Sony Vaio = Good; Sony Repair Service = Not So Much

I was pretty excited when it became clear that Barack Obama had clinched the election -- so much so that my dog and I performed a celebratory dance on top of the bed, where I had been monitoring the voting results on my Sony Vaio laptop. Needless to say, with all that dancing, the laptop slid to the floor. The tiled floor. Hard, flat, unaccommodating terra cotta tiles. And yup, damage was done. The screen was blank, although everything else seemed fine (drives, sound, etc.). Of course, the whole screen bit is kind of important, but I was relieved that the rest of the machine was ok, since this is the second Vaio I have had and I really like the dependability and cool features of Sony products.

I dutifully took the wounded laptop back to the store where I bought it, and they sent it to Sony Corporation in San Diego to be repaired. Again, I was relieved that the computer would be in good hands. (I'll omit my chagrin at the realization that the insurance I had purchased at the store where I bought my Vaio did not include accidental damage coverage, even though I was pretty sure I had asked for it and even though such coverage was listed in the leaflet included with my purchase. I had obviously been the victim of a smooth-talking store employee who had sold me on a cost-effective idea instead of a cost-effective reality. Wouldn't be the first time.) So I was quite resigned to the fact that I'd have to pay for the repair. After all, the product was worth it.

Then I got the estimate, and it was for a total of $680. The repairs the laptop needed, according to the Sony Corporation Repair Service at Headquarters in San Diego (I mention the location because I live on the other side of the country), were a new motherboard, hard drive, and other assorted components (I didn't know there was room for any other assorted components in a laptop, but apparently you can fit all kinds of things inside one).

Bummer.

"Would you like to accept or decline the repair?" asked the guy in the store (who is NOT a geek, by the way). Several possible replies came to mind, but I stuck with a simple "No, thank you," and had them send the laptop back. Then I thought better of it, and inquired why they hadn't actually listed anything in the repair estimate that would fix the screen, which was, after all, the problem. That's how I found out the guy with the black tie in the store isn't a geek, since his replies were most un-geek-like. In short, he had no notion or interest in what might or might not be wrong with my laptop.

I decided to fix the computer myself. Since I know nothing about what the insides of a laptop look like, I did some research on line, and figured out that there were three likely scenarios: the backlight for the LCD screen needed to be replaced, the inverter for the LCD screen needed to be replaced, or something totally different was wrong and I would never know what it was. I found a great website -- www.LCDpart.com -- that described what the screen would do in the first two scenarios. They were entirely silent on the third, so I dismissed it. A little more study revealed that it was probably the inverter. LCDPart.com sells the inverter for $69 ($40 less than at Sony Direct Accessories, by the way). The site also says that an inverter is "easy to replace, and anyone can do it."

Now, it just so happens that I have another (now defunct) Sony Vaio (different model) gathering dust ever since I spilled that last cup of tea on it (tip: try covering your keyboard with cling wrap to keep out the tea) (no, I've never actually done that, but I keep meaning to try it, usually right after I spill the tea). I had decided to do some exploratory unscrewing and general meddling, to see what was inside. They sure can pack a lot into those things, I tell ya. I performed a few surgical procedures, by way of practice, and now have a DVD drive up for grabs, if anyone wants it. . . I can't remember whether it works or not, though, so maybe you should pass on the offer. Feeling more courageous, I dismantled the screen, to see what an inverter looks like, and wouldn't you know it? This model had the exact same inverter (makes sense, now that I think about it) as the one I would need for my CR510, even though the screens are a different size.

Testing the LCDPart.com assertion that it is easy and anyone can do it, I swapped out the inverters and guess what? It's easy, and anyone can do it. I'm so dang proud of myself that I could do a celebratory dance. LCDPart.com should also be proud and happy that their excellent website has directions that are clear and easy to follow (they show you photos of real live laptop insides). And Sony Repair? Shame on you, for wanting to charge someone $680 for a rebuilt motherboard, when all she needed was a $69 inverter. And shame on you for charging her $50 to tell her so. I would write to their Customer Relations office, but they apparently don't give out the address. All I could find was a telephone number, because "Sony believes that communication regarding such concerns is best conducted through personal interaction with our dedicated customer service teams." I don't think I could be polite, at this point.

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