My Play:5 died 2.5 years in, due to a hardware failure as diagnosed by the Sonos team. I spent $500 on that speaker and the Sonos response was to offer me a "discounted" $350 replacement speaker ($850 for one speaker in 2.5 years). Instead of making it right and replacing the speaker, keeping me in the ecosystem, allowing me to continue to build my speaker set (I had full intentions of buying 3 additional speakers in the near future), and continuing to buy speakers as presents for family and friends, I now will spend a significant amount of effort relaying my story to my friends and family. Please believe me when I say that I will make sure that I discourage any contact of mine from buying into the Sonos ecosystem or purchasing a new product, and I hope this reaches anyone here as well.
I can't begin to tell you how disappointed and frustrated I am with the non-resolution to this issue. I tried really hard to walk the reps through the reality of the situation and the company response was to let me walk as a customer and ambassador and become an active opponent of Sonos going forward.
Part of my frustration is that I really enjoyed the product for the short amount of time I had it. I have a Playbar as well and am now just waiting for it to die on me too. I'm also bummed that I will have to move on to another company for products.
Here is what I don't get: Sonos made a very clear decision to move on from me over what amounts to $350. I've already paid in $1,200 for my first two speakers, I've given 3-4 Playbars to friends as wedding presents, and I have given other speakers to family members. I should be a high value customer! Add on my future purchases (not just for myself but additional gifts) and I don't understand how making it right now doesn't outweigh all the future lost revenue, as well as the lost revenue from my negative recommendations going forward. I just can't figure out the business decision there, say nothing for customer service.
I mentioned this to my customer service rep, but if the unit economics are so prohibitive to rectify a true "outlier" like mine (as he said I was), then doesn't this mean that the truth of the matter is that this is not an outlier case and that the company cannot afford the amount of similar cases like mine? That seems systemic to me and a bad representation of the Sonos product line.
Again, I need to let you know how disappointed this makes me. I'm confused at the decision-making process. I really tried to explain this to my customer service rep, and if you guys record calls, I would beg someone to please listen to it - even if it's just for training going forward. I was really optimistic that if I just spoke to someone and walked through the situation that it would make sense and I could go forward as a loyal customer and brand advocate. I'm not sure how to express how much this makes me feel sad and frustrated that this was the outcome. Sorry, this is long-winded and I'm not sure if anyone reads these but this whole process really struck a nerve and hurt me. I feel personally let down and it has really put a damper on my day.
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Hi Danny
Thanks for taking the time to not address the issue namely- what is a reasonable lifespan for such a product. The investigation into the cause of ‘premature’ failure would be academic if Sonos stood behind their products.
If you care to take the time to have a look on the internet you’ll find the evidence you clearly need before daring to share a view.
DFTT
"Your anecdotal evidence of hundreds of customers is worthless" followed up with their single piece of anecdotal evidence which is declared as definitive proof.
I'm not sure the poster actually knows the definition of the word "anecdotal".
Hi Jgatie
I know a useless comment when I see it. Sorry to have disturbed your rock.
I'll spell it out. Don't feed the troll.
Hi Jgatie
I know a useless comment when I see it. Sorry to have disturbed your rock.
So no explanation why an experience that is the definition of anecdotal is taken as definitive while hundreds of customer's experiences (the very definition of non-anecdotal) are useless?
I think we all know who is living under a rock around here.
Hi Danny
Thanks for taking the time to not address the issue namely- what is a reasonable lifespan for such a product. The investigation into the cause of ‘premature’ failure would be academic if Sonos stood behind their products.
If you care to take the time to have a look on the internet you’ll find the evidence you clearly need before daring to share a view.
You should take your own advice and provide the evidence you for the claims you’re making. You are the one hear making claims about the failure rate of Sonos products. Not me.
I agree with John. Unless you have something to back up your claim, you’re just trolling.
It’s classic troll:
- Make a critical assertion for which you have no evidence. Ideally it should be something that cannot be proved one way or the other - you don’t want to win the argument any more than lose it. You just want an argument.
- Make your claim as provocative as you can - like here, suggesting directors should be jailed
- Pour scorn on anyone who disagrees with you.
- Progress rapidly to personal insults, trying to cause maximum annoyance.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it probably is a duck. Or if it isn’t, it might as well be.
DFTT.
Userlevel 2
I too got an offer of an 'discounted' exchange. Discount was around 25% compared to RRP, so I actually don't think that's any value for me.
Certainly won't be buying Sonos again with such a short lifecycle period of their products.
I'm not sure it's a hardware problem though, as when I factory reset the unit, it appears the bass is working on the 'ding-e-ling' setup sound although it's VERY short....
Certainly won't be buying Sonos again with such a short lifecycle period of their products.
I'm not sure it's a hardware problem though, as when I factory reset the unit, it appears the bass is working on the 'ding-e-ling' setup sound although it's VERY short....
I'm not sure it's a hardware problem though, as when I factory reset the unit, it appears the bass is working on the 'ding-e-ling' setup sound although it's VERY short....
Some hardware issues strike a few minutes after reboot.
Userlevel 7
+21
Certainly won't be buying Sonos again with such a short lifecycle period of their products.
I'm not sure it's a hardware problem though, as when I factory reset the unit, it appears the bass is working on the 'ding-e-ling' setup sound although it's VERY short....
Hardware failures are rare on Sonos, as this forum shows. Threads on such are tiny compared to the moans about features and software issues. I too had a Play 5 Gen 1 fail after just over two years. Frustrating but i took the offer of the new Gen Play 5 and am very happy with the discount offered but if the subsequent Play 5 Gen 2 failed in the same time-frame I would be less enchanted as a new item would not be such a significant upgrade..
One thing that is frustrating is there is no repair service. I'f like the opportunity to chose between an £150 repair or discount in a new unit.
Userlevel 2
Yes - a 25% discount is not something I dig. It's the same I can get anywhere else on Black Friday and the like.
And I'm not going to buy Sonos again if the don't last any longer.
And I'm not going to buy Sonos again if the don't last any longer.
Well said, Stuart_W!
All electronic devices are subject to a small failure rate, it's the nature of electronics, and Sonos, with an entire computer inside of each device, is certainly no exception. But based on my perceptions of the amount of sales they have, and the relatively few people who come here to complain, their failure rate is low.
All electronic devices are subject to a small failure rate, it's the nature of electronics, and Sonos, with an entire computer inside of each device, is certainly no exception. But based on my perceptions of the amount of sales they have, and the relatively few people who come here to complain, their failure rate is low.
I just got news that I have a hardware issue after an hour phone call about my Play 5 Gen 1. Can't wait to see what they quote me. Worst part is it happened within Moments of Updating my Sonos app to the Bata Version a couple of month back. Shortly after the Play 5 came on by itself and now plays White Noise when plugged in, on or off and crappy sounding music. I have 5 Sonos players and am having major reservations on getting more for a new house build coming up.
Ryan,
I have learned over time that consumer technology is well, ultimately disposable. It is the Faustian bargain. I too have had my Play 5 burn out. Around the same amount of time 3 years. It was a Gen 1. Just last week it bricked and stopped working. I am happy however that you have "out-of-warranty" options to replace the speaker with Gen 2. I would like to pursue that offer. What do I do next? I would be happy to send my bricked Gen 1 back. Let me know.
Userlevel 7
+22
Best to call Sonos on Monday and set up an exchange, Sonos staff is spread thin on the forums.
Userlevel 1
Hi jpatdaley-
Sorry, I did not see this until now. The resolution was the same as before - either spend an additional $350 to buy a brand new speaker (so $850 in 2.5 years), or walk. I chose to walk.
I'm using a Google Home in the meantime, and while the sound quality is not quite as good, I'm able to sync multiple devices in different rooms which WAS the differentiator for Sonos. I'm hoping Google continues to expand and upgrade their hardware so that the sound quality improves, but I'm just fine with this as as stopgap.
As a follow-up, I've actively discouraged 10-12 people from joining the Sonos ecosystem and I've convinced everyone I bought Playbars for to not purchase anything additional from Sonos (after apologizing for getting them involved in the first place).
For those commenting on the limited warranty, I completely understand that they are well within their right to enforce that. All companies put those warranties on their products for protection, as they should - you don't want someone making an unreasonable claim. That does not mean that they are bound to them, and many companies choose to retain loyal customers over hard and fast rules like this. I thought the value proposition was clear - lose me, my network, and all future purchases associated with our collective negative feedback or just replace the product that failed, nothing more. I don't think my claim was unreasonable, especially if its such a unique case. It wouldn't set an unnecessary precedent, unless it is not actually an outlier.
Btw, Sonos stock is down about 50% since their IPO last summer.
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