KDL55 A1 screen patch

[lgcebr]

I have had this OLED  TV about 3 years and am always careful about screen burn, not leaving it on the same screen for long.  I also do the screen refresh procedure when the TV requests it.  The TV has been superb.

In recent months I have spotted that some faces showing in a particular part of the screen have a green tinge to them.  When there is a completely red screen you can clearly see that a patch maybe 5cm by 8cm does not have all of the red firing.  The red on that patch is not so intense.  This is in the midway across the screen about one third down so nowhere where on-screen graphics would show and possibly cause a problem over time.  It is also a roughly oval patch bearing no relation to anything that appears on the screen images.

A screen refresh didn’t solve it and, although I have a 5 year guarantee, I am not keen to send it off for screen repair or replacement.  In everyday use it just means that any faces which appear in that zone have a green shade.  It seems to mainly affect skin tones because  other images don’t have such a noticeable,shading.

Does anyone know what causes this?  We bought the OLED TV after 2 previous Sony LED TVs completely failed electronically (not screen related) and it was their “premium” screen at the time.

Any advice gratefully received as we are getting less and less impressed by Sony’s TVs!

[rooobb · Accepted solution]

I'm disturbed by the way you said you were treated and that is the reason why I escalated your thread. I cannot and won't say anything about the possible replacement procedure since it is a contract you have with Sony.

I can just give you my own advise:

• replace a tv instead of repairing a panel or change it is quite normal (is less expansive)
• replace a tv with a refurbished one is a widely used practice and I think written also in the contract
• you'll never get an A1 as a replacement since they are long out of the market, so probably you will end up with an AG9 losing the design (that I love) but getting an overall superior TV
• a refurbished one normally was never used by a customer or for a very short time. I do not know the actual procedure but a used product (with dirty, possible scratch, etc) is quite difficult to be sent to a customer that already has a problem
• The expected lifetime of the tv is in any case much longer than 36 months! My own A1 is almost 36 months and it is like when I bought it . May I sell mine to you in exchange for the refurbished AG9?

In conclusion, if they offer an exchange I would accept it. You may want to check how many hours the panel has in any case 

[lgcebr]

Thanks - that's good advice rooob and I appreciate it.  You mentioned checking how many hours the panel had and I can see the sense in doing that.  Is that something the agent arranging the replacement will be able to tell me from  the records or will it only show on the screen when I have set it up and it's too late to see if it's already been used a lot?

I'm not fixated on new at all - it would be unreasonable to expect a new replacement for a three year old TV  but I suppose Sony's call centre behaviour has totally lost my trust.  I just want to ensure that whatever i accept doesn't put me having to go back to the call centre again.  The call centre operation is not fit for purpose and is totally unaccountable - with the exception of three agents who have been decent, reliable and tried to help.

I will wait to see if Sony contact me as a result of my Special Delivery letter and your kind intervention.  In the meantime I will ask the agent offering the replacement if he can tell me how many hours it already has.  If it is reasonable I will accept it.

I will post the end result when it happens.

Finally, as you may have a channel to Sony I think there is one important thing if others' experience is to be better in the future.  All other companies I know have some form of channel customers can use if things start going badly wrong with Level 1 or 2 contacts.  It usually is a team which looks independently at what has  happened and may or may not decide in the customer's favour.

Sony doesn't have that.  I had spoken to three excellent professional agents during this case.  I was told by two of them that there is a team which handles complaints but the customer can not contact them directly and has to go through a manager.

In my case manager 1 denied there was any procedure after he had shouted at me and was discourteous.  His words were to the effect that whatever I did I had to deal with him and there was no other option.  That apparently was not true.

After all this happened and while I was still being told my warranty was void I did get another helpful Level 1 agent promise a manager call back (not the same guy as manager 1) within 24 hours.  I was told that this manager would take my complaint and pass it to the complaints team.  Of course manager 2 never called.

The impression the customer is left with is that Sony, as represented by the Cairo call centre, has some excellent, courteous and helpful Level 1 agents but one didn't follow Sony procedures and managers do what they want knowing they are totally unaccountable.  When things go wrong this leaves customers unprotected from "rogue" representatives acting unprofessionally and incorrectly.

Sorry for the rant - but that is the reason I want to make sure this "factory certified" replacement is cosmetically as good as the pristine A1 I will send back and not already used to the point of developing a panel fault.

It can't be good for Sony when a customer ends up unable to believe they are operating professionally, reasonably and truthfully.

Once again thanks rooob for your informative and sensible advice.  Fingers crossed!

[rooobb]

As I said I'm not a Sony employee nor have direct experience with the procedure but I expect you will able to check with the technician that the new tv is working and you may ask to see directly on the tv how many hours the panel has

[lgcebr]

I won’t take up any more of your time.  You have already been very helpful.  However from what the agent said we will not be getting a technician visit.  Just a courier / delivery company which will deliver and collect.  I’m hoping my my letter to Rick Londema will get a senior response just so that there is some oversight of the resolution.

Anyway thanks and I’ll post the final result just to close the matter.

[rooobb]

Anyway when you get it you'll be able to see the panel usage by pressing the following buttons in sequence while in standby:

i+

5

vol-

power-on

[lgcebr]

All's well that ends well!  

Sony Consumer Relations Office contacted me yesterday afternoon to apologise for the call centre's antics and stated the call centre was not following scripts / procedures multiple times.  They said they will investigate so that's an internal matter now.  

I'm just glad there is some supervision of the call centre because there are some really helpful agents there who end up having to try and sort out the mess a a few of their colleagues make.  I named the helpful ones to the Sony guy and asked if their professionalism could be noted.  

Anyway Sony are exchanging the TV and it will be a brand new one with the remainder of my guarantee carried over.  The process has started and it's all in writing in emails.   I thanked the Consumer Relations Office guy profusely for this.  I think he was as frustrated a see at the call centre's performance.

A few ideas perhaps for others experiencing difficulties.  

If you get wrong procedures, no promised call backs or aggression from the call centre it can look almost impossible to contact Sony anywhere else.  The "Contact Us" phone number on the webpage only routes you back to the call centre.  However, very well hidden, there are some contact details on the Sony webpage under "Privacy".  

I think any reasonable person would look for contacts under "Contact Us" and not "Privacy" but that's what they have done.  The "Privacy Policy" is in very small print at the bottom left of the screen.  So it's Privacy Policy > Privacy policy (again on new screen) > Contact Us .... and you get some contact options. 

Don't bother with the UK 0844 number - it's out of service!  There is a UK and Dutch address if you want to submit a complaint in writing by post.  Recorded delivery helps if you have to take your case any further outside Sony.

I think the moral is if you know your warranty claim is reasonable (and not screen burn you have caused) then don't accept the call centre's blank immediate, Level 1 refusal, discourtesy or their failed promised call backs.  

Sony's official process is to get a Level 1 agent to take details and ask for evidence which is then considered by Level 2 and you get a response.  Of course if you dispute that decision you have the right to get an independent assessment of your panel and challenge Sony's decision.  That's a fair and reasonable process - which on my case the call centre didn't follow.  Hopefully now the Consumer Relations Office is aware that might improve.

Go through Sony's procedures and co-operate but if it becomes clear that the call centre is not acting reasonably contact the UK or Dutch office.  Their Consumer Relations Office is professional, reasonable and  helpful but they had no idea what is going on in their call centre.

Thank you to everyone who posted responses to help and specially to rooob - it may well have been your contact that broke the log jam.  I am sincerely grateful!