Following the revelation that some Bravia LCD TV models could be at risk of overheating, Sony is offering free engineer inspections and repairs for 1.6 million TVs. But will it be able to cope with the demand?
With the news that as many as 1.6 million Sony Bravia LCD TVs could overheat, UK owners are being urged to check their model numbers to see if they’re affected.
The alert was first raised after a series of incidents in Japan, where overheating TVs emitted smoke and internal parts even started to melt.
The affected “smoking” models are available worldwide, including in the UK, forcing Sony to respond to the issue on a global scale.
The Sony Bravia LCD TV models at risk
Sony has announced that the affected models are 40-inch Bravia LCD TVs from its 2007-2008 range. The full list of models at risk are below:
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 D3400
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 D3500
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 D3660
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 V3000
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 W3000
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 X3000
- Sony Bravia KDL-40 X3500
If you own one of the TVs that is considered at risk, you should contact Sony’s product support team on 0844 846 6555. Alternatively, contact your local Sony Centre.
Sony offers free inspection and repair
Now for the good news – Sony is responding to this issue by offering a free engineer service to any customers who own one of the affected models. We spoke directly to Sony’s product support team, who told us that an engineer will visit your house for free, and if a fault is identified, a repair will be offered at no charge.
While this is a potentially dramatic product fault, Sony seems to be responding quickly and on a large scale. It’s no small offering to provide free inspection and repair to as many as 1.6 million customers. This should act as an example to other companies faced with a similar situation.
However, when an alert was raised earlier this year over Beko fridge-freezers developing a fault that could make them a dangerous fire-hazard, a flurry of commenters here on Which? Conversation complained that Beko’s customer service was so strained it was unable to offer immediate support to concerned customers phoning up.
A number of commenters told us that it had taken them days to get through to Beko’s support line, and even then they still had to wait over a week for an engineer to actually visit them.
With as many as 1.6 million Sony TVs potentially affected, I’m left wondering whether Sony’s customer support network may face similar strains.
Do you own one of the TV models affected? If so, have you tried to contact Sony’s customer support yet, and with any success?
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