Good Experience with Prime Support so far...

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Hi,

I've been critical in the past, when I read about some horrible support-stories of people with Sony Service. I myself have Primesupport (in Europe) and I wanted to use it a week ago to get some things cleared up (firmware, backfocus issue, paint, battery drain,...).

I haven't received my camera back, but I have to be honest: my experience so far has been great. Very friendly people on the phone (over twice now) and fast pick up of my camera at my house, didn't have to pay anything. I haven't gotten it back yet, so I hope that will go smooth to, but I just wanted to post a good experience (so far) with Prime Support.

People often complain on forums when service goes bad, but with this post I also wanted to make a testament if it goes very right too.
I just hope I'll get my camera back in really fine working order, but so far, people at Prime Support Belgium have been very friendly.

[Sami Sanpakkila]

I had good experience when I dealt with the support people from France and bad experience with UK support people. Im thinking of sending my cam for the firmware update but my ex1 has been "fixed" already 3 times so the downtime Ive gone through is considerable.

sami

[Sverker Hahn]

UPS couldn´t deliver my update-box, because they needed a code for the entrance door. Prime Support didn´t ask for this code. UPC didn´t phone me to get it, didn´t inform me of the missed delivery. I had to phone Prime Support to get telephone number to UPC and the tracking number.

In my case the delay of one week seems do be caused by UPS.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I wanted to send my camera for an overhaul (battery drain, back focus, and firmware update), but none of the Prime Support e-mail addresses I used to use last year works (I'm getting information my messages were not delivered).

What is the current Prime Support e-mail address (yes, I know they have a couple of locations in Europe, but I bought my camera in the UK so I guess I'd like to deal with the UK- based one). TIA.

[Markus Bo]

I also had good experiences with Prime Support. Maybe it takes a day or two more than I expect but communication and the will to resolve problems is good. They even had no problems to pick up the EX3 in Germany and send it later to Spain.

@Piotr: Just call them, it's faster.

Markus

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

So, I got my camera back today.

All the issues that I had, seem to be fixed, although I haven't tested the battery drain yet.
It's the newest firmware, 1.11, I didn't have to pay anything.

People at Prime Support also called me, as I asked, to inform me when I would have my camera back. Total amount of days the camera was gone, including sending, was 13. I always had contact via telephone. I normally don't like this, but it seemed the quickest way AND it's a free number, so. They were always very friendly on the phone, with a very 'if there's a problem, just call and we'll help you'- kind of attitude.

So, I'm a happy camper.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Ghekiere

So, I got my camera back today.

All the issues that I had, seem to be fixed, although I haven't tested the battery drain yet.
It's the newest firmware, 1.11, I didn't have to pay anything.

People at Prime Support also called me, as I asked, to inform me when I would have my camera back. Total amount of days the camera was gone, including sending, was 13. I always had contact via telephone. I normally don't like this, but it seemed the quickest way AND it's a free number, so. They were always very friendly on the phone, with a very 'if there's a problem, just call and we'll help you'- kind of attitude.

So, I'm a happy camper.

I'm happy for you, Mathieu. Which toll free phone number are you using?

The UK-based Prime Support office did contact me, and promised to pick up my camera tomorrow; they were not very friendly on the phone though ("never heard" of the IR contamination problem, "never use" any Internet references, etc.).

Well, time will tell.

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Hi Piotr,

sorry to hear your experience. 'My' people were almost the exact opposite : they knew about the problems, and helped me describing them, even asking if I had the vignetting-problem, before I mentioned it.

The number that I called was: 0800 72707/73801
I don't know if it's another number for other countries, that's for Belgium. They only knew French and English on the telephone, not Dutch, but I didn't mind.

I hope it gets sorted out in a good fashion for you!

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Mathieu, I'm seriously tempted to cancel my arrangement with the UK office, and call the people in Belgium at the phone number you provided; can you recommend the name of the person you talked to?

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Hi Piotr,

I don't know the name of the person. I talked to a guy, and he helped me trough the procedure to send the camera off etc., and then I called a woman a week later to know when the camera would be ready. She said she would find out, I got a call 10 minutes later, and she told me: next week. Then I asked if they could call the day before they would send it off, so I could make sure that I was home.
The same woman called yesterday to tell me that my camera would be sent of, apologizing that she didn't remember that my French isn't good, and that I preferred English on the phone (just to give you an idea of how friendly they were), and today the camera was delivered.

I don't know if it would be good or bad to cancel your deal with the UK office, and call to the Belgium centre. I can only say that Prime Support Belgium was very helpfull on the phone.

[Paul Joy]

I agree about the UK support people. Each time I've dealt with them they have been very efficient on the pickup and delivery side of things, but it always feels like they're on the defensive when you ask them about problems.

I recently sent my camera to UK support for a firmware update, wonky LCD and loose SxS slot cover, they upgraded the firmware but didn't do anything about the other problems, returning it without even a note to say why.

[Sverker Hahn]

After initial problems for UPS to pass the code at the port, everything was quick. I got the box monday, tuesday UPS fetched the box and camera and I got it back friday! Good work.

The contact person at prime support has been quite helpful, even UPS was quick in answering and rearranging the delivery of the box.

So I am positive, after all.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

OK, so I have a short conversation with Sony Poland, and it seems neither myself, nor even they have any influence on the actual Prime Support unit the camera will be sent to when submitted. yesterday the UPS picked my EX1, and on the shipping paperwork I can see France...

Anyway, I was silly enough (and very busy), and today I realized I left both my SxS cards inside the camera!

I notified Prime Support about it, but that's about all I can do; whether they come back to me will be a good test of their service quality (I don't mean stealing, but possibly loosing the cards).

After all, they did instruct me to send a bare camera without any accessories, didn't they?

:)

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Good news - just got a phone call from a nice lady at Prime Support, confirming they indeed have my 2 SxS cards, and even offering to rush them back to me immediately, before the camera is ready...

Very reassuring - thanks, Sony!

[Piotr Wozniacki]

My camera came back after exactly 2 weeks; the cards are back, too, and the body panels with letters rubbed off replaced; also the ND filder switch now doesn't stick in-between its positions - Thanks Sony!

However, what I didn't like that much, is:

- the camera was just tossed in the box UNDER the "pillows", instead of BETWEEN them !!!
- the lens hood was not even closed (I'm going to inspect the glass carefully later today).

Also - and this is a question to all of you who have the latest firmware loaded, and the PCB's replaced for the battery drain issue - the battery remaining time indicator behaves in a strange way:

- with the battery at some 80%, pressing battery info button shows a self-contradictory information: the bar shows the real capacity, while "time remaining" reads zero
- also, with the camera on, the battery indicator is not always displayed in the upper left corner; I set it to OFF, and then immediately to ON in the menu, and it's back now - but for how long? This is yet to see, as are:

- backfocus
- battery drain

Finally, I didn't get any paper with the list of what actually was done to my camera, so expect this report to grow as I'm using it and discover things... Fingers crossed ! :)