Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

Hummburg

I have had my headphones from EE since February 2022 they are out of warranty. They have had the battery drain issue for roughly a year but I thought it was general wear and tear. Anyway after researching this is a known major fault with the device. I sent them to sonys repair centre and have been quoted £140 for a repair.

Do I have anything I can do here I can't afford the repair but if I refuse they charge a £21 refusal fee as well so im really stuck here. 

The issues with the Xm4 in ear buds are apparently really well known I just want to know if there is anything I can do.

Aylesbury_Duck

After three years EE are almost certainly going to insist you prove the fault was inherent/inevitable at the point of purchase.  That means getting someone to inspect them to give their professional judgement and going back to EE for a remedy.

How much were they when you bought them?  A quick look shows you can get a new pair for around £120.  I'd think that if EE accepts they were faulty from the start, they'll refund you, but that refund would be reduced to reflect the depreciated value of them almost three and a half years later.  In other words, it certainly isn't worth you paying for a repair, and a depreciated refund might be something like £50 at best.

I think you're better off paying the refusal fee and saving up for a new pair.

Hummburg

Thank you this makes sense i've gone directly to Sony I have and its them who have quoted the repair 

DeathByFluffy

If you can't afford the repair you'll have to pay the £21 fee - if they're out of warranty you can't really expect them to look at them for free (as they'll have had to pay someone to inspect them and will need to pay postage back to you in any case). 
Given the postage is £10.50 of that, I think £21 is pretty fair. 

Your rights are against EE, but to have them take action you'll need to prove that the device has an inherent fault that was present at the time of purchase - for this you'll need an independent report.