Sony Vaio Help

[Flyhigh96]

I bought a new Sony VAIO Digital Studio computer....P4 1.8 ghz, 80 G hard drive CD and DVD-RW.

Every time I turned on the system the parallel printer would go crazy and lights flash....turn the printer off then back on and it ejects a sheet.

That is until the system locked up and had to turn the computer OFF. Now the printer is recognized in control panel, but nothing prints. Control panel/printer shows it has a print job waiting but won't print.

I've turned off, unplugged, and removed the serial cable and removd the printer from control panel.....then reconnected everything. Printer shows up in control panel but still won't print.

Prob: #2; Using AOL dial up...every time I reboot or restart, the modem won't handshake after it connects to the AOL phone lines. I have to go to control panel, REMOVE the modem, reboot, turn off the machine, unplug it, then restart, then go thru AOL's setup routine. Sometimes it works the first time...sometimes I have to repeat the procedure.

This is the SECOND SONY that has had problems, including the MODEM, though the first had different flukes.

prob#3. The sony photo editing software doesn't recognize my Sony camera, though the system does when I plug into the IEEE1394 port. Message says 'cannot find camera, check the cable and try again". Cable is fine as the system sees the camera.

Oh....and Sony tech support sucks...either a message of a "30 minute wait".....or after punching 1 for his and 2 for that over and over and finally getting to the Sony VAIO support....get a busy signal.

Any help will be appreciated.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Well, you could try to reach their HQ in NYC and they'll kick you over to their 600employee site in FL for all the good it'll do you.

I ended up apparently having their legal dept. review my complaints which is why Tecnical Support ended by claiming their "disclaimer clause" which SONY stated means they do not have to keep their word.

They "disclaim" their representations over aspects of their own product over which they have and had complete control--like posting a Manual at their support site.

They got P.O. at me apparently , because they had to keep their word, and post the Manual.

I would have sued them --except I was too preoccupied with more important matters. Not for consumer fraud--but for violating my rights under the Americans with Disabilty Act (ADA) when I asked HQ to give me the name of their Equal Opportunity/ Disabilities Coordinator and nobody know what I was talking about.

Finally I was given to Tech Support--where I was told "I don't want to hear any legal-mumbo jumbo" when I explained to him I had called for their EO/DC Officer.

The culture at SONY is to view the customer--apparently like their own employees --as inconsequential. Deny it all.

I don't know if the statute of limitations has run out--but when I am able I will contact some disability advocacy groups to deal with their ignorance or disregard of--perhaps they have a "disclaimer clause" about following Federal laws--the ADA.

Technical support maintained for six months that an AMD Duron CPU can be supported by an Intel 810 Chipset. The fact that it is false --and senior people had been advised of this---was inconsequential to them. "Does Intel Support AMD ? Ask SONY." To keep their jobs, the Tech people had to toe the Co's lies.

My advice is to keep careful written records, get Employee badge #'s, and contact management in NYC. And do so in writing. Certified mail, Return Receipt.

Good luck.

DOOOOG

[HfdWolfPack]

Please listen close as our menu has changed.............

I feel for ya man

Aw man don't me started with Vaio's..........

ok
First thing; about the dv camcorder, make sure you are using a Sony iLink cable. I tried 3-4 generic cables and none worked ( even Belkin)
Have you tried using the DVGate software?

I am sure Sony told you this 1,000 times, but just in case, make sure the camera is in VCR/VTR mode.

Also, On our Sony dvcam (DCR-PC5), you have to go into the menu and set it for dv-in/out.

with my bosses Vaio, I tried everything you can think of and finally convinced Sony the hardware was bad. ( I really don't want to get into Sony's "I'll just read the manual to you" tech support) I ship it to them, they ship it back 3 weeks later....still no go.


So, I told my boss about the Sony Center in NY. He bought it over there while in the city where Live Sony people could check it out. they said the port on the board was not working( isn't that what they replaced and tested a few weeks prior ?!?!?)

So, we send it back. When we get it back ( they made sure to format all partions this time )
We got a Sony cable and all's well.

This whole procedure with Sony took about 6 months.


I do not like Sony at all

[MegalosSkylaki]

One of the conclusions I draw--and I've felt this way for a while--is that when a Company wastes your time like this in such an outrageous manner---they should have to PAY for your time.

At your usual and customary rate of pay at least.

There is no penalty for THEM that YOU had to waste time over a period of six months.

I spent six months with SONY too.

Basically I concluded that their institutional conceppt of Customer Care is: bloway the Customer by making it so difficult that nobody would want to deal with the Company.

I think there are some people who make a living by fighting outrageous Co's practices. I'm not saying the Customer is always right. But when the Customer is obviously right--like the computer on board Manual being a Link to the SONY Support Site "Reference Manual"--and it doesn't exist, then most assuredly they should pay for MY time.

I'm sure thay are not the only Co. to try to pull the "disclaimer clause" scam on a Customer.

Most problems, or at least a lot, ARE within the Co's control. Many Computer problems are due to user error, sure, but inadequate documentation can be a cause of that.

Certainly maintaining there is an Intel Chipset in a AMD-CPU machine--by TECHnical Support--was outrageous.

You can try to "disclaim" stupidity--but you can't disclaim responsibility.

DOOOG

P.S> to Flyhigh: Keep an anectodotal record of your dealings with SONY.

[Flyhigh96]

More problems:

Sony apparently doesn't care about making its products work together. I had previously purchased a Sony DPP-SV55 Digital Photo Printer....it will only print photos.

For several months the proprietary paper/cartridge was not available anywhere, so the printer was unusable. Finally the paper became available and prints beautiful pics from the memory stick.

However, the printer is NOT compatibable with Win XP, which is what comes on the Sony Digital Studio Computers....so I cannot use my Sony Digital Printer with my Sony Digital Studio Computer. Sony has no SP Drivers for XP on its website. Downloaded the W2000 drivers and the printer worked for awhile, then quit....as I've been told would happen.


Sony refuses to answer anything by Email, despite their site saying they would....resorting instead to automated response which fails to answer the specific questions.

Their second automated Email sends tips then states that if these tips don't help to reply back to the Email.

Doing so gets another response that says they can't answer questions as this is an automated response.

The accessories brochure that came with the camera features a water resistant case for use in white-water rafting, rain, waterfalls, etc.

But I learned that it is NOT AVAILABLE in the good old US.

I'll put a plug in for the computer dealer....Sound Track...one of several retail store brands by parent company Ultimate Electronics. I discussed my problems with a store manager and he replaced my first Sony Computer after FOUR MONTHS, despite their 30 day return policy.

I've had the new one a week but has the problems mentioned in my first post.

[surreal]

Flyhigh96, Glad to see you come by

[MegalosSkylaki]

They also have (or had) a fax-back anwer system. It never worked. I spoke to a Senior Customer Service person and he was aware of tis. Yet the Co still kept referring me to it. Knowledge had no effect on behavior.

Interestingly, when I tried to confirm what the chipset was, the Service Manager had to do the same thing I did: go to the Internet and try to find some reliable info about a chipset that resembles the one in thei Computer. SONY could not rely on its own Tech Computer for information !

The problem your having with SONY sounds to me a lot like mine insofar beyond the tech issues, there are ethical issues.

A free-market economy relies on competition by quality or price--not by deception. Otherwise other Co's are forced to stoop to the same level just to maintain parity. The currancy of truth is devalued.

Put more bluntly, they seem to have misrepresented their product and created obfuscation when you tried to get the truth.

DOOOG

[Flyhigh96]

More:


Latest problem: Hooked up my HP scanner, the computer says "new hardware found", and ID's the scanner, but when try to scan an error message saying the scanner isn't hooked up or can't find it, comes up.

On my first Sony crap, this worked fine.

Also; The problem with the camera isn't that I can't upload for editing...the problem is sending still pics to the memory stick which the SW says can do, and the Sony camera manual also says one can do.

So one relies on Sony "quality" and would expect a Sony Computer designed specifically for photo and video editing to work with a Sony digital photo printer and a Sony digital camera.

But it doesn't.

[Redwolf]

Wow, sounds like noones too happy with sony.

Looks like apple cornered the market fly!

1st suggestion: Get a Dell or other computer (Alienware is too sweet!)

2nd suggestion: For scanner. One guy had this problem. His driver disk wis defective, so I tol him to exchange it. He got a new scanner and it worked just fine. Try reinstalling the driver.

3rd suggestion: Buy a Firewire(IEEE1394) PCI card and use that.

4th suggestion: Sklyaki, sounds like Sony doesn't know how to sell computers. I'd suggest hiring a very good lawyer and going after them, but Not everyone can do this. Sony needs a kick in the pants tho.

[Flyhigh96]

Thanks Redwolf. I priced out a Dell comperable to my $1600 Sony, and it was almost $2300 with similar software that is bundled w/SONY and is why I bought it...photo and video editing.

Removed the scanner from control panel, uninstalled the S/W, reinstalled everything and it works fine. BTW, the Sony drivers aren't as complete as the HP drivers that came with the scanner. Same with the HP 932 printer.

I use the firewire with my camera but the SONY photo SW doesn't see the camera, even though the system does.

As I said in my first post...Sony makes wonderful audio/video products but their computers SUCK. They don't even use a Sony DVD or CD in their Sony computers. Mouse and keyboard made in China.