Sony Rant: PS3 Controller - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Prototype · 12-09-2009, 01:26 PM

So my PS3 Controller broke back in July. I called their warranty department as I puchased my system back in September of '08. I don't remember exactly what transpried within the conversation that day, if anyone told me when the service request was to expire, whatever.

I sent out the controller early November, due to packing and getting ready to move to a new house. My life and my damily take presidence over video game consoles.

I just got it back today unrepaired due to 'product is out of the SCEA warranty period'.

I called the number provided on the letter I had recieved. Thinking that there was someway they would still honor due to the information they had on reccord. I assumed that if the unit broke while under warranty, they would still fix it no matter when they got it, considering I informed them of the issue.

They wont do anything for me due to them recieving the unit 2-3 after the warrenty expired, but also to the amount of time between when I called in the issue, and when I sent it in, regardless of the situation I was in outside of my gaming life.

I even talked to a supervisor, and he shut me down as well.

They send out an email that you have to print out, and place in the box with the unit, and nowhere on this email does it mention anything about a 30-day expiry after the call in.

I'm pissed, and the only advice I got from SONY: Buy a new controller.

I've delt with Microsoft who helped me out just outside of warranty. Nintendo honored the warranty on a system for my work that had expired. SONY wont budge at all.

So, if you have anything SONY still under warranty, and you think they'll be kind to you taking a little more time, even if you inform them that the unit broke within your warranty... don't.

So pissed off with them right now. Yeah, I should have sent it out day one. I shouldn't have taken months to get it to them... I can't believe a company wont bend to make their customers happen, even after spending a lot of money on their product.

I should have known better with the reputation of SONY being a four letter word. Horrible.

ricosuave · 12-09-2009, 01:47 PM

Yeah, Sony is a big ol' corporate dick.

Human Torch · 12-09-2009, 01:52 PM

Fooking sony sending out lumps of coal!!! http://customsites.yahoo.com/financi...l?ywaad=ad0035

Bertuzzied · 12-09-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricosuave

Yeah, Sony is a big ol' corporate dick.

yeah wish they were more like Microsoft, sending out a gaming console with an 80% failure rate.

koop · 12-09-2009, 03:10 PM

Yeah it sucks, but the warranty expired. I would be pleasantly surprised if a company bent it's rules for me in a case like this, rather than expecting it. The thing that bothers me about complaints like this is that I'm pretty sure if they did bend their rules for you and covered your controller under warranty there wouldn't be a thread complimenting Sony on their great customer service.

Also, like you said Sony does give people a little extra time to send things in for warranty, but even if they do there is a certain point in time when that extra time has to expire, and you were past that point. Everyone has a reason they couldn't send something in on time, and many of those reasons are probably good ones, but at a certain point Sony has to set a deadline for warranties, otherwise everything becomes a lifetime warranty.

If Sony screws you over by all means complain about it and tell people what they did wrong, but I think it's a little ridiculous to expect and then complain when a company doesn't bend it's rules for you.

Prototype · 12-09-2009, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koop

If Sony screws you over by all means complain about it and tell people what they did wrong, but I think it's a little ridiculous to expect and then complain when a company doesn't bend it's rules for you.

My issue with all of this is that I had to inform them that the product was broken, before the warranty expired. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm a few weeks after the warranty sending it in, it shouldn't matter, as it was broken before.

It's not like I called in an issue in hopes I could have taken advantage of the warranty after the fact. It broke in July... regardless when I sent it in.

When did the depot in the NE close down. That's where I went when I had a MiniDisc Player break under warranty.

GreatWhiteEbola · 12-09-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Human Torch

Fooking sony sending out lumps of coal!!! http://customsites.yahoo.com/financi...l?ywaad=ad0035

By the time the battery wears out, it may be time for a new controller anyway.

Esoteric · 12-09-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prototype

My issue with all of this is that I had to inform them that the product was broken, before the warranty expired. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm a few weeks after the warranty sending it in, it shouldn't matter, as it was broken before.

It's not like I called in an issue in hopes I could have taken advantage of the warranty after the fact. It broke in July... regardless when I sent it in.

When did the depot in the NE close down. That's where I went when I had a MiniDisc Player break under warranty.

How do they know that the product actually broke? People could call this in all the time before their warranty expires, and then if their product breaks after the period, then they could just send it in.

They don't care about intent, only on what actually happened. As much as I'd like to say to Futureshop, "Hey, I'm planning on buying 2 games and getting the third free this week, but I won't actually buy these until another month from now", they won't honor the coupon after it expries.

TheU · 12-09-2009, 04:35 PM

the only issue i have with the ps3 controller is the right analog stick is too close to the xo^and square buttons, so its always resting against my thumb

oh yeah and ea sports games look better on the x box.

Hemi-Cuda · 12-09-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

By the time the battery wears out, it may be time for a new controller anyway.

i like the fact that i didn't have to buy a rechargeable battery pack + charger like i did with my 360, and that i can just plug the controller into the PS3 with any USB cable to charge it

dre · 12-09-2009, 04:42 PM

I wonder if anyone has successfully put the internals of a PS3 controller into the
XBOX controller and made it work?

ricosuave · 12-09-2009, 04:44 PM

I think the point is, that PT DID inform them of an issue, he just couldnt get it in due to moving...

Oh, and...
http://www.slashgear.com/custom-ps3-...roller-174812/

dre · 12-09-2009, 04:46 PM

Thank you! I was planning on doing it myself when I purchase the ps3.

Clever_Iggy · 12-09-2009, 04:49 PM

That's tough. Waiting ~4 months to send in a product for warranty work is pretty unreasonable... however, you do have a good argument that not only did the product break within the warranty period, but you notified them of that fact at the time, so they can't argue that you're trying to pull a fast one on them.

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esoteric

How do they know that the product actually broke? People could call this in all the time before their warranty expires, and then if their product breaks after the period, then they could just send it in.

That's a good point. If you're outside of the warranty period when you send the product in, you should be barred from receiving the benefit of the warranty (as of the date of postage, not receipt). At a certain point, the onus has to be on the consumer for acting reasonably quickly.

Human Torch · 12-09-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

By the time the battery wears out, it may be time for a new controller anyway.

Yup pretty much. I've worn out 2 controllers already because of nhl09/nhl10 haha. They still charged but the buttons were worn. And ya I also like the fact I don't have to deal with battery packs for these controllers.

d_phaneuf · 12-09-2009, 10:02 PM

thats weird, I had a really good experience with Sony when my PS3 blu ray reader broke 2 weeks after my warranty expired

The girl on the phone basically told me to say that I started experiencing problems the week before my warranty expired and that put in a report thing in my file that I had emailed them about it at that time. So it got replaced

I guess as with most places it comes down to the person who picks up the phone when you call for service

Human Torch · 12-09-2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

I guess as with most places it comes down to the person who picks up the phone when you call for service

This is true. I had to try twice to get my playstation account sharing limit reset. Try contacting them again.

Prototype · 12-09-2009, 10:06 PM

No, they has mentioned that had it been the system itself, there's more they could do. The bottom line for me, and by reading the posted article, many others, I'm SOL, regardless what I did while it was still in warranty.

mykalberta · 12-10-2009, 09:32 AM

I will have to side with Sony. Your moving is not their problem - you had time to call them, was it so difficult to put it in a box and walk to the post office? With all warranty work I have ever dealt with its always been 30 days since you received authorization. Also, sending something in after the warranty date has expired thinking it would get fixed - I am surprised they didnt send the controller back COD.

Raekwon · 12-10-2009, 09:35 AM

Most places give 30 days to receive the defective product for warranty after the RMA is setup. So if your warranty expired November 1 and you called October 31 and opened a ticket they would still honor the warranty as long as it was received within that period even though its past warranty.

I find it hard to feel bad that they wouldn't repair it just because it broke in July considering it wasn't sent in until November. Sure your life and family come first but the time it would have taken to send it in was minimal. 30days seems standard I mean tell me honestly what do you think would have been a reasonable time for you to send it in? If they mad an exception for you where do they draw the line?