Sonos has never provided a ‘repair service’. I assume all ‘refurb’ devices they sell are from people who have gone down the ‘try and buy’ route, deciding not to keep them for whatever reason.  Those items are not returned for repair, I would think. 
 

I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough experience. It sounds as if there was some electrical event that damaged the units, I’d encourage you to put surge suppressors on those circuits in your house, if you choose to connect any more sensitive electronics to those plugs.

There are some 3rd party companies in Europe that will repair SONOS products.

While not any help in this situation, the new ERA units are designed to be repairable. At this time it is not clear if repairs will be done by SONOS or through 3rd parties.

Just to add, Sonos do offer extended warranties for all their products and so do many other companies online that provide such insurance, plus there are 3rd party repairers whose links I’ve seen posted in the past on this and other forums, albeit they mainly seem to relate to the UK and the European Union countries, so it may depend on where you live.

I’ll second the surge suppressor suggestion, and make it a good quality one that offers a warranty that covers connected equipment that is damaged by a surge.

I’m a big fan of the Tripp Lite Isobar ones. Shop for your best price.

6 plugs / 3330 joules   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000513US/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4 plugs  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005119M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2 plugs  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000510R4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They also make nice, but lesser ones.

1080 joules  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009K79U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

660 joule  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009K79U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you guys for your inputs. You’re probably correct on the surge being the cause. Is that something that is easily repaired if that was an option?  I’m attempting to diy myself at this point rather than giving away to Sonos so they can repair and sell it twice.  I’m just not happy about the lack of consideration , the focus on investing their post-sale service for out of warranty products to protect their customers.  On top of all, the questionable motive for this unreasonable condition to grant a crappy discount restricted to like for like purchase on same product only if you hand them your defective 100% owned product to them for free prior to receive a not a product but a discount code.  That’s not right. 

@Dfan111,

Are you sure you were asked to return your product as part of the discount voucher? Only the usual upgrade offer, which is outlined here in this link below says that it’s up-to the customer if they want to return their product for recycling. See the FAQ section here:

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/upgrade

Most people I’ve seen post here in the community, appear to keep their product, but take the discount voucher. I’m just wondering if you may have misunderstood what the Sonos rep. was perhaps saying to you on this occasion?

Yes I’m sure of. I can read. The responses asked me to let them know what my decision would be, if I agree, another email with code would be sent to me for it.  So after a week of multiple emails from different levels of support team, the code is still no where to be seen.  But honestly, I don’t want the code which is why I don’t want to give in and accept it. All I want from the beginning till now remains unchanged, anx that is - a chance to have it looked at by either Sonos which I know for certain they are capable of or their local certified repair shop to try and fix it first for a fee I’m more than willing to pay for.  Then depending on the result of that, consider what will be the best option.  I don’t think anyone including Sonos can argue that isn’t fair. 

And even if I don’t have to send mine back, consider the age and the predicted issue to be minor, it wouldn’t make any sense for me to just toss it and spend 70% cost $560 to purchase a new like for like sub just so I can have a workifn sub extending beyond only 3 years of owning it. 

So how long is a 1 year warranty supposed to actually last?  And can anyone tell me any other company that gives a 30% discount to replace an 3 years out of warranty product?

Are you being sarcastic with your comment?  If so, please re read all of the details and conditions Sonos offered me. Also to be clear, I know and respect the warranty. I am only requesting a paid repair service for out of warranty option which to answer your question- every large electronic manufacturer provides as standard service industry wide except Sonos 

Sonos doesn't offer repairs.  They've made that quite clear.  And I could name plenty of huge electronics manufacturers who don't offer a repair service.  Lenovo, Apple iDevices, Samsung Galaxy tablets, phones, and watches, Fitbit.  Those are just the ones I've personally experienced, there are hundreds more.  Every one of them replace warranty problems by shipping a new unit or refurb, and have no repair service for out of warranty items (and definitely no 30% discount offer).

Not true. I don’t have time to validate your claims. But I have repaired old iPhone at Apple Store. Just a simple appointment then take the phone in. So conclusion of your claim isn’t true.  

And please no need to go back and forth wasting each others time unless you work for Sonos or have something more productive effective to say that can be helpful like the people provided before you. If the comment doesn’t add any value to the situation please just keep your opinions to yourself because no one cares, certainly not me

I'll post what I want, when I want, and where I want.  As to your other post, I must admit Apple is the one I'm least familiar with.  But I'd like to see your proof that every large electronics manufacturer except Sonos offer a repair service as an industry standard, because it just isn't true.  I had a case split on a Samsung phone out of warranty.  verizon told me tough luck, we don't repair them, and offered me no discount on a replacement.  I had a $400 Lenovo docking station fai out of warranty, same thing.   

Again I don’t have time to prove you wrong or prove you right, because I really don’t care . You seem to have a lot of free time to argue with people on their post with nonsense irrelevant comments when they are seeking out for fellow users valuable input to help their situation.  Waste their time and throw oil at fire at them seems to be your goal.  And by the example of the Samsung phone you described tells me you haven’t really been around much, you wanted a Samsung phone to be repaired, you asked Verizon to repair it, Verizon sells phones and provides network, not a manufacturer, what do you expect them to say?? Ok. We’re done here. 

@Dfan111 I sympathise with you, but it’s not just you and not just Sonos that have these experiences and policies. A while back I had a very good Linn system - pre-amp, 2xpower amps, tuner, CD transport and DAC. I was hit by a power spike and half my kit stopped working. Linn’s view, when I spoke to them about repair, was that I replace everything - including the still-working components - as you “can’t tell what damage might have been caused by the surge”. No repair service, no replace/upgrade discounts, and a recommendation to replace seemingly working kit. 

Where I live in the U.K. there are a few online services and local services that repair Sonos, Apple, TV products etc. albeit I find them quite expensive, but the answer here is if you are concerned by the warranty offered at point of sale, then shop around and payout to extend it - not complain after the horse has bolted.

I may look to extend a warranty at the end of the manufacturers or the suppliers warranty period, which in some cases can be 2 years. (John Lewis as an example).

Some of us who choose to pay to extend warranties, often for a 5 year (total) period in my case,  on electrical appliances, sometimes may lose out though, because the devices continue to work for the whole of the cover period, so it’s a case of swings & roundabouts in some instances.

I’d take the 30% code Sonos offered (usually added to the users account) and buy another and with the savings offered, just extend the warranty period. I still doubt Sonos would want the old unit back as their warehouse storage will be full this time of year for the holiday season and new year sales. In which case I’d see if I could sell the old unit for spares or repair

This is the first time I’ve seen Sonos ask for the old unit back as part of any condition to issue a discount voucher, but maybe there’s been a change in policy. I’ve not seen it publicised?

I’ve seen it reported here a few times in the past. Not unusual for a defective unit to be returned before a coupon is issued.

It’s probably more about wanting to do an autopsy than a money thing.

If I know Customer Service folks (and I do), the ease with which one gets an RMA or a refund/discount is often directly proportional to the crap one throws at the service person.   Considering Sonos often hands out 30% discounts like Halloween candy, that call must’ve been a doozy.

It’s seems like it would be a necessary precaution to prevent fraud.  What would stop the consumer from claiming that a perfectly functioning device is broken in order to get a 30% discount on new product?  Sonos probably does a 5 minute test to verify that the device is indeed no longer functioning, then breaks it down to recycle parts.

OPs post is filled with a lot of assumptions that I just can’t accept as fact.  I do not think that Sonos is selling 3 year old used devices as refurbished.  As pointed out, these are likely devices that would returned via the return policy and this saw limited use if any at all. No repair required at all.  I don’t think the amount of effort to repair 3 year old heavily used devices and risk customer disappointed doesn’t seem worth the effort.

Related, I don’t see this policy as very profitable for Sonos. I’m not sure what Sonos margins are, but I would bet 30% discounts take up a very big chunk of that profit.  Factor in the cost manage the program, shipping damaged units back, analyze and repair, and I doubt there is much there at all.  The main goal of the program is to surely retain customers so that they are more likely to buy a different new product later on.

Another assumption is that the issue is an easy fix.  Without cracking it open, breaking adhesive seals that would need to be replaced, you don’t really know what the issue and cost is. 

And your cost analysis makes no sense. Your initial cost for the sub is irrelevant since it’s a sunk cost no matter what.  Sonos is offering you a new sub for $560.  The repair option you’re asking for, if it were offered, would likely be a few hundred dollars for a 3 year old repaired sub.    Yes, you’re paying more for the new sub, but you are getting more too.  You could also factor in the difference in resale factor for a  2023 sub vs a 2020 sub that’s gone through repairs.

Regardless of all that, it does look like Sonos is trying to move towards a repair model that makes sense, like much of the industry is doing due to social pressures.  The newer speakers are not using adhesives, and can be taken apart and back together to replace parts much easier.  Not sure that’s going to result in cheap repairs, and it will take years to really get there, but it is moving that direction.

Certainly in the upgrade policy FAQ linked in my previous post, the decision to return the old product to Sonos for recycling is ‘clearly’ in the hands of the customer, so I’m a little surprised at the request here to return the 3 year old item, but perhaps as @ratty mentions it’s more about performing an examination as to what went wrong with the device, rather than refurbishing the device for re-sale. 

I think you’re conflating the upgrade policy, which applies to certain devices regardless of their current condition, with the defective product policy, which would only apply for defective products...obviously.

Yes, you’re no doubt correct, I just assumed (wrongly, I guess) that the same/similar policy would apply in either case.

Yes that’s what doesn’t sit right with me. It’s clear a 3 year old sub kept in absolutely safe location mover been moved around (under sofa on itsdoe) went dead suddenly can be assumed for the cause of surge. Sonos knows that. The exterior is pristine and I’m 100% sure the most valued components aren’t effected. So the fact they require me to forfeit before releasing a coupon that is less valued than Halloween candy they’ve been passing out is not right.  On top of all, all I wanted was a chance to see if it’s repairable, they said not an option but clearly it’s not true otherwise where do those refurbished units come from that they sell directly on their website?