Sony Ericsson Refused Repair Cited Water Damage Durham North Carolina

In July '08, I subscribed to a cell plan through AT&T, and chose the Sony Ericsson w580i for my phone. 6 months later, in January '09, I noticed that the Bluetooth function wasn't working on the phone, so I called Sony Ericsson for support.

They recommended a software upgrade to the phone and instructed me on how to perform the upgrade. Immediately after the upgrade finished, the phone turned off and could not be turned back on. After talking with SE tech support, they created an RMA and I sent it in to their repair center.

One week later, they sent the phone back to me, claiming that there was corrosion and that the phone was exposed to liquid. They would not repair the phone as they said that the liquid damage voids the phone's warranty. I called their Warranty Repair line and asked that they reconsider. After several adamant refusals, I called my service provider, AT&T, who told me that there were two moisture indicators on the device which would turn pink/red when exposed to liquid. After verifying that both indicators where white, I called Sony Ericsson back and informed them of it. Sony then told me, verbally and in writing, that the moisture indicators don't always indicate moisture.

I pleaded my case again to Sony, asking them how a software upgrade could cause corrosion to form or have a more detrimental effect on a phone. Their claim was that the software upgrade may have been "the straw that broke the camel's back" - their words.

I explained to Sony that I have never exposed the phone to liquids, and that I take exceptional care of my equipment. Sony then told me that so much as walking into a humid room could have caused the damage!

I have escalated the case, with the exact same refusals as before. I have now taken my case to AT&T - as they are my carrier and may not be too happy with the way Sony is treating their customers, and I am awaiting their response to this issue.

Furthermore, after talking to several AT&T dealers in the area, I've discovered that this kind of "cop-out" is quite standard for Sony to use on customers.

I have never had a phone that has only worked for a period of 6 months before failing. Sony's product design is incredibly poor if the phone can accumulate moisture without even being exposed to it.

Jeff
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
U.S.A.