Sony Exits TV Manufacturing in U.S.?
Sony has announce the sale of their LCD TV manufacturing to a company called Foxconn and the agreement includes the sale to Hon Hai Precision Industry Group 90% of its shares in Sony Baja California and several other manufacturing operations related to Sony’s Tijuana site in Mexico. Most of it’s production goes to manufacturing LCD TVs for the the US market. Sony will retain 10%. Why? So they can still put the Sony name on it of course, to delude the American buyer that the product is a Sony with the same quality you have become accustomed to.
Ah huh, sure it will.
In a press release Sony stated that, “by proactively leveraging external manufacturing resources Sony will also seek to reduce fixed costs, drive other cost reductions, improve profitability and achieve business expansion.” Holy cow, who wrote this? AIG?
I wonder, is this the first signal from Sony that they may join the ranks of trusted products like Zenith, Pioneer, RCA, Fujitsu and Philips that they cannot compete against Korea and China and are abandoning loyal Sony TV owners?
When is America going to remember that quality must come first, not cheap pricing? When giants like Sony capitulate their market position, we will all suffer. Your local service center is already threatened. As these manufacturers give up, their new owners will cut what they invest in service and you will have fewer TV repairman.
You might want to check where your nearest UPS or FedEx store is. Because you will have to ship it back to them at your own cost for repairs. Your local service shop will be gone.
Don’t throw out your box.
When sales price margins remain the only basis for selecting between brands, there will be little future in service networks or after the sale service. American, Japanese, and European manufacturers are throwing away 50 years of market goodwill just to price their TVs $5 below their competitors. Too bad service is worth so little.
We think we are worth the extra expense.
Sony has been outsourcing product gfor years, the referrals have all but dried up on warranty repairs anyway. The sad issue is that after over 30 years they are shutting their Kansas City parts operation. down. They are moving the parts warehouse, but where? Mexico! The parts reps will work from home, good luck to them, but the accounting department was totally shut down and guess what, they moved it to san Diego. Were the jobs offered to the LOYAL KC employees, no, they offered it to people who were laid off in SD. As far as the servicer is concerned with the C people in charge,maybe we ought to think Thomson/RCA….
Maybe that’s why Sony is suing or threatening to sue their servicer’s for their parts bills. Mine is tied up in parts credits they can’t seem to apply to my account. I’m one being threatened. I heard there was at least one other when I was at NPSC. Why do I think there is a plan to put us out of business. Why did everything dump on us the last 1 1/2 years. It isn’t the economy. Something is going on. They have no loyalty anymore. Neither do the customers. They blame us because they bought a piece of shit and can’t get anyone on the phone. Leastways not an American. I am 1 year away from social security and ready to shut down. 37 years and I am almost done.
Maybe we can thanks to all the politicians which have embraced China and Korea over the last 10 years, there is your answer. They are dogging me for $1300.00