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Report: #498875

Complaint Review: Sony Computer Entertainment of America - Internet

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  • Reported By: Carlos — Orlando Florida USA
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  • Sony Computer Entertainment of America www.us.playstation.com Internet United States of America

Sony Computer Entertainment of America SCEA Firmware v3.01 update crashes consoles stops Blueray or PS3 Game Playback and they want the consumer to Pay $150, Internet

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I own an original launch 60GB PS3 system I paid $700 for it when purchase on 9/8/07. On 09/19/2009 after using the system I noticed that an update was available to the systems firmware which was released by Sony. The new version is 3.01. I was running 2.xx firmware at the time. Since the system notified me that I should install it, I did as I normally do with other system updates.
After I install the update, the Ps3 reboots and restarts as normal. I generally check to make sure everything is OK after an update and I do the following:
After the install I put the the Ninja Gaiden disc i had just been playing and it did not recognize the disc, huh that's weird. 
I ejected Ninja Gaiden and put in Beowolf, it read it just fine and allowed it to play.  I ejected Beowolf and tried Ninja Gaiden again, but it still did not read the disc. Hmmm.    
I re-inserted Beowolf and it did not recognize the disc.  **bleep**????
I inserted Casino Royal, read it fine, played it fine. Eject and reinsert does not recognize the disc????????
I insert warhammer, reads it fine, eject and reinsert, does not read the disc.   What the Hell???
I try regular DVD's and old PS2 games all work just fine.
I call Sony they tell me to reset the Sytem to default and if that does not work to try to boot it into SAFE Mode and Restore the PS3.
Reset to default does nothing to fix the problem.
I Go the Restore the PS3 route.   15hrs later (250gb Hard disk now in the system).  I finally have the PS3 back.
I insert Ninja Gaiden and it works, Woo h*o, I think.
I Insert Beowolf and it work, GREAT!!!!
I reinsert Ninja Gaiden, It doesn't recognize the disc
I reinsert Beowolf, Doesn't recognize the disc.
Insert Casino Royal Blueray Movie, plays it once, eject reinsert, doesn't recognize the disc.
I call Sony and Speak to a tech guy named Josh. He tells me that this is common and tells me to go to www.us.playstation.com and search their forms for safe mode. He tells me to put it in safe mode and run option three restore to default settings. I hang up and follow his instructions.
After the above us done, I try the discs again and experience the same behavior as above.
I call Sony tech support again and speak to a lady named Katrena, she attempts to help me but keeps insisting that I need to send my system in and pay them $150 for the to replace my system because the blueray device is defective. I ask why I should pay this when the system worked fine before this update, this appears to be a firmware issue, something that was coded into the way the blueray device is accessed in this release is causing my blueray system to not read them correctly any more. She becomes adamant that there is nothing she can do unless I pay them $150. I smell scam by now. I ask them to simply roll back my firmware to my previous version to prove that there is nothing wrong with my blueray drive, she insists that they cannot do that that they know what the problem is and it will cost me $150 to fix it. She also states that of the millions of people that own their system why am I the only one having a problem. I informed her that Josh had previously told me that this was a common issue but she continues to feign ignorance.
I ask to speak to a supervisor and while waiting, go back to their website I perform a search for PS3 firmware issues and lo and behold various threads appear with people experiencing the same issue beginning with vs 3.00. Sony even released a press release stating that they released v3.01 because many people were having issues with 3.00.
When I read through the threads I find that close to 60 users, the majority with the same 60 GB original model as myself are experiencing the same issue with inability to read Blueray Game or Movies discs as myself.
I search on Google so that my search can be broader and find even more people with the same issue. The issues are broad enough to prompt the BBC's Watchdog group to air a report on a similar issue causing a total failure of the system.
As I read through the threads on us.playstation.com, I see that many of the posters have contacted Sony's tech support department and reported this issue yet they continue to feign ignorance and accuse me of being the only one reporting this issue.
Eventually the Floor Supervisor Kristina came to the phone. She listens to what I have to say and then states that she has never heard of this issue and tells me that my options are to send it in and pay $150 or try to put it back into safe mode and do a Rebuild Filesystem or Restore PS3. There is nothing else she can do.
I hang up and perform the Rebuild Filesystem. Same behavior.
I Restore PS3 = This takes 14.5 hrs and finishes on Sunday afternoon and completely erases all information I previously had stored on my PS3.
When the System restarts I go through my testing process above it exhibits the same exact behavior.
I call Sony again and this time speak with James Briggs, I explain the situation again and he tells me that I need to pay them $150. This is beginning to sound like a broken record. I ask why, he tells me that they replace my system. I ask him if it's possible that Sony could just restore my firmware version to the previous one and he states that they will not. I ask if they could troubleshoot it to determine if the blueray drive is actually defective he once again states they will not because they already know what the problem is. I ask how that is possible without actually looking at my hardware, he states it's from experience with millions of consoles.
I ask how it's possible for my console to be working fine before this update but stop working after the update he states that it was a coincidence. I ask him about the approx 60 other people on their forum who are reporting blueray player not reading discs after the firmware update and he states that it's 60 coincidences.
I then, becoming frustrated with him ask to speak to a supervisor to which he replies It doesn't matter who I transfer you to, I can transfer you to the President of Sony and he'll tell you the same thing!. This rude comment set me aback but I insisted on speaking to a Supervisor.
I spoke to Becky who proceeded to tell me that I once again had to pay them $150 or their hands are tied. I offered a barter, If they restore the old firmware back and my system continues to exhibit the blueray reading issue, I would gladly pay them the $150 plus a diagnostic fee. They refused and told me that they could not do that. I asked why, on any modern computer you should be able to roll back any updates that were previously done if they have issues, Becky told me that they would not do that and once again asked me to pay them. I continued to plead my case with my explanation falling on deaf ears. Becky continued to ask for the $150 and refused to acknowledge that Sony Tech Support had any knowledge of this issue even after I pointed out to her that it was all over their forums.
Today 09/21/2009 I called consumer relations and spoke to a gentleman named Jim, Jim in turn connected me with another Floor Supervisor named Randall who reiterated what the other had said, I asked to speak with their supervisor and spoke to a manager named Holly. Every one of these folks keeps insisting that it has nothing to do with the firmware update and that all these issues being posted about the older, out of warranty systems failing after the firmware updates are simply coincidences. Eventually Holly offered to send me a free game if I paid them the $150 to repair my system. Of course I am not accepting that as an acceptable solution.
They refuse to diagnose any of these systems to substantiate their claims and are adamant that it is a hardware failure without even checking any consoles. How are they so sure that it is a hardware failure? Is it clairvoyance? Was it caused by them? Should the consumer just trust Sony Computer Entertainment because they would never deceive us? Why won't they roll back the firmware on a now malfunctioning system to prove that it's what they claim? They sure seem eager to get the $150 but not really listen to what the customer is saying.
If you check this thread:
(((link redacted)))
you'll notice that someone posted that Sony did in fact make hardware changes with the 3.0 release including changes to the drive's spindle speed, which could cause the drives to fail or stop reading the blueray discs..
If you have any other questions in regard to this issue please feel free to contact me.
Thank you
  CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 09/22/2009 06:14 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/sony-computer-entertainment-of-america/internet/sony-computer-entertainment-of-america-scea-firmware-v301-update-crashes-consoles-stops-b-498875. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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