I have a Sony Vaio laptop just coming up on three years old, purchased from my local Comet. A few months ago two keys became detatched that I've clipped back on, but now the pins have become worn and they'll only stay on a few mins before dropping off again, so today I've tried to reach Sony about a repair. What a nightmare! My local Sony centre say they're not a 'repair' centre, try this mob instead. This mob say they are a repair centre, but not for laptops, try Vaio UK instead. Vaio UK have automated answering that demands a serial number before speaking to you, and the sticker with that on it has gone from under the machine. No serial number? No speaky, go away. Trip to the shed and miraculously find original box, ring back local Sony centre to get help deciphering the various numbers on the box into a serial number, and ring back Vaio UK. Input serial number at request, and get told 'its out of warranty'. Out of warranty? No speaky, go away. Somewhat irritated that after an hour on the blower I've still not got someone to even give me a price on a repair, I decided to speak to the retailer. Miracle number two - I've still got the original till receipt showing I got it at Comet. Ring Comet and say that I've been trying to get someone to quote for a repair but keep getting stonewalled, and that since the E and S are pretty indespensible characters in the English language this is effectively making my otherwise serviceable machine a write-off. Suggest further that the Sony Vaio is definitely a premium priced product and that I've got every right to imagine it'd last longer than this before being a write-off. Nice helpful lady at Comet says she's happy to collect it for inspection for the somewhat outrageous price of sixty quid. Then once they've performed this very complex and detailed inspection (or alternatively once they've opened the lid and glanced at the keyboard), THEN they'll charge a further fee IF they can fix it. Ummmm, it doesn't NEED an inspection, dear, I can SEE perfectly well what's wrong with it - its got two keys missing. What I'm after is a price for a new keyboard fitted. Nope, says lady, no can do. You have to give us sixty quid first. Only then will we have a look to see if we can get a new keyboard, and give you a price for it. If we can't get a new keyboard, you're out another sixty quid and you've still got a knackered laptop. If we CAN get a new keyboard, but its another hundred and fifty quid to supply and fit it so you don't want to bother, then you're still out the extra sixty quid and you've still got a knackered laptop. So, am I being 'unreasonable' by saying that I'm not happy with that? I'm effectively being held to ransom here - I can't even discover whether its appropriate to shove a new keyboard on without having to pay a pretty hefty sum. I'm not even sure that I should be paying for a new keyboard anyway - the laptop only gets VERY modest use and its an expensive model, shouldn't it last longer than three years? And even if, for example, the keyboard should only last til now, doesn't the consumer have a right to know the likely cost of a repair without having to pay, in circumstances where no detailed inspection is necessary to ascertain the problem? I've only once used SOGA against a retailer and that was extremely straightforward - I told Blockbusters that my 2 year old Wii should last longer and they immediately agreed and gave me another one! Thanks for any and all advice