Unresponsive Customer Service in the US re Z3 Compact Repair

[jrbmed08]

Hello and Happy New Year!  I was just wondering if anyone had experience with sending in a Z3 Compact for warranty repair/replacement in the US.  I've live chatted and called in multiple times and I can't get any information on the status of my repair or when I'll have my phone back.  I'm wondering if you guys might have some advice on what to do next.

My Z3 Compact suddenly started having battery issues (first similar to this: http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Compact/Battery-levels-jumping-randomly-and-not-charging/td-... and then it stuck at 50% and would neither charge nor discharge).  My phone is under warranty until 2017, so I called in, got an RMA number, and sent it in to their repair center in Laredo, TX.  It arrived on 12/14, and here's the problem: Nobody can give me an update as to what's going on.  Several live chats and emails yielded no information.  After one week I called their customer service line, and they said it was being escalated to a manager, who was supposed to email me in 24-48 hours but did not.  After the second week, I called again, and the same thing happened (promised an email from a manager, which I did not receive).

I was told at the beginning that since my phone is an international model, they may have to order parts and could not give me an ETA, but they did say that most repairs are finished within 14 business days.  They have had my phone for at least 10 business days now (and 2.5 weeks total), and I really should have heard some sort of update by now.  I'm trying to be patient because it's the holidays and I'm sure their repair techs have some time off, but some communication would be the bare minimum of acceptable customer service.  At the very least, if Sony doesn't provide automatic updates, I should be able to get some info by calling in, instead of this ridiculous run-around.

What else can I do to get some information on the status of my warranty claim?

[FrontierGate]

Is that an authorized 3rd party repair centre? Usually they have their own website, and you can contact the repair centre directly.

Most likely, they will give you a new battery replacement, no reason to order extra parts in your case.

[jrbmed08]

It's the official Sony repair center.

[ETMCC · Accepted solution]

I feel your pain. I had a similar lack of information when my Z3C's rear screen randomly cracked after 3 days of ownership. It was sent to Laredo. I never had an update...called at least twice to have an update and was told I would soon receive a response and know whether or not the repair would be covered by warranty. 

Two weeks passed, and all of a sudden I receive a box from Sony with my repaired phone inside. No update, no notification, no nothing.

TL,DR: expecting anything close to decent communication or customer service with this Sony repair center is little more than dreaming.

Wishing you the best of luck...

-Evan

[jrbmed08]

Thanks, I appreciate you sharing your experience. Hopefully the same happens with mine.

[jrbmed08]

Update: I got a shipping notice from Fedex that the phone is on its way to me.  I have no idea what they did (assuming they replaced the battery?) but at least it's coming.

If anyone from Sony reads these forums, please improve your communication with customers.  The ~3 week turnaround time is not unacceptable, especially given the holidays, but the lack of communication is.

[jrbmed08]

The phone arrived with a working battery and a list of what they replaced. All is well but again, Sony, please improve your communication with customers!