Spend $3,000 on a premium TV. Twenty-two months later, vertical green lines crawl across the screen. You’re still under warranty. Sony sends a technician. The technician says: external damage. No free repair. That’ll be $307, please. You document everything and build a website. Sony responds with a six-page legal notice threatening $500K in damages. This is not a hypothetical. This happened — and it raises an uncomfortable question about how much risk comes with criticizing a corporation publicly when you may already be paying too much for the privilege.
When “External Damage” Means Whatever Sony Needs It to Mean
The facts here are straightforward, which is precisely what makes them worse.
- In September 2024, a customer purchased a 55-inch Sony Bravia Mini LED TV for â‚ą150,031, covered by a three-year Sony warranty and a two-year extended warranty from retailer Croma, according to Navbharat Times.
- Vertical green lines appeared around 22 months into ownership — well inside the warranty window.
- Sony’s technician classified the defect as “external damage” despite no visible dent or crack, and never provided the detailed technical report the customer repeatedly requested, per Navbharat Times.
- Sony quoted â‚ą29,130 ($307) for panel replacement instead of honoring the warranty. Sportskeeda Tech reports the technician admitted on video that he never physically inspected the internal panel and lacked engineering qualifications.
A diagnosis made from photos, without opening the device, by someone without engineering credentials is not a diagnosis. It is a liability shield dressed up as a verdict. Worth noting: Sony has historically run free evaluation and repair programs for specific Bravia models when systemic issues emerge, per Sony’s own support documentation. That generosity, apparently, has limits — not unlike the pattern seen when dealers keep recommending a $300 fix consumers never actually needed.
“The notice referenced damages of up to â‚ą5 crore if he did not comply.” — according to Sportskeeda Tech
A $500K Crore Threat Is Not Customer Service
Sony’s legal escalation arrived before its warranty dispute was ever resolved.
The customer did what anyone does in the era of viral Reddit threads and public callout posts — he documented everything. He registered SonyBravia.com, launched a site called “Sorry Bravia,” and published a full chronological timeline, photographs, and service communications. He posted “Never buy a Sony Bravia.” Sony’s response on September 1, 2026: a six-page legal notice demanding the site come down, the domain be surrendered, and an unconditional apology be issued — or face civil and criminal defamation proceedings, per Entertales.
Legal commentary cited by Legal Suvidha describes Sony’s move as resembling SLAPP tactics — strategic legal pressure designed to silence critics rather than resolve disputes. Sony’s notice reportedly argues the SonyBravia.com domain misuses its trademark and could mislead consumers into thinking they have reached an official brand page. That is a recognizable legal concern. It collapses fast, though, when Sony had not resolved a warranty claim on a â‚ą1.5 lakh TV before reaching for a â‚ą5 crore in damages legal weapon.
The customer has refused to remove the site. His consumer complaint remains pending in India’s court system. The case is unresolved — and any consumer who has ever left a one-star review online may want to pay attention to how it ends, particularly anyone who has already wrestled with frustrating computer problems and the indifferent support that often follows.
