Thothblog

So as some of you know, I have an on going battle with Sony regarding my laptop.  A brief history in case you don’t know.

Last year, I purchased a Sony VGN-FW190, a new model of theirs with a 16 in screen, awesome construction, overall a good laptop.  Unfortunately, they lied to me when I purchased it saying that it was 64 bit compatible.  it is in fact 64 bit compatible, but they refuse to release/produce the drivers.  here is the rub, the later two modesl of the same damn machine have 64 bit drivers!!!  So I called for a few months asking when the drivers would be available, and they kept telling me the 64 bit drivers were still in development, but a bout a month out (always a month).  Finally I called to complain and after being on the phone for almost 2 hours and speaking to 9 different people, someone finally told me that those drivers are never going to be in production.  Needless to say i was pissed, I wanted a replacement laptop.  Newer model, same specs (FW290 or above).  Sony wouldn’t hear of it.  So I complained to the BBB and reported their sleazy sales tactics.  Sony calls me to tell me they don’t give a SH!T and will not be replacing my laptop.

So today, I got an email from the BBB with Sony’s response to my complaint:

Thank you for contacting Sony Electronics Inc. regarding the complaint your office received from Jason Wilcox concerning his Sony VAIO notebook computer.

There is no documentation to support Mr. Wilcox claim that Sonystyle told him that his notebook PC would be upgradeable to a 64 bit operating system or that there would be 64 bit drivers available for his model. Sony will not exchange his current model for a current model notebook with a 64 bit operating system.

At this point Sony would seem to have me in a pickle…unless of course I was a crazy bastard with trust issues in which case I might have recorded all of my conversations with Sony people and all of my email transcripts where they talk about the 64 bit drivers availability and it being in development.  Teeeeheeee.  So I have quickly responded to the Empires..<ACK> I mean Sony’s response with some yummy transcripts attached.  I even color highlighted for easier reading!  Here is my response below:

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 7884617, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.

To assist the BBB in bringing this matter to a close, please explain why this does not resolve your complaint:

As I informed the multiple people who I have had to contact regarding this situation, I was not provided with documentation during the sales process..  I was provided the 64 bit information over the phone when I spoke with there sales staff.  In addition, I had multiple conversations with multiple Sony tech support who instructed me that the drivers I require for my machine were in development.  Sony records these conversations and has them on file.  However, having the foresight I did, I also recorded the conversations where techs have informed me that the drivers were in production.

Logic would seem to dictate that Sony can’t both provide a unit with only 32 bit drivers and have 64 bit drivers for that same unit under development.

Sony’s response does not solve my complaint because my accusation is that their sales team provided false advertising on this laptop.  They can claim this never occurred in which case I have multiple Sony techs on record as telling me the 64 bit drivers were in production.  So either the Sales team is providing false advertising or the support team is providing false post sales.  Either way some part of Sony is lying to the customer.

As I wrote, I recorded several phone calls with Sony.  I also kept 1 of the transcripts from an email chat session where the support person apologizes that the drivers are not yet posted.  I have hightlighted the areas in red in the attachment.

So we shall see.  Oh, the coup de grace to this whole situation is that my company has completely blacklisted Sony product from our sales and I would estimate in the last few months since we did this they have lost easily 5 digits worth of revenue.  What’s the phrase??????  Oh yes, Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!