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NEX-5 Dual Lens Kit - retroactive lens purchase?

H

hoopes

Guest
Has anyone who's already bought the NEX-5 16-55 kit been able to retroactively buy the 16mm lens under the new dual lens offer?

I bought my NEX from Ritz a couple of weeks ago - they were the only ones with stock at the time. I asked Sony about it and they are not too helpful, insisting that I buy the new kit. Funny thing is that they assured me a couple of weeks ago that the dual lens kit will not be available in the US. :mad:

Like to hear your thoughts and experiences on this. Thanks.
 
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barjohn

barjohn

New member
I spoke with Sony customer support on Saturday since I purchased the original Nex 5 plus 18-55 kit from them and the 16mm from them asking for an acomodation. I was told that on verification the the dual lens kit was available at the $150 discounted price they would credit my credit card. I will follow up today as I have until 7/23 to return the camera & kit lens. I told them I would return it if that wasn't an option. I will speak with them later today or in the AM and post back my results.
 
H

hoopes

Guest
Thanks John. Hopefully Sony will honor that - and extend it to customers who bought from their authorized suppliers :)
 
barjohn

barjohn

New member
I just got off the phone with SonyStyle customer support. Here is how it went down.

First customer support said I had to return the camera and 18-55 kit and the 16 mm lens for credit and reorder the bundle. I asked why not just a credit and she said it was a different package and that was how it needed to be handled and then she gave me two RMA numbers and connected me with the sales department so I could order the bundle. She also told me it would take two billing cycles after they received back the camera and lenses before i would see the credit to my credit card. Then I spoke to sales and the girl informs me that they are out of the black camera so they would just ship me the 16mm lens until the black camera and 18-55 lens kit was back in stock. At that point I said you guys have to be kidding. I paid for expedited shipping which I now lose out on and I have to pay to ship the items back plus to have the replacements sent when I already have the bundle in my hands. I proceeded to tell her that this made no sense given that they were clearly separate items and merely a discount for ordering both together. I asked to speak to a supervisor. I told her that it should be no different than it would be purchasing it at a retail store where an item goes on sale within the return period you can ask for the sale price and get it credited to your account. She then said she would explain it to a supervisor and they would call me back in 30 minutes with an answer. They did call back and what they proposed was that I keep the camera and original 18-55 mm kit and only return the 16 mm. They would sell me and ship me a 16 mm at the discounted price taking off the $150 and I would get the full price back on the original 16 mm I purchased. Rather than arguing further I accepted their offer. The bottom line is that minus my return shipping (they are shipping the new lens for free) cost for the 16 mm lens I am $150 ahead. A bit of a hassle but worth it. :)
 
H

hoopes

Guest
Wow, that sounds great, John. I'm very happy for you. I have to see how I can get through to them - got the camera through Ritz, who does not sell E lenses separately.

If anyone else is in the same boat as me, pls share your experiences. Thx
 
barjohn

barjohn

New member
i wish you luck with Ritz. If they allow a return that may be the only way with them but if they charge a restocking fee or any similar nonsense then it doesn't pay to go through the hassle.
 
H

hoopes

Guest
Just checked it with both Ritz and Sony. Neither offer very much customer service at this point... have put my NEX-5 18-55mm Kit up for sale. Sony's really not making any friends with this kind of delayed offering.
 
dhsimmonds

dhsimmonds

New member
Just a warning when exchanging.

My son-in-law had to exchange his NEX5 for another one because it was totally useless. Focus was way off and the colour smudging just awful. The local shop exchanged it for him and he immediately saw the difference on the camera's LCD in the shop. He has since verified on computer screen that the new one is great and he is well pleased with it.

With this experience in mind, ensure that your exchange copy is as good as the one being returned!
 
ecsh

ecsh

New member
After having the same arguement twice with reps from Sony, they finally approved a credit of 150.00 + sales tax paid on my Sony card. Finally a rep there saw the stupidity of sending the camera and lens back only to reorder the stuff again. Whew.
 
douglasf13

douglasf13

New member
Wow, you all are tough customers! I must say, as a former retail manager (last decade,) I'm surprised Sony is being so lenient. For example, I remember that my employer at the time would get these discount electric guitar packages that included amps and accessories, and folks would come in claiming that we should "explode"* the new package and sell them the amp separately, since they purchased the guitar sans amp earlier in the month. We VERY rarely accommodated this, because it left us with an unsellable guitar in a package without an amp, which was tough to sell. If anything, we would require them to bring back their guitar and exchange it for the new package. So, it's cool that a big company like Sony is accommodating some.


BTW, it's awesome Monza is doing this. :thumbs:


*exploding, in retail terms, means to separate out items from a package and give them their own sku.
 
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Terry

Terry

New member
I bought just an NEX 5 and 18-55 kit from Sony. When I approached them about the offer they basically said return what you got and re-order. My response was what does that solve. Now you have an open boxed kit that you can't sell as new.

These deal is not in a double lens kit box. It is simply buy the extra lens at the same time and get the rebate.

So, very strange why they are having such issues.

The camera has only been out a couple of weeks. Not honoring the new deal wouldn't be very smart for Sony. Annoy the early adopters? Look at the backlash Apple took when they dropped the price on the first iPhone. Rebates for early adopters.
 
barjohn

barjohn

New member
Terry,

I could be wrong but the impression I had was that SonyStyle Customer Service is in India or some other country other than the USA. The spoken English is often difficult to understand (for native speakers) and they seem to struggle to comprehend statements like yours or the ones I made. I have the impression they are not empowered to do much outside of a script and certainly not empowered to use independent logic and reasoning. That is why I requested a supervisor. Even then, I knew i would probably be speaking to an individual with very little additional authority but with the ability to call someone else for guidance. I didn't fight there suggested resolution once it was down to just a lens as it wasn't worth my sitting on the phone for another 30 to 40 minutes.

This is the perfect example of why outsourcing customer service to a foreign country is a bad idea. It is the difference between CS at United Airlines and American Airlines. Those of us that fly all of the time will tell you it makes a big difference. I only fly United when I have no other choice and this is one of the main reasons.

If SonyStyle wants to compete with Apple retail stores their CS will have to improve and match or exceed Apples'. It doesn't.
 
M

monza

Active member
Sony is good at annoying. Imagine how it is to be a dealer. First, we are told we will get product on a certain date. Then, it arrives nearly three weeks later...after retail customers are getting deliveries from Sony Style. Nearly every pre-order I took cancelled to order direct...

Talked to the national sales manager who claimed that Sony Style and dealers got shipments at the same time. Disproved that in a few seconds, by linking to forum posts.

After we have the product for a week (just the NEX3 at this point) they announce the two lens kit rebate. Do they have separate lenses available for us? NO.

Yet, to follow the rebate terms and conditions, the invoice has to have *both* the NEX kit and a separate lens.

I guess it's stupidity such as this that leads to the Sony store at the Domain in Austin closing their doors. (Meanwhile, people flood the Apple store just across the way for new iphones and ipads and Apple makes $1B in *profit* every month.)

The NEX is a great camera, but Sony, at least in terms of their photo sales and marketing division, appears to be completely lost...
 
barjohn

barjohn

New member
Monza,

I couldn't agree with you more. Sony should have provided dealers like you early units because you are the type of dealer that creates product buzz in a way that SonyStyle stores can't. It would cost them little and many of us would have ordered from you had you been able to get merchandise. That would have been a win for all.
 
LizaWitz

LizaWitz

New member
The amazing thing to me is that in the late 1990s, I believe Steve Jobs expressed a desire to elevate Apple into the realm of companies like Sony! This is part of the motivation for apple making the iPod-- the walkman of this generation-- to get Apple out of the limitations of being just a computer brand and to make them a consumer electronics brand.

Amazing what can change in a decade.
 
H

hoopes

Guest
I have pretty much lost all faith in Sony's CS. Last I spoke to them their manager (name known to me) refused outright to speak to me. I asked the rep if that is how Sony treat all customers and was transferred unwillingly to another rep - now asked to go through the explanation again.

The whole situation is frustrating precisely because the NEX is just released, and because Sony kept ensuring that the dual lens kit or offer won't be available in the US.

When all that is said, I doubt Sony will come around and actually help its customers. They simply don't have the infrastructure to do it, like e.g. Apple does. The communication is a big issue - I have tried to register my NEX camera only ever since I got it, but it's still not registered, despite receiving countless emails confirming it. My conclusion is that Sony is still very behind on internal infrastructure - so will have to wait for them to get their own house in order before hoping for anything improvements.
 
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