Archive through June 05, 2009

Yankees251 New member Username: Yankees251 Post Number: 5 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009 - 18:57 GMT @Robbo: Welcome aboard! Be sure to visit the site linked above, join the class-action.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 35 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009 - 22:23 GMT Thanks everyone for the info on the class action website. From the filings, I was able to get a great address for Sony's Exec VP and General Counsel, Nicole Seligman. I have a KDF-60XBR950, which has been left out of any class actions, and probably will never be a part of one because of its date of mfg. It can not be easily argued that Sony had knowledge before selling that there was a defect as can be done with later models. Lawyers tend to go with the easiest bang for their buck and they should be making some change on these cases. Hopefully the claimants will get more than the class action that has already been settled when it was thought that the replacement OBs did not have the same defect as the orignal sold with the tv. Not being a party to either case I didn't read them completely but, hopefully, the claimants are asking for lifetime extended warranties or full replacement value. I have been cleaning up the letter, just when I had time. Getting that address was one of the last things that needed to be done. Finally. Thanks again.
Cindy B New member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 7 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009 - 22:33 GMT Lisa, Can you give me the main points, or a copy of your letter, that I can template off of? I think mine, kfd-55xs955, is just one model below yours. I bought it Nov 04 from Best Buy, so it was probable mfg mid 04- can't see the back to easily. I assume that mine would be in the same boat as yours as far as their knowledge at the time. I'm looking for tips to get this started and don't want to waste a lot of effort doing the wrong things. Thanks (blue blob-edges)
Mark Reynolds Bronze Member Username: Mjrey Post Number: 12 Registered: Jan-09	Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 06:31 GMT Well, I've been keeping an eye on this and I'll see if the class action lawsuit gets me anywhere. I've also noticed that the 52W4100 that I was trying to get as a replacement has dropped considerably in price. It's now well below the price I was offered. Also since I was last on I picked up a Vizio 42" LCD to replace my old Sony 27" tube TV. The Vizio has been great and I would recommend them if anyone is considering the brand. The 42" works well in the smaller room where we had the old 27" TV but I still need something better for the family room where the blue blob monster is. I'll see if anything pans out with this lawsuit thing otherwise I'll probably pick up a 55" Vizio LCD next year.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 36 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 15:52 GMT Cindy B - I did this in bits and parts when I had time, which I don't have much of. It shows this by not flowing that well and having a couple mistakes [I fixed a couple for you with brackets], but I just needed to get it out the door so I sent it off yesterday without waiting a day or two to look at it again with a fresh eye. If I kept doing that it never would have been sent. If you are going to write a letter to Sony Law Dept before going to Sm Claims, my advise is to just DO IT. Oh, I should note that I say things are attached OR may be found online. For Sony Law and the FTC, all I attached was a copy of my reciept and the first page of the current lawsuits as filed and the first page of the service ltr, one of them writing in the tv models it pertained to. I have made copies of everything else in case they disappear online, but I will hold those for the Court if it comes to that. And you better believe Sony will be paying for all that copying. _____________________ Sony Corporation Nicole Seligman, Esq. Exec VP and General Counsel 550 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 Dear Nicole Seligman - Below are notes from the Opinion And Order Approving Settlement, filed May 1, 2008, regarding the Class Action litigation against Sony for televisions it manufactured as SXRD models, specifically KDS-R50XBR1 and KDS-R60XBR1. These are televisions which happened to be owned by the initial plaintiffs. It is not an indication that they were the only televisions which qualified for such a lawsuit. The issues now being faced by consumers of all Sony manufactured Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Rear Projection television sets, made from 2003-2007, the year Sony stopped manufacturing Rear Projection LCD televisions, are pretty much the same, if not worse. In fact, two more similar class action lawsuits regarding this defective Optical Block have recently been filed by owners of these Sony LCD Rear Projection televisions. On December 5, 2008, in the Southern District of New York, case 08 Civ 8987, an action was filed by owners of the following models - KDS-R60XBR2, KDS-R70XBR2, KDS-50A2000, KDS-55A2000 and KDS60-A2000. And, on February 18, 2009, in the Southern District of California, case 08-CV-2276-WQH-LSP, an action was filed by owners of the following models - Sony Grand WEGA KDF-E A10 and A20 Series LCD. (Copy of class action lawsuit information pages are attached or may be found online at ~~http://www.sonysxrdtvclassaction.com/main/home.sfx~~) My issues are with my Sony television model, KDF-60XBR950, purchased on June, 2004 for $4,956.50. (Copy of receipt showing purchase price mentioned above is attached.) 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." "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." As part of this Settlement, the precedent shows the warranty to be extended 3-4 yrs, depending on when the television was purchased. But this was settled before it became apparent that the replacement Optical Blocks 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." And, "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." This may have been true for the SXRD models, but not for the Optical Blocks consumers are currently getting from Sony. We now know these statements regarding the reasons to limit the extended warranties are invalid. If this was a new Court case, Sony would have to make any extended warranties lifetime warranties to make it a fair settlement, or it would not be approved. A permanent solution is important to a Court's approval. Later, with regard to denying the claimants a complete refund or a new replacement television, 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." From overwhelming consumer input and Sony's own self-issued statements and extended warranties, we now know these statements are no longer true and valid. (The above Opinion and Order is attached or may be found online at esupport.sony.com/sxrdsettlement) Below are quotes from the splinke.googlepages.com website. They address the issue of Sony not improving their Optical Blocks, along with information on the extended warranties Sony has issued. This shows Sony's acknowledgment, and the scope, of the defective Optical Block problem - "A variety of visual anomalies have been reported on Sony liquid crystal display (LCD) rear-projection TVs, including blue blobs, blue haze, blue star pattern, scribble/random line pattern (road-mapping), green blobs, green haze, yellow stains, purple or pink "fingerprints," and others. Unfortunately, these issues tend to occur after the warranty has expired. Sony has provided extended coverage for some of the issues on some models. However, the extended coverage has already expired in some cases, and it will expire at various times throughout 2009-2010 for other issues, so timing is important. As time has passed and complaints have accumulated, it has become clear that virtually all of Sony's rear-projection models (2003-2007) are subject to severe optical block issues. In December, 2007 Sony announced that they would stop production of rear-projection TVs in favor of flat-panel LCD and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs ..." "Sony's old cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs have a pretty solid reputation for picture quality and long-term reliability. Although Sony's liquid crystal rear-projection models have had a generally good reputation for picture quality, they have been plagued by serious problems with long-term reliability, which likely arose due to poor design of a central module called the "optical block" (also known as a "light engine"). The optical blocks seem to be poorly ventilated (causing them to overheat and damage internal components), they are subject to dust accumulation because they are open to the atmosphere, and some were apparently manufactured with defective parts." And, on this same website, there is more with regards to Sony acknowledging its Optical Block problems with extended warranties. Please note that not only was the time frame of any additional coverage extremely limited, sometimes as little as six months, Sony extended the warranties without alerting those who owned the televisions, even if they had the customers' contact information on file - "On May 18, 2006, Sony issued an Additional Service Coverage for the optical block of its 2003-2004 Grand WEGA models (KF and KDF), regardless of the original purchase date of the TV. The coverage included the KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF-60WE610, KDF-70XBR950, KDF-60XBR950, KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, KDF-60WF655, KDF-55XS955, KDF-60XS955, KF-42WE620, and KF-50WE620. The coverage was based on what Sony describes as a "stationary scribble," "squiggly," or "random line" pattern (also called "road-mapping" and other names by some owners). Some have reported that the size of the anomaly tends to increase over time, and others have reported that leaving the TV on continuously for several days can, at least temporarily, shrink or eliminate it ... Unfortunately, Sony's additional coverage was good only through September 30, 2007." "On June 23, 2007, Sony issued a 2004 Grand WEGA Additional Service Coverage on the optical blocks of the following models: KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, KDF-60WF655, KDF-55XS955, KDF-60XS955, KF-42WE620, and KF-50WE620. This coverage was based on what Sony describes as a "blue dot" or "blue star" pattern (also called "blue haze," "blue blob," and other names by some owners). Sony posted sample pictures of the blue spot problem, one of which was from my TV (see pictures below). The location and intensity of the blue anomalies can change, tending to get progressively worse. Some users have reported that, over time, increasing numbers of bright blue or white spots appear within the anomalies, which presumably represent pixels stuck in an "activated" state. Colors other than blue have also been reported. The additional service coverage was good only through December 31, 2008" "Although owners of the 2003 Grand WEGA models were reporting these same blue anomalies, Sony originally chose not to cover these older models. On December 11, 2007, though, Sony issued a "2003 Grand WEGA Additional Service Coverage" on the optical blocks of the following models: KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF-60WE610, KDF-60XBR950, and KDF-70XBR950. The language was identical to that for the 2004 models (see above). However, this additional service coverage was good only through June 30, 2008. This was six months before the expiration on the 2004 models, even though the coverage was issued about six months later. This provided a relatively short six-month window for claims, which has now expired." (The above is attached or may be found online at http://splinke.googlepages.com) On the website, ecoustics.com, within the thread entitled, Sony LCD Projection TV Problems thread, there are over 1,000 posts dating back to October, 2005. Here are just a couple of the posts from one day, February 9 - "Posted by Michelle Clyburn on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 01:10 am: I have the same problem with model KDFE50A10... Sony gave me the same garbage. They claimed to not have any issues of the "blue blob" reported for my model number, but judging by the forums online - it is a well known issue. If anyone hears of a way to get Sony to cover the costs - please let me know." "Posted by Cynthia Chavez on Monday, February 09, 2009 - 02:10 pm: I would be interested to know if anyone has gotten Sony to pay for their out-of-extended-warranty repair RECENTLY. I've tried and tried, sweetly and respectfully via telephone and letter to the executive board, but the answer is "No" to covering the cost of repair of the optic block on our KDF-70XBR950. I even asked if they would just supply the part since the original optic block was made with plastic rather than glass, but the answer was still "No." We paid over $7000 for our televsion at the end of 2005. Sony customer relations is unmoved by our story. I talked with the serviceman and he said the televsion will work wonderfully with the new/better optic block. I didn't want to spend another thousand dollars on something that wasn't worth fixing. We'll see. I'm still sending a letter to the CEO, but I am not optimistic. According to customer relations, even if I had heard of the optic block issue prior to the end of the extended warranty, I would not have been able to get the part replaced by Sony. It had to have failed prior to the end of the warranty, even though the part is defective and failure is inevitable. This is bad business." (The above is attached or may be found online at https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-video/137540.html) On the website, avsforum.com, within the thread entitled, Sony GWIII Owners thread, there are over 3,500 posts, so far, starting in October, 2003 by excited Sony Grand Wega owners just purchasing their televisions to the last posts which are about the problems with these defective Sony televisions. These are some examples from just the last page - Posted by 84jeepjohn on September 9, 2008, 1:29 pm -- "I went through 4 OB before the 4th one fixed my problem. It killed me because it costed them MORE to replace the OB than to give me a new TV ... but Mine is still kicking, it's on all the time (hate the bulbs though) I just hope Sony gets a 60" LCD soon cause I do NOT want to go down in size (but I'm NOT willing to pay the cost of a used car for the new 70 ...)" Posted by Snuffy101 on October 15, 2008, 6:34 pm - "Well, here it goes again. Tomorrow, my Sony will be getting it;s 3rd. OB in 4 yrs. It is also covered by my extended warranty (I just extended it for another 2 yrs.) The tech came out last week to replace the bulb and he said it needed a new "engine". It was getting blue and pink areas and I was willing to wait a while, oh well. I figured they (CC) would replace the TV by now but still no dice. I have to admit the tech they sent seems experienced and quite competent." Posted by Voice of Reason on October 16, 2008, 1:09 pm - "Has anyone had any luck going the Executive Review Committee route to get their TV repaired? I have a KF50WE610 TV that has 45-50 stuck blue pixels (and growing at a rate of about 25 per month) in addition to the "blue haze" problem that is covered by an extended warranty for model year 2004 TVs, but my extended warranty already ran out. I am pulling my hair out with this one. Why is it that Sony extended the warranty of model year 2004 through Dec 31, 2008 when model year 2003 TVs extended warranty was only good through June 30, 2008 and they are having the exact same issue!?!? What's unnerving is that my TV has a manufacture date of June 2004 on it." Posted by Jim R on January 26, 2009, 12:06 pm - "I've followed this forum for a few months, now, and have finally reached the point that I need to present the problem I'm having with my KF-42WE610 and see if anyone has any idea what to do with it. I bought this set 12/19/03 from Circuit City and made the decision carefully based on the reputation for quality of Sony products, so, among other things, I wouldn't need to buy the extended warranty. I expected to get at least 15 years out of the TV (not 5) ... On 11/7/08 the picture suddenly went to a bright red, resulting in darker areas such as mouths, eyes and hair appearing to be bleeding or on fire. The whole screen had a red tint, but it was more pronounced in dark areas. The problem came and went; sometimes the picture was fine, sometimes it was so dark red, nothing could be discerned, other times it just had a slight reddish tint. The local Sony repair shop made a telephonic diagnosis of a bad optical block and said it would cost $928.62 to repair. That's when I found this forum and started the process everyone else has gone through, dealing with Sony. I wound up being offered the opportunity to buy another Sony TV at a "bargain" price of more than the same set would cost from other sources on line. After that insult, I bought a 52" Samsung from Amazon, and I, too, should thank Sony for putting me in that position. The Samsung is just fabulous. In the meantime, I can't accept the possibility that the 42WE610 is just junk. I replaced the lamp, just to make sure that wasn't the problem, but it didn't change anything ..." Posted by agn on February 8, 2009, 12:29 am - "Ok time to add my update on the 60" version of the GW3 The purple finger prints started in 2007 and the blue haze appeared in December of 08. We bought the tv directly from Sony in 2004. The set was backordered for months and arrived in the fall. When i called sony service they had me pay for a technician to confirm the problem. Then they said they couldn't do anything about it because the extended warrenty was up in June. I wrote to the Executive Review Committee and Howard Stringer (thanks splinke) I got a call a few days later from a guy who told me things like, parts are scarce, and no guarantee that replacing it will not cause it to fail again. I told him to just cover the cost of the optical block and I'll at least have a shot at getting the tv back to normal. He said it was past the date and that they are not able to assist me with this repair. I got very upset and decided to file a small claim case against them here in Los Angeles. I went and filed yesterday and got a date of March 27th. It cost 40 dollars, 30 for the filing fee and 10 to have their authorized agent served with papers. Apparently they are not allowed to use a lawyer, but must send someone to represent them on the day of the case. If they don't show up i win the case automatically. I will be preparing myself and getting all the data I can to show the judge that consumers should expect a 3500 dollar television to last longer than 4 years. In fact most last 10+ I'll keep you updated." (The above is attached or can be found online at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=282d42d7d8527373ee8278717e6da199 &t=309559&page=120) Per Sony's own estimate, the defective Optical Block, with what Sony has determined is average viewing, will go out within a couple years. This can be verified by the time frame of Sony's limited extended warranties, within the settled class action lawsuit mentioned above and without, overwhelming consumer experience and by talking to any Sony television repairman who is being candid. Even for those of us with much lower than average viewing habits and, therefore, Optical Blocks lasting almost 4 years (when the Optical Block on my Sony television went bad), this is hardly the life expectancy consumers reasonably expected from their Sony televisions. In fact, when I purchased my television in 2004, televisions were still lasting 20 years. I purposely bought an LCD rear projection, and a Sony because I thought it stood for quality, instead of a comparable plasma television because it was generally thought that the plasmas would "only last 10 years." At the time, I thought it ridiculous to spend so much on a television that had such a known short life expectancy. I expected, especially for the price, that the television would last 20 years. When my Sony television's Optical Block went bad, I made Sony aware that I had blue blobs on my television which were, obviously, impairing my ability to watch television. Initially, and repeatedly, Sony took no responsibility for this defective part, refusing to fix the Optical Block and said I would have to pay for the repair of this defective Optical Block myself. I believe this falls into the same category of unjust enrichment as did the extended warranty service plans in the settled class action case mentioned above. Now, instead of using the existence of a defect as a marketing tool to sell consumers replacement extended warranty service plans, Sony is using the defect to sell consumers replacement Optical Blocks. To quote, "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." My television also had a problem with a warped lamp access door, which happened to fit in the small window of coverage given by another of Sony's short-term extended warranties, this one for a defective lamp access door and defective lamp housing. This door and housing would eventually melt from the heat of the Optical Block. Bad design all around, it seems. Please note that Sony did not alert me to the fact that my television was, at the time, currently covered by this lamp [access door] extended warranty, even though they had me on the phone more than a few times during the coverage period. Only because I researched and found this extended warranty that applied to my particular model was I able to forge the path that allowed me to get not only the defective lamp access door replaced at Sony's expense, but also the Optical Block at Sony's expense. The process was not quick or easy. I had to go thru the same blood pressure rising upset others seemed to experience dealing with Sony's so called customer service representatives until it became so frustrating and unproductive talking with the Sony's representatives that I refused to call them anymore. And if they called me, I got off the phone as soon as possible. So, I asked my television repairman to talk directly with their tech people. A unique path that seemed to bypass their No Optical Block Replacement Policy and get my Optical Block replaced at Sony's expense. With all this, I am writing to request a Sony Lifetime Extended Warranty for my Sony television, model KDF-60XBR950, to cover any and all future Optical Block service and replacements, Lamp Door Access service and replacements and, if my Sony model KDF-60XBR[950] has one, any B Block service and replacements. I believe this covers all of the parts that have been overwhelmingly recognized as defective by consumers and by Sony's own statements and extended warranties. And, if replacement parts are not available, or my television cannot be fixed for any reason related to the above mentioned defective parts, I would like a monetary reimbursement for the replacement cost of my television, keeping in mind for replacement both picture size and quality. Thank you for your time, M. Lisa McGuirk copy - Federal Trade Commission Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 37 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 18:02 GMT Sony's Customer Service - Is anyone directing these people? I just got a phone call from someone at the National level. I don't know if he saw my previous post or they already got the letter, except I only sent it priority, from CA to NY, so I can't imagine it got there yet. Anyway, this is the second time someone from Sony upper Cust Svc has called to just like chat. I am all for someone wants to hear me rant. Hey, I would have to pay a therapist over a $100 per hr to hear me vent. But with Sony cust svc it too easily can turn into an upsetting experience and it just did. I was venting and we were doing good until Sony's rep tried to debate me on being informed of the extended warranties on my tv. I missed the first one because I was not informed, even though Sony had my email, my address and my phone no, all on file. He tried to argue that Sony had put out a bulletin and that many customers got it. I didn't, no one on this thread got it. Who are these customers who got the bulletin? And why didn't their cust svc tell me about the lamp door access extended warranty all the times they had me on the phone DURING the time period my tv was covered? By the end of the conversation I was so upset. What is with Sony's cust svc? How can they be so terrible at their job. All they have to do is let people vent, if anything ... If Sony Cust Svc is reading this, please stop calling me. It is just too upsetting.
Robbo New member Username: Robbo Post Number: 7 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 01:37 GMT Here's the BS I got from Sony customer service today. At first, they denied that my set had any known defect, but I sent them a copy of their own web page with the service recall. Basically, they say it's just too bad that my set didn't develop symptoms before 12/31/08...ridiculous! I think small claims court is the next step - who knows how long it will take to get Sony to respond to a new class action? _______ Thank you for contacting Sony Support. I'm really sorry for the difficulty you're experiencing with your Sony TV as it has blue spots on the screen. Sony had indeed issued an extended warranty for this model for the Optical Block issue. However, this process expired on December 31, 2008. A number of customers had benefited from this program and it is unfortunate that you could not use that opportunity. As the process is discontinued, I can only suggest that you've the TV serviced at one of our Authorized Service Centers. You can find repair information and initiate service for your TV at http://eservice.sony.com Thank you for choosing Sony. The Sony Email Response Team C6ME Ron
Cindy B New member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 8 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 04:00 GMT Lisa, Wow that is a great synopsis of everything. Thanks! So, you did get an optical block replaced, and you sent this letter is because you know it will go bad again soon enough (and now I believe it WILL!) Am I correct that you made it in before Dec 31, 2008? I guess I can be added to the list of the "screwed" because we didn't watch enough TV for it to happen sooner, or we bought it 3 months too late to get in the time window. I read somewhere that Sony can ask for a Small Claims case to be moved to the next level where the plaintiffs would also need a lawyer. Anybody know about that? I told my whole aerobic class not to buy Sony...I was so mad I just called it out like an announcement! I can tell the whole gym the story, and my son's high school...I run a team website for them. Hey, my other son is in college...My hubby can tell his company. Post it on the bulletin boards...Maybe we need to start a sort of grassroots word of mouth campaign about the reliability of Sony products!!! Just each tell our story...nothing illegal or slanderous there....At least we'll feel better by venting.
Cindy B New member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 9 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 04:16 GMT One more thing.... If it costs $800 for the part and takes hours to put in...how did Sony make and $ on these things? I assume the other parts also have high price tags. From what I've read there are a lot of parts there...plus the screen and casing and all that. My point is, can't they at least sell us the replacement parts at THEIR COST!! It seems that they are trying to profit off us again. If the repair was $400 I'd get over it, but not $1000. I wonder what the markup is on the parts? How long will the optical block part be available anyway, since they haven't used it in their newer sets? That might worry me too.
Wayne Ten Bronze Member Username: Tenshun Post Number: 22 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 17:05 GMT Im just going to assume that the part itself is only worth between $50 and $150 usd. If you are only paying people 12 cents an hour to make a part that is only plastic, part metal, and part wires? $800?? my black a s s ... They are still gouging us. Cmon class action lawsuit.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 38 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 18:49 GMT Cindy B - I had never heard of a case being moved to another level except on these boards by one poster. We may not have got the whole story there. Maybe the company he was suing had a cross complaint or something. But anyway, it would be too much money for Sony to send someone out or even deal in any way with a little small claims case. And, if they did, bring it on. I would love to open up all the details in Court for all the world to see, and I am sure they would not. In fact, your post got me thinking. Why wait. I just sent a copy of the letter I sent to Sony on Monday to 2 major and one minor news organization. One of the reasons I put so much info in the letter is so the Court and anyone else would have access to all the info needed to make a decision or do research on the case, like right at their fingertips. In Sm Claims Court, the judge usually doesn't make his decision right there. He sends you his verdict after listening to both parties and collecting your info. The party that has all their info right there and easiest to ascertain is usually favored. As for the news orgs, I have had stories published by reporters before using this same method. They love it when someone has done alot of the leg work for them already. It makes it easier to get the story out, and every reporter loves a scoop. With the two class actions filed just within the last few months, this story is bound to be breaking soon. We'll see if anything comes of it.
Lorie Ann New member Username: Loriebeast Oxford, MI Usa Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Thursday, March 19, 2009 - 14:29 GMT I think Robbo has something on this small calims thing. Lisa should file. her knowledge is all right there in her letter. I myself would like to follow suit myself. I am going to contact our local news reporter who is a consumer advocate and investigative reporter contacts companys advicate. Do you have like a News hawk?
Wayne Ten Bronze Member Username: Tenshun Post Number: 23 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 01:35 GMT I dont know why the chatter here is beginning to taper off but, I have been corresponding with the law firm about the suit. They have already sent me a retainer agreement and are looking for more of us to climb aboard. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL PEOPLE!! ITS GO TIME!!! rlax@lax-law.com is his email. He had some interesting info from some EX sony employees that are possibly going to testify on our behalf. We are absolutely going to win this case and shove it collectively up sonys bumm. I still HATE sony. And you guys will as well once you find out what the employees have to say about this optical block issue. WOW.
Chris Karwal New member Username: Karwal Post Number: 9 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 02:54 GMT I didn't get the bulletin regarding the issues that my TV had either.......but I didn't send the warranty card in either.....DID YOU???? Warranties are just that. Here is the definition for those that don't want to look it up: warranty \|ˈworəntē; ˈwa-\| noun ( pl. -ties) a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time : the car comes with a three-year warranty \| as your machine is under warranty, I suggest getting it checked. Some people in this forum have too much time on their hands and unreasonable expectations. Let the flames begin!!!!!!
Yankees251 New member Username: Yankees251 Post Number: 6 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 12:11 GMT @Wayne Ten: I sent the guy an email a two weeks ago, heard nothing from him.
Hidden News Media .com New member Username: Myhnm Pennsauken, New Jersey USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 12:51 GMT My TV is doing it. I just found this thread and have to read it to see if there is a solution But as I read this whole entire long board Here's what my TV Screen looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VMEsHFyjmU&feature=channel_page
Cynthia Chavez New member Username: Ishscyn Post Number: 4 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 15:38 GMT I registered my $7,000.00 KDF-70XBR950 Sony TV on Sony.com supplying my name, email address, and phone number and the details of my purchase. It would be foolish not to register such an expensive item, particularly an electronic. I purchased an extended warranty through Circuit City, as well. I never received any notification via email, mail, or telephone that the original warranty had been extended on the optical block due to known problems. Sony should supply a replacement part for the defective one they manufactured and installed into the televisions. They are profiting by selling us replacements for parts that are DEFECTIVE. My television looks great, now. But I'm out 1100 for repair due to the defective part. I've written Stringer and Sony's Executive board, and cc'd to the FTC as suggested here. It's not made any difference, yet. This should have been a Sony RECALL, NOT an extended warranty. The part WILL fail. There is no question.
agn New member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 00:09 GMT Update I am ready to go to court on Friday march 27th. sony legal asked if I would accept half the cost of replacing the OB. I told them no, that I would not pay for half of their defective part. She said she needed to check with the California office. That was last Friday. No call back since then. It's on.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 39 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 15:04 GMT Cynthia Chavez - I envy how direct and to the point you are. All good and valid points, and well stated. I will be adding your post to my paperwork for the Court. This should be a recall, not a warranty. Exactly!
Linette Stickney New member Username: Nettenee Michigan Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 21:52 GMT I sent an email to the lawyer and they never got back to me. Does anybody know if my model KDF-42WE655 is part of the lawsuit? I have the blue haze/fog problem.
Robbo New member Username: Robbo Post Number: 8 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 21:57 GMT Rob Lax told me that he doesn't currently have a suit working for the KDF/WE sets. Maybe he needs a few more e-mails from frustrated owners. rlax (at) lax-law.com
Anthony New member Username: Awatt Bristow, VA USA Post Number: 4 Registered: Jan-09	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 22:41 GMT Linette, I recieved the same info from Mr. Lax. I did inform him it didn't appear to be one particular model but their whole line of rear projection LCD televisions. I refuse to jump through hopes for with Sony as they will obviously do nothing for me. I will never buy another Sony set as long as I live. I'll also be purging my home of anything I own. And oh it's alot from Playstations, dvd players, stereos and cameras.
Yankees251 New member Username: Yankees251 Post Number: 7 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 22:41 GMT Why would he not include the KDF/WE in his "class", what does model number have to do with anything if they all use the same defective optical block? I would think the bigger the class the better. Or is he like most lawyers and sees $$ in two suits?
Wayne Ten Bronze Member Username: Tenshun Post Number: 24 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 23:48 GMT Im not sure why those sets arent included. Call him directly at 212-818-9150.
toonce New member Username: Mjwjal Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 23:51 GMT I have a kdf/we model as well and I emailed him too and I didn't recieve a reply either.
Robbo New member Username: Robbo Post Number: 9 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 00:33 GMT I have been also sending faxes every few days to the corporate offices - no replies from them yet, but maybe more faxes/calls/letters will get them to react.
Linette Stickney New member Username: Nettenee Michigan Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 01:28 GMT I will also never buy another Sony product. We have always bought Sony. We may be filing a small claims suit. I am waiting to see some of the outcomes from the people here who have filed.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 40 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 10:02 GMT agn - First off, good luck with your case today. And, for those that are wondering, here are the models included in the latest lawsuits -- On December 5, 2008, in the Southern District of New York, case 08 Civ 8987, an action was filed by owners of the following models - KDS-R60XBR2, KDS-R70XBR2, KDS-50A2000, KDS-55A2000 and KDS60-A2000. And, on February 18, 2009, in the Southern District of California, case 08-CV-2276-WQH-LSP, an action was filed by owners of the following models - Sony Grand WEGA KDF-E A10 and A20 Series LCD. And for the settled class action lawsuit, here are the models - KDS-R50XBR1 and KDS-R60XBR1. The causes of action have changed a bit for the most recent lawsuits from the settled lawsuit. I barely glanced at them, but it seems they zero in on Sony knowingly selling defective tvs. For these later models, it is a slam dunk to prove, and makes it unnecessary to research and prove other causes of action, like some of those stated in the first case. For those, like me, that have an earlier model, a KDF-___XBR950, the question may still be there - Did Sony knowingly manufacture and sell this tv with defective parts? While it may not seem as easy to prove as it would with later models, it actually is. Even if it is argued that Sony, an international, multi-billion dollar company, which has been in the consumer product industry company a long time, did not do any quality design research before manufacturing its line of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Rear Projection High Definition tvs, and so they could not have knowingly manufactured and sold defective tvs, it must be asked, why, when Sony did figure out the tvs were defective, did they not stop? Clearly, if it was not, and never would have been, Sony's purpose and intention to sell tvs with defective parts, they would have immediately stopped manufacturing and selling them. And, they would have recalled, in some way, those already sold. By Sony's clear disregard for its consumers and actions after the fact, it is clear what their purposes and intentions were before the fact.
Cynthia Chavez New member Username: Ishscyn Post Number: 5 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 13:04 GMT "Clearly, if it was not, and never would have been, Sony's purpose and intention to sell tvs with defective parts, they would have immediately stopped manufacturing and selling them. And, they would have recalled, in some way, those already sold. By Sony's clear disregard for its consumers and actions after the fact, it is clear what their purposes and intentions were before the fact." Lisa, This is beautiful!!! Thanks for your compliments, too. You've done much more impressive work than I have. YOU got Sony to pay for your optical block replacement, right? I have tried and tried, with no success.....so, far. And, Robbo, thanks for the fax #s. I'm going to start faxing!!! BTW, I emailed RLAX re: class action suit, yesterday, but have received no reply.
agn New member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 7 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 19:44 GMT Just got back from court. First point is that Sony engineers are reading this forum as a photocopy of my posts were with the engineer who showed up. During the course of discussion with the judge, the engineer stated that Sony legal had offered me a 70% discount on a new Sony model. This is absolutely false, I was never offered anything. The judge was very good and was trying to get my opinion on just how long they should extend the warranty for this defective part. We were told the ruling would come by mail within a week. Please know how important it is to be counted. File your small claims case and make these engineers explain to the judge what really happened. This engineer tried to paint a picture of only a small number of tv's failing, but the judge said that the multiple extended warranties were evidence that it was more than that. I was most upset that this person lied in open court to make it look like I was turning down 70% offers when the reality is I was offered nothing (They don't make a 60" replacement anyhow)and most people are getting offers that aren't even less than what you would pay on Amazon.
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 21:27 GMT For the record my KDF42WE655, bought in 2004 has the optic block problem which just started the other day. Here is a composite of 2 images; channel N and then channel N+1 showing a sort of temporary burn-in. I'm still examining my available courses of action. Talked to a sony rep yesterday who sent me the information and the website link describing the problem ( http://www.kb.sony.com/selfservice/documentLink.do?externalId=C531114&sliceId=1 which, by the way, I couldn't find by searching on their website ) but a different rep today said that Sony would not pay for the repair.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 41 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 03:18 GMT agn - they sent an engineer - ha ha! I wonder if he was thinking if it was part of his job description to go down and lie in Court. I think engineering is a noble profession, but it is sad the way some companies treat them like dirt. Would tell us what you ended up asking for and if you had to have a cause of action, like breach of warranty or contract, or fraud, like the class actions? Thanks so much for sharing.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 20:56 GMT Hi folks. I just found this board. I have a Sony KDF-55XS955 and it seems to have just caught the Optical Block bug a few months after the "Extended Warranty" ran out. Great that you pay $2500 bucks for a TV and Sony doesn't even let you know to watch for this issue. I haven't started the Sony run-around yet but it looks like I have some "fun" ahead of me. I'll keep you posted....
agn New member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 8 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 03:15 GMT The engineer gave this statement that I had been offered numerous deals even one as high as 70% off but "all he wants is a free repair" Umm, yes I don't think I should have to pay to replace your defective part after 4 years. Especially when said part is 1300 with parts and labor. I am only seeking the cost of repair plus my filing fee. total about 1300. He also tried to claim that there was no real reason they started making optical blocks with glass lenses instead of plastic. The judge didn't really believe him. I was really insulted by the tone of the engineer who was essentially saying after 4 years no Sony customer deserves a TV to last longer than that.
Joseph Meyers New member Username: Just_joe Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 16:24 GMT I'm glad someone at Sony is reading this board/thread and good luck to all of you who have started a small claims case. agn, I'll be very curious to see what the judge in your case rules. Since I was one of the people who got the "too bad for you" treatment and the reddish/pinkish spots on my screen were too much to deal with any longer my wife and I bought a new tv this weekend. As of now we love our new 42" Samsung and I emailed Sony Cumstomer Service to "thank" them for treating a former customer so poorly that I happily gave one of their rivals my money instead of them.
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 17:23 GMT Hi. FYI, I submitted a complaint on the FTC website, with a link to this forum and the note that about 35 individuals have seen this defect since Jan 2009 and the number seems to be increasing as the problem matures. thanks Aidan.
Cindy B New member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 10 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 18:18 GMT Frank, I have the exact model as you, and haven't yet felt up to the aggravation I know a phone call will cause me....Mine started about 3 weeks ago and I got mine in Nov of 2004. When did you get yours? What is everybody dong with their defective TV's? Do we have to keep them stored somewhere in case Sony changes their minds and re-extends the warranties? What about if there is a class action? Not exactly the type of thing you want to just store....but what to do with it? Anybody able to get any $$ for them? I thought maybe a handy person, or TV repair guy might buy some, fix them and make a few bucks.
Joseph Meyers New member Username: Just_joe Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 19:18 GMT Cindy B, For now I'm storing mine in my garage. I'm not sure they are really good for anything besides being very heavy paperweights though.
Linette Stickney New member Username: Nettenee Michigan Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 19:44 GMT My husband got sick in June and can no longer work so we can't afford a new TV. We will have to keep using ours until the blue fog gets so bad that we can't watch it anymore.
Lane Denson New member Username: Ldenson Post Number: 4 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 22:10 GMT "What is everybody dong with their defective TV's?" Personally I plan on loading mine full of fireworks and sending it back to hell this coming fourth of July
Robbo New member Username: Robbo Post Number: 10 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 23:24 GMT Here's an update on the deterioration of my KDF-50WE655 set. The first picture (March 16) showed a "Big Dipper" pattern of 7 dots and a corona effect on the lower right. Here is today's picture, taken March 30:
Yankees251 New member Username: Yankees251 Post Number: 8 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 23:33 GMT "Personally I plan on loading mine full of fireworks and sending it back to hell this coming fourth of July " please record and post for all of us to enjoy!
Wayne Ten Bronze Member Username: Tenshun Post Number: 25 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 01:06 GMT Mine is on the floor on my side of the bed facing the wall. I wanted to give it to my friend who is color blind, but his wife would be annoyed. I cant think of anything else to use it for. I did have the idea drilling holes in the screen, running a compressor inside it, and turning it into an air hockey table for the kids. I hate you sony..... How dare you.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 01:23 GMT Robbo - Wow! mine looks almost EXACTLY the same! What a strange coincidence! I'm sure there is NO WAY it's a defect! Cindy B. I think I got mine just about the same time.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 42 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 16:59 GMT agn -- Sorry I have not had time to respond to your post. Thanks so much for sharing all this info. Another question. How did it come up that Sony started making the OB lenses out of plastic instead of glass? Did you bring it up, or did the engineer? As for the engineer's insulting tone that a Sony customer doesn't deserve to have a tv last for more than 4 yrs. That same tone when I first contacted their customer svc is what got me all fired up to make things right. Who are they to reset the standard for the industry. And the law agrees. From answers.com, under implied warranty, from the Law Encyclopedia and other factual sources, an Implied Warranty is a "Warranty that is not written but exists under the law..." It is "A promise, arising by operation of law, that something that is sold will be merchantable and fit for the purpose for which it is sold. Every time goods are bought and sold, a sales contract is created: the buyer agrees to pay, and the seller agrees to accept ..." (Note - an express warranty is one that is written.) "An implied warranty of merchantability is an unwritten and unspoken guarantee to the buyer that goods purchased conform to ordinary standards of care and that they are of the same average grade, quality, and value as similar goods sold under similar circumstances. In other words, merchantable goods are goods fit for the ordinary purposes for which they are to be used. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) ... provides that courts may imply a warranty of merchantability when ¹ the seller is the merchant of such goods, and ² the buyer uses the goods for the ordinary purposes for which such goods are sold ( 2-314). Thus, a buyer can sue a seller for breaching the implied warranty by selling goods unfit for their ordinary purpose." "The policy behind the implied warranty of merchantability is basic: sellers are generally better suited than buyers to determine whether a product will perform properly. Holding the seller liable for a product that is not fit for its ordinary purpose shifts the costs of nonperformance from the buyer to the seller. This motivates the seller to ensure the product's proper performance before placing it on the market ...The policy behind limiting the implied warranty of merchantability to the goods' ordinary use is also straightforward: a seller may not have sufficient expertise or control over a product to ensure that it will perform properly when used for nonstandard purposes." And from Wikipedia, "In common law jurisdictions, an implied warranty is a contract law term for certain assurances that are presumed to be made in the sale of products or real property, due to the circumstances of the sale. These assurances are characterized as warranties irrespective of whether the seller has expressly promised them verbally or in writing." "In the United States, the obligation is in Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). This warranty will apply to a merchant (that is, a person who makes an occupation of selling things) who regularly deals in the type of merchandise sold." Under US law, "goods are 'merchantable' if they meet the following conditions: 1. The goods must conform to the standards of the trade as applicable to the contract for sale. 2. They must fit for the purposes such goods are ordinarily used, even if the buyer ordered them for use otherwise. 3. They must be uniform as to quality and quantity, within tolerances of the contract for sale. 4. They must be packed and labeled per the contract for sale. 5. They must meet the specifications on the package labels, even if not so specified by the contract for sale." "If the merchandise is sold with an express "guarantee", the terms of the implied warranty of merchantability will fill the gaps left by that guarantee. If the terms of the express guarantee are not specified, they will be considered to be the terms of the implied warranty of merchantability. The UCC allows sellers to disclaim the implied warranty of merchantability, provided the disclaimer is made conspicuously and the disclaimer explicitly uses the term "merchantability" in the disclaimer.[1] Some states, however, have implemented the UCC such that this can not be disclaimed." "In the United States, "a disclaimer must be conspicuous in the contract, e.g., in a different kind of print or font that makes it stand out. On the other hand, express warranty, that is, any affirmation of fact or promise to the buyer, or description of the good, oral or written, can be negated or limited only if such disclaimers are not unreasonable. (Uniform Commercial Code, Section 2-316 ¹)." "Contractual language can also limit the remedies available for breach of an implied warranty - for example, capping recoverable damages or limiting the remedy to a replacement of a defective item. However, such a term can be found to be unconscionable. For example, if a defective product causes a personal injury, a contractual provision limiting recovery in such a case will be deemed prima facie unconscionable. (Uniform Commercial Code, 2-719³.)" And from the attorneys-usa website, under products, "Breach of Warranty: A warranty claim is more correctly a contract claim, and not a product liability claim. Warranty claims allege contract between a manufacturer or vendor and its customer that the product will be fit for its intended purpose ... For an implied warranty claim, the plaintiff alleges that although there is no express warranty, or even though the defect alleged is not covered by the express warranty, the defect in the product renders it unfit for its intended purpose."
Cindy B Bronze Member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 11 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 12:56 GMT So, I called today about my KDF-55xs955 optical block. Started with Jose, hard to understand, but ok. He tried a little bit to say he can't help me and I told him I had figured that and please send me to the next level. Of course, they weren't open yet, but I got my Reference number. HOw hard do I push at this level? What do I ask to be done, considering we all know they aren't going to give me anything? Do I just say OK, then I'll be filing small claims, or won't they care? Just looking for tips on how to approach them. Is there yet another level after the one I'll reach after 9am when I call back.(he called it customer relations) By the way, loved that explanation of implied warranty!
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 19:54 GMT Hi. I talked to customer relations a couple of days ago. Explained the situation: that I had filed a complaint with the FTC due to lack of response from Sony and that I was going to be left with a piece of broken equipment that was expensive enought to warrant further action on my part. I went through the history of this: the unreasonable cut-off point for the special warranty; the multiple small-claims cases; the class-action lawsuits etc. I offered my opinion that given that this was apparantly becoming a problem of pandemic proportions for Sony and related to very expensive equipment that represented the flagships of Sony Corporate, they would be well served by stemming the flow of complaints right now rather than let themselves be subject to more media attention later. anyhoo, I mentioned that I had seen some reports of large discounts on current TVs and the customer rep said that I should look online for a sony tv and call them back; they'd make me an offer. I'm still mulling this over.
Yankees251 New member Username: Yankees251 Post Number: 9 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 20:04 GMT @Aidan:"the customer rep said that I should look online for a sony tv and call them back; they'd make me an offer." Be prepared to laugh your bum off at the "offer", I was told same thing. The offer they presented was a joke, i could get the TV cheaper on amazon.
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 - 20:22 GMT Unfortunately, I suspect you are right. I'll let you all know what they say, just for giggles.
Chris Edward New member Username: B9builder Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 02, 2009 - 02:25 GMT After much runaround with Sony over my defective KDF-50WE655, today I was offered a KDL-52S5100 for $1395 or KDL-46S5100 for $895. What do you guys think of this offer?
Jean Mac Bronze Member Username: Mcjean Post Number: 25 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Thursday, April 02, 2009 - 02:59 GMT Chris, I accepted an offer of a 52W4100 for $975.00 plus tax CA and free shipping. They also included 2 years extended warranty. I don't think your offer compares. You might want to keep that in mind. I took delivery on Dec 31st. I'm wondering if the offers are diminishing due to the number of people with problem tv's. GOOD LUCK!
ovadoggvo Silver Member Username: Ovadoggvo Post Number: 299 Registered: May-07	Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 04:55 GMT Guys, The green blob issue is a very common issue and until now it's been an expensive issue to repair if you can't get it covered under warranty. I have good news for everyone here. Discount-Merchant has started selling the Optical Blocks for $180-$250 which includes the optics that causes the green or blue blob issue. Can be found here: http://www.discount-merchant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=sony+optical+block Also, they sell the complete light engines with the optical block for $260-$350 here: http://www.discount-merchant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=sony+light+engine This shines a whole new light on to all the people who have been storing these TV's in hopes for a fix. Their pricing structure makes it VERY feasible to bring these beatiful TV's back to life. Post your feedback and experiences here.
Michael Coleman New member Username: Mcoleman911 Roseville, MI USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 00:47 GMT Have a problem with my Sony KDS-55A3000 (bought Dec.31,2007) which is the last of the LCD rear projections that sony made. When I turn it on the power LED blinks green 14 times and then red once and then re-powers on. It will do this continuously until I turn it off. Is this the start of the optical block problem already? Should I be worried?
Jean Mac Bronze Member Username: Mcjean Post Number: 26 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 02:08 GMT Hi Michael...this is the exact same problem that I had. This means that you need to replace your lamp. I actually called SONY when this happened to me, and they were absolutely useless. I called a local repair guy and he was the one that told me to replace the lamp. Problem solved...however about a month later, the optical block started to go. So beware... Good luck!
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 6 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 17:17 GMT Turns out that my extended warranty that I bought with the set is still valid ( I was positive it lasted only 4 years, but when I called them I found out that it's 5.. and yes I feel moderately sheepish). So there's somebody coming out on Saturday to fix it. I will quiz the repair person about this problem and report back here.. maybe it will add some information to the mix to help you guys out.
agn New member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 9 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 21:22 GMT I received my judgment from small claims case in Los Angeles County. Sony told me they would do NOTHING for me, and never offered me a discount on another model like others. I have the KF60WE610 and got the blue haze. The Sony authorized repair estimate was for 1200 and change for parts and labor. The judge ruled in my favor and awarded me $700. I believe it was the "implied warranty" element that Lisa brought up (wish I had read that before I went in) Please don't lay down and let Sony take advantage of the situation. If they won't cover half your repair or give more than 700 towards a new TV, then take them to small claims court, and make them tell a judge why the TV fails after the warranty expires. Thanks to everyone on this forum, as I am sure the judge did his research and saw that this was not in fact an isolated case but a widespread issue that has caused real problems for many people.
eric palmatier New member Username: Ericpalmatier Albany, NY USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Sunday, April 12, 2009 - 16:06 GMT hello, let me first start off with I just finished reading this entire thread after getting off the phone with Sony "costumer relations". And they need me to call back tomorrow for some unknown reason to get this issue "escalated". so let me also start off with my issue. I have a sony KDF-60XS955($4100) television that i purchased in December of 2004. I cannot say enough good things about the picture quality of this television. Where this TV is lacking is in the longevity and quality of construction department. Sony's Quality Control has no excuses for this pure lack of assurance which is screwing all of their loyal customers. I first encountered the blue blob several months ago, and to my delight Sony replaced the Optical Block, free of charge, saying it was a known issue and defect and were very apologetic. So i was happy and told everyone how well they treated me. The other week i noticed this dreaded blue blob was back. At first i thought it was an optical illusion, a light perhaps shining on my screen, it was during a bright day that i had noticed this faint blue blob. But the other night i was watching a movie, and during it i noticed, and this time was very sure,that the Blue Blob has come back to haunt my television. So this morning(happy Easter, right!?) I get on the chat system with a sony tech(Derreck) and he informs me that they was never a known issue for my models' Optical Block. When i inform him that he must be mistaken, and raise to his attention the replacement Sony had given me a few months prior he simply disregarded it and to me to call Customer relations for this issue. How unprofessional, i sometimes feel large companies feel that by giving customers the run around, they will simply get tired and stop actively pursuing justice. So i call customer relations to get this friendly chap names Luigi, who is quite nice and looks up my file only to show that there had never been a file created about my first replacement. So now im wondering who Sony sent to my house to get this thing fixed the first time, but i was also informed to call again tomorrow to get this issue escalated. I'm already getting this sense of a run around. I have taken names, dates and record down for my own protections and will call tomorrow to gain further clarification into this matter.
Cindy B Bronze Member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 12 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Monday, April 13, 2009 - 00:39 GMT agn, frank and eric... First, Frank and Eric, it would seem that the KDF series we have has just recently increased in the number of complaints on here. Mine was about 4 years and 3 months old. Maybe someone will start a class including our set. Don't all these similar sets use the same block design? They should all be on the same complaint. agn, was yours a KDF also? Could you please briefly describe what materials you took to court? I'm very nervous to do it because while I understand all the info I am overwhelmed and wouldn't know what to bring or state when I got there. How old was your set when the problem started? YOu said your warranty was up in June, didn't these go to December? See, Told you I get confused. I think the time limit is arbitrary as this problem is more likely a usage problem, meaning that since I watch less, my problem comes later, and I get no recourse... If you could provide a link or a file or something with the info you brought to court and provided the judge it would be very useful. Perhaps people could pay you a small fee for it.....Maybe you could snail mail copies of it for a fee.... I'm sure Sony has figured out a defense for whatever the cause was that they lost though!! Good job by agn!
Patricia Dijulio New member Username: Patdj Lakewood Ranch, FL USA Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 19:57 GMT If I purchase the optical block from the discount merchant will it permanently fix my blue blurb and blue stars or will they return? Is it easy to install this part?
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 7 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 20:59 GMT Hi. I had mine replaced under extended warranty ( I had purchased this with the tv in 2004 ). Two guys came over and installed it. The process looked straightforward enough. I'm sure I could do it if I had to, but I'm fairly handy with electronics. If you decide to bite the bullet and do this youself, check out: http://splinke.googlepages.com/sonykdf-55wf655opticalblockreplacement which has step-by-step instructions. If you think that's a bit risky then you could probably hire a local tv repair person to do it.. Good luck Aidan.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 00:26 GMT Hi Folks! Well I finally took the plunge and decided to contact Sony about my issue. Honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to deal with it as I expected (and still expect) the same run around others have experienced. I looked into finding a replacement optical block and when that failed, I began shopping for a new TV (NOT Sony). I wrote an email to Sony last night and today I got a call from customer relations. I made it clear in my email that I knew what was going on so it was a short call and we got right to the point. He said he would have someone contact me in 24-48 hours to make me an offer on a discount on a new TV. I can't say I have a lot of faith at this point, but I'll listen to what they have to say. Below is the email I sent to Sony, The address is: SonyListens@am.sony.com To Whom It May Concern, In early 2005, I purchased a new KDF-55XS955 rear-projection television as a graduation gift to myself. I spent a little extra money to buy a Sony product because of your reputation for quality. However, barely 4 years later I am seeing a constellation of blue "stars" in the middle of my screen as well as a blue haze at the bottom of my screen which is slowly growing. I have been on at least 2 message boards where there are many Sony customers complaining of the same thing. Many have expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the response from your company. So much so that I had considered not contacting you at all, sending this TV to the landfill, and purchasing a TV from a reputable manufacturer such as Samsung. From the research I have done on this issue, this is clearly a design flaw and upon further consideration I thought I would give you the chance to retain me as a customer. Since Sony is no longer making rear-projection televisions, I assume your company has made the business decision to move all of your current customers out of that technology. The only question is, will you do what's right, or will you lose all of your loyal customers? There is no need to go through all of the details. We both know this issue exists and it is a basic failure of the technology. That being said, if you need more details about my specific symptoms, I will be glad to provide them. To give you some idea I have attached a picture, but we both know that you must have seen thousands of them. I know the "extended warranty" on this issue ended in January but my issue began shortly thereafter. I have one simple question; is your company will to do anything to make this right? I have been a very good Sony customer. In the past, I have bought Sony computers, cameras, VCR's, and camcorders but I will guarantee that if this issue is not resolved, I will not buy another product from your company. There are many good manufacturers that make quality electronics and there is no need for me to feel any type of brand loyalty if you feel no loyalty to me. It would sadden me to no longer do business with you so I hope for a satisfactory response. Most Respectfully,
Cindy B Bronze Member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 13 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 04:32 GMT Very nice email. Well written, complete, polite. Did the possibility of repair come up at all? Let us know the results right away. I wonder if the small claims loss has made any difference in their thinking. I think I will send an email as well. I did file the first level report but hadn't followed up yet. I'm glad I waited because the small claim decision came after my first contact. Now I know that they will see an email at that address. I thought an email might get lost in the deluge they must receive each day. Thanks again Frank!
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 15:03 GMT Cindy B. Thanks for the compliment. No, the subject of repair never came up. As mentioned in my email, I feel that the company has realized that this technology is flawed and they know the Optical Blocks will continue to fail. I think the company wants to move people out of this technology completely and that is why they are offering "discounts". I'm just not sure of their offers are genuine or if they are making lame offers just so they can say they tried. From what I have read so far, I think it is the latter. However, I'm hoping when they call me they will prove me wrong. I would accept a reasonable offer but we'll see. I'll let you know when they call.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 5 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 20:47 GMT OK folks - I got a reply from Sony and here's their offer: KDL-52V5100 - $1791 + tax Shipping included KDL-52S5100 - $1391 + tax shipping included I can get the V series from Amazon for about $1978. In their gracious benevolence they have given me to April 29th to make a decision. Of course I let him have it as I hoped for a better offer. I asked if he was willing to lose all of these people as customers over this issue, and he pretty much said he was. So I will consider it but Samsung has the number 1 rated 52'' LCD -TV rated by Consumer Reports. Even if it costs a couple more hundred dollars, after this I am hard pressed to give Sony a dime more of my money. We'll see.
Hidden News Media .com New member Username: Myhnm Pennsauken, New Jersey USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 22:41 GMT That is not the outcome I was waiting for from your situation. I want my TV fixed. They sold a defective product.
agn New member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 10 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 23:34 GMT I have a KF-60WE610 Model Year 2003, purchased in mid 2004 from Sonystyle.com and too delivery in September of 04. The blue haze appeared in December of 08. Called customer service, they told me too bad. sent letter to exec. review and Howard Stringer. Exec review called a week later, told me too bad. Can't help with this repair. Said they couldn't offer anything, to talk to procurement division. They never called. I filed small claims papers in late January. 30 to file, 10 to serve Sony Authorized agent in CA. They cannot send a lawyer to small claims court. Paralegal from Sony in NY sent fedex letter, claimed they couldnt reach me by phone. BS. Never saw a single call from them. Explained the situation, was told Sony took customer service seriously, and that they wanted to resolve this amicably. I told her I just wanted my repair covered. Parts and Labor came to 1200+ tax. She gave me the run around for a few weeks, I called her 4 times to find out what next steps were after faxing the repair estimate. Nothing ever came, no offer ever made. Went to small claims court in Burbank. Engineer showed up, what went on is posted a few entries up. 1 week later I received a letter stating that I Sony was to pay 700. It is half what I made the claim for, and was almost exactly what I paid for a 50" Plasma from my former employer going out of business. If you aren't getting a deal that is = to half your repair cost, take Sony to small claims court. It took a total of 2 hours all said and done. The implied warranty is the key, nobody believes they are buying a tv that will only last 4 or less years. Make them explain to a judge why you wouldn't expect at least that life from a TV.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 6 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 23:38 GMT I would have liked to have mine fixed as well however, they are clearly trying to bail competely on this technology. If they fix itn the problem will come back. Since they are out of the rear-projection business, they are not going to continue to make optical block replacements. Its a shame that such a beutiful TV will soon be junk in a landfill
Cindy B Bronze Member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 14 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 23:53 GMT That stinks. agn, how much did it cost to get your repair estimate? Was it from an "authorized" Sony repair? For some reason I'll bet their estimates cost more....If the estimate was cheap or free small claims might be worth a go. I wonder if there are any parts in there with value for recycling/selling? My bulb was new in November, I suppose I could get something for that on eBay...... Has anybody else actually filed small claims that we are waiting to hear from? Frank,did you , or are you going to mention the small claims case? They should take at least that amount, or close to it, off of a new set. Love this board! I'll be getting my email out soon too, now that taxes are all filed.
Robbo Bronze Member Username: Robbo Post Number: 11 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 23:58 GMT If you have the time to wait for action and reimbursement, by all means take the fools to small claims court. In these economic times, when money is tight, it's not so easy for many of us to wait for a settlement - and these Grand Wega sets are the centerpieces of most of our living rooms. The best deal we could coax out of Sony for our 4-yr-old KDF-50WE655 was a $500 credit toward another set - and we pushed extremely hard to get them to give us that on a 46-incher - another $2500 outlay just isn't in the budget at this time. The jerks at Sony play hardball, but if you need a replacement set ASAP, don't take their first offer.
Bryan Jean BRATT New member Username: Wylee Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2009 - 02:31 GMT I have run into this "blue haze" problem with my 3 year old 42" Sony Grand WEGA 3-LCD projection TV, KFE42A10. Started almost 3 years to date of purchase, no extended warranty of course! I have written to Sony and we'll see what happens. I am very interested in what others have had in way of a response from Sony, or better yet, a resolution from Sony. I have done a lot of research and found mostly examples from USA where Sony settled several class action lawsuits re this problem in several models of projection LCD TV's. Basically they are replacing the optical block for free for affected TV's until June 2010 (even if out of warranty). The only problem I see with this is they are replacing using the same type of optical block so in another 2-3 years these Sony owners will likely have the same "blue haze" problem surface again. Better to get 6 years out of the TV than 3 years I suppose! Let us know how you've gone with your complaints to Sony Australia....... .................................. Wylee Brisbane, Australia
Pete Christman New member Username: Peteinohio Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 17:10 GMT Hi-I've been experiencing the "blue haze" for about a month now. It is incredibly frustrating, especially after spending $135 for a new bulb. I purchased a KDF-60XS955 in August 2005, not even 4 years ago Does anyone know if there is a class action suit for this model?
agn Bronze Member Username: Allgamesradio Post Number: 11 Registered: Dec-08	Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 17:47 GMT I received a check from Sony today for half my claim plus filing fees. $690 total. The TV cost 3100 in April of 2004. Since I wasn't offered any new TV, and the Executive Review Committee told me on the phone, "We cannot assist you with this repair" and I missed the extended deadline by 6 months, I consider this a victory. I printed the entire website that is linked here featuring detailed information on what has gone wrong with these TV's. Judges are smart, they see exactly what we all see, and it's obvious Sony takes responsibility through these extended warranties. I encourage you to send a message to Sony that this isn't acceptable and file your small claims case. They will try and settle with you before the date. If they don't it's a good chance you'll get something.
Robbo Bronze Member Username: Robbo Post Number: 12 Registered: Apr-05	Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 19:50 GMT Update on the blue blob and dots on our KDF-50WE655 set - this photo is as of April 20. See my other pics above from March 15 and March 30 - it's amazing how quickly it has deteriorated.
Cynthia Chavez New member Username: Ishscyn Post Number: 6 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 20:51 GMT "The only problem I see with this is they are replacing using the same type of optical block so in another 2-3 years these Sony owners will likely have the same "blue haze" problem surface again." It is my understanding from my repairman that the optical blocks have been changed. The original optical block was made with plastic mirrors and that's why they failed. The redesigned optical blocks are made with glass mirrors and shouldn't fail. My repairman said the first class action suit came about because that was Sony's most popular model, therefore it was more widespread, the optical blocks were being replaced with the SAME/ORIGINAL design/plastic mirrors, and then failing again. I was assured that the optical block that was put in my 70 inch KDF-70BR950 was the new one with glass mirrors. I have not filed a small claims suit, but I plan to do so. The repair cost me nearly $1200. The picture is beautiful. It is truly a wonderful television, when it works. I sincerely hope this 1200 optical block gives us at least ten more years from our $7000.00 tv. (Now, $8200 tv)It certainly should have lasted more than four. I made numerous phone calls and written appeals, to the executive reveiw board, and to Howard Stringer which I cc'd to the FTC. The executive review board said they could offer us a discount on another tv. We don't want that. And they do not make a 70 inch televsion anymore. I never received a reply from Stringer's office. I hope people keeping coming forward and making noise on this issue. I've said it before and I'll say it forever; THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SONY RECALL -Cynthia
Steve Samuel New member Username: Spider921 Wyckoff, N.J Usa Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 03:52 GMT Hi, I have a kdf 950 that started with the blue haze . the nerve of Sony, when you call to complain they behave like it's the first time the've ever heard of this problem.They should have recalled all these sets. Well I've made my call ,someones come over to officially say its the optical block and now I am waiting for a response has anyone thought of using the media . This seems to be an ongoing problem . Maybe ABC or CNN or maybe NBC .Well I will keep everyone posted with my progress.
Hidden News Media .com New member Username: Myhnm Pennsauken, New Jersey USA Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 04:25 GMT Yes, I thought of using the media. I moved 2 times and I am trying to find the receipt for my KF-60we610 before I move forward and I don't have it. Still I'm ready to call the media. I can contact Nydia Han. She's from 6-ABC Here in Philadelphia. I called her before about another situation with the no good company "Blue Hippo" and she got my $1,100 dollars back from them fast!
Steven Horowitz New member Username: Bluesman13 Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 22:43 GMT Wow, this is quite a thread. I'm sort of out of the loop here as my Sony is a GW II. Here's a link to my problem: Does this look familiar to anyone else? thanks http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007330&id=1431055059&l=721e5c618c
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 8 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 22:56 GMT Hi Steven. Yes, sorry to say, I think that looks like our old friend the optic block failure.
Bryan Jean BRATT New member Username: Wylee Post Number: 2 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 05:36 GMT Here is a photo of the Blue Haze on my Sony KFE42A10 42" Grand WEGA Projectuion LCD TV. I used Sony's online reporting form and after 2 weeks of no response (it says they will respond within 2 days) I wrote them a complaint letter 3 weeks ago ... no response to either complaint. Come on Sony Australia, do something!!! http://cid-550dec6375761359.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Sony%20Blue%20Haze/03042 009.jpg
JM New member Username: Solarismo Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Monday, April 27, 2009 - 16:51 GMT http://www.sony.ca/view/707.htm This might help with the Optic block issue. Should be equivalent warranty extension for USA.
Jeremy New member Username: Jerm4c BC Canada Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Monday, April 27, 2009 - 23:15 GMT I have the exact same problem, bought my 42"LCD TV in 2005 now have blue haze at bottom of screen. everyday it is getting worse!! I have no extended warranty. please continue with updates on this problem. At one time I had all sony products(TV, DVD player, Speakers, and Camcorders), now due to continued flaws in there products, I am no longer a Sony supporter!!! What are the steps to be part of this class action lawsuit??
Jeremy New member Username: Jerm4c BC Canada Post Number: 2 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 03:30 GMT I contacted Sony about my 42" LCD HD TV (KF-42WE620) I bought my 42" HD LCD TV from Best Buy in 2005. last week I noticed a blue haze on the bottom of my screen. since then it has gotten bigger and more noticeable, as it is now at the point where it reaches all the way across my screen. I have found through my research that hundreds of people are having the same issues, and they say that it is a manufactural defect in the optical block. So, I went on your website and noticed recalls on Optical blocks for certain model TVs. I am writing to see if my model TV also has been recalled for this issue? And here is the email I received back about a blue haze that has slowly creeped up and distorted my screen; Thank you for contacting Sony Support. We're sorry for the difficulty you're experiencing with the Sony TV as it has developed a blue haze over the screen. Based on the information you've provided, it appears that the unit requires service. You can obtain the location and contact for your nearest Sony Authorized Service Center. Unfortunately, there is no recall for this model at present. We wish to assure you that Sony products do enjoy an excellent reputation for reliability. Despite the precautions taken during the course of design and production, as well as quality assurance, no manufacturer can completely eliminate potential component failure. We can only hope that your faith in Sony products be restored. Thank you for your time. Sony of Canada, LTD.
Patricia Dijulio New member Username: Patdj Lakewood Ranch, FL USA Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 16:46 GMT For anyone with the Sony KDF-E55A20 model, the attorney for Class Action Suit is Jon M. Herskowitz, Esq., Baron & Herkowitz, 9100 S. Dadeland Blvd., Miami, FL 33156, (305) 670-0101. He is working in association with Robert I. Lax & Associates in New York. This suit is only for LCD Rear Projection TVs.
lisa Bronze Member Username: Lisamcgu Post Number: 43 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 17:32 GMT Jeremy - I know you are in Canada, but for those in the US, this letter shows Sony's attitude and thoughts. Very telling. It seems Sony has total disregard for consumer confidence and sees these defective tvs as changing the standard for the industry. Thanks for posting it. Here is a relevant quote from your letter, "Despite the precautions taken during the course of design and production, as well as quality assurance, no manufacturer can completely eliminate potential component failure." Sony is one of the most experienced and highly ranked electronics companies on the PLANET. For them to try and say their design and production procedures did not turn up these defects is a crock. It seems Sony is saying that they, and every other manufacturer out there, were not, are not, and never will be, experienced and knowledgeable enough about electronic design and production procedures to insure a quality product. Except companies do it all the time! That is where we get all the good quality products out there - Hello? That is what design, testing and production is all about - insuring quality. When a company thinks it no longer has an obligation to do experienced, knowledgeable and thorough design and testing of a product, or ignore the results of such testing and go ahead and manufacture a defective product, that is when laws have to be made to regulate such errant behavior. That is just what the US had to do to handle such unscrupulous companies who have used quality as a marketing tool and then cried they couldn't insure quality, no one could, when their defective products hit the shelves and consumers ended up paying more for products that were of lower quality. Sony seems to bank on consumers paying more for quality, yet here they are saying they cannot provide any assurances of quality. They can't have it both ways, so which is it? When I bought my tv I paid more for a Sony because I thought I was buying a quality product, and I think this can be said for many of us. Maybe they should put this in their marketing campaigns - our quality assurance sucks, so be warned this tv may break way sooner than you may be led to believe and we are not obligated, in our opinion, to do anything about it, nor do we care. Anyway, it doesn't matter. As a merchant (that is, a person who makes an occupation of selling things) who regularly deals in the type of merchandise sold, Sony has an obligation to provide quality goods WITHOUT defects. In the US, a person has an assurance BY LAW that the goods they buy must conform to the standards of the trade and they must be uniform as to quality and quantity and they must fit for the purposes such goods are ordinarily used. These quotes are from my post above of March 31, 2009, regarding implied warranty, "from Wikipedia, "In common law jurisdictions, an implied warranty is a contract law term for certain assurances that are presumed to be made in the sale of products or real property, due to the circumstances of the sale. These assurances are characterized as warranties irrespective of whether the seller has expressly promised them verbally or in writing." "In the United States, the obligation is in Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). This warranty will apply to a merchant (that is, a person who makes an occupation of selling things) who regularly deals in the type of merchandise sold." Under US law, "goods are 'merchantable' if they meet the following conditions: 1. The goods must conform to the standards of the trade as applicable to the contract for sale. 2. They must fit for the purposes such goods are ordinarily used, even if the buyer ordered them for use otherwise. 3. They must be uniform as to quality and quantity, within tolerances of the contract for sale. 4. They must be packed and labeled per the contract for sale. 5. They must meet the specifications on the package labels, even if not so specified by the contract for sale."" Given Sony's lack of conscious or repentance, I believe this letter shows further what I have thought all along, that Sony thought it would actually work in their favor to mfg, and continue to manufacture and sell, defective tvs, changing the standard for the industry and selling tvs every few yrs instead of every 20. Remember when one could expect a tv to last around 20 yrs? It was not that long ago. When I bought my tv back in 2004, I remember thinking I didn't want to shell out for a plasma tv that would 'only' last 10 yrs.
Frank Hartley New member Username: 79airman Post Number: 7 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 00:08 GMT Hi Folks - I thought I should update you on the current status of my complaint. About a week ago I sent a second letter politely telling what they could do with their insulting offer. Today was the day that their offer expired so coincidentally "Hank" called me. Basically he said he me his best offer. When I explained that I could get the same TV for the same price online Hank told me he can't "compete" with online stores. I pointed out that this situation is NOT about profit for Sony but to compensate me for selling me a defective product. Hank had no interest in anything I had to say, it's clear he just wanted to sell another TV. I told him my plan for the future will be as follows and I encourage everyone to do the same. 1. NEVER buy another Sony product and discourage everyone from buying them also. 2. Join any class action suit that might become available for your model. 3. Contact the media. If enough of us band together we can get the national media to take notice. 4. Small claims court if possible. What really makes me sad is reading some of the other message boards where I have read about terminally ill people, whose only pleasure is to watch TV and can't afford to get their TV fixed, are now stuck with this junk. Sony should be ashamed. Good luck everyone and let me know if you need me to get involved.
Robert Andelin New member Username: Pibcak Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 01:06 GMT I have a Sony LCD projection TV (KDF-E42A10) that recently developed a display problem, but it doesn't seem to be the blue blur or the roadmap problem and I can't get a handle on what the source of the issue is. I was hoping somebody had an idea, so I'm posting a picture below. Anybody know what this is or what causes it? TIA for any assistance. PS: the "static" along the bottom eventually goes away (as it warms up?) but the vertical lines along the top seem to be permanent.
Steven Horowitz New member Username: Bluesman13 Post Number: 2 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 02:08 GMT are the blue vertical lines there in every input?
Robert Andelin New member Username: Pibcak Post Number: 2 Registered: Apr-09	Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 03:13 GMT Do you mean cable vs dvd, etc? Then yes. However, the "quality" of them changes depending on what configuration I set the TV to (in the WegaGate controls, so "vivid" looks different than "standard" and "normal" looks different than "full", etc).
Jim Rafferty New member Username: Justdoit Paducah, KY Post Number: 5 Registered: Jan-09	Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 15:08 GMT Robert, You could try going to Discount-Merchant.com. They have a diagnosis tool there that could help you. My real purpose in posting today is to let anyone who may be interested know that I appear to have successfully repaired my KF-42WE610. Like many others, I was insulted by Sony's "bargain offer" to let me buy another Sony from them at a price that was more than I could buy the same unit for from Amazon. So I bought a new Samsung. However, I just couldn't stand the idea of trashing a five year old TV that had cost so much new. After studying the instructions and photos at Steve Linke's site, I carefully set out to remove the light engine. This turned out to be a very simple procedure. It can actually be done with one Phillips head screwdriver (with a long shank) and considerable care and patience. I took pictures of each step and labeled each connector that had to be disconnected; 14 of them. The light engine is only held in by 3 screws. After getting it out without wrecking anything, I contacted Tri-State Module in Evansville, Indiana, which has been cited as just about the only place that can repair/rebuild the light engine. For $299 plus shipping, Tri-State repaired my unit and returned it to me in one week. They even called me to check on the specific problem was having. I didn't have the "blob" problem, but a red tint to the whoel picture, varying in intensity. They told me that was the logic system, which is part of the light engine. They had already found and corrected that by the time they called me When I first re-installed the light engine, the TV powered up just fine and hada perfect picture, but after about a minute, the projection lamp blew out. While I was afraid that I had messed up the installation, Ifelt that the only reasonable thing to do was to replace the lamp and try it again. I bought a "lamp only" and installed it in the lamp housing. By the way, this is the only way to go. The installation is so simple there's no point in spending the extra money to get a lamp and the housing. This time, when I turned on th4e TV it has performed flawlessly. It's only been about 16 hours and it's been run about 2 hours, but, so-far-so-good. I highly recommend doing this simple repair at a bargain price rather that trashing your expensive TV or using it as a doorstop. Tri-State Module was great to deal with and I'll use them again, if I need anything they can provice. I also bought a complete repair manual for the KF42/50/60-WE610 in pdf format. It turned out to not be much help, but if anyone would like to have access to it, I'd be happy to share it. Just e-mail me and I'll do my best to get it to you, although it was big enough that it was "zipped" to send to me. Good luck to everyone who's fighting Sony on this. I hope you rip 'em a new one.
juan carlos New member Username: Juandark Post Number: 1 Registered: May-09	Posted on Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 00:17 GMT i am from colombia i need you for out the this menu, of my tv is a sony kdf e60a20 menu is: front end driver version 2.4.112 firmware (rom) ver: 0.0.0 firmware (ram) ver: 3.4.119 asic info: device:7 fab:2 month:6 year:2003 in band (fat) out of band (fdc) tank you for you help i want you response
Wayne Ten Bronze Member Username: Tenshun Post Number: 26 Registered: Nov-08	Posted on Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 01:02 GMT No comprendo juan. Qué es usted tratando de resolver? La pregunta era vaga. La traduccion no es muy buena
coscos New member Username: Coscos Post Number: 1 Registered: May-09	Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 18:39 GMT Same story here. KDF-E50A10 purchased in Jul 05, started getting red band all across the bottom of screen, then later a blue band across the top. I contacted an authorized repair center and they told me it's the optical block and would cost $1K to fix. This is when I found this website. The next part of my saga is identical to everyone else's. Here is where it differs: I got the same insulting offers from Sony. On a whim I said the following: "the least you can do is offer me the TV for the $1K it's going to cost me to fix the thing. If you can do that then we're talking." (or something along those lines). WithOUT hesitation, he came back and said "I can do that." I was quite taken aback. Final result was I ended up paying $1040 for a brand new 52" KDL-52S5100. Honestly I'm quite satisfied with the resolution although I have zero loyalty to Sony any more. Like others have been saying, do not take their first offer and play hardball with them.
Mark Stanley New member Username: Mark_stanlee Milford, Ohio United States Post Number: 1 Registered: May-09	Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 01:00 GMT Purchased this Television October 2005 new from Circuit City ,also bought the stand made specifically for this TV. Television stopped working April 2009.Called a repair service and the technician opened the front panel and found that access door and everything around door was melted,casing frame etc... The technician informed me that I was very lucky that unit did not catch fire and unplugged unit. With Television $2400.00 stand $500.00 delivery and set up $200.00 and $80.00 dollars for technician to tell me set is a fire hazard and could have burnt my house down and killed my family I am out $3200.00 I have read on many sites that this is happening frequently and Sony is offering very little to replace defective sets. I have pictures and documentation for everything I am writing, is there anyone who can tell me what can be done before one of these sets kill somebody. model KDF-42WE655
Clint Smith New member Username: Auburndmbfan Post Number: 1 Registered: May-09	Posted on Sunday, May 17, 2009 - 20:08 GMT Mark, please see this page - they will pay for the warped lamp door (and optical block if caused by heat) repair. what they won't apparently pay for is the OB issue without the heat damage http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?mdl=KF50WE610&news_id=261
dan jaffe New member Username: Dtjaffe Post Number: 1 Registered: May-09	Posted on Monday, May 25, 2009 - 18:32 GMT I just came across this site. I own KF-50we610 and it has the blue blob at the bottom of the screen. The size and shape varies. I plan on contacting sony after reading all of these complaints. I will let you know the results as I found the experiences of all of you helpful.
Brian S New member Username: Njsony Post Number: 1 Registered: Jun-09	Posted on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 14:45 GMT Purchased my KDF50WE655 from PC Richard & Sons in Oct 2004. I spent the extra $300 for the 5 year extended warranty. Best move ever, I've had the optical block replaced twice so far and like clockwork (every year and half to two years) the purple blotches are back in the center of the screen. PC Richard coming to my house in two weeks, going to get my 3rd optical block. I still feel I should contact Sony.
Cindy B Bronze Member Username: Mikedan Post Number: 15 Registered: Sep-08	Posted on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 - 21:07 GMT I finally decided to email Sony re"KDF-55XS955 optical block. My TV is so bad now that it is a matter of weeks or days before I buy a Samsung. I would have contacted Sony sooner if I'd known it would get so much worse so fast. In the beginning it was slow to progress, but now each day there are more stars and the people look more dead (blue cast to skin tones) Photos are from today and one is from April I'll put this in the basement and hope for a class action, or pick up the small claims papers. All small claims will cost me is a small fee and some printer paper right? Do I file it in my local court?Anything new on class action for this model?
Austin Hubbard New member Username: Austinh Post Number: 1 Registered: Jun-09	Posted on Friday, June 05, 2009 - 23:35 GMT Hey guys and gals, Quick question/problem. My wife and I bought a KDF-46E2000 in June of 2007 and have loved every minute of it until tonight when during our sons favorite cartoon it went black, no sound no picture. The green Power light blinked for about 1.5 mins then the red Lamp light began to blink. I called Sony and they recommended I replace the lamp. I would probably accept this however I have only had the TV about two years. From everything I have read on here you guys sound as knowledgeable as the tech I talked to and wanted to know if you had any other ideas before I drop $150-$200 on a lamp. TV was manufactured July 2006
Cynthia Chavez New member Username: Ishscyn Post Number: 7 Registered: Feb-09	Posted on Saturday, June 06, 2009 - 01:25 GMT Hi, Austin, Yup, the lamps die. Usually, just prior to their death your picture might seem a little duller than usual, and when they go, that's it. We've replaced two lamps in the the last three to four years (the first one was under warranty). It's the blue blobs and stars that are a problem. Those are the optical block issues most of us are talking about here. Get your new lamp, you can probably replace it yourself, and your picture will look fine. Last time ours blew we bought two so we'd be prepared next time. The replacement directions on our tv are easy. ( ours is a KDF-70XBR950). Good luck! -Cynthia
Aidan Dunne New member Username: Aidandunane Post Number: 9 Registered: Mar-09	Posted on Saturday, June 06, 2009 - 01:43 GMT Hi Austin. Replacing the lamp is fairly trivial ( if you're comfortable with a screwdriver you should be ok to do it. It's considered a "consumer" replacement part so I understand that it is intended to be replaced without technical support.) If you are confident that you can replace it then you might as well take the current one out and take a look at it. I've only replaced 1 lamp so I can't speak for every situation, but the dead lamp in my TV was fairly clearly blown when I took it out ( filament detached etc.) I imagine, however, that the scenario could arise where the lamp is blown but without any visible evidence. I think the blinking lights are good indicators of the error condition, so if you check out the TV manual it should help diagnose the problem. As pointed out by Cynthia, you will eventually need a new lamp anyways ( assuming the optic block problem doesn't kill the TV in the meantime.. I hope you are spared that fate), so buying one is in the cards at some point. cheers Aidan.

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