Sony Vaio & Water Damage (apparently)

[Kimmycoo36]

Hi I'm just looking for a bit of advice regards my laptop.

 

I purchased it initially from my catalogue in sept 2011.

Within a few months the laptop developed a problem

I rang up my catalogue who then passed me over to SONY helpline and repair centre.

They came and picked it up and I was rather amazed at how quickly it was repaired and sent back to me

(The hard drive had gone so they replaced it).

I bought this laptop for my 3rd year of my degree and to write up my dissertation on.

I am a 40 year old woman who looks after things.

a few months went by and in March 2012 my laptop broke down again...

I went back to the initial seller which is my catalogue and they yet again referred me to sony for a Diagnostic and repair.

This time the motherboard had gone.. Good initial service and return from SONY.

 

Ok it gets to the 22nd April...

Saturday morning I go to switch on Laptop...

.NO POWER..

I ring the catalogue,

they say ring sony as it will be the 3rd time its broken...

I performed ALL necessary checks to make sure the laptop wasnt working...

i.e. Take the battery out and plug in power source,

take power source out and leave battery in etc etc all weekend NO POWER ...

Rang SONY at 9am Monday morning who want me to perform the checks again...

Very embarrassing the laptop booted to life!!

 

Week after same thing happened again..

Laptop completely dead again and BEFORE I rang them I did everything I was told to do the previous weekend...

Definately dead..

On the phone again to sony, by this time I am really upset (bear in mind I DO look after my things).

My catalogue want a DIAG + HOLD put on this time..

DPD come and collect my laptop..

I am also writing up my dissertation now I do have it saved on USB pen but didnt have saved the websites I'd been using..

Plus all my pictures are on it too and saved passwords.

 

Two days pass and I decided to ring up SONY for an update on my laptop which I desperately needed back!!

I'm told oh Im sorry Miss, there is water damage on it...

I say excuse me WHAT!!!

Regardless of whether anyone believes me I DID NOT spill water over my laptop nor did anyone in my household...

It is kept on a PC table and is completely free of things like that..

. I'm being told the keyboard is damaged..

the CPU, the WLAN card and the Motherboard..

AND its all rusty!!

Firstly, how long does rust take to form???

(I have been told it takes months)

Bearing in mind it was fixed by SONY 7 weeks ago..

Although they have provided me with 5 pictures..

. Gut instinct is telling me they arent of my laptop...

 

I really dont know what to do...

My laptop is being returned to me today (11th May) and I have to take to to someone for an Independent Diagnostics...

I'm in turmoil with this.

. My children are in their late teens and have laptops of their own.

. My partner is MICROSOFT CERTIFIED and even he thinks someone is trying to pull a fast one,

as the amount of damage they are saying you would have to turn the laptop over and pour fluids on to it..

. But ya cant accuse can you!!

Please does anyone have any experience or advice with regards to issues like these..

I am mortified and so upset about it.

 

Thank you for reading and I'm so sorry its so long winded

help me please

 

P.s. I just have to stress.. My laptop has never had water spilled on it EVER

 

 

Kim

[FamilyMan69]

Hi Kim,

 

I'm sorry to read that this has happened to you, but you are not alone. I can't post links because this is my first post, but if you google: 'moneysavingexpert sony water damage', my case is the top of the list.

 

Still yet to be resolved 4 months after breaking down, in my case no power was its first fault. Unfortunately this seems to be a ploy by companies to avoid repairing works under warranty. Like you I treated my laptop with great care, but am now being treated as a liar.

 

If you google you will find at least another half a dozen similar cases, I think it's criminal that we are the ones that are immediately presumed guilty and have to prove otherwise, but of course, we can't. How can we prove that the laptop wasn't water damaged when we sent it off?

 

Maybe if we get enough people together we can collectively do something, I don't know, I have no legal expertise, and really who has the time? This has been stressful enough as it is. I hope you have a better resolution than me.

 

Best wishes,

 

Julian

[slick132]

Hi Kimmy,

 

You need to have the lappy examined by a suitably qualified technician who will write an independent diagnostic report.

 

You'll obviously have to pay for this but it can then be used to persuade Sony that their diagnosis is wrong.

 

If they fail to remedy the problem to your satisfaction, you can take the retailer catalogue company to Small Claims court for a refund plus court costs and the diagnostic report cost. It is the retailer that must sort this out as your contract is with them and NOT Sony.

 

It will also help your cause if you can find similar instances where Sony have diagnosed water damage when that was not the case.