DEMO OF SHAME BY SONY INDIA. Review on Sony CCD-TRV285E

FLASHBACK: The day my elder brother's wedding got fixed I was on cloud nine. I made all the arrangements so as to able me to attend his wedding in UK. As my parents wont be able to attend the wedding due to certain reasons, I thought of why not buy a video camera so as to show them the glimpses of the ceremonies what they wont be able to witness personally. After a consulting my peers and taking into consideration my budget and requirement, I bought the SONY DCR-TRV285E from Sony World, Ghumar Mandi, Ludhiana. The reason of not purchasing from Moga was that the Moga dealer didn’t offer any kind of discount over the MRP. The purchase was done on 15 May 2006, Monday, by making full cash payment. The dealer informed me that within a day or two the SONY trained guy would reach at my place and provide with the FULL HOME DEMO of the Handycam. As I live at Moga, which is 66 km away from Ludhiana, I asked the dealer (I guess he was MR. TARUN cell no 98154819980 office no 0161-2400432) that is it feasible for him to do so? He replied a big affirmative and said it might take a day or two to do so. Later he checked out with other guys at SONY and said that the demo would be done by 19 May 2006, Friday. Also the demo guy would inform me ahead of time before making the visit. Gladly I informed him about my residence and contact numbers. I cancelled my appointments that I had with my tailor for the dress trial and stayed home so as to make sure that the guy who would come traveling 66 km wouldn’t find the home locked. But Friday came and went by, nothing happened. I called up the guys at Ludhiana. They said they will call me back and confirmed that the demo would be done by 20 May 2006, Saturday, for sure. They even apologized for the delay. Cool! I re-postponed my tailor’s appointment and waited for him till 1 pm. Again a call at Ludhiana. This time a lady answered the call. She committed that the guy is in Moga today and I can expect him any moment. When I asked her to provide me the details (i.e. Name n Cell no)of the guy who is their visiting engineer, she said that they guy will be sent from the SONY SERVICE CENTRE and the SONY WORLD has no jurisdiction in that matter!! But this time they fixed the appointment at 5 pm (My God! I never know poor guys at SONY work till so late!!!) At 5:20 pm I again call them back and demanded an explanation. This time MR. TARUN obliged me by providing the name and cell no of the so called engineer MR. ASHWINI (cell no 9855604338). I call this fellow and discover that he is on the way from Ludhiana to Moga and has yet reached in the midway!! Another quarter hour passed! Finally MR ASHWANI enters my place! Whoa!! Celebration time! I seat the gentleman and after refreshments we move to the working area. I show him the handy cam. He takes the equipment into hand and switched the power on… (I did some of the preliminary settings after I spent two days waiting for him and reading the instruction manual)… He gets shaky! There is sweat on his forehead! He declares the instrument as faulty one, as LCD display is all Black!! This time I request him to kindly remove the lens cap! Which he obediently does and LO, the display appears. He then starts fondling with the buttons of the cam, still jittery though! I pop him up a few queries 1. What is the difference between HI 8 and D8 cassettes? 2. What is the difference between SP and LP mode? 3. How do I transfer my recorded stuff to my pc through USB? The guy makes a CONFESSION that he is basically a TV Demo guy and knows nothing about the HANDYCAM! All he can tell me is how to record with the equipment!! For the finer details SONY will send another guy. Else I should talk to his senior. He asks for my cell and dials a no and some MR GARG is online (later on I learn he is the head of SONY SERVICE CENTRE, MODERN ELECTRONICS, SCF-1 MODEL TOWN EXT. MARKET, LUDHIAN cell no 9872634283 office no 0161-2454383). He answers my first two queries, of which I am very much satisfied. But to the third one he says I must visit them personally. I asked him cant they provide the FULL HOME DEMO of the Handycam? He says NO! For the queries to be addressed fully I must visit him in his office at Ludhiana with my equipment. I take his contact and call the Sony World, Ghumar Mandi, Ludhiana and demand an explanation to their claim of providing FULL HOME DEMO stands NULL & VOID as the service centre refused a true and FULL HOME DEMO. They do some kind of discussion amongst themselves and hang-up with the promise of reverting back in a few minutes. I call them up again after 45 minutes. This time MR. NARINDER (no cell no known) holds the front and claims that the case has been referred to MR. UMAKANT, the head of the North Division of SONY, and he will call me up by 22 or 23 May 2006, Monday or Tuesday, and listen to my problem and fix an appointment at my place to solve my problem!! It would be a surprise if this claim of SONY WORLD also proves to be true!! PRESENT: I have read the manual and understood many of the features myself. Now I sit in my room and wonder: 1. Were the things I asked so complicated that Head of North Division SONY, MR. UMAKANT has to intervene to solve this issue? 2. Aren’t the Home Demo guys supposed to be well versed with each and every function of the equipment concerned? 3. And, in second place why did they send such an ignorant guy? 4. Why did the SONY WORLD, GHUMAR MANDI, LUDHIANA claim that they would be able to provide me with a full home demo of the equipment when the jurisdiction of the matter lies with SONY SERVICE CENTRE? 5. Who is responsible for this harassment? Who pays for the 48 hours and more lost waiting for the Demo? Besides the cost of all calls made to various SONY people!! 6. Will I ever in my life recommend SONY products to any one else? 7. Why did the claim made by the SONY WORLD refuted by the SONY SERVICE CENTRE? 8. If I was the one who was supposed to visit the SONY SERVICE CENTRE for the Demo, why I wasn’t told this on the date of purchase? I was in the city itself and I would have done that there and then! 9. Why did I buy a SONY?? 10. Why did I buy a SONY?? 11. Why did I buy a SONY?? 12. Why did I buy a SONY?? 13. Why did I buy a SONY??