If you're an Xperia owner in US, you could get up to $300 from Sony

Thanks to the recent preliminary settlement over misleading commercials, you might be owed up to $300 from the Japanese electronics company.

Sony Xperia phones and tablets aren’t the most common in the US, but if you are one of the very few people who own a Sony-made device in the US, you might be eligible for a $300 reimbursement. If you remember, Sony used to advertise some of its products as “waterproof.” Phones like the Xperia Z1 have a rating of IP58, which means they can be “immersed in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.” They’re not technically “waterproof” but water-resistant instead. The problem arose when Sony’s commercials claimed that they were and showed the devices being used to take photos underwater.

Naturally, users who thought their devices were waterproof were taken aback when their phones stopped working after some underwater photoshoot, and some of them subsequently filed a class action suit against Sony for its misleading advertisement. After over a year of legal battle, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York has preliminarily approved an agreement between the plaintiffs and Sony. The models in question are the following:

• Xperia M2 Aqua
• Xperia M4 Aqua
• Xperia ZR
• Xperia Z Ultra
• Xperia Z1
• Xperia Z1 Compact
• Xperia Z1s (T-Mobile)
• Xperia Z2
• Xperia Z3
• Xperia Z3 Compact
• Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile)
• Xperia Z3v (Verizon)
• Xperia Z3 Dual
• Xperia Z3+ Dual
• Xperia Z3+
• Xperia Z5
• Xperia Z5 Compact
• Xperia Z2 Tablet (WiFi)
• Xperia Z2 Tablet (LTE)
• Xperia Z2 Tablet (Verizon LTE)
• Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (WiFi)
• Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (LTE)
• Xperia Z4 Tablet (WiFi)
• Xperia Z4 Tablet (LTE)

If you bought and own one of the devices above and it was still in warranty as of August 3, you are automatically eligible for a warranty extension. Sony will offer limited warranty for damage resulting from water intrusion for 12 additional months. Additionally, if you previously submitted a claim for water-related warranty for one of the devices above and were rejected by Sony, you could be paid up to $300. The preliminary agreement dictates that those who are eligible – those whose water-related warranty claims were rejected – must be reimbursed for 50 percent of the at-issue MSRP for their devices. You can check Page 113 of this document to see the eligible sum for each device.

As the Court document explains, the preliminary agreement is null and void should the Court decide to alter and deny any portion of the settlement, and Sony has the right to terminate the agreement if the total number of timely and valid requests for exclusion exceed 1.5 percent of the putative class members. The Final Order should be issued this December at the earliest, and there may be final changes, but for now, if you think you are eligible, be sure to submit your claim form no later than January 30, 2018.

Do you own an eligible Xperia device with water damage? Was your warranty claim rejected by Sony? Let us know by leaving a comment below!