Sony Cashback/Customer Service

[GMWNE21]

I would just like to flag up that for a supposed world class company, Sony UK are providing truly appalling customer service. Having been told by email on the 26th of December that I would shortly be getting my cashback paid into my account, here I am still waiting.

Trying to get a contact telephone number that works for complaints and/or customer services is virtually impossible. I am beginning to think that this is a deliberate strategy of Sony UK and is something that we the customers should do our level best to challenge.

I am about to contact Trading Standards in Tyne and Wear and I will also make contact with Watchdog. No company is bigger than their customers!

[dfarrant]

I too have been going round in circles since November. I only bought Sony because of past good experience with their products. Now I have to say that their attitude has made it extremely unlikely I will ever buy their products again. It does make it a dead cert that if I do not get the promised cash back, I will take it to trading standards, court if necessary, the press and every social media site that I can. Gauntlet thrown down Sony, over to you!

[Anonymous]

@gary396  - I have passed on your latest communications to Sony on the original escalation request I made.  Fully understand your frustrations and it does seem that you are caught between 2 depts.

@dfarrant  - I have escalated your issue to Sony, please ensure that your contact details are correct in your profile for someone to contact you.

Unfortunately that is as much as I can do at this moment - hopefully a resolution is found to help you both (and soon)

Cheers

[GMWNE21]

If you look at the number of complaints about the customer care/aftersales service that Sony provides isn't it about time that we as customers collectively did something about it?

I urge each and every one of you that has had problems to escalate your complaint in any way that you can. Start with the store that you bought the Sony product at. Badger them to get involved on your behalf. Demand that the Sony rep for that store contacts you. 

Still no joy? Time for Trading Standards and/or the Small Claims Court. The local press are always on the lookout for stories like this. "Watchdog" would no doubt be very interested in a global brand like Sony showing a total disregard  for their customers.

Keep accurate records of their incompetence to use as eveidence. This will so, so easy to do!

Finally, email the Head of Sony UK and the parent company in Japan. Persevere and do not give up.....Ultimately someone somewhere will have to be held responsible for the appalling lack of customer service that is being provided.

Heads need to roll within the retarded muppets running the Customer Service department and the sooner the better.

[dfarrant]

Its a great shame that the company is losing so much custom when they make such good equipment. However, thats up to them! I will give them a couple of days to answer my latest communication before I stop trying to play their games. I think it is an excellent idea to let the sellers know how we are being treated. The company I bought from is a good one and they are one of the biggest dealers. Its not just we individuals who have some clout here. I know people in the media at international level, and will be happy to supply them with full details if we have to go that way. Has anyone had any sort of apology or explanation from Sony support? I very much doubt it from what I have seen here. An offer they did not intend to fulfill would be an interesting legal matter too. In these times where cash is tight, we can all vote with our feet and look for the sellers with the best track record before we buy in future. 

[joperry39]

Same problem. Never get an answer on the phone, the complaint form just says wrong URL when you submit it. I have an email weeks ago saying all approved and would get the cashback in 5 days. Good laugh that was. Can only email sales who ignored nearly all my emails until I said small claims court, then they said information passed to technical department. As expected nothing back from them either so as said in this theme it can only be trading standards and small claims court and never get conned again by Sony with false promises of cash back and tell as many people as I can what a cheating firm they are. I have spent thousands on Sony products over the yeatrs but no more.

[antonywright]

I am still waiting for my cashback.I applied back in August and have telephoned the promotion line multiple times since to find out what is happening.

I have been told there was more demand than they realised and that the payment would take longer than the 28 days promised so I was told to wait another four weeks, but since then I have phoned to enquire about the cashback and been told either the money will be going into my account soon or that that it is going in the following week and to wait 10 days for it to appear and the last time I phoned recently I was told it had been paid into my account on the 26th December but there is nothing in my account yet.

I am getting fed up telephoning and being told lies and promises, why do they keep fobbing us off?

I have had no correspondence from them, no phone calls, no emails from anyone apologising for the delay all I have had is a letter they sent returning my original documents, at least someone could have said sorry.

I have tried emailing customer support about this but all they say is

In regards to your enquiry, please note that unfortunately, we are the technical team and the cash back is being handled by the promotion team who you can contact on the telephone number provided and we are unable to assist with the cash back offer from our end for sorrow.

When am I and others going to get the cashback we are owed?

[antonywright]

At last I have finally received my cashback, I still haven't been told why it took so long for them to pay it. I think they should also give some compensation for the inconvenience and the cost of calling the promotion line to find the status of the cashback!

[gary396]

Thanks again to @Anonymous for your support - much appreciated. And glad to see from a more recent entry that someone has at last received their cash back. Just to keep this up to date I thought I would add the latest email that I received earlier today from Sony Customer Support (yes, that really is how they describe themselves):

In an attempt to clarify this matter please note that the Nordic cash back offer is handled by the customers solution team, as they are they are the team handling this queries, as we do not have any further contact details. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us at the numbers below.

My response to that was:

Your responses are becoming even more confusing and unhelpful:

1. I have never heard of the 'Nordic' cash back offer. I applied for Sony UK cash back - care to explain the reference to Nordic?

2. You state that this offer is being handled by the 'customer solutions team' - that's a new one to me. Your previous responses have separately referred to the 'promotion department' and the 'cash back team'. Is the 'customer solutions team' a different department or is this yet another term for the promotions department which, I would remind you, only tell me to phone back at a later date.

You state that you do not have contact details for this 'customer solutions team' - how on earth can you justify not supplying contact details for a team that you appear to suggest I contact in relation to a Sony problem? Has anyone in your department bothered (on my behalf as a customer) to contact the relevant department? Now that would be customer support/relations/solutions!

Regards

Gary Clarke

They just don't get it do they. As an aside, I previously mentioned that my original Sony purchase was a 'toe in the water' with a view to moving over to their mirrorless full frame camera system. Clearly I won't be doing that and have instead plumped for the Fuji X-series which I also tested out last year, albeit not full frame. So having ruled out Sony (due to their customer service attitude) I bought some Fuji lenses 10-days ago on their cashback promotion. Guess what? Got an email from Fuji today stating all approved, cash into my bank in the next couple of weeks - and judging by my experience with them last year when I bought a 'test' camera and lens (both on cashback and both paid within a few weeks) I have every confidence that I'll get it this time as well. Sony could learn a lesson or two from Fuji re customer service.

[Anonymous]

@joperry39  - I have forwarded your complaint onto Sony.  Please ensure that you have the correct contact details in your profile, as hopefully someone should be contacting you.

@gary396  - You welcome.  I fully understand how frustrated you might be over this.  It really is a disappointing email.  I also have no idea where the 'Nordic' part comes from?  Really confusing

[gary396]

Well wonders never cease. It looks like Sony have finally paid the cashback into my account - £50 under the name of Marketplace (?) which I think is the name that they quoted to me in November when they said I would be paid 'shortly'. From claim to payment in fact took five months.

So thanks again for all support on this thread and to @Anonymous for the escalations - seems to have done the trick. Good luck to everyone else still waiting - hope you get paid soon.

Bye, bye Sony - never again!

Gary