Laptop broken after 4 days, Sony Centre refuse to replace

[pixiebean22]

My boyfriend bought me a new sony vaio laptop for Christmas.  He bought  it on the 17th and it was opened and booted up for the first time on  25th (obviously ) and from first use there was a problem.  In the beginning on 25th and  26th the screen would flicker off for literally one second (only  noticed it when I sat staring at the screen hoping to spot the problem)  and then screen would freeze.  This happened regardless of what  programme was running, whether it was plugged in or running on battery  or how long it had been on.  Then on 27th it started turning itself off  in the middle of whatever I was doing, again regardless of programme etc  etc.  Only got a chance to get into the Sony Centre today expecting it  to be a very simple conversation of the product doesn't work can we have  a replacement or a refund please.

The man we spoke to, Paddy, was pleasant but not much help. 

We handed him the laptop and he plugged it in and booted it up to see  what the problem was.  He asked us to leave the shop and come back in  about 20 minutes so he could see if the problem we had told him about  occurred.  Of course when we came back the laptop had been running fine  the whole time.  Paddy expected us to just take the laptop home and no  more about it.  The sony centre we bought the laptop in is a good hour  drive from our house and there was no way we were going home only having  to come back in again when the problem showed up again. 

Paddy agreed to ring Sony from the shop and he spoke to them and I spoke  to them and they talked him through a system restore which he began and  said would take 60-90 minutes.  Before Paddy rang Sony, I mentioned not  being inclined to accept a repair because the laptop was not bought to  be without it for an undetermined period of time less than 2 weeks after  it was bought and Paddy said that I would have to speak to Sony  directly about that.  I think expecting a customer to accept anything  less than a refund/replacement less than 2 weeks after buying the  product and after 4 days of use is ridiculous.  When I was on the phone  to Sony, however, I mentioned about my intention not to accept a repair  and was told that that was up to the store to deal with.  I asked Paddy  about this and he said we could discuss that after the system restore.

As it stands we have left the laptop in the store overnight (as we  couldn't go back and forth from the store today) and will be going back  tomorrow morning expecting either a fully functioning laptop or a  refund/replacement.

What I'm wondering is what are my rights in relation to refusing a  repair?  I believe it is ridiculous that an obviously faulty product  will be all that I am offered tomorrow instead of a refund/replacement.

The way I see it is they have absolutely no intention of offering a  refund/replacement because the fault could not be proved in the shop so  how can the product be proved to be fully functioning when the system  restore is complete.

UPDATE

We went back to collect the laptop this morning and were  told no fault blah blah blah.  Brought the laptop home and had it  running for 25 minutes when the screen went blank and then flickered  back on and everything on the screen was jumbled up, then it went blank  again.  Straight back into the shop, thought surely now we'll get our  refund because at this stage another sony product is not coming into my  house.

Went back into the shop and they did exactly the same thing they did  yesterday, cant find a fault etc etc, they offered to send the laptop to  vaio which we have agreed to because that is the only thing they would  offer us.

HOW IS THAT FAIR?  We spent money in good faith and have nothing to show for it.

What do you suggest I do not use a laptop that good money was spent on?  Go into the  sony centre to power up any time I want to use my laptop?   It's an  absolute disgraceful way to treat customers. 

The staff in the shop stood there and called us liars because they  couldn't find the fault.  Do they honestly think we had nothing better  to do than traipse in and out to their shop two days running? 

They tried calling Sony in the shop themselves but couldn't get through and i have tried caling Sony myself on a few different numbers but keep getting cut off.

I am livid about this situation, as is my boyfriend because obviously the laptop was bought as a gift.

We now have to wait an undetermined period of time to get back a laptop I no longer want considering the hassle it has caused us.

Can someone here help me come to a suitable solution as I am having no joy with the shop who really seem not too bothered about the inconvenience this whole thing has put us to?

[Blencogo]

It is my view that they are breaking the law.  Under the Sale of Goods Act, the retailer MUST replace or refund the cost of an article if it is faulty within the first 28 days following purchase.  Offering to have it repaired is illegal.

The problem is showing the Vaio is faulty but as you were seeking an exact replacement, any reputable retailer must see that you have nothing to gain by falsely claiming it is faulty. 

Which Sony Centre was it bought from?

I can try to escalate this to Sony but sadly we are in a holiday period.

[peshyxp]

Totally understand your frustration and there is absolutely no reason why they shouldnt provide a replacement laptop

My suggestion would be return the laptop, demand you will not accept a repaired one since original one is faulty and under SoG Act they are required to provide replacement or refund

If they refuse then simply inform them you will initiate a chargeback - assuming you paid by credit card - by informing your card provider to dispute the payment since goods were faulty

This should do the trick

If you paid by other means Im afraid you may well have to escalate this to someone more senior in Sony hierarchy by means of letter / email etc

Keep us posted how you get on

[pixiebean22]

It is my view also that they are breaking the law.  Their attitude and the way we have been spoken to in the shop hasn't helped matters either.  It is the Sony Centre in Waterford, case number 5266573.

That is exactly my point Blencogo, we're very clearly not trying to pull a fast one or try some sort of scam.  The Sony Centre is an hour drive each way from our house, we've wasted 6  hours over 2 days travelling there and back, not to mention the time  spent in the actual shop (over an hour today alone), there's plenty  other things we could've been doing on New Year's Eve.  The laptop my boyfriend bought me is faulty, initially we would've settled for a replacement but because of the way we have been treated we have lost total faith in Sony and would now prefer a full refund rather than another possibly faulty product from them.  We most certainly will not shop in a Sony Centre again.

My boyfriend nor I have ever owned a Sony laptop before, always had either Compaq or Packard Bell.

[pixiebean22]

Everyone I have spoken to, including other laptop and computer retailers have said that same thing, there is no reason why they shouldn't provide a replacement.

I have already told them there is no way I am taking the laptop home again.  They have sent it off to Sony to be stress tested but I told them today in the shop they can carry out as many tests as they want, that laptop is not coming home with me again.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend had been saving the money up weekly from his dole money so he paid in cash.

Does anyone have an email address?  The website is an absolute nightmare to get around.  Any phone number I've found through the website and google cuts out on me and I can't find an email address, the contact pages just won't load for me.

[premiere27]

I bought a £800 vaio just after xmas to beat the vat increase. The screen got the ink effect gradually after about two weeks and for roughly two weeks now I haven't been able to use it.

I bought the laptop on amazon and just got off the phone with sonys  call centre in india and they told me that I'd have to pay for the repair myself.

I am completely saddened by this because I've been using Sonys products for a while. TV/camera/PS3 etc etc and to think that after spending £800 they want me to fork out more money for a repair is beyond belief.

I have sent them pics of the fault as they requested and have to wait 24hours for a response but I wont be paying for any repairs. I'll tell them to keep the thing and start a viral campaign beginning with Watchdog and then the recordings of the phone conversations with "Paul" because I refuse to be robbed so blatantly.

[Blencogo]

Can you post some pictures of the screen?

What do you think caused the screen fault?

What model Vaio do you have?

Is this a Sony Europe model?

Do you have a Case Number with Vaio Support?

It will be much better to start your own question as it will get lost under someone else's question and under an inaccurate heading.