14 DAY TRIAL // Now here’s an awkward situation. Remember that back in April Sony made an announcement saying an estimated 26,000 units of its VAIO Fit 11A laptops could be affected by battery problems, and it advised owners to stop using the products asap.
However, the majority of the products being targeted by the announcement was owned by customers located in the Asia-Pacific region and Japan.
Even as Sony has sold off the VAIO branch to a Japanese company, it still has to take care of the products its launched under the banner.
With this in mind, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning to customers who have acquired the Sony VAIO Flip PC with model / product number SVF11N13CXS.
Owners are urged to stop using the device immediately, shut it down, and contact Sony in order to receive a full refund or just get the machine fixed.
Like in yesterday’s story with the Dell Inspiron laptop which blew up, the VAIO Flip’s battery can overheat, resulting in fire and burn hazards.
The notice reads:
“Sony is aware of four incidents, which occurred in Asia, of computers overheating, resulting in units smoking, catching on fire and melting. No injuries have been reported.”
The affected laptops were sold in the US between the months of February and April 2014 for $800 / €585 a pop.
The products were sold in three color models, including silver, black and pink and took advantage of a Panasonic-made lithium-ion battery. The Flips also had a folding 11.6-inch touchscreen, backlit keyboard, and it offers Intel Core i5 and i7 Haswell processor options.
To determine whether your VAIO Flip is among the affected units, owners should check the black label with white lettering on the underside of the screen.
There you should find the model and serial numbers. To find the label, you’ll have to open the computer, move the switch from the lock and flip the display.
Customers with a faulty VAIO Flip can go ahead and contact Sony over the phone or online. It appears around 680 models have been affected in the US.
As you might be well aware, Sony has sold off the VAIO line to a Japanese company, and as we told you yesterday, the two first models arriving without the Sony banner have already been launched in Japan. Sadly, the new products are all-too reminiscent of what Sony had to offer.