I do not know what is worse, the Sony Xperia J phone, or the “Customer Service” department of Sony Mobile Phones!
I have had two issues with the handset since I received it. The first one is the fact that the only way I can get the headphones to work is by installing a 3rd Party App. Without the App the headphones will not work. When I reported this to Sony via their on-line support agent I was asked several times if I had tried the headphones in other devices and other headphones in my phone. I repeatedly informed them that I had but was still asked several questions later if I had tried the headphones in other devices and other headphones in my phone. Clearly the agent was not bothering to read the screen to see the answers to questions they had already asked.
I had performed several partial resets to the phone along with a full factory reset before making the call to the “Customer Service” department, all to no avail.
I was then told very abruptly that I could return the handset to Sony and if they found a fault then they would repair the handset, not replace it but repair it, but if they found nothing wrong, which they felt would be the case then I would be charged £14 for the privilege.
The second and more worrying issue surrounds the ability to send and receive calls. On more occasions than I care to remember, I have received calls from people only to not be able to hear them. I have tried calling them back only to have the same issue.
This is happening from various mobile phones and networks and also landlines to my phone. I have powered off my handset, removed the battery for a short period of time, performed a partial reset and full factory reset. I am able to use the phone as normal but eventually the phone will ultimately fail to make\receive calls again.
Again I contacted “Customer Services” and went through the normal barrage of scripted questions and again the agent suggested that I returned the handset and they would look into the issue and if they found anything wrong then they would repair – not replace – the handset but if not then they would charge me £14 for inconveniencing them.
Both of these issues happened in the first 12 months of having the handset from new which meant that it was still under manufacturer warranty, but I was the one who had to suffer the inconvenience of having to box up my handset and return it to Sony on the off-chance that they bothered to look into the issues that I had and not sting my for £14.
When I queried as to why I had to return the device to them for repair and could not just take it back to the shop that I bought the device from, they told me that was the policy so basically take it or leave it.
Ultimately I have not returned my handset as they would probably say that they could find nothing wrong and charge me £14. I am going persevere with what I have until I can renew my handset and then get something that is not Sony and then drop this pile of plastic dross into an industrial shredder.
Why am I still using this piece of plastic dross you may be asking? Well I have paid for it and it is the only handset I have. I do not see why I should pay out for another handset when it is clearly the responsibility of the manufacturer to honour its warranty and replace it and not force me to have to ship it to them.
For those of you who have this device and it works faultlessly then I trust it remains that way. For those who have no issues with the level of “Service” they have received from Sony then again I trust it stays at the level you have become accustomed to.
I am not ranting on like this to get people to stop buying from Sony. I would like to think that you can make your own informed decisions and not be swayed but my ranting, but I felt that those looking into getting a Sony phone should see what one person has gone through with this company; its “Customer Service” department and the handset I current have the misfortune of using.
Rant over!!!
