Broken Playstation 3...Please help

furry_tractor

Hi folks, sorry not sure where to put this thread or if anyone can help....bit of background for ya...
Bought a brand new PS3 in November 07 for over £500, by Feb 08 it broke by failing to read discs anymore. Sony replaced it free of charge and now the replacement has broken with the same problem. Sony now say that as it is outside its warranty, the best they will do for me is send me a console that is around the same age as mine, with only 3 months warranty for a cost of £128 (courier charges etc included). I have emailed them but heard nothing yet, basically saying i think its disgusting that their consoles don't seem to last for 18 months and that sending me a replacement of the same age with 3 months warranty is unacceptable. I have also said that whilst their argument will be "buy the extended warranty" why should i? for over £500 they should be providing a product that works for some considerable time. I have trawled the forums and this is a very common problem. Oh and i also said for £125 i could buy a second hand xbox360 with more warranty than they offer!
Any advice on where i stand despite being out of warranty or even how to fix the problem? ( not reading ps3 discs but does run ps2 discs, dvds and music cds)
cheers folks

OneADay

Looks like its a common issue http://www.fixya.com/support/t381209-ps3_not_reading_disk

If its out of warranty - it will cost to get it fixed.

furry_tractor

yea i know it will cost, but for £128 for one thats the same age as mine and with only 3 months warranty? it is obviously a common problem so why not do what microsoft did with the 360 and give extended warranty as standard. all they will do is fix mine on the cheap and give it to someone else as a relacement. cheers for the link to that site, just shows how common the problem is!

furry_tractor

This is the email i sent sony

Dear sir,

Earlier today I contacted your customer services number in relation to my faulty Playstation 3. The console no longer reads playstation 3 discs (and im sure you can get the other details from the reference number above). This is not my first problem as this console is my first replacement. I purchased my original console in November 2007 and by February 2008 already needed a replacement for the same fault that I am experiencing now. I quite frankly think it is disgusting that the best I am offered for this appaullingly unreliable console is another console at the same age for the cost of £128 and with a 3 month warranty. Your consoles have proven that a 3 month warranty is useless, moreover a 12 month warranty doesn't even cover it. I only even purchased the Playstation 3 over the X Box 360 as I was under the impression that it would be more reliable. On viewing MANY forums on the matter I see that this is a common problem and one you need to address. For the money I originally paid for a Playstation 3 (nearly £500)I think I deserve the loyalty that I have shown your company in return. Not to mention that this new cost of £128 is likely to buy me a second hand, more reliable X Box 360!
I have already heard your companies arguement that I should have purchased extra warranty to cover it but why should I? For the price I paid you should be providing a product that doesn't need replacing every 6-18 months.
I feel that I deserve either a brand new console with 2 years warranty or full refund on the original price I Paid for the console in November 2007.
You have 7 days to reply before I take this further.

Kind regards

Ian Atkins

OneADay

Sorry but even if it is a common problem, they replaced once under warranty.
Now you have no warranty cover - they cant give you a replacement - if they did, they would have to consider other cases, no chance.

furry_tractor

However, I have read on other threads on a similar matter that going down the 'Sale of Goods Act 1979' which states that products should be expected to last what most people would call a reasonable amount of time. Now the guy who wrote this claimed it was around 6 years and the company he was dealing with did concede that the act was relevant but only covers you for 2 years. The company also says that the onus is with the consumer to prove that the problem he was having was inherrent and not his fault, and that they may be able to help more after this was done....

furry_tractor

...and another thing, in my letter the demands i have made are at the top level so there is some negotiating that can be done. all i really want for the money they expect me to pay is a warranty that may cover it else i will have the same problem in 6 months time and have to pay out again...3 months warranty on it is ridiculous!

furry_tractor

Or could this be repaired at a lesser cost by a computer shop? All it needs apparantly is a new lens and whilst there are many things on the net sayin how to DIY, I am not confident enough to do it!

OneADay

These things can be repaired if you know the exact bit thats wrong - having only glanced around web - is it something to do with blu-ray discs or something?

If you have the right tools and nimble fingers and are very careful you could but I dont know of any guides myself. Look on youtube - videos on there. Personally i would not touch CD-rom drives, nightmare and usually end up breaking them myself.

You could flog the ps3 on ebay as partially broken or needing mending. Get the dosh towards a new one, cost less than £200 now dont they?

timberflake

Quote the Sales of Goods act for a start, £500 for a console that's lasted less than two years is unacceptable. The SOGA is law! Failing that, it sounds to me as though the BD drive has failed, I would see what you could get for it on ebay and put the difference towards a PS3 slim.

Father_Ted

You need to go back to the retailer where you bought it and hit them with the sale of goods act as it is the retailer who has to put it right. I have just had a 2 year old ps3 with the same problem fixed by Game for free, they wanted me to contact sony and pay for the repairs until I quoted the sale of goods act and that my contract is with them and not sony. Only then did they agree to sort it out at no charge as they are abliged to do.