Class-action suit brought to Sony's PS2
http://www.turnto10.com/money/2206477/detail.html
Nobody mentioned this yet?
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Consumer Unit Takes Complaints About PlayStation 2 To Sony
Electronics Company Promises To Resolve Complaints
By Consumer Reporter Audrey Laganas
POSTED: 2:12 p.m. EDT May 15, 2003
UPDATED: 4:32 p.m. EDT May 16, 2003
Teenagers Tim Bell and Adam Teper are two of the people behind dozens of e-mail complaints sent to News Channel 10 about Sony's PlayStation 2 video-game unit.
Bell and Teper describe themselves as dedicated "gamers" and dedicated to PlayStation 2. That is, until their PlayStation 2 units stopped working.
"It came to a point where certain DVDs or certain games would just stop playing and it would come up to "disc read error." And now, it won't play anything," Bell said.
It's a story now playing out in a California courtroom.
A Consumer Unit investigation revealed a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Sony, alleging Sony deceived thousands of consumers like Bell and Teper by marketing PlayStation 2 as a DVD player and a video-game unit.
"I knew it was going to play DVDs and at the time I didn't have a DVD player," Teper said.
The suit, which Sony is fighting, charges that in fact, PlayStation 2 is not a reliable DVD player and that playing certain DVDs can shut down the unit. Sony denies deceiving consumers.
"I can't even finish a game now. I start it and it will freeze. So, I have nothing really to play," Teper said. "I contacted them about three or four months ago through e-mail and I got an automated response saying that they'd have a representative contact me and nobody ever did."
So, the Consumer Unit contacted Sony about Teper's situation and that of other consumers. We faxed those complaints -- with a request for an interview -- to the director of public relations for Sony Computer Entertainment America.
"They called me and said if I sent them my name, that they would completely pay for shipping to send me a brand new PlayStation free of us having to do anything," Bell said.
Within 24 hours of receiving our fax, several consumers told us Sony contacted them and offered to fix or replace their PlayStation 2 units for free.
"They had my original e-mail, but it took something else for them to even get back to me," Teper said. "I feel that I was put down. They had so much credibility and everything for being the company that cares about customers and everything, and then this happens."
Would either Teper or Bell consider buying another Sony product?
"I'd have to think real hard about it," Teper said.
Bell said he'd have to look at other brands.
Sony declined an on-camera interview, but spokeswoman Molly Smith did say the company is committed to resolving the complaints sent by News Channel 10.
"There are a number of factors that may impact disc play. These factors include dust particles, dirt, fingerprints and scratches on the discs," Smith said.
"We stand by our product," she said.
Sony urges consumers with PlayStation 2 problems to contact the company at (800) 345-7669 or check the PlayStation 2 Support Web site.
If you're interested in more information about the class-action lawsuit, you can contact attorney Jonathan Shub at (800) 883-2299 or by e-mail at jshub@sheller.com.
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So far, no lawyer team that I can think of has really gotten anything past Sony, I wonder if this will be the first one to do so?
Re: Class-action suit brought to Sony's PS2
Quote:
Originally posted by dog$
"I feel that I was put down. They had so much credibility and everything for being the company that cares about customers and everything, and then this happens."
The price of being a fanboy. :lol:
