Skip to main content
Dfan111
Trending Lyricist I
November 4, 2023

lack of repair support for out of warranty products

  • November 4, 2023
  • 47 replies
  • 2148 views

Hi fellow Sonos fanatics.  Thought I’d share my recent experience with you all.  Some of you may know that I’ve been a long time fan, advocate, supporter, beta tester of Sonos.  My default inputs and posts on here are mainly around products reviews or helping others with questions.  

Well recently I noticed one of my gen2 subs in my dual sub, arc, era300s setup went dead all of a sudden. I’ve tried using other gen2 sub power cords, it just wouldn’t power on.  The sub was bought brand new from bestbuy 3 years ago and had been kept indoor never been moved.  It is also the set used for beta testing.  I reached out to Sonos hoping to get it fixed because I am confident that the issue may be a loose end on the inside of the connection causing the current not going through. The sub is in pristine condition.  And fyi I own 7 subs in total from gen1 to gen3 and mini.  After a week of multiple communications via phone and email with different levels of Sonos customer support team, they decided to stand firm on providing me with the standard out of warranty “exception” offering a 30% discount towards a new sub ONLY under the condition that I send them my 3 yea old sub for free. While it may seem to be a fair solution on surface level, but if you think about it, it basically means Sonos wants to buy back my $800 sub for $240, fix it and resell for probably $600 as refurbished unit.  And me, end up paying $800 + $560 = $1360 for the ownership of the same sub if I decide to continue owning it after 3 years. I love sonos products and their innovative approach, but this is F up!  I keep emphasizing to them that I’m not asking for a new sub replacement and I respect their 1 year warranty policy, I just want my 3 year old sub to work again.  The industry standard for these products should have both warranty and repair programs allowing out of warranty products to have chance to be repaired.  Clearly Sonos selling refurbished units proves they do repair them.  Yet they won’t do mine.  And only option after owning a 3 year old $800 sub is to pay another $560 plus giving away my easy repairable sub to them, otherwise toss in garbage.  Do I assume the life expectancy of Sonos products is as short as 3 years just put out of warranty and left with option that is tough to accept?  FYI, there is no independent audio or computer repair shops that would even accept to take a look at it.  The lack of desire to provide out of warranty repair program is truly a one sided benefit to Sonos and only Sonos, leaving me a loyal, advocate, unpaid unsponsored Sonos supporter feeling betrayed, a nasty hard slap in the face.  

Sorry if this isn’t a positive read for you, but I just felt obligated to warn and break down the reality to you in case you run into this situation in the future.  Thanks for reading and I hope this will provide help to you in someway or other.

 

    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

    47 replies

    Show previous replies
    Dfan111Author
    Trending Lyricist I
    November 7, 2023

    So according to your theory Sonos should offer to take back every reported and unreported broken units for the green reason?? If you’re so concerned about the efforts vs profit margins, do you not think paying shipping costs to take them back and paying employees and trash services to process them cost them additional costs that brings absolutely no value to them?  

     

     

    I did not say that the only reason Sonos asked you return the device is so they could recycle it.  I said that they would determine that the speaker actually is faulty to prevent fraud. Then would recycle, rather than repair/resell or trash them.   Regardless of whatever ‘green reason’ Sonos may or may not have, they recycle for PR reasons.

    since you admit you don’t know their build cost vs profit margin, probably you don’t have exposure to that business sector. I’ll explain, Sonos is a manufacturer that also acts like a retailer.  

     

     

    You’ve made a lot of poor assumptions in your arguments, all conveniently favoring your narrative. I don’t see a reason that you would start being objective now.

     

    Manufacturers typically sell to retailers for ½ of cost or less than the actual retail price that we see. Bestbuy being a retail giant, Sonos must be selling to them less than ½ cost of retail price, and still make profit.  So when they also sell on their website for that same retail price, that margin is even higher, because the retail price is fixed as a contractual obligation to prevent killing their own distributors- bestbuy. Hence only Sonos has the power to give out coupons due to their high margin advantage over distributors as the position of being the source - manufacturer.  So 30 or 40 or whatever coupon they offer is nothing but a tactic to increase their sales.  No business is going to put their money into your pocket by selling you below the cost they paid to make the product no matter what the reason is. Why do you think they gave away crap loads of 40% coupons to s1 users recently free? Because they want to give away money?  Just think 

     

    You are correct that Sonos margins are surely higher when selling direct, even after factoring in shipping and other costs, but I don’t think we can assume any of these margins.  The margin between direct sales and sales through distributors isn’t relevant anyway.

    And I said that the discounts take a big chunk of the profit. That does not mean I think they take a lose.  You’re throwing up a straw man again.   They surely aren’t in loss territory, but the motivation for these discounts aren’t profits or increased sales.  In the case of failed units, they want to retain you as a customer for future sales rather than have you consider another system.  In the case of the 40% discount, S1 customers are maintenance support costs for Sonos, who aren’t buying very many new speakers since few current speakers even work on S1.  They want to provide incentives for you to get off of S1. 

     

     

    You are so naïve. I do sourcing as a profession and I deal with large, distributors, manufactures retailers. You name it I know the game in and out. No business will open the doors to lose money and not maximizing their profit being the number one priority over anything.  It’s a game of cost versus gain for them. And you use the word fraud, what fraud are they trying to prevent bye, taking my property in exchange for a coupon that is less in value the ones you can get for free?  Realize that a coupon is worthless until the buyer redeem is it.  So if I don’t use it and they take my sub, tell me who is creating a fraud?  Yes, my guess in the specific percentage numbers are of my assumptions, but these are experienced and educated assumptions based on my profession based on the game.  Sonos has become much bigger company in the last years. They have many employees and overhead facility costs to pay for. There is no way that they will sell anything to anyone without a  profit margin. That is going to satisfy all of the investors, and be able to sustain turn on the lights for them.  Remember, Sonos is a publicly traded company. They will now and effect do not have the ability to even set a price as generosity or courtesy to anyone lower than their cost.  Most of what I say is actually common sense in the business world, and I am really surprised by the Content of your perception as kindness being the priority of a large publicly trade business entity and I will just leave it like that.

    Also, I forgot to touch on the point you bought brought up about Cooper and maintenance fee for s1. That is actually your naïve perception assumption.  I said coupons are nothing but a sales tactic.  Maintaining and supporting two platforms must cost them tremendous amount of money, especially in today’s economic situation. Tech companies have laid off hundreds and thousands of people, downsizing, eliminating or reducing the programs that they used to provide or force to increase price on the customers end. I don’t know anything about s1 nor do I know about the maintenance fee they recently imposed. But since you brought it up now I know it makes perfect sense to me as to what is going on.  I know for a fact that Sonos like other companies are struggling with meeting sales targets, and that creates cash flow issue within the company. Then it the leads to cutting cost or firing employees, and ultimately because the cost to maintain s1 platform is in the necessary zero value add proposition for them, they have only sustained it from the time s2 was published because they felt the need to do something to avoid possible lawsuits from older customers, who bought their products and then left with no option to expand and enjoy newer technology, that new platform can I offer. Those users are furious and that is a fact.  So for them to impose maintenance fee recently that is a strong indication that they are no longer able to financially support and sustain in the environment where revenue income stream is now in issue that cannot offset the cost to maintain s1 and still provide possibility to satisfy investors and pay their bills. Not that it is not it single leader ship’s decision to make rather a board of investors.  Are you really naïve enough to think rich investors in the room when they make a decision they will prioritize kindness over profit gain???? I can school you all day if you want to learn

    melvimbe
    melvimbe
    November 7, 2023

    You are so naïve. I do sourcing as a profession and I deal with large, distributors, manufactures retailers. You name it I know the game in and out.

     

     

    You’re claiming that Sonos resells old speakers that you used for 3 years, among other poor assumptions. I don’t trust your opinion.  Name calling and straw men doesn’t help.

     

     

    No business will open the doors to lose money and not maximizing their profit being the number one priority over anything.  It’s a game of cost versus gain for them. And you use the word fraud, what fraud are they trying to prevent bye, taking my property in exchange for a coupon that is less in value the ones you can get for free?  Realize that a coupon is worthless until the buyer redeem is it.  So if I don’t use it and they take my sub, tell me who is creating a fraud?

     

     

    If you don’t intend to use the discount, then don’t send in your defective sub.  Your theory that the 3 year old defective sub is of value to Sonos is just silly.  Even if it was of value, that’s not fraud.  Fraud would be trying to get a discount code for a defective product when the product isn’t actually defective.  They clearly can’t just give out 30% discounts to anyone who claims their devices don’t work anymore, so getting their hands on the device is a way to prove that.  And the 40% is not free since you have to meet certain conditions, being on S1, to apply.  And I have not looked into the details of these two discounts, but typically these discounts are on individual items, so it’s useful to have multiple discounts for multiple items and purchases.  I certainly have used multiple discounts in the past.

     Yes, my guess in the specific percentage numbers are of my assumptions, but these are experienced and educated assumptions based on my profession based on the game.  Sonos has become much bigger company in the last years. They have many employees and overhead facility costs to pay for. There is no way that they will sell anything to anyone without a  profit margin.

     

     

    Why are you arguing that Sonos isn’t taking a loss on this discounts when no one is claiming they do?

     

     

     

    Danny
    melvimbe
    melvimbe
    November 7, 2023

    So according to your theory Sonos should offer to take back every reported and unreported broken units for the green reason?? If you’re so concerned about the efforts vs profit margins, do you not think paying shipping costs to take them back and paying employees and trash services to process them cost them additional costs that brings absolutely no value to them?  

     

     

    I did not say that the only reason Sonos asked you return the device is so they could recycle it.  I said that they would determine that the speaker actually is faulty to prevent fraud. Then would recycle, rather than repair/resell or trash them.   Regardless of whatever ‘green reason’ Sonos may or may not have, they recycle for PR reasons.

    since you admit you don’t know their build cost vs profit margin, probably you don’t have exposure to that business sector. I’ll explain, Sonos is a manufacturer that also acts like a retailer.  

     

     

    You’ve made a lot of poor assumptions in your arguments, all conveniently favoring your narrative. I don’t see a reason that you would start being objective now.

     

    Manufacturers typically sell to retailers for ½ of cost or less than the actual retail price that we see. Bestbuy being a retail giant, Sonos must be selling to them less than ½ cost of retail price, and still make profit.  So when they also sell on their website for that same retail price, that margin is even higher, because the retail price is fixed as a contractual obligation to prevent killing their own distributors- bestbuy. Hence only Sonos has the power to give out coupons due to their high margin advantage over distributors as the position of being the source - manufacturer.  So 30 or 40 or whatever coupon they offer is nothing but a tactic to increase their sales.  No business is going to put their money into your pocket by selling you below the cost they paid to make the product no matter what the reason is. Why do you think they gave away crap loads of 40% coupons to s1 users recently free? Because they want to give away money?  Just think 

     

    You are correct that Sonos margins are surely higher when selling direct, even after factoring in shipping and other costs, but I don’t think we can assume any of these margins.  The margin between direct sales and sales through distributors isn’t relevant anyway.

    And I said that the discounts take a big chunk of the profit. That does not mean I think they take a lose.  You’re throwing up a straw man again.   They surely aren’t in loss territory, but the motivation for these discounts aren’t profits or increased sales.  In the case of failed units, they want to retain you as a customer for future sales rather than have you consider another system.  In the case of the 40% discount, S1 customers are maintenance support costs for Sonos, who aren’t buying very many new speakers since few current speakers even work on S1.  They want to provide incentives for you to get off of S1. 

     

     

    You are so naïve. I do sourcing as a profession and I deal with large, distributors, manufactures retailers. You name it I know the game in and out. No business will open the doors to lose money and not maximizing their profit being the number one priority over anything.  It’s a game of cost versus gain for them. And you use the word fraud, what fraud are they trying to prevent bye, taking my property in exchange for a coupon that is less in value the ones you can get for free?  Realize that a coupon is worthless until the buyer redeem is it.  So if I don’t use it and they take my sub, tell me who is creating a fraud?  Yes, my guess in the specific percentage numbers are of my assumptions, but these are experienced and educated assumptions based on my profession based on the game.  Sonos has become much bigger company in the last years. They have many employees and overhead facility costs to pay for. There is no way that they will sell anything to anyone without a  profit margin. That is going to satisfy all of the investors, and be able to sustain turn on the lights for them.  Remember, Sonos is a publicly traded company. They will now and effect do not have the ability to even set a price as generosity or courtesy to anyone lower than their cost.  Most of what I say is actually common sense in the business world, and I am really surprised by the Content of your perception as kindness being the priority of a large publicly trade business entity and I will just leave it like that.

    Also, I forgot to touch on the point you bought brought up about Cooper and maintenance fee for s1. That is actually your naïve perception assumption.  I said coupons are nothing but a sales tactic.  Maintaining and supporting two platforms must cost them tremendous amount of money, especially in today’s economic situation. Tech companies have laid off hundreds and thousands of people, downsizing, eliminating or reducing the programs that they used to provide or force to increase price on the customers end. I don’t know anything about s1 nor do I know about the maintenance fee they recently imposed. But since you brought it up now I know it makes perfect sense to me as to what is going on.  I know for a fact that Sonos like other companies are struggling with meeting sales targets, and that creates cash flow issue within the company. Then it the leads to cutting cost or firing employees, and ultimately because the cost to maintain s1 platform is in the necessary zero value add proposition for them, they have only sustained it from the time s2 was published because they felt the need to do something to avoid possible lawsuits from older customers, who bought their products and then left with no option to expand and enjoy newer technology, that new platform can I offer. Those users are furious and that is a fact.  So for them to impose maintenance fee recently that is a strong indication that they are no longer able to financially support and sustain in the environment where revenue income stream is now in issue that cannot offset the cost to maintain s1 and still provide possibility to satisfy investors and pay their bills. Not that it is not it single leader ship’s decision to make rather a board of investors.  Are you really naïve enough to think rich investors in the room when they make a decision they will prioritize kindness over profit gain???? I can school you all day if you want to learn

     

    There is no maintenance fee charged to customers using  S1.

    Danny
    Dfan111Author
    Trending Lyricist I
    November 7, 2023

    So according to your theory Sonos should offer to take back every reported and unreported broken units for the green reason?? If you’re so concerned about the efforts vs profit margins, do you not think paying shipping costs to take them back and paying employees and trash services to process them cost them additional costs that brings absolutely no value to them?  

     

     

    I did not say that the only reason Sonos asked you return the device is so they could recycle it.  I said that they would determine that the speaker actually is faulty to prevent fraud. Then would recycle, rather than repair/resell or trash them.   Regardless of whatever ‘green reason’ Sonos may or may not have, they recycle for PR reasons.

    since you admit you don’t know their build cost vs profit margin, probably you don’t have exposure to that business sector. I’ll explain, Sonos is a manufacturer that also acts like a retailer.  

     

     

    You’ve made a lot of poor assumptions in your arguments, all conveniently favoring your narrative. I don’t see a reason that you would start being objective now.

     

    Manufacturers typically sell to retailers for ½ of cost or less than the actual retail price that we see. Bestbuy being a retail giant, Sonos must be selling to them less than ½ cost of retail price, and still make profit.  So when they also sell on their website for that same retail price, that margin is even higher, because the retail price is fixed as a contractual obligation to prevent killing their own distributors- bestbuy. Hence only Sonos has the power to give out coupons due to their high margin advantage over distributors as the position of being the source - manufacturer.  So 30 or 40 or whatever coupon they offer is nothing but a tactic to increase their sales.  No business is going to put their money into your pocket by selling you below the cost they paid to make the product no matter what the reason is. Why do you think they gave away crap loads of 40% coupons to s1 users recently free? Because they want to give away money?  Just think 

     

    You are correct that Sonos margins are surely higher when selling direct, even after factoring in shipping and other costs, but I don’t think we can assume any of these margins.  The margin between direct sales and sales through distributors isn’t relevant anyway.

    And I said that the discounts take a big chunk of the profit. That does not mean I think they take a lose.  You’re throwing up a straw man again.   They surely aren’t in loss territory, but the motivation for these discounts aren’t profits or increased sales.  In the case of failed units, they want to retain you as a customer for future sales rather than have you consider another system.  In the case of the 40% discount, S1 customers are maintenance support costs for Sonos, who aren’t buying very many new speakers since few current speakers even work on S1.  They want to provide incentives for you to get off of S1. 

     

     

    You are so naïve. I do sourcing as a profession and I deal with large, distributors, manufactures retailers. You name it I know the game in and out. No business will open the doors to lose money and not maximizing their profit being the number one priority over anything.  It’s a game of cost versus gain for them. And you use the word fraud, what fraud are they trying to prevent bye, taking my property in exchange for a coupon that is less in value the ones you can get for free?  Realize that a coupon is worthless until the buyer redeem is it.  So if I don’t use it and they take my sub, tell me who is creating a fraud?  Yes, my guess in the specific percentage numbers are of my assumptions, but these are experienced and educated assumptions based on my profession based on the game.  Sonos has become much bigger company in the last years. They have many employees and overhead facility costs to pay for. There is no way that they will sell anything to anyone without a  profit margin. That is going to satisfy all of the investors, and be able to sustain turn on the lights for them.  Remember, Sonos is a publicly traded company. They will now and effect do not have the ability to even set a price as generosity or courtesy to anyone lower than their cost.  Most of what I say is actually common sense in the business world, and I am really surprised by the Content of your perception as kindness being the priority of a large publicly trade business entity and I will just leave it like that.

    Also, I forgot to touch on the point you bought brought up about Cooper and maintenance fee for s1. That is actually your naïve perception assumption.  I said coupons are nothing but a sales tactic.  Maintaining and supporting two platforms must cost them tremendous amount of money, especially in today’s economic situation. Tech companies have laid off hundreds and thousands of people, downsizing, eliminating or reducing the programs that they used to provide or force to increase price on the customers end. I don’t know anything about s1 nor do I know about the maintenance fee they recently imposed. But since you brought it up now I know it makes perfect sense to me as to what is going on.  I know for a fact that Sonos like other companies are struggling with meeting sales targets, and that creates cash flow issue within the company. Then it the leads to cutting cost or firing employees, and ultimately because the cost to maintain s1 platform is in the necessary zero value add proposition for them, they have only sustained it from the time s2 was published because they felt the need to do something to avoid possible lawsuits from older customers, who bought their products and then left with no option to expand and enjoy newer technology, that new platform can I offer. Those users are furious and that is a fact.  So for them to impose maintenance fee recently that is a strong indication that they are no longer able to financially support and sustain in the environment where revenue income stream is now in issue that cannot offset the cost to maintain s1 and still provide possibility to satisfy investors and pay their bills. Not that it is not it single leader ship’s decision to make rather a board of investors.  Are you really naïve enough to think rich investors in the room when they make a decision they will prioritize kindness over profit gain???? I can school you all day if you want to learn

     

    There is no maintenance fee charged to customers using  S1.

    What name did I call you?  You seem to have a problem with comprehension or late to make things up. But you actually call me or implied that I am trying to create a fraud to scam a 30% coupon from Sonos. Clearly, you know nothing about business or common sense. This conversation is over between you and I because I can’t make sense of talking to somebody who isn’t on the same level.

    jgatie
    jgatie
    November 7, 2023

    Yep, I'd make him send the Sub in before I gave him a coupon for a free cookie, never mind 30% off a new Sub.

      Dfan111Author
      Trending Lyricist I
      November 7, 2023

      Yep, I'd make him send the Sub in before I gave him a coupon for a free cookie, never mind 30% off a new Sub.

      Nah cookie still costs us money and shipping. I have crap loads of 15% for qualified products upgrades coupon, I’ll send him one of those after he sends me his sub. He will feel so grateful.  That’s  gain for me, him and Sonos. Win win win 

      Dfan111Author
      Trending Lyricist I
      November 8, 2023

      https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-is-right-to-repair/
       

      https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB244
       

      Time to exercise our rights 

      apparently they don’t repair and resell our trade in units.  But worse, they use them to comply the environmental regulation so they don’t have to pay fine or get shut down, all at the expense of forcing us to continue buying replacements when the units can probably easily be repaired 

      nik9669a
      Senior Virtuoso
      November 8, 2023

      M

      https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-is-right-to-repair/
       

      https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB244
       

      Time to exercise our rights 

      apparently they don’t repair and resell our trade in units.  But worse, they use them to comply the environmental regulation so they don’t have to pay fine or get shut down, all at the expense of forcing us to continue buying replacements when the units can probably easily be repaired 

       

      In the second article, which I admit I’ve not read in detail, it appears to be limited to items costing not less than $50 and not more than $99.99 which does seem to be a very restrictive price range. 

      In the first article it says

      “The idea behind “right to repair” is in the name: If you own something, you should be able to repair it yourself or take it to a technician of your choice.”

      You do currently have that right, as I understand it. It doesn’t say the manufacturer must repair it - it gives you free choice on the open market to get it repaired.
       

      Find a repairer and send it to them to fix. And by doing that you won’t have to use a Sonos discount voucher, which you seem to object to using. So: exercise your rights, and let’s all move on. 

       

      jgatie
      jgatie
      November 8, 2023

      In the second article, which I admit I’ve not read in detail, it appears to be limited to items costing not less than $50 and not more than $99.99 which does seem to be a very restrictive price range. 

      In the first article it says

      “The idea behind “right to repair” is in the name: If you own something, you should be able to repair it yourself or take it to a technician of your choice.”

      You do currently have that right, as I understand it. It doesn’t say the manufacturer must repair it - it gives you free choice on the open market to get it repaired.
       

       

       

      Exactly.  RIght to Repair (which arose out of the auto repair industry) came to be because manufacturers were insisting consumers bring their vehicles to a dealership in order to perform repairs, or they would void the warranty and not pay.  Right to Repair laws were put in place to make sure independent repair shops would get paid for warranty repairs and the warranty would still be valid.  Quite different from stipulating that the original manufacturer must repair a product.  

      Dfan111Author
      Trending Lyricist I
      November 8, 2023

      M

      https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-is-right-to-repair/
       

      https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB244
       

      Time to exercise our rights 

      apparently they don’t repair and resell our trade in units.  But worse, they use them to comply the environmental regulation so they don’t have to pay fine or get shut down, all at the expense of forcing us to continue buying replacements when the units can probably easily be repaired 

       

      In the second article, which I admit I’ve not read in detail, it appears to be limited to items costing not less than $50 and not more than $99.99 which does seem to be a very restrictive price range. 

      In the first article it says

      “The idea behind “right to repair” is in the name: If you own something, you should be able to repair it yourself or take it to a technician of your choice.”

      You do currently have that right, as I understand it. It doesn’t say the manufacturer must repair it - it gives you free choice on the open market to get it repaired.
       

      Find a repairer and send it to them to fix. And by doing that you won’t have to use a Sonos discount voucher, which you seem to object to using. So: exercise your rights, and let’s all move on. 

       

      I don’t want to challenge your intelligence, but hahe you read everything? Have you read the law passed in CA? Where Sonos is located?  There are 2 links.  You read the article but not the law. And you cropped a F fraction of words to tell me to move on. Since you read the article then tell me which part of this don’t you understand - tech company’s secret sales tactic of intentionally make their products unrepairable to force customers buy new replacements because they cannot come up with new technology and new products fast enough to sustain their sales. Yet that’s not the worst, victims like you who sent back their defects thinking you’ve been done a favor, they use that to suffice their CA environmental compliance.  You think I wouldn’t have taken it to an Indy shop if I could already, if Sonos hadn’t made their products unrepairable or parts unavailable, and completely transparent on everything??  Wake the F up, the government is even helping to protect YOU!

      Show more replies
      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement