text: RNS Number:1649L SABMiller PLC 07 January 2008 This is a joint announcement of SABMiller plc ('SABMiller'), SABMiller Netherlands B.V. (the 'Offeror') and Koninklijke Grolsch N.V. ('Grolsch') which is required pursuant to the provisions of section 10 paragraph 3 and section 18 paragraph 3 of the Dutch Decree on Public Takeover Bids (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft) (the 'Decree') in connection with the recommended public offer by SABMiller and the Offeror for all issued and outstanding (depositary receipts for) ordinary shares in the capital of Grolsch. This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. This announcement and related materials do not constitute an offer for (depository receipts of) shares in Grolsch. Any offer will be made only by means of the Offer Memorandum as defined below. 7 January 2008 RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER BY SABMILLER PLC AND SABMILLER NETHERLANDS B.V. FOR ALL THE ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING (DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS FOR) ORDINARY SHARES WITH A NOMINAL VALUE OF EUR 1.00 EACH IN THE CAPITAL OF KONINKLIJKE GROLSCH N.V. With reference to the press releases of 19 November 2007 and 14 December 2007, SABMiller plc ('SABMiller'), SABMiller Netherlands B.V., an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of SABMiller (the 'Offeror'), and Koninklijke Grolsch N.V. ('Grolsch') hereby jointly announce that SABMiller and the Offeror are making a recommended public cash offer for all of the issued and outstanding (depositary receipts for) ordinary shares with a nominal value of EUR 1.00 each (the 'Shares'; holders of such Shares being referred to as 'Shareholders') in the capital of Grolsch (the 'Offer'). Highlights * The Offer is a cash offer for all the issued and outstanding (depositary receipts for) ordinary shares in the capital of Grolsch of EUR 48.25 per Share. * The acceptance period commences at 9:00 hours, Amsterdam time on 8 January 2008 and will end at 15:00 hours Amsterdam time on 5 February 2008, unless extended. * Grolsch will convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held on 28 January 2008 during which the Offer will be discussed. * The supervisory board of Grolsch and the management board of Grolsch unanimously support the Offer and recommend the Offer to all Shareholders for acceptance. * The Offer shall be subject to the fulfilment of the offer conditions as set out in the Offer Memorandum, including, but not limited to, the condition that on the acceptance closing date the number of tendered, owned and committed Shares represents at least 75% of all issued Shares. The Offer The Offeror is making the Offer, subject to the terms and restrictions contained in the offer memorandum dated 7 January 2008 (the 'Offer Memorandum'). The Offer Memorandum will be available as of today. Shareholders should refer to the Offer Memorandum for all terms of, and conditions and restrictions to the Offer. Shareholders tendering their Shares under the Offer will be paid, under the terms and subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in the Offer Memorandum, in consideration of each Share validly tendered (or defectively tendered provided that such defect has been waived by the Offeror) and delivered (geleverd) a cash amount of EUR 48.25 (which includes any dividend or other distribution on the Shares that may be declared prior to the Settlement Date and, consequently, the offer price will be decreased to reflect such declaration of dividend or other distribution, if any, prior to the Settlement Date) (the ' Offer Price'). Recommendation of the Boards The supervisory board of Grolsch (the 'Supervisory Board') and the management board of Grolsch (the 'Management Board'), after having received extensive legal and financial advice and having given due and careful consideration to the strategic, financial and social aspects and consequences of the proposed transaction and having extensively reviewed other alternatives available to Grolsch (including a stand alone scenario and a potential third party transaction), have reached the conclusion that the Offer is in the best interests of the Grolsch Group, the Shareholders and all other stakeholders of Grolsch. The Supervisory Board and the Management Board are of the opinion that the price being offered per Share and the other terms of the Offer are reasonable and fair to the Shareholders. The Supervisory Board and the Management Board therefore support the Offer and unanimously recommend the Offer to the Shareholders for acceptance. Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders On 28 January 2008 at 14:00 hours, Amsterdam time, at Brouwerslaan 1, Enschede, the Netherlands, an extraordinary general meeting of Shareholders will be convened, during which among others the Offer will be explained and discussed in compliance with the provisions of article 18, paragraph 1 of the Decree. A position statement providing further information to its Shareholders as required pursuant to article 18 paragraph 2 of the Decree (the 'Position Statement') and the agenda for the extraordinary general meeting of Shareholders (including notes and other related documents) will be made available by Grolsch as of 7 January 2008 and as further described below. Works council Grolsche Bierbrouwerij Nederland B.V. The works council of Grolsche Bierbrouwerij Nederland B.V. has rendered a positive advice with regard to the Offer. Committed and Owned Shares The NBC Trust (on its own behalf and on behalf of certain holders of Trust Depositary Receipts) has executed an irrevocable undertaking pursuant to which such holders irrevocably agree, subject to the terms and conditions of the irrevocable undertaking, to (i) convert the Trust Depositary Receipts held by them to Listed Depositary Receipts and (ii) accept the Offer in respect of all Shares held by them, during the Acceptance Period and pursuant to which the NBC Trust irrevocably agrees to cooperate with such conversion and acceptance (the 'Irrevocable Undertaking'). The Irrevocable Undertaking contains certain customary undertakings and conditions including that the committed Shareholders will only tender their Shares to a third-party offeror, if and when such third-party offeror offers a price which is at least 7.5% above the Offer Price (a 'Superior Offer'). In the event of a Superior Offer, the Offeror may revise its Offer in order to match the Superior Offer. The Irrevocable Undertaking in total relates to an aggregate number of committed Shares of 6,302,986 or approximately 37.2% of all issued Shares at the date of the Offer Memorandum. Acceptance Period The acceptance period (the 'Acceptance Period') under the Offer begins at 9:00 hours, Amsterdam time, on 8 January 2008 and ends at 15:00 hours, Amsterdam time, on 5 February 2008, unless extended (the 'Acceptance Closing Date'). Acceptance under the Offer must be made in the manner specified in the Offer Memorandum. Shares tendered on or prior to the Acceptance Closing Date may not be withdrawn, subject to the right of withdrawal of any tender during any extension of the Acceptance Period in accordance with the provisions of article 15, paragraph 3 of the Decree. Acceptance by Shareholders The Shares consist of (i) the Listed Depositary Receipts, (ii) Trust Depositary Receipts and (iii) Remaining Shares as set out and defined in the Offer Memorandum. Holders of Listed Depositary Receipts which Listed Depositary Receipts are held through an Admitted Institution are requested to make their acceptance known via their bank or stockbroker no later than 15:00 hours, Amsterdam time on 5 February 2008, unless the Acceptance Period is extended. The relevant bank or stockbroker may set an earlier deadline for communication by holders of such Listed Depositary Receipts in order to permit the bank or stockbroker to communicate their acceptances to the Exchange Agent in a timely manner. In submitting the acceptance, the Admitted Institutions are required to declare that (i) they have tendered the Listed Depositary Receipts in their administration, (ii) each Shareholder who accepts the Offer irrevocably represents and warrants that the Listed Depositary Receipts tendered by him are being tendered in compliance with the restrictions as set out in Section 1 (Restrictions and import information) of the Offer Memorandum and (iii) they undertake to transfer these Listed Depositary Receipts to the Offeror on the Settlement Date, provided that the Offer has been declared unconditional (gestand is gedaan). Holders of Remaining Shares who wish to accept the Offer in respect of such Remaining Shares must deliver a completed and signed acceptance form to the Exchange Agent. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer, the acceptance forms must be received by the Exchange Agent, not later than 15:00 hours, Amsterdam time on 5 February 2008, unless the Acceptance Period is extended. The acceptance forms are available upon request from Grolsch (attn. Investor Relations, P.O. Box 55, 7500 AB, Enschede, the Netherlands, fax +31 (0) 53 483 3114, email: firstname.lastname@example.com) and the Exchange Agent. The acceptance form will also serve as a deed of transfer (akte van levering) with respect to the Remaining Shares referenced therein. The NBC Trust has notified the holders of Trust Depositary Receipts in which manner and under which conditions they can instruct the NBC Trust to convert the Trust Depositary Receipts held by them into Listed Depositary Receipts and subsequently to perform the necessary acts to validly tender and deliver such Listed Depositary Receipts held by them to the Offeror. Extension The Offeror may extend the Offer past the Acceptance Closing Date once, for a period of at least two weeks and for a maximum of four weeks. If the Acceptance Period is extended, the Offeror will make a public announcement to that effect not later than 15:00 hours, Amsterdam time on the third Business Day following the Acceptance Closing Date in accordance with the provisions of article 15, paragraph 2 of the Decree. During such extension of the Acceptance Period, any Shares previously tendered and not withdrawn will remain subject to the Offer. Declaring the Offer Unconditional (gestanddoening) The Offer shall be subject to the fulfilment of the offer conditions as set out in section 6.2 of the Offer Memorandum (the 'Offer Conditions'), including, but not limited to, the condition that on the Acceptance Closing Date the number of Tendered, Owned and Committed Shares (as defined in the Offer Memorandum) represents at least 75% of all issued Shares. The Offeror reserves the right to waive certain Offer Conditions if permitted by law. A waiver by the Offeror of the Offer Condition under Section 6.2(a) requires the prior express written approval of the Management Board and Supervisory Board of Grolsch in the event that the number of Tendered, Owned and Committed Shares represents less than 66.67% of all issued Shares (geplaatst kapitaal). No later than on the third Business Day following the Acceptance Closing Date, such date being the Unconditional Date, the Offeror will determine whether the Offer Conditions have been fulfilled or are to be waived. In addition, the Offeror will announce on the Unconditional Date, in accordance with Article 16, paragraph 1 of the Decree, whether (i) the Offer has been declared unconditional, (ii) the Offer will be extended in accordance with Article 15 of the Decree, or (iii) the Offer is terminated as a result of the Offer Conditions not having been fulfilled or waived by the Offeror. Settlement In the event that the Offeror announces that the Offer is declared unconditional (gestand wordt gedaan), the Shareholders having tendered their Shares for acceptance will receive no later than on the fifth Business Day following the Unconditional Date (the 'Settlement Date'), the Offer Price in respect of each Share validly tendered (or defectively tendered provided that such defect has been waived by the Offeror) and delivered (geleverd) on the terms and subject to the conditions and restrictions of the Offer. Post-acceptance period In the event that the Offeror announces that the Offer is declared unconditional (gestand wordt gedaan), the Offeror has the right to continue the Offer by way of a post-acceptance period (na-aanmeldingstermijn). No later than on the third Business Day following the Unconditional Date, the Offeror may announce such post-acceptance period (na-aanmeldingstermijn) for the Offer for a maximum period of two weeks. During a post-acceptance period, Shareholders that have not yet tendered their Shares under the Offer will be given the opportunity to do so in the same manner and under the same conditions as set out in the Offer Memorandum all in accordance with Article 17 of the Decree. Liquidity and delisting The purchase of Listed Depositary Receipts (including Listed Depositary Receipts converted from Trust Depositary Receipts) by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer, among other things, will reduce the number of Shareholders and the number of Listed Depositary Receipts that might otherwise trade publicly and thus adversely affect the liquidity and market value of the Listed Depositary Receipts not tendered. Subject to the Offer being declared unconditional and in the event that the Offeror has acquired 95% of the Listed Depositary Receipts, the listing of the Listed Depositary Receipts on Euronext Amsterdam will be terminated as soon as practicable after consultation with Euronext Amsterdam and in accordance with the applicable listing rules. This would further adversely affect the liquidity and market value of any Listed Depositary Receipts not tendered. Announcements Announcements declaring whether the Offer is declared unconditional (gestand wordt gedaan) and announcements in relation to an extension of the Acceptance Period will be issued by press release and will be published in at least Het Financieele Dagblad and NRC Handelsblad or any other newspaper nationally circulated in the Netherlands and the Daily Official List (Officiele Prijscourant), as appropriate. Subject to any applicable requirements of the Decree and other applicable laws and without limiting the manner in which the Offeror may choose to make any public announcement, the Offeror will have no obligation to communicate any public announcement other than as described above. Offer Memorandum, Position Statement and further information This announcement contains selected, condensed information regarding the Offer and does not replace the Offer Memorandum and the Position Statement. The information in this announcement is not complete and additional information is contained in the Offer Memorandum and the Position Statement. Terms not defined herein shall have the meaning as set out in the Offer Memorandum. Shareholders are advised to review the Offer Memorandum and the Position Statement in detail and to seek independent advice where appropriate in order to reach a reasoned judgment in respect of the Offer and the content of the Offer Memorandum and the Position Statement. Copies of the Offer Memorandum are available on the website of SABMiller ( www.sabmiller.com) or Grolsch (www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl and www.royalgrolsch.com). SABMiller's and Grolsch' websites do not constitute a part of, and are not incorporated by reference into the Offer Memorandum. Copies of the Offer Memorandum are furthermore available free of charge at the offices of Grolsch and the Exchange Agent at the addresses mentioned below. Copies of the Position Statement, as well as copies of (i) the articles of association of Grolsch and (ii) the annual financial statements (jaarrekeningen) of Grolsch for the financial year 2006, the financial year 2005 and the financial year 2004, as adopted by the general meeting of shareholders of Grolsch, which documents under (i) and (ii) are incorporated by reference in, and form an integral part of, the Offer Memorandum and, as far as applicable, the Position Statement, are available free of charge at Grolsch' website: www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl and www.royalgrolsch.com and at the offices of Grolsch and the Exchange Agent, and can be obtained by contacting Grolsch or the Exchange Agent at the addresses below. SABMiller plc 1 Stanhope Gate London, W1K1AF United Kingdom SABMiller Netherlands B.V. Schouwburgplein 30-34 3012 CL, Rotterdam the Netherlands Koninklijke Grolsch N.V. Brouwerslaan 1 7548 XA Enschede The Netherlands P.O. Box 55 7500 AB Enschede The Netherlands The Exchange Agent ABN AMRO Bank N.V. AS Exchange Agency MF 2020 Kemelstede 2 4817 ST Breda The Netherlands P.O. Box 3200 4800 DE Breda The Netherlands Tel: +3176579 9455 Fax: +31 10264 4652 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Restrictions General Restrictions The Offer is not being made, and the Shares will not be accepted for purchase from or on behalf of any Shareholder, in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or other laws or regulations of such jurisdiction or would require any registration, approval or filing with any regulatory authority not expressly contemplated by the terms of the Offer Memorandum. Persons obtaining the Offer Memorandum are required to take due note and observe all such restrictions and obtain any necessary authorisations, approvals or consents. Neither the Offeror, nor SABMiller, nor any of their advisers accepts any liability for any violation by any person of any such restriction. Any person (including, without limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) who would or otherwise intend to forward the Offer Memorandum or any related document to any jurisdiction outside The Netherlands should carefully read Section 1 (Restrictions and Important Information) of the Offer Memorandum before taking any action. The distribution of the Offer Memorandum in jurisdictions other than The Netherlands may be restricted by law and therefore persons into whose possession the Offer Memorandum comes should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Any failure to comply with any such restrictions may constitute a violation of the law of any such jurisdiction. United States, Canada, Australia and Japan The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into, or by use of the mailing systems of, or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, electronic mail, post, telephone, facsimile, telex or electronic transmission) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a securities exchange of the U.S., Canada, Australia or Japan, and the Offer cannot be accepted by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility or from within the U.S., Canada, Australia or Japan. Accordingly, this Offer Memorandum and any related documents are not being and must not be mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in or into the U.S., Canada, Australia or Japan or in their capacities as such custodians, trustees, or nominees holding shares for U.S., Canadian, Australian and Japanese persons and persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) must not distribute or send them into such jurisdictions and doing so will render invalid any relevant purported acceptance of the Offer. This Offer Memorandum has not been submitted to or reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') or any state securities commission in the U.S. and neither the SEC nor any such state securities commission has approved or disapproved or determined whether this Offer Memorandum is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the U.S. Overview of SABMiller SABMiller plc is one of the world's largest brewers with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The group's brands include premium international beers such as Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, as well as an exceptional range of market leading local brands. Outside the USA, SABMiller plc is also one of the largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products in the world. In the year ended 31 March 2007, the group reported $3,154 million adjusted pre-tax profit and revenue of $18,620 million. SABMiller plc is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. For more information on SABMiller plc, visit the company's website: www.sabmiller.com. Overview of Grolsch Grolsch is a listed company with a rich tradition that goes back to 1615. The focal point of Grolsch's commercial activities lie in the Netherlands, Grolsch's historic home market. However, important international markets for Grolsch include the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand. Grolsch is focused on targeting the premium segment with the Grolsch brand as its main product. In the year to 31 December, 2006, Grolsch reported turnover of Euro317.6 million and net profit of Euro19.2 million. Total worldwide sales volumes were 3.2 million hectoliters (hls), comprising 1.6 million hls of domestic volumes in the Netherlands, and 1.6 million of international volumes. Grolsch has approximately a 15% market share in the Netherlands, where it operates from one brewery in Enschede. Its main domestic brands include Grolsch Premium Pilsner, which represents approximately 90% of total volumes in the Netherlands. Grolsch achieves approximately 80% of its international sales volumes in the UK, the United States, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand through a network of alliances. For more information on Grolsch N.V., visit the company's website: www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl or www.royalgrolsch.com. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement includes 'forward-looking statements' and language indicating trends, such as 'anticipated' and 'expected'. Although the Companies believe that the assumptions upon which their respective financial information and their respective forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, they can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companies' projections and expectations are disclosed in Grolsch's annual report for the year ended 31 December 2006 and in other documents which are available on Grolsch's website at www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl and in SABMiller's annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2007 and in other documents which are available on SABMiller's website at www.SABMiller.com. These factors include, among others, changes in consumer preferences and product trends; price discounting by major competitors; failure to realize anticipated results from synergy initiatives; failure to obtain regulatory consents or other third party approvals; and increases in costs generally. All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by such cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. Neither SABMiller nor Grolsch undertakes to update forward-looking statements relating to their respective businesses, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither SABMiller nor Grolsch accepts any responsibility for any financial information contained in this press release relating to the business or operations or results or financial condition of the other or their respective groups. ____________________________________________________________________________ Enquiries: ____________________________________________________________________________ SABMiller plc Tel: +44 20 7659 0100 Sue Clark (Director of Corporate Affairs) Mob: +44 7850 285471 Gary Leibowitz (Senior Vice President, Investor Relations) Mob: +44 7717 428540 Nigel Fairbrass (Head of Media Relations) Mob: +44 7799 894265 Koninklijke Grolsch N.V. Tel: +31-53-48 33 176 Debbie de Wagenaar (Head of Corporate Communications) Mob: +31-6-53418625 This public announcement is available on the SABMiller plc website at www.sabmiller.com and on the website of Koninklijke Grolsch N.V. at www.koninklijkegrolsch.nl or www.royalgrolsch.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange END OUPFKPKNKBKBBDK


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Our Thoughts
The Scorpion EXO-500 immediately catches the eye with its innovative design, enhanced by a superb sharp ridge on the underside of the shell. With an enhanced ventilation system, the Scorpion EXO-500 helmet is comfortable for sport and street riding. The Scorpion EXO 500 Helmets will drastically change your expectations of the full face helmet standard range. Equipped with the revolutionary Airfit technology and a state-of-the-art ventilation system, chances are the Scorpion EXO-500 will steal the show.

subset: commoncrawl


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Will Suntech's Woes Be Good News for China's Solar Manufacturers?
Suntech Power Holdings (STP) days appear numbered--and that could give a boost to other Chinese solar stocks.
The beleaguered solar company announced today that one of its Chinese units, Wuxi Suntech Power Holdings, which manufactures solar cells, declared bankruptcy today after a petition on insolvency was filed by eight Chinese banks. Suntech said that it hadn't "commence insolvency proceedings," but it should be noted that Wuxi Suntech is the company's main operating subsidiary.
The New York Times calls Suntech the "Icarus of the solar," noting:
...with production that soared year after year on heavy investment, as Western investors bought up its New York-traded shares and its international debt issues. Part of a massive Chinese government effort to dominate renewable energy industries, Suntech grew to 10,000 employees in its hometown of Wuxi and even set up a small factory in Arizona to do further assembly of panels there.
But a 10-fold expansion of overall Chinese solar panel manufacturing capacity from 2008 to 2012 produced a three-quarters drop in solar panel prices, undermining the economics of the business.
While Suntech's shares continue to plummet, other solar producers, including Trina Solar (TSL) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE), are holding up pretty well. That suggests Suntech's problems extended beyond the collapse in solar prices.
Shahriar (Shar) Pourreza, Citigroup's vice-president of alternative energy, points to the fraud at the GSF fund, as well as a "culture clash" between the company's founder Shi Zhengrong and its current CEO David King. Ultimately, those problems led to frustration from the banks the financed the company and a willingness to let it default on its convertible bonds last week.
It could also be good news for Trina and Yingli, Pourreza says. Both companies have China's seal of approval, which means they're unlikely to go anywhere, despite China's willingness to let Suntech go. And depending on what happens with Suntech--Will it continue to manufacture solar panels? Will its factories be mothballed?--it might also mean fewer panels produced and higher prices, Pourreza says.
Investors should refrain from getting too excited, he says, because there needs to be more evidence of a tightening of supply in the market. But if that should materialize, this could be the turning point for China's solar stocks.
Yingli has gained 2.2% to $2.37 and Trina Solar has climbed 1.5% to $4.00, while U.S. manufacturer Sunpower (SPWR) has jumped 2.9% to $12.25. The Guggenheim Solar (TAN) exchange-traded fund has risen 1.6% to $16.83.
UPDATE: And now for the dissent. Axiom Capital's Gordon Johnson says it's unlikely that Suntech will stop manufacturing. Instead, he notes that its Wuxi operations will likely be taken over by Wuxi Guolian, a state-owned company. He writes:
...we believe the popular thinking that STP's default on the CB is leading Suntech "disappearing" from the global solar chain is wrong. In fact, we view the likelihood of Wuxi Suntech becoming part of a SOE group as a potential enhancer of the company's competitiveness (due to better access to government "funds") and therefore could be a very negative reading for other Chinese solar producers, such as TSL, YGE.
More specifically, we note the following two issues: (1.)...upon entering the "SOE club" as part of Wuxi Guolian, Wuxi Suntech is likely to be designated as the "preferred" supplier for many systems built/developed by SOE utilities, potentially taking business away from private producers, such as YGE & TSL, and (2.) we firmly believe there will be no "capacity rationalization" unless there is a banking crisis in China; stated differently, we believe Wuxi Suntech's access to capital will continue after its transition into Wuxi Guolian; we do not believe this dynamic is well understood by the Street.
While the share prices for U.S. solar companies are quite strong today on what we see as the market's misunderstanding of this information, as well as the Chinese solar module companies listed in U.S. (i.e., TSL, YGE & JASO), we see this optimism as misplaced. We would be adding to short positions on strength based on our understanding of STP's statements, provided in its public press release this morning. Forewarned is forearmed.


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Coach House Theatre serves up a suspenseful, fun show with this year's annual murder mystery, "Black Coffee," by Agatha Christie, directed by Andrew Cruse, which opened Jan. 24 and plays through Feb. 17.
The play, Christie's first play, features the famous mystery writer's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, played by Ross Rhodes. In the story, Sir Claud Amory (played by Timothy H. Champion), a wealthy inventor, has drafted a plan for a highly destructive weapon. However, during the evening those plans get stolen, so Amory has his butler Tredwell (played by Henry C. Bishop) lock up the manor and confine all of those suspected of the theft to one room. However, the theft turns into a murder case when Amory dies of poisoning. Poirot is called in, along with Captain Hastings (played by Jim Fippin) to solve the case.
There are many suspects. Claud's son Richard (played by Derrick Winger) is tired of living under the thumb of his father and in need of money. Richard's wife Lucia has many secrets of her own, including her connection with Dr. Carelli (played by Mark Stoffer), who just happened to conveniently show up that evening. (Lucia is played by Holly Humes through Feb. 3, then by Melanie Korman Roddy from Feb. 7 through 17). There's Claud's assistant Edward Raynor (played by Daniel Rylander). There's Claud's sister Caroline (played by Karen Wood), who seems devoted and loyal to her brother. There's Barbara Armory (played by Tess Burgler), who makes no pretense of her disdain for the late inventor, and never hesitates to speak her mind.
Rounding out the cast are Alfred Anderson, who plays Dr. Graham, the family physician, Michael Cranston, who plays Inspector Japp, and Ed Conrad, who plays Constable Johnson.
The play seemed to be a hit with the Jan. 26 audience.
"I really enjoyed the twists, how they passed around who the murderer could have been," said Igor Vinograd of Akron. "Also, the set was phenomenal."
Ticket and show information
Curtain times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Dinner or brunch is available to all theatre patrons prior to every performance at the Akron Woman's City Club next door. (Reservations are required.)
Tickets are $18, with $12 student tickets available to all performances (space available). The box office opens one hour before the show. Group rates are available.
Coach House Theatre is at 732 W. Exchange Street, in Akron, next to the Akron Woman's City Club, and at the corner of W. Exchange and N. Portage Path. Reservations are available through our box office at 330-434-7741, or online at www.coachhousetheatre.com.
Next on stage
Coach House will next produce "Sea Marks" by Gardner McKay from March 14 through April 7.
The theater also will give a staged reading of "Grace and Glorie" by Tom Ziegler as part of its Elder Theatre series on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. This reading is free but reservations are required. Call the box office for reservations.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 330-541-9438


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Well there are lot of glass images on DT, and big hunk of them are 'glass with whisky' images. You would say that it's very well covered topic, but every topic can be rediscovered. Here's my picture, after 1 day it already has 38 visits.
Stefan Tyllo
Kraków, PL
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Hostess to Shutter Three Bakeries Over Strike
Union says company spreading misinformation about closures
IRVING, Texas -- Twinkies maker Hostess Brands Inc. said that it is permanently closing three bakeries, in Seattle, St. Louis and Cincinnati, as a result of a nationwide strike initiated on Nov. 9 by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) that has prevented the facilities from producing and delivering products.
The BCTGM said that Hostess is falsely claiming that its decision to close the bakeries is the result of the strike. The union called it "a desperate attempt to break the solidarity and resolve of striking BCTGM members across the country."
The union said that the company was planning to close at least nine bakeries as part of its reorganization plan, but that it had not specified which ones.
Hostess, which operates 36 bakeries, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in January. Founded in 1930, it has approximately $860 million in debt. It filed its first bankruptcy in 2004, citing falling sales, rising ingredient costs, excess capacity and high labor expenses.
Hostess said in September that employee members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) voted to ratify changes to their bargaining agreement that, if implemented throughout the company, would enable Hostess to continue operating.
The company also said at the time that it intended to file a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to impose the same changes ratified by the IBT on employees represented by the BCTGM, which voted to reject them.
If granted, the relief, along with similar relief requested of the company's other, smaller unions, would enable the company and its employees to avoid liquidation and successfully emerge from Chapter 11.
(See Related Content below for previous CSP Daily News coverage.)
"Our customers will not be affected [by the three bakery closures] because we will continue to serve them from other Hostess Brands bakeries, but sadly, this action will result in the permanent closure of three facilities and the loss of 627 jobs," said Hostess Brands CEO Gregory F. Rayburn. "We deeply regret this decision, but we have repeatedly explained that we will close facilities that are no longer able to produce and deliver products because of a work stoppage--and that we will close the entire company if widespread strikes cripple our business."
The Seattle facility employs 110 people and produces Hostess cake products; the St. Louis facility employs 365 people and produces Hostess cakes, Nature's Pride and Wonder breads; the Cincinnati facility employs 152 people and produces Butternut, Beefsteak Wonder breads.
"Some employees are apparently under the misimpression that if they force Hostess to liquidate, another company will buy our bakeries and offer them employment," Rayburn said. "The fact is, the bakery industry already has far too much capacity, and there is a strong risk that many of our facilities may never operate as bakeries again once they are closed. I believe the leadership of the Bakers Union knows this fact, but is willing to sacrifice its Hostess employees for the sake of preventing other bakery companies from asking for similar concessions."
He added, "That hardest part of the decision to close any facility is knowing that it will result in the loss of jobs for those Hostess Brands employees who did not support the strike and who wanted to help revive the company. They didn't ask for these strikes, but they are paying a terrible price for them."
Click here for additional information about the company's labor issues. And click here for more information from the union.
Irving, Texas-based Hostess' products include brands such as Hostess, Wonder, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Drake's, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita. Hostess Brands has approximately 18,300 employees and operated 36 bakeries, 565 distribution centers, approximately 5,500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores throughout the United States.


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MAITLAND, Fla. - Jenna Reiser, of Winter Park, has been using Kroma Makeup for years, and she can't believe what's happening to the woman who created it.
"Sometimes you're so famous, you think you can do anything you want, I don't think that's right," she said.
Lee Tillett, founder of the high-end, all natural Kroma Makeup line, is being sued by Boldface, the company that has launched the Kardashians' new makeup line, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Khroma Beauty.
"We were looking for the right partnership, the right time, and Boldface is exactly what we were looking for," said Kim Kardashian during a CNBC interview.
"Khroma 'K-H-R-O-M-A' was very similar to Kroma 'k-r-o-m-a' in both the phonetic sound, the look of it and in that both are cosmetics," said Lauren Heatwole McCorvie, Tillet's attorney.
Tillet said she has already seen the distraction of the similar names.
"We've had clients actually call here thinking that we are connected with them even though the line hasn't completely launched," she said.
The Kardashians' "Khroma" makeup line hit stores last month, even after it was denied approval from the Federal Trademark Office in September. The feds said the name was too similar to the "Kroma" makeup that was already trademarked by Lee Tillett.
The lawsuit claims the Kardashians should be able to use the name and it does not infringe on any of Tillett's trademark rights.
"I just think that they don't need to put somebody out of business. They could come up with another name. I'm sure that they're creative enough (that) they can come up with another name," said Reiser.
In a statement to Local 6, Boldface defended the Kardashians and said there will be no confusion between the two brands because their makeup is clearly marketed with the famous Kardashian brand.
"Boldface Licensing + Branding has gone through the appropriate legal channels in obtaining the rights to use the name Khroma Beauty by Kourtney, Kim and Khloé in the Color Category with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, making all proper legal filings," according to a statement released by Boldface on Thursday.
Lee has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit, in which she can defend herself or countersue for trademark infringement.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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adamposey wrote:So, I'm asking your advice in curbing this behavior. I would like to be able to read a book calmly and peacefully without worrying so much about every notification I might receive, and I would like to increase my ability to focus on a single item that may be important but not as immediately rewarding to the pleasure centers of my brain (such as a sutta verse, etc.,).
adamposey wrote:That's an excellent suggestion and I'll make every attempt to put it to good use. What about in other matters where my goal is to actually focus on the book, or what I'm studying, or to stay with a single thought and contemplate it? Any advice on that front?
Jechbi wrote:adamposey wrote:That's an excellent suggestion and I'll make every attempt to put it to good use. What about in other matters where my goal is to actually focus on the book, or what I'm studying, or to stay with a single thought and contemplate it? Any advice on that front?
I think it's a matter of practice. Until now maybe you've trained yourself to respond to every little beep and whistle, and to direct your attention to those things at the expense of the task at hand. That's a hard habit to break, so maybe just take it one step at a time?
Maybe you could go off-grid for a whole day and see what it feels like to just let all those various notifications go unanswered, no matter how important they might seem to be. I'm guessing that it's that feeling of obligation to others which feeds your desire to respond. If so, then examine that feeling for a day. Seriously, walk in the woods and notice how all the birds chirp and the leaves rustle, and they don't demand any kind of response. It can be the same in your living room. Just because the phone rings doesn't mean you have to answer it. Just my 2 cents. This might not apply to your situation.
Ben wrote:Hi Adam
Don't expect a radical transformation overnight. Its going to take consistent effort and application.
I would also recommend that you timetable certain activities for discrete periods of the day - perhaps use them as a reward at the end of the day. Breaking free from any addiction is going to be hard and unpleasent work but well worth it in the end. With regards to your other activities that you wish to focus on, whether it be reading a book, you will need to apply yourself at remaining centred on that activity. When you learn a form of samatha meditation, it will require you to keep your mind focused on a single object for longer and longer periods. In the same way, try to remain fixed on your book or other activity, calmly and quietly attentive, for as long as possible. And if you have to, turn your distracting devices off.
kind regards
adamposey wrote:I also think it would behove me to take breaks away from the constant draws on my attention and occasionally settle into someplace quiet where I cannot be reached.
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- Kernel - 3.2.0-4
- Based on Debian 7
- Desktop - Mate 1.4.2
- Supported Architectures - i386 (i686 PAE) and amd64
- Choose your language
- Choose your timezone
- Choose your keyboard layout
- Enter the details of the main user
- Choose the disk to install to
- Choose the partition to install to
- Choose where to install GRUB to
- Click Install from the summary
First Impressions
Connecting to the internet
Customising the Mate desktopI am not going to go too in depth here about how to customise the Mate desktop (that is an article for another day).
To change the desktop background however all you have to do is right click on the desktop and select "Change Desktop Background".
It is however easy to add your own wallpapers.
Go to the internet and download the image of your choice and then from the "Appearance Preferences" click the "Add" button.
Navigate to your downloaded image and it will become your desktop background.
You can also change the panel settings of either of the panels. To do this right click on the panel and choose properties.
Flash and MP3
ApplicationsPoint Linux isn't overloaded with applications and there is the definite feel of quality over quantity.
- Archive Manager
- Calculator
- Pluma Text Editor
- Document Viewer
- Eye of Mate Image Viewer
- LibreOffice Draw
- SimpleScan
- Firefox Web Browser
- Pidgin Internet Messenger
- Remmima Remote Desktop
- Thunderbird Mail
- Transmission BitTorrent Client
- LibreOffice
Sound and Video
- Brasero DVD burning software
- VLC Media Player
Installing Applications
Point Linux in 60 Seconds
Other Articles you might like
Click here to buy the eBook "From Windows To Ubuntu"


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Poseable Tiger Women Fantasy Doll Collection
Handcrafted 16" poseable vinyl dolls with 14 points of articulation. Skin-tight tigress outfits, removable tails and ears. Hand-painted faces.
Measure 16" H
- Price:
- s&s◇
When the most seductive animal on earth takes on human form, the result awakens your desires and charges your imagination! In an incredible and provocative vinyl doll exclusive from The Ashton-Drake Galleries comes The Eye of the Tiger fantasy doll collection. Your collection begins with Issue One, Siberian Seduction a mysterious and perfectly feline Siberian woman tigress. Soon, your collection continues with Issue Two, Bengal Beauty, Issue Three, Sumatran Sensation, and additional tiger dress fantasy dolls, each a separate issue to follow.
At a full 16" tall, each tigress lady doll in this collection is handcrafted of collector quality vinyl and articulated in 14 places for endless posing possibilities. Their faces are hand-painted to reflect their tiger persona, while their skin tight body suit in a matching pelt pattern will start your pulse racing! Plus, their removable ears and tail add seductive feline flair to the look, making this the "purrrfect" fantasy doll collection. High demand is expected, so don't delay. Order now!
- Give in to the incredibly bewitching power of this tigress women doll collection, available only from The Ashton-Drake Galleries
- Each doll in this collection is handcrafted of collector quality vinyl and articulated in 14 places for endless posing possibilities
- Hand-painted faces capture the perfect, mysterious look of each tiger persona
- The sleek, form-fitting body suit in a matching tiger pelt pattern compliments each doll's painted face
- Removable tail and ears add to their seductive nature with feline flair
- Hand-numbered Certificates of Authenticity
- Measure 16" H; 40.6 cm H
- Reserves the entire collectible Eye of the Tiger Fantasy Doll Collection from The Ashton-Drake Galleries in your name so you never risk an increase on the price of other collectibles in this collection, or miss a single issue of this collection
- Each issue will be shipped to you for your review, about one every month or two (pending availability), at the same low issue price and charged to the credit card on which your order was placed. No need to order each one separately
- You may cancel your collection at any time with no obligation
- "Issue One - Siberian Seduction," will be followed by "Issue Two - Bengal Beauty," "Issue Three - Sumatran Sensation," and additional tiger dress fantasy dolls as they become available
These dolls are not toys; they are fine collectibles to be enjoyed by adult collectors.
©2010 The Ashton-Drake Galleries. All rights reserved.


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Carpenter Joe Mills nails down spot in Dragons squad for Saints clash
12:46pm Friday 24th January 2014
By Chris Kirwan
12:46pm Friday 24th January 2014
By Chris Kirwan
BEDWAS tighthead prop Joe Mills is poised for his regional debut after being named on Newport Gwent Dragons' bench for the LV= Cup encounter with Northampton tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 2.30pm).
It is set to be a rapid rise for the 25-year-old carpenter who was playing lock for Rumney in Division One East last season.
He took a week off work to train with the Dragons and will be rewarded when he comes off the bench for Nathan Buck at some stage against the Saints at Rodney Parade.
"It's great for Joe and for the club," said Bedwas head coach Steve Law. "He has played exceptionally well this season and the Dragons clearly see the potential in him.
"Joe is a very good player and just needs the opportunity and the conditioning that comes with regional rugby.
"He has got a lot to learn – as you'd expect of someone who has recently moved to tighthead – but he carries hard, tackles and has a huge work rate for a prop.
"Joes is quiet, reserved person who is self-critical and honest, which will serve him well."
The Dragons have named a strong side for the clash against the Saints with fly-half Jason Tovey (ankle), lock Cory Hill (ankle) and number eight Netani Talei (foot) all returning from injury.
Wales Under-20s hopefuls Luc Jones, Elliot Dee and James Benjamin get pre-Six Nations run outs at scrum-half, hooker and flanker respectively while Lewis Evans, who plays for the first time since the New Year's Day loss at Cardiff Blues, captains the side from blindside flanker.
Northampton will be skippered by former England back row forward Phil Dowson while their side, a mixture of youth and experience, features former Ospreys scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i.
He is part of a cosmopolitan back line that features fellow Samoans Ken Pisi and Fa'atoina Autagavaia as well as New Zealanders Glenn Dickson and James Wilson.
Even a Dragons bonus point win might not be enough to keep their semi-final hopes alive going into Friday's trip to Newcastle.
Saracens will claim Pool One top spot if they take the spoils from their home encounter with the Falcons on Sunday, although they have picked a stronger side for their friendly against South African club the Sharks tomorrow afternoon.
Dragons: D Evans, M Pewtner, P Leach, A Smith, W Harries, J Tovey, L Jones, P Price, E Dee, N Buck, C Hill, A Jones, L Evans (captain), J Benjamin, N Talei. Replacements: R Thomas, O Evans, J Mills, M Screech, J Groves, R Rees, K Burton, R Wardle.
Northampton: J Wilson, K Pisi, T Stephenson, D Waldouck, F Autagavaia, G Dickson, K Fotuali'i, E Waller, M Haywood, G Denman, R Verbakel, C Day, T Harrison, P Dowson (captain), GJ Van Velze. Replacements: R McMillan, D Hobbs-Awoyemi, A Parkins, B Nutley, M Williams, A Day, S Olver, G Pisi.
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


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A fast and secure browser that's designed for Windows 10 Get started
Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB The Games on Demand version supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Potuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese. Get ready for the sequel to the best-selling dance game for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®! Featuring another killer soundtrack, new simultaneous multiplayer and all-new dance crews, Dance Central™ 2 is sure to get your party started!


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I recently had a very unfortunate experience with the 52 inch Sony Bravia LCD TV (Model # KDL-52W4100) I purchased 18 months ago on October 5, 2008. This experience was followed by other bad experiences while speaking with Sony's customer service and customer relations teams (4 different people).
After I turned on the TV on Saturday, April 10, 2010, I was shocked to see a number of vertical red lines stretching across the screen. After speaking with local repair shops, I am told the LCD panel needs to be replaced. The repair shop as well as a parts distributor told me the LCD panel is not an available part because the cost of this part would be approximately twice the cost of the TV.
While I realize the product is 6 months outside of warranty, I am extremely disappointed because I expected a Sony product to last far longer than the warranty period. This is precisely the reason I chose to pay a premium to purchase a Sony product as opposed to a less expensive brand such as Vizio. I put a lot of trust and money I had saved for this purchase into the Sony brand because I wanted to be confident I chose the right product.
Even after hearing the bad news, I was confident Sony would stand behind its product by assisting with either a repair or a discount on another TV. I did not expect full replacement. Before swearing off the Sony name for any future purchases for myself or my family, I decided to call the customer service number on April 14, 2010 to see if Sony would stand by its product. I spoke with two agents, both with the customer support line. They were very kind and professional, but they indicated they would need to escalate my concern to the customer relations group who handles these issues.
I then spoke with another agent on the customer relations team, thinking she would be able to offer some sort of solution. This was a quicker conversation than those I had with the other two agents. This agent simply stated the obvious fact that the product was outside of the warranty and that Sony could not offer any assistance whatsoever toward purchasing a new Sony TV. She said nobody in the company could make an exception to this since the product was outside of the warranty period.
When I asked to speak with the manager, she indicated that her manager is not taking calls. I asked her why my call was escalated to her if there are no exceptions. Why didn't customer service tell me this and save a half hour of my time? No reply.
I then found the name of someone who I wanted to write at Sony, so I called the customer service line again. After spending 15 minutes speaking with the agent and re-hashing the story, she sent me on to the customer relations team again. The customer relations agent put me on hold several times before telling me he could not tell me where the person was located. I then asked where the PR group was located, and he couldn't tell me this. When I asked to speak with his supervisor, he said supervisors did not take phone calls. When I asked to speak with the next level above the supervisor, he again refused.
I realize the product quality might not be this poor across the board, so I wanted to give Sony a chance to keep me as a customer by helping with the purchase of a new Sony TV. They failed miserably. I will continue to send several letters in hopes my letters make it to the proper management contact. I can't imagine this is how management intends to do business.
I just got off the phone with your customer support department, and they gave me this email address to comment on my frustrations with your customer support. First, let me walk you through the events that have taken place that have led me to this point. I purchased a Sony Bravia KDL46v4100 in Sept. of 2008, for $1550 at Circuit City. This past January (1/2010) I started getting picture distortion when I first turned it on, and this problem got progressively worse as time went on, so I called a Sony authorized repair shop, Pinnacle Serv. Solutions, in Warwick, RI., to come check it out.
The technician found that the LCD was bad and estimate a repair cost of $1770. Obviously this is not cost effective to have it repaired, so I called Sony Customer support to see if anything could be done. For a week and a half they attempted to contact Pinnacle Serv. Solutions to get a copy of the service report. After I had not heard back from Sony I called Pinnacle myself and had them fax a copy of the report to Sony customer support at fax #239-768-7816.
After reviewing the estimate, Sony customer support called me back and informed they could not cover the repair cost but would offer me a replacement TV (kdl46ve5) for $720, which I accepted, and I was told to remove the serial # sticker from the back of the TV, and tape it to an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper, and to write the ref. #, model #, and also the ser. # on the paper and send it registered mail to : Sony Electronics ATT: NSP 12451 Gateway blvd Fort Meyers, FL 33913, and it would take 2weeks to process everything and deliver the TV.
I did this and sent it certified mail, USPS, on March 4th, 2010. I received my certified mail receipt and this stated on March 6h, 2010 it was received by **. After waiting 2weeks+, on March 24th, 2010, I called Sony customer support and was informed they had not received my letter/serial#. I went home last night found the receipt of delivery and called Sony customer support this morning.
After telling them I had the receipt of delivery I was placed on hold, then told I would be called back. I received the phone call back saying they found my letter, but that they needed the larger black sticker form the back of the TV, that had the serial # and model #. At this point my patience waned, as I was not told originally that I needed this sticker, and also asked why I wasn't notified about this 2 weeks ago when my letter was first received.
I spoke with ** and expressed my frustration, and he gave me this email address. So, now I must remove the other sticker, spend another $5 and send it certified mail again, and then wait 2 weeks for the replacement TV to arrive, also the original TV I was offered is no longer available. Now I know Sony makes quality products and understand there are failures in every companies product (n/million), but the support is a surprise to me, on why I had to constantly chase down answers and seems to be no accountability for the failings of the customer support team at Sony.
So there is my rant, and since $1550 is a lot of money, and another $680 a year and a half later, I'm hoping I won't need to deal with the customer support again at Sony, thanks for listening.
TUCSON, ARIZONA -- This is a copy with the private information removed that I sent on the crummy service on one of the most ridiculous runarounds I have ever heard about. I sent this to Sony recently. It needs posting here too for others to see the horrific service I got. In the end they fixed it, I pushed it all the way. I am now letting EVERYONE know what kind of service they have.
I waited almost 6 months to send this letter for good reason, I wanted to make sure the repair actually worked, after all, 2 months after I bought it the main screen on my LCD TV went out. So, I was being cautious, but I must bring matters from the last year to your attention none the less, I wrote this very long letter in September and October of 2007 as it progressed and then I went back and edited the wording to be appropriate in tense to make it grammatically correct.
The facts are all there, and they are correct as I wrote this down after each phone call. I request this be sent to Customer Service upper management as well as this involves them too. Also, you may be upset by this letter, but this kind of service is pair for the Sony course I hear from many people on the internet. In all of this I am not asking for any monetary damages, I trying to help you FIX your bad customer service, namely in India, stop outsourcing American jobs with televisions sold in America.:
Hello, my name is "**". I am very concerned with the way my Television case (**) was handled at Sony from the beginning right up to your judgment to just repair and not replace my Television when an LCD panel was bad and needed to be replaced. I think there were obvious things missing from your information, and little or no effort was made to ascertain all the facts in my case.
There were customer service issues that ran very deep into this matter. I want to show you what you never saw when you made this questionable judgment. I also have not received a copy (and complete explanation as to why I was denied) of this judgment yet, and wish a copy if you have not already sent one.
I know you get requests from people to have their television replaced all the time when something goes wrong. There are many reasons why I understand you may not want to replace the television I own (The warranty gives you that very decision in fact). I am a VERY understanding person, or else I would not have followed all my recourses as I have. I will compliment those who helped me at Sony and just as quickly I will condemn those who made horrible mistakes.
Let's first look at the TV issue itself. It crashed only 2 months after I bought it, and Best Buy washed their hands of it after 14 days. That brings in the 1-year warranty by Sony for in house service since it was a screen over 30 inches and was LCD. That warranty has been honored effectively (as of this letter the TV has been repaired), and I thank you for your service in that respect. Here is the real center piece of the issue, but not the only mitigating factor. The replacement screen and Sears's service costs 2428.00 total (2190.00 for the LCD panel and 238.00 for the service). A new TV this exact model at Best Buy costs 1595.00.
In this I still have many of the old parts on my TV and it has already been taken apart twice, which means three times minimum to repair it. This means every single piece inside has to be removed and set aside then a new screen put in and then put back together. This happened twice (since the wrong part was not discovered until they actually tried to fit it into the television frame and it did not fit) and this complete deconstruction happened 3 times in the end. The first time they took it apart to diagnose the problem. It makes no sense to me why Sony is spending 833.00 more to repair a TV that has already taken quite long to repair (It took a little over 1 month).
Sony did extend my warranty, and I can thank ** in Ft Myers for taking care of that for me, but I was told this had already happened, when in fact it had not. I was told my warranty was extended in my last customer service call to your Sony customer service center (800-469-4663). I was told many things that were not true in fact from the call center we all know is in India. This is where all the problems really started, and will be the bulk of the rest of this letter. Your customer service center in India has major issues, and in my opinion should be dismantled and brought back to the USA for American customers as it failed to help me in any way.
I called no less than 28 times to India alone not to mention the other 20 calls I made on this issue with other companies (Yes, that's 45+ phone calls) and in the end, they did very little if anything to help me. I spent countless hours wasted chasing after wild geese because of them. Let me give you every single example since, this really needs to be seen to be believed. It is really a very sad issue, and should raise anyone's eyebrows who know anything about customer service.
I hope Sony actually cares about the customer, because something must be done about this office in India. I took detailed hand written notes as I made these calls, so their actual authenticity at least from my point of view is crystal clear.
Call #1. I placed the call asking for service on a warranty television and opened the first customer files on my TV. They took all my information and entered it into the system or at least I thought they were doing that. I gave them my name, address, phone number, television model, problem explanation, and asked for service in my area for in home service. I asked for a complete list of service companies and they said there were only 2 in my area. (It should be mentioned we did do some basic troubleshooting, which I had already done, like reset to factory.) I found that really bad, but figured I would try none the less.
I asked them if they were sure there were not any others. I also asked for my number since I knew there must be a customer number given in these situations. I was right, and they gave me the number that started this series of phone calls. They gave me Telestar and Ross TV repair. I placed many calls to Telestar over a 3 day period, and not once did they even answer their phone, and there was no machine to take a message. I gave up on them.
I did get a hold of Ross TV repair, but they did not do Sony warranty work in home or of any kind. They said they got calls all the time from people just like me, but Sony should not have given me their number. The Ross TV repair man told me they have complained to Sony about this, and nonetheless they keep getting calls for warranty work, which they simply don't do. I was then stuck. I had to find a way to get this TV repaired. So, I called Sony Customer Service again asking for help.
Call #2. I gave them up front my E number, since I knew that should have my previous call information in it. How wrong I was about that. They proceeded to start all over, and ask me all the same questions. Not to verify either, but to actually enter it, and open a new E number. I stopped them when I realized what he was doing. I said to him, "I have an E number, I am ** in Tucson Arizona. This is about the 40 inch LCD TV I bought 2 months ago. We got nowhere."
He wanted every last bit of information from me nonetheless. Then he started to give me a NEW E number! I explained again and again that I already had called. Finally I think he figured that out, and actually took my E number from me. Then he said,"Oh, you already have an E number." I said, "I know, I have been trying to tell you this for 5 minutes now!" This is when I explained that no one in Tucson was able to help me.
He said Qualxserv did in home repairs, and I could call them for assistance. I said, just call them? Do I need something from Sony to do this? He said, no, just call them. (This was not true, they need a tech support number from Sony and a repair order number from Sony). I got their number and called them. (In the end later I found out Qualxserv does not service Tucson, Arizona.) I did not get to that point because Qualxserv said they needed a tech support number and a repair order number. Of course I had neither. I called India Customer Service back.
Call #3. I gave them my E number, and once again the person wanted to ask me every single little question about myself to verify, and that took 5 minutes at least. It is possible with an E number and a name to believe you are talking to the right person about the right problem with just 2 or 3 questions. My name, E number and this is about a 40 inch LCD TV would have been more than enough for anyone. Not Sony Customer Service though.They wanted my address, phone number, city, state, zip, description of the problem, and all of that again. (This becomes a repeat thing on every single call!)
I got through all of that and explained that Qualxserv needs a repair order number. They would enter that into a computer and Qualxserv would get it in 30 minutes or so. I was to call Qualxserv in about an hour to verify they had Sony's permission through a repair order. I waited and then called Qualxserv. I was informed right up front they had nothing from Sony, and in fact they do not service Tucson, AZ at all. I was chasing a wild goose. I called Sony Customer Service.
Call #4. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), and then I informed them that Qualxserv does not service Arizona. Who could they get to help me? They said Telestar and Ross TV Repair. I said, "No, they don't work." because I asked for another, and even though I just told him Qualxserv does not service Tucson, AZ, he gave me their name. I said, "No, they don't do Arizona at all." He said, "You must have a Sony Tech Support number to get them to help you that is why they did not help you."
I said, "You don't understand, they don't even service Tucson, Arizona, that is why I need another company, and in fact please give me your complete list so that I don't have to keep calling back." He said, that is all they have, and that I simply did not understand that I need a Sony Tech Support repair order number and that was the real problem, and that I did not understand that. I hung up, as this went back and forth and got nowhere. I called back later to Sony Customer Service.
Call #5. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), and then I informed them as to why I was calling about not being able to get service on my TV. They gave me the same 3 companies again, and I rejected them again as before, and there was silence for some time. I then was told that I needed to take this TV in for repair if no in home place was available. I was actually fine with this from the beginning, but no one offered that as an option.
They said I could take it to Telestar or Ross TV repair. Oh boy, this simply did not work as I have already explained. (I later drove by Telestar a very small mom and pop place with a tiny run down building and their doors were closed and locked during the middle of the day on a weekday.) I think they are out of business now, but who knows. Either way, I asked for someone in Phoenix, and so I called the Phoenix numbers they gave me, which were only 2 places, interesting, Ray's TV repair, and Qualxserv. Ray's does not do warranty work and Qualxserv has no office, they do only in home repairs, but not Tucson, and NOT Phoenix. I was getting nowhere, and I had to call back after learning all of this to Sony Customer Service.
Call #6 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), and then we are off to the problem of finding a repair company in Tucson, Arizona, or in fact would or could I send this TV someplace for repair? No, Sony had no place for me to send the television, they told me that up front. I was stuck, and nothing I could do about it. I expressed my concern that Sony had an obligation to meet the warranty by law. They said they would try to help, and so a long silence ensued. Then I got a cheery person on the line who said all I needed to do was call Best Buy and they would take care of it all since I bought the extended warranty.
I informed them I had not bought that warranty since the TV already had a 1 year warranty on it. Best Buy would not help, I had already explained this in the first phone call to customer service. Another long silence. 20 minutes of this, and finally I get a new person. I have to explain the whole thing all over again from the very beginning, and then what do I hear? Call Ross TV Repair and Telestar! I rejected that, and asked again, and again, and then got nowhere, and frustrated to tears I hung up. Later I called Sony Customer service.
Call #7. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I finally explained my very frustrated situation and all of that, and begged, pleaded for another number, and I got Telestar and Qualxserv this time. I explained that did not work, and that we had been down this road over and over again. I said, "There is a time when you have to help a person. This is that time. Now, you get me a supervisor, and get me some help on this problem."
I got a supervisor. They told me that I needed to look at another company in another town that they would approve. They suggested someone in Phoenix this time, and that was fine, even if it was 120 miles away, I was willing to do anything to get this TV repaired. They gave me Ray's TV repair. OMG!!! I hung up, frustrated again.
Call #8 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I was able to finally get through and get someone; I had been on hold for a while. I repeated everything in detail and ruled out up front Telestar, Ross TV repair, Ray's TV repair, and Qualxserv. I said, "Now, give me someone in any Southwestern city that I can take this TV to and get it repaired. I will take it there and repair it." I got one in Dallas Texas. Qualxserv!! I said, "No, that simply won't work at all." They insisted I could take it to Dallas for repair.
I even called Qualxserv and asked them if I could send it in or bring it in person. I was told no, not without a Sony repair order number, of course I never had such a thing, and besides, they only did in home repairs. So I called back Sony Customer Service.
Call #9. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I really needed some help and it was now the 3rd day since I had started all of this. It was not going well, and would someone please help me. I was told that someone needed to take my case and work with me in more detail, I was put on hold and then a new person came on the line. I asked for help in great detail. I asked for any place, and they said, maybe I should try calling repair centers in my area, and ask around.
I said, "I had actually called over 15 repair centers on my own, (This is HORRIBLE customer service, asking someone to call around on their own!), and none of them did Sony warranty service. I had many more to call, but couldn't Sony find a way to repair my television?" I asked if maybe I could have a company service the TV and send the bill to Sony and Sony would reimburse me, but that was shot down right away as being not covered under the warranty.
I understand this, but what was Sony going to do to help me? We are on call number 9 and nothing has been done to help me at all. I have gotten nowhere at all on this problem. They said they would call me back in 5-10 minutes and let me know. They needed time to research it. I said "Fine, I will await your call." I made sure they had my number and all of that. They never called back. I called Sony Customer Service about 1 hour later.
Call #10 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I told them they were supposed to call me back, but they said they don't do callbacks. What? I was lied to and that became obvious. Later, I learned indeed they do callbacks, but only from US reps, and only under very unusual circumstances. I did get a USA callback later from **, the only person who may have actually helped me at Sony. That is NOT related to this callback. Read on. So, Sony suggested I try someone else. I said who???????? They gave me a number they had yet to give me.
I cannot believe it but they gave me Sears's service at this point! You can only guess they gave me the wrong number and I got nothing but a dead end recording system without any way to leave a message. There is a real Sears repair service number, and in fact later I learned what it was on my own with no help from Sony Customer service and called them on my own after looking the number up on the internet. I did not get to that point right away, and was forced to call Sony Customer Service again.
Call #11 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), and yes I actually had to tell them I did not need to open another E number, and that I was there to seek help. I explained I had called 10 times already, and I meant actually 10 times. They needed to help me, as Sears service was just a recording. They apologized and were nice as always, but nothing came out of any of this. The new number they gave me was the same number as before, and I knew this and they said that is the only number they have for Sears.
I dropped the idea of calling Sears at that point. (Something I took up on my own later and made work!) Then I was taken down the path of service I had been on all along, and even though I just told them to ignore all those companies from Telestar to Ross TV repair, we had to battle that all over again. I once again hit a brick wall, and got no help. I asked for a supervisor, and I got one, and then nothing. I mean nothing. I got silence, dead air. This person would not answer any question I asked. If they did they always said how sorry they were, but nothing else.
I said, "What are you going to do?" I got silence, and how they must apologize about this and that, and still not a thing. How many times does a person have to ask the same question over and over but get no answer and hear how sorry the other person is for them? I could take no more, and took the time to hang up and call back later. So I called Sony Customer Service again.
Call #12 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I then asked if the representative on this call could help me locate someone to repair my TV no matter what it might cost me, I just wanted it repaired. It was now 4 days into this mess. I was told 5 Star Electronic Service could help me. I called them, and they do NOT do Sony warranty work and they would not replace a bad LCD screen if that was the problem since a new one costs more than the TV itself. I was forced to call Sony Customer Service again.
Call #13 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I had no intention of paying for a new TV at this point, and I wanted some satisfaction. Why is it now 13 calls and nothing has happened but me getting run all over the place, and I asked them these questions. I asked if I could talk to an American. They point blank said they were the ones I HAD to talk to no matter what. I hung up. Later, forced to solve this problem, I call Sony Customer Service.
Calls #14 through #25 -I kept trying to come up with some angle that would get the TV serviced under warranty, and nothing and I mean nothing worked, this time I had a new strategy. (Why was I forced to come up with any strategy? This is the most horrible customer service I had ever seen or heard. and it got much worse. Read on.) I thought maybe I could send this or take it myself to California someplace for repairs, so I decided to see what was up in California, since California is only 5-6 hours away from Tucson.
I found out about repair places in cities like Riverside. That served no purpose though, as the ones recommended by Sony there were Qualxserv only. Give me a break!!!! Is Sony just playing with me now? Am I a game to these people in India? They must know me by now and are just playing with me. OMG I was ticked, and I had to hang up!!! Later I called Sony Customer Service. It just gets worse.
There were so many calls during this time about service I ran by new angles over and over, so let me skip ahead the one and only time in this long letter. It all came down to Sony running me back to Telestar, and then to some other company here or there that offered nothing for me.
Call #26 - (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), By now the whole thing had gotten me down, and I was beaten, but not out. I decided to pursue the repair issue with Sears again. I was on track, but still did not know it, and believe me Sony Customer Service in India did nothing to help at all, and once again when I asked about Sears they gave me that same number. It all worked for not in the end, but I decided when I hung up I would call another number I found on the internet. I hung up and called Sony Customer Service later. 5 days after the TV crashed.
Call #27. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), I called customer service to ask what I could tell Sears since they do indeed handle warranty work, and Sony should have recommended them in the first place. I was asking only for them to call Sears and verify my warranty for them. Sony Customer Service said they could not do that. What? How do I get this repaired? Nothing. No answer, I mean nothing too! I hung up since they would not talk to me now.
The Cure! I called Sears at this point for the 2nd time, and indeed, Sears said they understood my situation and had a cure for me. They said I would not have to deal with Sony Customer Service in India anymore. They were not right (I did have to call Sony Customer Service in India later for more help), but they got the ball rolling at least for the first time, and sent a tech out to look at the TV, YES! Action! (Sears did it all in 2 phone calls! Yah for Sears!!!!) (Let me repeat, this phone number came from the internet NOT Sony Customer service. I solved this riddle myself, not by Sony Customer service)
I had a repairman in less than a week, it was now Sept 13th and a full week later, and I had not talked to Sony for 2 days. The repairman identified the problem as a bad LCD screen and ordered the replacement part and it took 2 weeks to arrive. I waited 2 weeks, and the part arrived, and Sears called me to verify I would be there to take the service, and sure enough, 2 repairmen arrived, and took my TV apart, and brought in the new LCD panel.
WOW!!! I was in heaven! (Again, let me be clear, nothing Sony did made this happen, this was all Sears and my doing.) The joy was short-lived though. The part did not fit, they had the wrong LCD screen ordered. I was forced to call Sony Customer Service to see if I could get a replacement TV. So, I called Sony Customer Service.
Call #28. (20 questions about my name, address, E number, problem etc), You can only imagine the trouble I had this time, but let's not imagine, let's experience it first hand. Sony said they could not authorize anything. They were not going to get me another panel, another TV, nor an extension on my warranty. They asked to talk to the repairman, and they did for a long time, and it was clear Sony or Sears messed up but Sony was not going to do anything to help in any way. I was told this over and over, and then once again I was asked to hand the phone to the repairman who explained that this whole affair was really bad for me, and that they needed to do something.
So, she finally tells me she can extend my warranty 60 days. I was thankful (I should not have been, because she just told me she couldn't do this, and yet here she was doing it. Later I learned she didn't do anything at all, and it was just a pack of lies!) So, I asked what about getting a new TV? I deserved a new TV! I said I would wait for a call from a local Sony rep about this matter. The decision was made without even talking to me, something I was supposed to be able to do. I never got to express any of the contents of this letter, and nothing was left for me but to write this horrible letter.
For the horrible terrible crummy service, lies, and stupidity I deserved something, don't you think so? What about all those phone calls? Can you believe I had to make all those calls? I know you don't, and that is sad, because this all really truly happened. I am a 43 year old professional at IBM, and I don't tell lies like your India people seem to be able to do all the time. I don't write an 8 page letter just for sport.
This is not funny at all, and I want something for my trouble now! I deserve it! I have bought Sony products all my life, why now do I have this problem? Could it be India Customer Service? Not entirely, you cut me off on this decision right here in America. Anyway, I will now post my closing statement:
In the end, the service at Sony has been beyond horrible, and only Sears has come through, and without them I would be totally left in the dark. I would be forced to file a class action lawsuit to recover from a lost TV. All Sony had to do was have me contact Sears in the first place, not a hard thing to do, but impossible for these people in India for whatever reason. I have been grossly wronged by Sony, but in the end I did get my TV repaired. There was a glimmer of hope from **, but why didn't I get a chance to express my opinion before a judgment was made?
I was told by India Customer Service I would get a chance to speak before that happened. Oh, I was told by India, that was a lie, I should have guessed it. Either way, you should have waited to decide until you heard all of what was in this letter. You didn't care about me, that is now obvious. I will remember this on the web in the future.I know how to web log (Blog)..I am an expert. Remember, I am a System Engineer with plenty of knowledge and determination. Sony is will figure VERY prominently in future web logs by me. I know about consumer advocate groups, and I use the internet all the time. I will wait and see if this thing ever gets fixed.
Why do I not have a new TV? Why? What is the logic in spending 833.00 more than the cost of a new TV? Are you just trying to punish me now for some reason? If I ever got mad in this, and believe me anyone would, then so what, I hung up always before I blew my stack. I called back later, and in the end I got nothing. I hope you sleep well knowing you mess with people's lives like this. I don't make a 6 figure income; I work hard for a living, and have spent over 20 years in the computer field earning every battle scar. I really don't appreciate any of this at all.
One thing, this TV is still a great TV, and Sony continues to lead the market with some of the best TVs, they have only 1 real threat which is Toshiba. Other brands like LG, Sharp, and Samsung are not as well made and it shows. They have customer service issues too, why can't Sony clean it up?
Still, A VERY unhappy customer
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA -- I purchased a SONY Bravia LCD TV and within 4 months of use it went black. We phoned SONY and they attempted to contact the repair service provider in our area. They were unable to make contact so they gave me his name and number and told me I could attempt contact. I did this. He arrived the next day. After a short inspection he said the problem was the power module. He ordered this and replaced it, with my assistance, as he was all alone. This repair didn't work so he said he had to replace everything else. At this point I told him I wanted a new TV. He said that was between me and SONY. Needless to say SONY wasn't the least bit cooperative.
They thought it was nothing to have a $2000.00+ TV stop working within a few months of purchase. After a month they still refused to replace it so I had to agree to have it repaired. Note here: when SONY repairs your TV the parts are guaranteed for either 30 days or the end of your TV warranty. If they are only guaranteeing these parts for 30 days I assume they are reconditioned. So now I have a $2000.00+ TV with rebuilt parts. I have encountered customer service people who just don't care but none more than those at SONY. When we got the TV back our cable company actually sent a tech out to reprogram it as the SONY tech didn't even return it high def capable.
In any case I have advised anyone who will listen about SONY and have actually received phone calls from people looking for a new TV and heard about my experience. In this way I have affected a few sales. I believe SONY is living on reputation only and find their products to be of low quality. When looking for a digital camera for my parents in an electronics store I was actually warned off the SONY camera.
My parents (who are senior citizens) bought the above television as a gift to themselves in 12/08. On 6/13/09 it stopped working and they contacted Sony Customer Service. On 6/17 a serviceman came to their home (complaining of the lengthy drive and was rude to my mother who had to take time off from work to meet him) to replace the said-needed part. It did not work. He took their TV back to his repair facility. On 6/19 my mother was told the additional part needed was on backorder until 7/10. On 6/24 my mother spoke with Sony and was given a reference number and her case would be reviewed by Tech Review and she would get an answer within 72 hours.
On 6/29 she still had heard nothing and called back and was put on hold for 40 minutes. She hung up, spoke with another representative and was told she would receive a call back on her cell phone (as was instructed was the best way to reach her). When she got home, there was a message on her home number (NOT her cell as they were asked to do). The message said they needed another day to get an update for her. On 6/30 she called Tech Review again and was put on hold for over 20 minutes. She hung up and called Customer Service and was told there was still no answer on file and promised someone would call back that day. No one did.
On 7/1 she called again and spoke with someone who told her that Sony would be sending her a refurbished unit or pay a "few hundred dollars more" for a new TV. Her TV was barely six months old! She asked to speak with a manager and was refused several times, he said "like it or not". She was told if she took the refurbished unit, it would take 10 to 14 days on top of the lengthy time she's already been without her original TV. Plus she has had to take time off from work several times to have her TV delivered and serviced.
Why should she have to pay more money to get a new replacement?? If she wanted a refurbished TV, she would have paid less money up front for one. My mother is 63 years old and is a kind, patient person. This situation has upset her so much, it has affected her physically. She paid good money for this TV, plus a 4 year extended warranty and all she has gotten is a runaround and the TV is only 6 months old! She should be receiving a NEW replacement television. Sony? Never buy anything of theirs again. Never.
LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA -- As stated in my previous posting, my 46" Sony Bravia LCD was discovered shattered. The TV was purchased in April 2008 and had been working for three months. On this particular day that it was discovered shattered we had been out unloading a trailer of household items from Georgia. We came home and was having lunch and wanted to watch TV when we noticed the grey lines across the screen. When turned on it was a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors. The LCD was shattered. When the repairman came out he wrote it up as being broken in shipment and wrote that it was abuse that broke the LCD.
"WE DID NOT SHIP" the TV. It was already in our home. He quoted $2895 plus labor to fix the TV. By him writing up abuse Sony voided the warranty and subsequently the extended warranty. That visit cost me $89.95 for the technician to tell me that the screen was shattered. Now 8 months later another repairman for Sony came out and quoted $2495.00 plus $295.00 labor. I also asked the Sony help desk (somewhere in the middle east) and asked what I could do with the TV since it was collecting dust in my living room.
I was told to take it to an electronic disposal place and go and buy another one. I guess I am down to my last option; send it to Sony USA CEO in New York City (have his address) and donate it to his kids. I will buy a Vizio flat screen next time. They seen to go pretty fast at COSTCO. I will not buy another Sony product and as soon as I can sell my Sony music systems (amps, cd players, BlueRay) I will find another vendor.
Sony sells TVs like they are just another throw away object and when it breaks you just throw it away and go buy another one. They sell TVs cheap and then double the cost of the items to repair it. My last comment. If I broke the TV then I wouldn't be so upset.
We bought a 32" Sony Bravia. This was quite a big spending item for us, because we are like the majority of people who live paycheck to paycheck. Had gone with Sony due to their name. I will never buy Sony again. We have had the TV for maybe 2 yrs and now the picture is messed up. The picture is doubled and discolored. I am now trying to save for another TV and I promise you all that it will not be a Sony. Shame on you for making such a horrible product. These need to be recalled and reimburse the people that had depended on you for good products.
Bought two brand new NX800s in June and one went bad in November. OK that happens but when the service people came out and took the set they called and said the mother board went bad and they would replace it and return the set. No problem so far. When they returned the set they plugged it in and got a no signal message so they just said, "You set it up not our problem." I have no idea if they in fact fixed the set, if it's working or not.
When I called to complain all Sony did was keep me on hold for over an hour and then tell me that they were sure the set was fixed and that it was my job to get a picture on it. Warranty does not cover anything like setting it up. What a joke you pay over $2,000 for a set and the first problem they run the other way. This will be my last Sony product and I am in the production business and will do everything I can to make sure no one I knows buys Sony.
I purchased a KDL 52 inch Sony Bravia 17 months ago. After 14-15 months I noticed digital lines on the screen. Called customer service and was told to try a software fix. That did not help and they had me pay for a Sony authorized tech to check it out at a cost of $135 dollars. The Tech took one look and said he knew what the problem was and has seen it in other Sony TVs. It needs a new LCD panel at a cost of over $2500. I only paid $2000 for the TV 17 months ago.
I contacted Sony customer support again and because it was out of warranty they could not help with the repair. They did offer to sell me another TV at ~25% discount from what I could purchase it online. They wanted me to pay another $1500 on top of the $2000 and I would get to keep the old TV. My other choice would be to pay for the repair since it was out of warranty.
Sony you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to squeeze your customers into buying another TV. Did I mention that I have one week to make a decision or the offer is rescinded? The LCD was advertised to last for 60,000 hours, that is 2,500 days or almost 7 years running. I'm sure in the 17 months I had the TV I put less than 2,000 hours on it. Sounds like fraud to me and Sony should be held accountable for selling faulty LCD panels. Sounds like a class action lawsuit just waiting to be filed. One more former Sony customer that can't wait to tell people never ever buy another Sony product.
I was thrilled to receive this TV as a 40th Birthday present in November of 2007. I got to pick it out, so I know it cost $860 and was purchased at Circuit City. Had no problems, until 2 years almost to the day. Suddenly the picture was distorted and orange. I ended up taking TV to a Sony repair shop where I was originally told the repair would cost $300. I wasn't happy, but agreed to the repair.
I was called 4 weeks later and told that Sony doesn't offer the part on its own (the part needed is a T-con board??) and that I would have to purchase an entire new LCD screen at $800. When I picked up the TV from the repair shop (it's now sitting in the garage collecting dust as I stew about what to do with it!) the repairman told me this was the fourth time he has seen this model come into his shop with the same problem.
I have contacted Sony customer service and spoken with people all the way to the national headquarters and they refuse to stand by this product. They will only honor a 1-year warranty. The only reason I spent that kind of money was because I have always been a loyal Sony consumer-- especially for TVs. I felt OK about the purchase because of my experience with previous TVs. I am really disappointed in this company and will not buy anything Sony in the near future. I can't believe they refuse to stand by their products, especially in this kind of an economy.


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Elisabeth Isabelle: Good point; I have also been guilty of passing judgement on the dead. Ad hominems are also wrong against the dead (even though the damage may not be as bad because you probably can not hinder the individual's post-mortem growth, though you may hinder the spread of their ideas)- again, when they are ad hominems. There are material differences between ad hominems and analyses.
Elisabeth, do you agree with David Quinn's assertion that "existence is appearance. To exist is to appear" (from chapter six of the Wisdom of the Infinite)? If you do, I would love to discuss your comments above in light of your agreement with this assertion.


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The Savannah Plan by Berks Homes, located at Wheatland in Muhlenberg Twp. Reading. Wheatland is nestled into a beautiful community of upscale private residences, close to shopping, dining, library and major commuting routes. Five lots remain with several plans to select from. Choose your own options and selections. Photos for this listing are of a similar home built in another Berks Homes Community. Options and upgrades may be shown in photos. Additional specs in associated docs or contact listing agent.
Listing Area: Muhlenberg Twp (10266)
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