Sony Corp. and Charles Schwab Corp.
Interesting and wonderful stories about two companies - one with class and one with-out class.

This is a true story. I have documentation!

Sony Versus Charles Schwab

Some people have class, but many don’t even know what it means. When you put money in front of everything - you don’t have class. I will give you an example. This is true and I’m going to use the true names, because I think that both should be known. The "class" shown to me by the Sony Corporation was an example of class before money. It was caring and sharing. The no class shown to me by Charles Schwab of Schwab’s was a good example of money before all else.

I had a problem with both companies. Both companies received a letter from me outlining my problem. Probably wouldn’t have sent a letter to Charles Schwab if it weren’t for the letter from him, telling me how much he cared about my business. True it was a form letter, but I was a customer and I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Both companies responded. Sony responded with a phone call that was beyond just sending me their sympathies. Charles Schwab had his secretary call to tell me that she was sorry, but there was nothing they could do. Following will be the two letters that were sent to the companies mentioned above and the results of each letter. Sony didn’t have to extend the courtesy they did, and Charles Schwab could have and should have extended some courtesy. Read the letters - you be the judge - who showed class?

First lets look at Sony. I’m starting with them because if you get bored, you may not read this full story. It is more important to me that you read about the class shown to me by Sony opposed to reading the BS from Schwab.

Letter to Sony

September 14, 2004

Anonymous, out of respect for that person.
Sony Corporation of America
550 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10022

Dear Anonymous @ Sony:

Attached is a copy of an e-mail sent to your exchange department, along with a response that is not an automatic response but actually written by one of your people, who obviously didn’t read my letter. So as not to take up too much of your time, I will simplify my problem.

One of the two Sony SLVR1000 VCRs I own, since 1996, started eating tapes. I called for information about getting it repaired. They told me where to send it and said they might send me a refurbished one in place of mine. That was fine with me. I shipped my VCR to Laredo, TX and after a short time received a refurbished SLVN900 (price new $129.00) in place of my SLVR1000 (price $1,299.000). I was charged $126.83 for the refurbished one. For $3.00 more I could purchase a new one.

After the e-mail reply below, and a UPS return label, I contacted Laredo and was told they no longer carried the SLVR1000 and couldn’t repair it. It ate tapes - a simple mechanical problem that most VCR and Televison repair shops could fix. Five years ago, I had a Sony Trinitron XBR Model KV 27XBR10 televison repaired by your department in San Diego and it is still working today, so I felt going to Sony was the way to go. I also own a Sony HI-8 video recorder EV-C100, a Sony VCR Model 685HF and a Sony HI-8 camera Model CCD-TR101 (It is giving me a problem too - not sure where to send that.)

When asked about the return UPS label, was told to ship their VCR back to them and they would credit my credit card. What about my VCR? They said they would try and find it, and that they would call me. That was the second time I was promised a call from your people, that never came through. I told them that if they sent me the DVD Recorder (Model RDR-GX7 - $599.00) and kept my $126.83, I would be satisfied. Was told they didn’t have that model in Laredo. Told them to talk to someone who could help me. Hoping it would be someone with some logic and intelligence, who would see my plight and make things right. They have never returned my call. I am shipping the VCR SLVN900 back. It couldn’t help me. I need S-Video inputs and out puts. The Sony recorder - model RDR-GX7 Has those features and would get me back into my editing.

Sorry to bother you with this, but I have read a lot about you and feel you can help me.

Sincerely,

Sam Younghans

Now for that other company. First, as I said, I received a letter from Charles Schwab, that was crreted to look like a personal letter. That letter motivated me to write to him, thinking he really meant what he said in his "sincere" letter. After what they did to me, I should have known better. Live and learn. First my letter to him.

Charles Schwab
The Charles Schwab Corporation
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104

Dear Mr. Schwab

I have been your customer since early 1996, I was a medium player, as you will see from the enclosed copy of a statement from February 1997( Had about 225,000.00 in stock with them at that time.) The only fees were the commissions on a transactions. I used the internet and did all right until I retired. Then with no income and an emergency with my son, my funds dwindled. Then my remaining stock, plummeted to the bottom and stayed there. Two of them dropped out. I lost. The remaining stock was so low that I couldn’t afford to sell it.

I had some cash in the account but decided that until the stock rose, I would just forget about it. Then after some time I looked at a statement and saw that you had taken the last of the cash I had in the account. Needless to say I was upset. If I had opened your statements, I might have caught the fact that now that I hadn’t much in the account you were charging me a monthly fee. After three years and a lot of expense my son is now healthy again and I am broke. I would do it again in a second if he needed me.

My stock is starting to come back, so I decided to sell it all, just to get out from under your monthly fees. I intend to cash out and close my account and open an account with Scott Trade where I only pay $7.00 commission per transaction. It really hurts when you are kicked while you are down. It was okay when I was winning, but the minute I went down, I was trash in your eyes.

At this time I am minus some $600.00 - owed to Charles Schwab. I was not going to read your letter, but to day when I opened the envelope, something caught my eye. You said you wanted to help your clients. So I read your letter that started out: "It has been two months since I took up the reins again as Schwab’s chief executive officer. Today I want to share ...." Very heart warming.

I’m curious to know just how sincere you were in that letter.

Sincerely,

Sam Younghans

Risk Monitoring Department

Schwab, exemplifies the greed of this country. Sad! Sad!

If you are planning to invest in stock, try Scott Trade.

Thank You Sony

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