Brand new Sony Vaio Laptop screen broken internally!?

[MMostafa]

I have bought a Sony Vaio Laptop (model VPCEH1L8E/B) from PC World online website on the 31^st October 2011 for the amount of £479. On the 28^th December, I finished working on the laptop, shut it down and closed the lid. I woke up the next morning, switched on the laptop and the screen was blurred with white, green and blue lights showing a clear issue with the screen.

I called Sony support who got the repair centre (operated by Flextronics) to pick up my Laptop. The next day, the repair centre called me to say that the cost of fixing the laptop is £355 (!?) and that if I need it to be sent back to me without fixing, I have to pay £65 to get it back on fixed. The repair centre claims that there is internal breakage inside the laptop screen and despite the fact that there are no external cracks, dents or breakage on the outside of the screen, the centre is claiming that I should pay for the repairs costs.

When I spoke to technical support they said it could be that someone have applied a very small amount of pressure on the screen and this is enough to crack the screen internally!!! and it means you have to pay for fixing it! No one applied any pressure on the laptop but even if this happened, how can Sony Vaio laptops be so fragile that if the slightest pressure is applied to the screen it breaks it internally (without any signs of external damage or dents)?!?!

According the Sales of Goods Act 1979, products need to be in good condition and continue to be in good condition for a reasonable time. Since I have only had this laptop for less than 2 months and the fault in the laptop and I have not damaged the product in any way especially that there are no external damage or cracks on the screen, I hereby give you notice to repair the laptop, replace it or refund back the amount of £479 by the 21^st January 2012.

Unfortunately, if the response I will get from you is similar to the response I got so far, I will be left with no choice other than: 1) taking the matter to court and I mean it, 2) speaking extensively to the media about the shameful aftersales support and service I got so far and finally 3) writing an official complaint to the industry regulator asking to apply penalties for the unacceptable customer service and product support you provided (or have not provided) in addition to the very bad quality of Sonvy Vaio laptops.

I am very disappointed in Sony Vaio Laptops, their customer service and Sony in general.

[olhugla]

I too have a weird screen issue, spilt on one half by blurring vertical bars. I thought it could be a graphic card malfunction, but no because the projector output gives a perfect picture. This poor image went worse over the months and indeed does not result from any screen external damage or bad treatment. Seems it is a Sony problem the company does not want to recognize. Then, asking for almost the same price, for a part easy to replace, as that of a brand new computer is making fun of the client. Refusing to return a product without a hefty charge on top, and no prior notice of it, is nothing but a theft. These practices are ugly marketing and turns down former customer from buying Vaio again (at least for me).