Gamesradar has been following a user on a forum when his PS3 dies along with a copy of Oblivion 4 stuck inside the cold machine. The articles chronicles the necessary steps this user took to get a brand new replacement from Sony.

Here’s an abridged breakdown of the replacement process:

Sunday 8 April 2007
The user is browsing the internet on the PS3 when a loud POP is heard and the machine dies. Following the troubleshooting guide in the PS3 manual, the user plugs the console into different sockets, checks the cables and so forth, but to no avail. To confound matters, a game disc (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) is stuck inside the PS3. The user calls the support number (evening time), but they are closed.

Monday 9 April
The user first calls the support number from their place of work, although they state that this isn’t particularly helpful as the support team ‘won’t do much for you unless you are standing right there in front of the PS3′. Regardless, the user doesn’t have access to the machine’s model and serial number anyway - something that the support team require before they can help.

Despite this, the user speaks to a member of the support team, Martha. She asks some basic questions (Had the user experienced any trouble with the console? Was the latest firmware installed? Had the PS3 come in contact with water?), queries the users choice of third-party HDMI cable and reveals that while she was used to taking calls from people needing help with their display settings, she hadn’t taken many calls on actual hardware failure.

Asking about the game disc stuck inside the PS3, Martha tells the user that she knows the games are expensive and that they would do something about it.

Tuesday 10 April
With model and serial number in hand, the user calls the support number again and speaks with Richard, who tells them that the PS3 is covered under warranty and that the machine will be replaced for free and with free shipping. On the downside, the user will definitely not get back their HDD, so it’s goodbye game saves (including 30+ hours of Oblivion). Richard explains that, while Sony doesn’t support it, the user could try taking the HDD to a company that might be able to pull data from the hard drive.

The user is told that it could be five to ten days before they receive a replacement PS3 and that they will definitely get the Oblivion game disc back. It was also explained that Sony would give a new one year warranty on the replacement PS3 starting from the day that it is shipped to the user.

Wednesday 11 April
Shipping company UPS email the user to say it is sending a 4lb parcel, which is the packing for the faulty PS3.

Monday 16 April
The packing box arrives with the user, who now returns the faulty PS3 to Sony.

Saturday 21 April
The user receives an email from Sony saying that it shipped the replacement PS3 on Friday 20 April and that it should arrive on Wednesday 25 April. The console is sent to the user via UPS’ 3 Day Select service. The auto-generated email also states that the replacement PS3 will have a new 90 day limited service warranty, although the user has already been told by the support operator that they will be given a new one year warranty.

Wednesday 25 April
Just over two weeks since contacting the Sony support line with the details of their faulty PS3, the user receives the replacement console as promised, and their copy of Oblivion is also returned safe and sound. The user knows that it’s not the original faulty PS3 repaired and sent back (the HDD access door is different), but isn’t sure whether it?s a brand new console or a refurbished unit.

We contacted the UK Sony care line and were told that if a faulty PS3 is returned after 28 days of purchase (but still within the one year warranty) then a brand new console is sent as a replacement.

With regards to the confusion over the warranty, the user was subsequently told that as long as they had the original receipt for the hardware the new PS3 would still be covered under that same one year warranty. If that receipt was lost within 90 days of receiving the new console, then it would be covered under the new 90 day warranty.

Source

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