 | Written by Dana Olson Published at 2008-10-19 02:15:42
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My PlayStation 3 recently died, as some of you may have read. I figured I'd chronicle my experience with Sony's warranty service for those who have not yet had the displeasure of having their precious die in the middle of chapter 4 of The Darkness (or whatever game they happened to be playing at the time).
Note that I'm in Canada, dealing with their Whitby, Ontario service center. Your experience may vary.
October 6th, 3:30pm - Death In The Family
I was trying to complete The Darkness in time for Dead Space's release this past week. The screen went black after I jumped down a hole, as expected. But then it just stayed black, which was not expected. I reset the PS3, and the disc icon never showed up again. Tried other games, DVDs, etc. and nothing worked.
October 6th, 5:00pm - Filing The Paperwork
I called Sony, and they said they would be sending me a box with a pre-paid shipping label. They said that I should have a replacement or repair within 3 or 4 business days of their receipt of my defective console. It's not going to cost me a dime, since I'm under warranty. Funny thing though, all the phone prompts were "Press 1 for" whatever I needed. The disc read errors must be common enough if it's the first thing on the list at Sony support.
October 7th - Preparing The Funeral
No box yet. I grabbed a 500GB USB drive and made a full backup of my 80GB drive, swapped it out with the original 40GB, restored the backup to make sure it was working. Didn't really play the PS3 at all because I was mad at it. It did not deserve being pleasured by my thumb movements during this trying time.
October 8th, 9:30am - Wake
Purolator arrived with the box. As I signed for it, I asked if he gets these a lot, and he said, "not very many. Over the past three years, we've seen tons and tons of 360s, but hardly ever any PS3s." I hope this is the first and last time I have to send mine in.
I wrote down the MAC and serial so I know if I get the same system back.
I checked the tracking number for the return box on Purolator's site, and here is the history:
2008/10/07 19:16 - Picked up by Purolator via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/07 19:17 - Shipment In Transit via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/08 08:28 - On vehicle for delivery via NORTH BAY, ON depot
2008/10/08 09:26 - Delivered to DAN D at RECEPTION of DAN OLSON at ******** via NORTH BAY, ON depot
Aside from getting my name wrong, the delivery was smooth and fast.
Inside the box are a few sheets of paper, foam padding, and a plastic protective bag for the PS3 unit. I followed the instructions (click here for a scan) and got the box ready to go.
October 8th, 5:15pm - Burial And Luncheon
Dropped it off at Purolator straight after I was done work. I grabbed the tracking number off the box. Driving home, I think I learned what my mom felt when I moved out and went off to college. It was like losing a member of the family, even though you know they'd be back later on. And now I wait.
October 9th, 9:00am - Support From Friends
I got in to work and just for kicks, I checked the Purolator site. Wow, Purolator FTW - Sony's repair shop, MTC, already received my PS3:
2008/10/08 17:19 - Picked up by Purolator via NORTH BAY, ON depot
2008/10/09 04:53 - Shipment In Transit via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/09 05:05 - Left via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/09 07:48 - On vehicle for delivery via PICKERING, ON depot
2008/10/09 08:49 - Delivered to GREG C at SHIP DOCK of MTC at 4 CANNON COUR L1N8C3 via PICKERING, ON depot
So I checked MTC's site, and they have my information in there, but no serial number for my console yet.
October 9th, 10:00pm - Grieving Process
I just checked MTC's site, and it says that my PS3's status is "Waiting For Test" currently. The console's serial number has been entered.
I feel like they may be shipping this to me tomorrow, and I should receive it before next Friday, in time for Resistance 2 beta!
October 10th, 11:30pm - Get Your Own Legal Will Kit
Curious what this would cost normally, I checked on the MTC site and noticed the cost for a PS3 repair on an out-of-warranty console is $169.99 plus tax and shipping costs. That's crazy! You can buy an Xbox 360 Arcade for slightly more than that (probably less after shipping costs).
So I did some more poking around, and I discovered that they sell a package called Sony Care - an official extension of the 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Why is this option not promoted?!
I called their toll-free number to talk to a live rep and find out if the PS3 is covered, and if so, what the cost is and how it works. I got a woman on the line almost immediately, and she was quite helpful. She confirmed that as long as you have a proof of purchase on file with them, you can sign up over the phone for warranty extensions, anywhere from 1 to 4 years beyond the original manufacturer's warranty, IF the console is still under the original one-year warranty. You can also fax your proof of purchase directly to Sony and sign up. I found out later that there were two tiers of pricing, depending on the retail price of the console you purchased (as it appears on your receipt).
Current pricing for systems priced over $399.99:
1-year extension: $59.99
2-year extension: $85.99 ($42.99/year)
3-year extension: $124.99 ($41.66/year)
4-year extension: $159.99 ($40/year)
Current pricing for systems priced under $399.99:
1-year extension: $39.99
2-year extension: $54.99 ($27.50/year)
3-year extension: $79.99 ($26.66/year)
4-year extension: $105.99 ($26.50/year)
The 4-year extension costs significantly less than it would cost to have a single repair done to your PS3, regardless of which pricing bracket you fall under. It's obviously worth it, considering that my first PS3 died after only 8 months. Assuming my PS3 died once every 8 months, after the warranty ends, that could mean 6 repairs needed, and that would add up to well over a thousand dollars. Better to buy an extended warranty and save, potentially, hundreds of dollars in the long run.
October 10th, 4:00pm - The Hurt Remains
I just checked MTC, and the status now says "Exchange Unit Picked" so I assume that I'm not getting the same system back. I will lose all my Rock Band progress, as will my wife - DRM sucks, and I am really considering not buying Rock Band 2. There's no reason my own saved game should not be able to be backed up and restored on a different PS3. I hate DRM. Stupid EA. Stupid Sony for allowing that on saved game data. Pointless. Stupid. Dumb...
October 10th, 5:45pm - Healing Begins
I just checked MTC's site again, and the status now says "Exchange Unit Shipped" which means I should have my PS3 some time next week!
As long as the replacement unit is in good condition and runs quiet like mine did, then I'll be happy.
Back to waiting. It will be at least the weekend before I have an update.
October 13th - Giving Thanks
Today is a stat holiday in Canada (Thanksgiving). I forgot - that sucks! There is a small chance I would have had my PS3 by today, if it were not a long weekend. It's also potentially going to delay my PS3 by a few days, as most couriers get messed up like that when there's a holiday.
October 14th, 9:00am - Resurrection
My new (refurbished, perhaps, though it looks, smells, tastes new) PS3 has arrived! That was a fast turnaround time.
2008/10/10 20:21 - Picked up by Purolator via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/10 20:22 - Shipment In Transit via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot
2008/10/14 07:56 - On vehicle for delivery via NORTH BAY, ON depot
2008/10/14 08:58 - Delivered to DANA at RECEPTION of DANA OLSON at ******** via NORTH BAY, ON depot
The PS3 is mint. Dead quiet. No scratches, no fingerprints. Perfect!
Inside the box was this packing slip, detailing the warranty work. Fatal error, eh? You don't say!
October 14th, 1:15pm - Back To The Darkness
Earlier, I swapped my 80GB drive back into my new PS3, restored my backup with no issues (though all my downloaded games and demos were gone, my saved games were still there).
I just finished off The Darkness. I love that game. I also bought Linger In Shadows from the PSN and got a few trophies. I'll go back to this later on.
October 15th, 2:35pm - Conclusion
I signed up for an extended warranty plan, Sony Care. I have no hesitation after this quick and seamless process. If your PS3 is still under the original manufacturer's warranty, find out if you can get Sony Care where you live, and strongly consider extending it by at least a couple years. It's cheap, and will give you the peace of mind that you need to really sit back and relax, enjoying your PlayStation 3's goodness.
If your PS3 is out of warranty already, then I'm only sorry that I couldn't have discovered Sony Care sooner, to help you out. Hopefully your PS3 will live a long and happy life.
Now, bring on the holiday game flood! I'm ready to go.
5 comments:
|  Dana Olson
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@Bloodlust_deth: should have a 1-year manufacturer's warranty, from the date of purchase - as long as you have your receipt.
 | Joe King
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@Dana Olson: alright cool, I know where a sony store is close to me and that extended warranty sounds like a really good deal.
 | Colin McFedran
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Dana...I noticed on the Sony CARE site the following:
5. Easy to Transfer Ownership - Should you wish to sell or give your Sony Care extended service plan protected product to someone else, the balance of the service plan is transferable, without charge, to the new owner. Simply call 1-800-773-9667 and we will send you a transfer form.
So...doesn't that mean a few friends could 'share' the warranty as needed?
| Dana Olson
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@Colin McFedran: only if their PS3's serial number matched mine.
Does a ps3 have a warranty on it automatically or was it something extra I would have had to sign up for when buying it?