..and this is just one more reason why. Apparently, Sony VAIO customer service sux.

Oh to be a high-profile complainer... =) Well, at least my case with my HP notebook is moving forward.

I was without my notebook for 8 weeks while HP's customer support gave me the run-around. I suddenly got it back with a heavily scratched case, damaged screen, a non-working mousepad button, and stuck keys. Oh yeah, and they didn't bother to fix the problems which had prompted the repair in the first place. I've been using external mouse & keyboard since, and manage to cope with the little pieces of debris inside the screen and the scratches to the back reflector.

HOWEVER, I just contacted HP's CEO Mike Hurd, and someone there has expedited my case to double super-special fix-it status, or something like that. They said that if it isn't repaired to like-new condition they'll pay for a replacement. I do give his folks credit: they do actually sound like they care - unlike the tech support. I guess I'll know in a week or so since my shipping box arrives Monday.

I had a frustrating experience with Sony and a defective camera. They have incompetent service, I think for the reason that McArdle suggests: they've decided to write off marginal, complaining customers as a cost-lowering measure. Needless to say I am reluctant to buy Sony products again.

She was a "network engineer" and didn't know any better then to stay away from Sony? They look sleek and sexy but are annoying as hell to support.

I like Toshiba's. They have their share of issues but dunno why I like them the best. Guess cause I'm a pretty hard core gamer and the Toshiba's usually have the beefier video cards. Not quite up to Alienware levels but pretty decent.

Gateway and Dell went through their share of customer service woes as well. Sony'll come around in time, or their stock will take a hit. There's something about growing a big company that they seem to stop caring about their customers until its hits the company's pocketbook, then "WHOA! We have customers?"

I don't think the publicity about Sony's poor service quality has reached a level that will make the company take notice. Dell needed a huge Internet storm of complaints centered around prominent blogs. While people have been complaining about Sony for years, I don't think Sony will act unless it becomes embarrassingly obvious to the clueless people running their service dept that they are losing business because of their outmoded policies.

One problem with having clueless people run things is that they tend not to heed warnings.

Yeah, Dell went through their "white bumper" phase about two years ago where they thought they could outsource their customer service and industrial design to the third world. It took six quarters of flat earnings and having their stock price cut in half to shake them out of it.