Beware of Sony maintenance

(This is a old post i'm reposting for the Dragoons general interest)

I'm writting this lines to report a situation that happened to me when my Cybershot camera had a little "acident". (I droped it and landed face down whit the objective )

After picking up the camera and noticing that the visor and lcd didnt give any image i proceded to shut her down, the ojective started to make a crushing sound and woundt buge. Seeing that the camera was damage i picked up the warranty papers, searched the web and found the Sony Portugal assistance shops in Lisboa (Portugal). After a quick bus ride i found the shop, filled out the apropriate forms and the camera was taken to the back where the problem would be diagnosticade and solved (i hoped). Roughty half a hour later the clear tell me the entire lens and motorization for the objective was damage beyond repair and would have to be replace at a cost of 170 euros (the camera costed me 200ish and something), and the warranty didnt cover that...

That sucked big time, the repair was too costly so it would be better bying off another more recent camera (that one had maybe a year or so).

Fortunatly i'm a private in the Portuguese army stationed at the Centro Militar de Electronica (Military Electronics Center) ((yup you guys wright backwards )), and proceded to the maintenace area and talked whit the sargent in charge of the optics sistems workshop and told him of what happened.

(IMPORTANT)
Since he never had oppened a digital camera before he accepted to take a look at the camera and see what he could do. (but the guys there repair personal stuff of the people stationed there anyway)
(end of IMPORTANT)

By lunch time at the base he delivered the camera FULLY FUNCTIONAL whitout any problem WHATSOEVER... it seems the close encounter whit the floor disloged the objective assembly out of place and no more. the entire thing was functional and he tested for any unfocused problems it could have and found none (they have a whole lot of equip for a whole lot of stuff)

So it comes down to this, from 170 euros to 30 cents has i payed him the coffe after lunch, so beware of Sony maintence since they seem to be utterly unrealyble or professional. This happened about two years ago and the thing is still in perfect order... DAMAGED beyond repair my HARSE.