Broken stylus syndrome

[jacksnan]

Here I am, yet another victim of the 'broken stylus syndrome'.  I only had my PRS350 for 4 weeks before the stylus broke and it had been treated with all due care and attention!! Contacted the Sony shop in Plymouth where it was brought - they said they couldn't help!!  Then contacted Sony Head Office who couldn't have been less interested.

Got all the usual rubbish about it was an accessory to the main unit and therefore not covered by the guarantee and, no, they were not prepared to send me another one as a gesture of goodwill blah! blah! blah!

They obviously don't care about their customers, their customer service or their after-sales service so shan't be buying Sony again.

The price of a replacement stylus (even if you can find one!!) is extortionate for  what would seem to be a very weak piece of plastic.  I chose the Sony product because I always assumed they produced quality products (how wrong I was) and   I thought I was just unlucky, but it would appear that this is a very common fault which Sony don't seem inclined to put right - they should be ashamed of themselves!!!

[carpetmojo]

  Take the whole unit back to the store you purchased it from - that is who your contract is with in the first place.

The stylus is an integral, essential part of the device, in fact engineered around it, not an "accessory" , which you choose to have or not - as  we all know, it's next to impossible to get hold of the things anyway ! [ N.B. see all past threads on this topic  !]

Tell the store when it broke, not your fault, etc... and that under the Trades Descriptions Act it isn't fit for purpose.

If it's someone like Waterstones, they'll probably be happy to take it back/sort it for you - they have in the past.  If it was  Amazon (do they sell it ?) you shouldn't have any trouble in getting a replacement unit. Just ring Returns.

However, if suppliers deny responsibility, they are wrong, you have a contract with them, not Sony. The least they should agree to do is get you another stylus.

[And there seem to be 2 types of stylus around, one a one-piece plastic one, and a smarter, metal and plastic tipped one.This one is the one I have heard of breaking most.You would think the one-piece plastic ones would cost about 200 quid for a million, and take a day to produce ! They could give 'em away with cornflakes.]

Secondly, I think, seeing the ridiculous state of Sony never accepting their  responsibilty for anything they make, especially Readers, I honestly suggest considering a Small Claims Court application for replacement or refund, including your costs, against the supplier initially. It's very informal, and if they don't turn up to defend it, they lose. If they do turn up, they have to explain why the things keep breaking, why they won't help anyone, and why they aren't prepared to fix warranty problems. Then they lose.

So Sony would need to help them out.

The sheer fact of these things breaking so much proves they aren't fit for purpose, anyway, and if they can't supply replacements, they have to replace the whole unit, surely.

Why do they have to keep stonewalling, and keep being everything a successful, "caring" company shouldn't

be ? I am quite mystified. 

It seems like they have signed up to the attitude reflected in a lot of industrial negligence actions - keep doing nothing and the problem will go anyway, perhaps they'll all die and stop being a nuisance.

Finally, a stopgap if you need one,  "allegedly"  :-  "allegedly" a size 11 plastic knitting needle, or a wooden kebab skewer,  is exactly the right size for the 650, trim to size, stick funny eraser or whatever on to top !

Message was edited by: carpetmojo

[jacksnan]

Thanks for your input carpetmojo.   I actually brought my Reader from a Sony shop and that was my first port of call when the stylus broke.  They told me they couldn't help and referred me to Sony Head Office - so no joy there then!!

Like you I am mystified by Sony's reaction to what is obviously an ongoing problem.  I am actually amazed that a company the size of Sony are so bothered about replacing these items when they break because they must only cost 'pennies'. Obviously, 'pennies' are more important to Sony than their reputation!!!!

Thanks for the tip about the knitting needle/kebab skewer - it may well come to that!!!

[carpetmojo]

Hi jacksnan - strictly speaking, your contract is with that store, Sony or not, and they shoukld be doing the contacting Sony.

Did you threaten 'em with the Sale of Goods, and small claims ?

It's amazing the effect that sometimes has.

You might as well, they obviously couldn't care less about your problem - which they are not allowed to do.

It's theirs too.

Heard/read some funny things on MobileRead about Sony in the States - no orders being taken in some areas, claim they have too many back-orders as it is and can't fullfill them......................

[jacksnan]

"TOO MANY BACK ORDERS" - ha ha!!   Probably "too many broken accessories"!!!!!!!