topic Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service in General chat

Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 15:45:42 GMT

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!

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 18:03:30 GMT

Hi there

I have reported your complaint to Sony as an escalation. Hopefully they will be in contact shortly. Can you please ensure that you have the correct contact details in your profile. When they do contact you, please post back and inform us all on the progress.

Cheers

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:01:22 GMT

Thank you.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:12:10 GMT

I received an email this morning stating:

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for sending us your proof of purchase. After reviewing the proof of purchase that you sent us again, Your cashback will be transferred to your account soon once we have validated the proof of purchase of your Sony Product as well as your bank account information.

Once everything is checked, the cashback will be processed and you will receive a confirmation mail when done.

For more details, please check our Terms and Conditions."

They had already sent another email on the 26th December that told me the following:

"Dear customer,

We have validated your proof of purchase and we will soon be processing the payment.
For any other support queries regarding your Sony Product, please visit our support website.
We wish you a lot of pleasure with your new Sony Product!
With Kind Regards,
Your Sony Support Team "

This makes the communication that I received this morning laughably unprofessional. The Sony Support Team's total incompetence has also failed to provide the names and contact email addresses that I asked for yesterday, or acknowledge that I wanted to make a formal complaint. Am I surprised? No.

I have spent thousands of pounds with Sony over the years but I don't think that I will spend another penny with them in the future and it goes without saying that my recent experiences will given as much public/press exposure as is possible.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:07:41 GMT

Hi there

Unfortunately I cannot assist you on this matter (as I dont work for Sony), however I have passed your comments onto Sony, which is the only thing I can do.

Cheers

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:09:12 GMT

Thank you for your efforts so far.

Sent from my iPhone

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:52:55 GMT

Hi there

Someone from Sony Customer Services should have contacted you this afternoon - How did it go?

Cheers

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:22:28 GMT

Finally, I got some answers to the questions that I had asked and that the Support Team had ignored. I must give Steven McGowan from Sony Customer Relations his due in that he listened to what I had to say, mainly that my "customer Journey" and "customer experience" had been woeful.

During our conversation he also told me that I would get my Cashback refund soon but he could not expedite the process. I asked him to provide me with the name and email address of the CEO of Sony UK and he gave me this over the phone and followed it up via email.

In summary, things have moved on but have not yet reached a satisfactory conclusion.

Many thanks for your help to date in this matter.

Cheers

Gordon Welsh

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:28:10 GMT

Excellent !!

At least you are now getting somewhere.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 11:42:49 GMT

I see I'm not alone then - this and other threads (and other forums) seem to echo my experience with Sony.

Submitted my claim (£50 for a Sony RX100ii) in August 2014, didn't here a thing until I phoned them in November (French help line I think?). Was told there had been some problems with serial numbers but that I would receive payment into my bank in mid-December. Got my documents back with a covering letter shortly after I phoned so was hopeful, but no payment in December. Phoned today - the lady was very polite but said I had to phone back next week when her supervisor would be back (off sick apparently). So another call next week then!

This purchase was a 'toe in the water' with Sony as I was planning (after many years as Nikon full-frame user) to move across to Sony's full-frame mirrorless range. If the cashback saga is an example of Sony customer service then I'll think again.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:52:49 GMT

Hello Gary,

I really do think that Sony will have to review their customer service if they are to survive and prosper in an ever more competitive market place.

It's your choice but I would not let the Cashback shambles put you off the Sony full-frame mirrorless range. I am delighted with my Alpha 7 and its associated lenses and accessories.

Cheers.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 11:37:55 GMT

Thanks but after my latest call to their cashback line a few minutes ago, I wouldn't touch Sony with a bargepole ever again.

As they requested last week I phoned them again today and they (yet again) asked me for the serial number - which I gave them in August and November last year. I was then asked to phone back again in a couple of weeks as they need to check their list of serial numbers. It's obvious that I'm not going to get the cashback.

Does anyone have a Sony UK contact for this please? Fingers crossed they don't say it's nothing to do with them.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 14:05:41 GMT

The customer support line number is 0207 365 2810

The name of the chief executive is Kris

I hope this his helpful for you and I urge you to let this man know of your experinces to date.

Regards

Gordon Welsh

------

Edited by Drewde - Personal details removed

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 11:57:47 GMT

Gordon - thank you very much.

I will update this thread with any result. Thanks again.

Gary

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

GMWNE21 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:00:42 GMT

Yet another barrier put in place by Sony to prevent customer contact. World class products.......Abysmal customer service department!

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:32:29 GMT

@GMWNE21 wrote:

Yet another barrier put in place by Sony to prevent customer contact. World class products.......Abysmal customer service department!

Hi there

Im assuming you are referring to the removal of some private/personal contact details? If this is the case, unfortunately it is against forum rules/policy. This is to protect everyone concerned.

Cheers

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 15:23:35 GMT

Well I tried the online customer support form and it took a couple of days but I've just received the following reply which is somewhat laughable were it not just pathetic:

Thank you for contacting Sony regarding your DSC-RX100M2, we are sorry to learn that you did not receive the cash back. In regards to your enquiry, please note that unfortunately, we are the technical team and the cash back is being handled by the promotion department, please contact them again for further assistance.

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email. Thank you for your enquiry.

Needless to say I wasn't too impressed so responded accordingly (and used the Chief Exec email which appears to be widely available online owing to the number of complaints about Sony):

Dear Sony Customer Support,

Thank you for your reply. However, upon reading your reply it does appear that you did not understand the point I was raising.

You suggested that I again contact the promotions department but the point I made to you (i.e. to 'customer support' - note the word 'support') is that I have already contacted the promotions department on a number of occasions and each time I have been fobbed off by them - they ask me to repeat the same details and then tell me to phone back at a later date. Now I would call that poor service from Sony which would, to any reasonable person, indicate that some proactive 'customer support' was needed - not just a suggestion to try again.

If you view your response as being 'customer support' then clearly Sony have a problem. I note that you also state "we are the technical team" - if that's the case then why have a cashback option query on your online customer support forms? And your email address includes "CampaignInfo"!

I would stress that I am a photographer considering a move from my long-term brand (Nikon) to a company using full-frame mirrorless camera technology such as Sony. I purchased the Sony RX100M2 as a 'test' of quality etc before investing in a range of Sony A7 cameras. Needless to say the quality of 'customer support' is sadly lacking and I will be looking elsewhere than Sony to support my professional needs.

I have copied this response to Kris de Pauw who I understand is your Chief Executive and to your Head Office email address. I would appreciate a response indicating what action Sony will be taking to pay me the cashback amount owed to me; not merely a suggestion to phone again!

Regards

Gary Clarke

Having now got a feel for Sony service I doubt I'll get anywhere - next stop Trading Standards department I presume. Also looking into the Small Claims Court - it would be worth the fee just to recoup the amount of time incurred with chasing this.

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:46:15 GMT

Hi @gary396

I have just read your posts in regards to claiming the cashback for your camera. To be quite frank, that is an appalling response from Customer Support. I have reported your original request for help as an escalation for the cashback, as well as adding your extra posts. Its my opinion that customer support should have passed on your complaint to the promotions department themselves, as you have already made the first contact.

Please ensure that you have the correct details in your profile as someone should be in contact with you. If any information gets passed on to one of the experts of this forum, it will be posted back.

Cheers

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:30:50 GMT

Many thanks for the escalation. Yes, my email address is current on my profile for this forum so they shouldn't have any problem contacting me. I will update this with any progress. Thanks again.

Gary

Re: Sony Cashback/Customer Service

gary396 — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 19:23:27 GMT

Well the latest response from Sony Customer Support is much the same - advising me to phone the Promotions Dept yet again. I know that from time to time systems & communications within organisations can break down but I can honestly say that I have never experienced a Customer Support department this bad. It's like being in an endless loop - the Promotions Dept keep asking me to phone back and the Customer Support dept keep telling me to phone the Promotions Dept!

The text of their latest email:

Dear Mr Clarke

Thank you for your recent email.
In an attempt to clarify this matter, please note that this is related to the cash back team which are a different department and you may reach them on the below:

l 01204 203802 (UK)
l 02123 56914 (Republic of Ireland).
l There is a promotional code which must be used by the consumer when calling – 41795

My response that was:

Words fail me! Well almost.....

The telephone number and promotion code that you have provided in your latest response is what I have been using regularly over the last few months only to be told to phone again in a few days / weeks. I am getting absolutely nowhere phoning them. Hence the reason for contacting you in Customer Support - but clearly you have no interest in support this particular customer.

Quite simply, all I am seeking is for someone at Sony to direct the Promotions Dept (who just keep asking me to repeat the same serial number and then tell me to phone back) to pay the cashback. Is that too much to ask? There is no point in me phoning them yet again as they repeatedly ask me to phone again!

Gary Clarke