Take my Vaio, please!
September 15, 2010 2:39 PM Subscribe
Please help me figure out how to most productively complain to Sony about my absolutely craptastic Vaio laptop.
I am the sad owner of a Sony Vaio VGN-CR510E. Though everyone else I know of who owns a Vaio (both this model and others) raves about theirs and has had few to no problems, mine has been nothing but a headache from the start. I reckon I received a lemon, albeit a mostly functional one. My problems have ranged from a suddenly and inexplicably dead hard drive (ca. 9 months after purchase) to function keys not working (something multiple calls to tech support could never answer) to my webcam and mic stopping working in the middle of a call (!) and never coming back (again, which multiple contact with Sony couldn't fix), even down to the finish wearing off under my wrists and around the magnetic spots that hold the lid closed (started a month after purchase, now just look ridiculously bad). This doesn't even touch the myriad software problems I've had, some of which may have been due to hardware issues (jury is still out on this one), but I know many can also be ascribed to Vista (which I've now ditched, thank god).
So, in sum: this computer has been hell on me. I'm a doctoral student and need a reliable computer, which this one is not. I've lost data to crashes, and missed hours or weeks worth of work because of it, I've had communication problems where I've needed to Skype people into meetings and was embarrassed when I realized I could not, etc etc. Nightmare.
I can't buy a new computer because, being a grad student, I simply don't have it in the budget or my credit line. I'm pretty much stuck with this bad boy. The trouble: the computer is currently two years old and off warranty. No warranty work ever really properly addressed the problems I had anyway, which is one of the reasons I stopped calling Sony.
What I would like very much to do is contact Sony corporate with a detailed letter explaining my problems, my dissatisfaction, and the fact that both my negative experiences with my Vaio plus the large VAIO across the lid of such a terrible-looking computer are not good publicity for them. I'm not convinced anything will come of it, but I am fully prepared to write said letter and send copies to anyone and everyone who might listen to my problem. Having done this in the past, I've had a range of experiences from being completely ignored to a full product replacement - I figure I have absolutely nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Can any MeFites out there help me figure out to whom I should send these letters? I've Googled, emailed the Consumerist, even gone to hard-copy reference books to find addresses, all to no avail - I keep finding the Sony division that works with PSP and all that, but I'm pretty sure that Sony computers are in another division. Can anyone point me toward names and addresses, or send such information to me?
I'm really at my wits end with this computer. Absolutely any help will be like manna.
I am the sad owner of a Sony Vaio VGN-CR510E. Though everyone else I know of who owns a Vaio (both this model and others) raves about theirs and has had few to no problems, mine has been nothing but a headache from the start. I reckon I received a lemon, albeit a mostly functional one. My problems have ranged from a suddenly and inexplicably dead hard drive (ca. 9 months after purchase) to function keys not working (something multiple calls to tech support could never answer) to my webcam and mic stopping working in the middle of a call (!) and never coming back (again, which multiple contact with Sony couldn't fix), even down to the finish wearing off under my wrists and around the magnetic spots that hold the lid closed (started a month after purchase, now just look ridiculously bad). This doesn't even touch the myriad software problems I've had, some of which may have been due to hardware issues (jury is still out on this one), but I know many can also be ascribed to Vista (which I've now ditched, thank god).
So, in sum: this computer has been hell on me. I'm a doctoral student and need a reliable computer, which this one is not. I've lost data to crashes, and missed hours or weeks worth of work because of it, I've had communication problems where I've needed to Skype people into meetings and was embarrassed when I realized I could not, etc etc. Nightmare.
I can't buy a new computer because, being a grad student, I simply don't have it in the budget or my credit line. I'm pretty much stuck with this bad boy. The trouble: the computer is currently two years old and off warranty. No warranty work ever really properly addressed the problems I had anyway, which is one of the reasons I stopped calling Sony.
What I would like very much to do is contact Sony corporate with a detailed letter explaining my problems, my dissatisfaction, and the fact that both my negative experiences with my Vaio plus the large VAIO across the lid of such a terrible-looking computer are not good publicity for them. I'm not convinced anything will come of it, but I am fully prepared to write said letter and send copies to anyone and everyone who might listen to my problem. Having done this in the past, I've had a range of experiences from being completely ignored to a full product replacement - I figure I have absolutely nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Can any MeFites out there help me figure out to whom I should send these letters? I've Googled, emailed the Consumerist, even gone to hard-copy reference books to find addresses, all to no avail - I keep finding the Sony division that works with PSP and all that, but I'm pretty sure that Sony computers are in another division. Can anyone point me toward names and addresses, or send such information to me?
I'm really at my wits end with this computer. Absolutely any help will be like manna.
Have you come across this address?
"The Sony Corporation of America offices are located at 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022." --From Sony USA's FAQ
You might want to see if Sony's Personal Electronics division has a Twitter account. Some companies respond to consumers there.
posted by dragonplayer at 6:31 PM on September 15, 2010
"The Sony Corporation of America offices are located at 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022." --From Sony USA's FAQ
You might want to see if Sony's Personal Electronics division has a Twitter account. Some companies respond to consumers there.
posted by dragonplayer at 6:31 PM on September 15, 2010
I called the office in San Diego and basically bugged them until I got a new mother board. Don't bother with the off-shored customer service, they're idiots.
Try
Michael Fasulo Customer Service VP
States Phone: 858-942-2729 Secondary Phone: 858-942-8000
posted by Ideefixe at 10:58 PM on September 15, 2010
Try
Michael Fasulo Customer Service VP
States Phone: 858-942-2729 Secondary Phone: 858-942-8000
posted by Ideefixe at 10:58 PM on September 15, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I called Acer's main number, asked for North American Marketing, got connected to Richard Black, Director, Marketing and Public Relations, Acer, explained my problem, he gave me his email, I emailed him, Acer never got back to me.
Call up the company, ask for Marketing or Investor Relations.
posted by orthogonality at 3:00 PM on September 15, 2010