Hey folks, it’s been a while since I penned down a personal experience, and this one’s about my recent adventure buying a Sony Bravia TV in November 2024. Buckle up, because it was quite the ride!
My trusty old Sony 32-inch TV, which I got way back in 2013, was a champ. It served me faithfully for over a decade until, out of nowhere, the screen just gave up at the end of 2024. Poof, dead! Despite its reliability, I’d been itching to upgrade to a bigger screen for a while. Back in 2020, I’d taken a chance on a OnePlus 55-inch TV when it first launched. At 50,000 INR, it was a steal with great features. It worked like a dream until July 2024, when two annoying lines appeared smack in the middle of the screen. I mean, come on, LEDs these days barely last 3-4 years compared to the old ones.
Taking a 55-inch TV to a service center in Chennai (I’m in Pondicherry) sounded like a nightmare, so I decided it wasn’t worth repairing.
With my old Sony’s decade-long track record in mind, I figured a new Sony TV might at least last 5 years (fingers crossed, time will tell). So, I zeroed in on the Sony Bravia 3 (K-55S30), a 55-inch beauty with Dolby Vision, which was my must-have feature. Sound wasn’t a concern since I’ve got my Bose Soundbar 500 with a bass module. The official Sony site listed it at a whopping 129,900 INR, but Amazon had it for 75,990 INR—still pricier than my OnePlus, but Sony’s reliability had me sold.
Now, I’ve bought big appliances from Amazon before, but lately, I’ve been wary of their after-sales support. Case in point: I bought 40+ Amazon Basics ACs for my company, only to find out parts and service are nowhere to be found (more on that in a future post). So, I turned to my friend’s appliance store in Pondy. He’s got a great setup, offers solid discounts, and I love supporting local businesses. Plus, the joy of buying from a physical store beats clicking “Add to Cart.” I sent him the Amazon link, and he offered the Sony Bravia for 73,000 INR, plus some credit card cashback that sweetened the deal. Sold! He delivered it the same day.
But here’s where the drama kicked in. I usually handle TV installations myself since I don’t need a wall mount. However, Sony doesn’t include tabletop stands in the box, only their authorised installation guys bring them. That means you’re stuck waiting for them to show up on their schedule. My friend raised an installation request, but the technician asked for pictures of the TV box and invoice. Then came the bombshell: he said my friend’s store wasn’t an “authorised” Sony seller, so they wouldn’t install it or honor the warranty. What?! I was floored. I called my friend, who explained that this is Sony’s new tactic to push sales through their online store or authorised dealers, limiting small shops like his from offering competitive discounts. It all started to make sense why the tabletop stand wasn’t included in the box at least in India.
Frustrated, I told my friend, “Fine, take it back.” He was cool about it and offered a full refund but suggested I raise a complaint on Sony’s online forums or Twitter. He argued that it shouldn’t matter where I bought it since he sourced it from an authorized dealer and issued a proper invoice, which is standard in retail. I was skeptical but gave it a shot.
Miraculously, two days later, the technician called back, saying the installation was approved. He showed up with the tabletop stand, installed the TV, and registered the warranty. Phew! Despite same-day delivery, the TV was only up and running after two days. On the bright side, Sony was running a promo that month, adding two extra years of warranty on top of the standard one-year warranty.
So, what’s the verdict? It was a roller coaster, but I got a great deal from my friend, and the TV’s running like a dream. The whole ordeal made me realize how companies sometimes play these games to control the market, but persistence paid off. My goal with this post is to share the experience so you can plan better when buying big-ticket items like this.
Oh, and what about my old OnePlus TV? I packed it in the Sony box, unsure whether to discard it or repurpose it for my company’s meeting room. Those two lines wouldn’t bother anyone for presentations, especially since we already have a projector. Fast forward to April 2025, I found an LED TV repair shop near my house. I sent them a video of the issue, booked an appointment, and hauled the TV there in an auto. They fixed it the same day for 3,000 INR—no parts replaced, just a cleanup and service. Amazingly, it worked like new, so I set it up in my bedroom to replace the dead 32-inch Sony.
But, two days ago, a single line appeared at the bottom of the screen. It’s still watchable, but I’m wondering how long before more lines show up.
I’m curious—have you had similar experiences with your old TVs? Did you repurpose them or just chuck them?
Drop your stories in the comments; I’d love to hear what you did!
Leave a Reply