Trying to return a TV

[jimmylewoots]

Oh the fun I am having with trying to return my TV that decided to die on the 22nd December, I have called SONY numerous times and had three emails from UK Mail advising they are picking up the said TV, but still the TV sits in my house awaiting a collection.

I cannot have a refund until the item is picked up and thus have had no TV since the 22nd December, and yes I have two small children who have had to cope without a TV over the Christmas period. I know some might say this is a good thing, but I tell you it's not a good experience.

Here is a copy of my first email to SONY, two more have since been sent.

Good Afternoon,

I am most disappointed with the level of customer service I have received from yourselves at Sony, the easiest way to show this is by showing a timeline of events with explanations/words.

22nd December 2014 09:30 My SONY TV goes off and when I try to turn it back on the indicator lamp flashes red five times, I go onto the SONY support pages and it advises to unplug the TV if needs be from a surge strip and then leave unplugged before plugging into a wall socket for five minutes; I complete this task but the red flight continues to flash five times, on reading more on the SONY site I then call the Customer Services number

22nd December 10:20 I call SONY customer services, the first person I speak to transfers me to technical support, even though I advise that I have gone through the trouble shooting procedure. On speaking to technical support they have me complete the same task as I have already done above, they then advise that my TV will need to be returned and a replacement will be sent out. I ask nervously as this is the 22nd December and so close to Christmas if this can be turned around within the next 48 hours as I am gravely concerned I will have no TV over the Christmas period, I am advised that I will be contacted by a courier within 24 hours who will arrange, I ask for an email from the technical support agent confirming everything we have spoken about and am told I will receive this. I am not told what I am later told when I call in on the 23rd December as below; unfortunately being a trusting soul I don't take the names of the people I spoke to, but do have the call record as I used my mobile phone.

This conversation lasted 29 minutes.

23rd December 09:04 I call SONY customer services as I am nervous I have not received an email and 24 hours is nearly up, I speak to Abdelrahman, advising that I haven't received an email from technical support and the 24 hours is nearly up. I am told that the technical service team don't use the same system as the customer support team so he is unable to see any notes. I advise my concern re having no TV over the festive period and that having two small children and no TV, and whilst technology shouldn't be relied upon is a necessity in this day and age. I am told that a courier company will contact me within 48 hours (different from above) I question why this time has now extended and am told that this is the policy, once the courier company have picked the TV up they will send a replacement. I explain my nervousness around me purchasing a refurbed TV as they don't always seem to be in stock; I am then advised that the stock will be released when it comes in. As such I could not have a TV for some time, with this breaking news I ask immediately for a refund so that I can go out and purchase a TV for over the festive period from another retailer; I am told that a refund cannot be processed until the TV has been returned and scanned in. I then ask will the courier contact me within 48 hours and could this be boxing day (UK bank holiday), am advised that this could be Monday 29th December, my heart is sinking further and further as it is now apparent I will have no TV over the Christmas period. I end up visiting the in laws so that the children can utilise one of their gifts which required a TV screen, as otherwise their gift would be useless as we have no TV. 

This conversation last 36 minutes.

30th December 11:31 I call SONY customer services as I have received nothing from a courier company regarding the picking up of my TV, even though as above I was advised 48 hours and this has long since past. I speak to a lady called Lena and he apologises for the lack of contact from the courier company to myself, I mention the length of time that this whole process of replacing my TV has taken and how upset I am as have been my small children over the Christmas period. She advises she will speak to the courier company straight away and call me back in a maximum of two hours. I feel happier with this as it seems we are actually moving forward, although the damage has been done around the lack of TV.

This conversation lasts 19 minutes

31/12 09:42 I call SONY customer services as I have been let down again, there was no call back from Lena even though I was promised call back, but I have had an email from UK mail to say they are picking my TV up today. I speak once again to Abdelrahman and he apologises once again and advises that he can provide me with "temporary" compensation of £25, and then when the TV has been returned and scanned in I can call back in for full compensation. I advise the time I have been without a TV and the number of calls I've had to make regarding the TV is unacceptable and feel £25 is a slap in the face, and am not sure what I would spend the voucher on as I feel untrustworthy towards the SONY brand, I ask to speak to his supervisor and am transferred to Obama.

I advise Obama that the service hasn't been good enough and question this "temporary" compensation and then what other compensation could be forthcoming, I am told that he can offer me £50 compensation but this is the maximum he can go to. I then question this "temporary" compensation, and this goes on for some time as I am told this was a miss translation or misunderstanding; I therefore as SONY record these calls ask for a copy of the call, but am told this would only happen if I were to start legal proceedings.

I advise Obama that this transaction was carried out within the UK and under UK law within the Data Protection Act this information should be provided when I request it, this is rebuked somewhat and am told to email in regarding this.

This conversation lasts 56 minutes

As a conclusion I am disappointed and disgusted at the lack of customer service provided by yourselves to myself, whilst the people I have spoken to seem to have been of a reasonable standard they seem bound by poor processes and over work (Obama advised Lena didn't call back due to not having the time to). I would not buy a further product from SONY direct and worry that the paltry £50 offered will expire as I would rather use a reputable supplier/merchant who will replace my TV when it breaks and not me have to await collection and scanning before anything happens, all of which has a 7-10 working day lead time on. I am open to further compensation, but for my experience to be changed from a real negative to positive then something extremely pleasing needs to be undertaken by yourselves.

Please take note I request the information and recording of my calls under the Data Protection Act 1998, I have provided you with accurate times, dates and call durations and as such you should be able to find all the calls which I have made, and therefore request you make available to myself a copy of all these calls post haste, under UK law you should provide this information within 40 days.

If my complaint can be resolved then I feel the above request might not be needed, but am nervous that I seem to be told one thing only to be then told something else.

Please acknowledge receipt of this email.

Yours faithfully

James

[Anonymous]

Hi James

I have reported your issue to Sony as an escalation.  Someone should hopefully be in contact with you.  Can you please ensure that you have the correct contact details in your profile.  When Sony contacts you, please update this thread that you created so we all know the progress

Cheers

[jimmylewoots]

Sigh, I got called from someone from SONY UK today absed in Edinburgh who was looking at the case, maybe because of me posting on here.

Anyway UK Mail were suppsoed to come today as below, and guess what this will be their fourth missed appointment.

Your Sony order 83657341 is estimated for collection by UK Mail between 15:14 - 16:14.   Your order is now out for delivery with our driver, and will be delivered between the times stated above. If you would like a FREE text or e-mail when your delivery is our driver's next stop, please click the button below and follow the instructions on the screen.

Suppose I better phone the helpline again and see what they have to say, no doubt it will be the same as yesterday, see my mail which I sent them below.

Good Evening,

I know need to make further additions to my mail below which sent on the 2nd January. 

UK Mail sent me an email, as I knew they would this morning at 07:47, this mail advised me that my SONY order was due for collection between 14:44 and 15:44. After my last conversations with Lena, Abdelrahman and the elusive Osama I decided there was no need to call in before the expiry time of 15:44 as I had been assured, and let's make that clear assured and not promised as SONY never promise anything they can't deliver, hence why I am probably writing this email as they can't promise decent customer service, anyway I digress.

So as such I arranged to take a half day holiday today to ensure I was here for when the courier would pick up my broken TV, not sure if I have mentioned this before but this TV has been broken since the 22nd December, again I start to digress. So as I was saying I took a half day holiday and sat patiently near the front door with constant look out in case I saw a UK Mail van enter my road, the 14:44 came and I became a little excited as I saw a white van enter my road at 15:51, unfortunately it drove straight on past my house and it wasn't UK Mail it was a FedEx van. I carried on waiting and I could see the clock ticking, I then saw another white van pull into my road, this was at 15:40, and I thought wow this has to be UKMail here to pick up the TV; as the van got closer I was sure I could see some kind of logistics symbol on the side, but then unfortunately it was DPD and not UK Mail.

So the 15:44 time expired and with a heavy heart I picked up my phone and dialled SONY.

This time I didn't speak to Lena or Abdelrahman but spoke to a new gentleman called Hazem, the first I asked him for was to speak to Osama, but not to my surprise Osama was busy and couldn't take my call. So instead I ran through my dismay, disappointment and all other words beginning with DIS with Hazem, as per all my previous conversations he was a polite person but couldn't grasp of how upset I am around the fact I have had no TV since the 22nd December and how I've patiently waited in for UK Mail to pickup three times to no avail. He kept on apologising but I won't go through the whole conversation as it is only a repeat of past SONY performances; although I do feel I did have one tiny victory today after much debating between Hazem and myself he didn't say at the end of the call "Is their anything else I can help you with" as like I have said before I already haven't been helped so why are you offering to help me with something else.

I have to go to work tomorrow and can find no-one to sit in and possibly wait for UK Mail, I did advertise for someone to house sit but was nervous of opening my house to a complete stranger for the pick up of my broken TV, did I mention it has been broken since the 22nd? As such there will be no call or email form myself, I know you'll miss it, but I did advise Hazem that my wife will be home on Weds and Thursday this week, and I will be in Friday so if he arranged UK Mail for Weds and they don't appear at least we can try again on the Thursday and Friday. 

Once it has been picked up and scanned, we must have a serious and in depth conversation around compensation.

As ever yours faithfully,

[jimmylewoots]

Ah no sign of UK Mail so have called SONY and followed up with a mail as below.

Good Evening,

Ah another day passes and yet my broken SONY KDL55W829B, did I mention before I have had a broken tv since the 22nd December, am not sure if you have realised I have had no TV since then or not, still sits in my house and UK Mail once again has missed their appointment.

Today I took a different tactic, instead of sitting patiently inside listening to the rumbling of van wheels outside and hoping it was UK Mail I went outside and put a poster up saying UK Mail I am here with a broken SONY TV, I also went down to the end of my road, and much like when you put out a "party this way" sign I put out a UK Mail this way sign, then maybe just maybe if a UK Mail van went up or down the main road they would see my sign and then maybe turn up at my house. 

Anyway I am sad to say the tactic didn't work, and at 16:25, I decided to ring the SONY helpline, this time I spoke to someone different, this person was named Sam. We chatted around the issue and he called UK Mail whilst I was on hold or maybe he said his colleague did, but to no avail.

The crux of today's conversation was that UK Mail are still unable to find my address, even though if you type my postcode into Google it shows you exactly where my house is, I do wonder if UK Mail have ever heard of Google, or even maybe Sat Navs, possibly not. It also seems that even though I have given my Home phone number and my mobile number UK Mail don't seem to be able to call me, maybe as well as Google they haven't heard of a device called a Telephone; it is most strange this UK Mail delivery company.

I seemed to have digressed a little, Sam from SONY has told me to give it 48 hours and then he can confirm the time UK Mail will turn up, I am baffled by this as UK Mail have sent me an email most morning giving me an hour timeslot; maybe they can calculate the exact second they'll be at my house if I give them 48 hours?

I asked Sam what happens if they don't turn up after 48 hours and he said to call in and we can discuss "options" now I put options in speech marks as I wanted to know what these options would be; unfortunately 

Shady a senior adviser then came to speak to me, and said that UK Mail couldn't understand my address, and that my address was down as Off Road, unsure why UK Mail didn't think of looking at the postcode, or why they didn't look at the address correctly; anyway it ended up that  within 48 hours I will be told a collection date  which UK Mail will deliver/pick up on. 

Shady has also advised there will be no need to be any further options as they won't be needed; I will be amazed if this happens, but one can only hope.

So here I am signing off and I won't contact you again as I will be contacted within the next 48 (maybe more) hours or at a maximum of Friday morning, and Shady has said that he will change my SONY experience, not sure what he is going to do for this but will wait and see.

Oh and as a footnote Sam told me my vouchers had been increased to £75, although not seen an actual email regarding this, and a little bemused as previously Osama said the maximum was £50, most strange how things seem to change.

A note to Shady, do not forget that you said the word "PROMISE" to me, I expect you to deliver on your promise.

Call only lasted another 60 odd mins, so all in all now done pretty much a 7.5 hours of talking to SONY re a broken TV, wow I won't ever get this time back in my life.

Yours faithfully,

[Anonymous]

Edited original message (posted at the same time as you).

I have added the details to the original escalation.

[jimmylewoots]

Thanks Quinnicus, it seems my mails are causing amusement within the SONY helpline team, maybe it's just the way I right with open honesty, of how poor my experience has been with SONY and their partners/3rd parties.

I can still see the TV within its box in my lounge, it's been in its box so long the box is getting dusty.

James

[Anonymous]

So its an unloved TV eh? 

Oh and your emails are very well written !! 

What gets me is if UK Mail cant find your place to pick up the TV.....How was it delivered? 

[jimmylewoots]

It wasn't an unloved TV, we bought extra 3d glasses and the kids were loving the 3d animated film, but then five red flashes and it was dead.

UK Mail delivered it, and rang the day before to confirm the address, and I told them if you're struggling then ring me on the day, maybe they aren't allowed to use their phones anymore 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, when i said unloved, I was referring to the dust collecting on the box (sorry for the confusion) - My attempts at some light hearted humour

Unfortunately yes, the 5 flashes does indicate a hardware problem.

[jimmylewoots]

latest installment/email

Good Morning,

So no mail from me for the last two days, as I was promised my 48 hour odd thing by Shady, and true to his word Sam rang me yesterday and delivered his promise of calling me back, if that's the best promise that can be made by SONY then no wonder my TV hasn't been picked up; not sure if I've mentioned it or not but my TV still sits next to me in its box broken since the 22nd Decemeber, its been 18 days now since I had a TV. When I was driving home from Swindon yesterday, a grim place down South, all roundabouts and traffic lights, I took a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of suburbia, and I could see people in their houses all watching TV. I fell into a daydream thinking how nice it would be to be able to watch some television and how I've been denied this by the poor service from SONY and it's affiliates/logistcs and byi this I mean UK Mail; anyway again I move from my point. So there I am thinking how nice it would be to be able to watch TV, and then suddenly bump I've only day dreamed so much I've slowed down and hit the curb. You see SONY this is what you're making me like, you've withdrawn one of my pleasures in life and now I am day dreaming and not concentrating whilst I am driving, shame on you SONY to deny a man his simple pleasures in life.

Anyway so let me go back to Thursday 8th January, my phone rings at 11:37 from number 01933670306, now I not usually one for answering numbers I don't know but like above SONY is making me change my habits, so I answer the phone and to my excitement its UK Mail. So UK Mail say to me, "Can we come to your house between 12:00 - 14:00 on Monday 12th January, to which I reply "No" there then is a pause for 10 seconds and the lady asks me what time would be suitable, so I advise anytime between 09:00 or even 08:00 and 12:00, to which I receive the response "I need to check with my manager and will come back to you" so the phone call finishes but I expect a further call back at anytime.

So the hours pass and no call back from UK mail and then at 14:06 my phone rings again and this time it says No Caller ID, like before I break my own rules and answer and YES it's Sam form SONY who advises me he is keeping his promise, so he asks me if UK Mail have called me which i reply yes and relay the above, to which Sam replies he will chase UK Mail and come back to me re them picking the TV up, have I mentioned before that it's sat here in its box and has been for 18 days.

So why am I writing to you today, well the TV is still here, UK Mail haven't called me back, but then they do have the rest of today to do so, so it looks like the saga continues, and unlike the Tars Wars saga it is much less interesting, wonder if this was an actual film plot who they would get to direct it and who would play Shady, Sam, Osama, Lena, Abderahman, and myself, I think for myself I would have someone like Bradley Cooper who is excellent in the new Sniper film, but for the SONY guys and Gals would the muppets be fitting stand in; actually that is wholly unfair to the muppets as they were splendid in "A Muppets Christmas Carol" although I can't fully remember it as I missed the repeat this year as I had no TV. (SONY guys your not really muppets, its the rubbish policies and procedures that you have to abide by, a very poor lack of flexibility).

Hopefully hear from you soon re picking up my TV, or maybe UK Mail will call me back for a minute conversation again, anyway am off to paint my house white and then paint the words UK Mail depot onto it, maybe then UK Mail might be able to find it and pick up my broken TV.

Yours as ever hopefully, faithfully, etc.

James