Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0037902/2015
Category	:	Computers & Accessories
Date	:	03-01-2015
Subject Line	:	sony vaio auto bios update corrupts mother board
Complainant	:	suchitra singh
Address	:	kovempo nagar
Complainee	:	sony (vaio) india
Address	:

Complaint Details
I own a Vaio Latop Model - SVF15218SNW which I purchased on 20th August 2013.
OS: Windows 8.1

On 26th December, 2014 while I was working on my laptop I got a Pop Up message from Vaio Care that the BIOS has been updated and the system needs to be re-started to complete the installation.
Allow me to re-quote that it was an Auto-Update from Vaio Care.

On confirming the Restart Request from Vaio Care, the Laptop Screen froze on the BIOS page prompting "Update Success! Press any key to continue".
To my surprise, on pressing any key it did not respond. I waited for 2-3 hours for the Laptop to respond but all efforts went in waste. Tired! I took help from your Telephonic Support wherein the tech-associate asked to remove the batter and try powering on the laptop using "Assist Key".
But the Laptop would power up for a fraction of second and immediately go off...This kept on going until I removed the battery.

The tech associate asked me to take the laptop to the Service Center - which I did on Saturday (27th December, 2014).

They reverted back saying that the Mother board has to be replaced for the BIOS has got crashed.

My concern here is that even though the laptop is void of warranty, Still the BIOS got crashed because of an Auto-Update from Sony's end. Had it been some normal Hardware issue I would have paid in for the damaged part. But in present case the Hardware has gone berserk because of some Update from Sony's end so why SHOULD I BE BEARING THE COST OF THE DAMAGE!

On 30th Dec 2014..
I got a call from Sony Support Team telling me that my laptop's mother board has got corrupted and need to be replaced and since the product was out of warranty I have to pay the estimate provided by the service center.

I told the executive (who was pretty rude to me) that I would not have raised the concern with you people in the first place had it been a fault at my end. But since there was an update, a BIOS UPDATE which is sent from sent from Sony, the auto update led to this damage and since I did not do it manually and it never asked me any confirmation I should liable to pay for the damage the malicious update has done.

But I got the same reply again and again from the executive. That you will have to pay for it since the laptop is out of warranty. And since you brought it in a not starting state we can not help much.

She was unable to understand what state should I have brought it! I was working on my laptop, suddenly an update came, it asked me to press any key to continue, I pressed return key nothing happened. I waited for hours. did as the technical support help help desk team told me on call. What else do you want from a customer. On sony's suggestion I went to an authorized service center.

I don't know what the fault is and I am being told there is a problem with LCD or power button or something or the other in the mother board. All they know is they have to replace the mother board which is the costliest component of any laptop.

My previous laptop was also a VAIO and for the new one also I went for VAIO and this is what I get in return. I am being asked to pay for 25% of what I brought it for and 75% of what its current worth is. And that to when I was simply using it.

Just because its out of warranty I would not pay for the mother board corruption or what ever it is. If after repair I again get such updates and my system shuts down forever and you guys tell me the mother board got corrupted I would have to pay again!! Keep sending such update and keeping selling your good for nothing mother boards now that the VAIO manufacturing has stopped.

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