Please help - Sony VAIO Laptop screen needs replacing!

yatin123

Hi there,
I bought a new SONY VAIO VGN-NS20SS from Currys only in May '09.
When I was trying to put the battery charger in, I think I pressed the laptop monitor a bit hard near the left hand top corner while plugging the adapter - I saw rule like straight lines on the screen display. Didn’t notice any crack or as such on the system.
Currys asked me to send the laptop to sony support centre - The VAIO support centre has come back to me saying that the screen had a thin crack which is not covered under warranty. So, they have given me a quote for £750 to replace the screen.
The laptop itself costed me only £540. Can you please let me know where I can look for replacement screen or any good service centre where I can get it repaired?

Fifer

Do you have accidental damage cover on your household contents insurance?

yatin123

Hi, Thanks for your reply.
No, I dont have one - I have rented out my property and moved in March '09. But, ahvent taken any insurance cover.

KingL

Laptop screens aren't that difficult to replace yourself. Here's a few links that might help you...

http://www.fonerbooks.com/laptop_8.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa332DImPSo
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2008/01/07/service-manuals-for-sony-vaio-laptops-notebooks/

http://www.avforums.com/forums/7112917-post18.html

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1873039
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1852991
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1306517

.

yatin123

Thanks very much KingL and Fifer for your quick responses! KingL, I will go thro' the links and will find a suitable lcd screen online - May be I can then take it to my local computer repairs shop to replace or will check with my colleagues as I am very bad in these things.

thanks very much for your help!

yatin123

Please can you suggest me a good website where they sell genuine spare parts for sony lcd screen?
I am a bit bothered to buy them off ebay.
got a quote from laptop-lcd-screen for £83.00 - But, not sure if tehy are ok.

KingL

Can't directly answer your question (I've only ever had to buy one and I forget where I got it from), but if you remove the old screen, get the manufacturer name and part number from it, you should be reasonably assured that you are at least ordering the right thing, and can check the incoming screen against it. There aren't many manufacturers of screens out there, so I would think it's unlikely that you would end up with a fake screen.

The main thing to look out for is a retailers policy on dead pixels. It is relatively expected/acceptable to have a few pixels that don't work and neither PC nor screen manufacturers will guarantee a screen to be completely free of dead pixels. Try to determine at what point/number of dead pixels they will entertain an exchange (obviously the smaller number, the better for you and (probably) the better their attitude to customer service). If you've got a quantitative statement of policy upfront, you are (somewhat) guarding yourself against someone who is pushing out dodgy (known to be flawed) screens.

Good luck.

yatin123

:jHi there,
I am still waiting for my laptop to arrive from Sony repair centre- Please can anyone suggest me some best insurance deals to cover laptops under such circumstances in future?

Will I be out of the standard 1 yr warranty if I replace the screen myself - As Sony t&C states taht if any hardware is being replaced by anyone other than a sony service center, then the guarantee is void.

If that is the case, I want some sort of insurance cover