Dust Voids PS3 Warranty
"I just got off the phone With PS3 customer support who kindly informed me that my PS3 is "too dusty" to be replaced under warranty. But won't provide pictures unless they are subpoenaed."
I have kept my 60gb PS3 in Its entertainment center since its purchase. It is known within the PS3 community that the thing is a HUGE dust magnet. I took good care of it, I have about 10 Blu-ray discs (did NOT come free with my PS3), 5 games, 5 controllers, 2 42" Bravia LCD's 1 50" Bravia 3lcd Rear projection TV, A Vaio desktop, Vaio laptop, I've even got a psp and location free TV. One day I turn it on and put in a disc and it doesn't show up, then it wont eject, finally I get it to eject and I try a blu-ray, nothing, CDs, nothing.Warranty-voiding clumps of dust shouldn't constitute normal wear and tear, and certainly wouldn't rank high on the list of awe-inspiring acts of God. Tell us wise commenters, what should reader Ive do with his divinely dusty PS3? Pay Sony $150? Maybe smash the dust out? Share your advice in the comments.I call Customer support who originally tell me that they can do anything because I don't have the original sales receipt, (it was a GIFT!!!), I stayed on the phone for hours explaining to them that I don't have thee receipt as it was a gift from my parents. Finally I got a rep who said that it was strange that earlier reps hadn't let me go through with the exchange as if it was a gift it was policy not to require a receipt. He sent me a box, I boxed up my console and sent it in.
5 days later I have no updates on the PS3, I call in to check on it, The first rep I speak to says that it was received without a receipt, and was delayed but he was going to note that it was a gift and get the replacement sent out to me.
6 hours later I get a call from Neil saying that unfortunately they have opened the case and taken pictures of the inside and outside of the case and that it was too dirty to be eligible for replacement. I paused for a good 8 seconds, because my PS3 had not moved from the entertainment center that it sat in more than 8 months I had wiped it off before sending it out, THE WHOLE POINT of the PS3 Is that it is part of your entertainment center! I Told him that was crazy and that it was a known problem that the PS3 collected mass loads of dust. That their product hasn't even been out for 1 year and he's telling me I'm out of warranty because there is too much dust in it!? I told him that someone needed to double check because I really took care of my PS3 and there was no way it was so dirty that they wouldn't replace it. He said he would and he would find out about getting pictures.
The next day I got a call from the same guy, Saying he couldn't get pictures, and there was no way they could replace the console unless I paid 150$ out-of-warranty replacement fee. I dais I needed to speak to his supervisor and it took him a while but he eventually transferred me to yet another person who just told me from the pictures they saw of the outside of the PS3, the memory ports and the USB ports, that there was dust inside of these ports, and that there was no way they would replace such a dusty console.
I then asked for HER supervisor, who was a very rude woman named Daria Woo Ext # 55682. She basically told me if I wanted the pictures of the PS3 That they were property of SCEA, And that I would have to SUBPOENA the pictures! I told her that this was ridiculous! That in order to take the same pictures that they did I would have to open my case, and void my warranty! I asked her if I could record what she was saying and she immediately snapped a NO, And asked for what purpose, I told her it was so I could educate the entire world on the ethics of the PS3 repair center. She told me my only options were to have the PS3 sent back, pay 150$ for a replacement, or leave it there for 10 days until it gets sent back. I told her to leave it because I was going to write a few emails so that this situation could actually get resolved. She told me any email I wrote or number I called would get me transferred to her department and that she would not help. I asked her exactly what part of the warranty stated that if a unit is too dusty it cannot be replaced.
She told me that it was under "acts of god, customer abuse" section when I had clearly told her that it sat in my entertainment center acting as a blu-ray playing, folding@home computing, media center and that obviously the amount of dust inside the console is caused by a design flaw and not my quite dust-less room.
I don't get it! Sony is including Folding@home with their consoles, The auto-start feature makes it so its running almost all the time, OF COURSE ITS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH DUST! A few reps said that the reason they couldn't replace it was because it looked as if it had about 2 years worth of dust in it rather than 8 months..... The console hasn't even been out a year so obviously that is less than a years worth of dust.
I love the PS3, I'm a Sony fanboy, I have a copy of Heavenly Sword Un-Played because I'm waiting for the replacement to come back, For them to say they wont replace it because it is such a damn dust magnet is absolutely ridiculous. IM NOT paying 150$ for someone to use an air compressor to dust off my PS3 re-test it and send it back. MAYBE Sony should let their customers know that excessive dust voids the warranty, so that people can start selling air filter set's for it, and air-sealed boxes for the PS3 to sit in.
(Photo: lunarworks)
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Comments:
Is there an EECB list for Sony on here? That might help. Also, I haven't purchased a Sony product in over 5 years.
Just another reason I avoid Sony like the plague. The elitist asshole attitude is taught from the retail outlets all the way to the CEO, and every department in between.
If you paid for your PS3 with a VISA, you may have additional coverage through them. Any electronic purchase over $200, goes onto my VISA for this reason.
At any rate, good luch with trying to get blood out of a stone.
Ugh, why oh why do people onthis site (and others) keep recommending the BBB ? They are nothing but a paper tiger and a subscription selling service, and utterly powerless.
Sucks about your PS3, Sony is an evil evil company, and you are just starting to discover that. I say let it come back, take off the cover, and blow it out yourself with some canned air. You have nothing to lose at this point.
Just thought I'd mention here that my friend's warranty on his 360 ran out so he decided to put a new external case on his machine. Then his machine did the red ring of death that so many machines are getting. About 3 months later they announced they extended everyone's warranty for this issue. He sent it into microsoft and even though the sticker was clearly broken they sent him a new one and even gave him an extra year of warranty.
Get the money back for your Heavenly Sword game, then send posts and emails out to everyone who matters and make Sony's customer service look worse than its reputation has already become. How annoying. How damn annoying.
Imagine how much money you'd have to spend just to play this damn thing: 400-500 bucks for the system, 60 for a game, and 60-100 for an air filter? I think you just answered my question of if I should get a 360 (NO because of RRoD issues), a PS3 (NO because of asshole service, dust issue, and cost for "the Sony Experience", and a PC (This 24" monitor is on a Mac right now, waiting to be gamed on).
Thanks for posting this.
dust bunnies, more like dust sperm whales
Make a huge fuss about it on the official PS boards, and it'll get resolved. Out of the suggested solutions, getting it back and cleaning it seems to be the only option.
I would like to see how much dust is there though, since the whole matter strikes me as odd.
@xAnarChisTx: Absolutely, filing a complaint is definitely in order. I'm sorry, man, nobody should have to deal with a concept so absurd. At least you publicized the supervisor's name, always good to get that sort of thing out in the open.
This behavior doesn't surprise me... I've had two friends who have had negative, even confrontational interactions with Sony customer service, and even Sony store employees. I want personally want to appreciate Sony's tech, but I refuse to buy it solely because of the lack of quality and support.
That is really crappy, I hadn't heard anything but good things from sony's repair department in reference to ps3's. But yeah, I would contact the BBB. But it seems like a bit of personal douchebaggery going one with that woman. Sometimes a customer experience can be different as night and day depending on the person you get on the line.
She cant possibly be the end of the chain for this. I am sure there is someone above her, she just doesnt want you to contact him/her. That happens all the time with me on costumer service calls, employees refusing to let me talk to a supervisor, or simply stalling hoping I will become impatient before I am switched over.
I say obviously keep trying, make a stink, about it (which seems to be successful currenty), and let them know it, not her but someone above her.
that is the most ridiculous thing i've heard. i'm not impressed, Sony.
>:(
@turbowagon: I wouldn't take the cover off. Do everything you can to try to get it resolved first. Especially since the story hit consumerist I bet it gathers a bit of attention, and if you void your warranty in between getting it back and some sort of action being taken then it's your fault.
@brello:
Sound advice (not many of them here other than the typical bitching). Email this bit to a few of their support centres, and DO make a thread about it on the PS boards. It's just too absurd.
the last sony product i had was a portable cd player about 10 years ago.
this is a great example of why.
(and i just have to say it, but wii60 ftw!)
:p
@SG79: Hitting the PS Forums won't do anything. They're filled with Fanboys who cannot read criticism about their holy sacrement. They will call it fiction, label him a troll, and have him banned.
The best thing is the EECB, numerous letters, and maybe a call to the local news crew for a human interest story.
Get the PS3 back, but make sure they write the reason for warranty refusal. When you have that, you can have the news crew have their "on screen specialist" or whatever, pull open your PS3 on national TV. Yes, the warranty voids, but it is already, and when there isn't two years of dust, and it's seen on TV, Sony will have much egg on their collective faces.
Here's a question, are there actually any good electronics and computer companies left? I mean this is absolutely horrible, but it seems like pretty much every company tries to find reasons to not honor their warranty. That is why I think extended warranties are shams, because they will never honor it. If you have the slightest damage or scratch, you have damaged your product. Its pathetic..
Until Sony gets their act together to provide friendly and reliable customer service on the level of Nintendo, they will NEVER see another penny out of me.
I'm holding off buying a PS3. No console is worth the worry that you won't get the help you need and deserve when/if that time comes.
Shame on you, Sony!
Better than nothing I suppose if it's posted in the right section. I've taken the liberty to do it:
After that DRM bit I havent spent so much as one red
cent on any Sony product...
.. stuff like this reinforces that decision...
@SG79: That sort of behaviour just gets you booted off their forums.
Sites like this are much better than Sony's forums for getting your point across.
We'll see how the replies to your post progresses.
At least you are only in for them for the cost of a PS3. I purchased a 60 inch television from them back in Feb of this year and they refuse to honor the warranty on the set after one failed repair attempt. Colors are out of wack but they claim it's within spec since it's 'a consumer product' and therefore exempt from providing quality...
Honestly I think Sony is so backed in a corner at this point that they don't care anymore.
This is why the only Sony product I own is a display (aside, unfortunately, from a ps2 and ps1), their customer service is terrible, and they insist on DRMing everything and only using proprietary formats.
@canerican:
Plenty of computer parts people, Western Digital is pretty awesome, etc
Better advice: Write a letter to your state attorney regarding unethical business practices. Before sending it, forward a copy to Sony's US PR department and the repair department to see if they would like to provide a rebuttal before you send it off.
I promise, you'll have your PS3 repaired -- they won't admit that they are wrong, but they will repair it.
There was another thread apparently, and talks of using compressed air are rampid. As if those don't make things worse (using a small vaccum is th way to go)
I stopped buying Sony products back when Discman was all the craze. I bought a Discman that happened to have playback controls (Play, Stop, Skip, etc) on the top cover of the shell. After one month those controls stopped working because the circuit ribbon snapped due to a terrible design concerning over bending of the ribbon when closing the lid (after of course, inserting a CD).
Long story short, I was told my product didn't fit within warranty because I shouldn't have been opening and closing the lid. So, in other words...not use the product with any more than one CD. I shit you all not.
Sony stinks, and the world is finally taking notice. Dust voiding warranty? What f'n next? Sony products removed from their original shipping packages are void due to exposure to air?
I absolutely refuse to purchase anything Sony (except for a few choice PSX games, played on my computer through emulators). And stories like this make me feel better about my decision.
My Sony purchases; 3 Clie PDA's, 1 Camcorder, 2 Digital stills, 1 Vaio notebook, 1 cellphone, 1 VCR/DVD player recorder.
My last purchase from Sony was a computer that died under warranty. Sony made me fight like a dog in order get it replaced. That was about 5 years ago.
See how smart you are Sony? Fighting every warranty claim and abusing customers with root kit DRM software has been a really smart way to go for you.
You Suck.
Did you purchase the PS3 using an American Express? They've stepped up for me a couple of times when a company was acting like Sony is in your situation. I can't say enough good things about their customer support and service. If you used them, call their buyers assurance program immediately.
Say what you will about the reliability problems of the 360, and believe me I have, at the very least they don't give you any hassle when you have to have it repaired or replaced. I have absolutely no clue how much dust has accrued inside my electronic equipment, nor should I for that matter. The way you were treated is abhorrent. I hope you have some success getting the matter resolved. I'd be just as upset as you are were I in your shoes.
Ridiculous. I think Sony probably has a point here, and I've never heard of anyone's PS3 stop working on the account of "too much dust". You should clean up your living area, it could be a health hazard.
Hey yet another reason why the PS2 will be my last Sony console.
I feel for you I really do. Follow some of the advice already given.
And now for my bit. I'd like to put the following line in caps but it's just not netiquette but:
Don't ever be a fan-boy of anything.
It will only lead to disappointment. I get the impression you like the PS3's selection of games. I just happen to like a lot of 360 games and some Wii games so I have those two consoles.
But this doesn't make MS or Nintendo any better, or worse. Sony have made some terrible mistakes recently and there's not one PS3 game that interests me but competition is good and I wouldn't want to see them go out of buisness.
Hopefully if this gets out enough one of those people at the top that you can't speak to will see it and step in.
I think he should do as he is doing and that is letting people know how he is being treated.
I also think he should contact the Consumerist and tell them his story.
Maybe if he generates enough bad publicity for Sony they will be willing to fix his PS3.
Then again since Sony is probably already desensitized by all the bad publicity over the years, it will probably be business as usual for them.
Anyone complaining about Sony's "ethics" shouldn't buy an XBox 360 either. Microsoft's ethics are much worse than Sony's and they continually overcharge you for their products since they have a monopoly.
@SG79: I really DO hope your post does something, but I won't put money on it.
It's boneheaded engineering like this that pisses me off; the unit is sealed, so you cannot open it, or you void the warranty, but dust doesn't pay attention to conditions of warranty. It gets in, and like a bad house guest, you can't get it out, primarily because Sony's flawed design, and twice-rushed technology won't let you. Using the compresed air cans won't get the dust out of the box, just move it around and spread it out more evenly, so there's a more consistent failure rate.
Sony should have added an 'ass' port; a hole that allows you to use you air can and the dust comes out the ass port, or make the PS3 dishwasher safe.
@SilentSomno.
Note to self: maybe you should double check the site your on before you write something.
@chef4hire: Microsoft has improved, in my experience. I had a terrible time with them a year ago. Then my 360 went dead a couple weeks ago, and it was painless -- they sent me out the pre-paid box and said they'd fix it and send it back with a 1-month live subscription to pay me back for the time I was missing.
Stories like these always attract the troll's and fanboys. There are bizarre stories about most electronic companies costumer service, most of the time is just an isolated incident (unless you are talking about Liksys, since outsourcing their costumer service has rendered tech support unusable). Lets not forget the stories about having broken 360s shipped back to customers, still broken. Most of the time these things have more to do with a few douchy employees than corporate policy.
Every sony product I own STILL works fine, long after they should have naturally died. My 10 year old cd player, still works, if i played cd's anymore. My 11 year old PSone works fine, but I dont need it anymore. My 7yr old PS2, not issues whatsoever. The Vaio i'm writing this on, is covered with two warranties, one manufacturer, on retailer. So all in all I have had nothing be good experiences with sony.
@bobeotm: His issue is not with the product, but with the customer service ... it sounds like you've been fortunate and not had to deal with that aspect of the company.
The Sony warranty says that you're out of luck if:
(D) IS DAMAGED BY ACTS OF GOD, MISUSE, ABUSE, NEGLIGENCE, ACCIDENT, WEAR AND TEAR, UNREASONABLE USE, OR BY OTHER CAUSES UNRELATED TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP;
Ask Sony if they will provide proof that the dust caused the failure. If not, it does not meet the letter of their warranty because the cause of the fault has to be from the dust...not just that the console is faulty.
My PS/2 is also a dust magnet. I use my shop-vac to suck out the dust from the fan cover on the back every once in awhile.
I also read that the PS/3 uses a ridiculous amount of power, which necessitates lots of airflow over the processor. If you have something that sucks in air 24 hours a day at a high rate, it's going to get dusty.
@chef4hire: But MS isn't voiding warranties for dust, in fact, didn't MS extend their warranty for RROD? (rhetorical, they did.)
MS may have ethics problems in most, if not all their departments, but they DO stand behind and support their products much better than Sony.
I have had several Sony products, from Diskman, to laptops, to cam corders, digital cameras, PDAs, and game consoles. I had problems with several of these products, and each time was treated like garbage by Sony support. My Diskman alone went into the shop 5 times for the same issue. After the third time, they refused to replace it. The fourth time, I tried it in front of the staff, when i picked it up. The CD played for 12 seconds, then the unit died, again.
Let me first start out by saying I have never liked Sony. I owned an Xbox from day one and still have it and use it everyday to watch movies and TV shows using XBMC. I also got a 360 from day one. Neither machine has ever given me problems. So I guess that makes me an Xbox fanboy.
And well, it was about time for someone to tell a ridiculous "bad customer service" story about Sony. I have heard enough Microsoft stories and complaints but this one by far is the most ridiculous one. I just dont believe everything I read in the net as ppl have a habit of making up stupid shit and by the nature of the internet, these stories snowball into massive PR nightmares.
I am not saying that this guy is lying (but then again how can we know he is not?), but this sounds so ridiculous is laughable. If it is true, it is a shame that Sony treats customers this way. And before you go on on flaming me for saying this, I know that some Microsoft customers must have gotten the shaft too. No company is perfect.
I would expect to hear more horror stories from Sony customers (and "customers) from now on, because, hey, let's face it, Microsoft is not the only one that sucks.
Uh dude dust falls under wear and tear.
First of all idiot, it's called a "dust magnet" because of the sheen exterior that is black that SHOWS dust easily. Second you should be dusting your home once a month. If you own a computer you should be dusting that too, why should you think it's any different? Dust kills electronics dumbass, stop being stupid and learn how to take care of your expensive equipment
Extended it twice mind you, so let's not have a contest of what's worse here. We've had a recorded incident where a CSR from MS telling the customer that he's laughing at him.
Generally, I don't pay attention to such matters since someone always exaggerates and the bashing commences. But this has my attention since it really sounds VERY absurd, yet believable (kind of like dead pixel issues with plasma and LCD's)
sounds like an EECB is in order. Maybe also Google "Sony Sucks" to find other blogs to post your story. Sounds like yet another reason to not get a PS3.
I think after this posting SOny is going to replace that guys PS3...lol
Like most people are saying, be a squeaky wheel until you get the grease. Call corporate, email anyone important at SCEA, tell blogs, and wave the flag of shitty customer service until Sony decides its worth the couple hundred bucks' loss to shut you up.
That is really crazy, I would 100% contact the BBB.
Contact the BBB and let them know about your situation. Tell them that SONY is retarded.