Suing Sony

Trying to get your warranty honored on a laptop with a cracked LCD display is generally as easy as running through a brick wall. The presumption by the manufacturer is always that the damage is due to customer abuse. But one reader recently succeeded in getting compensation on a Sony laptop, although only after going to the lengths of filing a lawsuit against the company. The reader's story started out pretty mu

I must admit that when the reader first described his case to me, I didn't think his chances would be very good if Sony showed up to fight, which they showed every sign of doing. After all, while Sony couldn't prove he was responsible for damaging the screen, he couldn't prove he wasn't. And vendors often have a number of tricks up their sleeves such as mandatory arbitration clauses in their sneakwrap terms they can trot out in these cases. And the reader had discovered that his state is one that could allow Sony to appeal for a trial de novo if it lost the small claims action, requiring him to get a lawyer or drop the case.

But the reader felt confident that he had a good case, particularly with the circumstantial evidence his research on the Internet had uncovered of others suffering similar problems with Sony laptops and Sony batteries. And perhaps Sony thought so too. "In this matter, Sony elected to settle the claim and we negotiated a very favorable settlement, the terms of which we agreed to keep confidential," the reader wrote back when I asked him what had happened with his case. "I think it is simply that once again, a huge company [Sony] doesn't want to mess around with a tiny, tiny situation of a small claims court case [mine] so, it settles the dispute. Fighting it would have been cost-prohibitive for them."

The reader is satisfied that, even though it was settled out of court, his small claims case was worth doing. "Sony's customer service had said a cracked LCD isn't covered under its warranty. I was looking forward to having my 'day in court' after spending a day in a local library to prepare, so I'm sorry to say we never did resolve that issue. But, yes, I am very satisfied. There is a new and better laptop on my desk and Sony wrote in a final letter to me: 'Customer Service is very important to Sony, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention.'"

If you've found a good way to get a manufacturer to honor its warranty, bring the matter to our attention. Post your comments below or write me at Foster@gripe2ed.com.