Sony, san jose - broke my ex1 :-(

C

carl@brazos

Member
Well, my luck has finally ran out.... I sent my perfectly working EX1 to the Sony depot service center in San Jose to have the back-focus fixed. The back-focus is WAY off. I can zoom in on an object 20 ft away, zoom out, and everything beyond 3 ft is out of focus... This was an in-warranty issue. I got a cost estimate from SONY today for $890. Why you ask? Because the camera has been "dropped". The Sony tech says that the camera is damaged. He says (and forwards pictures to prove) that the LCD is non-functioning, the SxS plate is cracked, the plate under the handle is cracked, the side plate is cracked and there is some ribbon cable INSIDE the camera that has been cut or torn. This is all on a camera that I have been the sole operator of. I asked the tech (different one) who originally received the camera in the box that I sent if it was damaged when he received it. He says no. So, somehow my camera has been damaged or dropped by someone at Sony, who is apparently afraid of being fired or reprimanded. I have spoken with both techs and their supervisor, and they all seem to act like it is my problem. I have no way to prove that the camera was not broken when I shipped it.... So, now - on top of having to pay $890 for someone else's mistake, I asked the supervisor about the back-focus issue. He said "The back-focus is fine, is is probably a problem with your lighting." What is that supposed to mean? I know what back-focus is. This is not a depth of field issue. What an insult! So now, I have been without my camera for two weeks, spent $890 for nothing, and still have a $6500 camera that cannot focus, and who nows that other issues will come up now that the camera has taken a serious blow... The cost of being a Sony customer PRICELESS.:crybaby:
 

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Time to escalate that to Sony US corporate in NJ.

Do you have the name of the tech who told you the camera was not broken upon receipt?

What you need to demand from Sony is that they replace the camera with a new unit.

Also, go back to your dealer and see if they can intervene in any manner for you. Find out from your dealer the name of your Sony regional rep and contact him/her to enlist the rep as your ally.

The only way in which Sony will make good on this is if you are relentless-- calm, collected, professional but relentless.

Good luck.
 
I agree. There's burocracy everywhere on this planet, and Sony's no exception.

However, since this is a product and we are the customers and this is America, then you have a very good chance of winning.

You need the names of all people concerned, especially the tech who said the camera was good when it got there. And you need to get everything everybody said in writing, especially the tech who said it was good.

As in all burocracies, they can only get away with it if their names are kept in the dark. Once you shine a very bright light in there, things usually have a habit of getting sorted right quick sharp, even if it's only so they can turn that light off and get back to business as usual.

One other thing - this isn't Sony consumer division we're talking to here, but the professional division. They do value their reputations, which, by and large, are based on the goodwill of people like us, rather than banking on the anonymous masses to take it and keep quiet.

And of course, we won't keep quiet about anything at all, will we?

JM2C, YMMV.
Chris
 
Holy crap! When they broke mine, at least it wasn't THIS extreme. You should keep after the regional Sony folks on this one. I had a similar situation once with some audio gear that was dropped FORCEFULLY during shipment and damaged all sorts of parts. The only way that I found out what happened was when the repair tech started asking me about problems that the unit didn't have when it left my hands. I'd hate to think that I'm going to have to start taking photos of my camera every time I have to ship it in for service JUST to prove its' condition when it left here.
 
Always take pics or video fo the item being sent int with a newspaper from the date... that way if **** goes down there is proof that it was sent in good working condition. Sux that it happend hopefully u will get it resolved.
 
I'm not saying @@#$ can not go wrong. However, in my case, I drove and dropped off my camera in San Jose. I met the tech and asked a few questions... had my camera fixed in 24 hrs and picked it back up. I had fixed my own back focus, but they fixed the vignette, updated the firmware, and replaced the worn out painted sections on the back and side.

I then had a successful shoot in Hawaii for 10 days. In my case, I was very happy with Sony and they did NOT bill be for the upgrades. I also had removed my microphone mount (in reference to another post where the broken mount violated the warrantee.)

I'm sorry that you found a bad employee in San Jose. In my case, they did a great job in 24 hours to boot. However, thanks for your post, I will take pictures before sending in any camera in the future. I'd contact Sony PR people ASAP or at the next major tradeshow. Good Luck. I'm not a Sony Fan boy, but in my case they did a great job.
 
Well, I have had to bite the bullet (for now) on this one. Take Saturnin's advice. I will for now on... I have taken this issue as high as I can with Sony Services. They say the camera was damaged before it was shipped, which is an ABSOLUTE LIE. The supervisor today said that they checked the back-focus adjustment in the service menu, and it is "fine". I guess the camera is not supposed to focus on objects further than 3 feet at wide angle. So, after literally a dozen phone calls with management today, I was able to get them to lower the quote from $890 to $630. Yeah, I am only out $630 for something that is Sony's fault. I REALLY debated on what to do about this. We have a 3 day shoot next week, so I had to decide if I wanted to rent a EX1 for $225 a day or just get mine fixed and be done with it (until I start bugging Sony Corp). Also, for the icing on the cake, I asked them if they would install firmware 2.11 on the camera so I could eventually use the 32gb card. The supervisor said "sure, that will be $100 dollars, it is not covered under warranty like 1.05..." - I finally got him to throw it in for FREE (like it cost them anything). I am just ready for this to be over, and get my camera back so I can re-test the back-focus issue - I didn't know it was going to be a $800 issue with shipping.
 
Sorry to hear that you have to go through this.

That really is a bummer.

Hope you get more jobs to cover back this cost. Yes bite the bullet and get it done with. The longer this drags on , the more time the camera is not by your side. The less money coming in...
 
In the mean time, slam the hell out of Sony and their service on every single video board, tell your story how they screwed your camera up, and send them the links. I would expect nothing less than expedited service and no charge. That is how I got JVC to step up.
 
Just out of interest, how many of you have had a problem with your EX1, to the point where it needed a fix and how many hours of use do you think it can handle before it develops a fault? I know that depends on a lot of factors, but I'm only looking for a 'ball-park' figure.
 
buhce said:
Just out of interest, how many of you have had a problem with your EX1, to the point where it needed a fix and how many hours of use do you think it can handle before it develops a fault? I know that depends on a lot of factors, but I'm only looking for a 'ball-park' figure.
Click to expand...
I can't speak for this camera in particular, but I had a Canon GL1 that I put through the wringer for 5-6 years, including using it as a capture deck. The only problem I ever had with it, was after 3 years the firewire port blew. They fixed it quickly for a couple hundred, and I never had another problem with it before selling it off.
 
I have never had another problem with my EX1 or other Sony camera for that matter. We still have a Z1 that we have used HARD for 3 years and it has never had a single problem. The EX1 seems to have a similar build quality. We have been using ours since January. The issues we have had up to this point seem to be fairly common on other message boards (back-focus, battery drain when off, worst designed on/off switch ever...) The only thing the camera seems to not be able to handle is a fall from the Sony repair center tables... I do like Sony products. I just wish they had better quality control/ employees at the repair center.
 
Have them send you a picture of the box you sent it in. There's got to be some damage to it if it was done in shipment. If not, It looks to me like it hit the floor pretty hard. Anyway, why would someone send a camera to them in this condition thinking that Sony would overlook it?
You know, if I were Sony, I would have informed you about the damage out courtesy first, then have you ask them what the cost of dammages are! Sounds fishy to me!!
 
Oh dude...

That is terrible, heart goes out to you on that one. I remember once I got a $2000 monitor (30" screen) but it was cracked on arrival (and being a gimp not buying it with a credit card) i had to wait ages for insurance claims and all kinds of BS.

Its not unique to Sony, but i think for me its the fact that so many of u guys have to send it back for mere firmware upgrades - and run that risk - i would find that unacceptable.
 
If indeed Sony did damage the camera and claimed they did not and are seeking to cover up their liability, it is probably time for you to engage the services of a competent law firm. This kind of callous disregard for customer property must not be tolerated under any circumstances.

That said, I can't see clearly what's wrong in the photos--they're too small to show enough detail.

There must be a turnover of staff at San Jose, because my two service experiences (other than them losing my original box) were positive.

Go as far as you can with Sony management, but if they continue to stonewall, then sue them for not only the replacement of the camera, but also all lost revenue from rentals and/or lost billable hours. They must be made to realize that it is less costly to be honest than to be dishonest.
 
What a shame... i agree, you should file a suit against them in small claims, but do it yourself, it is not really that difficult. If you go with a parasitic blood-sucking lawyer, they will charge you 20g's and do absolutely nothing!
 
There is not really a whole lot I can do. It's not worth my time to take them to court for $700. I know I should stand up to them, but it honestly is not worth it at this point. I have my camera back. I took my complaint to the manager at Sony (the man's last name is Wing), and he basically stonewalled me. Apparently they have one tech that works specifically on the EX1 (his "name" is Chuck). The camera was unpacked from my shipping box by a guy named Camillo. Camillo says the camera was not damaged when it arrived, but Wing says Camillo could have missed seeing it when it arrived, which is BS. So either Camillo or Chuck or some other tech dropped the camera and is trying to cover his but with the boss. My theory is that Chuck probably did the damage. He seemed pretty incompetent on the phone, and he did NOT fix the back-focus issue. In full manual focus, I can zoom in on an object, focus and pull-back wide angle. When I zoom in on the same object again, it is out of focus. Wing says this is normal behavior - I guess they are all idiots!!!!
 
Write a letter to Wing and let him know that he is obviously in the wrong field, and that the damage to your camera was done by them, not to mention the original problem was never addressed. Also be sure to Blind Copy that message to Sony. Write another letter to Sony, and let them know they have incompetent liars and thieves working in that plant, and that you are so furious over this that you have decided not to ever do business with any of Sony's interests, and are also letting other professionals know exactly what to expect from Sony, including links to this thread, and as many other boards that you can post to. Blind Copy this to Wing. Then you need to get your ass on the phone and lay into them as often as you can. You do not just roll over and let it slide.
 
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