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a900 failure out of warranty

mwalker

Subscriber Member
My A900 had a intermittent failure only called "camera failure" in the LCD. It would reset with a battery removal but return a few shots later. Purchased 12/08 so out of factory warranty. Sony's policy; flat fee to fix no matter what the problem $508.00. I guess flat fees are routine with the big guys?
 
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hardloaf

Guest
My A900 had a intermittent failure only called "camera failure" in the LCD. It would reset with a battery removal but return a few shots later. Purchased 12/08 so out of factory warranty. Sony's policy; flat fee to fix no matter what the problem $508.00. I guess flat fees are routine with the big guys?
Yes, and there can be more than one flat rate.

In any case if you bought it with some credit card it may double your warranty. This is rather standard benefit now - call them and ask.

Andrey
 

danielmoore

New member
That's an eye opener, I am thinking of picking up a used FF Sony and need to factor that in. Just had the LCD replaced on my out of warranty D700, which from the service manual (yes, I entertained the notion of opening it up) requires a very serious amount of disassembly. Nikon in El Segundo quoted me 224.00 and held to it, I had it back in a week and am glad to see this wasn't a blanket flat rate job.
I'm guessing you've already contemplated sending it to Precision or another well regarded repair shop?
DeOxit liquid is said to work minor miracles with some unexplained errors. If you haven't already, find some and treat the lens mount/contacts/battery grip contacts, everything you can find before sending it in. The A900 may also have a factory reset sequence and that's worth a shot as well. Do keep us updated.
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
I read a thread down below that Marc had the same issue and was easily fixed by repositioning the aperture lever. I have contacted tech support and if thats all it is they better not charge me $508.00.!! I can fix that myself. I wish I would have read that thread before I sent it in. We'll see if they do the right thing confirm that is the problem and send it back to me with little or no charge.
 
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Vivek

Guest
I read a thread down below that Marc had the same issue and was easily fixed by repositioning the aperture lever. I have contacted tech support and if thats all it is they better not charge me $508.00.!! I can fix that myself. I wish I would have read that thread before I sent it in. We'll see if they do the right thing confirm that is the problem and send it back to me with little or no charge.
Yeah, he (Marc) claims that he is no "tech geek" and slips those ingenious solutions sneakily. ;)
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
Yeah, he (Marc) claims that he is no "tech geek" and slips those ingenious solutions sneakily. ;)

I was in on that thread but wasn't paying any attention to the problem or solution DUH just discussing another service problem :deadhorse:
 

edwardkaraa

New member
This 500$++ flat fee is plain ridiculous. Luckily it doesn't seem to apply worldwide. Here in Bangkok there is no flat fee, Sony charges per job.
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
Update: they charged me $508 to reset the aperature lever even though I called and told them not too. :mad::angry:
 

dbogdan

New member
Ouch!!! Shipping cost and maybe a simple diagnostic fee, but that's way overboard.
I slipped, walking a stream in the Smokey's, a few years back. My Nikon D2x with the 24-70 AFS took a very quick bath... total cost, $550, for the pair. I'd try to turn up the heat on that 10 second fix!!

Good Luck!
 
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Denis

Guest
Hi from australia. My A900 has crashed with the same very friendly error, not!

Very frustrating and its been 2 days and I am already having witdhrawals. I tried adjusting the aperture lever, to no avail. I think I am adjusting the correct lever :-(. I am from the west and SOny want me to send it over East which is very far and therefore many weeks without my baby. sonysucks.com I have an 45 year old pentax and a 10mpcanon but cannot bring myself to use the canon after using the a900.

just after some symphathy :)

cheers
denis
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
I love the picture quality of the camera but I'm afraid I couldn't recommend buying one because out of warranty service is a rip off. Stick with your Nikons and Canons.:lecture:
 

DavidL

New member
Stick with your Nikons and Canons.:lecture:
That's my thought process. As much as I'd like a 135 f1.8 for portraits, the mainstay of my business at the moment I need pro support which NPS gives me. A few weeks ago I had a fault on the LCD panel on one of my speedlights. I posted it to them Monday and got it back middle of the next week, with new panal fitted at reasonable cost. There was a bank holiday weekend in the way. 3-4 working day turnaround at Nikon so if I'd have taken it in and picked it up it would have been even quicker. I needed two speedlights for a job that weekend.
You would have thought a speedlight wouldn't have been a major priority but it's NPS (UK) service which has been exemplary the few times I've needed it.
 
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Denis

Guest
anyways, I just discovered that I have a 2 year warranty because I purchased the a900 with AMEX, just trying to get confirmation. Who builds a camera that dies after 1 year...just after the standard warranty runs out. I am so pissed as the sunset was amazing infront of my home today, near beach front, it was so beautiful but no camera :mad:, see some samples of the my beach front photos on my site at www.denishogan.com

I will let you know how I go and what it costs if I am not covered by insurance. I am going to dig my old canon out else I go crazy or check out the Canon MKII n sell the flippin sony

Sony should do a RECALL at no cost to clients, like they did with the toyota fiasco.
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Hi David

Has anyone tried the UK Sony service out of warranty? David Kilpatrick also advertises an independant and ex-Minolta repairer in his Alpha club magazine. David K is a long time Sony pro user and photo journalist. If you are interested I will look up the ad for you.

Hi Denis

Plenty of sympathy....the 900 is a gorgeous cam to use.........that Zeiss 135/1.8 is a dream as are all their Alpha fit lenses. I would just have to buy another body as a back-up if mine went AWOL! Neither a Canon or a Nikon, as good as they are would do it for me. As an aside, myA900 will be two years old this December...round the world with me twice and numerous trips out to remote places....have I just been lucky?
Or on a more practical note, have you done a camera reset?
 
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Eoin

Member
Sorry to hear of the problems you 2 guys are having. I can't say I've read of many problems here or elsewhere regarding the a900. Sony's service sucks compared to CPS or NPS. My own experience was fraught with lack of product knowledge or a system in place to accept return of a ZA135F2 for a loose hood. In the end I gave up. the hood still "jingles" but hasn't gotten any worse over the past year.

All that being said, my two a900s haven't missed a heart beat. Great camera, beautiful files, big & bright viewfinder. I keep telling myself these are my last cameras for a long time ...... we'll see!.
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
Love the files but hate the $508.00 flat service fee...huge ripoff especially with realieabily issues
 
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davemj98

Guest
Well I just got mailing from sony offering to extend my warrenty, which will expire next month. But that does not cover accidental; what to do?
Dave
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member
Update: they charged me $508 to reset the aperature lever even though I called and told them not too. :mad::angry:
Mike, I suggest you send the link to this thread to Sony.
Hopefully they'll reconsider the way they have treated you and the money they have charged you just for resetting an aperture lever - even being told not to.
It would be of important value for Sony's reputation if this story found a happy ending.
 
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