Sony Clie model PEG-NX70V - pda - power button stopped working on second day of use - Sony Service repair hassle

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RE: Sony Clie model PEG-NX70V - pda - power button stopped working on second day of use - Sony Service repair hassle

Sony's Service for a repair of a Sony Clie model PEG-NX70V

This is a complaint towards Sony about a Clie I recently received. I am copying the e-mail I sent to them here because it is fairly detailed. (Added note: after sending in the complaint, I was merely told to contact costumer care and that they were sure that they would take care of it, though apparently all my previous phone calls did not seem to make any difference.) I recently received a Clie as a gift from my cousin in early October. The second day of use, the power button stopped working. The item was used previously by my cousin and was still in good shape; he merely bought it the item the first of October and had taken good care of it as well.

I then go ahead and have it mailed in for repairs because I thought a power button would be fine under warranty and the person I talked to said usually time for repairs of something like that would be a week. Imagine my dismay when I call in a week later to check up on the item to hear that it's with a technician and it usually takes about 10 working days. There's nothing I can do about it, but I figure I could still get the item back by Halloween in time to use it for pictures maybe, if they get to it a day or two early. Of course it takes the full ten days with a technician. Thus on the tenth day I visit the website to check on the status of the Clie. Status has turned from being with a technician to being repaired and requiring another 5 days.

So I've turned the palm in for repairs when it was about 2 weeks old and now am waiting for repairs for 3 weeks?!?!?! There's nothing I can do about it so I patiently wait and check the site that night to see that I have a bill of almost $500!!!! How in the world does the repair of a power button cost $500 dollars?

I see refurbished items on your site for around $370! I call in immediately to see what is going on here. It is after midnight and the first person to give me a response said that there was damage to the screen. I know the screen was working fine because even though the power button was not working, the palm still powered up when you pressed reset. I told him if that was the problem, I wouldn't need minor scratches fixed for 500 dollars. But alas, that wasn't the real problem apparently. He transferred me to someone who knew a little more about the situation, though apparently not much more. I was told that there was water damage to the palm and that is the problem listed from the technician. I am at a loss because there was no possible chance of water damage, the two days I had it, it was working fine and I know it was safely in my backpack the majority of the time.

The individual told me that he would have someone call me the next day to tell me exactly what was wrong with the palm. No one calls so I call again on Monday afternoon to see what they have to say.

At the same time I called, someone called me and left a message answering was what wrong with the palm, a few days too late. I am told that the damage isn't necessarily water damage but corrosion on the main board at the camera connector. This apparently is causing all the problems. The technician can't determine the exact cause of it there for it is listed as water damage. And apparently this isn't covered in the limited warranty. So, apparently it takes 2 weeks for the main board connectors to corrode after it's been bought. There's no way I can afford 500 dollars to get it fixed, you're even charging me to have it returned to me unfixed. And by the time I've received it back, you will have had it twice as long as me or my cousin have possessed it. I really don't know what to say about this other then this.

It is an expensive palm, but don't get me wrong, our families do not have the kind of money to just waste, though this feels more like robbery. At this point, I will proceed to never purchase from Sony again, as I will ask all my friends and family to likewise boycott your products.