Customer service horror story #9456434

Disbelief personified (me): "So you're saying there's a good chance I'll have to pay €200 and live without my Vaio for 14 days only to get the same defective machine back? That is, if the engineer at your repair center in France has another opinion on what constitutes a loud/broken harddrive."

Wall of Sony (customer service): "I see your problem, but that is correct."

I am baffled. That was the fourth customer service person acknowledging—in gebrochen English—the insanity of their policy, yet offering little in pity and less in solutions.

Current status: Waiting another 48 hours to have their CIO examine the insanity. Having to call in (paying international rates every time) to get the answer. Sony Europe doesn't do email support.