Sony DSC-P51 design flaw?

Our handy-dandy digital camera, a Sony DSC-P51 has stopped working. This is after just more than two years of ownership. We are very disappointed, especially as I had chosen to a pay a premium for the Sony name. I phoned the local agents, who said "Oh no, we don't fix camera's - you had better talk to Sony in Auckland." A small problem - the Auckland branch of Sony has very, very busy phone lines. So after a lengthy hold on a toll call I hung up and simply sent them an e-mail via their web site. As of yet they have not bothered to reply.

Out of curiosity I did a search on Google and was astonished by the sheer quantity of people who had suffered the same problem. Try it yourself: Sony p51 black screen .

After wading through some of the results it would appear to me that the camera has a design flaw in that the connector between the CCD and the rest of the camera becomes dislodged. To test my theory I opened up the camera and removed and replaced the connector on the CCD side. Now I now longer have a black screen, but a smeary purple screen that wiggles and jiggles in psychedelic shades. So in fixing the one problem, I may have created another. Or perhaps the connector is still not meeting properly? Regardless, the consensus on the Internet is that it is cheaper to buy a new camera than to officially repair the old one.

I trusted the Sony brand. Now I am feeling a little ripped off.

I have learnt several lessons here. I have learnt that a lot of modern product is inherently "disposable". So in future I am only going to be paying disposable prices - the price being the sum of money that I can afford to spend annually (the replacement period) on that item. I am also going to avoid Sony products where possible. Not only does their support appear to be weak and their design appear to be shoddy, but they do not charge ongoing disposable prices suitable to my pocket.

9:42:49 AM