If Your PS3 Is Out Of Warranty And Dead - YOU MUST READ THIS!

I found the following post on the EU forum, it might help all the people who have a PS3 thats out of warranty and suffered from the YLOD problem, see below.

This thread is a must read if you own a dead PS3 which is out of warranty. Thanks to lots of research by me, plus snippets from these forums and the internet, I am hoping I can save some of you lots of hassle (and money).

Brief history

I own a original PS3 60GB bought from GameStation approximately 3 weeks after release date. It is now over 2 years old and recently developed a fault. The unit will turn on for 1 second, sound out 3 beeps and then turn off, with a red blinking light. There is no way to get the unit to turn on successfully. A game disc was also stuck inside. A call to Sony tech support didn't help and they couldn't fix it. The offered to repair the console but would charge me about £150 to do so!


What I found out

After many hours or research, calls to trading standards and to BBC watchdog, I found out a valuable piece of information regarding the "Sale of Goods Act" which is a part of English law (I cannot comment for outside of England). In a nutshell, this law states that as long as you have proof of purchase, any purchased goods must be of "satisfactory quality" and be "fit for purpose". Proof of purchase is either your receipt or a copy of your bank/credit card statement showing the transaction. It also states that the retailer, not the manufacturer is responsible. Finally, it states that a consumer has up to 6 years to make a claim under this law.

What I did

I wrote a letter to GameStation and attached a copy of my bank statement from April 2007 (with the purchase highlighted). I have copied the exact letter below (with my personal details removed) :

Your name
First line of address
Second line of address
Third line of address
Fourth line of address

Contact telephone number

Owner/Manager’s name
First line of company address
Second line of company address
Third line of company address
Fourth line of company address
Today’s date

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: Faulty goods and the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)

On [date of purchase] I bought a [description of purchase] from you for [insert price] which has stopped working.

The problem is [enter description of fault].

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) states that when a consumer buys goods from a trader they must be: as described; of a satisfactory quality; and fit for any purpose made known at the time of sale to the seller.

This legislation also states that the seller, not the manufacturer, is legally obliged to sort out a problem if the goods do not meet these requirements.

The law also says I have six years from the date of purchase to claim damages for faulty goods.

My goods are not [delete as appropriate - as described/fit for purpose/of satisfactory quality] and I wish to claim a [delete as appropriate - repair/replacement/refund] of my goods under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as amended.

Please respond to my complaint within 7 days from receipt of this letter.

Yours faithfully,
[your name]



This letter was my backup should my discussions with the store manager fail.

I visited the store where I purchased the item (GameStation, Newcastle Upon Tyne) and spoke with the manager first (without slamming my letter on the table). He hadn't heard about the "Sales of Goods" act and initially tried to tell me that I was only covered by the 1 year Sony warranty. I explained that this law was related to the retailer (i.e. him) and not Sony. I then presented him with my letter and asked him to open and read it, which he did. He then agreed to contact head office and asked me to come back later in the day.


The outcome

I returned later that day to be informed that they would gladly swap my broken PS3 for a new 80GB model there and then. As a gesture of goodwill they also replaced my game that was stuck inside the machine. So I now have a brand new 80GB PS3, with a new controller. This is under Sony guarantee for 1 year.

I'd call that a result



So.... I hope the above helps some of you in the same situation as me. I can't believe after 3 weeks of worrying, I now have a shiny new machine. Please reply if you need any further information or assistance and I will help as much as I can.

Cheers.

Written by: infaddict