | I called Sony twice yesterday to see if I could get the better deal but they wouldn't budge. Has anybody opted to get it fixed? |
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New member Username: McjeanPost Number: 8 Registered: Nov-08 | Just an update... took delivery today of my 52w4100 at 975.00 plus tax - no shipping and 2 year extended warranty. Not sure why there is such a difference in the way people are being treated, but I initiated my claim around the 19th of November. Glad to get my new tv, but not glad that I was forced into it. Good luck to all with their claims. |
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New member Username: R8r_mikePost Number: 7 Registered: Nov-08 | Tim, I started the claim on Nov. 23 and first received first call from the SCP on Nov. 25. Hope you get what you deserve...Free Shipping!  |
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New member Username: Burn_outScottsdale, AZ United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-08 | 2006 Model Year Microdisplay Rear Projection Television Extended Warranty Information -- Optical Block Posted: 12/22/2008 http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?news_id=293&template_id=1 Models: KDF-42E2000, KDF-46E2000, KDF-50E2000, and KDF-55E2000 As part of the Sony commitment to quality, Sony is announcing that it is extending the limited warranty (parts and labor), in the United States, on the optical block of the above-referenced 2006 model Microdisplay Rear Projection televisions until June 30, 2010, regardless of purchase date. For any customer who requires repair of the optical block on one of the affected models, Sony will cover the cost of the optical block repair (parts and labor) at no charge through June 30, 2010. This extended warranty does not apply to the replaceable projection lamp or the other parts that may be used in the televisions |
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Silver Member Username: EdenneyPost Number: 161 Registered: Jun-07 | LOL, looks like another small measure of justice for SOME owners. Leaves out all the A10 series owners that obviously suffer from the same problem, as does every single other person that owns one of Sony's rear projection TVs. It's something, but still not enough, seeing as how the TVs become expensive paperweights that cost more to fix than a new TV does if they break after 6/30/10. |
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New member Username: JmolliPost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-08 | Cleaning Lamp Module = Huge Picture Improvement I have a 3 year old E50A10 that had begun to dim. I was considering the purchase of a new lamp based on the huge picture improvement noted by other posters to this thread. But before dropping the $200 for a new lamp module, I figured I would take a look at what condition my current lamp module was in. When I took it apart, I found two areas that had collected quite a bit of dust. 1) The concave lens that the lamp shined through, had a fine layer of dust on it. 2) The conical reflector that is part of the lamp also had a fine layer of dust covering the shiny reflective surface. I put on a pair of laytex gloves and disassembled the lamp module. Then I cleaned the concave lens on both sides and the conical reflector using a camera lens cleaning solution, Q-tip swabs and lens cleaning tissues. You must be careful not to damage the filament of the lamp. I also vacuumed out the chamber that the lamp module resides in and cleaned the glass in the chamber (I assume this is the entry point of the light source for the optical engine). All of this was accessable simply by removing the lamp module and removing three screws to gain access to the actual lamp/reflector. The whole project took about 30 minutes and THE IMPROVEMENT TO THE PICTURE WAS AMAZING!!! So the moral of this story is, before you plunk down your $200 for a new lamp module (or $120-$139 for a new lamp), try doing the simple cleaning I noted above. You should see a huge improvement in the picture quality for a $0 investment. Also remember, if you do buy a new lamp, make sure you clean the convcave lens and the entry point to the optical engine that I mentioned above. I was considering replacing my E50A10 with an LCD TV, but after this simple cleaning proceedure, I no longer see a need for dumping another $2000 into a new TV. John |
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New member Username: JmolliPost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-08 | Hey Sony, Did you forget about the ExxA10 Series??? Wow, my joy was short-lived re: the picture improvement noted in my earlier post today. Based on all of the Optical Block problems noted by other Sony owners in this thread, my 3yr old, E50A10 model seems to be a ticking time bomb. I can't believe that Sony excluded the 2005 ExxA10 series models from the warranty extension noted in Adam Secunda's post today. The xxE2000 design is identical to the ExxA10 design. Why would the ExxA10 series not be included in the extension????? |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 17 Registered: Nov-08 | Update on my past warranty, past recall, 4 1/2 year old $5000 Sony KDF60XBR950. Repairman came out and repaired both the OB and lamp access door and cleaned the air fan filter yesterday. We are back to enjoying our set. How long will it last? That is the question. Next step, getting that extended warranty on the OB, lamp access door and B block, if my set even has one. I want to be completely covered on all their defective parts. |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 18 Registered: Nov-08 | Oh, I forgot to mention all of the above repairs were paid for by Sony. Some on this Board have been nice, some not so nice, but I found the best way to get thru to Sony was without letters (never wrote them), without begging phone calls (I refused to talk to them anymore after two unproductive calls, and the last 2 times they called me and I got off the line asap), and not being greedy for a new upgraded tv (like those axed out of the class action). I just kept in mind that they had sold me a defective tv which is against a few consumer protection laws, and they needed to make things right. And, as for them trying to make me pay for a replacement OB myself. Oh doggy! Read the class action on them trying that before. Way against the law to make money replacing a product you know is defective. That is why I stopped talking to them, because they got so evasive, lying and dodgeful when I put such things to them on the phone. I finally just told my Sony tv repairman what I wanted and he talked to their tech people. Reasonable, technically knowledgeable, factual people you and I would never get a chance to talk to. |
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New member Username: RustywoodPost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08 | hi folks,just wanted to let you know my 52 lcd is on the way,sony says by mid january.they got my serial number sticker on the 12 of december.the reason its taking so long to get my set, is due to the hoilidays. their warehouse is empty.i could have had my old set fixed, but it,s a gamble on how long it would have last. |
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New member Username: J_cranePost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-08 | Hi again Just to let everyone know how great a company Sony is.I wrote earlier that i recieved an offer of 50% off a kdl42v4100,anyway that would have cost me 650.00 with my deal expiring on jan 5.On Monday dec 29 i was just browsing through the sony tv's and noticed on sony's website that this tv had gone down in price to 1099.00 so i called to inquire about getting the same reduction on my offer which would make it a hundred bucks cheaper.The customer service rep left me on hold for 15 minutes,then came back and said that because our offer didn't expire til the 5th of January,we could get that price,and we would get the offer emailed again the next day.I waited until today jan 2 to call and see where the offer was and the customer service rep acknowledged that i called when the price was 1099.00 but the first offer was our offer and thats final.Anyway,i would have walked away from all this for the 550.00 but i am not paying 650.00,it turns my stomach now to see all the sony products in my house.Seriously thinking about small claims now.I have the forms and the time and if i fail i'll have a tv the same size,for a few extra dollars,just won't be a sony. |
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New member Username: BonneRochester, NY USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Here for the first time but I've been following this thread as advised by my retailer [thank you very much]. I won't repeat same experiences with OB on my SONY 42" LCD. I wrote letters and received phone call from Sony, as yet to hear any resolutions. Question: I have a warranty repairman coming for another problem. Is there anything I should ask him that would help with my Sony problem in dealing with corporate? I don't want to miss an opportunity. |
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New member Username: Jjohnson085Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Hi, I have a 2006 KDS-60A2000 that has the OB issue. I called Sony and I have a repair shop coming out next week to replace it at no charge. I asked if I have the option of a discounted TV instead and was told no, repair was only option. Has anyone else with a KDS-60A2000 get a replacement instead of repair? Thanks! |
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New member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 10 Registered: Dec-08 | Might I ask what the turnaround times have been for folks in getting their replacement TVs? I accepted Sony's offer on 12/19 and sent out the serial label the same day. So far, I haven't heard from them at all. I plan to call Monday to get a status update. Much appreciated! |
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New member Username: McjeanPost Number: 9 Registered: Nov-08 | Doug, I accepted my replacement offer on the 17th of December. I gave them my serial number and my credit card number over the fax and it was charged on the 19th. I received my TV on the 30th. Given the holidays, I thought that was pretty good. Interesting though, that I didn't have to send in the serial number sticker. I had it peeled off successfully in anticipation of doing so, but it wasn't requested. I guess it depends who you deal with. |
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New member Username: Jamie_wPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-09 | New to this thread. I've read about all the problems with the Sony KDF series tvs. My KDS-R50XBR1 has now begun to shut down by itself and turn back on by itself. Has anyone had a similar problem with this model? Does this sound like the same issue with the KDF model?} |
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New member Username: MachdaddyPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Hello everybody, I found this site on the 31st..called, got the run-around. Got the address for the executive review board. I was wondering if the offers recieved were dependent on the size of the television. I have the 70" Grand Wega. I do plan to take this as far as it needs to go legally. If anyone has started class action proceedings...please include me. I will also let everyone in on what I find. |
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New member Username: MjwjalPost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-08 | I think a class action lawsuit would be great. There was one for different models but it was an optical block issue except with these models the color was yellow and green. http://esupport.sony.com/sxrdsettlement In the meantime I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Has anybody else gone this route? If so how did it turn out? I'm wondering if enough people filed a complaint maybe we can get a better response from Sony? Any thoughts on that? Just an idea. |
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New member Username: McjeanPost Number: 10 Registered: Nov-08 | Jamie, that is EXACTLY what my KDF50A10 was doing prior to changing the bulb. I contacted SONY support for help on this issue and they were useless. They made me go through a bunch of diagnostic tests that took quite a while and then told me to contact my SONY repair depot. I simply called a repair guy and he confirmed for me that once the unit starts shutting itself on and off, it needs a new bulb. I changed the bulb at his advice, and voila... No more shutting on and off, HOWEVER, 3 weeks later the blue blob showed up! Keep your eyes peeled. |
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New member Username: Jamie_wPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-09 | Jean or anybody else, looks like Sony will cover costs for the optical block replacement for the KDS-R50XBR1. Has anyone had additional problems once this has been done? Is the optical block the lamp only or lamp + other "pieces"? The KDS is not an LCD model. |
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Bronze Member Username: McjeanPost Number: 11 Registered: Nov-08 | Jamie - as far as I know, the optical block is a separate entity to the lamp. It seems that the block fails very shortly after the lamp is replaced. Just one of those things, I think. |
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New member Username: Chris28Port Richey, FL Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Just recently learned of the class action law suit and did ALOT of homework after calling Sony on Friday and they gave me local repair service to replace my OB at no charge. Reading all this and after thinking this over should I be looking for a "special consideration" offer or go with the fix that will last only long enough to see another OB issue. I have the KDSR50XBR1 from the class action suit and paid 3000 dollars for a 2 yr old tv to permanently show me things in the matrix with too much green and yellow.  |
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New member Username: CracktPost Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08 | thanks for the info adam secunda. wonder if they will fix my 2007 model kf50e200a. all kinds of junk with this tv going on. power switch on tv never workd from day one. ob issues like crazy. now in the past week it has started giving me the red indicator light when i set on the sleep timer. any one see that on there set ? anyways. the email contact on their website sucks. gonna call them tomorrow and see what they tell me. hopefully they don't go bankrupt before i get this resolved. |
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New member Username: MachdaddyPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-09 | I just overnighted Sony Executive Review Board with my complaint. Is there anyone here with the 70" Grand Wega? I was just curious what they were doing for $8000 tv's. I have contacted an attorney friend and was assured that I would win in small claims court..possibly the entire 8k I paid for the television. He did say I may need testimony from others who have had the same problem. If needed, will anyone testify via notarized letter to the issues? (I will gladly pay the notary fee) Thanks!! |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 11 Registered: Dec-08 | Thank you Jean Mac. I called this morning and they assured me that our serial tag had arrived and that our order has been placed. Apparently, things got a little hectic around the holidays and they are running higher demand than supply. A little patience is required on our part and certainly understandable. I just bought an 80GB PS3 today and can't wait to try it on the new TV! |
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New member Username: CracktPost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08 | so it looks like i may get my tv repaired if the tech can find the bulletin. haha. don't know how they fix tv's when surfing the net is difficult. i only have to drive 400 km's round trip to get it done. haha. howcome everyone else gets better service ? |
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New member Username: Frankie_boyWilmington, DE USA Post Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | Happy New Year Everyone! I took some time off for the holidays. I as have written before, the small claims court approach should work and I am glad to learn that an attorney agrees. Can someone prepare a sample small claims court filing so that everyone that is so inclined can easily file? I am willing to put some money in the pot if we would need to hire an attorney to prepare a winning filing. Any thoughts? Any attorneys out there who want to earn their place in electronics heaven? I look forward to a day when Sony gets a thousand small claims notifications and has to rethink the $150 offer they made to me and the many others who were likewise treated in an unfair manner.. |
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New member Username: MjwjalPost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-08 | I'm like most and I am mad at Sony. I think it's a poorly designed product. I am at a point where I'm rejecting the December consideration because the price is too high but I'm considering just having them fix it. I know it's likely that the problem will come back but I'm not too sure if taking them to smalls claim court will be any good. But I agree it would be great if Sony received thousands of claims in a short period of time. I have taken a small home builder to small claims court and he paid like $50 to move it to regular court where the judge expects an attorney to represement you. What make people think Sony won't do the same? I was told by Sony that they notified all registered owners of the defect. Not sure if that's true since I didn't register mine They also posted the problem on their web site and given people ample time to respond. I'm not an attorney but part of me thinks that Sony isn't being totally unfair. Has anybody took Sony up on the offer to have it repaired and is happy with their decision? |
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New member Username: CracktPost Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | well my model was just given a extended ob warranty till 06/10/10. issued 12/22/08 on 06 sets. so if you bot a set on 01/01/06 this would equal a a 4.5yr warranty on the ob's. my model is 07 so i hope i get an extra yr of coverage. haha. honestly this is all sony could have been expected to do. it has been hard to get them to admit their fault but as a corporation it must be hard to realise you sold such a shitty product to so many people. these extensions appear to be a tactic to now save face. lets not bankrupt sony but work with them as consumers to resolve this. we all want oled tvs im sure. but with costly repairs plauging sony and the not so hot sales in other areas. (ps3 and drm infested bluray , rootkitted cds). lets not forget we are dealing with the devil. haha. as far as my journey, i can't believe sony is still in business. good luck to the rest of you. im hoping my tv will be good again soon. |
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New member Username: Weeds61Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Spoke to sony for the first time on 12/03 about the problem with my ob. After a couple of days was contacted by special consideration dept. was offered a 52 lcd for 1093 plus tax and shipping. they received my sticker off my old tv on 12/17. Was informed that the new tv usually ships 10-14 days. After numerous calls over a 2 week period, am now being told the new tv will not ship till 1st week of Feb. (maybe). SONY IS A FRAUD AND THIS IS A SCAM. I can buy the same tv off of sonys web sight and pay full price and guess what? It will ship within 2 days. Imagine that. I am sick and tired of being lied to by sony employees and getting the run around. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SONY PRODUCT AS LONG AS I LIVE. |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 12 Registered: Dec-08 | Thomas, It sounds like we accepted the same offer. I first made contact with Sony about the warped door extended warranty on 12/01 and finally accepted the 52W deal you quoted on 12/19. I also sent the serial tag in that morning's mail. Until I called Monday, I hadn't heard a peep from Sony. But the CSR I spoke to was adamant that the product was NOT back-ordered when I asked why there was a hold up. She said they got behind in the rush for Christmas and are filling them as best they can as the TVs become available. She also said they would be contacting me via email when the order is ready for delivery. What I find frustrating is that each time I call I get a different answer. This was especially true during the faxing process. One would say it should take three to six hours to get the scanned image attached to my file and then another would say 24 hours and still another would say 48 hours (?) I wasn't looking to harass them, but instead I simply needed to know if they had received my fax as I was not sure it went through and am not used to sending using my wife's machine. I get the feeling that this division of the company is not well managed. That being said, I sure hope that time line they quoted you is incorrect and they are just going to make you happy when it arrives earlier. I'd love to have this thing to enjoy the Super Bowl! I can empathize with your frustration but also realize that I am a Sony fanboy, so I know I will buy from them again. In fact, I just bought a PS3. |
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New member Username: CaptjimboNorthfield, Nh United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | newbie Im another one who got stiffed with a kdf50we655, getting the o/b replaced tomorrow, I paid 2799, for this set 2 years ago, I didnt want to pay 1200 for the 52" replacement, they offered, they got me once, and only once, my friend picked up a samsung 60", and it is far superior to the sony in every way when I purchased my set, I was paying extra for the name, I thought sony was the best, boy was I wrong, I want some proper compensation, and a realtime guarantee that this problem (blue blobs) isnt coming back in a year or two, I will NEVER buy another sony tv after this, unless they really make good on this problem, not by trying to rope me into another one of there iffy products....Im PISSED!!!! thanks to this board for letting me know I wasnt alone, sony wasnt going to contact me..bast*rds |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 19 Registered: Nov-08 | That was one of my issues as well. Sony has known who I am and how to contact me since I bought my tv 4 years ago, yet no contact when they issued an extended warranty or recall or anything. I too had my set repaired and am going next for a long extended warranty. If they say no, it is Court and I will be asking and will get alot more than just the warranty. As shown in the class action lawsuit, they have broken laws selling defective tvs and not taking responsible action to correct the fallout, such as warranties to cover any parts that have been replaced. If the parts to cover the defective parts are defective as well, obviously, the warranties need to be super long to cover the continuous replacement of parts until the reasonable life of the tv has been reached. And it is way against the law to try to sell parts to replace the defective parts on their tvs. See the class action order for that as well. I have noticed on this thread that Sony isn't doing that so much anymore. Was I the last person they did this to, say I had to buy the OB replacement myself because I was past their limited extended warranty (which they never contacted me about)? So you don't have to read the entire Order, if interested, you may see my post of Dec 26 for the Class Action Lawsuit's Order highlights and the consumer protection laws mentioned. Also, forget the BBB. They are just a private membership org that nobody cares about consulting anymore. Better to cc the Federal Trade Commission on all your correspondence. Here is a quote from their site - "Your complaint, comment, or inquiry may help us spot a pattern of law violations requiring law enforcement action. It also may help us recognize and tell people about bigger trends affecting consumers. We do not resolve individual consumer disputes." website for more info - http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm Mail to address - Federal Trade Commission Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580 |
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New member Username: CaptjimboNorthfield, Nh United States Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-09 | well they fixed the set today, I thought I was at least a little happy the blue blobs had gone away, however after watching for about 2 hours, this very annoying high pitch whirring sound was coming from the back of the set, keep in mind it never did that before, on closer inspection it appears the fan from the rebuilt o/b is noisy, Im assuming this is part of the o/b or they would have put my old fan back in, arrrrgggg.... just cant catch a break,now I got to start complaining again, its loud enough that its aggravating to listen to guess this o/b probably is a high miled rebuild from some bar that had there set on 22 hours a day........ |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 20 Registered: Nov-08 | That whirring sound after a while is your fan working correctly. They put in a new OB and also clean your fan. My repair guy said sometimes the fans are so dirty they don't even turn anymore. Sounds like that was the case with yours. What you are hearing is the sound of the fan finally doing what it was supposed to be doing all along, cleaning the air in there so less would build up on the parts in there including parts of the OB. If yours was that dirty, that is probably why your OB went so early, if it went early. My fan looked pretty good, but we don't smoke and treat the tv pretty good, dusting it regularly. The repairman said to prolong the life of the OB and everything else, to clean the fan ourselves like every year. |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 21 Registered: Nov-08 | I didn't get my thoughts down correctly. The fan is actually for cooling off the tv if you have had it on for awhile, but it works to blow dust of the parts too. |
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New member Username: Wd8nvrStreetsboro, Oh US Post Number: 3 Registered: Sep-08 | It has been a while since I posted my issue. so here is an update.. This is a KDF46E2000 with a Dark bar across the top, growing gradually and is now about 6" Well, someone on this board mentioned Cerdit card warrienties and I called AmEx since I bought it on the card. They doub;le the mfg warrenty. So I call the local Sony service center and they come out. They call Sony to get diagnostic info, and Sony tells them it is a light engine and that the warrenty on the light engine, and labor has been EXTENDED until JUN 30, 2010!!! Not sure what models this is for, or what purchase dates it includes. I bought mine Feb 2007. But you might want to look into this! I saw another post with similar date noted. |
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New member Username: CaptjimboNorthfield, Nh United States Post Number: 3 Registered: Jan-09 | I didn't get my thoughts down correctly. The fan is actually for cooling off the tv if you have had it on for awhile, but it works to blow dust of the parts too. Lisa, you could hear it working before the repair, but it wasnt noisy, theres 2 fans, the one thats part of the o/b is the ones thats making the noise, with a high pitch mixed in , the repair guy was amazed at how little dust was in the set, it was very clean inside, I no doubt got a worn out fan on this new o/b, Im just hioping they can take my old one and put it in this o/b, otherwise they will have to do it all over again |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 22 Registered: Nov-08 | Sorry about the whirring sound. I just have the regular fan that goes on so loud sometimes that I have to increase the volume on th tv, and I thought that was bad. |
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New member Username: CracktPost Number: 9 Registered: Dec-08 | haha. you have better luck than me bruce. 3 phone calls and the damn technician still can't find the bulletin. or has and says it's only on us tv's. i had to explain to him that my model wasn't even sold in the us. what donkeys. so i guess it's another hour on hold tomorrow morning so i can tell sony to contact their tech and let him know about the warranty extension. then 8 hours roundtrip to get it to the tech. i might just run this damn tv over and buy a new one from another manufacturer. make a good youtube video. |
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New member Username: HajLos Angeles, CA United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Great thread with lots of info. I have a KDF-55WF655 that I bought back in '04 for around $2500. I started to get the blue haze/dot pattern around early November. I'm glad I checked the Sony site to find out about the extended warranty offer. So I contacted Sony a few days before Xmas and after their intital diagnostic tests (unplug and wait) they said it sounds like the OB problem and gave me an event id to authorize the repair. When they made the offer to purchase a new tv at a discounted rate I thought it was just Sony trying to make up for the hassle. I politely declined the offer and the rep didn't seem to have a problem with it. The local reapir place was closed for the holidays so my first contact with them was on January 5th. I gave them the event id and they said they needed to contact Sony for the authorization. The next day I get a call from the repair place saying that Sony wanted to offer me a replacement set before starting the repairs. I got a call from Sony 2 hours after the repair place but I let the answering machine get it since I was headed out to work. The message was basically a gentleman stating his name asking me to return his call. I called Sony the next day (Jan 06) and a guy name Paul told me about the special accomondation program. He asked which sets I was told about in the previous call and I told him the person only left his name and a call back number and no tv info. So he gave me the following options: KDL-52V4100 $953 + $215 shipping + tax KDL-52W4100 $1043 + $215 shipping + tax KDL-46Z4100/B $827 + $215 shipping + tax Not the best offers in the world after I read some of the above posts. I contacted the repair company to get an estimate to see what the better deal would be. I was told to replace the optical block would be $750 for the part plus $200 for labor plus tax. So pretty much I'm looking at a free $1000 repair or $1000 off a new tv. One way leaves me with my current tv which I have no real complaints about and the other way gives me a brand new LCD tv but leaves me with a 55 inch projection tv paperweight. They gave me 2 weeks (Jan 21) to make my decision. I wonder if I can get them to eat the shipping charges. |
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New member Username: Weeds61Post Number: 4 Registered: Jan-09 | b dud, I also tried to get them to eat the shipping, but they would not budge. If you decide to go with a replacement tv, ask for a ship date and see what kind of answer you get, I have been waiting since 12/17 for my 52w4100 to ship and every time I call I get a different reason why it hasen't from "the holidays" or " on backorder" or " supply vs demand " GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!! |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Hi, New here but I've been reading a lot here when my KDF-E50A10 (Purchased December 05 for $2,400) started getting the blue blob a few months ago. At first I thought it might be the lamp but quickly found out that it was much worse. Last month I contacted Sony and they ended up telling me to contact the Executive Review Committee which I did before Christmas. They called me today with the offer for a replacement but I was badly disappointed with what they were offering. They offered to let me buy a KDL-52W4100 for $1,673 + shipping and tax which would come out to about $2,000!! I'm going to try calling back and see if I can get the offer some others here have gotten of around $1,000 but I don't hold out a lot of hope. At this point Sony has probably lost a customer for life and I'll also make sure my 3 kids stay away from Sony as well. I'll also see how many people I can discourage from buying Sony whenever I'm at the store browsing at the TVs. A few well placed words about Sony's unwillingness to stand behind a defective product should cost them a couple of sales a year. Between my family stopping all purchases of Sony products and however many people I can discourage from buying Sony I should be able to cost them far more than the cost of my TV or a discounted replacement. I've bought numerous Sony products over the years (TVs, computers, DVD/VCRs, Camcorders, etc.) but this piece of junk TV with a design flaw well known to Sony has left me completely frustrated. It's the most expensive electronic product I've ever bought and it hasn't lasted as long as the $99 TV my daughter has in her room. Sony should be ashamed of how poorly they've handled this situation. If I here of another class action suit I'd be happy to sign up. |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 13 Registered: Dec-08 | b DUB, I also ordered a 52W for $1093 and attempted to get them to knock off the shipping and tax, to no avail. They seem to be very adamant about this. Perhaps you could try and negotiate the lower cost some others got ($843), but for what you paid ($2400) I think that may be as low as they go. If I were you, I would definitely go with the new set though as opposed to fixing the rear projection one. The 52W is a great TV! Another angle I was going to pursue, but never did, was to ask for a free extended warranty. Might be worth a shot. Mark R., Wait a couple of days and call back. The first person (male) I spoke with was kind of an @hole and became aggressive when I confronted him with the other better to GREAT offers out there. He quoted me $1723 for a 52W and I told him it was an insult and that I was going to have the tech out again to fix it if that was their best offer. The next call made was to a very polite woman who offered the 52W for $1093. I went for a run while I weighed my options and called back and took it. I was very close to going with the 46Z for $827, which is a very good deal for a 10 bit set. But in the end, the added size won out for me and I doubt you will want to drop from 55" to 46. Good luck to you both! - Doug |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-09 | Thanks Doug, I'll see if I can't get a better deal. I'd be happy to buy the 52W for $1093 even with shipping and tax. I was just looking at the Vizio website and they've got a new 55" LCD that looks great and it's only $1,800 at either Costco or Sams. They've even got an awesome new 55" LCD model (VF551XVT) coming out this summer that I could wait for with features that blow away the Sonys at a much lower price. Sony won't get too many chances to keep me and many others as customers. |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 14 Registered: Dec-08 | Mark, The VF551XVT certainly is impressive technology at a nice price, but I bet you'll be impressed simply going from 1280X720 resolution, about 800:1 contrast ratio, 2:3 pulldown at 60Hz refresh (and likely a dimming lamp) to 1920X1080, 30,000:1(3000:1), 120Hz & 24p and for about half of that $2000 price for the Vizio. When 1080P content is run on the 52W, the upgrade over my old 12/03 Grand Wega projection set is as stunning to me as when I first witnessed HD over SD TV. Like night and day. (And I have thoroughly enjoyed the Grand Wega, mind you.) It seems we don't know what we are missing until we see it. But those "wow" moments are harder to come by as the technology advances. I seriously doubt the backlighting and increased contrast ratio of the new LED sets will produce the same "jump", but we shall see. |
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New member Username: TrinhPost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08 | A week ago, Circuit City and Amazon.com advertised a bundle of the Sony KDL-52W4100 and Sony Blue Ray DVD player for about $1900. The DVD was about $250 stand-alone. So the KDL-52W4100 would only cost $1650. Amazon charges no tax and provides free shipping. Circuit city charges sales tax plus $50 delivery charge if you get it from the physical store. Electronics prices go up and down but the overall trend is always down, so I believe in a month or 2, the 52W4100 will have an everyday price of $1700 or slightly lower. Here are a few points to consider: 1) If you are buying a replacement TV directly from Sony, you are effectively are buying from an Internet retailer with all the pros and cons. Sony charges shipping and sales tax while Amazon.com charges no sales tax in most states and no shipping for the 52W4100. 2) Most of the people buying the replacement TV from Sony are still waiting for their set to arrive, maybe end of Jan or maybe early Feb. All I can say the buyers are now captive and Sony can do whatever it wants, including selling TVs that are not in stock. Electronics prices always come down so the longer you wait for the TV to arrive, the cheaper it costs Sony. Bottom line: Each person has to make a business decision whether to ask Sony to fix their TV; or ask Sony to sell a replacement TV at discount. If Sony could not satisfy your request, then you have to see if it's more cost effective to pay out of pocket to fix the TV or to buy a brand new TV (Sony or other brands) at retail prices. |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-09 | Well I called Sony again to ask if I could get the same deal others had gotten. Basically I was told the 52W was $1673 + shipping & tax and that since my E50A10 was not covered by any of the extended warranties that was the best they could do. Sarah from Sony also told me that "no one with my model TV had ever been given or offered the 52W4100 replacement at a price of near $1,000". Now either she's lying or some of the folks here are. My bet is that Sarah is less than truthful to put it mildly. At this point I'm done forever with Sony products. Sony will lose more money through my boycott of their products than they saved by stiffing me on this piece of junk. I will also take great pleasure in denegrating their product support wherever and whenever I can. Today at Costco I was looking at the Vizio TVs and I think I talked at least one guy out of buying a Sony LCD TV. I felt much better and I figure I can cost Sony far more than the cost of my TV in a year or two by passing on to others how bad Sony is at supporting their products if you have problems. 35 years ago my first radio was a Sony (still have it) and I've bought numerous Sony products but I and my family are done with them. This is just another example of shortsighted business operations where they can't take the long view. I can't wait to get a look at the new Vizio 55 inch LCD TVs! |
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New member Username: Wd8nvrStreetsboro, Oh US Post Number: 4 Registered: Sep-08 | Final update. After the Service tech left, they called and told me I needed to talk with Sony to get a service number. Upon calling they offerend me a free repair or a discounted price on a LCD replacement. Total cost for a 46" replacement LCD was just under $600 or Mid 700 depending on the V4100 or W4100 series. Not a bad deal. I took the W4100. Price includes tax, and they picked up shipping. I have to say Sony was responsive to me, and what they offered seemed fair. A free repair (all they have to offer) or a reasonable rdeal on a new $2000 (best buy price) TV. Hoppe everyone else can works out a similar agreeable deal. |
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Bronze Member Username: McjeanPost Number: 13 Registered: Nov-08 | good for you Bruce... sounds like you got a similar deal to me. I don't understand why some people are getting fair deals and others aren't. Could it be location? Canada/US?? Or maybe the people they're dealing with. I would advise anyone that's running into a brick wall (Sarah), that they should try going over their heads and speak with the next level up. |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-09 | Does anyone have the address for Sony's North American Headquarters. I'd like to write them a letter summarizing my trouble and how I feel I was treated poorly by Sony. I've often found that senior leaders of an organization often have inaccurate views of what their subordinate organizations are doing. They tend to only hear what they're being told by the internal system and are surprised to find out that their customers have a completely different perspective. I would like them to know that the executive review committee seems far more committed to minimizing their expenses than to maintaining hard won customer loyalty. I would like to point out to them that any money they "saved" by denying me a reasonable offer will be lost many times over in the future through lost sales. I see no reason to write to the executive review committee again but I do think there could be value in letting their leadership know how they are destroying customer relationships through shortsighted business decisions. In my case they "saved" about $600 by not giving me a comparable offer to that others have received. I've already changed my purchasing based on this experience. Today I bought a Nikon D-90 camera kit at Costco for $1,300. I had been planning to buy a Sony Alpha-700 DSLR kit to go with my old Minolta lenses. Next I'll be shopping for a new LCD TV and the Vizio, Samsung, and Sharps are looking pretty good. I really hate putting Sony on my DO NOT BUY list but I can't reward their bad behaviour with continued purchases of their products. |
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New member Username: TrinhPost Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | To Mark Reynolds, I had the 3-year old KDF-E50A10 with a broken B block assembly, not the more popular Optical board. This model is not part of any class action suit or Sony extended warranty program. Cost to replace and install the B board is $600, including sales tax. I asked Sony for free or discounted repair, Sony's answer was absolutely NO WAY. I then asked to buy a KDL-52W4100. First offer from Sony: $1224 + $150 shippping + sales tax. I renegotiated and get the second offer: $1224 + sales tax. I didn't take the offer from Sony since it was cheaper for me to repair the TV. The bad thing about this ordeal was the inconsistency from Sony. A few lucky people were treated like valued customers with offer of free repair or big discount on new TV. Most people were treated as another opportunity for Sony to make money from their misfortunes. |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 15 Registered: Dec-08 | Trinh, I was expecting to see the same drop in price on the 52W you describe, based on the way things were going before Christmas for other models, but it has doggedly remained around 2000 or more for about a month and a half now with a couple sale drops in between. I have used OneCall in the past to buy a 32" Samsung, and they typically have the best prices anywhere, but this TV was $2095 from before Thanksgiving all through the Christmas season and has only dropped to $1998 fairly recently. But again, this brings up the point about timing and that many people are most assuredly still waiting for these TVs they purchased before Christmas as well. The deal I accepted for the 52W was $1093 + $215 "white glove" shipping + tax which came to about $1330. So the deal you are describing is actually better than that. (I tried to get the S&H waived to no avail.) Then again, my TV was manufactured in 12/03 and I paid around $2700 for it then, so I was not looking to break the bank with one of the GREAT offers, while also getting out of the bad technology/design (i.e. rear projection). I was just looking for what I deemed a fair deal and while I was not blown away by the offer I was satisfied. If I had wanted to go the cheaper route, I could have had a 46Z for $827 and probably loved it too. In final analysis, everyone's situation is unique. And I wonder if this is part of why people are getting different offers(?) I wonder if Sony is looking at items a given consumer has purchased in the past to determine just how loyal a customer really is? Hmmm... |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 18 Registered: Dec-08 | Update: I just called Sony and they said our 52W is slotted to be loaded tomorrow at their PA plant and their should be a tracking number in place by Wednesday. Hopefully this is a sign that these pending orders are going to filled soon, considering my order was placed on 01/02. |
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Bronze Member Username: McjeanPost Number: 14 Registered: Nov-08 | Doug - I think that's pretty good timing considering the holidays and everything. My order was placed on the 19th of Dec and rec'd on the 30th. That's pretty much the same timing as yours I think. You will LOVE the 52W!!! Good Luck |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 20 Registered: Dec-08 | Thank you Jean! |
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New member Username: Weeds61Post Number: 5 Registered: Jan-09 | HEY!!!! After calling Sony today. Finally my 52w is also to be loaded tomorrow and should have a tracking # by Wed. My order was on 12/19. At least I see light at the end of the tunnel. Will see when it finally arrives at my front door. |
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New member Username: Janet_and_stevePost Number: 7 Registered: Sep-08 | Payback time for Sony!! Their shares are dropping! Maybe if they had better customer service and stood behind the products they sell then sales wouldn't be dropping. We will never purchase another sony product due to their lack of repair / response with the optical block issue in our KF60. They are getting just what they deserve! http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/sony-shares-plunge-on-profit-concerns /303719 |
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New member Username: CaptjimboNorthfield, Nh United States Post Number: 4 Registered: Jan-09 | update they returned and replaced the noisy fan motor, all at sony's expense the picture looks great again, Im happy for the moment but knowing the blue blob is just another year or two away is very annoying I hope there will be some real compensation if sony wants me back next time around they better step up to the plate, I doubt they will |
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New member Username: MachdaddyPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-09 | Ok... I just received a call from a really nice lady named Donna at Sony. She verified my information, and told me somebody from procurement would be contacting me within 2 days to make me an offer. My question is... Is the offer dependent on the original price of the television? I paid almost 8k for my KDF70XBR950. She said they would based on the cost of the set. Anyone have any comments on this? The thing that freaked her out is the MFG date on my set is 4/05!!! She tried telling me that it was 11/03. I corrected her and told her I would take a picture of the date and send it to her. She said that would be a great idea, and she would note it in the file. I hope they make this right. BTW.. Thanks to everybody who have took the time to leave information on the problems you are having. Like I have said in the past..I will be filing a small claims suit if I am not fully taken care of, and I wouldn't be able to to it without all of your input! |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 21 Registered: Dec-08 | Mark, Wow, that is a serious investment and size!! I have no idea what they will do, but most seem to be getting about 50-75% of what they originally paid toward a new set. It varies based on date purchased too, and no CSR has been able to explain it to me. Instead they simply say they have a table or reference sheet or program that gives them the figure. What's strange is how the offer changes after repeated calls. I would say that based on what you paid you should be eligible for a free replacement of any of the TVs they offered me (42V through 52W) and even into the XBR series. I'm not even sure what they have in that size though. Best of luck. Janet, Not to come across as rude, but just about everyone is down these days in the midst of the global recession. I ran a Google search on the Harrisburg, PA plant to see where our replacement TV may be shipping from and when and instead found an article stating they are closing this plant and laying off 560 workers (a small percentage of the 8,000 planned Sony layoffs worldwide). The plant will be shutting down starting at the end of February. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081209/rendell-says-sony-will-close-western-pa -plant.htm I know some people in that area and it makes me sad to think of all the fear and angst those folks must be going through. I see the fallout around me here in MA too and it breaks my heart. So when I compare that fear and uncertainty to my concerns about getting a new TV, of all things, it seems to pale by comparison. Please understand, I am not saying your beef is not legitimate, as we are all here for the same purpose, but instead adding some food for thought. Take care, - Doug |
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New member Username: MachdaddyPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-09 | Well... I received a call from "Scott". He offered me $600 off a new 52" XBR 7 series set. This equates out to less than 10% of the cost of my set. I need to find my reciept!! I have the Small Claims paperwork here on my desk. I will be calling Scott back tomorrow. If I don't get at least 4k back in incentives tomorrow..I will be filing tomorrow afternoon. The thing that gets me is the MFG date on my set says April 05..and they keep insisting it was 11/03!! A judge will eat them up and spit them out for a whole lot more than 4k..I guarantee you that! I will keep you posted |
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New member Username: HajLos Angeles, CA United States Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-09 | I contacted Sony today to decline the replacement offer and accept the repairs. I was on hold for a bit but was connected to "Paul" who was polite and professional. Despite not getting the best offer on the replacement sets, I still went to Best Buy to take a look at what they were offering me. I hate to say this but the Sony tvs looked like crap compared to the others. I don't know if they were set up incorrectly or just plugged in straight out of the box but the picture quality was horrible compared to the other sets hanging next to them. They were all playing the same HD content yet the Sony sets looked like they were plugged in with component or coaxial cables. After seeing that I decided that my current set would suit me just fine for another couple of years. I wasn't really in the market for a new set anyways so I don't feel I'm missing out on any great deal. Thanks for all the info and good luck to everyone else.  |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 22 Registered: Dec-08 | Update: Called Sony today and the TV is arriving at the local shipping company on Monday and they should be calling to arrange a delivery within 48 hours. Finally, a light at the end of this tunnel!!! Woohoo! I hope those of us who are waiting on delivery all get to watch the Super Bowel on our new TVs! |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 23 Registered: Nov-08 | Mark McBride - You posted a while back looking for posters willing to help with your lawsuit, if it happens, with notarized letters. I too have the grand vega xbr, but a 60" (KDF60XBR950). I have been sick, but will finally be delivering the last of my xmas presents this wknd and will then have time to be on it sending a ltr to Sony's legal dept with a cc to the FTC requesting an extra long warranty on the defective parts of the tv. (FTC address and info in my post of Jan 7.) I will keep updating, but in the meantime, I will do anything you need to help with your court case. Also, you may tell your atty friend that alot of the research and arguments have already been done via the Class Action, as outlined in my post of Dec 26 08. If Sony does not respond favorably to my ltr, it will be Court for me as well. Your atty friend is correct, that one can expect to get more back by going to Court. So many on the board are comparing money spent, while we will be comparing money received. Already, in terms of what Sony has put out to replace my OB, it is Lisa $1,000 - Sony $0. |
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Bronze Member Username: LisamcguPost Number: 24 Registered: Nov-08 | Actually, it is Lisa $1,000 + a WORKING (not a paperweight) 60" Grand Vega XBR - Sony $0. |
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New member Username: Jsteele1020Odessa, FL United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Has anybody seen this issue? About 3 months ago I noticed that it was taking a LONG time for my KDFE42A10 to power on. The standby light would flash for several minutes and then the picture would come up, but it would have multicolored lines all the way across the screen. I took it to a local Sony service center and it WORKED FINE!! They kept it for a week and NOTHING HAPPENED!! I get it home yesterday and by the today it was doing it again!!!! I HATE SONY. They tell me it COULD be the B block and it will cost $600 to fix. I bought the TV 3 years ago for $2000. I am VERY interested in joining a class actionn lawsuit against Sony. Obviously they KNOW there is a problem and should be forced to stand behind their trashy product. |
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New member Username: TrinhPost Number: 9 Registered: Dec-08 | To Jim Steele, My KDF-E50A10 had the same symptom back on Nov 2008. I paid $600 (part & labor) to replace the B board assembly. It took the 2 TV technicians less than 30 minutes to perform the part swap. I tried to get Sony to help with the repair cost but didn't get anywhere. Maybe you'll get better luck. |
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Bronze Member Username: MarkraphaelPost Number: 12 Registered: Aug-08 | Jim, I also have the KDF-E50A10 that needs a new B-block after 2 years. It's been sitting in a corner for 6 months now. I went through the ordeal of writing to Sony and they offered me 50% off the part cost if I have it repaired by an authorized service center. Labor cost is around $300, there's no way I'm paying that much. I have tried to remove the B-block myself and it's not that difficult. The B-block is available for Sony online parts store for around $400. The thing is that the optical block on this model will almost certainly conk out next. Then you will need to replace the lamp. These sets are not worth fixing out of pocket IMHO. Try to contact Sony, they might give you a better deal. I have given up on them. I got a new Panasonic plasma this week and I am loving it. No more crappy Sony for me and I make sure to tell all my family and friends about my experience with Sony. |
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Bronze Member Username: TenshunPost Number: 13 Registered: Nov-08 | Lol Mark. I almost forgot I had my hunk of steaming cow dung KDF-E50A10. I have been marveling at the incredible imagery of my 52" SAMSUNG 850. I have never seen a picture so beautiful. Especially on the heels of the yellowish hue to which I had grown accustomed. Unfortunately, after getting my new TV, I have completely forgotten about taking legal action against phony/sony. I think I might take that pile of crap to the dumpster. I hate sony... Im not just saying that for effect either. I hope they get liquidated. |
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New member Username: TrinhPost Number: 10 Registered: Dec-08 | If you don't use the TV a lot, perhaps fixing the old TV will be more cost effective than buying a new set. If you are handy, you can swap the B board assembly yourself to save the labor cost + tax. In my case, the KDF-E50A10 is not my only TV set, so I know it have not used it a lot but I just don't know exactly how many hours. After the TV technicians replaced the B board assembly, I asked them to check for the number of hours the lamp was used. They found my 3-year old TV was active for less than 2900 hours. From what I read in this forum, the lamp has a 7000-8000 hour life and the optical block 8000 hours. So for 600$ repair, I delayed the need to buy a new set for another 3 years (hopefully). |
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Bronze Member Username: MarkraphaelPost Number: 14 Registered: Aug-08 | Very nice tv you have there Wayne, I've seen the 850 at BB and it definitely stands out. I still haven't decided what to do with my A10. I am still hoping I can get a broken unit for repair on ebay or craigslist. I also check every dumpster I see for any disposed A10 that I can pull the b-block out. Is your dumpster anywhere near central NJ? |
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Bronze Member Username: TenshunPost Number: 14 Registered: Nov-08 | Sorry Mark, im in Michigan. I was thinking about punching a few holes in the screen, pumping air into it, and turning it into an air hockey table for the kids. It has a nice surface for that kind of thing. Or, a nice card table for those pinochle and gin rummy nights. |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 5 Registered: Jan-09 | Okay I've given up on Sony because of a bad optical block w/KDF-E50A10. Their failure to stand behind a clear design defect has put them on my DO NOT BUY for life list. While frustrated I'm confident that over just the next few years Sony will loose much more in lost sales just from me than it would have cost them to make me a reasonable offer. Given that I'm looking for some advice on a new TV. I'm thinking about these 2 right now and they are basically the same price. Samsung LN52A650 - I thought this had a fantastic picture and it was right next to the 52W4100 and 52XBR7 at the store. It was better than the W4100 with darker and more stable blacks. I couldn't tell any difference with the XBR. Vizio VF550XVT - Saw this one at Costco and with a blueray disc playing it also looked fantastic and every bit as good as the best sonys. Does anyone have any insight into these 2 models. Also I've been reading that both Samsung and Vizio will be coming out with newer models this year and the main new feature will be LED backlighting. Is that really worth waiting for? The current TVs look amazing and it's hard to imagine the newer ones being that much better. Thanks, Mark |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 23 Registered: Dec-08 | Mark R., I own two smaller Samsung LCD screens (32" & 37") and a computer monitor (23") and I love them all. The LN52A650 is also a very popular set, and I was considering it instead of the KDL52W4100. The blacks are deep and dark, as you said, but I think this is mainly due to the GLOSSY SCREEN, which people seem to either love or hate. I like the look of it, but feared it would produce excessive reflections in my well-lit living room. I also did not care for the "red" in the frame, but then the A630 has a matte screen with a normal glossy black frame for less money and the same horsepower. However, what always sways me in the end is the eye test and that's also what drew me to the original Sony set I bought in 2003. I like the color reproduction and anti-blur technology in the KDL52W4100 over the that of the LN52A650 (and even more so the A630). The color is more realistic and the action is more smooth in my opinion. I also HATED the Samsung remote with it's hokey spinning dial. All in all, these are minor things and I think I would have been happy with either TV as they are both great sets. I also think that in the end we have usually decided what we are going to do before we even enter the store to compare and then find rationale to back that up. Finally, I was glad to get the 52" Sony set for a little more than half what I would have paid for the new Sammy, but I understand if you are boycotting Sony all together. Good luck. |
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New member Username: TanancurlPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Having read all the postings on these projection tv's. I realize that we the consumers are testing sony's products basically at our expense. I have a KF60WE610, purchased in Nov of 2003. It is now on its 4th OB. I am fortunate as all have been replaced by ext. warranties. The first was replaced in Mar. of 04. Sony replaced it while repairing another issue. They have known about the problem all along. No more sony tv's in my future. The purchase of ext warranty on any new tv should be greatly considered. Each tech that worked on this tv told me that nearly all manuf. are also having various problems and all are costly.} |
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Bronze Member Username: HdinmaPost Number: 24 Registered: Dec-08 | Al, That is the big picture here it seems. There's a very good reason why you see almost no projection TVs on the market anymore and that's because it was a FLAWED DESIGN. For me, and I'm sure many others, it was a way to get into the world of HD without paying a huge premium (in my case about $2700). I welcome the opportunity to get out of the bad technology and into the current future of TV since LCD and Plasma screens have come down so much and are much more reliable. This thread focuses on Sony, but take a look around and you will see that virtually ALL vendors have moved away from these TVs and have quality issues. So to blame Sony alone, while certainly understandable, is a bit shortsighted in my view. Try getting one of the knock-off brands to stand behind their TVs well after the warranties have expired and even the extended warranties. It will be a long wait. Same deal for the major brands as well. That being said, I do empathize with those who paid out five to ten thousand dollars and do not wish to part with their initial "investment". I also feel that small claims court may be the best way to go for some. But the reality is that getting into the 1080P/Blu-ray world is not much more than some of the repairs for these behemoth dinosaurs which are generally referred to now as paperweights, etc., and frankly, can't hold a candle to the newer sets. I decided to bite the bullet and move on. The battle just wasn't worth it for me. But once again, I understand that each person has a unique situation and must make that decision for themselves. |
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New member Username: BcarlsonPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-09 | Time to let the lawsuits begin!!! Hi all! I have been reading this board now for a few months as I have navigated my way through Sony "Customer Service". We bought a Sony KDF-E50A10 RP television 08/03/2006 at our local Sears store. And surprise surprise, at about 20 months we began to experience the dreaded blue/purple haze with the blue burn out in the corners. At first we thought that perhaps we had placed the TV in the wrong place in the room or the outlet was bad or we needed to adjust the tuning levels. Of course, none of this worked. After many many calls to Sears and then Sony repair and our local repair shops (where the repairman instantly said "Oh yeah, that is an Optic Block problem...we've been replacing a lot of those...)I finally realized that I had to get with Sony customer service. As you can guess, that conversation went just like everyone else has experienced. "Out of warranty...sorry about your luck...bla bla bla". Got my Event number & took the next step. In Dec. '08 I sent the registered letters to Sir Howard and the ERC. I received a rather timely phone call from a Mr. Tom Apicerno who, while deeply concerned about my distress, says "Sorry... your TV is out of warranty... the best we can do is offer to exchange our TV for a new one at a prorated discount." By the way, he stated that they prorate on a 5 year basis. I haven't noticed in any of Sony's advertising, print or media or internet, where they note that they expect their products to have a life of only five years. I am quite certain that I would not have spent $1800.00 for a TV that was expected to work for only 5 years. Got to say, I feel more that a little mislead by Sony's ad campaigns. At any rate, he gave me phone number and told me to call the "Exchange Team". When I called I got the old "go to the SonyStyle site and pick out a couple of TV's I might be interested in. In the interest of "good faith" I did so and then I called "Tatania" at the National Service Center. I gave her the Model # KDL-4654100 (which is 4" smaller than my set and listed on the SonyStyle site for $1399.00) and she told me that for only $523.00 plus tax I could have that TV. When I pointed out to her that with my math, that makes my out of pocket expense $2,230.00 in exchange for a TV that THEY have advertised for $1399.00. Tatania (who sounds to be about 16 years old) couldn't quite get her head around the numbers but she did tell me that she "realized that $1800.00 was a lot of money BACK THEN)!!!! I called Mr. Apicerno back to relate to him what had transpired and that my next course of action is to file a small claims case in our District Court. Mr. Apicerno was no longer so solicitous, in fact he seemed just a little hysterical, he kept loudly repeating "don't send anything legal to me!!! I don't do anything legal!!!" Since I was on vacation from the middle of Dec. until the middle of Jan. (when you live in Alaska this is the time of year that you want to get OUT of town...last week the temp was between -45 & -55 degrees) it was only yesterday and today that I've been able to start filling out the legal paperwork. This case is being predicated on the Alaska Statute 45.02.315 regarding Implied Warranty of Merchantability, and Alaska Statue 45.50.471 Unlawful Acts and Practices under the Fair Business Practices Section as recognized by the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Alaska. Our State consumer laws are very long reaching due to the fact that so many companies tend to think of Alaska as almost a foreign county populated by rubes. Also, our Small Claims court allows for judgments of up to $10,000. So it seems as though there is plenty of monetary room for punitive as well as compensatory damages. At this point I have printed out only about 160 of the approximately 1600 of the posts from this site as well as the Finding of Facts from the Class Action lawsuits that have already been adjudicated by the courts. Additionally I have gathered a number of print and internet Sony TV advertisements which I think can only be viewed as misleading considering Sony's long term knowledge of the design and manufacturing defects of their products. There are several other internet sites from which I will be gathering additional anecdotal information to support my contention that Sony Corporation has been knowingly offering for sale products that they know to be substandard and inadequate for the purpose for which they were intended. While I am somewhat hesitant to belabor the Judge with what will undoubtedly be 250/300 pages of exhibits I do believe that Sony has been disingenuous in both it's words and it's deeds. I do believe that when all of the facts are presented the District Court can and will find in my favor in the full amount of $10,000. I have also decide that since it is cold and dark in Alaska right now and I am retired with a lot of time on my hands I will take this opportunity to help consumers make a more informed decision when purchasing their next TV by posting a message on as many Craig's Lists as I can per day about my experiences with Sony and add a link to this site to those folks who might be considering a Sony TV. I will keep you updated as this lawsuit winds it way through the court system. Barb Carlson }} |
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New member Username: RustywoodPost Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08 | will be getting my KDL-52W4100 52 inch this thursday. about time |
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New member Username: MjreyPost Number: 7 Registered: Jan-09 | Well just for grins I called Sony one last time to see if they would give me a better offer than the first one. It was a waste of time. The deal for a 52W4100 was $1,673 + tax or $1,811 which is less than $100 off of what I can get the same TV from Amazon. I'll keep my eyes open for any opportunity to join a class action lawsuit. I guess Sony has so many customers that they can afford to throw away any long time customers that actually expect a quality product that lasts. |
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